Door lock assembly and electrical apparatus
By setting a cylindrical cavity and cam surfaces of different curvatures in the rotating wheel seat, combined with a fixed pin shaft, the instability of the existing door lock mechanism and the problem of clothing pushing the door is solved, and the stable door operation and child safety functions are realized.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024115569
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-07-10
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-19
- Publication Date
- 2025-02-12
AI Technical Summary
The existing door lock mechanisms have problems of instability and unsmoothness when facing child safety and preventing clothing from accidentally opening during drying, especially the problems of unstable rotation wheel movement caused by eccentric force and the problem of the clothing pushing the door open during drying.
The cylindrical cavity in the rotating wheel seat is used to limit the elastic deformation of the eccentric moment deviation direction, combine the cam surface with different curvatures and the fixed pin shaft to ensure stable movement of the rotating wheel, and realize a safety mechanism through microswitches.
The door is stable opening and closing operation is achieved to prevent the clothes from opening accidentally during drying. At the same time, children can open it easily, avoiding the unstable movement of the rotating wheel and the risk of clothing pushing the door open.
Smart Images
Figure 2025020091000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a door lock assembly and an electrical device, and more particularly to a door lock assembly used in an electrical device and capable of withstanding a certain degree of internal pressing force, and an electrical device using the door lock assembly. [Background technology]
[0002] In some commercial or home electrical appliances, door lock mechanisms may be used to lock or open the doors of electrical appliances (such as dryers, washing machines, or dishwashers). Conventional door lock mechanisms typically include a biasing spring, which can return the door to a closed state under the action of the biasing spring if the door-opening displacement does not reach a critical door-opening displacement. The door lock mechanism described above must also include a child safety mechanism. For example, in a door lock mechanism for a dryer with a vertical door, if a child accidentally enters the dryer, the closed door should be able to be pushed open with a relatively small force from the inside of the door, allowing the child to easily exit the dryer drum. Additionally, such a door lock mechanism must prevent laundry inside the dryer from accidentally pushing the door open while the dryer is running. Summary of the Invention
[0003] A door lock mechanism typically includes a rotating wheel therein, the rotating wheel including a locking hook that can engage with a door hook provided on the door to lock the door. The rotating wheel can rotate around a rotating shaft, causing the locking hook of the rotating wheel to engage or disengage with the door hook.
[0004] In one aspect, if the biasing spring acts directly on the rotating shaft of the rotating wheel, the rotating wheel and its rotating shaft move linearly inside the door lock mechanism, compressing the biasing spring and thereby generating a biasing force that moves the rotating wheel in the opposite direction. However, during the compression process or return process when the biasing spring is pressed by the rotating shaft, it undergoes elastic deformation that deviates from the compression direction (the direction of movement of the rotating shaft). For example, the elastic deformation occurs in a direction other than the compression direction, and the biasing force against the rotating shaft may be generated in a direction other than the compression direction. For example, the acting force in a direction deviating from the compression direction causes the rotation of the rotating shaft to be subjected to additional interference force, resulting in a jerky, unstable, or unsmooth up and down movement of the rotating wheel, which causes an overall unsmooth response during the door opening operation, i.e., the door opening and closing action.
[0005] In another aspect, in a door lock mechanism with a child safety mechanism, the force required to push open the door from inside the dryer should not be too large, for example, less than 67 Newtons. However, an opening force that is too low can lead to the door being accidentally pushed open by the laundry spinning during the drying process. Taking the above two situations into consideration, it is necessary to make the door difficult to push open by the laundry spinning by centrifugal force, yet allow the door to be pushed open by a child from inside the dryer with a relatively small force.
[0006] To meet the above requirements for a door lock mechanism, the present disclosure provides a door lock assembly. A rotating wheel seat is provided inside a door lock housing, and a rotating wheel can be rotatably mounted on the rotating wheel seat. The rotating wheel seat includes at least one barrel-shaped cavity. The cavity may be sized to accommodate a biasing spring, allowing the biasing spring to be accommodated in the barrel-shaped cavity for compression or spring return. The cavity wall of the barrel-shaped cavity can limit bending of the biasing spring deviating from the compression direction, allowing the biasing spring to generate a spring return force proportional to the compression displacement during compression. The spring return force is applied to the bottom of the barrel-shaped cavity of the rotating wheel seat, allowing the biasing force to be applied to the linear movement of the rotating wheel seat and the rotating wheel inside the door lock housing. The biasing spring generates a stable biasing force, so that the rotating wheel seat and the rotating wheel move stably within the housing, and the overall feel of the door opening and closing operation is smooth, without any jerky, unstable or uneven feel.
[0007] In a further aspect, a pin shaft is fixedly provided inside the door lock housing of the present disclosure, and the pin shaft can constantly abut against the rotating wheel due to the biasing force of a biasing spring. During rotation of the rotating wheel, the pin shaft can apply a variable force to the rotating wheel. The cam portion of the rotating wheel of the present disclosure has two curved surfaces with different curvatures, and the rotating wheel abuts against the pin shaft via one of the two curved surfaces with different curvatures. When the rotating wheel starts to rotate from the door closed position, the force applied to the rotating wheel by the pin shaft quickly increases the internal pressing force required to open the door to an amount close to the maximum door opening force. During subsequent rotations, the door opening force remains stable and slowly increases until the rotating wheel reaches a critical position for door opening. After the rotating wheel has rotated beyond the critical position for door opening, even if the internal pressing force for door opening is removed, the rotating wheel will automatically rotate again under the combined action of the biasing spring and the pin shaft to a corresponding position where the door can be opened. If the door opening force is removed before the rotating wheel rotates to the critical position for door opening, the rotating wheel will return under the biasing force of the biasing spring to the corresponding position in which the door is closed.
[0008] The advantage of providing the cam portion of the rotary wheel is that it takes into consideration the characteristics of the force applied to the door when laundry is centrifugally rotating inside the dryer, i.e., the force is generated by the fact that clumps of laundry collide with the door under the action of centrifugal force, and when the laundry is displaced in the centrifugal direction, the clumps of laundry break up and the impact force on the door is immediately eliminated. In other words, the force applied by the laundry to the door disappears before the rotary wheel rotates to the critical position for door opening, so that the door cannot be pushed open even if it is slightly displaced. However, a child who accidentally enters the dryer can apply continuous internal pressure to the door, causing the rotary wheel to rotate beyond the critical position for door opening, and therefore the child can push the door open from the inside.
[0009] Therefore, the technical means of the door lock assembly in the present disclosure will be described below.
[0010] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a door lock assembly for locking a door of an electrical appliance, the door lock assembly comprising: a housing, at least one biasing spring, a rotating wheel seat, a pin shaft, and a rotating wheel, the housing having a spring abutment surface, one end of the at least one biasing spring abutting against the corresponding spring abutment surface, the rotating wheel seat being movably housed within the housing, at least one side of the rotating wheel seat having a barrel-shaped cavity configured to house the at least one biasing spring, the barrel-shaped cavity having a cavity bottom surface, the other end of the at least one biasing spring abutting against the corresponding cavity bottom surface, the pin shaft being movably housed within the housing, the rotating wheel has a rotating shaft, the rotating shaft is rotatably mounted in the rotating wheel seat, and the rotating wheel can rotate in the rotating wheel seat in a door-opening direction or a door-closing direction; the rotating wheel further has a cam structure, and the cam structure is configured to be able to abut against the pin shaft; when the rotating wheel rotates in the rotating wheel seat in the door-opening direction or the door-closing direction, the rotating wheel can move within the housing together with the rotating wheel seat; and during the movement of the rotating wheel seat inside the housing, at least one biasing spring can be compressed or spring-returned within the barrel-shaped cavity.
[0011] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the door lock assembly is characterized in that the at least one biasing spring includes two biasing springs.
[0012] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a door lock assembly is characterized in that one barrel-shaped cavity is provided on two sides of a rotating wheel seat, the barrel-shaped cavities on the two sides of the rotating wheel seat are configured to accommodate one of two biasing springs respectively, and the two biasing springs abut between spring abutment surfaces and cavity bottom surfaces of the barrel-shaped cavities respectively, so that the two biasing springs can be compressed or spring-returned during movement of the rotating wheel seat inside the housing.
[0013] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a door lock assembly is characterized in that a door hook hole is provided on a surface of a housing, the door hook hole being configured to receive a door hook attached to a door, and inserting the door hook into the door hook hole or pulling the door hook out of the door hook hole causes a rotating wheel to rotate around a rotating shaft in a door closing direction or a door opening direction.
[0014] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a door lock assembly is provided, wherein a rotating wheel includes a rotating wheel head section, a rotating wheel middle section, and a rotating wheel rear section, the rotating wheel middle section having a rotating shaft, the rotating wheel head section having a lock hook, the lock hook being configured to be able to engage with the door hook, inserting the door hook into the door hook hole or withdrawing the door hook from the door hook hole causes the rotating wheel to rotate around the rotating shaft in a door-opening direction or a door-closing direction, and the rotating wheel has a rotating wheel door-opening position and a rotating wheel door-closing position during rotation.
[0015] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a door lock assembly is characterized in that the rotating wheel rear section includes a cam structure, the cam structure includes an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface has an inner stable point, and the outer surface has a cam outer stable point, and when the rotating wheel is in a rotating wheel door closing position, the pin shaft is located at the cam inner stable point, and when the rotating wheel is in a rotating wheel door opening position, the pin shaft is located at the cam outer stable point.
[0016] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the door lock assembly is characterized in that the rotating wheel seat includes a rotating wheel stop, and the rotating wheel stop is configured to limit the rotation range of the rotating wheel, so that the rotating wheel can be stabilized at a position where the rotating wheel rotates from a rotating wheel door closing position to a rotating wheel door opening position and the pin shaft is located at a cam outer stabilization point.
[0017] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a door lock assembly is characterized in that a spring abutment surface is provided on the opposite side of the cavity bottom surface, and when the rotating wheel rotates from the rotating wheel door closed position to the rotating wheel door open position, the cam structure of the rotating wheel moves relative to the pin shaft so that the position where the cam structure abuts the pin shaft moves from an inner stable point to a cam outer stable point, and the rotating wheel seat moves close to the spring abutment surface of the housing so that the pair of biasing springs is compressed, and when the rotating wheel rotates from the rotating wheel door open position to the rotating wheel door closed position, the cam structure of the rotating wheel moves relative to the pin shaft so that the position where the cam structure abuts the pin shaft moves from the cam outer stable point to the inner stable point, and the rotating wheel seat moves away from the spring abutment surface of the housing so that the pair of biasing springs spring back from the compressed state.
[0018] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a door lock assembly is characterized in that the rotating wheel seat includes a rotating wheel receiving portion configured to mount a rotating shaft of the rotating wheel, such that the rotating wheel can be rotatably mounted on the rotating wheel seat.
[0019] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a door lock assembly is characterized in that a housing includes a pin shaft mounting portion having a pin shaft mounting hole configured to fixedly mount a pin shaft.
[0020] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the door lock assembly further includes a microswitch assembly configured to disengage the microswitch assembly when the rotating wheel rotates from the rotating wheel door closed position to the rotating wheel door open position, and to trigger the microswitch assembly when the rotating wheel rotates from the rotating wheel door open position to the rotating wheel door closed position.
[0021] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the door lock assembly is characterized in that the rotating wheel seat further comprises a microswitch assembly actuating portion, and the microswitch assembly actuating portion is configured such that when the rotating wheel seat moves near the spring abutment surface, the microswitch assembly actuating portion disengages from the microswitch assembly to prevent the microswitch assembly from being triggered, and when the rotating wheel seat moves away from the spring abutment surface, the microswitch assembly actuating portion contacts the microswitch assembly to trigger the microswitch assembly.
[0022] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electrical device comprising the door lock assembly described in the first aspect of the present disclosure.
[0023] Additional aspects and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0024] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the door lock assembly of the present disclosure with the door hook in an uninserted state. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the door lock assembly with the housing shown in FIG. 1A hidden to show more components inside the housing. [Figure 1C] FIG. 1C is a state diagram of the door lock assembly shown in FIG. 1B after the door hook is inserted. [Figure 1D] 1B is a bottom perspective view of the door lock assembly shown in FIG. 1A to illustrate the assembly relationship between the pin shaft and the housing, and the cooperative relationship between the pin shaft and the rotating wheel. FIG. [Figure 1E] 1D along the direction MM to show the assembly relationship between the spring, the housing and the rotating wheel seat. FIG. [Figure 1F] 1C is a side view of the door lock assembly shown in FIG. 1B to illustrate the cooperative relationship between the microswitch assembly actuating portion of the rotating wheel seat and the microswitch assembly, with the microswitch assembly in a non-triggered state. [Figure 1G] 1D is a side view of the door lock assembly shown in FIG. 1C to illustrate the cooperative relationship between the microswitch assembly actuating portion of the rotating wheel seat and the microswitch assembly, with the microswitch assembly in a triggered state. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the door lock assembly of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] 1 is a front view of a rotating wheel showing the relative positions between the rotating wheel and the pin shaft when the rotating wheel is in various stages of motion. [Figure 3B]1 is a graph of the curved relationship between the upward movement displacement of the rotating wheel seat (door opening displacement) and the inward pressing force exerted on the door. [Figure 4A] FIG. 1 is a side view of the interior of the door lock assembly of the present disclosure with the door hook in a maximum insertion state and the pin shaft abutting point O on the force bearing surface of the rotating wheel. [Figure 4B] 4B is a magnified view and force analysis diagram N of the rotating wheel shown in FIG. 4A. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of a door hook pulling a rotating wheel upwards, with the pin shaft abutting against point A on the force bearing surface of the rotating wheel. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram of a door hook pulling a rotating wheel upwards, with the pin shaft abutting the AB segment of the force bearing surface of the rotating wheel. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram of a door hook pulling a rotating wheel upwards, with the pin shaft abutting against point B on the force bearing surface of the rotating wheel. [Figure 8A] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a pin shaft abutting against a BC segment of a force bearing surface of a rotating wheel. [Figure 8B] 8B is a close-up view and force analysis diagram Q of the rotating wheel shown in FIG. 8A. [Figure 8C] 1 is a schematic diagram of a pin shaft abutting a force bearing surface of a rotating wheel at point C. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a dryer with the door lock assembly of the present disclosure in the door open position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] Various specific embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this disclosure and are not intended to limit the disclosure. While directional terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," and "rear" are used in this disclosure to describe the orientation of various structural components and elements of the present disclosure, it should be understood that these terms are used merely for ease of description and are determined based on the exemplary orientations shown in the accompanying drawings. Because embodiments of the present disclosure can be oriented in different directions, these directional terms are merely exemplary and should not be considered limiting.
[0026] The term "comprise" and its derivatives mean inclusion without limitation. Unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "mount," "connect," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they may be mechanical or electrical connection, internal communication between two elements, or a direct connection or an indirect connection via an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art will be able to understand the specific meaning of the above terms depending on the particular case. Where possible, the same or similar reference numerals used in this disclosure refer to the same components.
[0027] 1A-1G are perspective views of the door lock assembly 100 of the present disclosure from various perspectives. FIG. 1B shows more components inside the housing 102 by hiding the housing 102 in FIG. 1A, and FIG. 1C is a state diagram of the door lock assembly 100 shown in FIG. 1B after the door hook 101 has been inserted. FIG. 1D is a bottom perspective view of the door lock assembly 100 shown in FIG. 1A to illustrate the assembly relationship between the pin shaft 112 and the housing 102 and the cooperative relationship between the pin shaft 112 and the rotating wheel 108. FIG. 1E is a cross-sectional view of the door lock assembly 100 taken along the MM direction of FIG. 1D to illustrate the assembly relationship between the springs 110 and 111, the housing 102, and the rotating wheel seat 104. FIGS. 1F and 1G are side views of the door lock assembly 100 shown in FIG. 1B to illustrate the cooperative relationship between the microswitch assembly actuating portion 172 of the rotating wheel seat 104 and the microswitch assembly 114.
[0028] 1A is taken as a reference in the following, and it should be noted that the direction in which the housing 102 is oriented from front to rear is defined as the positive X direction, the direction in which the housing 102 is oriented from right to left is defined as the positive Y direction, and the direction in which the door hook 101 is pulled out of the housing 102 is defined as the positive Z direction (the direction in which the housing 102 is oriented from top to bottom). Since embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided in various directions, these directional terms X, Y, and Z are merely exemplary and should not be considered as limiting.
[0029] As shown in FIG. 1A , the door lock assembly 100 includes a housing 102 and a rotating wheel seat 104 provided inside the housing 102. The top surface of the housing 102 includes a door hook hole 182 configured to receive a door hook 101 attached to the door of an electrical appliance. The door hook 101 is located above the door hook hole 182. After the door hook 101 is inserted into the door lock assembly 100 through the door hook hole 182 in the top surface of the housing 102, the door hook 101 can engage in a hooked manner with a rotating wheel (see rotating wheel 108 in FIGS. 1B and 1C ) inside the door lock assembly 100. When the rotating wheel 108 is locked, the door of the electrical appliance is also locked.
[0030] The door hook 101 includes a door hook base 122, a door hook opening 124, and a door hook head 126. The door hook base 122 is attached to the door of the electrical appliance, and the door hook head 126 has a door hook head upper surface 128. When the door hook 101 is inserted into the door lock assembly 100, the door hook head 126 can push and rotate the rotating wheel 108, and when the door hook 101 is pulled out from the inside of the door lock assembly 100, the door hook head upper surface 128 can pull and rotate the rotating wheel 108 in the opposite direction, so that when the door is in a closed state, a part of the door hook 101 is held inside the door lock assembly 100, and the door hook opening 124 is captured by the rotating wheel 108, so that the door hook 101 is locked and cannot move.
[0031] 1A , a housing limiting hole 103 provided in the Z direction is provided in the housing 102, and a rotating wheel seat limiting protrusion 106 is provided on the outer wall of the rotating wheel seat 104. The rotating wheel seat limiting protrusion 106 may protrude outward from the inside of the housing limiting hole 103 and may reciprocate in the Z direction within a groove defined by the housing limiting hole 103, so that the rotating wheel seat 104 can be restricted to reciprocate in the Z direction within the housing 102.
[0032] 1B and 1C further show schematic diagrams of the door hook 101 in an uninserted state and an inserted state.
[0033] 1B and 1C, the door lock assembly 100 further includes a rotating wheel 108, which is rotatably mounted in the rotating wheel seat 104 so that the rotating wheel 108 can rotate in a door-opening direction or a door-closing direction within the rotating wheel seat 104. Specifically, the rotating wheel seat 104 includes rotating wheel receiving portions 152 and 153 configured to mount a rotating shaft 208 (see FIG. 2) of the rotating wheel 108, so that the rotating wheel 108 is rotatably fixed to the rotating wheel seat 104 and can rotate.
[0034] 1B and 1C, the door lock assembly 100 further includes two biasing springs 110 and 111. Barrel-shaped cavities 132 and 134 are provided on the left and right sides of the rotating wheel seat 104 in the Y direction, respectively, and each of the barrel-shaped cavities 132 and 134 is configured to accommodate one of the biasing springs 110 and 111. The inner diameters of the barrel-shaped cavities 132 and 134 are slightly larger than the outer diameters of the biasing springs 110 and 111, so that when the biasing springs are compressed in the barrel-shaped cavities, bending deformation outside the compression direction does not occur. One end of each biasing spring abuts against the bottom surface of the corresponding barrel-shaped cavity 132 or 134, and the other end abuts against the inside of the housing 102. When the housing 102 is fixed, as the rotating wheel seat 104 moves closer to the housing 102 in the Z direction, the biasing springs 110 and 111 are compressed, allowing the biasing springs 110 and 111 to apply a biasing force to the rotating wheel seat 104 in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the rotating wheel seat 104, thus causing the rotating wheel seat 104 to tend to move away from the housing 102.
[0035] For those skilled in the art, as long as the rotating wheel seat 104 can receive the biasing force of the biasing spring when it moves toward the housing 102 in the Z direction, the rotating wheel seat 104 may have only one barrel-shaped cavity and the corresponding door lock assembly 100 may have only one biasing spring, or the rotating wheel seat 104 may have three or more barrel-shaped cavities and each barrel-shaped cavity may be configured to accommodate one biasing spring. Specifically, during the door-opening process, the rotating wheel seat 104 moves toward the housing 102, compressing the biasing spring; during the door-closing process, the rotating wheel seat 104 moves away from the housing 102, gradually restoring the biasing spring from the compressed state to its initial state.
[0036] 1B and 1C, the door lock assembly 100 further includes a microswitch assembly 114, which is disposed near the rotating wheel seat 104 in the Z direction. The microswitch assembly 114 is configured such that when the rotating wheel 108 rotates from the rotating wheel door closed position to the rotating wheel door open position, the microswitch assembly 114 is disengaged from the rotating wheel seat 104, and when the rotating wheel 108 rotates from the rotating wheel door open position to the rotating wheel door closed position, the microswitch assembly 114 can be triggered by the rotating wheel seat 104. The rotating wheel door closed position corresponds to a door closed position, and the rotating wheel door open position corresponds to a door open position.
[0037] FIG. 1D is a bottom perspective view of the door lock assembly 100 shown in FIG. 1A to illustrate the assembly relationship between the pin shaft 112 and the housing 102, and the cooperative relationship between the pin shaft 112 and the rotating wheel 108.
[0038] 1D , door lock assembly 100 further includes pin shaft 112, and housing 102 further includes left and right pin shaft mounting portions 144 and 146, each having a corresponding one of pin shaft mounting holes 145 and 147 configured to securely mount pin shaft 112. Housing 102 includes microswitch assembly receiving portion 142 configured to receive microswitch assembly 114.
[0039] FIG. 1E is a cross-sectional view of the door lock assembly 100 along the MM direction shown in FIG. 1D to show the assembly relationship between the springs 110 and 111, the housing 102 and the rotating wheel seat 104.
[0040] 1E, the barrel-shaped cavities 132 and 134 of the rotating wheel seat 104 have cavity bottom surfaces 133 and 135, and one end of one of the biasing springs 110 and 111 housed in the barrel-shaped cavities 132 and 134 can abut against the corresponding one of the cavity bottom surfaces 133 and 135. In addition, spring abutment surfaces 162 and 164 are provided correspondingly on the inside of the housing 102, and the other end of one of the biasing springs 110 and 111 can abut against the corresponding one of the spring abutment surfaces 162 and 164. Therefore, the biasing springs 110 and 111 are restricted to be compressed between the cavity bottom surfaces 133 and 135 of the rotating wheel seat 104 and the spring abutment surfaces 162 and 164 of the housing 102, with the cavity bottom surface 133 being located opposite the spring abutment surface 162 and the cavity bottom surface 135 being located opposite the spring abutment surface 164. The cavity walls of the barrel-shaped cavities 132 and 134 can restrict the bending deformation of the biasing springs 110 and 111 deviating from the compression direction, allowing the biasing springs 110 and 111 to generate a spring restoring force proportional to the compression displacement during compression, and the spring restoring force acts on the spring abutment surfaces 162 and 164 of the barrel-shaped cavities 132 and 134 to generate a biasing force against the rotating wheel seat 104 and the rotating wheel 108. Because the biasing spring generates a consistent biasing force, the movement of the rotating wheel seat 104 and rotating wheel 108 within the housing 102 is more consistent than rotating wheels in the prior art, resulting in a smoother overall feel for the door opening and closing operation.
[0041] 1F and 1G are side views of the door lock assembly 100 shown in FIG. 1B to illustrate the cooperative relationship between the microswitch assembly actuation portion 172 of the rotating wheel seat 104 and the microswitch assembly 114. FIG.
[0042] 1F and 1G, the rear side of the rotating wheel seat 104 further includes a microswitch assembly actuation portion 172, which has a microswitch assembly actuation ramp 174. The microswitch assembly 114 has a button 116, and when the button 116 is pressed, the microswitch assembly 114 is triggered, and when the button 116 is not pressed, the microswitch assembly 114 is not triggered. The microswitch assembly actuation portion 172 is configured such that when the rotating wheel seat 104 moves close to the spring abutment surfaces 162 and 164 of the housing 102, the microswitch assembly actuation ramp 174 does not press the button 116, preventing the microswitch assembly 114 from being triggered, and when the rotating wheel seat 104 moves away from the spring abutment surfaces 162 and 164 of the housing 102, the microswitch assembly actuation ramp 174 presses the button 116, triggering the microswitch assembly 114.
[0043] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the door lock assembly 100 of the present disclosure to illustrate the mounting and positioning of the various components in the door lock assembly 100.
[0044] 2, the door hook 101 attached to the door of the electrical appliance can be inserted into the housing 102 through the door hook hole 182 on the top surface of the housing 102 so that the door hook engages with the rotating wheel 108 provided inside the housing 102. When inserted into the housing 102, the door hook 101 can strike the rotating wheel 108 and rotate the rotating wheel in the door-closing direction, and when pulled out of the housing 102, the door hook 101 can pull the rotating wheel 108 and rotate the rotating wheel in the door-opening direction. The rotating wheel 108 is rotatably mounted on the rotating wheel seat 104 by its rotating shaft 208, so that the rotating wheel 108 can rotate in the rotating wheel seat 104 in the door-opening direction or the door-closing direction, and no other type of movement of the rotating wheel 108 relative to the rotating wheel seat 104 occurs except for rotation. The rotating wheel seat 104 is restricted in the housing restricting hole 103 of the housing 102 by the rotating wheel seat restricting protrusion 106, so that the rotating wheel seat 104 can move relative to the housing 102 only in the extension direction of the housing restricting hole 103 (Z direction). The rotating wheel 108 and the rotating wheel seat 104 can move simultaneously relative to the housing 102 during linear movement of the rotating wheel seat 104 relative to the housing 102. The pin shaft 112 is fixedly mounted to the lower end of the housing 102 and remains in contact with the rotating wheel 108 by biasing springs 110 and 111. Because the cam circumferences of the rotating wheel 108 have different rotation radii, the rotating wheel 108 can move relative to the housing 102 during rotation due to the contact of its cam circumference with the pin shaft 112, thereby driving the rotating wheel seat 104 to move relative to the housing 102. During movement of the rotating wheel seat 104 relative to the housing 102, a microswitch assembly 114 provided inside the housing 102 can be actuated, causing the microswitch assembly 114 to turn on or off.
[0045] FIG. 3A is a front view of the rotating wheel 108, showing the relative positional relationship between the rotating wheel 108 and the pin shaft 112 at various stages of movement, and FIG. 3B is a graph of the curved relationship between the upward movement displacement of the rotating wheel seat 104 (door opening displacement) and the internal pressing force experienced by the door.
[0046] As shown in FIG. 3A, the rotating wheel 108 includes a rotating wheel head section 222, a rotating wheel middle section 224, and a rotating wheel rear section 226, where the rotating wheel middle section 224 includes the rotating shaft 208, and the rotating wheel head section 222 includes the lower locking hook 202, the upper locking hook 204, and the locking hook receiving cavity 206. When the door hook 101 is inserted into the housing 102, the door hook head 126 of the door hook 101 collides with the lower lock hook 202 of the rotating wheel 108, causing the rotating wheel 108 to rotate in the door closing direction (clockwise direction); when the door hook 101 is pulled out of the housing 102, the door hook head upper surface 128 of the door hook 101 pulls the upper lock hook 204 of the rotating wheel 108, causing the upper lock hook to rotate in the door opening direction (counterclockwise direction); when the door is in a closed state, the door hook 101 is held inside the door lock assembly 100, and the door hook opening 124 of the door hook 101 is restricted in the lock hook receiving cavity 206 of the rotating wheel 108, causing the door hook 101 to be locked and unable to move.
[0047] The rotating wheel rear section 226 has a cam structure, and the outer circumference of the cam structure has a different radius of rotation. The cam structure is configured to be able to abut against the pin shaft 112, so that when the rotating wheel 108 rotates in the rotating wheel seat 104 in the door-opening direction or the door-closing direction, the rotating wheel 108 can move together with the rotating wheel seat 104 within the housing 102, and during the movement of the rotating wheel seat 104 within the housing 102, the biasing springs 110 and 111 are compressed or spring-returned within the barrel-shaped cavities 132, 134, so that a biasing force is applied to the rotating wheel seat 104 and the rotating wheel 108.
[0048] The cam structure of the rotating wheel 108 has an inner side and an outer side connected to each other, the inner side has a first working side 212 and a second working side 214 connected to each other, and the outer side has a third working side 216, the first working side 212 is a concave surface, the second working side 214 protrudes in a first direction, and the third working side 216 protrudes in a second direction, and during the door opening process, the abutment position between the cam structure of the rotating wheel 108 and the pin shaft 112 shifts sequentially from the first working side 212 to the second working side 214 and the third working side 216, thereby causing a change in the internal pressing force.
[0049] 3A , in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the inner side includes a circular cutout 212 and an ascending slope 214, and the outer side includes a descending slope 216. The circular cutout 212 connects to the ascending slope 214 at point A, and the ascending slope 214 connects to the descending slope 216 at point B. The inner diameter of the circular cutout 212 is the same as the outer diameter of the pin shaft 112, allowing the pin shaft 112 to be precisely snap-connected into the circular cutout 212, and the position where the pin shaft 112 is snap-connected into the circular cutout 212 is a stable position corresponding to the position where the rotating wheel 108 is in the rotating wheel door closed position.
[0050] When the rotating wheel 108 tends to rotate in the door-opening direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 3A ), the force point at which the pin shaft 112 abuts against the circular notch 212 occurs at point O of the circular notch 212, and in this case, the rotating wheel 108 is in the rotating wheel door-closed position. When the door is fully opened, the rotating wheel 108 abuts against the rotating wheel stop 402 (see FIG. 8C ) of the rotating wheel seat 104. In this case, the rotating wheel 108 is in the rotating wheel door-opening position, and the pin shaft 112 abuts against point C of the downwardly inclined surface 216 of the rotating wheel 108, i.e., the stable position of the rotating wheel 108 in the rotating wheel door-opening position.
[0051] 3A, for ease of description below, the outer contour of the cam structure is divided into three segments: an OA segment, which is the cam structure's inner circular cutout 212; an AB segment, which is the cam structure's inner ascending slope 214; and a BC segment, which is the cam structure's outer descending slope 216. Other segments of the cam structure's outer contour than the OA, AB, and BC segments will not be described herein.
[0052] It can be seen that the cam structure of the rotating wheel 108 has different curvatures in the OA segment, the AB segment, and the BC segment, the curvature of the OA segment is approximately equal to the curvature of the outer diameter of the pin shaft 112, the curvature of the AB segment gradually increases from point A to point B, and the curvature of the BC segment remains constant. In the process of the rotating wheel 108 rotating from the rotating wheel door closed position to the rotating wheel door open position, the pin shaft 112 abuts against the rotating wheel 108 at those segments of the rotating wheel 108 with different curvatures, while the rotating wheel 108 also has different rotating wheel rotation radii at those segments with different curvatures. Therefore, the interaction force generated when the pin shaft 112 abuts against the rotating wheel 108 at those segments with different curvatures is variable, and under the combined action of the variable acting force of the pin shaft 112 and the biasing force of the biasing spring, the force required to pull the rotating wheel 108 (i.e., the internal pressing force or door opening force) has a variable tendency, as shown in FIG. 3B . Therefore, in the door lock mechanism of the present disclosure, the pin shaft 112 can also be considered as a force adjusting device for the internal pressing force.
[0053] 3B, by taking "internal pressing force" as the ordinate and "door opening displacement" as the abscissa, an "internal pressing force vs. door opening displacement" curve (hereinafter referred to as "curve") can be obtained. The curve indicated by the solid line is the curve of the correlation between the door opening displacement and the internal pressing force in the technical means of the present disclosure, and the curve indicated by the dotted line is the curve of the correlation between the door opening displacement and the internal pressing force in the prior art.
[0054] The curve of the technical solution of the present disclosure has four critical points O, A, B, and C. These four points O, A, B, and C correspond to four abutment positions of the pin shaft 112 and the rotating wheel 108, namely, the abutment point O of the pin shaft 112 corresponding to the rotating wheel door closed position, the abutment point A of the pin shaft 112 at the junction of the OA segment and the AB segment of the rotating wheel 108, the abutment point B of the pin shaft 112 at the junction of the AB segment and the BC segment of the rotating wheel 108, and the abutment point C of the pin shaft 112 corresponding to the rotating wheel door open position. The OA segment, the AB segment, and the BC segment of the curve correspond to the abutment positions of the pin shaft 112 with the cam structure of the rotating wheel 108 at the OA segment, the AB segment, and the BC segment, respectively. If the rotating wheel 108 is considered to be stationary, during the door-opening process, the pin shaft 112 moves from the circular notch 212 through the OA, AB, and BC segments relative to the rotating wheel 108 to point C on the descending slope 216. During the door-closing process, the pin shaft 112 moves from point C on the descending slope 216 through the BC, AB, and OA segments relative to the rotating wheel 108 to the circular notch 212.
[0055] When the door is in the closed position and receives an internal pressing force, the rotating wheel 108 can rotate counterclockwise from the rotating wheel door closed position to the rotating wheel door open position. The pin shaft 112 functions as a force adjusting device for the internal pressing force and can apply an adjusting force to the rotating wheel 108 by abutting against the rotating wheel 108. This adjusting force allows the rotating wheel 108 to take on two rotational path curves during the process of rotating from the rotating wheel door closed position to the rotating wheel door open position, including a first rotational path segment (OA segment) and a second rotational path segment (AB segment), where the first rotational path segment (OA segment) has a first path starting point (O) and a first path ending point (A), and the second rotational path segment (AB segment) has a second path starting point (A) and a second path ending point (B), where the first path ending point coincides with the second path starting point. In the "inner pushing force vs. door opening displacement" curve, it can be seen that the slope of the first segment of the rotation path (OA segment) is significantly greater than the slope of the second segment of the rotation path (AB segment).
[0056] The slope and shape of the first segment of the rotational path (OA segment) depend on the curvature and shape of the circular cutout 212, and the slope and shape of the second segment of the rotational path (AB segment) depend on the curvature and shape of the rising inclined surface 214. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first segment of the rotational path (OA segment) has a slope ranging from 80 degrees to 90 degrees, and the displacement corresponding to the first segment of the rotational path (OA segment) ranges from 0 mm to 2 mm, the second segment of the rotational path (AB segment) has a slope ranging from 0 degrees to 15 degrees, and the displacement corresponding to the second segment of the rotational path (AB segment) ranges from 5 mm to 10 mm, and the ratio of the displacement corresponding to the second segment of the rotational path (AB segment) to the displacement corresponding to the first segment of the rotational path (OA segment) ranges from 5 to 20.
[0057] The adjusting force from the pin shaft 112 (force adjusting device) causes the internal pressing force to be embodied as a variable internal pressing force, as depicted in Fig. 3B. If the variable internal pressing force can only move the rotating wheel 108 to a position between the first path start point (O) and the second path end point (B), the rotating wheel 108 will return to the rotating wheel door closed position, i.e., the position where the pin shaft 112 is snap-connected to the circular notch 212 of the rotating wheel 108, after the variable internal pressing force is removed. If the variable internal pressing force can move the rotating wheel 108 to a position beyond the second path end point B, the rotating wheel 108 will move to the rotating wheel door open position after the variable internal pressing force is removed. That is, when the rotating wheel 108 rotates to abut against the pin shaft 112 by the BC segment, under the combined action of the biasing force of the biasing spring and the abutting force of the pin shaft, the rotating wheel 108 can automatically rotate to the rotating wheel door opening position, i.e., the position where the rotating wheel 108 abuts against the pin shaft 112 at point C, without any internal pressing force. Considering actual factors such as frictional force, the BC segment of the curve approximates a vertical line perpendicular to the horizontal axis.
[0058] In the technical solution of the present disclosure, it can be seen that there is a door opening displacement caused by machine manufacturing tolerance before point O on the curve, and the first path starting point O starts after the tolerance movement. In addition, the internal pressing force required by the initial displacement corresponding to point O on the curve is in the range of 5N to 10N, which indicates that the rotating wheel 108 cannot rotate or move initially until it overcomes the static friction force from the adjacent components.
[0059] Therefore, when the door is in the open position and receives an external pressure, the rotating wheel 108 can rotate clockwise from the rotating wheel door open position to the rotating wheel door closed position. Inversely to the above process, the pin shaft 112 first abuts against the rotating wheel 108 at point C, and with further insertion of the door hook 101, the rotating wheel 108 rotates clockwise, and the abutment position between the pin shaft 112 and the rotating wheel 108 moves from point C to point B by passing through the BC segment, then moves to point A by passing through the AB segment, and finally moves to point O by passing through the OA segment.
[0060] Continuing to refer to FIG. 3B, the correlation curve between the door opening displacement and the internal pressing force in the prior art has three critical points O', B, and C, where point O' is very close to point O, and the O'B segment approximates a straight line, and the slope of the O'B segment is smaller than the slope of the OA segment in the technical means of the present disclosure.
[0061] As known to those skilled in the art, the internal pressing force exerted by the door imparts work to the door lock assembly during the door-opening process. The magnitude of the work is the cumulative (integral) of the internal pressing force with respect to the door-opening displacement, and reflects the area enclosed by the curve and the horizontal and vertical axes in Figure 3B. It can be seen that the work performed by the internal pressing force during the door-opening process in the technical solution of the present disclosure is significantly greater than the work performed by the internal pressing force during the door-opening process in the conventional technology. This is because, in the technical solution of the present disclosure, the internal pressing force required for door opening in the initial stage of door opening (e.g., the stage before point A corresponding to a door-opening displacement of 1.2 mm) rapidly increases to a range of 35 Newtons to 45 Newtons, and the door can be pushed open only by continuous pressing to achieve a cumulative displacement of about 8 mm under the action of the internal pressing force (which increases slowly continuously), whereas the door-opening displacement corresponding to the same door-opening force achieved in the conventional technology is about 7 mm. However, the maximum internal pushing force required to open the door in the technical means of the present disclosure remains consistent with that in the prior art, i.e., in the range of 40 Newtons to 45 Newtons (the magnitude of the internal pushing force corresponding to point B). Therefore, the technical means of the present disclosure does not increase the difficulty of a child pushing the door from the inside. Conversely, for the same impact force of laundry (initial impact kinetic energy of the laundry), if the impact force is just enough to overcome the door opening resistance in the prior art for pushing the door open by doing work, the door in the technical means of the present disclosure cannot be pushed open by this impact force. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the work required to overcome the door opening resistance in the technical means of the present disclosure is 55% greater than the work required in the prior art.
[0062] 4A to 8C are schematic diagrams of the rotating wheel 108 and the pin shaft 112 at various contact positions during the door opening process.
[0063] Figure 4A is a side view of the interior of the door lock assembly 100 of the present disclosure with the door hook 101 in a fully inserted state and the pin shaft 112 abutting against point O on the force bearing surface of the rotating wheel 108, with part of the structure of the housing 102 hidden to show the cooperative relationship between the various components inside the door lock assembly 100. Figure 4B is an enlarged view and force analysis diagram N of the rotating wheel 108 shown in Figure 4A.
[0064] 4A, the rotating wheel seat 104 includes a rotating wheel stop 402 configured to limit the rotation range of the rotating wheel 108, so that when the rotating wheel 108 rotates from the rotating wheel door closed position to the rotating wheel door open position, the rotating wheel 108 is stopped by the rotating wheel stop 402 and can therefore be stabilized at a position where the pin shaft 112 abuts against point C of the cam's downward inclined surface 216. FIG. 4A shows the rotating wheel 108 in the rotating wheel door closed position, i.e., the door is in the closed position, and at this time, the pin shaft 112 abuts within the circular notch 212 of the rotating wheel 108.
[0065] 4B , when the rotating wheel 108 in the rotating wheel door closed position receives a door-opening pulling force P (corresponding to the inward pressing force received by the door) from the door hook, the rotating wheel 108 tends to rotate counterclockwise, and before the rotating wheel 108 can rotate or move, it must overcome the effects of initial manufacturing tolerances and static friction and generate an interaction force F with the pin shaft 112. In this case, the biasing spring is not yet compressed, and therefore the rotating wheel seat 104 and the rotating wheel 108 are not yet subjected to the spring force T of the biasing spring in the Z direction (vertical direction). When the rotating wheel 108 starts to rotate counterclockwise, the biasing spring is compressed, and then the rotating wheel seat 104 and the rotating wheel 108 receive the spring force T of the biasing spring in the Z direction, and the spring force T acts on the center of the rotation shaft 208 of the rotating wheel 108; therefore, no additional torque is provided to the rotating wheel 108. The door opening pull force P and the reaction force F of the pin shaft 112 each apply a torque in opposite directions to the rotating wheel 108, and the torques generated by the two forces are equal in magnitude. The door opening pull force P, the reaction force F, and the action force applied to the rotating wheel 108 in the Z direction (vertical direction) by the spring force T of the biasing spring are balanced with each other.
[0066] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the door hook 101 pulling the rotating wheel 108 upwards, with the pin shaft 112 abutting against point A on the force bearing surface of the rotating wheel 108.
[0067] 4A and 5, after the rotating wheel 108 starts to rotate, a continuous door-opening pull force P is applied to the rotating wheel 108, causing the rotating wheel 108 to rotate from the position shown in FIG. 4A and translate upward to the position shown in FIG. 5. In this case, the pin shaft 112 moves relative to the rotating wheel 108 from a position where it abuts within the circular notch 212 of the rotating wheel 108 to point A on the force-bearing surface, where it abuts against the rotating wheel 108. In the process of abutting against the pin shaft 112, the rotating wheel 108 translates upward counterclockwise, and the outer contour of the rotating wheel 108 in the OA segment is shaped to allow the pin shaft 112 to generate a reaction force F thereagain, which causes the door-opening pull force P to increase rapidly with the door-opening displacement, thus forming the shape of the curved OA segment shown in FIG. 3B. At point A shown in FIG. 5, the door opening pull force P or inward pushing force is in the range of 35 Newtons to 45 Newtons, and the door opening displacement is only about 1.2 mm.
[0068] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the door hook 101 pulling the rotating wheel 108 upward, with the pin shaft 112 abutting against the AB segment of the force bearing surface of the rotating wheel 108, and FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the door hook 101 pulling the rotating wheel 108 upward, with the pin shaft 112 abutting against point B of the force bearing surface of the rotating wheel 108.
[0069] 5-7, the door-opening pull force P continues to be applied to the rotating wheel 108 at the rotating wheel position shown in FIG. 5, causing the rotating wheel 108 to rotate from the position shown in FIG. 5 and translate upward to the position shown in FIG. 6. In this case, the pin shaft 112 is moved relative to the rotating wheel 108 from the position of point A to the AB segment where the pin shaft abuts the rotating wheel 108. By continuing to apply the door-opening pull force P, the position of the pin shaft 112 relative to the rotating wheel 108 can pass through the AB segment and reach the position of point B.
[0070] In the AB segment, the rotating wheel 108 rotates counterclockwise and translates upward in the process of contacting the pin shaft 112, and the curvature of the outer contour of the rotating wheel 108 in the AB segment gradually increases from point A to point B, causing the pin shaft 112 to generate a reaction force F thereagainst, which steadily increases the door opening pull force P along with the door opening displacement, thus forming the shape of the AB segment of the curve shown in Figure 3B. At point B shown in Figure 7, the door opening pull force P or the internal pushing force reaches a peak value in the range of 40 Newtons to 45 Newtons, and the door opening displacement is about 8 mm.
[0071] FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram of the pin shaft 112 abutting against the BC segment of the force bearing surface of the rotating wheel 108, FIG. 8B is an enlarged view and force analysis diagram Q of the rotating wheel 108 shown in FIG. 8A, and FIG. 8C is a schematic diagram of the pin shaft 112 abutting against the force bearing surface of the rotating wheel 108 at point C.
[0072] 7 and 8A, the door-opening pull force P continues to be applied to the rotating wheel 108 at the rotating wheel position shown in Fig. 7, and the rotating wheel 108 can rotate from the position shown in Fig. 7 and translate upward to the position shown in Fig. 8A. In this case, the pin shaft 112 is moved relative to the rotating wheel 108 from the position of point B to the segment BC where the pin shaft abuts the rotating wheel 108.
[0073] 8B, when the position of the pin shaft 112 relative to the rotating wheel 108 passes point B and reaches the BC segment, the rotating wheel 108 will automatically rotate counterclockwise to a stop position under the action of the spring force T of the biasing spring and the reaction force F of the pin shaft 112, even without the door opening pulling force P. Specifically, the force analysis of the rotating wheel 108 will be described below.
[0074] The curvature and shape of the BC segment are set so that a torque for counterclockwise rotation can be generated on the rotating wheel 108 in the direction of the reaction force F that occurs when the pin shaft 112 abuts against the rotating wheel 108 at the BC segment. Specifically, the line of action of the reaction force F is located to the right of the center of rotation of the rotating wheel 108 (see the dotted line shown in FIG. 8B ). Meanwhile, the rotation radius of the rotating wheel 108 at the BC segment increases slightly from point B to point C, while the curvature of the rotating wheel 108 at the BC segment remains unchanged. Therefore, as the rotating wheel 108 abuts against the pin shaft 112 at the BC segment, the rotating wheel can continue to rotate counterclockwise and move upward. Under the action of the counterclockwise torque, the rotating wheel 108 can rotate until it contacts the rotating wheel stop 402 and stops at this position. As shown in FIG. 8C, in this case, the pin shaft 112 moves to point C on the force bearing surface relative to the rotating wheel 108 and abuts against the rotating wheel 108 at point C, and the rotating wheel 108 abuts against the rotating wheel stop 402 of the rotating wheel seat 104.
[0075] When the rotating wheel 108 abuts against the pin shaft 112 at the BC segment, it has a constant rotation speed, so that the door hook 101 can be driven to move upward at a constant speed, and after the rotating wheel 108 passes the position of point B and the internal pressing force is removed, the door can be flipped outward to the door open position at a constant speed.
[0076] In the process of closing the door, under the action of external pressing force, the rotating wheel 108 can rotate clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 8C to the position shown in FIG. 4A, and this movement process and force bearing manner are opposite to those in the door opening process, and the description will not be repeated.
[0077] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a dryer 900 with the door lock assembly 100 of the present disclosure in the door open position.
[0078] 9, dryer 900 includes dryer body 902, door 904, cavity 906, and door lock assembly 100, with door hook 101 provided inside door 904 and other components of door lock assembly 100 provided in positions on dryer body 902 corresponding to door hook 101. By closing door 904, door hook 101 passes through door hook hole 182 and is locked in a manner that engages with rotating wheel 108 inside door lock assembly 100, thereby closing cavity 906.
[0079] The dryer 900 shown in FIG. 9 is merely exemplary, and the door lock assembly 100 of the present disclosure can also be installed in various types of electrical appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers, and microwave ovens, each of which has a cavity and a door for closing the cavity, as well as other non-electrical appliances.
[0080] The present disclosure aims to at least partially solve the technical problems set forth herein. The door lock assembly of the present disclosure can achieve at least the following beneficial technical effects:
[0081] First, in the present disclosure, the compression or spring return of the biasing spring is limited within the barrel-shaped cavity in the rotating wheel seat, allowing the biasing spring to generate a stable biasing force against the rotating wheel seat and the rotating wheel, so that the movement of the rotating wheel seat and the rotating wheel inside the housing is smoother than in the prior art, and thus the overall feel of the door opening and closing operation is smoother without jerky, unstable or uneven feel.
[0082] Second, the cam portion of the rotary wheel in the present disclosure has two curved surfaces with different curvatures, and the rotary wheel abuts against a pin shaft fixedly provided inside the door lock housing by either of the two curved surfaces with different curvatures. When the rotary wheel starts to rotate from the door closed position, the internal pressing force for opening the door can quickly increase to a magnitude close to the maximum door opening force. During the subsequent rotation of the rotary wheel, the door opening force remains stable and increases slowly until the rotary wheel reaches the critical position for door opening. This configuration has the advantage that the force applied to the door by the laundry is eliminated before it reaches the critical position for door opening, so that the door cannot be pushed open even if it is slightly displaced. Therefore, a child who accidentally enters the dryer can apply a continuous internal pressing force to the door, which can rotate the cam beyond the critical position for door opening, allowing the child to push the door open from the inside.
[0083] While the present disclosure has been described in conjunction with the example embodiments outlined above, various alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and / or substantial equivalents, whether currently known or contemplated in the near future, will be apparent to at least those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the technical effects and / or technical problems described in the present disclosure are illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the disclosed descriptions in the present disclosure may be used to solve other technical problems, have other technical effects, and / or solve other technical problems. Therefore, the example embodiments of the present disclosure described above are intended to be illustrative rather than limiting. Various changes can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is intended to include all known or previously developed alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and / or basic equivalents.
Claims
1. 1. A door lock assembly for locking a door of an electrical appliance, comprising: a housing having a spring abutment surface; at least one biasing spring, one end of the at least one biasing spring abutting the spring abutment surface; a rotating wheel seat movably accommodated inside the housing, the rotating wheel seat having a barrel-shaped cavity on at least one side thereof, the barrel-shaped cavity configured to accommodate the at least one biasing spring, the barrel-shaped cavity having a cavity bottom surface, whereby the other end of the at least one biasing spring abuts against the cavity bottom surface; a pin shaft fixedly mounted to the housing; a rotating wheel having a rotating shaft, the rotating shaft being rotatably mounted in the rotating wheel seat, such that the rotating wheel is rotatable in the rotating wheel seat in a door opening direction or a door closing direction; Equipped with The rotating wheel further has a cam structure, the cam structure being configured to be able to abut against the pin shaft, so that when the rotating wheel rotates in the rotating wheel seat in the door opening direction or the door closing direction, the rotating wheel and the rotating wheel seat can move in the housing, and the at least one biasing spring can be compressed or spring-returned in the barrel-shaped cavity during the movement of the rotating wheel seat in the housing. Door lock assembly.
2. the at least one biasing spring includes two biasing springs; 2. The door lock assembly of claim 1.
3. the barrel-shaped cavities are provided on two sides of the rotating wheel seat respectively, and the barrel-shaped cavities on the two sides of the rotating wheel seat are configured to accommodate one of the two biasing springs respectively, so that the two biasing springs abut between the spring abutment surface and the cavity bottom surface of the barrel-shaped cavity respectively, and thus the two biasing springs can be compressed or spring-returned during the movement of the rotating wheel seat within the housing.
3. The door lock assembly of claim 2.
4. A door hook hole is provided on a surface of the housing, and the door hook hole is configured to receive a door hook attached to the door; By inserting the door hook into the door hook hole or pulling the door hook out of the door hook hole, the rotating wheel is rotated around the rotating shaft in the door closing direction or the door opening direction.
2. The door lock assembly of claim 1.
5. The rotating wheel includes a rotating wheel head section, a rotating wheel middle section, and a rotating wheel rear section, the rotating shaft is provided on the rotating wheel middle section, and a lock hook is provided on the rotating wheel head section, the lock hook is configured to be engageable with the door hook, and the rotating wheel is rotated around the rotating shaft in the door closing direction or the door opening direction by inserting the door hook into the door hook hole or pulling the door hook out of the door hook hole, The rotating wheel has a rotating wheel door open position and a rotating wheel door closed position during rotation.
5. The door lock assembly of claim 4.
6. the cam structure is provided on the rear section of the rotating wheel, the cam structure having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface having an inner stability point and the outer surface having a cam outer stability point; When the rotating wheel is in the rotating wheel door closing position, the pin shaft is located at the inner stable point of the cam, and when the rotating wheel is in the rotating wheel door opening position, the pin shaft is located at the cam outer stable point.
6. The door lock assembly of claim 5.
7. 7. The door lock assembly of claim 6, wherein the rotating wheel seat is provided with a rotating wheel stop, and the rotating wheel stop is configured to limit the rotation range of the rotating wheel, thereby stabilizing the rotating wheel at a position where the pin shaft is located at the cam outer stable point when the rotating wheel rotates from the rotating wheel door closed position to the rotating wheel door open position.
8. The spring abutment surface is provided on the opposite side of the cavity bottom surface, During the rotation of the rotating wheel from the rotating wheel door closing position to the rotating wheel door opening position, a relative movement occurs between the cam structure of the rotating wheel and the pin shaft, so that the position where the pin shaft abuts against the cam structure moves from the inner stable point to the cam outer stable point, and the rotating wheel seat moves close to the spring abutment surface of the housing, so that the pair of biasing springs is compressed; During the process of the rotating wheel rotating from the rotating wheel door open position to the rotating wheel door closed position, a relative movement occurs between the cam structure of the rotating wheel and the pin shaft, so that the position where the pin shaft abuts against the cam structure moves from the cam outer stable point to the inner stable point, and the rotating wheel seat moves away from the spring abutment surface of the housing, so that the pair of biasing springs spring back from a compressed state.
8. The door lock assembly of claim 7.
9. the rotating wheel seat is provided with a rotating wheel receiving portion, the rotating wheel receiving portion is configured to mount the rotating shaft of the rotating wheel, thereby allowing the rotating wheel to be rotatably mounted on the rotating wheel seat; 2. The door lock assembly of claim 1.
10. a pin shaft mounting portion is provided on the housing, the pin shaft mounting portion having a pin shaft mounting hole, the pin shaft mounting hole being configured to fixedly mount the pin shaft; 2. The door lock assembly of claim 1.
11. The device further includes a microswitch assembly, the microswitch assembly comprising: The microswitch assembly is disconnected during the rotation of the rotary wheel from the rotary wheel door closed position to the rotary wheel door open position, The microswitch assembly is triggered when the rotating wheel rotates from the rotating wheel door open position to the rotating wheel door closed position.
2. The door lock assembly of claim 1, wherein the door lock assembly is configured as follows:
12. The rotating wheel seat is further provided with a microswitch assembly actuating portion, the microswitch assembly actuating portion being When the rotating wheel seat moves close to the spring abutment surface, the microswitch assembly actuating portion is disengaged from the microswitch assembly, thereby preventing the microswitch assembly from being triggered; when the rotating wheel seat moves away from the spring abutment surface, the microswitch assembly actuating portion contacts the microswitch assembly, thereby triggering the microswitch assembly.
12. The door lock assembly of claim 11, wherein the door lock assembly is configured as follows:
13. An electrical appliance (900) comprising a door lock assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12.