Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
  • D06F39/00—Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00 
  • D06F39/12—Casings; Tubs
  • D06F39/14—Doors or covers; Securing means therefor
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L15/00—Washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware
  • A47L15/42—Details
  • A47L15/4251—Details of the casing
  • A47L15/4257—Details of the loading door
  • A47L15/4259—Arrangements of locking or security/safety devices for doors, e.g. door latches, switch to stop operation when door is open
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
  • E05B—LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
  • E05B17/00—Accessories in connection with locks
  • E05B17/20—Means independent of the locking mechanism for preventing unauthorised opening, e.g. for securing the bolt in the fastening position
  • E05B17/2007—Securing, deadlocking or "dogging" the bolt in the fastening position
  • E05B17/203—Securing, deadlocking or "dogging" the bolt in the fastening position not following the movement of the bolt
  • E05B17/2034—Securing, deadlocking or "dogging" the bolt in the fastening position not following the movement of the bolt moving pivotally or rotatively
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
  • E05B—LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
  • E05B47/00—Operating or controlling locks or other fastening devices by electric or magnetic means
  • E05B47/06—Controlling mechanically-operated bolts by electro-magnetically-operated detents
  • E05B47/0607—Controlling mechanically-operated bolts by electro-magnetically-operated detents the detent moving pivotally or rotatively
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
  • E05B—LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
  • E05B63/00—Locks or fastenings with special structural characteristics
  • E05B2063/0026—Elongated, e.g. stud-like, striker entering into an opening in which movable detent means engage the elongated striker

Definitions

• the present invention belongs to the field of electrical household appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and/or similar electrical household appliances.
• the present invention relates to a closing and opening device, in particular for panels, doors or the like, for example of electrical household appliances of the aforesaid type.
• the present invention relates to a device of the aforesaid type, adapted to allow the opening of the panel in emergency situations and/or automatically, for example, respectively, but not by way of limitation, independent of the closed panel electric striker and at the end of the washing cycle.
• the present invention further relates to a closing and opening system comprising a closing and opening device of the aforesaid type, as well as to an electrical household appliance (for example, a washing machine or a similar electrical household appliance) equipped with a device and/or system of the aforesaid type.
• a closing and opening system comprising a closing and opening device of the aforesaid type, as well as to an electrical household appliance (for example, a washing machine or a similar electrical household appliance) equipped with a device and/or system of the aforesaid type.
• the most common closing and opening devices and/or systems employed for electrical household appliances essentially comprise an actual closing (and opening) assembly usually applied to the housing of the electrical household appliance and a striker element (latch or hook) usually fixed to the panel of the same electrical household appliance.
• the closing and opening assembly further comprises, according to the most common solutions, a closing element which can be switched by rotation between a first opening position and a second closing position and vice versa, where the closing element, in the closing position, engages the corresponding striker element of the panel, thus securing the closing of the panel itself, while, conversely, in the opening position, it allows the disengagement of the striker element and thus the opening of the panel.
• Figures from 1 to 3 relate to a device and/or system according to an embodiment of the present invention, hereafter, with reference to Figures from 1 to 3, a description will be given of the operating procedures of the closing and opening device which are in common with those of the devices of the known type, in particular produced and marketed by the applicant.
• reference numeral 1000 identifies a closing system comprising a closing assembly 100 (adapted, as anticipated, to be applied to the housing of the electrical household appliance) and a striker element (latch or hook) 200 usually fixed to the door of the same electrical household appliance.
• the closing assembly further comprises a closing and opening element 1 10 (also called closing cam) which can be switched by rotation (see the following description), a locking and control lever (112), a release spring 1 13, a safety spring 1 14, a solenoid 1 15, a switching slide 1 16, a switching lever 1 17, an opening lever 1 18, a safety slide 120 and an opening spring 124.
• the assembly 100 comprises a safety slider 122 and an actuator 123.
• the closing and opening element 1 10 is rotatable about a first rotation axis A, defined by a rotation pin 125 on which the spiral portion of the release spring 1 13 is engaged, where the lever 1 12 is rotatable about a second rotation axis B defined by a rotation pin 126, the opposite ends of which are each housed in a corresponding seat 127 defined by the safety slide 120.
• an engagement and locking pin 128 protrudes from the cam 1 10, extending in the extension direction opposite to that of the rotation pin 125, where, on the free end of the lever 1 12 opposite to the rotation pin 127, shapings are obtained comprising a first protrusion 131 and a second protrusion 132 both with at least one half-circle-shaped part, where, however, the concavity of the half circle part of the protrusion 131 faces the free end of the lever 1 12, while the concavity of the half-circle part of the protrusion 132 substantially faces the engagement pin 128.
• the safety slider 122 In the open-panel condition, the safety slider 122 is pushed into engagement against the element or cam 110 (from the left to the right in Figure 1 ) by a compression spring positioned so as to act pushing the end portion of the slider 122 opposite to the cam 1 10. Furthermore, the safety slider 122, in the position of Figure 1 , in which it locks the cam 1 10 avoiding any possible switching by rotation, also locks the actuator 123, preventing it from translating in a direction transverse to that of translation of the slider 122, which, in particular, may descend and position itself in interference with the cursor 122.
• the same is responsible for the alternating activation and deactivation of the electric module, where the electric module, when activated, generates the electrical acceptance essential for the operation of the electrical household appliance, while, conversely, when deactivated, it denies the aforesaid electrical acceptance and the electrical household appliance may not be started and/or operated.
• the actuator 123 in the position of Figure 1 , denies in fact the acceptance to the electric module, while, conversely, in the position of Figure 2F (in which it has descended with respect to the position of Figure 1 and is positioned in interference with the cursor 122), it generates the acceptance to the electric circuit.
• the progressive approach of the panel to the main body of the electrical household appliance first results in the engagement of the safety slider 122 (of an inclined end surface of the slider 122) by the striker latch or hook 200 (Figure 2b) and thus in the translation of the safety slider 122 moving away from the element 1 10, with relative release of the element 110.
• the end of the latch or hook 200 engages the fork portion of the element 1 10, where the progressive reciprocal engagement of the latch 200 in the fork of the element 1 10 results in a switching by clockwise rotation (with respect to the Figures) of the element 110 from the opening position of Figures 1 and 2A, in which the hook may come out from the fork of the element 1 10, to the intermediate positions of Figures from 2B to 2D and, subsequently, to the closing position of Figures from 2E to 2F, in which the hook may not come out from the fork of the element 110.
• the closing position is reached, the element 1 10 is locked in said closing position by the lever 1 12 according to the following procedures.
• any further rotation of the cam 1 10 towards the opening position, with a consequent release of the hook 100 from the fork of the element 1 10, may only occur by previously releasing the lever 1 12 (the concavity of the protrusion 131 ) from the pin 128, the reciprocal release of the lever 1 12 from the pin 128 occurring according to the following procedures.
• the cam 1 10 is again free to rotate in a counterclockwise direction by virtue of the elastic reaction of the spring 1 13, where, by virtue of the shape of the protrusion 131 which, as depicted, has a variable thickness and therefore defines an inclined surface 133, the pin 128, during the counterclockwise rotation of the cam 1 10, engages, in fact, said inclined surface 133 of the protrusion 131 , and where the counterclockwise rotation of the cam 110 thus results in a push on the lever 1 12 by the pin 128.
• a first drawback relates to the fact that the opening of the panel by pushing the panel itself according to the procedures described above may only be obtained by a user who is, in any case, outside the electrical household appliance, where, conversely, in the rare, but not impossible, case of a child trapped into the electrical household appliance, any push by the child on the panel, and therefore outwardly, would have no effect other than to increasingly engage the cam 1 10 and the lever 1 12 in the locking position.
• a further drawback or dissatisfaction factor is related to the fact that the opening of the panel according to the procedures summarized above necessarily requires the intervention of the user who, in any case, is called to act by pushing the panel itself; in fact, in the devices of the known type, the electrical components are only adapted to“allow” the opening of the panel, which in fact, without the essential intervention of the user itself, remains in any case closed.
• the washing cycle may be completed in the absence of users and/or relevant operators, where the prolonged closing of the panel after the completion of the washing cycle prevents or, in any case, delays the drying of the laundry and may lead to bad smells arising in the laundry itself.
• the closed-panel condition does not allow to“visually” perceive if the washing cycle is actually completed or not, with the risk of opening the panel under unfinished-washing conditions. It is therefore clear that it would be extremely advantageous to have a solution allowing the panel to be opened also by pushing the panel itself from the inside of the electrical household appliance, and/or allowing the spontaneous and automatic opening of the panel once the washing cycle is complete.
• closing and opening device and/or system according to the present invention shall be characterized by reduced size and bulk, as well as be applicable to electrical household appliances of the known type according to equally simple and cost-effective procedures, as well as not require substantial modifications to said electrical household appliances. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
• the present invention is based on the general consideration that the above predefined objects may be achieved and, in particular, the operation and reliability requirements, in compliance with safety regulations, may be met by means of a device including a locking lever, not only rotatable about one or more rotation axes, but also translatable along a predefined translation direction, where the translation of the locking lever, in at least one translation direction, results in the reciprocal release of the locking lever and of the opening and closing element or cam.
• the present invention relates to a closing and opening device (1000) for doors and/or panels and/or similar components, in particular of electrical household appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and similar electrical household appliances, said device comprising a closing and opening assembly (100) comprising a closing and opening element (1 10) adapted to be alternatively engaged and disengaged by a striker latch (200) adapted to be rigidly fixed to a said panel or door, where said closing and opening element (1 10) can be switched by rotation about a first rotation axis (A) between a first position and a second position, where the reciprocal engagement arising from pushing said striker latch (200) against said closing and opening element (1 10) results in a first switching by rotation of said closing and opening element (1 10) from said first position to said second position, where said closing and opening assembly (100) comprises a locking lever (1 12) which can be
• the translation of said locking lever (1 12) in the said first translation direction results in the rotation of said locking lever (1 12) about said third rotation axis (C).
• said locking lever (1 12) comprises a switching protrusion
• said closing and opening assembly (100) comprises fixed switching means
• the translation of said locking lever (1 12) in said first translation direction results in the progressive reciprocal engagement of said protrusion and said fixed switching means, thus in the rotation of said locking lever (1 12) about said third rotation axis (C), and thus in the reciprocal disengagement of said closing and opening element (1 10) and said locking lever (1 12).
• said protrusion of said locking lever (1 12) comprises an inclined and tapered engagement surface, where the progressive engagement of said protrusion and said fixed switching means by translation of said locking lever in said first translation direction results in the progressive rotation of said locking lever (1 1 12) about said third rotation axis (C).
• said locking lever (1 12) is rotated about a third rotation axis (C) different both from said first rotation axis (A) and from said second rotation axis (B), and is therefore released from said closing and opening element (1 10).
• said first switching means (LC, 121 ) are rotatable about a fourth rotation axis (D) substantially parallel to said third rotation axis (C).
• said first rotatable switching means (LC) comprise a switching lever (LC) and a locking and/or safety lever (121 ) rotated by said switching lever (LC), where the rotation of said lever (LC) in said first direction of rotation results in the interfering positioning of said locking and/or safety lever (121 ) with said closing and opening element (1 10), and where the rotation of said switching lever (LC) in said second direction of rotation opposite to the first one results in the positioning of said locking and/or safety lever (121 ) in a position non interfering with said closing and opening element (1 10).
• said first switching means comprise a torsion spring (124) rotated by said switching lever (LC) and comprising a spiral portion and two substantially linear portions (150, 151 ) respectively extending from the opposite ends of said spiral portion, where the rotation of said switching lever (LC) in said second direction of rotation results in the rotation of said compression spring (124) and in a pushing on said locking lever (1 12) by one of said substantially linear portions (150, 151 ) of said spring (124), and therefore in the rotation of said locking lever (1 12) about said third rotation axis (C), and ultimately in the release of said locking lever (1 12) from said closing and opening element (110).
• a torsion spring (124) rotated by said switching lever (LC) and comprising a spiral portion and two substantially linear portions (150, 151 ) respectively extending from the opposite ends of said spiral portion
• said device comprises a translatable switching slide (1 16), where the translation of said switching slide (1 16) in a first translation direction thereof results in the rotation of said lever (LC) in said second direction of rotation and therefore into the positioning of said locking and/or safety lever (121 ) in a position non-interfering with said closing and opening element (1 10).
• said device comprises electric means for switching by translation said switching slide.
• said electric means comprise a solenoid (1 15).
• said locking lever (1 12) can be further switched by translation, where, with said closing and opening element (1 10) engaged and locked by said locking lever (1 12) in said second position, the rotation of said closing and opening element (1 10) towards said first position results in the translation of said locking lever (1 12) in a first translation direction and in the reciprocal disengagement of said closing and opening element (1 10) and said locking lever (1 12), and therefore in the possibility for said closing and opening element (1 10) to switch by rotation until reaching said first position.
• an electrical household appliance such as, for example, a washing machine, comprising at least one panel, said electrical household appliance comprising a device according to one of the embodiments summarized above and a striker element rigidly fixed to said panel.
• FIG. 1 and 2A show perspective views of a device and of a closing and opening system according to an embodiment of the present invention
• the present invention finds particular application in the field of electrical household appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and similar electrical household appliances, this being the reason why, below, the present invention will be described with particular reference to the applications thereof in the field of electrical household appliances, in particular of a washing machine.
• the present invention finds convenient application in all cases in which the closing and the opening of a panel are required to be reliable, simple, safe, and in accordance with the safety standards.
• a first peculiarity relates to the locking lever 1 12 which, as depicted in the Figures, comprises a protrusion 140 placed along the lever 1 12, midway between the rotation pin 126 and the free end of the lever 1 12, where the protrusion 140 has a thickness decreasing until having a substantially null thickness towards the pin 126 and thus defines an inclined pushing surface 141.
• a second peculiarity relates to the fact that the slots 142 in which the opposite end portions of the pin 127 are housed have an oblong shape and therefore define a secondary axis of a length substantially equal to the diameter of the pin 127 and a main axis of a length greater than the outer diameter of the pin 127, the translation in two opposite translation directions of the pin 127 (and therefore of the lever 1 12) thus being possible along a direction substantially parallel to the main axis of each of the slots 142.
• a third peculiarity relates to the fact that the device 100 comprises a fixed switching block 143, for example fixed to the device cover (not shown for clarity purposes).
• the tapered or inclined surface 141 of the protrusion 140 meets the fixed switching block 143, where the reciprocal and progressive engagement or contrast of the protrusion 140 and of the block 143 results in a pushing on the lever 1 12 and therefore in the rotation of the lever 1 12 about the rotation axis C (rotation allowed by the above shape of the slots 142) moving away from the cam 1 10 and until the pin 128 is released from the protrusion 131.
• the second arm 1 18 comprises an end 161 engaged in a shaped seat 160 of a further safety and locking lever 121 , said further safety and locking lever 121 being rotatable with respect to a rotation axis D2 substantially parallel to the rotation axis D.
• the linear portion 150 of the spring 124 is rotated by the end of the arm 1 18 (clockwise, with respect to the Figures) with a consequent elastic loading of the spiral portion 151 of the spring 124. Furthermore, the free end of the linear portion 150 of the spring 124 is positioned, with respect to the free end of the lever 1 12, so that the linear portion 150 of the spring 124, during the aforesaid rotation thereof induced by the rotation of the switching lever LC, engages and rotates (about the axis C) the lever 1 12, which is thus released from the cam 1 10.
• the cam 1 10 following the pushing of the spring 1 13, automatically switches into the opening position, being the hook 200 thus automatically ejected from the fork of the cam 100, the panel being thus automatically opened.
• the device on the path of the slider 122 and on the opposite part with respect to the cam 1 10, comprises a striker with a seat 171 adapted to be engaged with the end of the slider 122 according to the following procedures.
• a closing and opening device is provided, which allows the release of the latch 200 from the cam 1 10 and thus the opening of the panel simply by means of pushing or pulling the panel respectively from the inside and from the outside of the electrical household appliance.
• the device according to an embodiment of the present invention further allows the automatic release of the hook 200 from the cam 1 10 and thus the automatic opening of the panel, for example, at the end of the washing cycle.
• the closing and opening device and/or system according to the present invention is characterized by reduced size and bulk, and is applicable to electrical household appliances of the known type according to equally simple and cost- effective procedures, and it does not require substantial modifications to said electrical household appliances.
• the present invention has been previously clarified by means of the detailed description of the embodiments depicted in the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and depicted in the drawings; conversely, all those variants and/or modifications of the embodiments described below and depicted in the accompanying drawings, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, fall within the scope of the present invention.
• the device according to the present invention may only implement the peculiarities adapted to allow the opening arising from pushing or pulling the panel or only those adapted to allow the automatic opening of the panel.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Main Body Construction Of Washing Machines And Laundry Dryers (AREA)
• Washing And Drying Of Tableware (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=61656117

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 2018
  • 2018-11-23 PL PL18821739T patent/PL3714093T3/pl unknown
  • 2018-11-23 CN CN201880087209.2A patent/CN111615571A/zh active Pending
  • 2018-11-23 EP EP18821739.2A patent/EP3714093B1/en active Active
  • 2018-11-23 WO PCT/IB2018/059243 patent/WO2019102403A1/en not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (3)

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