WO2017174145A1

WO2017174145A1 - Dishwasher having a decorative panel

Info

Publication number: WO2017174145A1
Application number: PCT/EP2016/057733
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ferhat AYDOGAN; Ahmet Onur Moza; Ismail Demircioglu; Batuhan DIRIL
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2016-04-08
Filing date: 2016-04-08
Publication date: 2017-10-12
Also published as: TR201705166A2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dishwasher (1) comprising: a door (2); a hinge assembly (3) for horizontally pivotably mounting the door (2) to the main body (22); and a decorative panel (4) which is disposed onto the door (2).

Description

DISHWASHER HAVING A DECORATIVE PANEL

The present invention relates to a dishwasher, in particular to a built-in type dishwasher. The present invention more particularly relates to the decorative panel of the dishwasher.

Dishwashers are commonly known in the art. A dishwasher generally comprises: a main body which includes a tub for receiving the articles to be cleaned; a door for accessing the tub; a hinge assembly for horizontally pivotably mounting the door to the main body; and a decorative panel which is disposed onto the door. The dishwasher is generally installed underneath the kitchen counter, between the cabinets, and integrated with the kitchen counter. The kitchen counter generally has a base element that is located below the decorative panel and in front of the kick panel of the dishwasher.

EP2991535(A1) discloses a prior art dishwasher which has a decorative panel.

A problem with the prior art dishwasher is that there is a restriction on the height of the decorative panel since it must not hit the kick panel when the door is opened. Thus, the kitchen counter manufacturers must take such restriction into account when designing the decorative panels and the base elements.

An objective of the present invention is to provide a dishwasher that overcomes the problems of the prior art in a cost effective way and which enables an improved assemblage of the decorative panel.

This objective has been achieved by the dishwasher as defined in claim 1. Further achievements have been attained by the subject-matters respectively defined in the dependent claims.

The dishwasher of the present invention comprises: a sliding mechanism for sliding the decorative panel, wherein the decorative panel is slidably connected to the door and adapted to freely slide along the upward-downward direction of the door for a predetermined distance, and wherein the sliding mechanism has at least a first connecting member which is movably coupled at its rear end to the hinge assembly and movably coupled at its front end to the decorative panel and configured to push the decorative panel upwards through said predetermined distance when the door is pivoted downwards to the horizontal position.

A major advantageous effect of the present invention is that the aforementioned restriction on the height of the decorative panel has been removed, and the kitchen counter, including the base element can be designed more flexibly. Thereby, the height of the decorative panel can be increased and the height of the base element can be decreased in accordance with the requirements of the user. Another major advantageous effect of the present invention is that the sliding mechanism can be easily installed onto the dishwasher. Thereby, the complaints from the customer services can be decreased. Thereby, also the user satisfaction can be increased.

In an embodiment, the front end of the first connecting member is pivotably connected to a pin bracket on the backside of the decorative panel, and the rear end of the first connecting member has a slot which is slidably connected to a coupling pin on the stationary part of the hinge assembly. This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the number of parts of the sliding mechanism is comparatively small. Thereby, the productions costs can be reduced both in terms of material and labor. This embodiment is also particularly advantageous as the customer service can easily assemble the decorative panel with the sliding mechanism.

In other alternative embodiments, the slot of the first connecting member has respectively different contours. In these embodiments, the slot has a straight contour and a curved contour respectively. These embodiments are particularly advantageous as the outline of the movement of the decorative panel can be varied in accordance with the design of the kitchen counter. Thereby the distance between the decorative panel and the base element, and the relative position of the base element can be more flexibly designed.

In another alternative embodiment, the rear end of the first connecting member is movably coupled to a lever of the hinge assembly via at least a second connecting member that is pivotably fixed to the stationary part, and the front end of the first connecting member is slidingly coupled with a guiding member on the door, and releasably engages with a driver fixed to the decorative panel and pushes the same upwards when the door is pivoted downwards to the horizontal position. This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the lever of the hinge assembly is used to drive the sliding mechanism. Thereby, the sliding mechanism can be smoothly operated. This embodiment is also particularly advantageous as the number of parts of the sliding mechanism is comparatively small. Thereby, the risk of jamming can be eliminated or reduced as much as possible. Thereby, also the productions costs can be reduced both in terms of material and labor. For instance, the lever may also be used in the balancing mechanism of the door.

Additional features and additional advantageous effects of the dishwasher according to the present invention will become more apparent with the detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 – is a schematic partial side view of a dishwasher which has a sliding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 – is a schematic side view of the first connecting member of the sliding mechanism in the dishwasher of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 – is a schematic side view of the pin bracket of the sliding mechanism in the dishwasher of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 – is a schematic top view of the pin bracket of Fig. 3;

Figure 5 – is a schematic partial side view of a dishwasher which has a sliding mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 6 – is a schematic side view of the first connecting member of the sliding mechanism in the dishwasher of Fig. 5;

Figure 7 – is a schematic side view of the pin bracket of the sliding mechanism in the dishwasher of Fig. 5;

Figure 8 – is a schematic top view of the pin bracket of Fig. 7;

Figure 9 – is a schematic partial side view of a dishwasher which has a sliding mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 10 – is a schematic side view of the first connecting member of the sliding mechanism in the dishwasher of Fig. 9;

Figure 11 – is a schematic side view of the second connecting member of the sliding mechanism in the dishwasher of Fig. 9;

Figure 12 – is a schematic side view of the third connecting member of the sliding mechanism in the dishwasher of Fig. 9;

Figure 13 – is a schematic side view of the guiding member of the sliding mechanism in the dishwasher of Fig. 9;

Figure 14 – is a schematic side view of the driver of the sliding mechanism in the dishwasher of Fig. 9;

Figure 15 – is a schematic top view of the driver of Fig. 14.

The reference signs appearing on the drawings relate to the following technical features.

Dishwasher
Door
Hinge assembly
Decorative panel
Sliding mechanism
1^st Connecting member
Stationary part
Coupling pin
Slot
Pin bracket
Pivoting pin
Lever
Guiding member
Driver
2^nd Connecting member
Bearing pin
Guiding pin
1^st Linking pin
3^rd Connecting member
2^nd Linking pin
3^rd Linking pin
Main body

The dishwasher (1) comprises: a main body (22) which includes a tub (not shown) for receiving the articles to be cleaned; a door (2) for accessing the tub; a hinge assembly (3) for horizontally pivotably mounting the door (2) to the main body (22); and a decorative panel (4) which is disposed onto the door (2) (Fig. 1, Fig. 5, and Fig. 9)

The dishwasher (1) of the present invention further comprises: a sliding mechanism (5) for sliding the decorative panel (4) (Fig. 1, Fig. 5, and Fig.9). The decorative panel (4) is slidably connected to the door (2) and adapted to freely slide along the upward-downward direction of the door (2) for a predetermined distance. The sliding mechanism (5) has at least a first connecting member (6) which is movably coupled at its rear end to the hinge assembly (3) and movably coupled at its front end to the decorative panel (4) and configured to push the decorative panel (4) upwards through said predetermined distance when the door (2) is pivoted downwards to the horizontal position (Fig. 1, Fig. 5, and Fig.9).

In an embodiment, the decorative panel (4) is slidably connected to the door (2) through a guiding means (not shown) which includes: one or more rails which are disposed onto the front side of the door (2); and one or more retainers which are removably disposed onto the back side of the decorative panel (4) and adapted to releasably engage with the rails.

In another embodiment, the hinge assembly (3) has a stationary part (7) and a coupling pin (8) that is fixed to the stationary part (7) (Fig. 1 and Fig. 5). In this embodiment, the rear end of the first connecting member (6) has a slot (9) which is adapted to slidably engage with the coupling pin (8) (Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 5, and Fig. 6). In this embodiment, the decorative panel (4) has a pin bracket (10) (Fig. 1, Fig. 3, Fig.4, Fig. 5, Fig.7, and Fig.8). In this embodiment, the front end of the first connecting member (6) has a pivoting pin (11) that is adapted to engage with the pin bracket (10) (Fig. 1 and Fig. 5).

In another embodiment, the slot (9) of the first connecting member (6) has a straight contour (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2).

In another embodiment, the slot (9) of the first connecting member (6) has a curved contour (Fig. 5 and Fig. 6).

In another embodiment, the hinge assembly (3) has a lever (12) which is at its rear end movably coupled to the stationary part (7) and at its front end movably coupled to the door (2) (Fig. 9). In this embodiment, the sliding mechanism (5) has a guiding member (13) which is fixed along the upward-downward direction to the door (2) (Fig. 9 and Fig. 13). In this embodiment, the sliding mechanism (5) has a driver (14) which is fixed to decorative panel (4) (Fig. 14 and Fig. 15). In this embodiment, the rear end of the first connecting member (6) is movably coupled to the lever (12) via a second connecting member (15) which is pivotably fixed to the stationary part (7) through a bearing pin (16), and the front end of the first connecting member (6) is slidingly coupled by means of a guiding pin (17) with the guiding member (13) and adapted to releasably engage by means of the guiding pin (17) with the driver (14) and push the decorative panel (4) upwards through said predetermined distance when the door (2) is pivoted downwards to the horizontal position (Fig. 9).

In another embodiment of the present invention, second connecting member (15) has a form as the V shape. There is an angle between the two legs (not specified) of the second connection member (15), and second connecting member (15) is pinned around the connection point of the legs by the bearing pin (16). In this embodiment, as the one leg of the second connecting member (15) moves upwards, the other leg moves downwards thanks to the bearing pin (16).

In another embodiment, the rear end of the first connecting member (6) is pivotably coupled to the front end of the second connecting member (15) by means of a first linking pin (18) (Fig.9).

In another embodiment, the rear end of the first connecting member (6) is movably coupled to the lever (12) via the second connecting member (15) and via a third connecting member (19) which are serially coupled (Fig. 9 to Fig. 12). In this embodiment, the rear end of the second connecting member (15) is pivotably coupled with the front end of the third connecting member (19) by means of a 2^nd linking pin (20) (Fig.9). And the rear end of the third connecting member (19) is pivotably coupled with the lever (12) by means of a 3^rd linking pin (21) (Fig. 9). In this embodiment, thanks to the third connecting member (19), the sliding mechanism (5) can be applied to the existing hinge assembly (3) without requiring any modification.

In the subsequent description, the operation of the sliding mechanism (5) will be briefly explained with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 4. When the user starts to open the door (2), the decorative panel (4) does not immediately slide relative to the door (2) up to a predetermined angle (Fig. 1). When the door (2) is pivoted up to the predetermined angle, the coupling pin (8) abuts against the front end of the slot (9) in the first connecting member (6). At this stage, if the user continues to pivot the door (2) downwards to the horizontal position, the first connecting member (6) starts to push the decorative panel (4) via the pin bracket (10) upwards along the door (2) through said predetermined distance. Thereby, the decorative panel (4) is slid away from the hinge assembly (3), and thus prevented from hitting the kick panel (not shown) on the main body (22).

In the subsequent description, the operation of the sliding mechanism (5) will be briefly explained with reference to Fig. 5 to Fig. 8. When the user starts to open the door (2), the decorative panel (4) immediately slides relative to the door (2) (Fig. 5). The slot (9) in the first connecting member (6) has a curved contour that accordingly changes the outline of the movement of the decorative panel (4) (Fig. 6). When the door (2) is pivoted up to a predetermined angle, the coupling pin (8) abuts against the front end of the slot (9) in the first connecting member (6). At this stage, the subsequent movement of the decorative panel (4) is basically the same with the above described example.

In the subsequent description, the operation of the sliding mechanism (5) will be briefly explained with reference to Fig. 9 to Fig. 15. In one embodiment, when the user starts to open the door (2), the end of the second connecting member (15) movably pinned to the lever (12) moves downwards. As the one end of the second connecting member (15) moves downwards and thanks to the bearing pin (16), the other end of the second connecting member (15) moves upwards. The end of the second connecting member (15) moving upwards pushes the first connecting member (6) and thus the guiding pin (17) of the first connecting member (6) slides along the guiding member (13) and releasably engages with the driver (14) and pushes the decorative panel (4) upwards along the door (2) through said predetermined distance. In another embodiment, when the user starts to open the door (2), the lever (12) pushes the third connecting member (19) downwards. The downward movement of the third connecting member (19) causes the second connecting member (15) to pivot about the bearing pin (16). Simultaneously, the pivotal movement of the second connecting member (15) causes the first connecting member (6) to move upwards. The guiding pin (17) of the first connecting member (6) slides along the guiding member (13) and releasably engages with the driver (14) and pushes the decorative panel (4) upwards along the door (2) through said predetermined distance. Thereby, the decorative panel (4) is slid away from the hinge assembly (3), and thus prevented from hitting the kick panel on the main body (22).

A major advantageous effect of the present invention is that the aforementioned restriction on the height of the decorative panel (4) has been removed, and the kitchen counter, including the base element can be designed more flexibly. Thereby, the height of the decorative panel (3) can be increased and the height of the base element can be decreased in accordance with the requirements of the user. Another major advantageous effect of the present invention is that the sliding mechanism (5) can be easily installed onto the dishwasher (1). Thereby, the complaints from the customer services can be decreased. Thereby, also the user satisfaction can be increased. Other advantageous effects of the present invention can be taken from the above-described embodiments.

Claims

A dishwasher (1) comprising: a main body (22) which includes a tub for receiving the articles to be cleaned; a door (2) for accessing the tub; a hinge assembly (3) for horizontally pivotably mounting the door (2) to the main body (22); and a decorative panel (4) which is disposed onto the door (2), characterized by further comprising: a sliding mechanism (5) for sliding the decorative panel (4), wherein the decorative panel (4) is slidably connected to the door (2) and adapted to freely slide along the upward-downward direction of the door (2) for a predetermined distance, and wherein the sliding mechanism (5) has at least a first connecting member (6) which is movably coupled at its rear end to the hinge assembly (3) and movably coupled at its front end to the decorative panel (4) and configured to push the decorative panel (4) upwards through said predetermined distance when the door (2) is pivoted downwards to the horizontal position.
The dishwasher (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the hinge assembly (3) has a stationary part (7) and a coupling pin (8) that is fixed to the stationary part (7); and the rear end of the first connecting member (6) has a slot (9) which is adapted to slidably engage with the coupling pin (8); and the decorative panel (4) has a pin bracket (10), wherein the front end of the first connecting member (6) has a pivoting pin (11) that is adapted to engage with the pin bracket (10).
The dishwasher (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the slot (9) of the first connecting member (6) has a straight contour.
The dishwasher (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the slot (9) of the first connecting member (6) has a curved contour.
The dishwasher (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the hinge assembly (3) has a stationary part (7) and a lever (12) which is at its rear end movably coupled to the stationary part (7) and at its front end movably coupled to the door (2); and the sliding mechanism (5) further comprises: a guiding member (13) which is fixed along the upward-downward direction to the door (2); and a driver (14) which is fixed to decorative panel (4), wherein the rear end of the first connecting member (6) is movably coupled to the lever (12) via at least a second connecting member (15) which is pivotably fixed to the stationary part (7), and the front end of the first connecting member (6) is slidingly coupled with the guiding member (13) and adapted to releasably engage with the driver (14) and push the decorative panel (4) upwards through said predetermined distance when the door (2) is pivoted downwards to the horizontal position.
The dishwasher (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the second connecting member (15) has a V shape.
The dishwasher (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that sliding mechanism (5) further comprises: a third connecting member (19), wherein the rear end of the first connecting member (6) is movably coupled to the lever (12) via the second connecting member (15) and via the third connecting member (19) which are serially coupled, sliding mechanism (5) further comprises: a 2^nd linking pin (20), a 3^rd linking pin (21), wherein the rear end of the second connecting member (15) is pivotably coupled with the front end of the third connecting member (19) by means of the 2^nd linking pin (20) and the rear end of the third connecting member (19) is pivotably coupled with the lever (12) by means of the 3^rd linking pin (21).