ES2348791T3 - DEVICE FOR BLOCKING. - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for locking and unlocking the door of an appliance, comprising: a support housing (2, 13) in which an opening (3) is defined to allow a retaining member (A) connected to the door, is inserted along a predetermined axis, in addition: the device being characterized in that it comprises a slide (4) that can move in the housing (2) along said axis and to which a hook wicker (5), rotating around an axis (6) transverse to said axis; Bistable elastic means (8) being interposed between the slide (4) and the housing (2) and which are capable of adopting a first stable configuration and a second stable configuration, in which the slide (4) can be arranged, respectively, in a first operative position and a second operative position, which are separated along the axis, and in which guide means (7), which are fixed with respect to the housing (2) and cooperate with the member (5) of hook, they can arrange the hook member (5) in a resting position, in which it allows the retaining member (A) to be inserted into the opening (3), and in a working position in which the member (5) a hook can brake the retaining member (A) that has been introduced into the opening, respectively; the configuration being such that, when the door retention member (A) is inserted into the opening (3), it can cause a movement of the slide (4) from the first position to the second position, at a distance sufficient to cause an instantaneous switching of the elastic means (8) from the first configuration to the second configuration, and the consequent movement of the slide (4) towards the second operative position; the device also comprising: a locking member (14) that can move in the housing (2) between a release position and a hooking position, in which it can allow and prevent, respectively, the movement of the slide (4) from the working position to the resting position, and control means (20) that can be activated electrically and that can control the position of the blocking member (14).

Description

The present invention relates to a device for locking and unlocking the door of an appliance. 5

Document DE 19504796 describes a device according to the preamble of claim 1.

An object of the present invention is to provide a locking and unlocking device that has a structure that can be manufactured easily and economically and is highly reliable in operation.

This and other objects are achieved, according to the invention, by means of a locking and unlocking device comprising:

a support housing in which an opening is defined to allow a retaining member connected to the door to be introduced, along a predetermined axis,

a slide that can be moved in the housing along said axis and to which a hook member is pivoted, rotatable about a transverse axis to said axis,

Bistable elastic means being interposed between the slide and the housing and which are capable of adopting a first stable configuration and a second stable configuration, in which the belt can be arranged, respectively, in a first operative position and a second position operative, which are separated along the axis, and in which guide means, which are fixed with respect to the housing and cooperate with the hook member, can arrange the hook member in a rest position, in the which the retaining member is allowed to enter the opening, and in a working position in which the hook member can brake the retaining member that has been introduced into the opening, respectively; 35

the configuration being such that, when the door retention member is inserted into the opening, it can

cause a movement of the slide from the first position to the second position, at a sufficient distance to cause an instantaneous switching of the elastic means from the first configuration to the second configuration, and the consequent movement of the slide towards the second position;

further comprising the device:

a locking member that can move in the housing between a release position and a hooking position, in which it can allow and impede, respectively, the movement of the slide from the working position to the position of rest, and

control means that can be electrically activated and that can control the position of the locking member. fifteen

Other features and advantages of the invention that will become clear from the following detailed description, which is offered merely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the invention, illustrated in the rest or open door configuration;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device according to Figure 1, illustrated in the closed door condition; 25

Figure 3 is a perspective view, partially exploded, of the device according to the preceding drawings;

Figure 4 is a partial sectional view on line IV-IV of Figure 1; 30

Figure 5 is a sectional view similar to that of Figure 4 and illustrates the device according to the preceding drawings, in a first condition;

Figures 6 and 7 are sectional views similar to Figure 5 and show the device in additional conditions;

Figure 8 is a sectional view on the line

VIII-VIII of Figure 7; Y

Figure 9 is a partial perspective view of a variant.

In the drawings and in figures 1 to 3 in particular, a device for locking and unlocking the door (not illustrated) of an electrical appliance is generally indicated as 1.

The device 1 comprises a support housing, generally indicated as 2, which is made for example of a molded plastic material. 10

In the housing 2 an opening 3 is defined for the introduction of a retaining member A, which is fixed in a known manner to the door of an appliance.

A slide, also made, for example, of a plastic material, is generally indicated as 4 in the drawings. The slide 4 is mounted so that it is transferable in the housing 2, the opening 3 moving away and approaching along an axis that is substantially parallel to the axis of the opening. twenty

A hook member 5 is articulated to the slide 4 and is rotatable about an axis 6 transverse to the axis of translation of the slide.

The hook 5 has, in particular, a pair of opposite slides 5a, which are formed integrally with it 25 and are fitted in the corresponding aligned openings formed in two facing lugs 4a of the slide 4 (see, for example, Figures 3 and 4).

The hook 5 has two pairs of opposite pins 5b, 5c that cooperate with respective guide profiles, generally indicated as 7 in Figures 3 to 5, formed on two opposite walls of the housing 2, along the path of the sliding 4.

As can be seen in Figures 4 and 5 in particular, each guide profile 7 has three contiguous surface parts 7a, 7b and 7c. The intermediate part 7a of each guide profile 7 is substantially parallel to the translation axis of

the slide 4, while the end portions 7b and 7c are inclined, for example at about + 45 ° and -45 °, respectively.

The pins 5b and 5c of the hook member 5 can co-operate with the inclined surface portions 7b and 7c of the guide profiles 7, in such a way that, when the slide 4 is in a first operative position illustrated in the Figures 1 and 5, the hook member 5 is in an angular position in which it allows the door retaining member A to be introduced through the opening 10 3 of the housing 2 of the device.

However, the slide 4 can move from the first operating position, illustrated in Figures 1 and 5, to a second operating section illustrated in Figures 2, 7 and 8. 15

When the slide moves from the first operative position to the second operative position, the interaction of the pins 5b, 5c with the surface parts 7b, 7c of the guide profiles 7, is such that the hook member 5 is disposed in an angular position in which the retaining member A that has been introduced through the opening 3 of the housing 2 of the device can brake.

In Figures 3 and 5-8, a helical spring transversely mounted on the slide 4 25 is indicated with 8 (Figure 8). The coil spring 8 has its opposite ends embedded in the corresponding supports 9 of the slide 4 (figures 6 and 8) in an axially compressed state.

The intermediate part of the coil spring 8 extends from and is held in a fork-shaped projection 10 integrated with the support housing 2 (Figures 3, 5, 6-8).

By virtue of its axial compression state, the coil spring 8 has a bistable behavior in the sense that it can adopt a first stable configuration and a second stable configuration, in which it bends

with respect to its own natural longitudinal axis to one side and to the other side, respectively, as illustrated in Figure 5 and Figure 8, respectively.

A lateral part of the slide 4, which is mounted to slide with respect to the main face of the housing 2, and in which an opening 12 is formed, is indicated as 4b (see Figures 2, 3 and 5- 9 in particular).

As can be seen in Figures 3 and 5-9 in particular, a sheath 13 is connected to the housing 2 of the device 10; the sheath 13 houses the components of an electromechanical control device 20, for example of the type described in US patent 6,334,637 of the applicant. This device comprises, in particular, a blocking member 14 which can extend through an opening 15 15 formed in the support housing 2 (see Figures 3 and 5-9 in particular).

In particular, the blocking member 14 can adopt a released position (Figures 5 and 6) in which it does not over-exit from the container with the sheath 13 through the opening 15 of the housing 2 and therefore does not obstruct the sliding of the slide 4 with respect to that housing.

However, the blocking member 14 may adopt a latching position (Figures 7 and 8) in which 25 protrudes beyond the opening 15 of the housing 2, fitting into the opening 12 of the slide 4, when the slide is in its second operating position, preventing the slide 4 from returning to the first operating position illustrated, for example, in Figure 5. 30

The locking and unlocking device described above functions substantially as follows.

At rest and with the door or hatch of the electrostatic apparatus in the open position, the device adopts the configuration illustrated in Figure 1: the spring-8 is curved upwards and keeps the slide 4 in the first operating position or elevated position; the hook

5 does not obstruct the introduction of the door retention member A into the opening 3 of the locking device 1. In this condition, the electromechanical control device 20 maintains the locking member 14 in the release position in which it does not obstruct any movement of the slide 4.

When the door of the home appliance is closed, the retaining member A is inserted into the opening 3 of the locking device 1, as can be seen in Figures 4 and 5. The member A engages the upper part of the slide 4 and therefore causes it to move downwards, as can be seen in the sequence of figures 4, 5 and 6.

As a result of the downward movement of the slide 4, the hook member 5 rotates around the axis 6 counterclockwise, as can be seen in Figure 5, due to the interaction between its pins 5b and 5c and the corresponding surfaces 7b and 7c of the guide profiles 7. The distal end of the hook member 5 grips the retaining member A, as can be seen in Figure 6.

During the introduction of the retaining member A into the locking device 1, the slide 4 reaches the position illustrated in Figure 6, in which the spring 8 is substantially "completely straightened". During its further downward movement, when it has moved beyond the position of Figure 6, the spring 8 adjusts under pressure almost instantaneously to its second stable configuration, causing the so-called "self-pull" effect on the slide 4, as well as on the hook 5 and the retaining member A 30, towards the second operative position (figure 8). Under these conditions, the free end of the blocking member 14 faces the opening 12 of the slide 4.

If, after closing the door, the electro-domestic appliance is connected, a control unit thereof 35 can activate the electromechanical control device 20, in a known manner, to cause the movement of the

Locking member 14 to the engagement position illustrated in Figure 7, in which it protrudes towards the opening 12 of the slide 4, preventing the slide 4 from returning to the operative resting position and therefore actually preventing the opening of the door. 5

At the end of the operating cycle of the electro-domestic apparatus, the apparatus control unit controls the electromechanical device 20, in such a way that the locking member 14 retracts to the released position. Under these conditions, the blocking member 14 no longer obstructs 10 the return of the slide 4 to the operative resting position, and therefore allows the door to be opened by the draft exerted on it, to cause the slide 4 to return towards up to the operative resting position, causing the hook member 5 to rotate during the last stage of that upward movement, so that the hook member 5 is released from the door retention member A.

The final stage of the upward movement of the slide 4 is facilitated by the instantaneous switching of the spring 8 which returns to the first configuration, in which it bends downwards.

In the variant of Fig. 9, a microswitch, generally indicated as 30, is fixed to the housing 2 of the device and comprises an operative member 31 that can cooperate with the slide 4 in such a way that the switch switches , for example, from open to closed, when the slider 4 is in the downward operating position, that is, when the door of the appliance is closed. The switch 30 may indicate the closed door condition to a control unit of the home appliance.

Naturally, the principle of the invention remaining unchanged, the embodiments and construction details may vary widely with respect to those described and illustrated merely by way of non-limiting example, without thereby departing from the scope

of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (4)

1. A device for locking and unlocking the door of an appliance, comprising: a support housing (2, 13) in which an opening (3) is defined to allow a retaining member (A) connected to the door, to be introduced along a predetermined axis, the device being characterized because it further comprises: 10 a slide (4) that can move in the housing (2) along said axis and to which a hook member (5) is articulated, rotating around an axis (6) transverse to said axis; Bistable elastic means 15 (8) being interposed between the slide (4) and the housing (2) and which are capable of adopting a first stable configuration and a second stable configuration, in which the slide (4) can be arranged, respectively , in a first operative position and a second operative position, which are 20 along the axis, and in which guide means (7), which are fixed with respect to the housing (2) and cooperate with the member ( 5) of hook, they can arrange the hook member (5) in a resting position, in which it allows the retaining member (A) to be inserted into the opening (3), and in a working position in the which the hook member (5) can brake the retaining member (A) that has been introduced into the opening, respectively; the configuration being such that, when the door retention member (A) 30 is inserted into the opening (3), it can cause a movement of the slide (4) from the first position to the second position, at a distance enough to cause an instantaneous switching of the elastic means (8) from the first configuration 35 to the second configuration, and the consequent movement of the slide (4) towards the second operative position; the device also comprising: a locking member (14) that can move in the housing (2) between a release position and a latching position, in which it can allow and prevent, respectively, the movement of the slide (4) from the 5 position work to rest position, and control means (20) that can be activated electrically and that can control the position of the blocking member (14).  10 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic means comprise an elongated elastic member (8) which is arranged in an axially compressed condition between two supports (9) of the slide (4), which are arranged opposite each other transversely to said axis, an intermediate portion of the elastic member (8) extending to a retaining projection (10) of the support housing (2). 3. A device according to claim 20, wherein the elastic member is a helical spring (8). 4. A device according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising an electrical switch (30) fixed to the housing (2) and comprising a mobile control member (31) that can cooperate with the slide (4 ), in such a way that the switch (30) can adopt a first condition and a second condition, when the slider (4) is in a first operative position and in the second operative position, respectively.