Door lock device of drum washing machine and washing machine having the same

• US 8,661,859 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2010
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Han Kyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Perrin, Joseph L
• Application Number:
  US12/662,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20100283362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 68/3.R, 68/122.6, 681/96, 292/DIG.69
• US Class Current: 68/12.26
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/28 Doors; Security means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/42 Safety arrangements, e.g. for stopping rotation of the receptacle upon opening of the casing door
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0959 Swinging catch

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a door lock device of a drum washing machine and a drum washing machine having the same, a door of which is opened by force of a predetermined magnitude or greater. The door opening is accomplished by providing a door lever of the door lock device with a bent portion. The bent portion formed at the door lever creates a predetermined angle X° between a contact point between a holding protrusion of the door lever and a raised portion of a body of the washing machine, a center point of a door lever shaft, and a contact point between a handle contact portion of the door lever and a door handle, allowing the door to be opened upon receiving force of a predetermined magnitude or greater.

Claims

1. A drum washing machine comprising:

a body having an opening;

a door to open or close the opening;

a door switch to lock the door; and

a door lock device coupled to the door switch,

wherein the door lock device includes a door lever pivotally installed to the door and selectively inserted into or separated from the door switch and a door handle in contact with the door lever,

wherein the door lever includes a hook portion having a holding protrusion selectively caught by or released from the body, a rotating portion rotatably coupled to the door and having a rotation center, and a handle contact portion coming into contact with the door handle and a bent portion formed between the hook portion and the rotating portion to enable release of coupling between the door and the body by force of a predetermined magnitude or greater applied to the door, and

wherein the holding protrusion extends from the hook portion in a first direction, the handle contact portion extends from the rotating portion in a second direction, and the bent portion is bent in a third direction between the first direction and the second direction while protruding toward a center of the door.

2. The drum washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the body comprises a raised portion, and wherein the holding portion is selectively caught by or released from the raised portion.

3. The drum washing machine according to claim 2, the door lever further includes a connecting portion to connect the hook portion and the rotating portion to each other, and the connecting portion includes a first connecting portion linearly extending from the hook portion to the bent portion, and a second connecting portion extending from the bent portion to the rotating portion, the second connecting portion being oblique relative to the first connecting portion.

4. The drum washing machine according to claim 3, wherein:

an angle defined between a contact point between the holding protrusion and the raised portion, the rotation center of the rotating portion, and a contact point between the handle contact portion and the door handle is between about 35°

to about 75°

.

5. The drum washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the door lever contains at least one of die-cast zinc and die-cast aluminum.

6. The drum washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the door lever is made of a mixture of PolyOxyMethylene (POM) resin and glass fiber.

7. The drum washing machine according to claim 6, wherein a concentration of the glass fiber in the mixture is in a range of about 10% to about 30%.

14. The drum washing machine of claim 1, wherein a horizontal distance D1 between the holding protrusion and the rotation center of the rotating portion is larger than a horizontal distance D2 between one end of the handle contact portion and the rotation center.

8. A door lock device of a drum washing machine, the door lock device comprising:

a door lever inserted into a body of the drum washing machine; and

a door handle in contact with the door lever and rotatablv coupled to the door,

wherein the door lever includes a hook portion having a holding protrusion selectively caught by or released from the body, a rotating portion rotatably coupled to the door and having a rotation center, and a handle contact portion coming into contact with the door handle and a bent portion formed at a position thereof to enable release of coupling between the door and the body by force of a predetermined magnitude or greater applied to the door,

wherein the holding protrusion extends from the hook portion in a first direction, the handle contact portion extends from the rotating portion in a second direction, and the bent portion is bent in a third direction between the first direction and the second direction while protruding toward a center of the door, and

wherein an angle defined between an end of the hook portion, the rotation center of the rotating portion, and a contact point between the handle contact portion and the door handle is between about 35°

to about 75°

.

9. The door lock device according to claim 8, wherein the door lever includes a connecting portion to connect the hook portion and the rotating portion to each other, and the connecting portion includes a bent portion.

10. The door lock device according to claim 9, wherein the connecting portion includes a first connecting portion linearly extending from the hook portion to the bent portion, and a second connecting portion extending from the bent portion to the rotating portion, the second connecting portion being oblique relative to the first connecting portion.

11. The door lock device according to claim 8, wherein the door lever contains at least one of die-cast zinc and die-cast aluminum.

12. The door lock device according to claim 8, wherein the door lever is made of a mixture of PolyOxyMethylene (POM) resin and glass fiber.

13. The door lock device according to claim 12, wherein a concentration of the glass fiber in the mixture between about 10% to about 30%.

15. A door lock device of a drum washing machine, the door lock device comprising:

a door lever inserted into a body of the drum washing machine; and

a door handle in contact with the door lever,

wherein the door lever includes a hook portion having a holding protrusion selectively caught by or released from the body, a rotating portion rotatably coupled to the door and having a rotation center, a handle contact portion coming into contact with the door handle and a connecting portion to connect the hook portion and rotating portion to each other,

wherein an end of the hook portion and the rotation center of the rotating portion are spaced apart from each other at opposite sides of the connecting portion, to enable release of coupling between the door and the body by force of a predetermined magnitude or greater applied to the door, and

wherein a horizontal distance D1 between the holding protrusion and the rotation center of the rotating portion is larger than a horizontal distance D2 between one end of the handle contact portion and the rotation center.

16. The door lock device according to claim 15, wherein the connecting portion includes a center bent portion, a first connecting portion extending from the hook portion to the bent portion, and a second connecting portion extending from the bent portion to the rotating portion.

17. The door lock device according to claim 16, wherein the door lever contains at least one of die-cast zinc and die-cast aluminum.

18. A door lock device of a drum washing machine, the door lock device comprising:

a door lever inserted into a body of the drum washing machine; and

a door handle in contact with the door lever,

wherein the door lever includes a hook portion having a holding protrusion selectively caught by or released from the body, a rotating portion rotatably coupled to the door and having a rotation center, a handle contact portion coming into contact with the door handle and a connecting portion to connect the hook portion and rotating portion to each other,

wherein an end of the hook portion and the rotation center of the rotating portion are spaced apart from each other with a horizontal distance therebetween, to convert force applied to the door into force for release of coupling between the door and the body, and

wherein a horizontal distance D1 between the holding protrusion and the rotation center of the rotating portion is larger than a horizontal distance D2 between one end of the handle contact portion and the rotation center.

19. The door lock device according to claim 18, wherein the connecting portion includes a center bent portion, a first connecting portion extending from the hook portion to the bent portion, and a second connecting portion extending from the bent portion to the rotating portion.

20. The door lock device according to claim 19, wherein the door lever contains at least one of die-cast zinc and die-cast aluminum.