Patent ID: 7654590

Claim:
A washing appliance comprising: a door; an elastomeric compression seal; a washing chamber closable by the door compressing the elastomeric seal between the door and washing chamber to provide a watertight seal; a latch holding the door to compress the elastomeric seal between the door and the washing chamber against an opening force exerted on the door by the elastomeric seal, the latch having: a ferromagnetic strike attached to one of the housing and the door; a magnetic attractor attached to an other of the housing and door and having a pole face abutting the ferromagnetic strike when the door is closed against the housing; a permanent magnet magnetically communicating with the pole face to magnetically retain the ferromagnetic strike against the pole face in a first state with a force of magnetic attraction greater than an opening force between the door and washing chamber exerted by the elastomeric compression seal; an electromagnet magnetically communicating with the pole face to counteract the permanent magnet and release the ferromagnetic strike from the pole face in a second state when the electromagnet is energized; a user operable door handle attached to the door for opening the door and for energizing the electromagnet upon activation of the handle by a user; and a motorized door closure mechanism attached to one of the housing and the door and to one of the ferromagnetic strike and magnetic attractor to move the one of the ferromagnetic strike and magnetic attractor to an extended position whereby the pole face may be magnetically attached to the ferromagnetic strike before substantial compression of the seal and to move the magnetically attached pole face and ferromagnetic strike to a retracted position compressing the seal to watertight configuration.