EP3336292A1 - Method for actuating a door lock and door lock - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the invention for locking the door, starting from the open position, the bolt is brought under tension of the spring element in the locking position in which a force acting on the latch closing force is determined by the spring element, and for unlocking the door of the bolt by a non-applied by the spring element actuating force the locking position brought into an unlocked position and moves after moving away the striker from the locking position of the latch by means of the force of the spring element in the open position. The invention makes it possible to realize with a door lock both the opening by hand and automatically, the lock mechanism can remain unchanged and can only be done by an additional active element, for example in the form of a solenoid, an adjustment. This structure can be adapted to the device-related requirements, so that this locking and unlocking principle in all household appliances, especially dishwashers, can be realized. It saves additional motors to open and represents an advantageous alternative to existing door locks for such household appliances.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for actuating a door lock with a lock mechanism in a door lock housing for a door of a household electrical appliance, preferably dishwasher, in which a latch is moved by means of a spring element for locking from an open position to a locking position, wherein in the open position, the door opened and the latch with a case of a household appliance arranged striker is disengaged and closed in the locked position the door, the striker is in a locking position in the door lock housing and the latch is engaged with the latch. The invention also relates to a door lock for a household electrical appliance with an attachable in the door of the household appliance door lock housing with an opening for a fastened to the appliance striker, arranged in the door lock housing latch for engaging in a case in the striker in a locking position, in the the striker is in a locking position, wherein the latch has a contact surface and is connected to a rotatably mounted about an axis lever member, and a spring element between the lever member and an abutment is arranged.

For household appliances such as dishwashers, the door lock can be installed both in the door and in the housing of the appliance. At the other of these two parts is a striker, which is introduced when closing the door in the lock and hooks there. The present invention relates to the cases where the door lock is placed in the door.

The fronts of the household appliances can have a handle to open the door in the traditional way or be opened in handle-less fronts by appropriate adjusting mechanisms, which are triggered either automatically by the machine or by the operator. In the door locks previously used usually the closing spring is tensioned when opening the door, so as to build the closing force for the closed state. From the DE 198 37 248 A1 a door lock of the type described above is known in which the closing spring is tensioned in an open position of the door lock. The door lock has a frame with an opening for a striker and a closing member, such as a closing lever, in the frame. Furthermore, a closing spring, which is arranged between the closing member and an abutment in the frame, is provided, wherein the closing member is in communication with a gripping device. The gripping device is pressed in the open position of the door lock by the closing spring at a contact point against a part of the frame or in the frame and thus prevents the relaxation of the spring. The gripping device has a gripping trap, into which the striker can be inserted when entering through the opening of the rack, and which has a contact surface against which the entering striker presses causing a movement of the gripping device. The gripping device is shaped so that it loses contact with the contact point during a movement of the hook and thereby relax the closing spring.

The disadvantage is that the spring must be biased to close by operators when opening. As a result, an automatic opening of the door, especially in handle-less doors, only by means of additional complex equipment, such as a motor possible. This is needed to open the door and to bias the spring. Since usually a motor is too expensive, such locking systems rely on the handle to open the door. In particular, in dishwashers, manufacturers are required by regulations to allow automatic door opening after rinsing to assist in the drying process. This automatic opening can then be used even with handle-less doors.

The present invention is therefore the object of proposing a way for the operation of a door lock or a door lock for household appliances, especially for dishwashers, in which the lock mechanism is designed to be functional so that it can be unlocked both manually and automatically (opened) and a correspondingly designed door lock is easily adaptable to doors with or without handle can be used.

This object is achieved by a method for actuating a door lock with the features of claim 1 and by a door lock with the features of claim 6. Further advantageous embodiments can be found in the respective dependent subclaims.

Thereafter, in the open position, the spring element is relaxed with respect to the applied closing force and locking the door is brought starting from the open position of the bolt under tension of the spring element in the locking position. In this position acts on the bolt a closing force which is determined by the spring element. To unlock the door of the latch is brought by a non-spring force applied by the actuating element from the locking position in an unlocked position and moves after moving away the striker from the locking position of the bolts by means of the force of the spring element in the open position. When unlocking the door, the applied operating force can be applied by muscle force manually, for example, by pulling on the door or by an active element by machine. Depending on the type of operation during the opening, the locking positions taken thereby may differ from each other. The movement of the bolt from the locking position to the open position can, depending on the type the actuation, be realized by a single or by several movements.

According to a preferred embodiment of the method, to lock the door and thereby move the latch from the open position, an actuator of the lock mechanism located at the lock position of the striker is pressed against the striker so that the striker is moved by moving away, i. Pushing away the actuator reaches the locking position. During this action, the spring element is first stretched over the actuator by means of the striker and thereby moves the latch from the open position to an intermediate position and then partially relaxes the spring element while the bolt while maintaining a remaining, the closing force forming residual stress of the spring element, from the intermediate position moved to the locked position. Due to the above-described embodiment or arrangement of the door lock housing, the door is moved during the closing, so that passes through the movement of the door lock housing of the striker in the door lock housing. The bolt thus moves from the open position first into an intermediate position in which the bolt is not yet in engagement with the striker, and then from the intermediate position into the locking position. The initially relaxed with respect to the closing force spring element is fully cocked in the intermediate position and partially stretched in the locking position and thus receives an adjustable closing force with which the latch presses in the case of the striker on the striker, upright.

To unlock by hand by pulling on the door preferably the bolt is moved by a relative movement of the striker to the bolt against the closing force of the spring element from the locking position to a first unlocked position. For automatic unlocking of the bolt is conveniently moved to a second unlocked position, wherein the actuating force is applied by an electrical active element. The unlocking positions in the different types of opening are thus different. As already stated above, the bolt by the spring force of Spring element brought back into the open position, regardless of which unlocking the bolt is located.

According to a further embodiment of the method, the actuator is moved back into its starting position during or after leaving the locking position by the striker. This movement can be effected by supporting the spring element via the lever element and the inherent force of the actuator or solely by the force of the actuator.

The door lock according to the invention is characterized in that in the open position in which the door is unlocked, the spring element is relaxed with respect to an applied clamping force and the lever member holds the latch in a striker area, which is taken in the locking position of the striker. The bolt is thus located substantially in a region which it occupies even in the locking position in which it is arranged in the latch in the striker. In order to get into the locking position, thus the bolt must first be moved out of this striker area. The spring element itself may also be biased in the open position, but this bias has only effect on the active forces of the spring element to be adjusted as such, but not on actuation in connection with the lock.

This is done according to the invention expediently by an actuator, which comprises an actuating element and a rotary member which is mounted in the door lock housing and is rotatable about an axis, and acts on the striker during the locking operation. The actuating element lies in the open position in a recess in the door lock housing and thereby extends into the striker area. In the locking position, it lies in a subsequent to the striker area arcuate guide portion of the recess in the door lock housing. The guide area serves to deflect the actuating element in the door lock housing by approximately 180 °. The tangentially acting on the rotary member when locking actuator can be configured for example as an elastic spring band, which by the Guide the recess is placed over the arcuate guide area under tension. At a later time, when the bolt returns to the open position, the spring element can relax and thereby go back to the open position, so that the cooperating with the actuator rotary element thereby also returns to its original position. The same can also be realized by a roller belt consisting of a plurality of parallel cylindrical rollers, in which case a torsion spring is to be arranged on the rotary element, which causes the return movement of the actuator, ie the rotary member and the actuating element, into the starting position in the open position. The rollers and the spring band may be formed of plastic or metal. Advantageous may be the magnetic training of metallic rollers. The actuator extends into a region of the recess, the striker region, which is occupied by the striker in its locking position. During the relative movement between the door lock housing and the striker, the striker presses against the actuating element and pushes it into the arcuate recess in the door lock housing. As a result, the rotary element of the actuator rotates about the axis mounted in the door lock housing.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the rotary element of the actuator and the lever element on the circumference arranged teeth, which are engageable with each other and disengageable. As the striker moves to the lock position, the teeth of the actuator's rotary member and the teeth of the lever member engage in the initial movement of the actuator. The number of teeth depends on the distance that has to be moved into the lever element. Usually, these are one to three teeth, which are to be provided both in the actuator and the rotary member. By gearing the rotatably mounted about its axis actuator rotates the lever member about its deviating axis. In this case, the lever element biases the spring element, which is preferably designed in the form of a compressible in the axial direction coil spring. During this rotation of the lever member, the bolt moves from the position he in the open position of the castle. When an intermediate position is reached, the teeth are disengaged, so that the actuator can no longer apply force to the lever element via its teeth. As a result, the spring element relaxes and moves the lever member back again, so that the bolt comes with its contact surface in the case of the striker to the plant. Since the spring can not fully relax because the latch already abuts against the striker, there remains a residual stress that forms the closing force with which the latch holds the striker in its latching position. By appropriate design and dimensioning this closing force can be adjusted.

According to a further embodiment, the lever element is rotatably mounted in a mounted on the axis of the rotary member in the door lock housing tilting bearing. As a result, in addition, advantageously, by the rotation of the lever element caused by the rotary element, the lever element can be rotated about the axis of the rotary element by the striker pressing on the latch in order to move the latch from the open position into the intermediate position. In this case, the bolt is thus not moved by the teeth from the open position to the intermediate position, but first by the indirect action of the striker on the actuator with the intermeshing teeth and finally by the striker directly. This embodiment also allows the opening of the bolt by the lever member moves under the action of force by the striker about the axis of the rotary member. Advantageously, this embodiment also makes automatic opening possible by means of an electromagnetic active element which acts on the axis of the lever element. As a result of this movement, the teeth of the rotary element of the actuator and the teeth of the lever element are also disengaged so that the actuator can move back into its initial position into the open position in the manner described above.

As already mentioned, the door can be opened either manually or automatically. In manual opening by pulling by hand on the door, preferably over the latch by a relative movement of the striker to the bolt against the closing force of the spring element, the lever member is at least partially rotated about its axis until either the bolt passes solely by the rotational movement or by a force applied by the striker to the tilting bearing force from the case of the striker. The actuator can thereby relax and stretch in the direction of the striker, wherein, as stated above, either a spring band relaxes or a roller belt moving torsion spring relaxes.

In the automatic opening, an electromagnetic active element, preferably a lifting magnet, engages the axis of the lever element, so that the lever element for opening the bolt can be moved out of its position during locking by force applied by the tilting bearing. The unlocking position assumed by the bolt deviates from the unlocking position during the manual opening.

According to a further embodiment, the spring element moves, in the absence of an opposing force, regardless of the manner in which the opening of the door lock is done and in which unlocking the bolt is, back to the open position and relaxes it, so that the starting position is achieved by all involved elements of the door lock in the open position with relaxed spring element. For this purpose, the lever member rotates back to its position in the open position, wherein the axis of the lever member is brought by the tilting bearing back to the starting position.

In the door lock housing microswitches may be arranged to transmit the respective position of the bolt to a machine control. Thus, for example, a microswitch the open position and if necessary, also report the closed position by a corresponding electrical signal to the machine control. In a handle-less door can be detected, for example, by a sensor usually provided for this purpose, when the user presses against the door and thus the position of the bolt or the door changes slightly overall. This change triggers a corresponding signal in the machine control out, so that thereby actuates the solenoid and the latch is moved from the case of the striker. The design also makes it possible, by the machine control at a certain time, for example, to support the drying process (EcoDry) to actuate the solenoid and unlock the door lock. The opening of the door is then usually by the gravity of the door, in addition, a support by the relaxing actuator, which presses against the striker, can take place. There are also directly in the door hinges built opening elements, such as compression springs. Due to the inventive design of the door lock and the arrangement of the spring element in conjunction with the lever element with a translation is a relatively long path of movement of the moving end of the spring element, so that this can be advantageously used to the bolt position and even with a handle-less door the opening desire recognize the operator. As already mentioned, this presses on or - for safety - twice against the closed door and thus triggers the automatic opening. For this purpose, an encoder body connected to the end of the spring element can be provided, which is guided with the movement of the end of the spring element via at least one coil located in a printed circuit board for generating a measurement signal.

By means of this method according to the invention and the door lock according to the invention it is thus possible to realize both the opening by hand and automatically with a door lock, wherein the lock mechanism can remain unchanged and only by an additional active element, for example in the form of a solenoid, an adjustment can be made , This structure can be adapted to the device-related requirements, so that this locking and unlocking principle in all household appliances, especially dishwashers, can be realized. It saves additional motors to open and represents an advantageous alternative to existing door locks for such household appliances.

Figur 1

ein Teilquerschnitt durch ein erfindungsgemäßes Türschloss in der Offenstellung;

Figur 2

ein Teilquerschnitt des Türschlosses von der gegenüberliegenden Seite von Figur 1;

Figur 3

das Türschlossgehäuse von der Türseite (Bedienerseite) schräg unten;

Figur 4

die Ansicht gemäß Figur 1 mit einem Teilschnitt in einer tiefer im Türschlossgehäuse liegenden Schnittebene;

Figur 5

eine Teilschnittdarstellung gemäß Figur 4 beim Schließvorgang;

Figur 6

eine Teilschnittdarstellung gemäß Figur 4 beim Schließvorgang zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt;

Figur 7

eine Teilschnittdarstellung gemäß Figur 4 beim Schließvorgang mit dem Riegel in einer Zwischenstellung;

Figur 8

eine Teilschnittdarstellung gemäß Figur 4 beim Schließvorgang, wobei der Riegel sich aus der Zwischenstellung in die Falle des Schließbügels bewegt;

Figur 9

eine Teilschnittdarstellung gemäß Figur 4 mit dem Riegel und dem Schließbügel in Verriegelungsstellung;

Figur 10

eine Teilschnittdarstellung gemäß Figur 4 beim manuellen Öffnen, wobei der Schließbügel den Riegel bereits weitgehend aus der Falle gedreht hat;

Figur 11

eine Teilschnittdarstellung gemäß Figur 4 beim manuellen Öffnen, wobei der Riegel sich in der Entriegelungsstellung befindet;

Figur 12

eine Teilschnittdarstellung gemäß Figur 4 beim manuellen Öffnen, wobei der Riegel sich auf dem Wege in die Offenstellung befindet;

Figur 13

eine Teilschnittdarstellung gemäß der Figur 1 mit dem Riegel in der Verriegelungsstellung entsprechend Figur 9 mit einem zusätzlichen Hubmagneten, der sich außerhalb des Türschlossgehäuses befindet;

Figur 14

eine Teilschnittdarstellung gemäß Figur 13 bei der der Hubmagnet den Riegel in die Entriegelungsstellung bewegt hat;

Figur 15

eine Teilschnittdarstellung gemäß Figur 13, bei der der Schließbügel bereits in der Offenstellung sich befindet und der Riegel in der Entriegelungsstellung durch das Federelement gedreht wurde; und

Figur 16

eine Teilschnittdarstellung gemäß Figur 2 von der gegenüberliegenden Seite, bei der der Schließbügel und der Riegel sich in der Stellung gemäß Figur 15 befinden.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to embodiments shown in the figures. Further features emerge from the The following description of the embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the claims and the accompanying drawings. The individual features of the invention may be implemented by themselves or in several different embodiments of the invention. Show it

FIG. 1

a partial cross section through an inventive door lock in the open position;

FIG. 2

a partial cross section of the door lock from the opposite side of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3

the door lock housing from the door side (operator side) diagonally downwards;

FIG. 4

the view according to FIG. 1 with a partial section in a deeper lying in the door lock housing sectional plane;

FIG. 5

a partial sectional view according to FIG. 4 during the closing process;

FIG. 6

a partial sectional view according to FIG. 4 during closing at a later time;

FIG. 7

a partial sectional view according to FIG. 4 during the closing process with the bolt in an intermediate position;

FIG. 8

a partial sectional view according to FIG. 4 during the closing process, wherein the latch moves from the intermediate position into the case of the striker;

FIG. 9

a partial sectional view according to FIG. 4 with the bolt and the striker in the locked position;

FIG. 10

a partial sectional view according to FIG. 4 when opening manually, wherein the striker has already largely turned the latch out of the case;

FIG. 11

a partial sectional view according to FIG. 4 when opening manually, wherein the latch is in the unlocked position;

FIG. 12

a partial sectional view according to FIG. 4 when opening manually, wherein the latch is on the way to the open position;

FIG. 13

a partial sectional view according to the FIG. 1 with the bolt in the locked position accordingly FIG. 9 with an additional solenoid located outside the door lock housing;

FIG. 14

a partial sectional view according to FIG. 13 in which the solenoid has moved the latch to the unlocked position;

FIG. 15

a partial sectional view according to FIG. 13 in which the striker is already in the open position and the bolt has been rotated in the unlocked position by the spring element; and

FIG. 16

a partial sectional view according to FIG. 2 from the opposite side, in which the striker and the latch are in the position according to FIG. 15 are located.

FIG. 1 shows the open position of the door lock 1 with a door lock housing 2, which is arranged in a door 4 of a household electrical appliance, in particular a dishwasher. A striker 9 protrudes from the housing of a household appliance 5 to be engaged by an opening 23 with the lock mechanism 3 arranged in the door lock housing 2. The striker 9 has a latch 8 for engaging a bolt 6 arranged in the door lock housing 2. The tip of the striker 9 has a closing surface 17 on the fall side and an abutment surface 19 on the free end of the striker 9. On the underside of the striker 9 is a sloping pressure surface 18. In the lock housing 2 is a about an axis 24 rotatably mounted lever member 12, on which the latch 6 is arranged. At the opposite end of the latch 6 of the lever member 12 engages Spring cable 16, which is connected to a deflector 14 with a spring holder 15 which presses a spring element 7 against an abutment 13. The spring element 7 is designed as a compression spring, which is in the open position under an adjustable bias to adjust the spring characteristics and spring forces for the function of the lock mechanism 3. The oblique arrangement of the spring element 7 in this embodiment results from the predetermined space in the door 4. Basically, with a different available space and a different arrangement of the spring element 7 with or without deflection possible. In the door lock housing 2 is also located in an extension of the striker 9, an actuator 20, which consists of parallel rollers 35, which may also be magnetic. The actuator 20 is located with its end facing away from the striker 9 at a rotary member 21 and forms together with this an actuator 10. The rollers 35 are guided at their ends in a recess 22, and laterally project beyond the rotary member 21 which has one end 21st 'protrudes into the arcuate portion 22' of the recess 22. The arcuate portion 22 'of the recess 22 allows a deflection of the actuating element 20 by 180 °. On the opposite side of the end 21 'of the rotary member 21 are two teeth 27, which come with a rotation of the rotary member 21 about the mounted in the door lock housing 2 axis 25 in engagement with teeth 26 on the lever member 12. In the open position of the door lock 1 shown in this figure, the spring element 7 is in a relaxed position with respect to the closing operation, the bolt 6 and also the actuator 20 in a striker area 41, which is occupied by the striker 9 in its locking position.

FIG. 2 shows accordingly the opposite side of the door lock 1. There is also in the FIG. 1 shown tilting member 28 with two Kippelementarmen 28 ', 28 "partially cut, which is rotatable about the mounted in the door lock housing 2 axis 25 of the rotary member 21. Between the Kippelementarmen 28', 28" is the lever member 12 with its axis 24th stored. To the axis 25, a torsion spring 31 is arranged, which with a Arm engages in the rotary member 21 and rotates with this, while the other arm of the torsion spring 31 in a recess 40 in the Kippelementarmen 28 ', 28 "of the tilting element 28 and is supported on the Kippelementarmen 28', 28". Through the sectional plane, the recess 40 appears in this representation as an opening. Outside the door lock housing 2, but connected to this, a circuit board 32 is arranged with the associated control electronics. The control electronics also includes not shown arranged in the circuit board 32 coils over which a transmitter body 33 is movable. The encoder body 33 may also be arranged only on one side of the circuit board 32. It is rigidly connected to the spring holder 15 and thus moves with this. By the movement of the encoder body 33 along the coils, not shown, measuring signals can be generated in a known manner, which are used to detect the current position of the bolt 6. These are essentially the open position and the locked position. Due to the configuration of the lever element 12, the spring holder 15 is moved approximately by 2.5 times the distance with only a small movement of the bolt 6, so that a measurement signal is generated by this movement, which are used for automatic opening of the door lock 1 can. In a handle-less door 4 can be detected by compressing a door seal by a predetermined number of pressure movements against the door 4, this slight movement of the bolt 6 and thereby the opening process to be triggered.

The view according to FIG. 3 shows the door lock housing 2 with a arranged outside the door lock housing 2 solenoid 11 with an armature 34 which engages the protruding from the door lock housing 2 axis 24 of the lever member 12. The solenoid 11 is also connected to the door lock housing 2 as the circuit board 32. The figure still illustrates the rigid one-piece design of the spring holder 15 with the encoder body 33rd

Based on the following Figures 4-9 the closing process is explained below. The directions of rotation of the rotary member 21 and the lever member 12 are indicated in the figures by arrows. FIG. 4 shows again in the open position according to the FIG. 1 wherein in this figure and in the following for illustrative purposes, the sectional plane has been placed partially deeper in the door lock housing 2, so that in particular the actuator 10 and the lever member 12 are shown in section to better illustrate the operation.

In the FIG. 5 the door 4 has already moved a little towards the household appliance 5, so that the striker 9 with its abutment surface 19 has pressed against the first roller of the actuating element 20, which has moved a flexible roller-belt-like actuating element 20 in the recess 22 in its longitudinal axis. The actuator 20 presses with its other end against the rotary member 21 which thereby passes with its teeth 27 into engagement with the teeth 26 of the lever member 12. Characterized the lever member 12 is rotated about its axis 24 in the arrow direction, so that the latch 6 moves out of the open position. As a result of this rotational movement, the spring element 7 is tensioned by the lever element 12 via the spring cable 16.

In FIG. 6 is the turning process more advanced. Rotary element 21 and lever member 12 have turned further, whereby the spring element 7 was even more tensioned. The striker 9 is reached with the oblique pressure surface 18 in contact with the contact surface 36 of the bolt 6, so that the lever member 12 at a further movement of the striker 9 due to the mounting of the lever member 12 in the tilting member 28 with its axis 24 about the axis 25th and thus moved in the figure obliquely down.

The consequence of this movement is in FIG. 7 shown, in which the striker 9 has penetrated further into the straight portion of the recess 22 provided for him. As a result of the forward movement, the rotary element 21 of the actuator 10 has also continued to rotate, while the lever element 12 has still taken a bit, and has then disengaged from the lever element 12 due to the movement of the lever element 12, directly caused by the pressure surface 18 of the striker 9 , FIG. 7 shows the intermediate position in which the latch 6 has completely cleared the way for the striker 9. The spring element 7 is maximally tensioned. The rotary member 12 is now missing the counterforce, so by the force of the spring element 7 as soon as the case 8 is released for the locking tip 37 by the further movement of the striker 9, that spring element 7 relaxes and the lever element 12 rotates with the latch 6 about the axis 24 back. In the figure is also clearly opposite to the FIG. 6 changed position of Kippelementarms 28 "of the tilting element 28 can be seen.

In FIG. 8 has the striker 9 moves further into the recess 22 and is located with its front end in the Riegelkuhle 38. Consequently, the rotary member 21 has also rotated in the arrow direction without being hindered by the lever member 12 due to the free surface 39. The lever element 12 has rotated back in the direction of the arrow, so that the bolt 6 with its locking tip 37 has already moved slightly into the case 8. As can also be seen from the figure, the tilting element 28 has also opposite the position in FIG. 7 moved back so that the axis 24 of the lever member 12 has moved upwards. The spring element 7 is already somewhat relaxed.

In FIG. 9 is the striker 9 in its locked position and the latch 6 in the closed position. The door 4 is located at the predetermined by the door seal, not shown stop. The actuator 10 has moved further and the rotational movement of the rotary member 21 is completed. The bolt 6 presses with its contact surface having a locking tip 37 against the closing surface 17 of the striker 9 and is held in this position by the force of the spring element 7. The closing force of the bolt 6 can be adjusted by appropriate dimensioning of the spring element 7. The latch 6 has taken its locking position and keeps the door 4 closed. The spring force is with the door sealing force on the spring cable 16, the lever member 12 with latch 6 and the striker 9 in equilibrium.

The manual opening by hand by pulling in a handle, not shown on the door 4 is in the Figures 10-12 illustrated and explained with reference to this. By pulling on the door 4 has become in FIG. 10 the striker 9 already left its locking position and moved back slightly. The closing surface 17 presses against the locking tip 37 and thereby rotates the lever member 12 against the Force of the spring element 7 about its axis 24 in the arrow direction. The in the FIG. 2 shown torsion spring 31 has operated in the absence of a counterforce by the striker 9, the actuator 10 and acting on the rotary member 21, this rotated about its axis 25 in the arrow direction and thus the actuator 20 moves in the direction of striker 9.

In FIG. 11 is the latch 6 in its unlocked position. The locking tip 37 is completely out of the case 8 of the striker 9, being triggered by the pressure of the striker 9 on the locking tip 37 of the bolt 6 by the tilting bearing of the lever member 12 and the axis 24 of the lever member 12 is slightly about the axis 25 of the rotary member 21 has moved. The spring element 7 is opposite to the position in FIG FIG. 6 not more tense.

After the latch 6 has reached the unlocked position, a reversal of the direction of rotation of the bolt 6 with the lever member 12 takes place while the rotary member 21 continues to rotate in the same direction. This is in FIG. 12 represented, wherein the representation in FIG. 12 the representation in FIG. 6 is similar, with the difference, however, that the directions of rotation of both the lever member 12 and the rotary member 21 are reversed. The striker 9 is further moved back from the recess 22 and the actuator 20 has occupied the released space due to the force acting on the rotary member 21 of the torsion spring 31. The rotational movement of the lever member 12 is effected by the relaxation of the spring element 7. Due to the force component of the spring cable 16 in addition to the rotation of the rotary member 12 about its axis 24 and a return movement of the tilting element 28 and thus a displacement of the axis 24 in the figure upwards. During these movements, teeth 26 and 27 engage again.

In the Figures 13-16 the automatic opening is represented by an active element in the form of the lifting magnet 11 with its armature 34 acting on the axis 24 of the lever element 12. FIG. 13 again shows the locking position according to the FIG. 9 , Here, the rotary member 21 and the lever member 12 are shown not cut and in addition to the outside of Door lock housing 2 arranged solenoid 11 is shown. When using a solenoid 11, the armature 34 moves with the closing movements of the lever member 12 with. It is activated only when, as described above, the user pushes against the door 4, thereby squeezing the gasket slightly more and generating a signal that triggers the actuation of the lifting magnet 11, or the machine control triggers drying support.

In the FIG. 14 the armature 34 has moved in the direction of the arrow and as a result has moved the latch 6 out of the latch 8 with force. This is done by the tilting bearing of the lever member 12, so that the axis 24 performs a movement in the figure down about the axis 25. As a result, the striker 9 can be pushed back by the force of the torsion spring 31. Also, the lever member 12 can rotate back by the force of the spring member 7 about its axis 24 without coming into conflict with the rotary member 21, since the teeth 26 and 27 can rotate past each other.

The result of these movements is in the FIG. 15 shown. The rotary element 21 has pressed the striker 9 into the open position via the actuating element 20 and is again in the starting position in the striker region 41 of the recess 22 according to FIG FIG. 1 , The lever member 12 has already been rotated completely by the spring force of the spring element 7 about the axis 24, but the axis 24 is not due to the tilting bearing in the original open position. This is achieved in that the end edge 29 of the lever member 12 abuts against both sides against the door lock housing 2 arranged stop edges 30 so that a further rotational movement is not possible and the free in the figure upward force component of the spring cable 16, the lever member 12 up in in the FIG. 1 shown starting position moves in the open position.

FIG. 16 Finally, the position of the striker 9, the lever member 12 and the tilting member 22 in the same position as FIG. 15 from the opposite side.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Locks

2

Door lock housing

3

lock mechanism

4

door

5

household appliance

6

bars

7

spring element

8th

Cases

9

striker

10

actuator

11

solenoid

12

lever member

13

abutment

14

redirection

15

penholder

16

spring rope

17

closing surface

18

print area

19

abutting face

20

actuator

21

Rotary element, 21 'end

22

Recess, 22 'arcuate area

23

opening

24

Rotary axis lever element

25

Rotary axis rotary element

26

Teeth lever element

27

Teeth rotating element

28

Tilting element, 28 '/ 28 "tilting element arm

29

Front edge lever element

30

stop edge

31

torsion spring

32

circuit board

33

donor body

34

anchor

35

roll

36

Touchpad

37

Riegelspitze

38

Riegel Kuhle

39

open space

40

Recess in 28

41

Striker area

Claims (13)

Method for actuating a door lock (1) with a lock mechanism (3) in a door lock housing (2) for a door (4) of a household electrical appliance (5), preferably a dishwasher, in which a latch (6) by means of a spring element (7) for Locking is moved from an open position to a locking position, wherein in the open position, the door (4) open and the latch (6) with a latch (8) of a household appliance (5) arranged striker (9) is disengaged and in the Locking position the door (4) closed, the striker (9) is in a locking position in the door lock housing (2) and the latch (6) with the latch (8) is engaged, characterized in that
for locking the door (4), starting from the open position, the bolt (6) is brought into the locking position under tension of the spring element (7), in which a closing force acting on the bolt (6) is determined by the spring element (7), and
for unlocking the door (4) of the latch (6) by a non-spring element (7) applied actuating force from the locking position in an unlocked position and after moving away the striker (9) from the locking position of the bolt (6) by means of the force of Spring element (7) is moved to the open position. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that for locking the door (4) and thus for moving the bolt (6) from the open position located at the locking position of the striker (9) actuator (10) of the lock mechanism (3) against the striker (9) is pressed and the striker (9) passes by moving the actuator (10) in the locked position, wherein during
first by means of the striker (9) via the actuator (10) the spring element (7) tensioned while the bolt (6) is moved from the open position to an intermediate position, and
then the spring element (7) partially relaxed while the bolt (6) while maintaining a remaining, the closing force forming residual stress of the spring element (7), is moved from the intermediate position into the locking position. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that for unlocking by hand by pulling on the door (4) of the bolt (6) by the relative movement of the striker (9) to the latch (6) against the closing force of the spring element (7) the locking position is moved to a first unlocked position. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that for automatic unlocking of the bolt (6) by an active electrical element (11) is moved to a second unlocked position. Method according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that during or after leaving the locking position by the striker (9) of the actuator (10) is moved back to its original position. Door lock (1) for a household electrical appliance (5), preferably dishwasher, with
one in the door (4) of the household appliance (5) can be arranged door lock housing (2) with an opening (23) for a striker (9) which can be fastened to the domestic appliance (5),
a latch (6) arranged in the door lock housing (2) for engaging a latch (8) in the striker (9) in a locking position in which the striker (9) is in a locked position, the latch (6) having a latch Bearing surface (37) and with a about an axis (24) rotatably mounted lever member (12) is connected, and a spring element (7) which is arranged between the lever element (12) and an abutment (13),
characterized in that
in an open position in which the door (4) is unlocked, the spring element (7) is relaxed with respect to a clamping force to be applied, and the lever element (12) holds the latch (6) in a striker area (41) which is in the locking position of the striker (9) is taken. Door lock according to Claim 6, characterized by an actuator (10) which has a flexible actuating element (20) and a rotary element (21) which is mounted in the door lock housing (2) and is rotatable about an axis (25), that in the open position in a recess (22) in the door lock housing (2) and thereby extends into the striker area (41), and in the locking position in an adjacent to the striker area (41) arcuate guide portion (22 ') of the recess (22) in the door lock housing ( 2) is located. Door lock according to claim 7, characterized in that the rotary element (21) of the actuator (10) and the lever element (12) have circumferentially arranged teeth (27; 26) which can be brought into and out of engagement with each other, during movement of the Striker (9) in the locking position, the teeth (27) of the rotary member (21) and the teeth (26) of the lever member (12) first engage, so that the actuating element (20) the lever member (12) about its axis (24 ), which thereby biases the spring element (7), and upon reaching an intermediate position, the teeth (26, 27) are disengaged, so that the spring element (7) relaxes while maintaining a residual stress and the lever element (12) about its axis (24) back to the bolt (6) with its contact surface (37) in the case (8) of the striker (9) and presses with a resulting from the residual stress closing force against the striker (9). Door lock according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the lever element (12) with its axis (24) via a tilt bearing on the axis (25) of the rotary member (21) is mounted. Door lock according to Claim 9, characterized in that, until the intermediate position is reached , the striker (9) pushes the bolt (6) out of the striker area (41) via the tilting bearing of the lever element (12). Door lock according to one of the preceding claims 7 to 10, characterized in that for unlocking by hand by pulling on the door (4) via the bolt (6) by a relative movement of the striker (9) to the bolt (6) against the closing force the spring element (7) rotates the lever element (12) at least partially about its axis (24) until either the bolt (6) moves out of the latch (8) of the bolt alone by the rotary movement or by a force applied by the striker (9) to the tilt bearing Striker (9) has arrived .. Door lock according to one of the preceding claims 7 to 10, characterized in that an electromagnetic active element (11), preferably a solenoid, on the axis (24) of the lever element (12) engages, so that the lever element (12) for opening the bolt ( 6) can be moved out by the tilting bearing from its position when locking under force. Door lock according to one of claims 11 or 12, characterized in that the spring element (7) when relaxing the lever element (12) moves into the open position, wherein the latch (6) is in the striker region (41) of the recess (22) ,

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