Lock and home appliance having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11419477-B2
Application number	US-201916701546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2019
Priority date	Mar 28, 2016
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

A lock and a home appliance having the same are disclosed. The lock includes a holder provided at one selected from between the cabinet and the door, a housing provided at the other selected from between the cabinet and the door, a first stopper provided at the housing, a fastening unit separably coupled to the first stopper so as to be coupled to the holder when separated from the first stopper, an actuation unit configured to reciprocate in the housing, the actuation unit being configured to be moved away from the introduction port in the state of contacting the holder when the door is moved so as to close the introduction port, the actuation unit being configured to separate the fastening unit from the first stopper while being moved away from the introduction port, a first elastic member for providing force necessary to move the fastening unit away from the introduction port when the fastening unit is separated from the first stopper, a second elastic member for providing force necessary to move the actuation unit toward the introduction port, and an actuation unit lock for fixing the actuation unit to the housing when not in contact with the door and releasing coupling between the actuation unit and the housing when in contact with the door.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dish washer comprising:
a cabinet having an introduction port;
a tub provided in the cabinet to receive dishes;
a communication hole, through which an interior of the tub communicates with the introduction port;
a spray arm provided in the tub to spray water to the dishes in the tub;
a sump to collect water sprayed into the dishes by the spray arm;
a door comprising a first door body for opening and closing the introduction port, a second door body protruding from the first door body toward the tub, and a closing surface provided in the second body for closing the communication hole when the first door body closes the introduction port;
a holder fixed to the door;
a housing provided at the cabinet;
a first stopper provided at the housing, the first stopper being located between the introduction port and the communication hole;
a fastening unit separably supported by the first stopper, the fastening unit being coupled to the holder when separated from the first stopper;
an actuation unit configured to reciprocate in the housing, the actuation unit being moved toward the communication hole in a state of contacting the holder when the first door body is moved in a direction in which the introduction port is closed, the actuation unit being configured to separate the fastening unit from the first stopper while the actuation unit is moved toward the communication hole;
a first elastic member for providing force necessary to move the fastening unit toward the communication hole when the fastening unit is separated from the first stopper;
a second elastic member for providing force necessary to move the actuation unit toward the introduction port; and
a pump configured to supply the wash water stored in the sump to the spray arm, wherein the pump comprises:
a pump body;
a partition wall configured to divide an interior of the pump body into two spaces;
a first pump chamber located under the partition wall, the first pump chamber having a pump inlet communicating with the sump;
a second pump chamber located above the partition wall, the second pump chamber having a pump outlet communicating with the spray arm;
a partition wall through hole formed through the partition wall to allow the first chamber and the second chamber to communicate with each other;
an impeller provided in the second pump chamber to move wash water to the pump outlet;
a heating plate configured to define a bottom surface of the first pump chamber, the heating pate being made of a conductor; and
a heater configured to heat the heating plate.

2. The dish washer according to claim 1 , further comprising a receiving groove formed in the heating plate and protruding toward the interior of the first pump chamber,
wherein the heater is mounted inside the receiving groove such that the heater is located outside the first pump chamber.

3. The dish washer according to claim 1 , further comprising an actuation unit lock separably coupled to the actuation unit, the actuation unit lock being configured to be separated from the actuation unit such that the actuation unit can reciprocate in the housing when in contact with the closing surface and configured to be coupled to the actuation unit such that a position of the actuation unit is fixed when not in contact with the closing surface.

4. The dish washer according to claim 3 , wherein
the fastening unit comprises: a fastening body separably coupled to the first stopper, the fastening body being coupled to the holder when separated from the first stopper; and a first body and a second body extending from opposite ends of the fastening body so as to be distant from the introduction port, when in place,
the actuation unit comprises: a first slide and a second slide configured to reciprocate in the housing, the first slide and the second slide being spaced apart from each other so as to define a space for receiving the first body and the second body;
a transfer part for connecting the first slide and the second slide, the transfer part being configured to be moved by the holder; and a body push part provided on at least one selected from between the first slide and the second slide for contacting at least one selected from between the first body and the second body depending on a position of the transfer part to separate the fastening body from the first stopper, and
the actuation unit lock is separably coupled to at least one selected from between the first slide and the second slide.

5. The dish washer according to claim 4 , wherein
the first elastic member is configured to remain compressed when the fastening body is supported by the first stopper and to move the fastening body when the fastening body is separated from the first stopper,
the second elastic member is configured to be compressed by at least one selected from between the first slide and the second slide while the actuation unit moves to a position at which the fastening body is separated from the first stopper, and
force necessary to compress the first elastic member is set to be larger than force necessary to compress the second elastic member.

6. The dish washer according to claim 5 , wherein the actuation unit lock is configured to release the coupling between the actuation unit and the housing before the holder contacts the transfer part.

7. The dish washer according to claim 6 , wherein the actuation unit lock comprises:
a lock body separably coupled to the second slide; and
a lock body extension part connected to the lock body through the housing such that a free end of the lock body extension part is exposed to an outside of the housing, the lock body extension part being configured to separate the lock body from the second slide when the free end contact an object.

8. The dish washer according to claim 7 , wherein the lock body extension part is configured to be inclined away from the introduction port, when in place.

9. The dish washer according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a slide fastening part protruding from the lock body toward the second slide;
a lock receiving recess provided in the second slide for providing a space for receiving the slide fastening part; and
a first incline inclined downward from an inlet of the lock receiving recess toward a front surface of the second slide for defining a movement path of the slide fastening part.

10. The dish washer according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a lock body guide fixed to the housing, the lock body being provided in a direction intersecting a movement direction of the second slide; and
a guide insertion hole provided in the lock body for allowing a free end of the lock body guide to be inserted thereinto.

11. The dish washer according to claim 7 , further comprising a sensing unit for determining whether the fastening body is separated from the first stopper.

12. The dish washer according to claim 5 , further comprising a second stopper located in the housing for defining a movement limit point of the fastening body, separated from the first stopper.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Jinhong
• Cho Kichul
• Kim Jinhong

Classifications

• D06F37/42

  Safety arrangements, e.g. for stopping rotation of the receptacle upon opening of the casing door · CPC title

• D06F2103/40

  Opening or locking status of doors · CPC title

• E05B15/04

  Spring arrangements in locks {(E05B3/065, E05B15/101, E05B15/143, E05C19/06 take precedence)} · CPC title

• A47L15/18

  with movably-mounted spraying devices · CPC title

• E05C3/12

  with latching action (devices in which the securing part is formed or merely carried by a spring and moves only by distortion of the spring, e.g. snaps, E05C19/06; tilt-plate latches E05C19/007) · CPC title