(19)
(11) EP 0 844 352 B1

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION

(45) Mention of the grant of the patent:
12.03.2003 Bulletin 2003/11

(21) Application number: 97500196.7

(22) Date of filing: 20.11.1997
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7E05D 7/10, D06F 39/14

(54)

Hinged fastening device for household appliance door

Gelenkbefestigungsvorrichtung für Haushaltgeräte-Tür

Dispositif de fixation à charnière pour porte d'un appareil ménager


(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE FR GB IT NL

(30) Priority: 26.11.1996 ES 9602499

(43) Date of publication of application:
27.05.1998 Bulletin 1998/22

(73) Proprietor: BSH Balay, S.A.
50059 Zaragoza (ES)

(72) Inventor:
  • Boved, Ismael Gracia
    50059 - Zaragoza (Spain) (ES)

(74) Representative: Richter, Harald, Dr. et al
BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH, Postfach 10 02 50
80076 München
80076 München (DE)


(56) References cited: : 
EP-A- 0 527 418
DE-A- 4 040 291
FR-A- 2 577 976
US-A- 3 921 254
EP-A- 0 579 069
DE-B- 1 056 574
US-A- 1 641 036
   
       
    Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention).


    Description

    OBJECT OF THE INVENTION.



    [0001] As is expressed in the title of the present descriptive report, the following invention consists of a device for the hinged fastening of household appliances doors, which is preferably useful for its adaptation to automatic washing machines, allowing the door assembly in a simple and fast way and giving at the same time an appropiate stability to the door, avoiding some plays.

    [0002] In this way, a considerable reduction of workforce is gotten because the assembly of the turn spindle of the conventional washing machines doors is a laborious task, being also its disassembly very laborious with the added drawback of the inappropiate stability of the door once it is disassembled and it has been assembled again, while both the assembly and the disassembly of the new device of hinged fastening can be carried out in a simple and fast way since the assembly is carried out through the simple clip and the disassembly acting on a spring.

    [0003] Thus, the device is based on the assembly between the body of the apparatus door and the front structure of the chassis that closes the door, so that it is formed by a pair of projections that are inserted into the respective orifices of the apparatus structure, being one of these projections moving.

    FIELD OF APLICATION.



    [0004] The device for the hinged fastening for a household appliance door is especially applicable for its incorporation to an automatic washing machine, allowing the easy and quick assembly and disassembly of the door with regard to its turn spindle.

    BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.



    [0005] In DE 40 40 291 A1 for the hinged fastening of the door of an automatic washing machine there is a pair of L-shaped and at least nearly axial projections fastened with the front chassis of the household appliance and provided with wing parts parallel to the front chassis. The wings are provided with a pair of holes corresponding one to another on the same axis and holding a pivotally shaft which is, on the other side, fastened with a frame part of the door by an axle box and a fixing plate screwed to the frame.

    [0006] This embodiment is very laborious, not only because of the manipulation that must be realized of all the components that form it, but also because its assembly is very difficult in view of the workman cannot realize easily all the necessary manipulations of the elements, having to invest a lot of time in the cited task with the economic repercussion that it causes.

    [0007] In the other hand, the disassembly of the door of the automatic washing machine is very laborious too, and besides once it has been disassembled and assembled again, the door often acquires a slight resistance that can cause it does not close properly.

    DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION.



    [0008] In the present report, a device for the hinged fastening system for a household appliance door is described, which utility is for the preferred incorporation to automatic washing machines. This household appliance comprises a body that is joined to the front chassis of the household appliance and is formed by a frame like a circular crown with a U-shaped general section with strengthenings. The frame contains a door glass so that the frame surrounds a front loading opening of the front chassis and the glass covers it while the door is closed.

    [0009] Therefor two adjacent strengthenings are provided with respective holes which are faced and aligned and one of said strengthenings is provided with a bevel over the hole. This matter is proper for easily mounting the door to the hing, when the projections of the door frame has a flexible positioned pivot shaft.

    [0010] The door comprises a frame that is provided with a pair of L-shaped axial projections whose wings are free to the external side and the axial projections have an addition of thickness in their free extreme and in relationship to its external lateral side.

    [0011] The axial projections comprises respective hinge projections for the arrangement within the holes, so that one of that hinge projections is fixed while the opposite hinge projection is mounted movable in a housing and is forced by a spring.

    [0012] Thus, during the door assembly the fixed projection will be inserted into the corresponding hole of one of the strengthenings with U-shaped outline of the frame on which is backed the door frame in its closing, while the second moving projection will be inserted into the hole of the opposite strengthening, making its assembly easy because of the sliding of the upper bevel to the socket hole.

    [0013] The disassembly of the door will be obtained in a simple and fast way, only acting with a tool on the moving projection for the compression of the spring that affects it, until it can be extracted from the hole where it is inserted so that the door can be liberated.

    [0014] In order to complement the description which is made hereinafter and for the purpose of providing a better understanding of its characteristics, the present descriptive report is accompanied by a set of drawings, in whose figures the most significant details of the invention described in the present report are represented in an illustrative an not limitative way.

    BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DESIGNS.



    [0015] Figure 1.- It shows a detailed perspective view of the backing bodies with the closing means, where we can observe the pair of projections that will act like turn spindles of the household appliance door when they are inserted into the corresponding holes of the pair of strengthenings of the frame with U-shaped outline that is interlocked to the apparatus. We also can observe that the door frame has been represented in relationship to the side of backing on the interlocked frame to the apparatus that has been represented in a frontal way.

    [0016] Figure 2.- It shows a detailed section view of the assembly way of the door in the frame which is interlocked to the frontal chassis of the household appliance, where we can observe how the fixed projection is inserted into its corresponding hole and the moving projection also will be inserted into its corresponding hole so that the cited fulfilment is favoured by its sliding through the upper bevel to the fitting hole.

    DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT.



    [0017] In view of the above cited figures and in accordance with the used numbering, we can observe how the device (1) for the hinged fastening of household appliances doors (2) to the body (3) of the apparatus chassis is made up of the installation of a pair of axial L-shaped projectings (9) in the frame (4) of the door (2) with their free wing to the external part, which has an external adittion of thickness. These projectings are placed in relationship to the U-shaped outline (5) that is joined to the apparatus chassis in relationship to a pair of strengthenings (6) that are endowed of the respective holes (7) where will be inserted the respective projections (10) and (11), which will act as turn spindles.

    [0018] For that, the L-shaped axial projectings (9) of the frame (4) of the door (2), have respective projections (10) and (11) in relationship to their external side, so that the projection (10) is fixed while the projection (11) is moving because it is placed in a housing that is affected by the action of a spring (12). Logically, the trip of the cited moving projection to the external part is limited, avoiding its flight.

    [0019] On the contrary, the body (3) of the frontal apparatus chassis, that is backed to the door (2) and doses it, is formed by a general U-shaped outline (5) which has a whole of strengthenings (6) between its wings so that two of the contiguous strengthenings (6) have respective aligned holes (7) with regard to their faced sides, so that one of the strengthenings (6) has an upper bevel (8) on the corresponding hole (7).

    [0020] Likewise, for making the coupling connection of both bodies easy, the contiguous strengthenings (6) can show both bevels (8) placed on their corresponding holes (7) so that thus the assembly is made easy because the projections, that act as a spindle, can slide through the corresponding bevels (8).

    [0021] In this way, during the assembly of the door (2), the axial projectings (9) stay between the pair of strengthenings (6), being the fixed projection (10) inserted into the corresponding hole (7) of one of the strengthenings (6), while the moving projection (11) will be inserted into the hole (7) of the opposite strengthening (6) so that the cited embodiment makes easy the bevel (8) on which the projection (11) can slide until it is inserted into the hole (7).

    [0022] Thus, the assembly of the door (2) is done in a simple way so the amount of labour decreases substantially. Besides, its disassembly also is carried out in a simple way because we only have to act on the moving projection (11), through a conventional tool, in a easy way for moving it until it can be took apart of its placement and to take out the fixed projection next so that the door remains dismounted in all.

    [0023] Besides, at the moment in which the door has been dismounted and mounted again, it remains with equal stability without adquiring the minimum play so that it has a bigger useful life with perfect conditions of stability and watertighness.


    Claims

    1. Hinged fastening system for a household appliance door (2) which utility is for the preferred incorporation to automatic washing machines, the household appliance comprising a body (3) that is joined to the front chassis of the household appliance and is formed by a frame (5) like a circular crown with a U-shaped general section with strengthenings (6), two adjacent strengthenings (6) being provided with respective holes (7) which are faced and aligned and at least one of said strengthenings (6) being provided with a bevel (8) over the hole (7), the door (2) comprising a frame (4) that is provided with a pair of L-shaped axial projections (9) whose wings are free to the external side, the axial projections (9) having an addition of thickness in their free extreme and in relationship to its external lateral side, the axial projections (9) comprising respective hinge projections (10, 11) for the arrangement within the holes (7), so that one of that hinge projections (10) is fixed while the opposite hinge projection (11) is mounted movable in a housing and is forced by a spring (12).
     


    Ansprüche

    1. Gelenkbefestigungssystem für eine Haushaltsgerätetür (2), das bevorzugt in automatische Waschmaschinen eingegliedert werden soll, wobei das Haushaltsgerät einen Körper (3) umfasst, der mit dem Vorderchassis des Haushaltsgeräts verbunden ist und von einem Rahmen (5) ähnlich einer kreisförmigen Krone gebildet wird, die im Schnitt allgemein U-förmig ist und Verstärkungen (6) aufweist, wobei zwei benachbarte Verstärkungen (6) entsprechende gegenüberliegende und aufeinander ausgerichtete Löcher (7) aufweisen und mindestens eine der Verstärkungen (6) eine Abschrägung (8) über dem Loch (7) aufweist, wobei die Tür (2) einen Rahmen (4) mit einem Paar L-förmiger axialer Vorsprünge (9) umfasst, deren Flügel nach außen hin frei und an ihrem freien Ende und in Bezug auf ihre äußere Seite verdickt sind, wobei die axialen Vorsprünge (9) entsprechende Gelenkvorsprünge (10, 11) zur Anordnung in den Löchern (7) aufweisen, sodass einer der Gelenkvorsprünge (10) festgelegt ist, während der gegenüberliegende Gelenkvorsprung (11) beweglich in einem Gehäuse angebracht ist und von einer Feder (12) angetrieben wird.
     


    Revendications

    1. Système de fixation articulé pour porte d'appareil ménager (2), qui est de préférence utilisé pour être adapté à des machines à laver automatiques, l'appareil ménager comprenant un corps (3) qui est rattaché au châssis avant de l'appareil ménager et est formé par un cadre (5) semblable à une couronne circulaire avec une section générale en U avec des raidisseurs (6), deux raidisseurs (6) adjacents étant dotés de trous (7) respectifs qui sont opposés et alignés et au moins un desdits raidisseurs (6) étant doté d'un biseau (8) sur le trou (7), la porte (2) comprenant un cadre (4) qui est équipé d'une paire de gonds axiaux en L (9) dont les ailes sont libres du côté extérieur, les gonds axiaux (9) ayant une surépaisseur à leur extrémité libre et en relation avec à leur côté latéral externe, les gonds axiaux (9) comprenant des goujons (10, 11) respectifs pour la disposition dans les trous (7), de manière à ce qu'un des goujons (10) soit fixe tandis que le goujon opposé (11) soit monté de manière mobile dans un logement et soit forcé par un ressort (12).
     




    Drawing