Patent ID: 6334637
Filing Date: 2002-01-01
Classification: D06F,E05B,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A locking and unlocking device for the door of a domestic electrical appliance, comprisinga support housing with an opening for the introduction of a hook member connected to the door, a retaining member mounted to move with respect to the housing between a rest position in which it enables the hook member to be introduced into this opening and an operating position in which it is adapted to retain the hook member introduced into the opening, locking means including a locking member that can move in the housing between a disengaged and an engaged position, in which it is adapted to enable and respectively to prevent the retaining member from moving from the operating position to the rest position, and control means that can be electrically actuated and are adapted to control the position of this locking member, the control means comprising an electrically controlled actuator adapted, whenever it is actuated, to cause a toothed wheel mounted to rotate in the housing and having a predetermined cam or toothed control profile to rotate by a predetermined amount; the cam or toothed control profile of the toothed wheel being coupled directly to a projection of the locking member such that in at least a first and respectively a second angular position of this wheel the cam or toothed control profile is adapted to retain and respectively release the locking member preventing and respectively enabling it to move from the disengaged to the engaged position; wherein the toothed wheel has a crown of saw teeth which are equally angularly spaced, cooperating with a hook-shaped end of a control member mounted to move in the support housing under the action of the actuator, the arrangement being such that each excitation of the actuator causes, via the control member, the toothed wheel to rotate by an amount corresponding to a tooth of the saw tooth crown.