EP1972714B1

EP1972714B1 - A door-locking device with emergency release, particularly for domestic appliances

Info

Publication number: EP1972714B1
Application number: EP08152750.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Fabrizio Promutico; Andrea Saccocci
Original assignee: Bitron SpA
Current assignee: Bitron SpA
Priority date: 2007-03-19
Filing date: 2008-03-14
Publication date: 2016-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 2028-03-14
Also published as: ITTO20070203A1; EP1972714A1

Description

The present invention relates to a door-locking device, in particular for a domestic appliance.
More specifically, the subject of the invention is a door-locking device of the type defined in the preamble of claim 1.
A door locking device of this type is known, for example, from EP-A-0354 191 .
An object of the present invention is to provide a door-locking device of the type specified above in which the emergency release function is implemented reliably in a simple and inexpensive manner.
This and further objects are achieved according to the invention by a door-locking device having the features defined in claim 1.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following detailed description which is given purely by way of non-limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of a door-locking device according to the present invention,
Figure 2 is another partial perspective view of the device of Figure 1,
Figure 3 is a partial front view of the device of the previous drawings, shown with a flexible appendage of the restraining member or slider in the inactive condition,
Figure 4 is a partial view sectioned on the line IV-IV of Figure 3,
Figure 5 is a partial front view similar to that of Figure 3 and shows the flexible, integral appendage of the restraining member or slider in the active condition, and
Figure 6 is a partial view sectioned on the line VI-VI of Figure 5.

With reference to the drawings and to Figure 1 in particular, a door-locking device according to the present invention is generally indicated 1.
The device 1 comprises a support housing 2 made of electrically insulating material such as moulded plastics material. The housing 2 is intended to be fixed to the structure of a domestic appliance (not shown) in the vicinity of a loading or access opening with which a door P, provided in known manner with a hook member A, is associated (Figure 1).
In the embodiment shown by way of example, the support housing is formed by two half- shells 3 and 4 fitted together (see, for example, Figure 2).
As can be seen in Figure 1, the housing 2 of the device 1 has an opening 5 for the introduction of the hook member A carried by the door P.
A restraining member or slider 6 mounted in the support housing 2 has an opening or window 7 (Figure 1) through which the hook member A can extend.
When the door P is open as in the condition shown in Figure 1, the restraining member or slider 6 is held by an associated spring in a rest position in which its window 7 faces the opening 5 in the housing 2. In this condition, the hook member A of the door P can be introduced into the opening 5 and into the window 7 when the door P is closed and, conversely, can be released from the window 7 and from the opening 5 when the door P is opened.
With reference, for example, to Figures 2 and 3, the restraining member or slider 6 has two transversely projecting appendages, indicated 6a and 6b, respectively.
The appendage 6a is generally L-shaped with a proximal portion 6c arranged substantially transversely relative to the body of the slider 6 and a distal portion 6d which extends longitudinally, that is parallel to the main body of the slider 6.
Advantageously but not necessarily, the portion or arm 6d of the appendage 6a is longer than the portion or arm 6c and can be deformed flexibly towards the main body of the slider 6 as can be seen, for example, in Figure 5.
When the restraining member or slider 6 is in the rest position (Figure 1), its portion or appendage 6b covers an opening 10 which is formed in the housing 2 and in which a locking member 11 extends so as to be translatable. The member 11 can translate along an axis perpendicular to the axis of movement of the restraining slider 6, which is indicated by the double arrow F in Figure 1.
In known manner, the arrangement is such that, when the door P is closed, the hook member A engages in the opening or window 7 of the restraining member or slider 6 and brings about a translational movement thereof (towards the left as seen in Figure 1) so as to expose the opening 10 and the locking member 11, as shown in Figures 2 to 6.
In known manner, in this condition, the locking member 11 is, however, still held in a retracted, release position and does not obstruct the translational movement of the slider 6. The door can therefore be reopened manually.
When, with the door P closed, the user of the domestic appliance subsequently sets it in operation, an actuator device (not shown) of the door-locking device 1 causes the locking member 11 to move from the retracted position (Figure 6) to the projecting position (Figure 4), in known manner. In this condition, the restraining member or slider 6 is prevented from returning to the rest position since the appendage 6b of the slider then interferes with the locking member 11. Re-opening of the door P is therefore prevented, that is, the door is closed and locked.
An emergency release of the door-locking device 1 to allow the door P to be re-opened can then be performed by means of an operating lever 12 formed integrally with a portion of the support housing 2, in particular with the half-shell 3 thereof.
In the embodiment shown by way of example, the operating lever 12 comprises a proximal portion 12a which extends from the periphery of the half-shell 3, an intermediate portion 12b substantially parallel to the slider 6, and a terminal portion 12c substantially perpendicular to the slider 6 and to the portion 6d of the appendage 6a thereof. At rest, the distal end of the portion 12c of the lever 12 advantageously bears on or is situated in the immediate vicinity of the portion 6d of the appendage 6a of the slider 6, as can be seen in Figures 3 and 4 in particular.
Between the intermediate portion 12b and the terminal portion 12c, the lever 12 has a projection 12d which, as can be seen in Figure 6, preferably projects relative to the support housing 2. One end of a pulling member (not shown), such as, for example a Bowden cable, can be anchored to this projection. A pull on the cable member in a downward direction as seen in Figures 2 to 6 causes the terminal portion 12c of the lever 12 to engage the portion 6d of the appendage 6a of the slider 6 to an extent such that the distal end of the portion 6d interferes with the locking member 11 (Figure 5) causing it to return to the retracted, release position in which it does not obstruct re-opening of the door P.
Naturally, the principle of the invention remaining the same, the forms of embodiment and details of construction may be varied widely with respect to those described and illustrated purely by way of non-limiting example.

Claims

A door-locking device (1), particularly for a domestic appliance, comprising:
a support housing (2) with an opening (5) for the introduction of a hook member (A) connected to the door (P),

a restraining member or slider (6) mounted so as to be movable relative to the housing (2) between a rest position in which it allows the hook member to be introduced into the opening (5) and a working position in which it is adapted to restrain the hook member (A) introduced into the opening (5),

a locking member (11) which is movable in the support housing (2) between a release position and an engagement position in which it permits and prevents the movement of the restraining member (11) from the working position to the rest position, respectively, and

emergency release means (6a; 12) for forcing the locking member (11) to move from the position of engagement of the restraining member or slider (6) to the release position thereof,

the door-locking device (1) being characterized in that the emergency release means comprise:
a flexible, integral appendage (6a) of the restraining member or slider (6) which is adapted to adopt, when the slider (6) is in the working position and the locking member (11) is in the engagement position, an inactive condition in which it does not interfere with the locking member (11) and an active condition in which it interferes with the locking member (11) so as to bring about its return to the release position, and

an operating lever (12) which is formed integrally with at least one portion (3) of the support housing (2) and which, when operated, brings about the movement of the appendage (6a) of the restraining member or slider (6) from the inactive condition to the active condition.
A door-locking device according to Claim 1 in which the flexible, integral appendage (6a; 6c, 6d) of the restraining member or slider (6) is substantially L-shaped.
A door-locking device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the operating lever (12) has an intermediate projection (12d) which is adapted to act as an anchorage element for a pulling member.