Door lock for a domestic electrical appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11624209-B2
Application number	US-202016868598-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2020
Priority date	May 10, 2019
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

Abstract

A door lock for a domestic electrical appliance includes a locking member which is electrically switchable between an unlocking position and a locking position, which locking member in the unlocking position allows a closed door of the domestic appliance to be opened and in the locking position is in blocking engagement with a blockable component at least when the door is closed, and an auxiliary member, separate from the blockable component, which is movable in dependence on the closing of the door from a release position into a blocking position. The blocking engagement effects blocking of the closed door against opening. In the release position, the auxiliary member allows the locking member to be transferred from the unlocking position into the locking position; in contrast, in its blocking position, the auxiliary member blocks the locking member against being transferred from the unlocking position into the locking position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A door lock for a domestic electrical appliance, comprising a lock assembly and a closing element cooperating on closing of a door of the domestic appliance to hold the door closed, wherein the lock assembly comprises:
a locking member arranged for movement between an unlocking position and a locking position, which locking member in the unlocking position allows the closed door of the domestic appliance to be opened and in the locking position is directly in blocking engagement with the closing element when the door is closed, wherein the blocking engagement effects blocking of the closed door against opening;
an actuator actuatingly coupled to the locking member to move the locking member between the unlocking position and the locking position; and
an auxiliary member, separate from the closing element, which is movable in dependence on the closing of the door from a blocking position into a release position and which in the release position allows the locking member to be transferred from the unlocking position into the locking position and in the blocking position blocks the locking member against being transferred from the unlocking position into the locking position.

2. The door lock according to claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary member is controlled by the closing element which, on closing of the door, comes into physical control contact with the auxiliary member and urges the auxiliary member into the release position.

3. The door lock according to claim 2 , further comprising an electrical switch controlled by the closing element, which electrical switch, on closing of the door, undergoes a change of switching status under the control of the closing element.

4. The door lock according to claim 3 , wherein the electrical switch is magnetically actuatable and can be caused to change switching status on closing of the door by a magnet arranged on the closing element.

5. The door lock according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is an electromagnetic actuator and the door lock comprises a guide system for controlling the position of the locking member, wherein the guide system has an endless guide track which is closed to form a loop, and a track follower guided on the guide track, wherein, on successive actuations of the electromagnetic actuator, the track follower performs a complete circuit along the guide track and, on each circuit, moves out of a first non-transitory track position corresponding to the unlocking position of the locking member into a second non-transitory track position corresponding to the locking position of the locking member and back into the first non-transitory track position again.

6. The door lock according to claim 5 , wherein the auxiliary member has a blocking structure which, in the blocking position of the auxiliary member, extends into the movement path of the track follower along the guide path in such a manner that the blocking structure prevents a change of the track follower from the first non-transitory track position into the second non-transitory track position, wherein the blocking structure, on transfer of the auxiliary member from the blocking position into the release position, moves out of the movement path of the track follower along the guide path in such a manner that a change of the track follower change from the first non-transitory track position into the second non-transitory track position is made possible.

7. The door lock according to claim 6 , wherein the blocking structure, in the blocking position of the auxiliary member, extends into the movement path of the track follower along the guide track in such a manner that, on actuation of the electromagnetic actuator, the track follower remains within a track branch of the guide track adjoining the first non-transitory track position which, when actuation of the electromagnetic actuator is ended, ensures or makes it possible that the track follower falls back into the first non-transitory track position.

8. The door lock according to claim 5 , wherein the auxiliary member in the blocking position extends into the movement path of the locking member in such a manner that the locking member is prevented from being transferred from the unlocking position into the locking position by abutment of the locking member on the auxiliary member.

9. The door lock according to claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary member is linearly movable between the release position and the its blocking position.

10. The door lock according to claim 9 , wherein the locking member is linearly movable parallel, in particular parallel in the same direction, or perpendicularly to the movement direction of the auxiliary member.

11. The door lock according to claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary member is configured as a linear slider which is arranged for linear movement in a direction substantially perpendicular to an insertion direction of the closing element into the lock assembly.

12. A domestic electrical appliance, comprising:
an appliance main body having an access opening to a working chamber within the appliance main body; and
a door attached to the appliance main body for closing the access opening;
a door lock comprising:
a lock assembly attached to one of the appliance main body and the door and having an insertion opening; and
a closing element attached to the other of the appliance main body and the door, which closing element, on closing of the door, enters the insertion opening of the lock assembly,
wherein the lock assembly comprises a locking member which can be electrically switched between an unlocking position and a locking position and which in the unlocking position allows the closed door to be opened and in the locking position is in blocking engagement with a blockable component of the door lock at least when the door is closed, wherein the blocking engagement effects blocking of the closed door against opening,
wherein the lock assembly further comprises an actuator actuatingly coupled to the locking member to move the locking member linearly between the unlocking position and the locking position,
wherein the lock assembly further comprises an auxiliary member, separate from the blockable component, which is movable in dependence on the closing of the door from a blocking position into a release position and which in the release position allows the locking member to be transferred from the unlocking position into the locking position and in the blocking position blocks the locking member against being transferred from the unlocking position into the locking position,
wherein the locking member is linearly movable by the actuator in a direction that extends at least approximately perpendicularly to a direction in which the closing element enters the insertion opening on closing of the door.

Assignees

• Emz Hanauer Gmbh & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Dirnberger Albert
• Spiessl Georg
• Lang Markus
• Reitinger Robert

Classifications

• E05B47/0001

  with electric actuators; Constructional features thereof (for vehicles E05B81/04) · CPC title

• D06F39/14

  Doors or covers; Securing means therefor · CPC title

• E05B9/02

  {Casings} of latch-bolt {or deadbolt} locks · CPC title

• D06F37/42 Primary

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

• E05B63/0056

  Locks with adjustable or exchangeable lock parts (adjustable strikers E05B15/024; adjustable to different keys E05B35/083; adjustable bolt or backset E05B63/06; adjustable coupling means for bars, rods, cables E05C9/20) · CPC title