Door lock device and electrical appliance

Abstract

To provide a door lock device and an electrical appliance.SOLUTION: A door lock device includes a slider, a locking block, and first biasing means. The slider includes a slider engagement portion and is configured to reciprocate between a first position and a second position. The locking block includes a locking portion and is configured to be movable relative to the slider to removably engage the locking portion with the slider engagement portion. The first biasing means is configured to apply, to the slider during its movement from a first position to a second position in a state where the locking portion is engaged with the slider engagement portion, a biasing force that enables the slider to move in the first direction. The user only needs to push the door (the slider) to a position where it can be locked, and after being locked, there is no need to continue to apply pushing force. The locking block can drive the slider to automatically move to the second position, thereby giving the user a feeling of the door being sucked in.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1B

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410299464.0, entitled "DOOR LOCK DEVICE AND ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE," filed on March 15, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a door locking device and an electrical appliance, and more particularly to a door locking device that can facilitate locking and unlocking of the door of an electrical appliance, and an electrical appliance having the door locking device. [Background technology]

[0003] Doors of appliances such as dishwashers are typically equipped with door locks that are typically locked after the door is closed and must be unlocked before the door can be opened.

[0004] In the prior art, the manual unlocking door lock device and the electromagnetic unlocking door lock device are two different sets of door lock devices. When the slider of the door lock device moves to the door closed position, the slider is locked by the lock block to lock the door. When unlocking is required, the electromagnetic unlocking door lock device can send an unlock signal to drive the lock block to unlock the door, and the manual unlocking door lock device can be unlocked by manually pulling the door.

[0005] In Patent Document 1, the body of the electrical appliance is provided with a pair of latch arms that can be held in a firmly clamped state under the pretension force of a spring, and when a latch attached to the door overcomes the pretension force of the spring and is pressed into the fixed area of ​​the pair of latch arms, the door of the electrical appliance can be maintained in a locked state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Chinese Patent No. 103584814 Summary of the Invention

[0007] In the prior art, when a manual unlocking door lock needs to be replaced with an electromagnetic unlocking door lock, the door lock usually needs to be completely removed and reinstalled, which makes the process complicated and tedious. In addition, during the locking of the door lock shown in Patent Document 1, the user needs to push the door to the door closed position to lock the door, so the locking process is not smooth.

[0008] Therefore, according to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a door lock device including a slider, a lock block, and first biasing means. The slider includes a slider engagement portion and is configured to reciprocate between a first position and a second position in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction. The lock block includes a lock portion and is configured to be movable relative to the slider to releasably engage the lock portion with the slider engagement portion. The first biasing means is configured to apply a biasing force in a first direction to the slider, which operates to move the slider in the first direction, during movement of the slider in the first direction from the first position to the second position while the lock portion is engaged with the slider engagement portion.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the first biasing means is configured to apply a biasing force in a first direction to the lock block such that after the lock portion engages with the slider engagement portion, the lock portion applies a biasing force in the first direction to the slider.

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a stroke of the slider moving in a first direction includes a third position between the first position and the second position, and the locking portion is engageable with the slider engagement portion such that the first biasing means can apply a biasing force in the first direction to the slider when the slider moves in the first direction to the third position.

[0011] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the first biasing means is configured to apply a biasing force in a third direction to the lock block, and the biasing force in the third direction drives the lock block to move in the third direction relative to the slider to engage the lock portion with the slider engagement portion when the slider moves to the third position.

[0012] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the first biasing means is an elastic element.

[0013] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the door lock device further includes a second biasing means configured to apply a second directional biasing force to the slider to move the slider in the second direction during movement of the slider from the second position to the first position in the second direction.

[0014] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the second biasing means includes one or more resilient elements.

[0015] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the first biasing means is configured such that a biasing force in a first direction applied by the first biasing means causes the lock block to overcome a biasing force in a second direction of the second biasing means, and is operable to move the slider in the same direction during movement of the lock block in the first direction from the first position to the second position.

[0016] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the slider engagement portion is a slider lock recess, and the lock portion can enter the slider lock recess during movement of the lock block to engage the lock block with the slider.

[0017] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the door lock device further includes an unlocking structure configured to disengage the lock portion of the lock block from the slider engagement portion of the slider during movement of the lock block in the second direction.

[0018] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the unlocking structure includes a guide portion and a guide surface, which is a side of the lock block facing the guide portion, and is arranged obliquely with respect to the second direction and can interact with the guide portion during movement of the lock block toward the second movement direction so as to disengage the lock portion from the slider engagement portion.

[0019] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the door lock device further includes a block portion configured to abut against the lock block to prevent the lock block from moving toward the second position before the slider moves in the first direction to the third position, and the lock portion is aligned with the slider engagement portion along the third direction such that when the slider moves in the first direction to the third position, the lock block can be disengaged from the block portion under the action of a biasing force in the third direction such that the lock portion engages with the slider engagement portion.

[0020] According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, after the slider moves in the second direction and the lock portion disengages from the slider engagement portion, the block portion abuts against the lock block to prevent the lock block from moving toward the second position.

[0021] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the door lock device further includes an electromagnetic unlocking means detachably connected to the lock block and capable of driving the lock block so that the lock portion can be disengaged from the slider engagement portion.

[0022] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the door lock device further comprises a control means communicatively connected to the electromagnetic unlocking means for sending a control signal to the electromagnetic unlocking means to drive the lock block to move.

[0023] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the door lock device further includes a door lock box, wherein the slider, the lock block, and the first biasing means are disposed within the door lock box, and the electromagnetic unlocking means is detachably connected to the door lock box.

[0024] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the door lock device further includes a pair of lock arms disposed on one end of the slider remote from the slider engagement portion, the pair of lock arms configured to be switched between an open state and a closed state to receive or release components for applying an external pulling force and an external pushing force to the slider, and the slider configured to move from a first position to a third position under the action of the external pushing force and to move from the second position to the first position under the action of the external pulling force.

[0025] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a door lock device including the door lock device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, an electromagnetic unlocking means, and a control means. The electromagnetic unlocking means is detachably connected to the lock block and is capable of driving a lock portion of the lock block so that the lock portion can disengage from the slider engagement portion. The control means is communicatively connected to the electromagnetic unlocking means for transmitting a control signal to the electromagnetic unlocking means to drive the lock block to move.

[0026] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an appliance comprising a door locking device according to the first or second aspect of the present disclosure, the door locking device being configured to open or close a door of the appliance.

[0027] In the door lock device of the present disclosure, the first biasing means is configured to apply a biasing force in a first direction to the slider that operates to move the slider in the first direction during movement of the slider in the first direction from the first position to the second position while the lock portion is engaged with the slider engagement portion. Therefore, a user only needs to push the door (slider) to a position where it can be locked by the lock block, and does not need to continue applying the pushing force after it is locked. The lock block can drive the slider to automatically move toward the second position (e.g., the door closed position), thereby giving the user a sensation of the door being sucked in. This sensation of being sucked in can improve the user's experience using the electrical appliance.

[0028] 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]

[0029] [Figure 1A] 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of a door lock device of the present disclosure, with the top cover hidden; FIG. [Figure 1B] FIG. 2 is a front view of a second embodiment of the door lock device of the present disclosure, with the top cover hidden. [Figure 2A] FIG. 1B is a partial view of FIG. 1A of the present disclosure. [Figure 2B] FIG. 1B is a partial view of FIG. 1B of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] 1 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of a door lock device of the present disclosure in a door open position. [Figure 3B] 1A-1C are schematic diagrams of a first embodiment of the door lock device of the present disclosure during a force-assisted door closing stage. [Figure 3C] 1 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of a door lock device of the present disclosure in a door closed position. [Figure 3D] 1 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of a door lock device of the present disclosure at the stage of pulling a door. FIG. [Figure 3E] 1 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of the door lock device of the present disclosure at the stage of unlocking while pulling the door. FIG. [Figure 4A] FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of the door lock device of the present disclosure in the door closed position. [Figure 4B] FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of the door lock device of the present disclosure in the unlocked limit position. [Figure 4C] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of the door lock device of the present disclosure in an unlocked position. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of an electrical appliance having a door locking device of the present disclosure;

[0030] Explanation of symbols 100 Door lock device (first embodiment) 103 Door lock device (second embodiment) 101 Striker 104 Door Lock Box 106 Electromagnetic lock release means mounting hole 112 Slider 114 Rock Block 115 Swing axis 116 Pair of locking arms 117 Swing Block 120 Electromagnetic unlocking means 121 Lock block operating lever 122 Electromagnetic Pulse Generator 123 Power plug 132 Slider recess 134 Swing block sliding surface 146 Lock arm opening 148 Opening 160 Control Means 181 Slider lock recess 182 second biasing means mounting portion 183 Slider torsion spring 183 Slider compression spring 191 Rock Club 192 first biasing means mounting portion 193 first biasing means 194 Swing block contact part 202 Swing block protrusion 204 Lateral abutment wall 206 Vertical abutment wall 212 Vertical Stop 222 Regulatory pin 224 Guide pin 232 first guide recess 234 First Guide Wall 236 Second Guide Wall 242 Slider contact surface 302 Vertical inner contour 500 Electrical Appliances 502 Dishwasher body 504 Dishwasher Door 506 Dishwasher Room 508 Striker hole DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] Various specific embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this disclosure, but which do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. In this disclosure, directional terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," and "rear" are used to describe the orientation of various exemplary structural parts and elements in the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that the terminology used herein is used merely for ease of description and is determined based on the exemplary orientations shown in the accompanying drawings. Because the embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure can be configured in various orientations, the directional terms are merely exemplary and should not be considered limiting.

[0032] As used in this disclosure, terms such as "first," "second," etc., do not imply a particular sequential relationship between these objects, but are merely used to distinguish between different objects. The term "comprises" and its derivatives mean inclusion without limitation. Unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "attach," "connect," and "connection" should be understood broadly. For example, they may be mechanical or electrical connections, internal communication between two elements, or direct connections or indirect connections via intermediate media. Those skilled in the art may understand the specific meanings of the above terms depending on the particular case.

[0033] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of two embodiments of a door locking device of the present disclosure. FIG. 1A shows a first embodiment of the door locking device, and FIG. 1B shows a second embodiment of the door locking device. In the first embodiment of the door locking device, the door locking device can be unlocked by applying a pulling force to the door (slider). In the second embodiment of the door locking device, the lock block can be operated by an electromagnetic unlocking means to unlock the door locking device.

[0034] The door lock device of the present disclosure has a modular design including a stroke switching module and an electromagnetic ejection module. Users can choose whether to install the electromagnetic ejection module as needed, allowing the door lock device to switch between manual opening and automatic opening achieved by the automatic ejection function. The stroke switching module is the door lock device 100 with a door lock box structure shown in FIG. 1A, and the electromagnetic ejection module is the electromagnetic unlocking means 120 shown in FIG. 1B.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 1A , the door lock device 100 includes a door lock box 104, which has an electromagnetic unlocking means mounting hole 106 on one side for selectively mounting an electromagnetic ejection module (electromagnetic unlocking means). The door lock box 104 includes a slider 112, a lock block 114 disposed above the slider 112, and a pair of lock arms 116 pivotally disposed on the slider 112 for receiving or releasing a component (striker 101) for applying an external pulling force and an external pushing force to the slider 112. The door lock box 104 also includes a horizontally extending slider recess 132 for receiving the slider 112, which is reciprocally movable horizontally within the door lock box. During the travel of the slider 112, the slider recess 132 provides a first position, a second position, and a third position between the first and second positions. The first position is a door-open position, the second position is a door-closed position, and the third position is a locked position in which the slider 112 is located when the slider 112 engages with the lock block 114, and the slider 112 is configured to move from the first position to the third position under the action of an external pushing force and to move from the second position to the first position under the action of an external pulling force.

[0036] 1A , the slider 112 has a slider engagement portion at its upper right position. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the slider engagement portion is a slider lock recess 181 into which the lock block 114 can be inserted, i.e., can be locked by the lock block 114; that is, the lock block 114 can drive the slider 112 to move together. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the slider engagement portion can have a different structure as long as it does not deviate from the objectives of the invention. A pair of lock arms 116 are disposed at one end (the left end in the figure) of the slider 112 away from the slider engagement portion. The pair of lock arms 116 can be switched between an open state and a closed state for disengagement from or engagement with the striker 101 attached to the door during reciprocal movement of the slider 112 between the door open position and the door closed position. The door lock box 104 further has an opening 148 on its left side, allowing the lock arm 116 to extend from the interior of the door lock box 104 to the exterior of the door lock box 104 through the opening 148.

[0037] 1A , the lock block 114 is provided on its underside with a lock portion 191 for detachably engaging with the slider lock recess 181 of the slider 112 to lock the slider 112. The door lock box 104 of the door lock device 100 is further provided therein with a first biasing means 193, and the lock block 114 is provided on its left side with a first biasing means mounting portion 192 for mounting the first biasing means 193, for example, an elastic component such as a compression spring. The first biasing means 193 is mounted at an angle inclined with respect to the sliding direction of the slider 112, thereby generating a biasing force in a first direction for moving the lock block 114 to the right and a biasing force in a third direction (e.g., downward movement) perpendicular to the rightward movement direction.

[0038] 1A , a second biasing means is further provided on the door lock box 104, and a second biasing means mounting portion 182 is further provided on the underside of the slider 112 for mounting the second biasing means, such as one or more elastic elements including a slider torsion spring 183 or a slider compression spring 184. Specifically, the second biasing means 183 is mounted between the second biasing means mounting portion 182 of the slider 112 and the door lock box 104 to apply an elastic force to the slider 112 when the slider 112 moves leftward to assist the movement. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the second biasing means can be any form of elastic element or biasing means provided between the slider 112 and the door lock box 104, for example, a slider tension spring provided between the left side of the slider 112 and the door lock box 104 to provide an elastic force for sliding the slider 112 leftward.

[0039] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the magnitude of the biasing force in the first direction that the first biasing means 193 applies to the lock block 114 is set to be greater than the magnitude of the biasing force in the second direction that the second biasing means applies to the slider 112. Therefore, when the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 and the slider lock recess 181 of the slider 112 are engaged with each other and are not subjected to any external force, the slider 112 and the lock block 114 are locked to each other and can move in the first direction (i.e., rightward in the figure). In other words, the first biasing means 193 allows the lock block 114 to overcome the biasing force in the second direction of the second biasing means and operate to move the slider 112 in the same direction. During the rightward movement of the slider 112 from the door open position to the door closed position, when the lock portion 191 is engaged with the slider engagement portion, the first biasing means 193 can apply a biasing force in a first direction to the slider 112 to actuate the rightward movement of the slider 112.

[0040] In some other embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the biasing force in the first direction and the biasing force in the third direction can be generated by providing two biasing means, one in the horizontal direction in Fig. 1A (the direction parallel to the sliding direction of the slider 112) and the other in the vertical direction in Fig. 1A (the direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the slider 112). The two biasing means can be elastic members of any form as long as they can generate a biasing force.

[0041] Continuing with FIG. 1A , the door lock box 104 further includes a block member therein. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the block member is a swing block 117. The swing block 117 is rotatably mounted within the door lock box 104 via a swing shaft 115. Accordingly, the door lock box 104 includes a swing block sliding surface 134 that matches the outer shape of the right side of the swing block 117, allowing the swing block 117 to swing back and forth within the swing block sliding surface 134 around the swing shaft 115. The lock block 114 includes a swing block abutment 194 on its right side for abutting against the swing block 117. The specific structure of the swing block 117 and the cooperative movement relationship between the lock block 114 and the swing block 117 will be introduced in detail in the description of FIGS. 2A and 2B . In other embodiments, the block member may be a different type of structure instead of a swing block.

[0042] 1B , to provide selectable unlocking modes, the door locking device 103 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure is further provided with an electromagnetic unlocking means 120. The electromagnetic unlocking means 120 extends into the interior of the door lock box 104 through the electromagnetic unlocking means mounting hole 106 and is removably connected to the lock block. In the embodiment in which the electromagnetic unlocking means 120 is mounted, the door locking device 100 is further provided with a control means 160 that can be communicatively connected to the electromagnetic unlocking means 120 in a wired or wireless manner, so that the electromagnetic unlocking means 120 is operable to drive the lock block 114 and disengage the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 from the slider lock recess 181 to complete the unlocking operation of the door locking device. Users can choose a door lock device with automatic unlocking function as needed, and the electromagnetic unlocking means 120 can be directly attached to the door lock box 104 or detached from the door lock box 104, thereby realizing quick and free switching between manual unlocking and automatic unlocking.

[0043] 1B, electromagnetic lock release means 120 is provided with lock block actuation lever 121, electromagnetic pulse generating means 122, and power plug 123. Lock block actuation lever 121 is removably snap-fitted to lock block 114 in the vertical direction in the figure. Specifically, a T-shaped mounting recess (not shown) extending in the thickness direction of the lock block (direction perpendicular to the paper surface) is provided on the right side of lock block 114, so that the head of lock block actuation lever 121 can be snap-fitted into the T-shaped mounting recess, and lock block actuation lever 121 can slide within the T-shaped mounting recess without affecting or restricting the movement of lock block 114.

[0044] When the door needs to be unlocked, the control means 160 controls the electromagnetic pulse generating means 122 to send an electromagnetic pulse signal to the lock block operating lever 121, causing the lock block operating lever 121 to move upward once. When the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 is locked downward within the slider lock recess 181 of the slider 112, the lock block operating lever 121 can be operated to drive the lock block 114 to move upward as long as the electromagnetic pulse generating means 122 sends an electromagnetic pulse signal, in order to move the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 upward and unlock the slider 112. In this case, the slider 112 can move in a second direction opposite to the first direction (i.e., leftward in the figure) under the action of the biasing force of the second biasing means, so that the door of the electrical appliance moves in the opening direction, and the user can feel the door being ejected. When the electromagnetic pulse signal disappears, the lock block 114 abuts downward against the upper end of the slider 112 in an unlocked position, where the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 is not aligned with the slider lock recess 181 of the slider 112.

[0045] 2A and 2B are partial views A0-1 and A0-2, respectively, of the elliptical portions of FIGS. 1A and 1B of the present disclosure, illustrating the specific structure of the swing block 117, the mounting relationship of the lock block 114 to the door lock box 104, and the mutual movement relationship of the lock block 114 with respect to the slider 112 and the swing block 117.

[0046] 2A and 2B , as described above, the swing block 117 is rotatably mounted inside the door lock box 104 by the swing shaft 115. The swing block 117 has a first swing block position shown in FIG. 2A and a second swing block position shown in FIG. 2B . The swing block 117 has a swing block protrusion 202 on its radially outer side (right side in the figure). The radially outer contour (right side contour) of the swing block protrusion 202 is formed in a substantially arc shape to match the shape of the arc-shaped recess of the swing block sliding surface 134, so that the swing block 117 can swing back and forth around the swing shaft 115 within the swing block sliding surface 134. The radially inner contour (left side contour) of the swing block protrusion 202 can abut against the swing block abutment portion 194 of the lock block 114 in the lateral (horizontal) direction or the longitudinal (vertical) direction. Specifically, the radially inner profile of the swing block projection 202 has a lateral abutment wall 204 and a longitudinal abutment wall 206, which are connected to each other at an angle. Specifically, the lateral abutment wall 204 extends downward or downward and rightward from the top of the swing block projection 202 and can abut against the swing block abutment portion 194 in the lateral direction, while the longitudinal abutment wall 206 extends rightward at an angle from the bottom of the lateral abutment wall 204 and can abut against the swing block abutment portion 194 in the vertical direction. A longitudinal stop 212 is provided on the upper side of the swing block sliding surface 134 to limit the range in which the swing block 117 can swing upward. The swing shaft 115 of the swing block 117 is provided with a swing block torsion spring (not shown) that can provide a biasing force that swings the swing block 117 toward the first position of the swing block (swings it downward).

[0047] 2A and 2B, the door lock device 100 is also internally provided with an unlocking structure for releasing the slider 112 and the lock block 114 from the engaged state (locked state) and disengaging the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 from the slider engaging portion of the slider 112 while the lock block 114 moves in the second direction. The unlocking structure includes a guide portion and a guide surface that can abut against each other. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the guide portion is a guide pin 224 described below, and the guide surface is a second guide wall 236 described below. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the unlocking structure may include different structures as long as they do not contradict the above-described object of the invention.

[0048] Specifically, the door lock box 104 is provided with a restriction pin 222 and a guide pin 224 inside, which protrude from the bottom of the door lock box 104. Accordingly, the lock block 114 is provided with a restriction recess 232 corresponding to the restriction pin 222, and the lock block 114 is further provided with a first guide wall 234 and a second guide wall 236 facing the guide pin 224. The first guide wall 234 and the second guide wall 236 are smoothly connected to each other at a certain angle to form a continuous guide surface that can abut against the guide pin 224. Because the first guide wall 234 and the second guide wall 236 have smooth surfaces, the guide pin 224 can slide relative to the surfaces of the first guide wall 234 and the second guide wall 236.

[0049] Here, the restriction recess 232 extends substantially in the length direction of the lock block 114, and the width of the restriction recess 232 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the restriction pin 222 so that the restriction pin 222 can be received and slid within the restriction recess 232. Furthermore, the restriction recess 232 is rotatable relative to the restriction pin 222 so that the lock block 114 can swing during movement. The first guide wall 234 extends substantially in the length direction of the lock block 114 and is located above the guide pin 224 so that the guide pin 224 can restrict the movement of the lock block 114 by restricting the movement of the first guide wall 234. The second guide wall 236 has an arc-shaped outer contour and is a wall that forms the left contour of the lock portion 191. It is located to the right of the guide pin 224 and is inclined with respect to the second direction. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second guide wall 236 extends in an arc substantially in a downward and rightward direction, so that the movement of the lock block 114 is determined by the first guide wall 234 and the second guide wall 236 of the lock block 114 and the guide pin 224, and mainly the guide pin 224 can restrict the range of downward movement of the lock block 114, and when the lock block 114 moves toward the left, the guide pin 224 can abut against the second guide wall 236, which has an inclined arc shape, and thus the lock block 114 can move in an upward inclined manner and thus disengage from the slider 112. Specifically, since the second guide wall 236 is arranged at an angle to the movement direction of the lock block 114, when the second guide wall 236 abuts against the guide pin 224 and receives a contact force, the inclined smooth surface of the second guide wall 236 slides against the guide pin 224, and the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 can move at an incline upward under the influence of the guide pin 224 and the second guide wall 236, thereby moving out of the slider lock recess 181.

[0050] 2A , in the first embodiment of the door lock device of the present disclosure, when the door is in the open state, the downward and rightward biasing force applied to the lock block 114 by the first biasing means 193 causes the swing block abutment portion 194 of the lock block 114 to abut rightward against the lateral abutment wall 204 of the swing block 117, and the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 to abut downward against the slider abutment surface 242 on the right side of the slider 112. The slider abutment surface 242 is located to the right of the slider lock recess 181. When the slider 112 slides rightward so that the slider lock recess 181 is aligned with the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114, the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 can drop into and engage with the slider lock recess 181 under the influence of the downward biasing force of the first biasing means 193 in the third direction, and at the same time, the swing block abutting portion 194 of the lock block 114 also moves downward, no longer abuts against the lateral abutting wall 204 of the swing block 117, and moves to the underside of the lateral abutting wall 204 to continue moving rightward. Under the action of the rightward biasing force of the first biasing means 193, the lock block 114 can drive the slider 112 to continue moving rightward in this state.

[0051] 2B , in the second embodiment of the door lock device of the present disclosure, when the lock block operating lever 121 drives the lock block 114 to move upward, the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 disengages from the slider lock recess 181, thereby unlocking the slider 112, and the swing block abutment portion 194 of the lock block 114 moves upward and abuts against the vertical abutment wall 206 of the swing block 117, thereby swinging the swing block 117 around the swing axis 115 toward the second position of the swing block. When the swing block 117 swings to the second position of the swing block, the swing block 117 abuts against the vertical stop 212 of the swing block sliding surface 134, and the swing movement stops. When the actuating force of the lock block actuating lever 121 on the lock block 114 disappears, the swing block 117 swings (downward) toward the first position of the swing block under the action of the biasing force of the swing block torsion spring and abuts against the upper part of the swing block abutting portion 194 of the lock block 114. Since the lock block 114 tends to move downward and to the right under the biasing force of the first biasing means 193, the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 abuts downward against the slider abutting surface 242 of the slider 112. In this case, the swing block abutting portion 194 of the lock block 114 abuts rightward against the lower radially inner contour of the vertical abutting wall 206 of the swing block protrusion 202 under the biasing force of the first biasing means 193, and the lock block 114 moves laterally (horizontally) to the rightmost position. When the slider lock recess 181 aligns with the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 due to the slider 112 sliding to the right, the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 drops into the slider lock recess 181, while the swing block 117 swings downward as the lock block 114 moves downward.

[0052] 3A-3E show schematic views of a first embodiment of a door locking device of the present disclosure moving from a door open position to a door closed position and from the door closed position to the door open position: Fig. 3A is a schematic view of the first embodiment of the door locking device of the present disclosure in the door open position, Fig. 3B is a schematic view of the first embodiment of the door locking device of the present disclosure in a force-assisted door closing phase, Fig. 3C is a schematic view of the first embodiment of the door locking device of the present disclosure in the door closed position, Fig. 3D is a schematic view of the first embodiment of the door locking device of the present disclosure in a door pulling phase, and Fig. 3E is a schematic view of the first embodiment of the door locking device of the present disclosure in a door pulling and unlocking phase.

[0053] 3A , in the first embodiment of the door lock device, in the door open position (first position), under the biasing force of the first biasing means 193, the swing block abutment portion 194 of the lock block 114 abuts rightward against the lateral abutment wall 204 of the swing block 117 (as shown in detail in the enlarged view A1 in the upper right corner of FIG. 3A ), and therefore, the lock block 114 is prevented from moving rightward by the swing block 117. In addition, the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 abuts against the slider abutment surface 242 of the slider 112, as shown in detail in the enlarged view B1 in the lower right corner of FIG. 3A . In this case, when a pushing force P is applied to the appliance door, causing the striker 101 on the door to push the slider 112 to the right and be inserted between a pair of lock arms 116, the inserted striker 101 can be clamped or engaged by the pair of lock arms 116, and the lock arms 116 and the slider 112 connected thereto can move to the right together with the striker 101 relative to the lock block 114.

[0054] 3B , when the slider 112 slides rightward to a position (third position) where the slider lock recess 181 is aligned with the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114, the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 can drop into the slider lock recess 181, as shown in detail in the enlarged view B2 in the lower right corner of FIG. 3B . In addition, the swing block abutment portion 194 of the lock block 114 moves away from abutting against the horizontal abutment wall 204 of the swing block 117 and moves below the vertical abutment wall 206 (as shown in detail in the enlarged view A2 in the upper right corner of FIG. 3B ). Therefore, the lock block 114 can move rightward under the biasing force of the first biasing means 193, and the door locking device thus enters a force-assisted door closing phase.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 3C , the lock block 114 abuts against the slider lock recess 181 by the lock portion 191 under the biasing force of the first biasing means 193 (as shown in detail in the enlarged view B3 in the lower right corner of FIG. 3C ). In this case, the lock portion 191 can apply a biasing force in the first direction to the slider 192, so that the lock block 114 can drive the slider 112 to move rightward until the swing block abutment portion 194 abuts against the lower vertical inner contour 302 of the vertical abutment wall 206 of the swing block 117 rightward (as shown in detail in the enlarged view A3 in the upper right corner of FIG. 3C ), and the door lock device reaches the door closed position (second position).

[0056] 3A-3C, during closing of the appliance door, successive application of a pushing force P to the door between the states of the door lock device of FIGS. 3A and 3B causes the door lock device to progress to the state shown in FIG. 3B. During the above process, the rightward movement of the slider 112 reduces the opening of the lock arm 116, thereby clamping or engaging the striker 101 between the upper lock arm 141 and the lower lock arm 142 of the lock arm 116. When the door lock device progresses to the state shown in FIG. 3B, the door lock device can drive the slider 112 and the lock block 114 to move rightward under the combined biasing forces applied by the first biasing means 193 and the second biasing means (the slider torsion spring 183 or the slider compression spring 184) to the lock block 114 and the slider 112 to move the striker 101 together rightward, ultimately closing the door. The above-described movement mechanism of the door lock device allows the door to move from the state shown in Fig. 3B to the state shown in Fig. 3C by the biasing force in the first direction, which not only saves the user the force required to continuously push the door, but also gives the user a feeling of the door being sucked in by the door lock device when the door is pushed to the limit position where the door is closed. Such a suction feeling can improve the user's experience when using the electrical appliance.

[0057] As shown in Figure 3C, when the appliance door is to be opened from the door closed position, a pulling force F is continuously applied to the door in the door opening direction (leftward in this figure). Under the action of the pulling force F, the striker 101 drives the upper lock arm 141 and the lower lock arm 142 of the lock arm 116 to move leftward to drive the slider 112 to move leftward. The slider 112 abuts against the lock block 114, driving both the lock block 114 to move leftward, and in this case, the door locking device enters the door pulling stage shown in Figure 3D.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 3D , under the continuous action of the pulling force F, the lock block 114 continues to move leftward, the abutment portion 194 of the lock block 114 moves away from the abutment with the vertical abutment wall 206 and the vertical inner contour 302 of the swing block 117 (as shown in detail in the enlarged view A4 in the upper right corner of FIG. 3D ), and the second guide wall 236 of the lock block 114 moves leftward and abuts against the guide pin 224, as shown in detail in the enlarged view B4 in the lower right corner of FIG. 3D .

[0059] As shown in FIG. 3E , if the pulling force F continues to be applied, the door lock device enters a phase of unlocking the door while pulling it. With the guide pin 224 and the arc-shaped surfaces of the second guide wall 236 in contact with each other, the second guide wall 236 moves upward and leftward relative to the guide pin 224, allowing the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 to swing upward relative to the guide pin 224 (as shown in detail in the enlarged view B5 in the lower right corner of FIG. 3E ). During the upward swing of the lock block 114 and its lock portion 191, the restriction recess 232 also moves leftward by a certain distance relative to the restriction pin 222, and the restriction recess 232 rotates by a certain angle relative to the restriction pin 222, causing the abutment portion 194 of the lock block 114 to also move leftward and swing upward to the left of the lateral abutment wall 204 of the swing block 117 (as shown in detail in the enlarged view A5 in the upper right corner of FIG. 3E ). 3E , the locking portion 191 of the locking block 114 swings upward and moves out of the slider locking recess 181, and can abut against the slider abutment surface 242 on the right side of the slider locking recess 181 under the action of the biasing force of the first biasing means 193, and the abutment portion 194 of the locking block 114 abuts against the left side of the lateral abutment wall 204 of the swinging block 117, overcoming the biasing force of the first biasing means 193. After the locking portion 191 of the locking block 114 swings upward and moves out of the slider locking recess 181, the locking block 114 unlocks the slider 112, so that the slider 112 can continue to move leftward under the action of the pulling force F, thereby gradually increasing the opening of the locking arm 116. When the slider 112 moves leftward and approaches the door open position shown in FIG. 3A, the upper lock arm 141 and the lower lock arm 142 of the lock arm 116 can release the striker 101, allowing the door to be opened, and the door lock device completes its movement from the door closed position to the door open position.

[0060] 4A to 4C show schematic views of a second embodiment of the door locking device of the present disclosure moving from a door closed position to a door open position: Fig. 4A is a schematic view of the second embodiment of the door locking device of the present disclosure in the door closed position, Fig. 4B is a schematic view of the second embodiment of the door locking device of the present disclosure in the unlocked limit position, and Fig. 4C is a schematic view of the second embodiment of the door locking device of the present disclosure in the unlocked position.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 4A, the second embodiment of the door lock device of the present disclosure differs from the first embodiment in that the door lock device further includes electromagnetic unlocking means 120 and control means 160 communicatively connected to the electromagnetic unlocking means 120. In the door closed position, the relative positions of the swing block abutment portion 194 and the swing block 117, and the relative positions of the lock block 114 and the slider 112 in the second embodiment of the door lock device are the same as those in the first embodiment of the door lock device shown in Fig. 3C, as shown in detail in the enlarged view C1 in the upper right corner of Fig. 4A and the enlarged view D1 in the lower right corner of Fig. 4A, and will not be described again here.

[0062] As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, when the door needs to be unlocked in the door closed position, the control means 160 controls the electromagnetic pulse generating means 122 to send an electromagnetic pulse signal to the lock block operating lever 121, and as shown in detail in the enlarged view C2 in the upper right corner of Figure 4B, the lock block operating lever 121 moves upward once to drive the lock block 114 to swing upward so that the swing block abutment portion 194 of the lock block 114 swings upward to a position where it abuts against the vertical abutment wall 206 of the swing block 117, and also drives the swing block 117 to swing upward together with the vertical abutment wall 206 of the swing block 117 until it swings to a position where it abuts against the vertical stop 212 of the swing block sliding surface 134. As shown in detail in the enlarged view D2 in the lower right corner of Figure 4B, the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 also swings upward together with the lock block 114, unlocking the slider 112. In this case, the door lock device is at the limit unlock position, and since the lock block 114 is not locked, the slider 112 can be ejected leftward by the biasing force of the second biasing means 183, thereby opening the door of the electrical appliance.

[0063] 4C , when the electromagnetic pulse signal disappears, the lock block 114 tends to move downward under the action of the biasing force of the first biasing means 193. In this case, the slider 112 slides leftward to a position (unlocked position) where the slider lock recess 181 is not aligned with the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114, so that the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 can abut downward against the slider abutment surface 242 on the right side of the slider lock recess 181, as shown in detail in the enlarged view D3 in the lower right corner of FIG. 4C . Because the swing block 117 tends to swing downward under the biasing force of the swing block torsion spring (not shown), the swing block 117 no longer abuts against the vertical stop 212 of the swing block sliding surface 134, and the vertical abutment wall 206 of the swing block 117 abuts downward against the swing block abutment portion 194 of the lock block 114. Since the swing block abutment portion 194 of the lock block 114 swings only upward during the door opening stage and does not move leftward, the swing block abutment portion 194 still abuts rightward against the inner vertical contour 302 below the vertical abutment wall 206 of the swing block 117 under the action of the biasing force of the first biasing means 193, as shown in detail in the enlarged view C3 in the upper right corner of Figure 4C.

[0064] When the door is closed again in the state shown in FIG. 4C , it is only necessary to apply a continuous pushing force P to the door again so that the slider 112 slides rightward to a position where the slider lock recess 181 is aligned with the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114, and thus the lock portion 191 of the lock block 114 can swing downward into the slider lock recess 181 under the action of the biasing force of the first biasing means 193 to lock the slider 112, thereby similarly closing and locking the door.

[0065] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an appliance 500 having a door locking device of the present disclosure.

[0066] As shown in Figure 5, the electrical appliance 500 of the present disclosure may be a dishwasher having a dishwasher body 502, a dishwasher door 504, a dishwasher compartment 506, and a door locking device 100 / 103 of the first or second embodiment of the present disclosure. A striker 101 is attached to the inside of the dishwasher door 504, and the door locking device 100 / 103 is located at a position on the dishwasher body 502 corresponding to the striker 101. The dishwasher body 502 is provided on its outside with a striker hole 508 corresponding to the door locking device 100 / 103. By pushing the dishwasher door 504 to close it, the striker 101 passes through the striker hole 508 and can cooperate with the door locking device 100 / 103 to close the dishwasher door 504 and lock it in a closed position. The control means 160 is located inside the dishwasher body 502 and is operable to automatically eject the dishwasher door 504 when closed by electromagnetic action.

[0067] The dishwasher shown in FIG. 5 is merely exemplary, and the door lock device of the present disclosure can be installed in various types of electrical appliances that have a compartment and a door for closing that compartment, such as washing machines, dryers, microwave ovens, and other non-electrical appliances.

[0068] The door lock device of the present disclosure has at least the following advantageous technical effects.

[0069] First, the door lock device of the present disclosure allows the doors to be automatically closed and locked at the final door closing stage, providing the user with a "suction" feeling, thereby improving the user experience.

[0070] Second, the door lock device of the present disclosure has a modular design including a stroke switching module and an electromagnetic ejection module. Users can choose whether to install the electromagnetic ejection module as needed, just as they can freely choose whether or not their appliance has an automatic ejection function. The stroke switching module and the electromagnetic ejection module can be manufactured from different materials to meet the different functional requirements of different modules.

[0071] Third, the electromagnetic pushing module of the door lock device of the present disclosure can unlock the door through an electromagnetic pulse and quickly eject and open the door, so that the door opening is performed quickly and without delay.

[0072] Fourth, the stroke switching module and electromagnetic ejection module of the door lock device of the present disclosure have an overall flat structure, and the entire stroke switching module assembly is placed in a flat door lock box for easy installation in the dishwasher without interfering with other parts of the dishwasher.

[0073] While the present disclosure has been described in connection with the example embodiments outlined above, various alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and / or substantial equivalents that are known, exist, or soon to be anticipated will be apparent to at least one of ordinary skill 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 embrace all known or previously developed alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and / or basic equivalents.

Claims

1. A door lock device, a slider including a slider engagement portion configured to reciprocate between a first position and a second position in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction; a lock block including a lock portion, the lock block being configured to be movable relative to the slider so as to detachably engage the lock portion with the slider engagement portion; a first biasing means configured to apply a biasing force in a first direction to the slider, the biasing force acting to move the slider in the first direction, during movement of the slider in the first direction from the first position to the second position with the locking portion engaged with the slider engaging portion; and A door lock device comprising:

2. 2. The door lock device according to claim 1, wherein the first biasing means is configured to apply a biasing force in the first direction to the lock block so that the lock portion applies a biasing force in the first direction to the slider after the lock portion engages with the slider engagement portion.

3. a travel of the slider moving in the first direction includes a third position between the first position and the second position; the locking portion is engageable with the slider engaging portion so that the first biasing means can apply a biasing force in the first direction to the slider when the slider moves in the first direction to the third position. The door lock device according to claim 2.

4. 4. The door lock device according to claim 3, wherein the first biasing means is configured to apply a biasing force in a third direction to the lock block, and the biasing force in the third direction drives the lock block to move in the third direction relative to the slider so as to engage the lock portion with the slider engagement portion when the slider moves to the third position.

5. 2. The door lock device according to claim 1, wherein the first biasing means is an elastic element.

6. Furthermore, a second biasing means configured to apply a biasing force in a second direction to the slider during movement of the slider in the second direction from the second position to the first position, the biasing force causing the slider to move in the second direction; The door lock device according to claim 4, comprising:

7. 7. The door locking apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second biasing means includes one or more resilient elements.

8. 7. The door lock device of claim 6, wherein the first biasing means is configured to be operable to move the slider in the same direction during movement of the lock block in the first direction from the first position to the second position such that the biasing force in the first direction applied by the first biasing means overcomes the biasing force of the second biasing means in the second direction.

9. 2. The door lock device according to claim 1, wherein the slider engagement portion is a slider lock recess, and the lock portion can enter the slider lock recess during movement of the lock block to engage the lock block with the slider.

10. 9. The door lock apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an unlocking structure configured to disengage the locking portion of the lock block from the slider engaging portion of the slider during movement of the lock block in the second direction.

11. The unlocking structure is A guide portion; a guide surface that is a side surface of the lock block facing the guide portion, the guide surface being disposed at an angle with respect to the second direction, and the guide surface being capable of interacting with the guide portion during movement of the lock block toward the second movement direction so that the lock portion can disengage from the slider engagement portion; and The door lock device according to claim 10, comprising:

12. 12. The door lock device of claim 11, further comprising a block portion configured to abut the lock block to prevent the lock block from moving toward the second position before the slider moves in the first direction to the third position, and wherein the lock portion is aligned with the slider engagement portion along the third direction to allow the lock block to disengage from the block portion under the action of a biasing force in the third direction such that the lock portion engages with the slider engagement portion when the slider moves in the first direction to the third position.

13. 13. The door lock device according to claim 12, wherein after the slider moves in the second direction and the lock portion disengages from the slider engagement portion, the blocking portion abuts against the lock block to prevent the lock block from moving toward the second position.

14. 2. The door lock device according to claim 1, further comprising an electromagnetic unlocking means detachably connected to the lock block, the electromagnetic unlocking means being capable of driving the lock block so as to disengage the lock portion from the slider engaging portion.

15. 15. The door lock apparatus of claim 14, further comprising control means communicatively connected to the electromagnetic unlocking means for sending a control signal to the electromagnetic unlocking means to drive the lock block to move.

16. 15. The door lock device according to claim 14, further comprising a door lock box, wherein the slider, the lock block, and the first biasing means are disposed within the door lock box, and the electromagnetic lock releasing means is detachably connected to the door lock box.

17. 4. The door lock device of claim 3, further comprising a pair of locking arms disposed at one end of the slider remote from the slider engagement portion, the pair of locking arms configured to be switched between an open state and a closed state to receive or release components for applying an external pulling force and an external pushing force to the slider, the slider configured to move from the first position to the third position under the action of the external pushing force, and to move from the second position to the first position under the action of the external pulling force.

18. A door lock device, The door lock device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, an electromagnetic lock release means detachably connected to the lock block, the electromagnetic lock release means being capable of driving the lock portion of the lock block so that the lock portion can be disengaged from the slider engagement portion; control means communicatively connected to the electromagnetic unlocking means for sending a control signal to the electromagnetic unlocking means to drive the lock block to move; A door lock device comprising:

19. 19. An appliance comprising a door locking device according to any one of claims 1 to 18, the door locking device being configured to open or close a door of the appliance.

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