Lock for a household appliance

[0001] The invention relates to a lock according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Household appliances, for example, a clothes dryer, a washing machine, a dishwasher and the like, have doors, a lid, a hatch etc. for loading and / or unloading. The door, lid, flap, etc., referred to below as the closing element, are provided with a lock.

[0003] Such a lock is equipped with a retaining element which, for example, has the form of a latch cooperating with the bolt located on the closing element of the household appliance. In addition, the lock has a retaining element lock that can assume two states so that the first state lock blocks the movement of the retaining element and in the second state the movement of the retaining element releases.

[0004] Such a lock is known from DE 199 61 083 A1, wherein the lock is controlled between both states mechanically by a drive from the handle. Such mechanical control is expensive and error prone.

[0005] Such a lock is also known from US 4 314 217 A. This lock has a sliding lock. The interlock is electromagnetically controlled between both states. An electromagnetic solenoid coil is provided for this purpose.

[0006] Other locks with an electromagnetic slide lock are described in GB

178 291 A, and in EP 0 483 697 A1. Finally, EP 0 359 728 A2 discloses a lock with an electromagnetically operated locking plate for a bolt located on the closing element.

[0007] The object of the invention is to provide a lock with a lock, in particular improved in terms of protection against error.

[0008] This task is solved for this type of lock thanks to the characteristic features mentioned in claim 1.

[0009] In the lock according to the invention, the lock is provided with a swinging movable locking element, wherein the locking element at one end in the first state cooperates with the retaining element and in the second state does not cooperate with the retaining element. The blockade is directly controlled electromagnetically, so no further expensive mechanism is dispensed with. Further embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0010] In a first very simple embodiment, a permanent magnet is placed at the other end of the locking element. The permanent magnet cooperates with the electromagnet in such a way that a proper power supply of the electromagnet causes that the permanent magnet is attracted or repelled depending on one of both states.

[0011] In a second, also very simple embodiment, at the other end of the blocking element there is a change-over rocker switchable between two positions, operatively connected to the electromagnet. The working connection is formed by means of a pusher moved by an electromagnet, the pusher pushing the W-like linkage on the control arm to switch.

[0012] The first and second embodiments can be implemented as very compact because the locking element can rotate.

[0013] The lock can be suitably controlled by a controller in a household appliance. For example, the controller may not allow manual closing of the closing element until the household appliance has finished its work. For this purpose, it is advisable that the closing element with the holding element and / or the lock is operatively connected in such a way that the closing element, depending on the position of the holding element and / or the lock, generates switching signals. These switching signals are then used by the controller in the home appliance to properly control the lock.

[0014] Generally, the closing element can be moved between a closed position and an open position, thus, for example, the door on the washing machine may be open or closed. Traditionally it becomes possible that the electric switch serving as door contact cooperates with the closing element for detecting the closed position and / or the open position. This electric switch can be placed, for example, on the housing of a household appliance.

[0015] Using the invention, the electric switch serving as door contact can be particularly easily switched. In this case, the electric switch is connected in series with the connection for the supply voltage of the coil, and thus the solenoid, to activate the lock. The electric switch is then turned on when the closing element is in the closed position, and thus the supply voltage powers the coil by actuating it. Then, if necessary, the coil can be operated from the household appliance controller by means of an auxiliary contact. Preferably, only one three-pole electrical coil connection, door contact, and auxiliary contact are required in such a circuit, while a five-pole electrical connection is conventionally provided for this.

[0016] The advantages obtained by the invention are in particular that the lock can be controlled automatically by a simple method between two states. In addition, despite the high functionality of the lock is cheap and therefore suitable for low-cost household appliances. Directly controlled electromagnetic lock is very reliable in function and therefore can also be used in household appliances also in safety critical applications. In addition, this type of lock is so structurally small and is therefore suitable for small assembly spaces in household appliances.

[0017] Exemplary embodiments of the invention, as well as various variants and solutions, are illustrated in the drawings and will be described in more detail below. The drawings show:

fig. 1 lock in perspective view, according to its first exemplary embodiment, fig. 2 lock in perspective view, according to its second embodiment, where the lock is in the first state, fig. 3 the lock according to fig. 2, in another perspective view, the lock being in the first state, fig. 4 the lock according to fig. 2, the lock being in the second state, fig. 5 the lock according to fig. 3, the lock being in the second state,

Figs. 6a to 6c, cross-section 6-6 according to Fig. 2, the course of the movement for switching is shown,

Fig.7 lock in a first perspective view, in accordance with yet another example embodiment,

Fig. 8 the lock according to fig. 7 in a second perspective view, a

Fig. 9 wiring diagram for electric lock connection according to fig. 7

[0018] Lock 1 for a door, lid, flap, or for a similar movable part as a closing element, hereinafter simply referred to as a door on a household appliance, e.g. on a clothes dryer, or on a washing machine, on a dishwasher or the like the device is more clearly visible in Fig. 1. The lock 1 has a housing 2 in which the movable retaining element 3 is arranged, in this case as a kind of slider. The retaining element 3 cooperates with the bolt on the door of the household appliance, which is not shown further, for connecting the door, the bolt on the invisible bottom surface of the lock 1 being in the recess of the retaining element 3. Such a recess 16 in the retaining element 3 for the bolt is visible in fig. 7. In the housing 2, there is also located in one of two states a lock 4 for the retaining element 3, so that the lock 4 in the first state prevents the movement of the retaining element 3, and in the second state allows the movement of the retaining element 3. The lock 4 can be automatically electrically adjusted directly between the two states, and for this purpose a live coil in the form of an electromagnet 5 is placed in the housing 2.

[0019] The lock 4 is equipped with a movable locking element 6, which is preferably rotatable. In the first state, one end of the locking element 6 is operatively connected to the holding element 3, and in the second state is not operatively connected to the holding element 3. According to the first exemplary embodiment, which is shown in Fig. 1, at the other end of the locking element 6 is placed permanent magnet 7. The permanent magnet 7 is operatively connected to the electromagnet 5 in such a way that due to the appropriate power supply of the electromagnet 5, the permanent magnet 7 is attracted and / or repelled to position the locking element 6 in one of two states. Finally, the lock 1 according to Fig. 1 has one more, if necessary emergency turn unlocking lever 12, by means of which the lock 4 in the event of a power outage can be manually brought into a second state.

[0020] The lock 1 in accordance with the second exemplary embodiment is shown in Fig. 2. The rotatable blocking element 6 of the blocking 4 at one end is provided with a blocking surface 13 which in the first state adheres to the retaining element 3. As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the movement of the retaining element 3 is blocked in the direction of spring 14 so that the door cannot be opened. On the locking element 6, especially at its other end, there is a switching rocker 8 which is formed between the two positions, which is formed on the locking element 6, and is operatively connected to the electromagnet 5. The operating connection with the switching rocker 8 is formed by means of a solenoid actuated 5 the pusher 9, the pusher 9 cooperating with the W-shaped backstage 10 on the switching rocker 8 as seen in Fig. 6a.

[0021] After the current has been applied to the solenoid 5, the switching rocker 8 is overloaded and the interlock 4 switches to the second state. As can be seen from FIGS. 4 and 5, in the second state the locking surface 13 is no longer on the holding element 3. Thus, the movement of the holding element relative to the spring is released so that the door can be opened. In this version of the lock 1, the emergency release lever 12 'is movable. [0022] The switching process of the switching rocker 8 is shown in more detail in Figs. 6a to 6c. In Fig. 6a, the lock is in a second state such that the locking element 6 allows the holding element 3 to move. The pusher 9 is in this case opposite one part 10a of the backstage 10. When the electromagnet 5 is energized, the pusher 9 will be placed in the part 10a backstage and turns the swingarm 8 as shown in fig. 6b. At the same time, thanks to this, the locking element 6 is rotated in the first locking state. After the power supply has been completed, the pusher 9 by the action of the spring 15 returns to its initial position, which is shown in Fig. 6c. Then the pusher 9 is positioned opposite another backstage portion 10b. The switching rocker 8 together with the locking element 6 remains in this position until the electromagnet 5 is powered again. After the electromagnet 5 is supplied with power, the pusher 9 then moves to the backstage portion 10b and switches back on the swingarm 8 so that the second blocking state shown in FIG. 6a is again adopted.

[0023] To watch the state of the lock 1, in fig. 1 or in fig. 2 a switch 11 located in the housing 2 is visible. The switch 11 is operatively connected to the holding element 3 and / or to the lock 4 in such a way that the switch 11, depending on the position of the holding element 3 and / or the lock 4, generates switching signals that are used by the controller in the household appliance to properly control the electromagnet 5 in the lock 1.

[0024] The door is known to be attached to the housing of the household appliance and can be manually moved between the closed position and the open position. However, if the lock 4 is in the first state and the door is closed, the door cannot be opened. Only if the lock 4 is in the second state can the door be opened. The corresponding door position is also a known method detected by means of a door contact switch, which is located, for example, on the housing of a household appliance, since the door cooperates with the door contact to detect a closed and / or open position.

[0025] According to a further exemplary embodiment, which is shown in Figures 7 and 8, the voltage supply connection for the lock 1 and the door contact can be simplified accordingly. For this, a three-pole electric connection 17 is sufficient. The electric switch 18 serving as door contact is connected in series to the connection 17a for the voltage supplying the electromagnet 5, as shown in the diagram in Fig. 9. The second connection 17c for the supply voltage is connected directly to the solenoid 5. If the door is in the closed position, the electric switch 18 is switched on, so that the solenoid 5 is under voltage to operate it. It can be seen directly that, therefore, changing the state of the lock 4 is only possible with the door closed. In this case, the control in the household appliance can activate the electromagnet 5 via a second electrical connection 17b to bring the lock to the desired state. Since in this case only three poles are required in accordance with the electrical connections 17a, 17b, 17c, there is a simpler electrical connection 17 than in conventional locks.

[0026] The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described and illustrated in the drawings. Instead, it covers all professional further solutions within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. For example, such a lock 1 can be used not only in household appliances, but also in other devices equipped with a closing element, especially located in cramped rooms. Furthermore, due to the high efficiency of the lock 1 according to the invention, it can be used in cars, in real estate and the like.

List of determinations [0027]

1. Castle

2. Housing

3. Retention element

4. Blockade

5. Electromagnet

6. Locking element

7. Permanent magnet

8. Swingarm

9. Pusher

10. Link

10a, 10b. Part of the backstage

11. Switch

12. 12a. Emergency release levers

13. Locking surface

14. Spring

15. Compressed spring

16. The recess (in the retaining element) 17,17a, 17b, 17c. Electrical connection

18. Electric switch (door contact)

19. Auxiliary contact