Door latch for an electrical household appliance

• US 9,107,560 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2011
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: emz-Hanauer GmbH & Co. KGaA
• Original Assignee: emz-Hanauer GmbH & Co. KGaA
• Inventors: Bauriedl, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Fulton, Kristina
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cumar, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US13/295,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20120119522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 292/288, 292/336.3, 292/336, 292/332, 292 97- 99, 292/DIG.69, 292/DIG.26, 292/228
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4259 Arrangements of locking or security/safety devices for doors, e.g. door latches, switch to stop operation when door is open
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/14 Doors or covers; Securing means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/0025 Devices for forcing the wing firmly against its seat or to initiate the opening of the wing E05B15/022, E05B65/0817, E05B81/20, E05C19/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0603 the detent moving rectilinearly
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 19/024 with a bifurcated latch
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 5/00 Fastening devices with bolts moving otherwise than only rectilinearly and only pivotally or rotatively E05C9/1883, E05C19/009, E05B63/125, E05B63/126, E05B63/127 take precedence; pivotally-mounted hooks-like fastenings with toggle action E05C19/14; bayonet-type locks E05B63/125; locks for sliding wings, with additional movement E05B65/0817
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1061 Rigid

Abstract

A door latch for an electrical household appliance includes a closing spring arrangement which is tensioned in an open position of the door latch and relaxes upon closing of the door, and a gripping unit which grips a closing element upon closing of the door and releases it again upon opening of the door. The gripping unit in the open position of the door latch is in blocking engagement with a blocking element. The closing element upon the closing of the door causes a rotary movement of the gripping unit about an axis of rotation where the gripping unit comes out of blocking engagement with the blocking element. The gripping unit has a base body bearing at least one supporting projection, projecting coaxially with respect to the axis of rotation, for supporting the gripping unit.

Claims

1. A door latch for an electrical household appliance, the door latch comprising:

a closing spring arrangement which is tensioned in an open position of the door latch and relaxes upon closing of the door;

a gripping unit which grips a closing element upon closing of the door and releases it again upon opening of the door;

the gripping unit in the open position of the door latch being in blocking engagement with a blocking element owing to the force of the closing spring arrangement and thus preventing the relaxation of the closing spring arrangement;

the closing element upon the closing of the door causing a rotary movement of the gripping unit about an axis of rotation;

the gripping unit upon this rotary movement coming out of blocking engagement with the blocking element and thereby enabling a relaxation of the closing spring arrangement;

the relaxation of the closing spring arrangement causing a subsequent pull-shut movement of the gripping unit, the pull-shut movement including a translatory travel of the gripping unit transverse to the axis of rotation;

the gripping unit having a base body with a gripping section for gripping engagement with the closing element, the base body having at least one supporting projection that directly engages the closing spring arrangement for supporting the gripping unit and wherein the at least one supporting projection projects coaxially with respect to the axis of rotation;

wherein the closing spring arrangement has a spring active axis which always intersects the supporting projection.

2. The door latch according to claim 1, wherein the at least one supporting projection projects axially on both sides from the base body, and the closing spring arrangement has a spring active axis assigned to each supporting projection and intersecting the respective supporting projection.

3. The door latch according to claim 1, further comprising a guiding arrangement for guiding the supporting projection during the pull-shut movement of the gripping unit.

4. The door latch according to claim 3, wherein the guiding arrangement forms a rectilinear guiding path for the supporting projection.

5. The door latch according to claim 3, wherein the guiding arrangement has a guiding channel or a guiding slot, in to which the supporting projection plunges for its guidance.

6. The door latch according to claim 1, wherein the closing spring arrangement is supported on the supporting projection without interposition of further elements.

7. The door latch according to claim 1, wherein the closing spring arrangement is supported on the supporting projection with interposition of an intermediate member, the supporting projection being radially unsupported in relation to the intermediate member.

8. The door latch according to claim 1, wherein the supporting projection is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the base body.

9. The door latch according to claim 1, wherein the supporting projection (38) is of peg-like form.

10. The door latch according to claim 1, wherein the supporting projection is formed by a pin body which is separate from the base body and is inserted into a pin receptacle of the base body.

11. The door latch according to claim 10, wherein the base body is produced from a plastics material and the pin body is formed by a metal pin.

12. The door latch according to claim 1, wherein the supporting projection is formed integrally with the base body.

13. The door latch according to claim 12, wherein the supporting projection is reinforced by a metal reinforcing pin surrounded by the material of the supporting projection.

14. The door latch according to claim 1, wherein the at least one supporting projection projects axially on both sides from the base body and the closing spring arrangement comprises in each case one helical compression spring assigned to each supporting projection.

15. The door latch according to claim 1, further comprising a latch housing having at least one guiding shaft formed therein for receiving at least a part of a helical spring associated with the closing spring arrangement.

16. The door latch according to claim 15, further comprising a guiding formation for guiding the supporting projection upon the pull-shut movement of the gripping unit is formed on the guiding shaft.

17. The door latch according to claim 4, wherein the guiding arrangement has a guiding channel or a guiding slot in to which the supporting projection plunges for its guidance.

18. The door latch according to claim 2 further comprising a guiding arrangement for guiding the supporting projection during the pull-shut movement of the gripping unit.

19. A door latch for an electrical household appliance, the door latch comprising:

a closing spring arrangement which is tensioned in an open position of the door latch and relaxes upon closing of the door;

a gripping unit which grips a closing element upon closing of the door and releases it again upon opening of the door;

a guiding arrangement for guiding a supporting projection during the pull-shut movement of the gripping unit;

the gripping unit in the open position of the door latch being in blocking engagement with a blocking element owing to the force of the closing spring arrangement and thus preventing the relaxation of the closing spring arrangement;

the closing element upon the closing of the door causing a rotary movement of the gripping unit about an axis of rotation wherein the gripping unit has only one axis of rotation;

the gripping unit upon this rotary movement coming out of blocking engagement with the blocking element and thereby enabling a relaxation of the closing spring arrangement;

the relaxation of the closing spring arrangement causing a subsequent pull-shut movement of the gripping unit, the pull-shut movement including a translatory travel of the entire gripping unit in a linear direction transverse to the axis of rotation;

the gripping unit having a base body with a gripping section for gripping engagement with the closing element, the base body having at least one supporting projection that projects coaxially with respect to the axis of rotation for supporting the gripping unit

wherein the closing spring arrangement has a spring active axis which always intersects the supporting projection.

20. A door latch for an electrical household appliance, the door latch comprising:

a closing spring arrangement, which is tensioned in an open position of the door latch and relaxes upon closing of the door, is supported on a supporting projection with interposition of an intermediate member, the supporting projection being radially unsupported in relation to the intermediate member;

a gripping unit which grips a closing element upon closing of the door and releases it again upon opening of the door;

the gripping unit in the open position of the door latch being in blocking engagement with a blocking element owing to the force of the closing spring arrangement and thus preventing the relaxation of the closing spring arrangement;

the closing element upon the closing of the door causing a rotary movement of the gripping unit about an axis of rotation wherein the gripping unit has only one axis of rotation;

the gripping unit upon this rotary movement coming out of blocking engagement with the blocking element and thereby enabling a relaxation of the closing spring arrangement;

the relaxation of the closing spring arrangement causing a subsequent pull-shut movement of the gripping unit, the pull-shut movement including a translatory travel of the entire gripping unit in a linear direction transverse to the axis of rotation;

the gripping unit having a base body with a gripping section for gripping engagement with the closing element, the base body having the supporting projection that projects coaxially with respect to the axis of rotation for supporting the gripping unit

wherein the closing spring arrangement has a spring active axis which always intersects the supporting projection.