DE102013212350B4 - Plug-in part for a household appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

Slide-in part (1; 21) for a household appliance (W), wherein the slide-in part (1; 21) comprises a functional part (8) of the household appliance (W), a handling part (7) connected thereto in a longitudinally displaceable manner and at least one spring element (13; 22) and wherein- the handling part (7) and the functional part (8) can be pressed apart by means of the at least one spring element (13; 22), characterized in that- the insertion part (21) has at least one between the functional part (8) and the handling part ( 7) has an acting snap fastener (22), the closing force of which is greater than a force to be exerted to push in the slide-in part (21), or in that- the at least one spring element has a spiral spring (13) which- between the functional part (8) and the handling part (7) is arranged transversely to a longitudinal axis (L), - is held both on the functional part (8) and on the handling part (7) and - by means of a relative displacement of the functional part (8) and the handling part (7) is bendable.

Description

The invention relates to a plug-in part for a household appliance, which represents a functional part of the household appliance. The invention also relates to a domestic appliance, in particular a laundry treatment appliance, which has at least one receptacle for a slide-in part with an outwardly opening insertion opening for inserting the slide-in part. The invention is particularly applicable to washing machines, tumble dryers and washer-dryers.

The use of a removable plug-in part for a tumble dryer is well known. When inserted into the tumble dryer, this slide-in part serves as a functional part of the tumble dryer, e.g. as a heat exchanger, a condensate collecting container, a filter or a fluff filter.

DE 100 02 742 C1 discloses a heat pump tumble dryer with a heat exchanger arranged in a process air circuit (evaporator of a compression heat pump) and a condensation water collecting device below the heat exchanger. The removal of the fluff from the process air and the tumble dryer housing can be simplified and improved in that the duct wall arranged under the heat exchanger is designed as a condensate collection plate that can be removed via the access opening or carries a condensate collection plate that can be removed via the access opening and that in the area of the inflow side an adjustable cleaning device for removing fluff adhering to the heat exchanger is attached to the heat exchanger and/or a sieve covering the inflow side is provided for retaining fluff, from which fluff adhering to the process air can be shaken off by changing the direction of flow.

DE 101 16 238 B4 discloses a tumble dryer with a closed process air circuit made up of a laundry drum, circulation fan, refrigerant evaporator, refrigerant condenser and a heat pump, in which the refrigerant evaporator is designed as a condensate/air heat exchanger and is installed at an angle in the tumble dryer, under which a condensate collecting pan is arranged in a removable manner, in which, in addition to the condensate, also collects the fluff that is deposited on the heat exchanger and can be wiped off by means of a cleaning device, with the cleaning device designed as a brush strip being arranged in the area of the rear side wall of the condensate collecting pan facing the interior of the tumble dryer, with the underside of the heat exchanger having a guide is provided, in which the area with the brush strip of the condensate collection pan or the brush strip itself is guided with contact pressure on the underside of the heat exchanger, and whereby for removing and reinserting the condensate collection pan with the brush strip, the guide to the front side of the rising towards the removal side tumble dryer is open.

DE 10 2008 029 364 A1 discloses a water-carrying household appliance which is used in particular for washing and/or drying laundry, has a housing part and a shell which is inserted into the housing part and has a panel. Furthermore, a spring element is provided, which is prestressed in a pushed-in state in which the shell with the panel has been pushed largely into the housing part. In addition, a holding device holds the panel of the shell in the pushed-in state. The screen can be released by a user actuating the holding device, with at least the screen of the shell pushed into the housing part being pushed out in sections.

DE 81 31 952 U1 discloses a detergent container for washing machines or dishwashers with a box that is slidably guided in an opening in the front part of the machine, divided into a number of compartments and provided with a front cover wall, the front cover wall having an articulated lever arrangement and a latching device with a special designed cut-out guided pin connected to the box and is movable under the compressive load of an elastic device parallel to the box in a projecting position beyond the front wall of the machine for extracting the container from the machine.

With the existing slide-in parts, it is disadvantageous that they can only be inserted to a comparatively small depth in the tumble dryer, which is disadvantageous for their suitable positioning in the tumble dryer. Also, such plug-in parts may only be insertable or removable in a comparatively awkward manner.

It is the object of the present invention to at least partially overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and in particular to provide a plug-in part that can be positioned better in the household appliance and/or can be inserted into or removed from the household appliance.

This object is achieved according to the features of the independent patent claims. Preferred embodiments are in particular the dependent patent claims below Description and attached drawing can be found.

The object is therefore achieved by a plug-in part for a household appliance, the plug-in part having a functional part of the household appliance, a handling part connected to the functional part in a longitudinally displaceable manner and at least one spring element, and the handling part and the functional part being able to be pushed apart by means of the at least one spring element.

This results in the advantage that the functional part of the slide-in part can be positioned deeper in the household appliance than previously and yet a secure fit is made possible in the inserted state. In addition, this plug-in part can be inserted into the household appliance or removed again in a particularly easy-to-handle manner, even if the plug-in part is long.

The slide-in part consequently has a variable length along its axis of longitudinal displacement, which axis is referred to below as the “longitudinal axis”. The plug-in part is pushed or inserted into the domestic appliance in particular in a push-in direction parallel to the longitudinal axis and pulled out again counter to the push-in direction. The functional part is arranged in front of the handling part, in particular in the insertion direction.

Due to the longitudinal displaceability and due to the presence of the at least one spring element, the functional part and the handling part can be pushed apart as far as possible outside of the household appliance. The plug-in part then has, in particular, its maximum or full length. In this “free state” of the plug-in part, the at least one spring element is in particular maximally relaxed, but may still have residual tension.

In its "inserted state" in the household appliance, however, the slide-in part has in particular a shorter length (hereinafter also referred to as "shortened length") than in its free state, since the functional part and the handling part are then shifted towards one another. As a result, the at least one spring element is tensioned more than in the free state and presses the functional part securely into its seat.

In particular, an insertion process may be carried out as follows: a user grips the insertion part, typically by the handling part, and pushes it, with the functional part first, into a corresponding receptacle in the household appliance. The slide-in part still has its full length. The receptacle has a depth that is less than the full length of the handle. As a result, the functional part comes into abutment with the household appliance before the handling part has reached its inserted state. The user will now push the handling part further against the spring force exerted by the at least one spring element until the inserted state is reached. The insertion part now has its shortened length, and a higher elastic energy is stored in the at least one spring element than when it is full length. This elastic energy keeps the functional element in its seat against the stop. The handling part can therefore be held or locked in its shortened length.

To remove the plug-in part, the handling part is actuated by a user in such a way that it—urged by the at least one spring element—projects partially out of the household appliance. A user can thus grip the handling part more securely and conveniently and subsequently pull it out of the receptacle. The improved handling is particularly advantageous for long slide-in parts. The distance that the handling part projects corresponds to the difference between the full length and the shortened length.

In addition, the slide-in part has at least one pressure catch acting between the functional part and the handling part, the closing force of which is greater than a force to be exerted to slide in the slide-in part. This has the advantage that the handling part does not need to be locked on the household appliance.

A “push catch” is understood in particular to mean a component which has a compression spring and the length of which can be adjusted between two end lengths, namely between a first, longer end length and a second, shorter end length. For the transition from the first, longer end length to the second, shorter end length, the push catch is compressed by an external force to a "locking length" which is even shorter than the second end length. When the latching length is reached, the snapper snaps into place and returns to the second, shorter final length after the external force has been removed, pressed by the compression spring. The push catch remains there until it is pressed together again to the latching length. When the locking length is reached again, the push-catch disengages again and returns to the first, longer final length after the external force has been removed by the compression spring. This can also be understood as a “self-locking” or “self-locking”.

When the slide-in part is pushed in, a user may in particular grasp the slide-in part and push it into a corresponding receptacle of the household appliance with the functional part first. After the functional part has been abutted, the user will continue to push in the handling part against the spring force exerted by the push catch until its latching length has been reached. When the latching length of the at least one push catch is reached, the handling part is pushed further into the household appliance than when it is in the inserted state. Reaching the latching length may be indicated by a clearly perceptible noise, eg a click. When the locking length is reached, the user lets go of the handling part, which then springs back until the inserted state is reached. To pull out the slide-in part, the handling part is first pushed in again until the latching length of the at least one push-catch is reached and then released. As a result, the handling part jumps out of the household appliance until it reaches the full length of the insertion part and can be gripped to pull out the insertion part. Such a principle can also be referred to as "push-to-open".

The snap catch can therefore also be used as the at least one spring element, which pushes the handling part and the functional part apart. A separate spring element can be dispensed with. In addition, the handling part now no longer needs to be locked on the household appliance due to the self-locking of the push catch. A dedicated grip element on the handling part, such as a tab or a grip shell, can also be dispensed with.

The at least one snap catch can contact the handling part and the functional part in particular with its ends.

As an alternative to providing the at least one push catch, the at least one spring element has a spiral spring. This configuration enables a particularly easy to implement and robust spring action, which is also insensitive to tilting of the handling part and functional part. For example, the spiral spring may be arranged between the functional part and the handling part transversely to a displacement direction and held by both the functional part and the handling part, so that the spiral spring can be bent by moving the functional part relative to the handling part. The relative displacement may in particular include a displacement of a moving handling part against a stationary functional part or vice versa.

In a preferred development for the case that the at least one spring element has the bending spring, the handling part is designed to be lockable on the household appliance. After the functional part has struck, the user will typically continue to push the handling part into the receptacle against the spring force exerted by the at least one spring element, until the handling part is locked on the household appliance. To remove the slide-in part, the handling part is actuated by a user by releasing the lock.

The locking may be achieved, for example, by a user-operated lever or pin on the household appliance or by a clamp fit of the handling part on the household appliance. It is an embodiment that is preferred for particularly simple locking and its release that the handling part itself has at least one (dedicated) locking means for locking (which can be released by the user) on the household appliance.

The locking means may in particular be a latching means which can be engaged and disengaged in particular with a counter-latching means of the household appliance. The latching means may, for example, have a latching projection or latching nose which engages behind the domestic appliance and which automatically engages behind the domestic appliance when the slide-in unit is pushed in. The latching projection may, for example, engage behind a housing wall of the household appliance in a latching manner.

In a preferred further development, in order to release the locking device or to reach out for the latching means, a tab is attached to the handling part that protrudes on the outside, which is connected to the latching projection and which can take the latching projection with it until the latching connection is released, e.g. by bending it on the user side.

In a preferred development, the at least one spring element has at least one compression spring, which is held under pressure in particular between the handling part and the functional part. Several compression springs arranged symmetrically to the longitudinal axis are preferred.

It is also a preferred embodiment that the functional part and the handling part are inserted into one another in the manner of a telescope. As a result, a stable longitudinal guidance of the functional part and the handling part is achieved, which in particular can reliably prevent severe tilting and lateral breaking out. This design is at For example, it can be implemented in that one of these two parts has a receptacle facing the other part, into which the other part is inserted in a longitudinally displaceable manner.

Particularly in the event that the functional part and the handling part engage in one another telescopically, in order to better ensure a jerk-free insertion and removal process and to avoid detachment of the functional part and handling part even more reliably, it is a preferred embodiment that the functional part and the handling part are held together by means of at least a guide means are guided with one another in a longitudinally displaceable manner.

It is a preferred development that the at least one guide means has a longitudinal groove or a longitudinal slot in one of the two parts and a pin or bolt inserted into the longitudinal groove on the other of the two parts. The longitudinal groove is in particular aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the slide-in part.

A plurality of guide means are preferably present, in particular in an arrangement which is symmetrical to the longitudinal axis of the slide-in part.

In order to avoid detachment of the functional part and the handling part even more reliably, it is an embodiment that the guide means also serves as a stop.

However, in principle, the telescopic construction alone may already provide a stop.

It is another preferred embodiment that the handling part has at least one seal against the household appliance. For example, an exchange of air between the interior of the household appliance and its external environment (e.g. through a gap between the handling part and an edge of a receptacle of the household appliance for the handling part) or inside the household appliance (e.g. between a wet area and a dry area) can be avoided especially the escape of warm and/or humid air.

It is also a preferred embodiment that the functional part has at least one filter, e.g. a fluff filter. This may simplify routing of a process air duct, for example.

It is also a preferred embodiment that the functional part has at least one liquid receptacle, e.g. a condensate container. This may, for example, simplify the routing of a process air duct and/or liquid lines of a tumble dryer and/or an arrangement of an underbody of the household appliance.

Another preferred embodiment is that the household appliance is a laundry treatment appliance. In one development, the laundry treatment appliance is a washing machine, a tumble dryer (in particular a heat pump tumble dryer) or a washer-dryer.

The object is also achieved by a household appliance, in particular a laundry treatment appliance, having at least one receptacle for an insertion part with an outwardly opening insertion opening for inserting an insertion part as described above.

The depth of the receptacle is in particular shorter than the length of the slide-in part in its free state (minus elements of the slide-in part that protrude in the inserted state, such as a retaining tab or the like). The insertion part must therefore be converted to its shortened length in order to fit into the receptacle. This in turn pushes the functional part into the receptacle, making it more secure.

The recording may be located, for example, in the area of a floor pan and/or in the area of a control panel of the household appliance.

In particular, the household appliance has at least one plug-in part inserted into a respective receptacle.

• 1 zeigt einen Ausschnitt aus einem Wäschebehandlungsgerät in Ansicht von schräg vorne mit darin eingesetztem Einschubteil gemäß einem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel;
• 2 zeigt in Seitenansicht als Schnittdarstellung durch das Einschubteil einen Ausschnitt aus dem Wäschebehandlungsgerät aus 1;
• 3 zeigt in Draufsicht das Einschubteil gemäß einem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel in seinem eingesetzten und arretierten Zustand;
• 4 zeigt in einer zu 1 analogen Darstellung das Wäschebehandlungsgerät in Ansicht von schräg vorne mit darin eingesetztem Einschubteil in seinem freien Zustand;
• 5 zeigt in Draufsicht das Einschubteil gemäß dem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel in seinem freien Zustand; und
• 6 zeigt in Draufsicht das Einschubteil gemäß einem zweiten Ausführungsbeispiel in dessen freien Zustand.

The properties, features and advantages of this invention described above, and the manner in which they are achieved, will become clearer and more clearly understood in connection with the following schematic description of exemplary embodiments, which will be explained in more detail in connection with the figures of the drawing. For the sake of clarity, elements that are the same or have the same effect can be provided with the same reference numbers:

• 1 shows a section of a laundry treatment appliance in a view at an angle from the front with a plug-in part inserted therein according to a first exemplary embodiment;
• 2 shows a section of the laundry treatment appliance in a side view as a sectional view through the insertion part 1 ;
• 3 shows a plan view of the slide-in part according to a first embodiment in its inserted and locked state;
• 4 shows in a too 1 Analogous representation of the laundry treatment device in a view at an angle from the front with a plug-in part inserted therein in its free state;
• 5 shows the slide-in part according to the first exemplary embodiment in its free state in a plan view; and
• 6 shows a plan view of the slide-in part according to a second embodiment in its free state.

1 shows a section of a laundry treatment appliance in the form of a tumble dryer W viewed obliquely from the front without side walls, but with a front side F including a front housing wall G. The tumble dryer W is designed as a front loader with a loading opening H on the front. An air intake opening A for fresh air is present below the charging opening H in a height range of a floor assembly B. The tumble dryer W may in particular be designed as a vented tumble dryer with a heat pump.

In addition to the air intake opening A and thus also in the area of the floor assembly B, there is a receptacle C for a user-removable plug-in part 1, the insertion opening O of which is flush with the front housing wall G. The insertion opening O is located in a cover D, which cover D is inserted into a front opening E of the housing wall G. In the following, the cover D is regarded as belonging to the front side F or the housing wall G.

The plug-in part 1 is shown in its inserted state with a shortened length, in which a strip-shaped front cover plate 2 of the plug-in part 1 is flush with the front side F. A bushing 4 is located approximately in the center of the cover plate 2 . A tab 5 of the slide-in part that can be pressed down by a user is passed through this passage 4 .

2 shows a side view of the tumble dryer W as a sectional view through the insertion part 1. The tab 5 has a locking projection 6 or locking lug behind the cover plate 2, which is in locking engagement with the rest of the tumble dryer W. The tab 5 and the latching projection 6 can be regarded as part of a locking means 5, 6.

The tab 5 with the locking lug 6 and the cover plate 2 are elements or areas of a handling part 7 of the slide-in part 1. The handling part 7 is connected to a functional part 8 so that it can slide longitudinally along a longitudinal axis L of the slide-in part 1. The functional part 8 is a filter that is positioned further in the receptacle C here than the handling part 7 . Both the handling part 7 and the functional part 8 have at least approximately a plate-like basic shape.

The functional part 8 that serves as a filter is arranged below a heat exchanger K that serves as a process air condenser and serves to filter the process air that has flowed through the heat exchanger K. As a result, fluff, hair, etc., get caught on the functional part 8 and have to be removed by a user regularly or when required. Due to the structure of the plug-in part 1 with the handling part 7 and the functional part 8, the functional part 8 can be positioned particularly deep in the tumble dryer W.

The functional part 8 has a circumferential seal 9 in order, for example, to prevent air or liquid from escaping from the area of the tumble dryer W that accommodates the functional part 8 .

3 shows the plug-in part 1 in plan view in its inserted state and locked by the locking means 5, 6. The functional part 8 has a receptacle 10 which faces the handling part 7 and into which the handling part 7 can be partially inserted. The receptacle 10 is designed here as a box that is open towards the handling part 7 . The handling part 7 is thus guided in the functional part 8 in a longitudinally displaceable manner in the extension of the longitudinal axis L. This causes a telescopic connection of the handling part 7 and the functional part 8 .

A plurality of longitudinal slots 11 aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis L are present in the receptacle 10 of the functional part 8 for further improved guidance. Respective pins 12 of the handling part 7, which can slide in the longitudinal slots 11, protrude into the longitudinal slots 11. In addition to more precise guidance, the guide means 11, 12 formed in this way also cause a stop in such a way that there is a maximum approach between the handling part 7 and the functional part 8 (corresponding to a minimum length of the slide-in part 1) and their maximum distance from each other (corresponding to a full length of the slide-in part 1) can be precisely defined.

The pins 12 of the handling part 7, which can be shaped differently at their base, for example, than at their sections projecting into the longitudinal slots 11, also serve as supports for a spiral spring 13 arranged in the receptacle 10 between the handling part 7 and the functional part 8. The spiral spring 13 is transverse to the longitudinal axis L from directed and is loosely inserted in the center into a driver 14 of the functional part 8 . When the slide-in part 1 is pressed together and the handling part 7 and the functional part 8 thus move closer together, the driver 14 and the pins 12 are offset from one another and thereby bend the spiral spring 13. In the inserted state of the slide-in part 1 shown, the pins 12 are in the stop position the longitudinal slots 11, and the bending spring 13 is pushed through to the maximum and thus stretched to the maximum. The spiral spring 13 pushes the handling part 7 and the functional part 8 apart.

The functional part 8 may have several filter areas 15 .

4 shows in a too 1 analogous representation of the tumble dryer W with the insertion part 1 used therein in its free state and thus at full length. 5 shows a plan view of the slide-in part 1 in its free state. the inside 4 and 5 The free state shown is achieved by a user pressing down the tab 5 and thus bringing the latching projection 6 into disengagement with the tumble dryer W. The elastic energy stored in the bending spring 13 pushes the handling part 7 and the functional part 8 apart. Since the functional part 8 has been inserted into the receptacle C as far as it will go, the handling part 7 is partially pushed out of the receptacle C until the spiral spring 13 is completely relaxed (as in 5 shown). When the slide-in part 1 is in the free state shown, the pins 12 are in abutment on the other side of the longitudinal slots 11 , so that the handling part 7 can no longer be pulled out of the receptacle 10 of the functional part 8 .

6 shows a plan view of a slide-in part 21 according to a second embodiment in its free state. The slide-in part 21 does not use a bending spring 13 as spring elements, but rather two pressure catches 22 which are aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis L and are arranged between the handling part 7 and the functional part 8 . A dedicated locking means 5, 6 on the handling part 7 can thus be dispensed with, since the insertion part 1 and the push catches 22 act or act in a “self-arresting” manner. The closing force for bringing the snap catches 22 into their shorter end length of the snap catches 22 is greater than a force to be exerted to push in the insertion part 1, so that it is ensured that the functional part 8 is pushed completely into the receptacle C.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments shown. In general, "a", "an" etc. can be understood as a singular or a plural number, in particular in the sense of "at least one" or "one or more" etc., as long as this is not explicitly excluded, e.g. by the expression "exactly a" etc. A number can also include exactly the specified number as well as a usual tolerance range, as long as this is not explicitly excluded.

Reference List

1

slide-in part

2

cover plate

4

execution

5

tab

6

locking projection/locking nose

7

handling part

8th

functional part

9

poetry

10

Recording

11

longitudinal slit

12

pin of the handling part

13

bending spring

14

driver

15

filter area

21

slide-in part

22

push catch

A

air intake opening

B

underbody

C

Recording

D

Lid

E

front opening of the housing wall

f

front

G

front housing wall

H

loading opening

K

heat exchanger

L

longitudinal axis

O

insertion opening

W

clothes dryer

Claims (10)

Slide-in part (1; 21) for a household appliance (W), wherein - the slide-in part (1; 21) comprises a functional part (8) of the household appliance (W), a handling part (7) connected thereto in a longitudinally displaceable manner and at least one spring element (13; 22) has, and where - the handling part (7) and the functional part (8) can be pushed apart by means of the at least one spring element (13; 22), characterized in that - the slide-in part (21) has at least one snap fastener acting between the functional part (8) and the handling part (7). (22) whose closing force is greater than a force to be exerted to push in the slide-in part (21), or in that - the at least one spring element has a bending spring (13) which - between the functional part (8) and the handling part (7 ) is arranged transversely to a longitudinal axis (L), - is held both on the functional part (8) and on the handling part (7) and - can be bent by means of a relative displacement of the functional part (8) and the handling part (7). Insertion part (1; 21) after claim 1 , wherein the at least one spring element has the bending spring (13) and the handling part (7) has at least one locking means (5, 6), in particular latching means, for attachment to the household appliance (W). Insertion part (1; 21) after claim 2 , wherein the handling part (7) has at least one latching means as the locking means (5, 6), which latching means has a latching projection (6) engaging behind the household appliance (W). Slide-in part (1; 21) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the functional part (8) and the handling part (7) are inserted into one another telescopically. Slide-in part (1; 21) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the functional part (8) and the handling part (7) are guided in a longitudinally displaceable manner with one another by means of at least one guide means (11, 12), the guide means (11, 12) also serving as a stop . Slide-in part (1; 21) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the handling part (7) has at least one seal (9) against the household appliance (W). Slide-in part (1; 21) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the functional part (8) has at least one filter (15). Insertion part (1; 21) according to one of Claims 1 until 6 , wherein the functional part (8) has at least one liquid receptacle. Slide-in part (1; 21) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the household appliance (W) is a laundry treatment appliance. Household appliance (W), in particular a laundry treatment appliance, having at least one receptacle (C) for an insert part (1; 21) with an outwardly opening insertion opening (O) for inserting the insert part (1; 21) according to one of the preceding claims.

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