Door device for a household appliance, household appliance comprising such a door device and method for actuating a door device for a household appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9745788-B2
Application number	US-201013499322-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2010
Priority date	Oct 2, 2009
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A door device for a household appliance includes a door having in particular a first vertical longitudinal side, a second vertical longitudinal side disposed opposite the first longitudinal side, and a top side extending between the longitudinal sides The door device further includes a door opening device for automatically opening the door, wherein a handle element is designed in particular on the second longitudinal side and/or a handle element is designed in particular on the top side. The door has at least one detection sensor, which is designed to detect a finger in a detection region around or on the handle element, and a control unit, which is designed to control the door opening device in response to information received from the detection sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A door device for a domestic appliance, said door device comprising:
a door including a detection sensor configured to detect user contact and/or proximity in a detection region, the door comprising:
a front face;
a rear face opposing the front face; and
a plurality of side faces extending from the front face to the rear face;

a handle element positioned in a recessed area of one of: a vertical longitudinal side surface of the door; and a top surface of the door the plurality of side faces, the detection region being positioned in the handle element;
a door-opening device for automatic opening of the door; and
a control unit,
wherein the control unit is configured for controlling the door-opening device in response to information received from the detection sensor.

2. The door device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of side faces comprises opposing first and second vertical side surfaces of the door, a top surface of the door extending between the first and second vertical side surfaces and a bottom surface of the door extending between the first and second vertical side surfaces.

3. The door device of claim 2 , wherein the door device further comprises a further handle element, the handle elements being arranged at one of the plurality of side faces.

4. The door device of claim 3 , wherein the one of the first and second vertical side surfaces and the top surface each have a slit for arrangement of the handle elements.

5. The door device of claim 1 , wherein the handle element is a bar which comprises an engagement region.

6. The door device of claim 5 , wherein the engagement region is a corner-free channel.

7. The door device of claim 6 , wherein the corner-free channel has a first channel limb facing a door front and a second channel limb facing away from the door front, said first channel limb being defined by a length which is longer than a length of the second channel limb.

8. The door device of claim 1 , wherein the handle element is arranged behind a front panel of the door such that the handle element is concealed from the front face of the door.

9. The door device of claim 1 , wherein the detection sensor is a capacitive sensor.

10. The door device of claim 1 , wherein the detection sensor has an electrode arranged in the door behind the handle element.

11. The door device of claim 10 , wherein the electrode is arranged at the handle element behind an engagement region.

12. The door device of claim 1 , wherein the handle element is made, at least in a region of the detection sensor, from an electrically non-conductive material.

13. The door device of claim 1 , wherein the door-opening device comprises a child safety device.

14. The door device of claim 1 , wherein the door comprises an operating device provided at a front panel of the door.

15. The door device of claim 14 , wherein the door-opening device comprises a child safety device, said control unit configured to electronically activate and deactivate the child safety device via the operating device.

16. The door device of claim 15 , wherein the child safety device is configured to disable an automatic opening of the door due to the presence of an object in the detection region.

17. The door device of claim 14 , wherein the operating device is configured to actuate the door-opening device.

18. The door device of claim 1 , wherein the door-opening device comprises a door hook arranged at the door, a drive device provided separately from the door for linear actuation of the door hook, and a rotary catch arranged on a drive device side to allow unlocking of the door hook for opening the door.

19. The door device of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the door is outside the immediate vicinity of the handle element.

20. The door device of claim 19 , wherein the handle element is configured to facilitate manually opening the door.

21. A domestic appliance, comprising:
a door device having a door;
a handle element set within a recessed portion of: one of two vertical side surfaces of the door or a top surface of the door, wherein the top surface and the two vertical side surfaces extend away from a front face of the door;
a door-opening device for automatic opening of the door; and
a control unit;
wherein the door comprises at least one detection sensor integrated into the door, the at least one detection sensor being configured to detect user contact or proximity in a detection region located within said recessed portion; and
wherein the control unit is configured for controlling the door-opening device in response to information received from the detection sensor.

22. The domestic appliance of claim 21 , constructed in the form of an oven.

23. The domestic appliance of claim 21 , wherein the two vertical side surfaces are one of a first vertical longitudinal side surface or a second vertical longitudinal side surface arranged opposite the first vertical longitudinal side surface, and the top surface extends between the first and second vertical longitudinal side surfaces.

24. The domestic appliance of claim 21 , wherein the two vertical side surfaces are one of a first vertical longitudinal side surface or a second vertical longitudinal side surface arranged opposite the first vertical longitudinal side surface, the top surface extends between the first and second longitudinal side surfaces, and the domestic appliance further comprises a further handle element, the handle element being arranged at one of: the first and second vertical longitudinal side surfaces or the top surface.

25. The domestic appliance of claim 24 , wherein the one of said first and second vertical longitudinal side surfaces and the top side surface each have a slit for arrangement of the handle elements.

26. The domestic appliance of claim 21 , wherein the handle element is a bar which comprises an engagement region.

27. The domestic appliance of claim 26 , wherein the engagement region is a corner-free channel.

28. The domestic appliance of claim 27 , wherein the corner-free channel has a first channel limb facing a door front and a second channel limb facing away from the door front, said first channel limb being defined by a length which is longer than a length of the second channel limb.

29. The domestic appliance of claim 21 , wherein, when the handle element is arranged behind a front panel of the door such that the handle element is concealed from a front surface of the door.

30. The domestic appliance of claim 21 , wherein the detection sensor is a capacitive sensor.

31. The domestic appliance of claim 21 , wherein the detection sensor has an electrode arranged in the door behind the handle element.

32. The domestic appliance of claim 31 , wherein the electrode is arranged at the handle element behind an engagement region.

33. The domestic appliance of claim 21 , wherein the handle element is made, at least in a region of the detection sensor, from an electrically non-conductive material.

34. The domestic appliance of claim 21 , wherein the door-opening device comprises a child safety device.

35. The domestic appliance of claim 21 , wherein the door comprises an operating device provided at a front panel of the door.

Assignees

• Mollet Gael
• Steiner Pierre
• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Becker Jeremy
• Mollet Gael
• Steiner Pierre

Classifications

• E05Y2900/308

  for ovens · CPC title

• E05F15/73 Primary

  responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects · CPC title

• F24C15/024 Primary

  Handles · CPC title

• F24C15/027

  located at bottom side of housing · CPC title

• F24C15/02 Primary

  Doors specially adapted for stoves or ranges · CPC title