ES2253729T3 - INTEGRATED HOME APPLIANCE WITH DECORATIVE FRONT PANELS. - Google Patents

Abstract

In a built-in domestic appliance with a door (9) hinged along its bottom side, provided with a top front decorative panel (11) and with a bottom front decorative panel (12) arranged flush with the top panel (11), the bottom panel (12) is mounted through a system including: a plate (4) to which an upper rod (2) and a lower rod (3) are pivotally connected (A', B'), the other ends of said rods (2, 3) being pivotally connected (A, B) to a support (1) secured to the base (10) of the appliance; a horizontal rod (8) comprising a forward end pivotally connected (C) to a bar (6) integral with the door and vertically oriented when the door is closed, and a rearward end guided by a guiding member (D) secured to the appliance; a push lever (5), pivotally connected (G) to said support (1), comprising a downwardly directed portion in which a slot (15) is formed, as well as an upwardly directed portion carrying at its distal end a roller (16) that abuts against the rear of the lower rod (3) when the door is closed; and a connecting rod (7) pivotally connected (E, F) to a lower portion of the horizontal rod (8) and to a bottom extension (2') of the upper rod (2), the slot (15) slidingly receiving the pin (F) that connects the connecting rod (7) to the upper rod (2). This allows to achieve a smooth movement of the mechanism and to use any mounting system for the top panel (11) applied to the door (9) so that no difficulty results in the installation inside the furniture nor in the lowering of the top panel with the door closed even if the bottom panel (12) is flush with the top panel (11), which can even be shorter than the door (9) so as to be able to use a bottom panel (12) of standard height.

Description

Home appliance integrated with panels decorative fronts.

The present invention refers to integrated home appliances lined with decorative panels, and in particular home appliances installed in kitchen furniture that completely encloses them (so-called "fully integrated"). Reference will now be made to a dishwasher although it is evident that the same applies to other household appliances with similar decorative panels, for example a washing machine
clothes.

It is known that these types of decorative panels are used to camouflage an integrated device to make it combined with kitchen furniture. This is achieved by applying to the door of said apparatus, in various ways, a top panel that It looks the same as the other doors. In this way, no there is a visible element that allows distinguishing the device from other members who decorate the kitchen, being accessible their controls only when the door is open.

In addition, under the panel applied to the door there is a socket that acts as a complementary lower panel for maintain the continuity of the lining while allowing to open the door.

However, the presence of said panels raises special problems in the case of installation within a piece of furniture, that is, when the dishwasher is supported by a shelf or at the bottom of the furniture and placed level with the side walls of it. In fact, in this case, the upper panel should cover the front edge of said walls side, the same as normally happens with the other doors. But in this way it would interfere with the walls when the Dishwasher door and panel recedes into space existing behind the socket.

An example of a backing panel is shown in the space behind the socket in the European application EP-1,169,963, which refers to a mounting system for the bottom panel or socket that prevents interference between two panels in the initial phase of opening the door. This known system leaves the socket in the same vertical position initial, even when the door is completely open, and in the present invention its function of avoiding interference between two panels are carried out by means of "fulcrum hinges variable "of the door. However, said system does not prevent interference between the top panel to the side walls.

The currently existing solutions to avoid such interference consists solely of forming a recess in the side walls or hang the panel directly to the part of the cabinet that contains the dishwasher. In the first case it is required carry out a remarkable work of adaptation of the furniture to form on the sides the space needed to receive the panel When the door opens. In the second case it is necessary to mount a separator at the bottom of the furniture and find the level of Precise hinge for smooth panel operation. Further, the socket cannot be applied and must be replaced by an element bottom, such as the front face of a bottom drawer, to cover the space and the hinges mounted on it.

In both cases, these additional works do that the installation is long and expensive, in addition to the Direct mounting on the furniture presents another drawback. In fact, the presence of the separator in the lower part of the furniture complicates remove the dishwasher from the furniture if necessary to perform maintenance, since it is necessary to remove and then return to place the separator on the furniture, as well as the panel on the dishwasher door.

In order to overcome these inconveniences, the applicant has already invented a mounting system with sliding up the upper panel with respect to the door, when opened (European application
EP-1,364,609). However, this solution is also not completely satisfactory since it cannot be applied to doors where the control panel is permanently visible, and therefore protrudes from the panel, nor does it allow the panel to be lowered with the door closed since the panel is fixed to the base of the machine at the bottom.

The problem of lowering the panel is also treated by the applicant in European application EP-1,366,703 with specific reference to the presence of the level of the socket with the top panel In this case, the panel mounting system upper is only supported by the door and allows the descent even with the door closed. However, the problem remains being that the panel must have greater height than the door to allow full opening at 90º from the last, since otherwise it would interfere with the socket below, so that the Socket must have a limited height and cannot be used for the same a lower panel of standard height.

In order to also overcome these inconveniences, the applicant has already invented a panel mounting system bottom or socket on which the socket is mounted by a hinge of parallelogram fixed to the base of the machine itself, preferably through an adjustable height support, and controlled by a rod integrated with the door in order to tilt the plinth forward when the door is opened (request European EP-1,380,250). However, even this solution is not completely satisfactory since the mechanism described in this application produces a rather abrupt movement of the socket, with a consequent mechanical effort, not negligible, in the mechanism.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a home appliance equipped with a system of bottom panel mount or socket that resolves the issues aforementioned.

This object is achieved by an apparatus for the home in which the socket is mounted by a system like the one indicated in claim 1.

The main advantage of the home appliance with socket mounting system according to the present invention it is the much "softer" movement of the socket, with the consequent advantages, such as silence and reliability.

Also, this home appliance obviously retains the advantages of the previous mechanism mentioned above, such as the possibility of using any mounting system for the top panel applied to the door, so that there is no inconvenient for installation inside the furniture, or lowering the top panel with the door closed to check the phase of the cycle and / or to discharge air through an upper rack suitable during the drying phase.

Another advantage of this solution is that panels of standard height, usually 18 cm, can also be used as baseboards, since it is no longer necessary for the top panel to be taller than the door. In particular, the invention applies to dishwashers of reduced height housed in a space of the furniture generally intended to accommodate drawers or shelves, or a
oven.

These and other advantages and characteristics of home appliance according to the present invention will result evident for those who understand the subject from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, referring to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view, partially in section of a dishwasher according to the invention, showing with detail the mounting and movement system of the lower panel the door being in the closed position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to the previous one, showing an initial phase of the door opening, with a angle of approximately 5 °;

Figure 3 is a view similar to the previous one, showing an intermediate phase of the door opening, with a angle of approximately 18 °;

Figure 4 is a view similar to the previous one, showing an advanced phase of the door opening, with a angle of approximately 55 °; Y

Figure 5 is a view similar to the previous one With the door completely open, about 90º.

With reference to figures 1 and 2, it can be seen that a home appliance according to the present invention It is equipped with a panel mounting and movement system bottom 12 that is clearly arranged level between the panel decorative 11 of door 9 and a panel 13 of the lower part of the furniture (for example, the front face of a drawer).

The system includes a support 1, fixed in the front portion of the base 10 of the home appliance, in which a top rod 2 and a rod are mounted swivel bottom 3 (not visible in figure 1) of a hinge in parallelogram, through the corresponding pins B and A. The front ends of said rods 2, 3 are also connected, through the corresponding pins B ', A', to a  plate 4 carrying the lower panel 12, there being a spring of return (not shown) arranged between the lower rod 3 and the base 10.

On support 1, through a respective pin G, also rotates a lever 5 that extends downward in a portion where a groove 15 is formed, as well as towards up in a portion that carries at its distal end a member of low friction thrust, preferably a roller 16.

The support 1 also carries a horizontal rod 8 which is swivel mounted at the front end through a pin C to a bar 6 integrated to the door 9, while the rear end is guided by a pin D, fixed to the support 1, that slides into a slot 14.

Horizontal rod 8 is also connected to the upper rod 2 through a connecting rod 7 which rotates between a pin E, located in the lower portion of the rod 8, and a pin F located at the lower end of a lower extension 2 'of the rod 2 extending below the pin B. Said pin F, which connects rods 2 and 7, also slides into a groove 15 of lever 5.

In the position with the door closed, shown in Figure 1, the roller 16 stops against the back of the lower rod 3 near the upper pin A '. Furthermore, in said position, the bar 6 and the lever 5 are substantially vertical and the pin C is at the lowest point of its movement path, well below the pass
dor D.

The simple and effective operation of the present mounting and movement system for panel 12, it is understood easily from the above description with the help of Figures 3 to 5.

At the beginning of the opening, the door 9 (thanks to the "variable fulcrum" hinges) performs a rototranslation movement that, at the beginning of the opening, prevents interference between the panel 11 and the panel located below 12 (Figure 2) . The opening movement of the door, by means of the bar 6 and the pin C, produces the lifting and backing movement of the horizontal rod 8 in the fixed pin D, which determines a counter-clockwise rotation of the push lever 5 around the pin G, due to the sliding of the pin F into the groove 15, and a pull on the connecting rod 7 through the pin E. This results in a thrust of the roller 16 on the lower rod 3 to aid in the initial movement of panel 12, said thrust being limited to about 5 to 10 ° of the
opening.

The traction on the rod 7 produces, in turn, through pin F, a counterclockwise rotation of the upper rod clock 2, which together with the thrust of the lever 5 produces a forward movement of panel 12. Of this in this way, panel 12 performs a rototranslation movement at along the path allowed by rods 2 and 3, and so particular while rod 2 is directly actuated by the rod 7, rod 3 is "striated" by the movement of the panel 12.

This calculated movement of panel 12 allows the tilt forward and backward without interfering with the panel above 11 or with the panel below 13.

When the total door opening is reached 9 (figure 5), rods 2, 3 have adopted an inclined position down that brings panel 12 to an advanced and lowered position in which there is no interference with panel 11. There is also Note that the lower rod 3 has the proper shape to avoid interference with the honeycomb located under 13, since the direct connection line between pins A, A 'is lower than the upper edge in said panel.

Also, in said position, pin F makes stop against the lower end of slot 15, acting as a stop end, and pin C is at the highest point of its movement path, just above pin D.

In the reverse closing movement, in order to facilitate the lifting of panel 12 provided by the thrust of the rod 8 on the rod 2, through the rod 7 and the extension 2 ', the return spring also cooperates (no represented) arranged between the lower rod 3 and the base 10.

From the previous figures it is evident that in no phase of movement the upper panel 11 or the lower panel  12 move closer to the dishwasher or interfere with each other, or they also do not interfere with the panel below 13, so that there is no interference problem with the sides of the piece of furniture. Also, since the entire mounting system is fixed to the dishwasher, the latter can be easily removed from the furniture to maintenance, if necessary, without requiring disassembly of No furniture member.

It is obvious that the embodiment before described and represented of the home appliance in accordance with the invention, is simply a susceptible example of several modifications. In particular, the exact form and arrangement of the levers and pins may vary somewhat depending on the specific needs, as long as the before is maintained described type of movement of panel 12.

Claims (5)

1. An integrated home appliance, with a hinged door (9) along its lower side, provided with an upper front decorative panel (11) applied to said door and with a lower front decorative panel (12) arranged to level with said upper front decorative panel (11), said lower panel (12) being applied to the apparatus through a mounting system that includes a plate (4) to which they are rotatably connected (A ', B' ), an upper rod (2) and a lower rod (3), while the other ends of said rods (2, 3) are rotatably mounted (A, B) to a support (1) fixed to the base (10) of the apparatus, characterized by the fact that the mounting system further comprises:

to)

 a horizontal rod (8) comprising a mounted front end swivel (C) to a bar (6) integral with the door and oriented vertically when the door is closed, and a rear end driven by a guide member (D) fixed to the apparatus;

b)

 a push lever (5), rotatably connected (G) to said support (1), comprising a portion directed downwards in which a groove (15) is formed, as well as a portion directed towards above which carries a low thrust member at its distal end friction, which stops against the back of the rod bottom (3) when the door is closed; Y

C)

 a connecting rod (7) rotatably connected (E, F) to a lower portion of the horizontal rod (8) and to an extension lower (2 ') of said upper rod (2), said slot receiving (15), slidably, the pin (F) that connects the rod connection (7) to the upper rod (2).

2. An integrated household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the low friction thrust member disposed at the end of the thrust lever (5) is a roller (16). 3. An integrated household appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the opening movement of the door produces the rearward and upward translation of the horizontal rod (8) which is guided by a pin (D) fixed to the support (1) and engages in a groove
ra (14). 4. An integrated household appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it also includes a return spring arranged between the lower rod (3) and the base (10). 5. An integrated household appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower rod (3) has a suitable shape to pass higher than the connecting line between the pins (A, A ') which connects it to the plate (4) and the support (1).