EP1418266B1

EP1418266B1 - A device for locking the closure door of a washing machine

Info

Publication number: EP1418266B1
Application number: EP03000923A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Onofrio Rocchitelli
Original assignee: Elettrotecnica Rold SRL
Current assignee: Elettrotecnica Rold SRL
Priority date: 2002-11-08
Filing date: 2003-01-16
Publication date: 2007-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 2023-01-16
Also published as: PT1418266E; DE60316237T2; ES2292862T3; EP1418266A3; HK1065830A1; ITMI20022369A1; ATE373132T1; DE60316237D1; SI1418266T1; EP1418266A2

Abstract

A device (10) for locking the closure door of a washing-machine comprises a fastening portion (2) equipped with an opening (3) for receiving a hook (5) provided on said door and a salient frame (4) of rectangular shape. The fastening portion (2) comprises two grooves (11, 12) formed on two opposite sides of the frame (4), between the frame and the body (2), for engaging the opposite edges of a hole (14) in the front panel (6) of the washing-machine, and two pins (7, 7) elastically protruding from said body (2) for engaging corresponding holes (17) drilled in said panel. Elastic means (13) are further provided for compensating the clearance between said grooves and the edges of the hole (14) on the panel (6).

Description

This invention relates to the assembly of electrical household appliances, and in particular relates to a device for locking the closure door of a washing-machine and the like.
The known washing-machines like the one disclosed in EP-A-0004012 , are equipped with a closure door, generally shaped as a porthole, hinged on one hand to the front panel of the washing-machine and provided with a closure hook at a position that is diametrally opposite with respect to the hinged one, which hook is engaged by a locking or interlocking device also mounted on the front panel of the machine.
Such a locking device allows the snap closure of the door by engaging the hook when the door is pressed against the front panel, and its opening by disengaging the hook through a push-button or by directly acting onto the door, eventually with a certain delay, for instance when the spin-dryer is still rotating. In some cases, such a delaying device shall prevent the opening of the door, e.g. when water has not been completely discharged from the machine.
The locking device is further provided with a rectangular frame with tapered sides which provide for both an easy engagement of the hook and an esthetical finishing.
The assembly of such a component strongly affects the assembling times, and therefore the manufacturing costs, being usually realised by means of two lateral screws, which fasten portions or wings of the device by passing through two vertically aligned holes drilled in the front panel of the washing-machine. The presence of this additional frame for esthetical purposes, and the fact that the manufacturing lines have to take into account both machines opening rightwards and leftwards, further complicate the machine assembling operations.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for locking the door of washing-machines and the like that overcomes the above discussed limitations and drawbacks of the prior art, and more particularly allows the assembling of such locking device without using screws, and nonetheless in a quick and easy manner, ensuring at the same time a firm and effective fastening of the components together.
According to the invention this object is achieved through a device for locking a closure door as claimed in claim 1. Other advantageous features are recited by the dependent claims.
The device according to the invention does not require screws for being assembled to the washing-machine, and utilises elastically protruding pegs or pins which engage holes in the front panel of the washing-machine to ensure the fastening of the device in the transverse direction. Advantageously, such holes are already provided for in the panel to receive the screws used with the conventional devices.
The invention will now be disclosed with reference to the attached drawings illustrating a preferred but non limiting example thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view which illustrates a locking device according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a front view of the device of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a cross-section view along line III-III of Fig. 2;
Figs. 4A-4D are transverse cross-section views which illustrate the assembling of a device according to the invention; and
Figs. 5 and 6 are partial views - a front and a cross section view, respectively - of the front panel of a washing-machine, to which a device according to the invention is mounted.

With reference to Figs. 1 to 3 and 5, 6 a device according to the invention comprises an elongated body 10, which comprises a portion 1 for housing an electro-mechanical delay device or timer not shown in the Figure, and a portion 2 for fastening the device to the front panel of a washing-machine.
The front panel 6 of the washing-machine, only partially shown in Fig. 5, provides for a rectangular hole 14 and two circular holes 17 arranged laterally to the hole 14, which in the prior art machines receive screws for securing the device to the panel. Therefore the fastening portion 2 fits to the size and the location of the opening 14 and holes 17 in the panel.
In the fastening portion 2 there is formed an opening 3 for receiving the hook, which opening is provided with a salient frame 4 of rectangular shape. As schematically shown in Fig. 6, the hook 5 of the door is received into the opening 3 and locked in a known manner by the device.
Between the portion 2 and those opposed edges of the frame 4 which extend transversely with respect to the axis of the body 10, there are formed two cavities or grooves, indicated in Fig. 3 by the references 11 and 12, respectively.
The device 10 further provides for two lateral pins 7, 7, elastically protruding from the portion 2 and with a slightly conical or tapered profile at their end portions. In the illustrated embodiment, such elastic pins 7 are formed by (or fastened to) elastic blades 9 which urge them away from the portion 2. Preferably, each blade 9 has a curved portion 18 which contributes to the elastic properties of the pin.
The portion 2 further provides for additional elastic elements formed as tabs 13 positioned between the pins 7 and the frame 4, for compensating possible clearances, as better illustrated later.
With reference to the cross section views illustrated in Figs. 4A-4D, the assembling of the device according to the invention will now be illustrated.
Fig. 4A illustrates the entering step, where the locking device 10 is approached to the hole 14 drilled in the panel 6 and oriented so that the axis of the device is inclined with respect to the plane of the panel 6. The arrow 21 indicates the approaching direction.
In Fig. 4B the frame 4 has partially entered the hole 14 and the groove 11 engages an edge of the hole (in the following called engagement edge), while the opposite groove 12 is still outside the hole, and the frame 4 is being centred with respect to the hole 14. Also this movement substantially occurs along the direction of the arrow 21.
As shown in Fig. 4C, after the engagement of the groove 11 with the hole edge, the part 10 is rotated towards the panel (arrow 22) substantially around the contact line between the engagement edge and the groove 11, until the portion 2 comes in contact with the panel 6 and consequently the groove 12 is brought to confront the edge of the hole 3 which is opposite to the engagement edge. During this rotation movement, the pins 7, 7 are brought to abut against the edge of panel, since at this assembling stage the holes 17 are not precisely positioned in front of the corresponding pins, and as a consequence the elastic elements 9 are subjected to a deformation that generates a pre-loading force.
In the final step illustrated in Fig. 4D, the device is pulled back parallelly with the panel as shown by the arrow 23, so that the edge of the hole which is opposite to the engagement edge fits into the groove 12 and the pins 7 enters the holes 17 in the panel thus realising a locking between the device and the panel and preventing any transverse displacement thereof. The amount of the back motion is such to anyhow prevent any disengagement between the groove 11 and the edge of hole 14, while the elastic elements 13 press onto the panel 6 and compensate the small clearance existing between the edge of the hole and the groove 11.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the grooves 11 and 12 can be formed between the portion 2 and the edges of two opposite sides of the frame 4 which are parallel to the axis of the body 10. In this case, the position of the elastic elements 13 will be different and the device will be differently orientated during the assembling step.
Although the present invention has been illustrated with reference to preferred embodiments, it is generally subjected to other applications and modifications which fall within the scope of the invention, as will be evident to the skilled of the art.

Claims

A device (10) for locking the closure door of a washing-machine and the like, comprising a portion (1) adapted to house an electro-mechanical delay device and a fastening portion (2) equipped with an opening (3) for receiving a hook (5) provided on said door and a salient frame (4) of rectangular shape, characterised in that said fastening portion (2) comprises two grooves (11, 12) on two opposite sides of said frame (4), formed between said frame (4) and said body (2), for engaging the opposite edges of a hole (14) in the front panel (6) of the washing-machine, and two pins (7, 7) elastically protruding from said body (2) for engaging corresponding holes (17) drilled in said panel, and in that elastic means (13) are provided for compensating the clearance between said grooves and the edges of the hole (14) on said panel (6).
A locking device according to claim 1, characterised in that said elastic means (13) are in form of tabs positioned between the pins (7) and said frame (4).
A locking device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said pins (7, 7) are arranged onto elastic blades (9) which are pre-loaded during the insertion of the device into the hole (14) of said panel (6).
A locking device according to claim 3, characterised in that said elastic blades (9) have a curved portion (18) which contributes to the elastic properties of said pins (7).
A locking device according to the preceding claims, characterised in that said pins are formed through pressing of said blades (9).