Door lock and upper cover type washing machine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door locks for upper cover type washing machines fail to effectively lock the upper cover from the middle part due to size constraints, leading to poor closing and potential accidental opening during high-speed spin-drying operations, and require enhanced waterproofing.
Innovation Solution
A door lock that transforms linear motion from an electromagnet into rotary motion of a latch head, allowing installation at the middle part of the washing machine's front panel, utilizing a crank device and a sealing ring for waterproofing, enabling secure locking and easy installation without significant modifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional door lock is installed at the side of the upper cover, then the structure is simple, but the upper cover cannot be securely locked from the middle part and may open accidentally during high-speed spin-drying
Solution Approach 1:
The latch head is designed to rotate between locked and unlocked positions around an axis, transforming linear electromagnetic force into rotary motion through a crank device. This dynamic mechanism enables the latch head to extend laterally for secure middle-part locking while retracting for compact installation, resolving the contradiction between locking reliability and structural simplicity.
2Reliability
If the door lock is installed at the middle part of the front panel, then secure locking is achieved, but the space requirement increases and installation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The latch head extends in a radial direction perpendicular to the electromagnet's linear motion direction, allowing the door lock to be installed transversely at the middle part of the front panel. This dimensional change enables secure middle-part locking without increasing the footprint in the electromagnet's motion direction, facilitating easier installation in existing washing machines.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a sealing ring is added for waterproofing, then waterproofing performance is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A sealing ring is sleeved at the root of the rotating shaft, forming a flexible barrier that prevents water ingress at the rotation interface. This thin-film sealing solution provides effective waterproofing for the rotary latch mechanism without adding complex sealing structures, maintaining device simplicity while improving waterproofing performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The door lock ensures secure locking of the upper cover from the middle part, preventing accidental opening and providing effective waterproofing, even during high-speed operations, with a simple structure that fits within the limited space of existing washing machines.
Implementation Method 1
The door lock includes an electromagnet which moves linearly
Implementation Method 2
a crank device (or eccentric device) which is connected with the latch shaft and driven by the electromagnet to transform the linear motion of the electromagnet into the rotary motion of the latch shaft
Implementation Method 3
the latch shaft is provided with a spring, which is used for resetting the latch shaft (or the latch head)
Implementation Method 4
a sealing ring is sleeved at the root of a rotating shaft
Data Source
AI summary
A door lock comprises an electromagnet (410), a latch shaft (320), a crank device (430) and the like. The crank device (430) is connected with the latch shaft (320) and driven by the electromagnet (410) to transform the linear motion of the electromagnet (410) into the rotary motion of the latch shaft (320). When the electromagnet (410) pushes or pulls the crank device (430), a latch head (202) rotates around an axis so that it can move to a locked position or an unlocked position. The door lock (200) of the present invention can transform the linear motion of the electromagnet (410) into the rotary motion of the latch head (202), so that the latch head (202) can be conveniently installed on the lateral surface rather than at an end of the door lock (200). The door lock (200) can be advantageously installed in the middle gap of a front panel (102) along an edge of a control panel of the washing machine (100) to lock the upper cover (101) from the middle part.