LOADING PORT OPENING AND LOCKING MECHANISM CONTROLLED FROM THE FRONT PANEL

Abstract: The present invention is related to a mechanism for opening and locking that is used to open the front loading port in the washing machines and the like that operates by the help of a button and is controlled from the front panel. In an embodiment of the referred mechanism realised for machines with thermostat, a coupling cam (7) seated on the shaft of the rotating on/off knob clutches a door opening cam (8) being on the same shaft between the angles 0 DEG and 30 DEG anticlockwise and turns with this spacing. After 0 DEG position which is the cold water position the door-opening cam (8) disengages itself from the coupling cam (7) and becomes free whereas the latter turns and makes temperature adjustment. After the front door (4) is opened, return to the cold water position is provided by the help of a spring. A wire, one end of which is fixed to the door opening cam (8) and the other end to the safety knob (3) provides the connection between these two elements. The mechanism according to the present invention provides the front port opening system to be controlled from the front panel instead of a system that is controlled by a handle thus eliminating the need for separate moulds for panels with and without thermostat.

Description: LOADINGPORT OPENINGANDLOCKINGMECHANISM CONTROLLEDFROMTHE FRONTPANEL The present invention is related to door opening and locking mechanisms controlled from the front panel, which are used to open the front loading port in washing machines and the like and which operate by the help of a button. One of the known and applied examples of door opening and locking mechanisms is pull and push systems. In these systems the cost is high and they consist of two push-buttons, a door lock and a wire. In the mechanism disclosed in the European Patent Application No EP 942 01091.9, a steel part is used in the place of the safety knob. In this mechanism, the operation of port opening is prevented when the washing machine is in operation centrifuge condition. Another group of systems known and currently applied is turning (rotating) systems wherein the door opens by turning the button to left or right. A push button is used for the on/off function and another button is used for the door opening function. The object of the present invention is to realize a front loading port opening system that can be controlled from the front panel instead of the handle controlled system which is now being used. Another object of the present system is to realize the elimination of the need for separate moulds for panels with and without thermostat and the integration of the port opening function into the system. The loading port opening and locking mechanism realised to achieve the object of the invention is shown in the attached drawings wherein: Figure la, shows the position of the cams in a machine with thermostat, at cold water position. Figure lb, shows the position of the cams in a machine with thermostat, at 90°C position. Figure lc, shows the position of the cams in a machine with thermostat, at port opening position of the button at 30° reverse direction. Figure 2, is the section view of port-locked position. Figure 3, is the section view of port opening position. Figure 4, is the section view of port-open position. Figure 5- port opening cam Figure 6, raising cam The reference numbers for the corresponding parts in the figures are as follows: 1 ) On/off knob or thermostat 2) Wire 3) Safety switch 4) Front loading port 5) Machine body 6) Component connection sheet 7) Raising cam 8) Port opening cam Using a turning on/off knob instead of a retractable on/off push-button in a machine without thermostat helps achieving the first object. A cam is placed in the rotative on/off knob realized in order to achieve the second object, which also allows the knob to return to the off position following a turn of 30° to the left from the "O" position. In the mechanism developed for the machines without thermostat, there is a port opening cam fitted on the pin of turning on/off knob, a wire (2) and safety knob (3). The wire (2) is fastened to the said port opening cam on one end and to the safety knob (3) on the other end and provides the connection between these two elements. The function of the port opening cam is to convert the rotary movement of the on/off knob to the linear movement of the wire. When the on/off knob is turned 90° in clockwise direction, the knob comes to the ON position. If the machine is to be stopped before the washing programme is not completed or when the programme is completed, in order to open the port (4), the knob is first brought to OFF position; thus opening the port when the machine is still operating, i.e. at ON position, is avoided. When the knob is turned 30° in anti clockwise direction by using the cam, the wire (2) rises upwards and by the help of the mechanism on the safety knob, the front loading port (4) is opened. The safety knob (3) is provided with a bimetal in order to prevent the opening of the port during the centrifuge step of the washing cycle. This bimetal locks the safety knob while the machine is operating, it also prevents the upwards movement of the wire (2) and provides a delay of at least 50 seconds before the port is opened. When the machine is stopped or the programme is completed the main energy supply to the bimetal is interrupted and the port may be opened minimum 50 seconds later. In the mechanism developed for machines with thermostat, there is a thermostat allowing the knob to move up to 30° anti clockwise from the "cold water position". The only difference from the machine without thermostat is that the cam in the turning on/off knob that provides its return cannot be placed in the thermostat. For this reason a spring and a raising cam (7) is incorporated to the mechanism. This raising cam (7) clutches the port opening cam (8) only between the positions of "O°" and 30° anticlockwise angles and turns together with the port opening cam (8) in this interval. After the 0° position, being the cold water position, the port opening cam (8) disengages from the raising cam (8) and remains at a free position whereas the raising cam (8) turns and makes temperature adjustment. In a machine with thermostat, a spring connected to the port opening cam (8) provides the return of the turning on/off knob to cold water receiving position, after the front loading port (4) is opened. The restriction of the port opening operation only by 30° in anti clockwise direction is provided by the thermostat and on/off knob. One (8) of the two cams on the D-form pin of this knob is round to allow a free rotation and the other (7) is also in D-form to make it turn together with the pin.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Loading port opening and locking mechanism for washing and similar machines, controlled from the front panel and characterized in that it provides the opening of the port by means of a raising cam and a port opening cam, while a mechanism on the safety knob used in washing machines is commanded from the front panel with the help of a wire, and a rotary movement of 30° in the anti clockwise direction is added to the movement of the temperature adjusting knob between 0°-270°. 2. Loading port opening and locking mechanism according claim 1, characterized in that in the machines without thermostat, a feature of port- opening at 30° in anticlockwise direction is added to its ON position at 90°. 3. Loading port opening and locking mechanism according claim 1, characterized in that one (8) of the two cams on the D-formed pin of the thermostat and on/off knob providing the restriction of the front port opening movement only at 30° in the anti clockwise direction, is round-shaped and the other cam (7) is D-shaped so that it may turn together with the pin.

Inventors: ORHUN HAKAN, ORHUN, HAKAN
Applicants: ARCELIK AS, ORHUN HAKAN, ARCELIK A.S., ORHUN, HAKAN
Application year: 1997
Main classification: D06F
IPC codes: D06F37, D06F39