Door lock for a domestic electrical appliance with a movably arranged locking member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11629528-B2
Application number	US-202016868668-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2020
Priority date	May 10, 2019
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

A door lock for a domestic electrical appliance comprises a movably arranged locking member, which is selectively adjustable into an unlocking position and a locking position and in the unlocking position permits the opening of a closed door of the domestic appliance and in the locking position is in blocking engagement with a blockable component, at least when the door is closed. The blocking engagement causes the closed door to be blocked against opening. The door lock further comprises an electrically controllable actuator for actuating the locking member, and an electrical door detection switch that switches depending on the closing of the door. The doer lock also comprises an electrical auxiliary switch device, which selectively opens or closes an electrical shunt path to the door detection switch depending on the position of the locking member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A door lock for a domestic electrical appliance, comprising:
a movably arranged locking member selectively adjustable into an unlocking position and a locking position, wherein, in the unlocking position, the locking member permits the opening of a closed door of the household appliance and, in the locking position, is in blocking engagement with a blockable component at least when the door is closed, the blocking engagement causing the closed door to be blocked against opening;
an electrically controllable actuator for actuating the locking member;
an electrical door detection switch that switches depending on the closing of the door;
an electrical auxiliary switch device which selectively opens or closes an electrical shunt path to the electrical door detection switch depending on the position of the locking member; and
an electrical lock detection switch which switches in dependence on a transfer of the locking member from the unlocking position into the locking position,
wherein the electrical lock detection switch is arranged in a first circuit path extending between a first and a second electrical connection point of the door lock,
wherein the electrically controllable actuator, the door detection switch and the auxiliary switch device are arranged in a second circuit path extending between the second electrical connection point and a third electrical connection point of the door lock, and
wherein the auxiliary switch device closes a first electrical shunt path to the door detection switch when the locking member moves from the unlocking position towards the locking position and closes a second electrical shunt path to the door detection switch when the locking member moves from the unlocking position towards an intermediate position opposite the locking position.

2. The door lock according to claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary switch device closes an electrical shunt path to the electrical door detection switch when the locking member moves from the unlocking position towards the locking position.

3. The door lock according to claim 2 , wherein the locking member is arranged for movement from the unlocking position into the locking position and beyond the locking position into a fault position and wherein the auxiliary switch device either opens the shunt path or keeps it closed when the locking member moves from the locking position towards the fault position.

4. The door lock according to claim 1 wherein the auxiliary switch device closes the electrical shunt path to the door detection switch when the locking member moves from the unlocking position towards an intermediate position opposite to the locking position.

5. The door lock according to claim 1 , wherein the blockable component includes a blocking edge which, on closing the door, moves past the locking member into and beyond a locking permit position, the locking permit position being a position from which the locking member can be moved in front of the blocking edge to thereby block the door against reverse movement, and wherein the door detection switch, on closing the door, only changes its electrical switching state when the blocking edge has moved beyond the locking permit position.

6. The door lock according to claim 1 , wherein the door detection switch is a magnetically or mechanically operated switch without switching hysteresis.

7. The door lock according to claim 1 , wherein the blockable component includes a blocking edge which, on closing the door, moves past the locking member into and beyond a locking permit position, the locking permit position being a position from which the locking member can be moved in front of the blocking edge to thereby block the door against reverse movement, wherein the door detection switch, on closing the door, only changes its electrical switching state when the blocking edge has moved beyond the locking permit position into a first switching position, and wherein the door detection switch, on opening the closed door, changes its electrical switching state into a second switching position of the blocking edge, which is offset from the first switching position towards the locking permit position.

8. The door lock according to claim 1 ,
wherein the electrically controllable actuator is an electromagnetic actuator comprising a magnet armature arranged to be driven by magnetic excitation in a single drive direction only, that the locking member is motion-coupled to the magnet armature and is biased by spring force against the drive direction, and that the locking member is associated with a guide system for position control of the locking member, the guide system comprising a guide track closed in the manner of a loop and a track follower guided on the guide track,
wherein the track follower performs a complete round trip along the guide track upon successive actuations of the electromagnetic actuator,
wherein at each round trip the track follower moves from 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 again into the first non-transitory track position,
wherein the locking member is arranged for movement from the unlocking position to the locking position and beyond the locking position into a fault position, and
wherein the guide path provides an escape space which allows the track follower to retreat from the second non-transitory track position to a third non-transitory track position corresponding to the fault position of the locking member.

9. The door lock according to claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary member which is separate from the blockable component and is arranged for movement from a release position to a blocking position depending on the closing of the door, which, in the release position, allows the locking member to be transferred from the unlocking position to the locking position and, in the blocking position, blocks the locking member against transfer from the unlocking position to the locking position, wherein, on closing the door, the door detection switch undergoes an electrical switching state change under mechanical control by the auxiliary member.

10. A door lock for a domestic electrical appliance, comprising:
a movably arranged locking member selectively adjustable into an unlocking position and a locking position, wherein, in the unlocking position, the locking member permits the opening of a closed door of the household appliance and, in the locking position, is in blocking engagement with a blockable component at least when the door is closed, the blocking engagement causing the closed door to be blocked against opening;
an electrically controllable actuator for actuating the locking member;
an electrical door detection switch that switches depending on the closing of the door;
an electrical auxiliary switch device which selectively opens or closes an electrical shunt path to the electrical door detection switch depending on the position of the locking member; and
an electrical lock detection switch which switches in dependence on a transfer of the locking member from the unlocking position into the locking position,
wherein the electrical lock detection switch is arranged in a first circuit path extending between a first and a second electrical connection point of the door lock,
wherein the electrically controllable actuator, the door detection switch and the auxiliary switch device are arranged in a second circuit path extending between the second electrical connection point and a third electrical connection point of the door lock, and
wherein the auxiliary switch devic

Assignees

• Emz Hanauer Gmbh & Co Kgaa

Inventors

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

Classifications

• D06F37/42 Primary

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

• F24C15/022 Primary

  Latches · CPC title

• E05B47/0046

  Electric or magnetic means in the striker or on the frame; Operating or controlling the striker plate (E05B47/0696, E05B63/248 take precedence) · CPC title

• E05Y2900/312

  for washing machines or laundry dryers · CPC title

• E05C19/009

  Latches with floating bolts, e.g. rings, balls · CPC title