Patent ID: 8215135

Claim:
A door locking assembly for use in an appliance receiving electrical power from a power line and having a door that may be opened to provide access to a wash chamber, the door locking assembly comprising: (a) a bi-stable electromagnetic locking mechanism adapted to move between a locked state in which the bi-stable electromagnetic locking mechanism is in a first position that holds the door closed until an electrical unlock signal is received and, an unlocked state in which the bi-stable electromagnetic locking mechanism is in a second position that allows the door to be freely opened until an electrical lock signal is received; the electromagnetic locking mechanism further adapted to remain stably in the locked state or unlocked state absent application of the electrical unlock signal or the electrical lock signal, wherein (i) the electrical lock signal is an application of electrical power that drives the bi-stable electromagnetic locking mechanism to the first position substantially simultaneously with the application of electrical power, and (ii) the electrical unlock signal is an application of electrical power that drives the bi-stable electromagnetic locking mechanism to the second position substantially simultaneously with the application of electrical power; and (b) a thermal actuator moving in response to electrical heating and cooling of an actuator component and communicating with the bi-stable electromagnetic locking mechanism, the thermal actuator attached to the power line and adapted to: (1) store energy while the power line provides electrical power without moving the bi-stable locking mechanism and (2) use the stored energy to move the bi-stable electromagnetic locking mechanism to the unlock state when the bi-stable electromagnetic locking mechanism is in the locked state and power is lost at the power line at a predetermined delay time after the power is lost at the power line.