RETRACTABLE CONTROL DEVICE FOR DOMESTIC APPLIANCE

• US 20120198958A1
• Filed: 02/01/2012
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Giuliani, Marco, Venezia, Michele, Rydel, Tomasz, Mazurek, Marcin, Mello, Sacha
• Granted Patent: US 8,534,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/503
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/08 Controlling members for hand actuation by rotary movement, e.g. hand wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/087 retractable; Flush control knobs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20468 Sliding rod
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2084 Knob or dial
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20846 Slidable

Abstract

A retractable control device for a household electrical appliance includes a knob movable against an elastic member within an aperture or seat of a control interface of the appliance. The knob is configured to assume two working positions including a first position in which the knob is seated in the aperture and a second position in which the knob extends outwardly therefrom. The knob cooperates with a control member for a functional element of the appliance, such as an electrical resistance heater or microwave generator of an oven, or a gas burner of a cooking hob. The device also includes a cylindrical element disposed and fixed in the aperture of the control interface about the knob. The cylindrical element contains the knob when the knob is in its first position and guides its movement within the aperture along a central longitudinal axis thereof.

Claims

1. A retractable control device for a household electrical appliance comprising, positioned on a control interface of said appliance, a pushbutton or knob movable against an elastic member within an aperture or seat of said interface, said knob being able to assume two working positions, in a first of which it is inserted in said aperture and in the second of which it is extracted therefrom, said knob cooperating with a control member for a functional element of said appliance, such as an electrical resistance heater or microwave generator of an oven, or a gas burner of a cooking hob, said control member being positioned below the interface, a cylindrical element being disposed and fixed in the aperture of this latter about the knob, characterized in that said cylindrical element contains the knob when this is in its first working position and guides its movement within the aperture along a central longitudinal axis thereof, said element also blocking oscillation of the pushbutton or knob in planes perpendicular to said axis.

2. The device of claim 1, characterized in that the control member comprises the elastic member, said member being of the push-pull type or the like.

3. The device of claim 1, characterized in that the cylindrical element presents a tubular body and comprises an inner part with which a perimetral part of the knob is on contact when in its first working position, said inner part, by virtue of said contact, maintaining the knob centered on the longitudinal axis of its seat.

4. The device of claim 3, characterized in that said inner part is the inner face of a lateral wall of the cylindrical element inserted into the knob seat.

5. The device of claim 3, characterized in that said inner part is a cylindrical portion positioned inside and coaxial to the cylindrical element, it having a length at least approximately equal to that of said element and being fixed to a lateral wall thereof via an annular part present at one end of said cylindrical element inside the knob seat, an annular interspace being defined between said cylindrical portion and said cylindrical element to receive the perimetral wall of the knob when this is in its first working position.

6. The device of claim 5, characterized in that said cylindrical portion cooperates with a inner collar of the knob positioned along the perimetral wall of this latter, said portion preferably penetrating elastically deformable parts cooperating with said collar.

7. The device of claim 3, characterized in that the annular part present at the end of the cylindrical element is flared towards the longitudinal axis of the seat of the knob and presents an inclined portion or surface, said flared annular part being arranged to cooperate with an element at least operationally associated with the knob such as to prevent oscillation of this latter about the central longitudinal axis through its seat.

8. The device of claim 7, characterized in that that part operationally associated with the knob is a flanged portion of the control member.

9. The device of claim 1, characterized by comprising at least one of the following characteristics:

the control member cooperates with a body of substantially circular-based frusto-conical cup shape with an end portion provided with a hole for passage of an end of said member to secure it to the knob, said body presenting a plurality of radially distributed elastically movable projections having their free ends lying on a circumference of diameter exceeding that of the perimetral wall of the tubular body of the cylindrical element, said body rigid with the control member being internal to said cylindrical element and having its projections in contact with the perimetral wall of this latter, said contact centering the knob within the seat and blocking its oscillation about the longitudinal axis of this latter;

at that end inserted into its seat, the knob presents a plurality of radially disposed lugs with their end laying on a circumference having a diameter greater than that of the perimetral wall of the tubular body of the cylindrical element, said lugs being elastically deformable and bearing on the perimetral wall of the cylindrical element such as to center the knob on the longitudinal axis of its seat and block any oscillation about that axis.

10. The device of claim 1, characterized in that the cylindrical element comprises elastically deformable lugs, at least one of which presents a coupling element arranged to cooperate with a surface of the user interface facing the appliance interior, the tubular body of this cylindrical element presenting a flanged end to be disposed in the knob seat and rest on that surface of the user interface facing the user.

11. A retractable control device for a household electrical appliance, comprising:

a body secured to a control interface of the appliance, the body including an end wall and a cylindrical side wall that define a chamber,

a control member positioned in the chamber of the body, the control member including a first element secured to the end wall of the body and a second element moveable relative to the first element,

a knob coupled to the second element of the control member and moveable relative to the body, and

a centering frame including a shell extending outwardly from an open end of the chamber of the body, the shell including (i) an opening, (ii) a cylindrical inner wall extending inwardly from the opening to a lower inner wall to define an aperture in the shell, and (iii) a hollow shaft extending from the lower inner wall,

wherein (i) the hollow shaft of the centering frame extends over the second element of the control member, (ii) an annular passageway is defined between the hollow shaft and the cylindrical inner wall of the centering frame, and (iii) the knob includes a cylindrical outer wall that is positioned in the annular passageway.