Patent ID: 8109543

Claim:
A blocking device for a door of an electric household appliance, said device comprising: a retaining member rotatable about a first axis of rotation between a work position and a rest position for locking and unlocking the door, respectively; an elastic element for biasing the retaining member into the rest position; a push member for moving the retaining member into the work position in opposition to the elastic element, wherein said push member is moveable between first and second operating positions corresponding to the work position and the rest position of the retaining member, respectively; a wheel having a number of radially projecting lobes equally spaced and separated circumferentially by respective gaps, said wheel being rotatable about a second axis of rotation which is perpendicular to the first axis of rotation of the retaining member, said wheel lying in a plane parallel to and different from that containing the first axis of rotation of the retaining member; an electrically controllable actuator for moving the wheel selectively between a first angular position, in which said lobes do not interfere with a rotational movement of the retaining member, thus allowing the retaining member to rotate between the work position and the rest position, and a second angular position, in which one of said lobes interferes with the rotational movement of the retaining member, thus locking the retaining member in the work position in opposition to the elastic element.