Latch lock and home appliance including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10920362-B2
Application number	US-201715626667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2017
Priority date	Jun 20, 2016
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A lock including a latch provided at one of a door and a cabinet, and a coupler provided at the other one of the door and the cabinet, the coupler including a housing including a latch insertion hole, an engaging lever including an engaging lever body rotatably provided within the housing, a latch insertion groove having a first end of the latch inserted therein by extending from a first end of the engaging part body, and first, second, third, and fourth projections formed by extending a second end of the engaging lever body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A home appliance, comprising:
a cabinet having a storage space formed inside and an opening communicating with the storage space;
a door rotatably coupled with the cabinet to open or close the opening;
a latch provided at one of the door and the cabinet; and
a coupler provided at the other one of the door and the cabinet, the coupler including:
a housing including a latch insertion hole into which the latch is inserted;
an engaging lever, the engaging lever including an engaging lever body rotatably provided within the housing, a latch insertion groove having an end of the latch inserted therein by extending from a first end of the engaging lever body, and a first projection, a second projection, a third projection, and a fourth projection formed by a plurality of extending portions of a second end of the engaging lever body;
an engaging lever torsion spring provided at the engaging lever to provide an elastic force so as to enable the latch insertion groove to rotate toward the latch insertion hole;
an operating lever configured to move away from the latch insertion hole by being pressed by the first projection and rotate with respect to a first shaft attached to the operating lever;
a first spring providing a restoration force to enable the operating lever to be restored into a state before being pressed by the first projection; and
a second spring providing a restoration force to enable the operating lever to be restored into a state before being pressed by the third projection.

2. The home appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first projection is located closer to the operating lever than the third projection.

3. The home appliance of claim 2 , wherein the operating lever includes:
an operating lever body receiving a force from each of the first spring and the second spring; and
a header including a first header inclined surface provided at a first end of the operating lever body inclined downward from the operating lever body and a second inclined surface connected to a first end of the first header inclined surface and inclined upward from the operating lever body.

4. The home appliance of claim 3 , wherein if the door is closed, the first projection moves the operating lever by pressing the first header inclined surface, and
wherein if the first projection passes a first end of the header, a movement of the first projection is restricted by the second header incline surface.

5. The home appliance of claim 3 , wherein a release bar incline configured to be pressed by the third projection is provided at a lateral surface of the operating lever body.

6. The home appliance of claim 5 , wherein the release bar incline is inclined at a prescribed angle against a direction pressed by the third projection, and
wherein the third projection further includes an inclined surface corresponding to the release bar incline.

7. The home appliance of claim 5 , wherein when the door is opened, the third projection rotates the operating lever by pressing the release bar incline so that the header deviates from a rotation radius of the first projection.

8. The home appliance of claim 1 , wherein a length of the third projection is longer than that of the first projection.

9. The home appliance of claim 3 , wherein the header is provided at the first end of the operating lever to be rotatable centering on a header shaft, and wherein an end of the header does not to rotate over a position higher than the header shaft.

10. The home appliance of claim 5 , further including:
a release bar including the release bar incline, the release bar moveable in a same direction as a moving direction of the operating lever when pressed by the first projection; and
a release bar guide provided at the operating lever body to guide the release bar,
wherein the release bar is moved to allow the release bar incline to deviate from a rotation radius of the third pressurizing projection when the door is open, and
wherein the release bar is moved to allow the release bar incline to be placed within the rotation radius of the third projection when the door is closed.

11. A latch lock for a home appliance including a door and a cabinet, the latch lock comprising:
a latch bar protruding from an interior surface of the door and including a latch hole; and
a coupler attached to the cabinet and including a latch insertion hole configured to receive the latch bar, wherein the coupler includes:
an engaging lever including an engaging lever body configured to rotate about a first axis when contacted by the latch bar and including a first insertion projection and a second insertion projection extending from a first side of the engaging lever, and a first projection, a second-projection, and a third projection extending from a second side of the engaging lever, wherein the second insertion projection is configured to be inserted into the latch insertion hole when the latch bar is received in the coupler; and
an operating lever configured to slide in a first direction and to rotate about a second axis different from the first axis when contacted by the engaging lever and including a header on a first end having a first incline and a second incline configured to interact with the first projection, and a release bar having a release portion incline configured to interact with the third projection, wherein when the door is closed and the latch bar is received in the coupler, the first projection presses the first incline of the header such that the header is received in a recess formed between the first projection and the engaging lever body, and wherein when the door is opened, the third projection pushes the release portion incline such that the operating lever rotates about the second axis to move the header out of the recess.

12. The latch lock of claim 11 , further including a first spring attached to a second end of the operating lever and an inside of the casing and configured to push the operating lever toward the latch insertion hole.

13. The latch lock of claim 11 , further including a second spring attached to a first side of the operating lever and an inside of the casing and configured to rotate the operating lever to a first position after having been rotated by the third projection.

14. The latch lock of claim 11 , wherein the header is rotatable on a header shaft about a third axis parallel to the first axis.

15. The latch lock of claim 11 , further including a door open/close sensor configured to sensor whether the door is in an opened state or a closed state depending on a movement of the engaging lever.

16. The latch lock of claim 15 , wherein when the engaging lever rotates, the door open/close sensor rotates about a fourth axis parallel to the first axis to contact a first detection projection.

17. The latch lock of claim 11 , further including a locking projection configured to penetrate the operating lever when the door is locked to the cabinet.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Cho Kichul

Classifications

• E05C19/024

  with a bifurcated latch · CPC title

• E05C19/022

  Released by pushing in the closing direction · CPC title

• E05C3/122

  flush · CPC title

• E05B2047/0068

  Door closed · CPC title

• E05B2015/0406

  wound in a cylindrical shape · CPC title