Domestic electrical appliance, in particular a dishwashing machine

Abstract

A domestic electrical appliance, in particular a dishwashing machine, includes a main appliance body having a product treatment chamber, a door mounted on the main appliance body so as to be pivotable about a horizontal pivot axis close to the floor for closing an access opening to the product treatment chamber and a locking device having a locking assembly arranged on the main appliance body and a closing pin arranged on the door. The locking assembly has a latch movable between a release position and a latching position where the latch engages behind the closing pin to hold the door closed and releases the closing pin to open the door. The latch performs a rotational movement along a horizontal plane as it moves between the release position and the latching position, the closing pin being oriented vertically when the door is closed.

Claims

1. A domestic electrical appliance comprising: a main appliance body having a product treatment chamber; a door mounted on the main appliance body so as to be pivotable about a horizontal pivot axis that is close to the floor, for closing an access opening to the product treatment chamber; and a locking device having a locking assembly arranged on the main appliance body and a closing pin arranged on the door, wherein the locking assembly comprises a latch which is arranged to be movable between a release position and a latching position, which latch, in the latching position, engages behind the closing pin in order to hold the door closed and, in the release position, releases the closing pin to open the door, wherein the latch performs a rotational movement along a horizontal plane as it moves between the release position and the latching position, and the closing pin is oriented vertically when the door is closed.

2. The domestic appliance according to claim 1, wherein the latch has a latch mouth delimited by two jaws, wherein the closing pin comes into contact with a first of the jaws as the door closes and thereby initiates a movement of the latch from the release position into the latching position, and wherein, in the course of that movement of the latch, a second of the jaws of the latch moves behind the closing pin.

3. The domestic appliance according to claim 1, wherein there is formed on the locking assembly an aligning system for the mutual horizontal-lateral alignment of the closing pin and the latch, which aligning system cooperates with the closing pin as the door closes.

4. The domestic appliance according to claim 3, wherein the aligning system comprises a guide slot which the closing pin enters as the door closes.

5. The domestic appliance according to claim 4, wherein the closing pin is substantially free of horizontal-lateral movement play in the guide slot.

6. The domestic appliance according to claim 4, wherein an entry funnel is arranged in front of the guide slot in the region of one of its slot ends closer to the closing pin.

7. The domestic appliance according to claim 3, wherein the latch and the aligning system are arranged for joint movement with a horizontal-lateral movement component.

8. The domestic appliance according to claim 7, wherein the latch and the aligning system are combined in a lock module which is mounted in a lock housing of the locking assembly with play movability along a horizontal plane.

9. The domestic appliance according to claim 8, wherein the play movability of the lock module includes rotational movability about an axis of rotation that is fixed relative to the lock housing, or linear movability relative to the lock housing.

10. The domestic appliance according to claim 8, wherein the play movability of the lock module is intended to compensate for horizontal-lateral position tolerances of the closing pin selected from the group consisting of at least 1.5 mm, at least 2 mm, at least 2.5 mm, and at least 3 mm.

11. The domestic appliance according to claim 8, wherein the lock module further comprises one of a spring arrangement for spring-biasing the latch, an electric switch that responds to the closing and opening of the door, or both.

12. A domestic electrical appliance comprising: a main appliance body having a product treatment chamber; a door for closing an access opening to the product treatment chamber; and a locking device having a locking assembly arranged on one of two appliance components, the appliance components being the main appliance body and the door, and having a closing body arranged on the other of the two appliance components, wherein the locking assembly comprises a latch which is arranged to be movable between a release position and a latching position, which latch, in the latching position, engages behind the closing body in order to hold the door closed and, in the release position, releases the closing body to open the door, wherein there is formed on the locking assembly an aligning system for the mutual alignment of the closing body and the latch, which aligning system cooperates with the closing body as the door closes, wherein the latch and the aligning system are combined in a lock module which is mounted with play movability relative to a lock housing of the locking assembly.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a dishwashing machine.

[0015] FIGS. 2a, 2b are views of a locking device from two opposite vertical directions according to a first embodiment, wherein the figures show a situation in which the door is open, or not yet closed.

[0016] FIG. 2c shows, in perspective, an example of a closing body having a closing pin for mounting on the door of a dishwashing machine.

[0017] FIGS. 2d, 2e are views of the locking device of FIGS. 2a, 2b in a situation in which the dishwasher door is closed.

[0018] FIGS. 2f, 2g are views of the locking device of FIGS. 2a, 2b in a situation in which the dishwasher door is closed, wherein the horizontal-lateral compensation of mounting tolerances of a closing pin of the locking device is shown.

[0019] FIG. 3a shows a locking device according to a second embodiment in a situation in which the dishwasher door is open, or not yet closed.

[0020] FIG. 3b shows the locking device of FIG. 3a with omission of a compensating plate, again in a situation in which the dishwasher door is open, or not yet closed.

[0021] FIG. 3c shows the locking devices of FIGS. 3a, 3b, but in a situation in which the dishwasher door is closed.

[0022] FIG. 3d shows a self-healing state of the locking device of FIGS. 3a, 3b.

[0023] FIGS. 4a to 4c show different variants of a closing body fitted in the door of a dishwashing machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0024] Reference will first be made to FIG. 1. The dishwashing machine shown therein is generally designated 10. It comprises a main machine body 12 in which there is formed a washing chamber 24 delimited between two opposing side walls 14, 16, a back wall 18, a top wall 20 and a bottom wall 22. A door 26 is mounted on the main machine body 12 so as to be pivotable about a horizontal pivot axis that is close to the floor, indicated by a broken line at 28. The door serves to close an access opening 30 to the washing chamber 24.

[0025] A rectangular xyz coordinate system, the z-axis of which points in the vertical direction and the x-axis and y-axis of which span a horizontal plane, is also marked in FIG. 1. When the dishwashing machine 10 is positioned correctly, the door 26, when closed, lies in a vertical plane. The x-axis of the xyz coordinate system extends parallel to a front edge 32 of the main machine body 12 running from one side wall 14 to the other side wall 16 and defines a horizontal-lateral direction (or width direction) of the dishwashing machine 10. The y-axis extends parallel to a horizontal side edge 34, which runs from the front to the back of the main machine body 12, and defines a depth direction of the dishwashing machine 10.

[0026] Mounted on the door 26 is a closing pin 36 which, as the door 26 closes, cooperates with a locking assembly (not shown in FIG. 1) arranged on the main machine body 12 in order to hold the door 26 closed. The closing pin 36, which is shown only diagrammatically in FIG. 1, is so mounted on the door 26 that it is oriented with its pin longitudinal direction vertically, that is to say, in the direction of the z-axis, when the door is closed. By contrast, when the door is fully open (when the door—as shown in FIG. 1—is lying in a horizontal plane), the closing pin 36 is oriented horizontally, its pin longitudinal direction running along the y-axis.

[0027] In the top wall 20 of the main machine body 12 there is formed a cutout 38 which is open at the bottom and which the closing pin 36 enters as the door 26 closes. Behind the cutout 38 is the mentioned locking assembly.

[0028] In order to describe a first embodiment of a locking device with which the dishwashing machine of FIG. 1 can be provided, reference will now be made to FIGS. 2a to 2g. The locking device is generally designated 40. It comprises, in addition to the closing pin 36 mounted on the dishwasher door 26, a locking assembly 42 which comprises a lock housing 44 with which the locking assembly 42 can be fixed to the main machine body 12 of the dishwashing machine 10 in a manner not shown in greater detail (for example by means of one or more screw connections). Accommodated in the lock housing 44 is a plurality of components, including a latch 46, which in the example shown forms a latch mouth 52 delimited between two jaws 48, 50. As the dishwasher door 26 closes, the closing pin 36 enters the latch mouth 52 of the latch 46, whereby it first passes the first (from the point of view of the closing pin 36) latch jaw 48 unhindered and then comes into contact with the jaw 50 situated behind it (in the y-direction). The impact of the closing pin 36 against the jaw 50 initiates an at least partially rotational movement of the latch 46 in a horizontal plane, in the course of which the jaw 48 engages behind the closing pin 36 so that the closing pin 36 is caught between the jaws 48, 50. This caught state of the closing pin 36 is shown in FIGS. 2d and 2e. The position of the latch 46 according to FIGS. 2a, 2b (that is to say, when the door is open, or not yet closed) is here referred to as the release position, and the position of the latch 46 according to FIGS. 2d, 2e (that is to say when the door is closed) is referred to as the latching position. Conversely, as the door opens, the latch 46 moves from its latching position according to FIGS. 2d, 2e into the release position according to FIGS. 2a, 2b. The corresponding movement of the latch 46 is initiated by the user pulling the door 26 of the dishwashing machine 10 and thereby pressing the closing pin 36 against the jaw 48 of the latch 46.

[0029] The latch 46 is biased by a spring element 54, which in the example shown is in the form of a torsion spring (leg spring). The torsion spring 54 effects bistable biasing of the latch 46 into each of the two positions of the latch 46 (release position, latching position). In order to transfer the latch 46 from one position into the other position, a point of greatest spring tension of the torsion spring 54 must be overcome in each case; after this point has been overcome, the torsion spring 54 assists with the further movement of the latch 46 into the respective other position. It will be appreciated that, instead of a spring element with bistable action, it is possible to use a spring element with monostable action, which biases the latch 46 only in the direction of one of its two positions, in particular, the latching position. Such a spring element with monostable action is provided in the second embodiment, which will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3a to 3d.

[0030] The latch 46 and the torsion spring 54 are part of a lock module 56 which is accommodated inside the lock housing 44 and is guided therein with play movability in the horizontal-lateral direction, that is to say in the direction of the x-axis. The lock module 56 comprises a plate body (compensating plate) 58, on which the latch 46 and the torsion spring 54 are mounted. The plate body 58 has a bearing recess 60 in which a bearing pin 62 of the latch 46 engages. In the example shown, the bearing recess 60 is in the form of a slot extending in the direction of the x-axis, which permits displacement of the latch 46 relative to the plate body 58 in the x-direction.

[0031] This movability of the latch 46 in the x-direction within the lock module 56 permits a self-healing function of the locking device 40: if, through manipulation of the locking assembly 42, the latch 46 is transferred from its release position into the latching position without the door 26 being closed at the same time, the locking assembly 42 can be returned to the correct state again by subsequent closure of the door. During such a subsequent closing operation, the closing pin 36 comes into contact with the jaw 48 of the latch 46 and thereby displaces the latch 46 sideways in the x-direction until the closing pin 36 is able to pass the jaw 48 and enter the latch mouth 52. This sideways evading movement of the jaw 48 is achieved by a corresponding displacement of the bearing pin 62 in the bearing recess 60. By contrast, as the latch 46 moves between the release position and the latching position, it performs substantially only a rotational movement about a vertical axis of rotation defined by the bearing pin 62; a movement of the bearing pin 62 in the x-direction in the bearing recess 60 does not occur or occurs at most to only a small degree as the latch 46 moves between the release position and the latching position.

[0032] The lock housing 42 has guiding systems by means of which the plate body 58 (or the lock module 56 generally) is guided on the lock housing 52 with play movability in the x-direction. The guiding systems comprise a guide web 64 (see, for example, FIG. 2a) and an outside wall portion 66 of the lock housing 42 arranged at a distance from the guide ridge 64 in the y-direction. The torsion spring 54 rests on the plate body 58 with one of its spring legs (at 68 in FIG. 2a) and rests on the latch 46 with its other spring leg (at 70 in FIG. 2a).

[0033] The lock housing 44 has in its outside wall a housing opening 72 through which the closing pin 36 enters the locking assembly 42 as the door 26 closes. Behind the housing opening 72 in the y-direction there is formed in the plate body 58 a guide slot 74 which extends in the y-direction and is open in the region of its slot end facing the housing opening 72. In the region of this open slot end, the guide slot merges into an entry funnel 76 with, for example, conically tapering funnel walls. The guide slot 74 has a slot width, measured in the x-direction, which corresponds substantially to the dimension of the closing pin 36 in the x-direction, so that the closing pin 36 is substantially free of play in the x-direction in the guide slot 74.

[0034] The guide slot 74 and the entry funnel 76 form an aligning system which allows the lock module 56 to be aligned in the x-direction relative to the closing pin 36 as the door closes. In practice, mounting tolerances of the door 26 on the main machine body 12 or/and of the closing pin 36 on the door 26 can have the result that the x-position of the closing pin 36 relative to the main machine body 12 varies from machine to machine. For example, position tolerances of the closing pin 36 of up to 3 mm or even more relative to the main machine body 12 can easily occur in practice. In order nevertheless to ensure reliable operation of the locking assembly 42, the lock module 56 is mounted in the lock housing 44 “floatingly”, as it were, namely with play movability in the x-direction. As the door 26 closes, the entry funnel 76 effects automatic alignment of the lock module 56 in the x-direction relative to the closing pin 36, so that the closing pin 36 is able to enter the guide slot 74. The latch 46 does not change its relative position with respect to the plate body 58 during this compensating movement of the lock module 56 in the x-direction. The relative position of the entry funnel 76 and of the jaw 48 of the latch 46 in the y-direction is such that the alignment of the lock module 56 in the x-direction due to the cooperation of the closing pin 36 with the entry funnel 76 is complete before the closing pin 36, as the door 26 closes, reaches the region of the jaw 48 and passes it. This ensures that, irrespective of any mounting tolerances, the latch 46 is always reliably able to engage with its jaw 48 behind the closing pin 36 as the door closes.

[0035] The locking assembly 42 additionally comprises an electric switch 78 which serves to detect whether the door 26 is open or closed. The switch 78 can be actuated by means of a two-armed actuating lever 80 pivotably mounted on the lock housing 44. A first lever arm 82 of the actuating lever 80 cooperates with an actuating nose projecting from a switch housing of the switch 78. The other lever arm, designated 84, of the actuating lever 80 cooperates indirectly or directly with the closing pin 36 so that, as the door 26 closes, that is to say when the closing pin 36 enters the guide slot 74 and is caught in the latch mouth 52 of the latch 46, a pivot movement is induced in the actuating lever 80, which leads to the switch 78 being switched over. There is direct cooperation of the closing pin 36 with the lever arm 84 when the closing pin 36 is in direct contact with the lever arm 84. There is indirect cooperation, on the other hand, when the closing pin 36 comes into contact only with the latch 46 and presses it against the lever arm 84.

[0036] The electric switch 78 and the actuating lever 80 do not belong to the lock module 56, that is to say they are arranged inside the lock housing 44 without movement play in the x-direction. A helical compression spring shown at 86 serves to bias the actuating lever 80 in the direction towards the pivot position that it assumes when the door 26 is open.

[0037] FIGS. 2d and 2e are views of the locking device 40 according to FIGS. 2a, 2b, but after the door has been closed. The changed rotary position of the latch 46, in which the jaw 48 is engaged behind the closing pin 36, and the closing pin 36 is thus prevented from moving out of the latch mouth 52 of the latch 46, will be seen. FIGS. 2f and 2g are also views of the locking device 40 according to FIGS. 2a, 2b, again with the door 26 closed. However, in FIGS. 2f, 2g, the latch module 56 has been displaced in the x-direction inside the lock housing 44 (as a result of a compensating movement), as compared with the situation according to FIGS. 2d, 2e.

[0038] As is shown in FIG. 2c, the closing pin 36 can be part of a closing body 88 which is fitted in a manner not shown in detail into the door 26 of the dishwashing machine 10 and provides a flat pin-supporting surface 90 on which the closing pin 36 stands with one of its pin ends. The other pin end of the closing pin 36 is free. At least the region of the pin-supporting surface 90 that forms the closing body 88 is formed, for example, by a plate component made of sheet material. The length of the closing pin 36 is, for example, in a range between 6 and 12 mm. In the example shown, the closing pin 36 is in the form of a round rod, that is to say with a circular cross-section. Its diameter is in a range between 4 and 8 mm, for example. It will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to a circular cross-section of the closing pin 36; other cross-sectional geometries are likewise conceivable for the closing pin 36, for example a triangular shape with preferably rounded corner regions.

[0039] Reference will now be made to the second embodiment according to FIGS. 3a to 3d. In these figures, the same components or components having the same action are provided with the same reference numerals as in the preceding figures, but with the addition of a lower case letter. Unless indicated otherwise hereinbelow, reference is made to the preceding observations relating to FIGS. 1 to 2g for an explanation of the components in question.

[0040] In the embodiment of FIGS. 3a to 3d, the latch module 56a is not mounted in the lock housing 44a so as to be movable linearly in a floating manner, but is movable in rotation about an axis of rotation that is fixed relative to the lock housing 44a. This axis of rotation is formed by a bearing pin 92a which is fixedly connected to the lock housing 44a. The rotational play of the lock module 56a is play in an xy plane, that is to say in a horizontal plane, in the situation in which the locking device 40a is fitted in the dishwashing machine.

[0041] The lock module 56a comprises a module housing 94a on which the latch 46a is arranged. The module housing 94a includes two plate parts 58a (compensating plates), which are arranged one above the other at a distance in the z-direction and each form a guide slot 74a with an entry funnel 76a in front for the closing pin 36a. The latch 46a is accommodated between the two plate parts 58a of the module housing 94a. When the latch 46a moves from its release position shown in FIG. 3b into the latching position shown in FIG. 3c, it performs not only a rotational movement but in addition a movement with a y-component, by means of which there is achieved a pulling effect, which actively pulls the door of the dishwashing machine. In the release position (FIG. 3b), the latch 46a rests on an abutment face 96a formed by the module housing 94a, the latch 46a resting on the abutment face 96a with a supporting nose 98a. In the second embodiment according to FIGS. 3a to 3d, the spring element 54a is formed by a helical compression spring which biases the latch 46a in the direction towards its latching position. In the release position, the spring element 54a is under a greater bias, the engagement of the supporting nose 98a with the abutment face 96a preventing the spring element 94a from relaxing.

[0042] The spring element 54a rests between the latch 46a and a bearing block 100a seated on the bearing pin 92a. When the closing pin 36a comes into contact with the jaw 50a of the latch 46a as the dishwasher door closes, a torque is introduced into the latch 46a, which effects rotation (through a comparatively small angular distance) of the latch 46a relative to the module housing 94a about the axis of rotation defined by the bearing pin 92a. During this rotation, the supporting nose 98a comes out of engagement with the abutment face 96a, so that the spring element 54a is able to relax. In the course of this relaxation, the latch 46a moves backwards inside the module housing 94a in the y-direction, until the bearing block 100a abuts an abutment web 102a of the latch 46a. This situation is shown in FIG. 3c.

[0043] In the latching position of the latch 46a according to FIG. 3c, the supporting nose 98a is situated above a self-healing element 104a which is acted upon by a bias spring 106a and, in a normal state, closes a self-healing opening 108a formed in the module housing 94a. The force of the bias spring 106a is sufficiently great to withstand any angular momentum which can act upon the latch 46a when, with the door closed (that is to say, in the situation according to FIG. 3c), the door is pulled with the aim of opening the door. The flank of the jaw 48a facing the closing pin 36a is sufficiently steep that, in the case of such a pulling action on the closing pin 36a and consequently on the latch 46a, the torque it generates on the latch 46a is not sufficient to overcome the resistance of the bias spring 106a and push the self-healing element 104a out of its position closing the self-healing opening 108a.

[0044] The self-healing element 104a performs its function when, without closing the door, the latch 46a has moved into its latching position according to FIG. 3a, for example by manipulation with a screwdriver or another elongate object which has been introduced into the latch assembly 42a. If the door of the dishwashing machine is closed in this situation, the closing pin 36a presses on the flank of the jaw 48a that is further away from the latch mouth 52a. This flank runs flatter with respect to the y-direction than does the flank of the jaw 48a facing the latch mouth 52a. The force exerted on the door therefore generates a greater torque on the latch 46a, which is sufficient to deflect the self-healing element 104a against the action of the bias spring 106a. The self-healing opening 108a is thereby freed, and the supporting nose 98a of the latch 46a can engage therein. The closing pin 36a is then able to move past the jaw 48a and into the latch mouth 52a.

[0045] As in the first embodiment according to FIGS. 2a to 2g, an electric switch 78a which serves to detect whether the door of the dishwashing machine is open or closed is also provided in the second embodiment according to FIGS. 3a to 3d. In contrast to the first embodiment, the switch 78a in the second embodiment is part of the lock module 56a, that is to say when the lock module 56a performs (rotational) compensating movements, the switch 78a moves with it. The switch 78a can be actuated by an actuating lever 80a which, like the actuating lever 80 of the first embodiment, has two arms. The actuating lever 80a can again be actuated either directly by the closing pin 36a or indirectly by way of the latch 46a.

[0046] In FIGS. 4a to 4c too, the same components or components having the same action have been designated by the same reference numerals as previously, a different lower case letter being added to the reference numeral in question in order to distinguish between the different variants. Unless indicated otherwise hereinbelow, reference is again made to the above observations relating to the preceding figures.

[0047] In the variant according to FIG. 4a, the closing pin 36b has a circular cross-section, as does the closing pin 36c of the variant according to FIG. 4b. In the variant of FIG. 4c, on the other hand, the closing pin 36d is designed with an approximately triangular cross-section with rounded triangle edges. In the variant of FIG. 4b, the closing pin 36c is additionally supported by a supporting rib 110c on its pin rear side (that is to say the side of the pin that is remote from the locking assembly when the door is closed). In the example shown, the supporting rib 110c extends substantially over the entire length of the closing pin 36c and—like the closing pin 36c—protrudes from the pin-supporting surface 90c perpendicularly to that surface. The supporting rib 110c is sufficiently thin that it does not prevent the latch contained in the locking assembly from engaging behind the closing pin 36c.

[0048] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein, the above description is merely illustrative. Further modification of the invention herein disclosed will occur to those skilled in the respective arts and all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.