EP2726690B1

EP2726690B1 - Door locking device, particularly for electric household appliances

Info

Publication number: EP2726690B1
Application number: EP12745552.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Fabrizio Promutico; Felice Paglia
Original assignee: Bitron SpA
Current assignee: Bitron SpA
Priority date: 2011-06-28
Filing date: 2012-06-27
Publication date: 2018-01-03
Anticipated expiration: 2032-06-27
Also published as: CN103649447B; WO2013001470A1; EP2726690A1; KR101880786B1; CN103649447A; KR20140047074A; ITTO20110564A1

Description

The present invention relates to a door locking device, particularly for electric household appliances.
More specifically the invention relates to a door locking device of the type defined in the preamble of claim 1.
Door locking devices of that type are disclosed in GB 2 364 350 A and EP 2 369 050 A2 (which is applicable only as far as Art. 54(3) is concerned). GB 2 364 350 A discloses a door lock device which includes an electrically controlled locking member, EP 2 369 050 A2 discloses a door lock device comprising a further locking element which in use is selectively disposed in a first or a second position by an electric actuator energized by a control unit following operation of a control pushbutton.
EP 2 154 287 A1 discloses a door lock device comprising a further blocking element for preventing the displacement of a retaining slider when the door is open. DE 43 04 086 C1 discloses a child security device for preventing closing the door of an appliance by preventing the hook member of the door to be engaged by a retaining slider.
One object of the present invention is to provide an improved door locking device of this type able to allow the user to selectively enable or disable energization of the electric household appliance, preventing in particular energization of the electric household appliance by children.
This object, together with others, is achieved according to the invention with a door locking device having the features defined in claim 1.
Further characteristic features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following detailed description provided purely by way of a non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a door locking device according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the door locking device according to Figure 1 and the associated hook member typically connected to the door to be locked;
Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view along the line III-III of the figure;
Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of part of the door locking device according to the invention;
Figure 5 is a partial rear view of the door locking device according to the preceding figures;
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view, on a larger scale, along the line VI-VI of Figure 5; and
Figure 7 is a partial front perspective view of the device according to the preceding figures.

In the drawings 1 denotes overall a door locking device according to the invention.
In the embodiment shown by way of example, this device 1 comprises a support body 2 which is made of moulded plastic and at one end of which an opening 3 is formed (see in particular Figures 2 and 3).
The opening 3 is designed to allow the introduction of a hook member such as that indicated by 4 in Figures 2 and 3.
In a manner known per se, the door locking device 1 is able to be fixed close to an opening of an electric household appliance, for example a laundry washing machine, and the hook member 4 is intended to be connected, for example in a hinged manner, to a movable door associated with this opening of the electric household appliance.
In the embodiment shown, the hook member 4 comprises a shank 4a, one end of which is hinged at 5 (see Figure 2) on the door of the electric household appliance and the other end of which, after a narrowing of the cross-section or neck 4b, forms an enlarged head indicated by 6.
7 denotes a shaped retaining slider, which is axially translatable with respect to the support body 2 in a direction approximately at right angles to the direction in which the hook member 4 is introduced into the opening 3.
The retaining slider 7 has a main opening 8 (see Figure 3) which in the various operating conditions or positions of the slider 7 is at least partly facing and aligned with the opening 3 of the support structure 2.
A spring, for example of the helical type (not shown), is arranged in a manner known per se between the slider 7 and the support structure 2 and tends to keep this slider 7 in the rest position shown in Figure 5 where the slider 7 bears against an end wall of the support body 2 and its opening 8 is aligned with the opening 3 in said body 2. When the slider 7 is in this position, the hook member 4 of the hatch door may be introduced into the opening 3 such that its end head 6 interacts with the slider 7, causing a translation thereof into a working position, shown in Figure 3. With the door closed, the hook member 4 of the door is arranged with its end head 6 engaged inside the opening 8 of the slider 7, as shown in Figure 3. In this condition the neck portion 4b of the hook member 4 is retained between an edge of the opening 3 in the support structure and the slider 7.
The door locking device 1 also comprises an electromechanical control device denoted overall by 9 in Figures 1 to 3. This device is of a type known per se, for example that described and illustrated in detail in British patent GB 2,364,350 in the name of the same Applicant. This electromechanical control device will therefore not be further described in all of its details, but solely in relation to those aspects which are relevant for the purposes of understanding the present invention.
The electromechanical control device 9 includes a movable locking member denoted by 27 in Figures 2 and 3. This member is mounted axially translatably, in a vertical direction when viewing Figure 3, through an opening 28 formed in the casing of the electromechanical device 9, facing the zone in which the retaining slider 7 is translatably mounted.
The movable locking member 27 is displaceable, following a command for energization of the electric household appliance with which the door locking device 1 is associated, from an inactive or releasing position, shown in continuous lines in Figure 3, to a disabling position, shown in broken lines in this figure, where it is able to allow and prevent, respectively, the passage of the retaining slider from the working position (Figure 3) to the rest position (Figure 5).
Inside the control device 9, in a manner known per se and not shown, the locking member 27 is associated with an electric switch, able to switch condition or state when this locking member 27 passes from the releasing position to the disabling position, and vice versa.
A manner of associating an electric switch with the locking member 27 is described in detail in the abovementioned British patent.
The electric switch associated with the locking member 27 allows in particular signalling, to a control unit of the electric household appliance, that the door is closed and locked and that operation of the electric household appliance may therefore be started.
In connection with that described hitherto, the door locking device according to the invention corresponds substantially to the devices according to the prior art.
The door locking device 1 also comprises a further locking member denoted overall by 10 in Figures 4 to 7.
In the embodiment shown by way of example the locking member 10 has an intermediate portion 10a mounted rotatably, in the manner of a shaft, inside a passage 11 (Figures 4 and 6) of the support structure 2.
The locking member 10 also forms a first end portion 10b having a locking formation 10c in the manner of a radially projecting finger (see in particular Figures 4 to 6). This end portion 10b and the associated locking formation 10c extend on the rear side of the support body 2, in the vicinity of the retaining slider 7 (see in particular Figure 5).
The locking member 10 also has a second end portion 10d (Figures 4, 6 and 7) opposite to the first end 10b and accessible from outside of the electric household appliance. In the embodiment shown, the portion 10d of the locking member 10 is essentially circular and is mounted rotatably inside a front opening 12 (Figures 6 and 7) of the support body 2. This end portion 10d is provided with an engagement formation engageable so as to dispose the locking member 10 selectively in a first or a second position which will be described more fully below. In the example of embodiment shown this engagement formation consists of a diametral groove 13 engageable by the tip of a screwdriver or other similar tool.
The locking member 10 may be disposed manually by a user selectively in a first or in a second angular position in which it allows and prevents, respectively, the translation of the retaining slider 7 from the rest position to the working position.
In Figures 5 and 6 the door locking device is shown in the door open condition and the slider 7 is in its rest position.
In this figure the portion 10c of the locking member 10 is shown in its aforementioned second position, where it prevents the translation of the retaining slider 7 towards the working position, i.e. towards the position shown in Figure 3. This disabling action is achieved by the interference of the formation 10c of the locking member 10 with a transversely projecting portion 7a of the retaining slider 7 (Figures 5 and 6).
When the user has set the locking member 10 in the position shown in Figures 5 and 6, the translation of the slider 7 from the rest position to the working position is prevented and consequently locking of the door in the closed position is prevented and it is not possible to start operation of the electric household appliance.
In order to allow normal operation of the electric household appliance, the user may set the locking member 10 in its other operating position, defined above as "first" position, where the locking formation 10c is oriented at 90° with respect to the position shown in Figures 5 and 6 and in particular oriented upwards with reference to Figure 5.
In this condition the retaining slider 7 is released and therefore able to pass from its rest position to the working position. It is thus possible to close the door and lock it by means of the movable locking member 27 of the electromechanical control device 9 and activate operation of the electric household appliance.
In another embodiment, which is not shown but can be readily implemented by a person skilled in the art, the further locking member 10 may be configured and arranged such that it is able, in a first and a second position, respectively, to allow and prevent, respectively, the translation of the slider 7 from the working position to the rest position. When this locking member is arranged in said second position, it is able to prevent opening of the machine door when this door is closed or prevent closing of the door when it is open.
In a further embodiment, which is likewise not shown, the further locking member 10 may be configured and arranged such that it is able, in a first position, to allow the displacement of the slider between said rest and working positions, in a second position, prevent the translation of the slider 7 from the rest position to the working position, and in a third position, prevent the passage of the slider from the working position to the rest position.
Obviously, without affecting the principle of the invention, the embodiments and the constructional details may be significantly modified with respect to that described and illustrated purely by way of a non-limiting example, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

Claims

Door locking device (1), particularly for electric household appliances, comprising:
a support structure (2) in which there is defined an opening (3) into which, when the door is closed, a hook member (4) connected to the door is introduced;

a retaining slider (7), movable with respect to said structure (2) and capable, as a consequence of the introduction of said hook member (4) into the aforementioned opening (3), of moving from a rest position to a working position in which it is able to retain said hook member (4);

an electromechanical control device (9) including a movable locking member (27) displaceable from an inactive or releasing position, in which it is able to allow the passage of the retaining slider (7) from the working position to the rest position, to a disabling position, in which it is able to prevent said passage and allow the energization of the electric household appliance; and

a further locking member (10) mounted movably in said support structure (2) and able to be manually disposed by a user, from outside the electric household appliance, selectively in a first or a second position, in which it allows and prevents, respectively, a displacement of the retaining slider (7) when the door is closed;

the device (1) being characterized in that said further locking member (10) is mounted rotatably in said support structure (2), close to said opening (3), such that when it is arranged in said second position it is able to interfere with the displacement of the retaining slider (7).
Door locking device according to Claim 1, wherein said further locking member (10) is made and arranged such that in said first position and said second position, respectively, it allows and prevents, respectively, the passage of the retaining slider (7) from the rest position to the working position.
Door locking device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said further locking member (10) is made and arranged such that in said first position and said second position, respectively, it allows and prevents, respectively, the passage of the retaining slider (7) from the working position to the rest position.
Door locking device according to Claim 1, wherein said further locking member (10) is made and arranged such that in a first position it allows the passage of the retaining slider between the rest and working positions, in a second position prevents the passage of the retaining slider (7) from the rest position to the working position and in a third position it prevents the passage of said slider (7) from the working position to the rest position.
Door locking device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said further locking member (10) has:
an intermediate portion (10a) rotatable in the manner of a shaft inside said support structure (2);

a first end portion (10b) provided with a locking formation (10c) able to cooperate with the retaining slider (7); and

a second end portion (10d) situated opposite the first portion (10b) and accessible from the outside and provided with an engagement formation (13) engageable so as to dispose said further locking member (10) selectively in said first or said second position.
Door locking device according to Claim 5, wherein said engagement formation (13) has at least one recess engageable by the tip of a screw-driver or the like.