Home appliances and interlock structures
By positioning the elastic member away from the case and relocating the microswitch unit, the interlock structure's failure risk is mitigated, maintaining safety and reducing appliance size.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- GUANGDONG MIDEA KITCHEN APPLIANCES MFG CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-23
AI Technical Summary
The interlock structure of microwave ovens is prone to failure during installation due to accidental contact with the elastic member, leading to potential safety issues and increased appliance dimensions.
The interlock structure is redesigned with the elastic member positioned on a mounting surface further away from the case, allowing it to be protected during installation, and the microswitch unit is placed on a different side to maintain safety performance without increasing the appliance's volume.
This design prevents accidental contact with the elastic member, reduces the risk of failure, maintains safety standards, and minimizes the appliance's dimensions while ensuring compactness and aesthetic appeal.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of household appliances, and particularly to household appliances and an interlock structure.
Background Art
[0002] In related technologies, the interlock structure of a microwave oven can control the on / off of the power supply of the whole machine according to the opening and closing of the door body. By the cooperation of a rotating unit and an elastic member, it can touch a micro-switch unit and separate from each other from the micro-switch unit. Thereby, it can be ensured that the microwave oven does not operate when the door body is opened.
[0003] However, in related technologies, during the process of installing the case of the microwave oven, it may accidentally touch the elastic member, which is likely to cause a failure of the interlock structure.
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] In view of the above, the main object of the embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a household appliance and an interlock structure that can prevent the failure of the interlock structure.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0005] To achieve the above object, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure are realized as follows.
[0006] In a first aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a household appliance is provided, and the household appliance includes a housing including a cavity and a case, the cavity includes a storage chamber having an opening, and the case is located outside the cavity, the housing, a door body that is provided to be openable and closable at the opening and includes a door hook, An interlock structure provided between the cavity and the case, comprising a frame, a microswitch unit, a rotating unit, and an elastic member, wherein the frame has a first mounting surface on the side closer to the case and a second mounting surface on the side further away from the case, the microswitch unit is provided on the first mounting surface, the rotating unit is rotatably mounted on the frame, and the elastic member is provided on the second mounting surface and is connected to the frame and the rotating unit, respectively, When the door is closed, the rotating unit rotates until it contacts the contacts of the microswitch unit due to the pressure of the door hook, triggering the microswitch unit and putting the elastic member into a compressed or extended state. When the door is opened, the door hook separates from the rotating unit, and the elastic member is reset by reversing the rotation unit and switched back to its initial state, separating from the microswitch unit.
[0007] In one embodiment, the elastic member is a torsion spring, and the torsion spring comprises a first connecting leg and a second connecting leg, the first connecting leg being connected to the frame, the second connecting leg being connected to the rotating unit, and the connection between the second connecting leg and the rotating unit being offset from the rotation center of the rotating unit.
[0008] In one embodiment, the frame has a passage opening, a portion of the rotating unit extends into the passage opening to form a connecting column, the second connecting leg is connected to the connecting column, and the connecting column is rotatably mounted within the passage opening.
[0009] In one embodiment, the frame has a contact opening, and the first connecting leg passes through the contact opening and abuts against the side wall of the contact opening.
[0010] In one embodiment, a portion of the first mounting surface is recessed to form a first mounting cavity, the first mounting cavity having the contact openings connecting both sides of the frame, and the first connecting leg extends through the contact openings into the first mounting cavity.
[0011] In one embodiment, the torsion spring comprises a spring coil located between the first connecting leg and the second connecting leg, the frame has a contact groove on the side located on the second mounting surface, the spring coil is located within the contact groove, and the length dimension of the contact groove is greater than the outer diameter of the spring coil.
[0012] In one embodiment, the microswitch unit comprises a primary microswitch, a secondary microswitch, and a monitoring microswitch. When the door is closed, the rotating unit sequentially triggers the monitoring microswitch, the primary microswitch, and the secondary microswitch by the pressure of the door hook. When the door is opened, the rotating unit sequentially disconnects from the primary microswitch, the secondary microswitch, and the monitoring microswitch.
[0013] In one embodiment, the rotary unit comprises an interlock lever and a cam, the cam being rotatably mounted on the first mounting surface, the cam being used to trigger the monitoring microswitch and the secondary microswitch, and the lever being used to trigger the primary microswitch.
[0014] In one embodiment, a portion of the second mounting surface is recessed to form a second mounting cavity, at least a portion of the second mounting cavity on the side closer to the primary microswitch is open to form a communication opening, and the interlock lever is rotatably mounted within the second mounting cavity to trigger the primary microswitch through the communication opening when pressed by the door hook.
[0015] A second embodiment of the embodiments of the present disclosure provides an interlock structure, which is an interlock structure described in any of the above.
[0016] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a home appliance and an interlock structure, the home appliance comprising a housing, a door body, and an interlock structure, the frame of the interlock structure having a first mounting surface on the side closer to the case and a second mounting surface on the side further away from the case, a microswitch unit provided on the first mounting surface, and an elastic member provided on the second mounting surface and connected to the frame and the rotating unit, respectively. By providing the elastic member on the second mounting surface on the side further away from the case, on the one hand, it is possible to prevent accidental contact with the elastic member during the process of mounting the case and to avoid failure of the interlock structure. On the other hand, since the elastic member is not provided on the side of the frame closer to the case, it is not necessary to widen the interlock structure so that the elastic member and the case form a certain safety distance, the dimensions of the interlock structure can be reduced while satisfying safety performance, and furthermore, the volume of the home appliance can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0017] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a home appliance relating to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a home appliance. [Figure 3] This is a partial enlargement of section A in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a front view of the interlock structure. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is a rear view of the interlock structure. [Figure 6] Figure 4 is a left side view of the interlock structure. [Figure 7] Figure 4 is an exploded view of the interlock structure. [Figure 8] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the home appliance from a different perspective. [Figure 9] It is a cross-sectional view of a household appliance in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] It is a partial enlarged view at B in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] It is a schematic view of the fitting relationship between an interlock structure and a housing in the related art.
Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0018] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a household appliance. Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 8, and 9, the household appliance includes a housing 10, a door body 20, and an interlock structure 30. The housing 10 includes a cavity 11 and a case 12. The cavity 11 includes a storage chamber 11a having an opening 11b, and the case 12 is located outside the cavity 11.
[0019] The door body 20 is provided to be openable and closable at the opening 11b portion, and the door body 20 includes a door hook 21.
[0020] Specifically, the household appliance may be any type of electrical appliance such as a microwave oven, a pressure cooker, or other electrical equipment. For the sake of easy explanation, in the present disclosure, the case where the household appliance is a microwave oven is taken as an example for explanation.
[0021] Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the interlock structure 30 is provided between the cavity 11 and the case 12. The interlock structure 30 includes a frame 31, a microswitch unit 32, a rotation unit 33, and an elastic member 34. The frame 31 has a first attachment surface 31a on the side close to the case 12 and a second attachment surface 31b on the side away from the case 12. The microswitch unit 32 is provided on the first attachment surface 31a. The rotation unit 33 is rotatably provided on the frame 31. The elastic member 34 is provided on the second attachment surface 31b and is connected to the frame 31 and the rotation unit 33 respectively.
[0022] Referring to Figures 3 to 6, when the door body 20 is closed, the rotating unit 33 rotates until it contacts the contacts of the microswitch unit 32 due to the pressure of the door hook 21, triggering the microswitch unit 32 and causing the elastic member 34 to be compressed or extended. When the door body 20 is opened, the door hook 21 separates from the rotating unit 33, and the elastic member 34 is reset by reversing the rotation of the rotating unit 33 and switches back to its initial state, separating from the microswitch unit 32.
[0023] Specifically, when the door body 20 is closed, the door hook 21 locks into an elastic snap in the housing 10, which is also connected to the door open button of the appliance. The insertion direction of the door hook 21 may be parallel to the plane on which the frame 31 is located, and the frame 31 may also provide mounting support to other structures of the interlock structure 30, ensuring the positional fitting relationship between each component.
[0024] The rotating unit 33 can rotate relative to the frame 31, and when the door body 20 is closed, the door hook 21 contacts the rotating unit 33 so as to press against it until it contacts the contacts of the microswitch unit 32. Since the elastic member 34 is connected to the frame 31 and the rotating unit 33 respectively, the elastic member 34 can elastically deform as the rotating unit 33 rotates, thereby providing an elastic force.
[0025] The rotating unit 33 may be an integrated structure or a separate structure.
[0026] For example, referring to Figures 3 to 6, the rotary unit 33 comprises an interlock lever 332 and a cam 333, the cam 333 being rotatably mounted on the first mounting surface 31a, the cam 333 being used to trigger the monitoring microswitch 323 and the secondary microswitch 322, and the lever being used to trigger the primary microswitch 321.
[0027] In response to this, the door body 20 has two door hooks 21, which push up the interlock lever 332 and cam 333 respectively, thereby rotating the interlock lever 332 and cam 333, which in turn triggers the monitoring microswitch 323 and secondary microswitch 322, as well as the primary microswitch 321.
[0028] The microswitch unit 32 comprises at least one microswitch, i.e., one or more microswitches, the microswitch having contacts that can be triggered by contact with the rotary unit 33. The microswitch unit 32 is located on the side of the frame 31 closest to the case 12, which facilitates subsequent maintenance and replacement.
[0029] For illustrative purposes, referring to Figures 3 to 7, the microswitch unit 32 comprises a primary microswitch 321, a secondary microswitch 322, and a monitoring microswitch 323. When the door body 20 is closed, the rotating unit 33 sequentially triggers the monitoring microswitch 323, the primary microswitch 321, and the secondary microswitch 322 upon pressure from the door hook 21. When the door body 20 is opened, the rotating unit 33 sequentially disengages from the primary microswitch 321, the secondary microswitch 322, and the monitoring microswitch 323.
[0030] Specifically, the primary microswitch 321 is used to control the overall circuit of the home appliance, the secondary microswitch 322 is used to control the door open / close detection circuit of the home appliance, and the monitoring microswitch 323 is used to control the switch circuits of the primary microswitch 321 and the secondary microswitch 322.
[0031] The primary microswitch 321 and secondary microswitch 322 are normally open switches located in the main circuit. When the door 20 is closed, the switches turn on, allowing the appliance to operate safely. The monitoring microswitch 323 is a normally closed switch located between the primary microswitch 321 and the secondary microswitch 322. When the door 20 is closed, the monitoring microswitch 323 must be triggered to turn off first, and then the primary microswitch 321 and secondary microswitch 322 must be triggered to turn on. At this point, the appliance will operate normally. When the door 20 is opened, the primary microswitch 321 and secondary microswitch 322 must be reset to turn off first, and then the monitoring microswitch 323 must be reset to turn on. At this point, the appliance will stop operating. Otherwise, it will cause problems such as a short circuit and fuse burnout.
[0032] Furthermore, depending on the installation position and connecting means of the elastic member 34, when the door body 20 is closed, the elastic member 34 may be compressed or stretched.
[0033] Furthermore, when the door body 20 is opened, the door hook 21 separates from the rotating unit 33, and after the rotating unit 33 loses its contact action with the door hook 21, it rotates in the opposite direction to the closing process of the door body 20 due to the elastic force of the elastic member 34, thereby achieving the purpose of resetting. Accordingly, the elastic member 34 is also switched to its initial state, where the initial state refers to the state of the elastic member 34 when the door body 20 is not acting on the rotating unit 33, and may be in a natural state or in a state with a certain elastic force depending on the actual design situation. Also, since the rotating unit 33 is reset by rotating in the reverse direction and separates from the microswitch unit 32, it does not come into contact with the contacts of the microswitch unit 32, thereby allowing the microswitch unit 32 to be reset.
[0034] The elastic member 34 may be various types of springs, or other elastic members that can provide elastic force through elastic deformation, and can be set according to the actual situation.
[0035] Illustratively, referring to Figure 7, the elastic member 34 is a torsion spring 341, which comprises a first connecting leg 342 and a second connecting leg 343, the first connecting leg 342 being connected to the frame 31 and the second connecting leg 343 being connected to the rotating unit 33, the connection between the second connecting leg 343 and the rotating unit 33 being offset from the rotation center of the rotating unit 33. In this way, the torsion spring 341 can provide an elastic force by causing elastic deformation when the frame 31 and the rotating unit 33 are displaced relative to each other. Understandably, to avoid the torsion spring 341 being unable to deform, the second connecting leg 343 should not be connected to the rotation center of the rotating unit 33.
[0036] In the related technology, as shown in Figure 11, the elastic member 34' is provided on the side of the frame closer to the case 12'. If the elastic member 34' is brought close to the case 12', the requirements of the safety standard are not met. The standard requires that the elastic member 34' be at least 5 mm away from the case 12'. Therefore, in the related technology, the elastic member 34' and the case 12' are spaced apart, which increases the dimensions of the microwave oven case 12' and increases the overall volume of the microwave oven.
[0037] In contrast, the home appliance of the embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a housing 10, a door body 20, and an interlock structure 30. The frame 31 of the interlock structure 30 has a first mounting surface 31a on the side closer to the case 12 and a second mounting surface 31b on the side further away from the case 12. The microswitch unit 32 is provided on the first mounting surface 31a, and the elastic member 34 is provided on the second mounting surface 31b and is connected to the frame 31 and the rotating unit 33, respectively. By providing the elastic member 34 on the second mounting surface 31b on the side further away from the case 12, it is possible to prevent accidental contact with the elastic member 34 during the process of installing the case 12, thereby avoiding failure of the interlock structure 30 and reducing the maintenance rate of the home appliance. On the other hand, since the elastic member 34 is not provided on the side of the frame 31 closer to the case 12, there is no need to widen the interlock structure 30 so that the elastic member 34 and the case 12 form a certain safety distance. This allows the dimensions of the interlock structure 30 to be reduced while satisfying safety performance, and further reduces the volume of the home appliance. At the same time, since there is no need to solve the safety problem by making the case 12 protrude and form a convex hull, the aesthetic appearance can be maintained.
[0038] Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides an interlock structure 30, which is an interlock structure 30 described in any embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0039] It should be explained that since the elastic member 34 and the microswitch unit 32 of the interlock structure 30 are located on different sides of the frame 31, when the interlock structure 30 is attached to the housing 10 of a home appliance, the volume of the home appliance can be reduced by orienting one side of the microswitch unit 32 toward the case 12. As can be seen from this, the interlock structure 30 of this disclosure has a small volume and can be used in compact models.
[0040] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 7, the frame 31 has a passage opening 31c, a portion of the rotating unit 33 extends into the passage opening 31c to form a connecting column 331, a second connecting leg 343 is connected to the connecting column 331, and the connecting column 331 is rotatably mounted within the passage opening 31c.
[0041] Specifically, the second connecting leg 343 of the torsion spring 341 is connected to the connecting column 331 that extends into the passage opening 31c, so that the torsion spring 341 can be connected even if it is not on the same plane as the rotating unit 33.
[0042] It should be explained that the dimensions of the passage opening 31c are larger than the external dimensions of the connecting column 331, allowing the connecting column 331 to rotate within the passage opening 31c while the rotating unit 33 is rotating.
[0043] The specific shape of the passage opening 31c is not limited; for example, the passage opening 31c is an arc-shaped opening 11b.
[0044] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 5, the frame 31 has a contact opening 31d, and the first connecting leg 342 passes through the contact opening 31d and abuts against the side wall of the contact opening 31d. In this way, the first connecting leg 342 can be stably attached to the frame 31.
[0045] It should be explained that the dimensions of the opening 11b of the contact opening 31d are larger than the external dimensions of the first connecting leg 342. On the one hand, this allows the first connecting leg 342 to extend into the contact opening 31d, and on the other hand, it prevents the torsion spring 341 from being too tightly connected to the frame 31, thus preventing damage to the torsion spring 341 during extension and contraction.
[0046] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 7, a portion of the first mounting surface 31a is recessed to form a first mounting cavity 31aa, the first mounting cavity 31aa having a contact opening 31d that connects both sides of the frame 31, and the first connecting leg 342 extends into the first mounting cavity 31aa through the contact opening 31d.
[0047] Specifically, since the first connecting leg 342 directly passes through the contact opening 31d, the first mounting cavity 31aa is formed, allowing the portion of the first connecting leg 342 that passes through the contact opening 31d to be housed within the first mounting cavity 31aa. This prevents the first connecting leg 342 extending from the contact opening 31d from damaging the structure on the first mounting surface 31a side, preventing injury to the user when removing and installing the interlock structure 30, and thus reducing safety risks.
[0048] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 5, the torsion spring 341 comprises a spring coil 344 located between a first connecting leg 342 and a second connecting leg 343, the frame 31 has a contact groove 31e on the side located on the second mounting surface 31b, the spring coil 344 is located within the contact groove 31e, and the length dimension of the contact groove 31e is larger than the outer diameter of the spring coil 344. In this way, the stability of the torsion spring 341 is greatly improved and the elastic deformation of the torsion spring 341 can be easily facilitated.
[0049] Specifically, one end of the first connecting leg 342 is connected to the frame 31, and the other end extends to the spring coil 344. One end of the second connecting leg 343 is connected to the rotating unit 33, and the other end also extends to the spring coil 344. The number of turns of the spring coil 344 can be set according to the actual situation.
[0050] The specific method for forming the contact groove 31e is not limited; for example, a portion of the second mounting surface 31b may protrude to form a reinforcing rib, and a portion of the reinforcing rib may be cut to form the contact groove 31e.
[0051] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 5, a portion of the second mounting surface 31b is recessed to form a second mounting cavity 31ba, and at least a portion of the second mounting cavity 31ba on the side closer to the primary microswitch 321 is open to form a communication opening 31bb, and an interlock lever 332 is rotatably mounted within the second mounting cavity 31ba to trigger the primary microswitch 321 through the communication opening 31bb by the pressure of the door hook 21.
[0052] Specifically, the interlock lever 332 can be mounted to the second mounting cavity 31ba from the second mounting surface 31b side, and the interlock lever 332 can rotate within the second mounting surface 31b by the pressure of the door hook 21. Since the second mounting cavity 31ba has a communication opening 31bb that is open toward the primary microswitch 321 side, the interlock lever 332 can trigger the primary microswitch 321 by rotating to the communication opening 31bb so as to abut the contacts of the primary microswitch 321.
[0053] Understandably, when the door body 20 is opened, the door hook 21 separates from the interlock lever 332, and the interlock lever 332 can also be reversed and reset, thereby separating from the primary microswitch 321 and resetting the primary microswitch 321.
[0054] In this specification, reference terms such as “one example,” “some examples,” “one specific example,” or “exemplary” mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or properties described in this example or example are included in at least one example or example of the examples of this disclosure. In this disclosure, the exemplary expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same example or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or properties described may be combined in an appropriate manner in any one or more examples or examples. Also, without contradiction, a person skilled in the art may combine different examples or examples and features of different examples or examples described in this disclosure.
[0055] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the Disclosure and is not intended to limit the Disclosure, and various modifications and changes can be made to those skilled in the art. Not intended to limit the Disclosure, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the Disclosure should be included within the scope of the Disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]
[0056] 10 Housing 11 Cavity 11a Confinement Room 11b opening 12 (12′) Case 20 Door Body 21 Door Hooks 30 Interlock structure 31 frames 31a First mounting surface 31aa First mounting cavity 31b Second mounting surface 31ba Second mounting cavity 31bb communication port 31c Passage 31d Contact port 31e Contact groove 32 Microswitch Units 321 Primary Microswitch 322 Secondary Microswitch 323 Monitoring Microswitch 33 Rotation Unit 331 Connecting column 332 Interlock Lever 333 Cam 34(34′) Elastic member 341 Torsion spring 342 1st connecting leg 343 2nd connecting leg 344 Spring coil
Claims
1. It is a home appliance, A housing comprising a cavity and a case, wherein the cavity comprises a housing chamber having an opening, and the case is located outside the cavity, A door body is provided in the aforementioned opening so as to be openable and closable, and is equipped with a door hook, An interlock structure provided between the cavity and the case, comprising a frame, a microswitch unit, a rotating unit, and an elastic member, wherein the frame has a first mounting surface on the side closer to the case and a second mounting surface on the side further away from the case, the microswitch unit is provided on the first mounting surface, the rotating unit is rotatably mounted on the frame, and the elastic member is provided on the second mounting surface and is connected to the frame and the rotating unit, respectively, the interlock structure When the door is closed, the rotating unit rotates until it contacts the contacts of the microswitch unit by the pressure of the door hook, triggering the microswitch unit and compressing or extending the elastic member. When the door is opened, the door hook separates from the rotating unit, and the elastic member is reset by reversing the rotation unit and switched back to its initial state, separating from the microswitch unit. The elastic member is a torsion spring, and the torsion spring comprises a first connecting leg and a second connecting leg, the first connecting leg being connected to the frame, the second connecting leg being connected to the rotating unit, and the connection between the second connecting leg and the rotating unit being offset from the rotation center of the rotating unit. The torsion spring comprises a spring coil located between the first connecting leg and the second connecting leg, the frame has a contact groove on the side located on the second mounting surface, the spring coil is located within the contact groove, and the length dimension of the contact groove is greater than the outer diameter of the spring coil. Home appliances.
2. The frame has a passage opening, a portion of the rotating unit extends into the passage opening to form a connecting column, the second connecting leg is connected to the connecting column, and the connecting column is rotatably mounted within the passage opening. The home appliance described in claim 1.
3. The frame has a contact opening, and the first connecting leg passes through the contact opening and abuts against the side wall of the contact opening. The home appliance described in claim 1.
4. A portion of the first mounting surface is recessed to form a first mounting cavity, the first mounting cavity having the contact openings connecting both sides of the frame, and the first connecting leg extends through the contact openings into the first mounting cavity. The home appliance described in claim 3.
5. The microswitch unit comprises a primary microswitch, a secondary microswitch, and a monitoring microswitch. When the door is closed, the rotating unit sequentially triggers the monitoring microswitch, the primary microswitch, and the secondary microswitch by the pressure of the door hook. When the door is opened, the rotating unit sequentially disconnects from the primary microswitch, the secondary microswitch, and the monitoring microswitch. The home appliance described in claim 1.
6. The rotary unit comprises an interlock lever and a cam, the cam being rotatably mounted on the first mounting surface, the cam being used to trigger the monitoring microswitch and the secondary microswitch, and the lever being used to trigger the primary microswitch. The home appliance described in claim 5.
7. A portion of the second mounting surface is recessed to form a second mounting cavity, and at least a portion of the second mounting cavity on the side closer to the primary microswitch is open to form a communication opening, and the interlock lever is rotatably mounted within the second mounting cavity to trigger the primary microswitch through the communication opening when pressed by the door hook. The home appliance according to claim 6.
8. It has an interlock structure, The interlock structure is as described in any one of claims 1 to 7. Interlock structure.