A cabinet apparatus having a magnetic connection between a door and an inner movable receptacle

Abstract

 The invention relates to a cabinet apparatus (1) , for example a dishwashing machine, having a magnetic connection device (10) for magnetically connecting a door (5) and an inner movable receptacle (6) housed in the chamber ; the device (10) includes a first and a second magnetically cooperating members (11,12), which are carried by the receptacle (6) and the door (5) respectively or vice versa, and engage one the other by magnetic connection for interconnecting the receptacle (6) and the door (5) to effect outward movement of the receptacle when the door is opening. The first member (11) has a revolution body (15) which extends around a rotation axis (R) and is rotationally arranged on a support (16), which is fixed to a front portion (26) of the receptacle (6), to rotate with respect to the support around the rotation axis, and projects from the support to contact a surface (38) associated with the second member (12) and roll on said surface when the door (5) is closing.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a cabinet apparatus, for example a household appliance and in particular a dishwashing machine, having a casing and at least one receptacle movable in an inner chamber of the casing, and magnetically cooperating members for interconnecting the receptacle and the door to effect outward movement of the receptacle when the door is opening.

[0002] A cabinet apparatus having a magnetic connection between a cabinet door and an inner movable receptacle is disclosed for example by EP-A-1776914. More specifically, this document discloses a dishwashing machine having a door provided with a large plate-shaped magnet and movable baskets carrying ferromagnetic elements engaged by the magnet. Each ferromagnetic element is a cylinder-shaped body integrally carried by a bracket mounted on a basket. The magnet on the door is moved by operating means between an operative position, in which the magnet effect movement of the basket when the door is opening, and a resting position, in which the position of the basket remains unchanged when the door is opening.

[0003] This solution is not free from drawbacks. First, in order to ensure an effective magnetic interaction and an appropriate pop-out effect on the basket, a relatively large and therefore expensive magnet is required, also in view of the necessity to compensate for different height position of the basket (which can usually be selected by the user). Moreover, when the door is closing and directly contacts the ferromagnetic element, this latter element may scratch and damage the door inner surface. Finally, operating means for moving the magnet in the resting position are quite complicated and require substantial modification in the door structure, so increasing overall manufacturing costs, and also collect dirtiness.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a cabinet apparatus, for example a household appliance and in particular a dishwashing machine, having a magnetic connection between a door and an inner movable receptacle and designed to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks.

[0005] According to the present invention, there is provided a cabinet apparatus comprising a casing, having an inner chamber and an opening for access to the chamber; a door, hingedly connected to the casing for opening/closing the opening; at least one receptacle housed in the chamber and movable with respect to the casing; and a first and a second magnetically cooperating members, which are carried by the door and the receptacle respectively or vice versa, and engage one the other by magnetic connection for interconnecting the receptacle and the door to effect outward movement of the receptacle when the door is opening; the apparatus being characterized in that the first member comprises a revolution body which extends around a rotation axis and is rotationally arranged on a support to rotate with respect to the support around the rotation axis, and projects from the support to contact a surface of the second member and roll on said surface when the door is closing.

[0006] The apparatus according to the invention has therefore a simplified structure when compared with known solutions, requiring a smaller and cheaper magnet element; all components are easy to manufacture and assemble. At the same time, the apparatus of the invention is also fully effective and reliable in use.

[0007] Preferably, the first member is a magnet element comprising a magnet and carried by the receptacle, and the second member is a magnetic armature attracted by the magnet and carried by the door.

[0008] According to an important aspect of the invention, the apparatus of the invention is further characterized in that the support is provided with guide means and the first member engages the guide means and is movable along a path defined by the guide means.

[0009] The first member can therefore be easily moved between an active position, in which the members magnetically engage one the other to effect movement of the receptacle by opening the door, and an inactive position, in which the members do not engage magnetically and the receptacle does not move by opening the door.

[0010] Non-limiting embodiments of the present invention are described hereinbelow by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic section view of a cabinet apparatus according to the present invention;
• Figure 2 is a schematic larger-scale section view of a detail of the apparatus of Figure 1, showing a magnetic connection device according to the invention;
• Figure 3 is a perspective larger-scale view of a first member of the device of Figure 2;
• Figure 4 is a schematic section view of a component of the member of Figure 3.

[0011] With reference to Figure 1, number 1 indicates a cabinet apparatus having a magnetic connection between a door and one or more inner movable receptacles; in particular, apparatus 1 is an electric household appliance, for example a dishwashing machine; nevertheless, the following description also applies to any type of household appliance and, more broadly, of cabinet apparatus having an inner chamber closed by a door and housing at least one movable receptacle.

[0012] Apparatus 1 comprises a casing 2, having an inner chamber 3 and an opening 4 for access to chamber 3; a door 5, hingedly connected to casing 2 for opening/closing opening 4; and at least one receptacle 6 housed in chamber 3 and movable with respect to casing 2.

[0013] Door 5 is mounted on casing 2 in a known way, for example by conventional hinges 7 positioned in a front lower portion of casing 2; door 5 moves about a substantially horizontal axis.

[0014] In the example shown in Figure 1, chamber 3 houses two receptacles 6 defined by respective baskets and movably mounted (in a known way, not described in details for the sake of simplicity) on respective pairs of side tracks 8 to slide along respective movement directions D (parallel to each other and substantially horizontal); each receptacle 6 is movable between a retracted position, in which receptacle 6 is housed entirely in chamber 3, and a forward extended position, in which receptacle 6 projects outside chamber 3.

[0015] Receptacles 6 are connected to door 5 by magnetic connection devices 10 that selectively interconnect each receptacle 6 to door 5 to effect outward movement of receptacle 6 when door 5 is opening. Clearly, just one receptacle 6 may be magnetically connected to door 5 by a magnetic connection device 10. Hereinbelow, for the sake of simplicity, reference is made to just one receptacle 6 and a respective magnetical connection device 10.

[0016] With reference also to Figures 2 to 4, device 10 comprises two magnetically cooperating members 11, 12 which are carried by receptacle 6 and door 5 respectively or vice versa, and engage one the other by magnetic connection for interconnecting receptacle 6 and door 5 to effect outward movement of receptacle 6 along movement direction D when door 5 is opening.

[0017] In the non-limitative embodiment shown in the Figures, member 11 is carried by receptacle 6 and member 12 is carried by door 5; and member 11 is a magnet element comprising a magnet 13, while member 12 comprises a magnetic (e.g. ferromagnetic) armature 14 attracted by magnet 13.

[0018] Member 11 comprises a revolution body 15 which extends around a rotation axis R and is rotationally arranged on a support 16 to rotate with respect to support 16 around rotation axis R. In particular, rotation axis R is substantially perpendicular to movement direction D.

[0019] In the example shown, body 15 is a wheel or roller; according to another variation, body 15 is a ball or a substantially ball-shaped body.

[0020] In any case, body 15 is provided with opposite pins 17 projecting from opposite ends of body 15 and aligned along rotation axis R. Each pin 17 has a free end provided with an annular radially projecting edge 18 that defines a connecting tooth 19.

[0021] Body 15 has a magnetic core 21, defining magnet 13, and an outer covering layer 22 which completely surrounds core 21 and is made of soft and/or low friction material, e.g. a polymer material; layer 22 is advantageously over-injected over core 21, but it may also be applied to core 21 in any other known way; for example, layer 22 may consist of shells positioned around core 21. Pins 17 are advantageously made of the same material as layer 22. Core 21 has preferably a sandwich structure comprising a series of alternate magnet portions 23, for example rare earth magnets, and ferromagnetic portions 24, for example made of iron. Portions 23, 24 are substantially discshaped and fitted around a central metal bar 25, for example made of brass.

[0022] Support 16 is integrally fixed (in any known way) to a front, preferably lower, portion 26 of receptacle 6.

[0023] In the embodiment shown, support 16 comprises a hollow body 27 provided with a seat 28 housing member 11; in particular, hollow body 27 comprises two substantially parallel sides 29, facing each other and having respective front edges 30, and seat 28 is defined between sides 29.

[0024] Sides 29 are provided with respective grooves 31 or guides facing each other and defining guide means 32 for guiding member 11 along a path P. Each groove 31 is engaged by a pin 17; teeth 19 are housed inside grooves 31 to prevent disengagement. Member 11 is movable along path P substantially crosswise with respect to rotation axis R.

[0025] Each groove 31 is so shaped as to present three differently oriented sections connected to one another by bends and extending along respective axes inclined with respect to one another to define respective path sections P1, P2, P3.

[0026] Grooves 31 are designed in such a way that member 11 is movable along path P between at least one active position A (shown in solid lines in Figure 2 and also in Figure 3), in which members 11, 12 magnetically engage one the other to effect movement of receptacle 6 by opening door 5, and an inactive position B (shown in dotted lines in Figure 2), in which members 11, 12 do not engage magnetically and receptacle 6 does not move by opening door 5.

[0027] In active position A, member 11 projects frontally from support 16; in particular, a radially outer portion 35 of body 15 projects beyond front edges 30 outside seat 28.

[0028] In inactive position B, member 11 is completely housed in seat 28, and radially outer portion 35 does not project beyond front edges 30.

[0029] Member 12 is carried by door 5, in particular by an inner wall 37 of door 5 facing chamber 3; advantageously, but not necessarily, member 12 is housed inside the door structure behind wall 37, and is therefore hidden inside door 5 so as appearance of door 5 is not affected by member 12. Clearly, member 12 may be differently installed on door 5, being for example applied on wall 37, or housed in a niche formed in wall 37, and being either flush with surrounding wall 37 or projecting from wall 37 into chamber 3.

[0030] Magnetic armature 14 substantially consists of a plate or strip made of ferromagnetic material, e.g. ferromagnetic iron, and is provided or associated with a substantially flat surface 38 facing chamber 3: if member 12 is positioned behind wall 37 (as shown in figure 2), surface 38 is defined by a surface portion of wall 37 (made of a material which does not impede magnetic connection between members 11, 12), i.e. member 12 also includes said surface portion of wall 37; if member 12 projects from door 5 into chamber 3, surface 38 is defined by a front surface of member 5.

[0031] When door 5 is closed, armature 14 faces support 16 and surface 38 is close to, but does not contact, front edges 30. Armature 14 extends vertically (when door 5 is closed) and has a predetermined length, selected for a desired movement effect on receptacle 6.

[0032] When member 11 is in active position A and door 5 is closed, member 11 projects frontally from support 16 and radially outer portion 35 of body 15 projects beyond front edges 30 outside seat 28 to contact surface 38 and roll on surface 38 during movement of door 5. members 11, 12 magnetically engage one the other so as receptacle 6 is drawn alongside movement direction D by opening movement of door 5.

[0033] When member 11 is in inactive position B, member 11 is completely housed in seat 28, and radially outer portion 35 does not project beyond front edges 30; members 11, 12 accordingly do not engage magnetically and receptacle 6 does not move by opening door 5.

[0034] In order to allow connection device 10 to compensate for a possible construction/assembly tolerance chain between door 5 and receptacle 6 (in fact, door 5 may be differently spaced apart from receptacle 6), member 11, subject to a push exerted by door 5, is freely movable along path section P1, in particular for selectively assuming two (or more) active positions A, C (the latter being shown in dash-and-dot lines in figure 2): in each active position A, C member 11 projects from support 16 as described above and magnetically engage member 12.

[0035] Active positions A, C allow connection device 10 to adapt to different positions of door 5 with respect to receptacle 6, without requiring direct intervention of the user on connection device 10. Grooves 31 are designed in such a way member 11 is pushed by surface 38, when door 5 is closing, into one of active positions A, C. Member 11 is moved along path section P1 from one active position to the other by the push of door 5 when door 5 is closing, but without intervention by the user member 11 remains stable in path section P1 and is prevented from reaching inactive position B.

[0036] If the user wants to prevent receptacle 6 from being moved by opening movement of door 5, the user brings manually member 11 from active position A or C into inactive position B. Member 11 moves along path sections P2 and P3 to reach inactive position B. Member 11 remains stable in inactive position B until member 11 is moved away in another position by the user.

[0037] In order to allow connection device 10 to compensate for vertical adjustment of receptacle 6 with respect to casing 2 and therefore to door 5 (for example in dishwashing machines wherein the upper basket/receptacle can be selectively brought by the user in different vertical positions by an adjustment mechanism), armature 14 of member 12 is dimensioned (i.e. has a length along door 5 when door 5 is closed) in such a way magnetic connection between members 11, 12 occurs in each vertically-adjusted position of receptacle 6.

[0038] In use, when door 5 is closed, member 11 is in one of the active positions A, C. Outer portion of body 15 project from seat 28 to contact surface 38 of armature 14.

[0039] When the user opens door 5 to access chamber 3, door 5 rotates and draws receptacle 6, since members 11, 12 cooperate by magnetic connection; receptacle 6 slides along movement direction D insofar as members 11, 12 are magnetically engaged.

[0040] Members 11, 12 remain magnetically connected while door 5 is opening for a predetermined extent, i.e. for a first portion, of the rotation movement of door 5; receptacle is brought in the forward extended position; then the magnetic connection is interrupted as a consequence of the curved movement of member 12 (carried by door 5) and the linear movement of member 11 (carried by receptacle 6). When the magnetic connection is interrupted, receptacle 6 remains in the forward extended position.

[0041] Then, when the user closes door 5, and member 11 is still in one active position A or C, surface 38 contacts body 15 and pushes back receptacle 6. Body 15 rolls on surface 38 and rotates around rotation axis R, so preventing surface 38 from being scratched or otherwise damaged.

[0042] As already mentioned, if the user does not want that receptacle 6 be moved by opening door 5, the user moves member 11 into inactive position B. When member 11 is in inactive position, opening movement of door 5 does not affect receptacle 6, that remains in the retracted position.

[0043] Clearly, many changes may be made to the apparatus as described and illustrated herein without, however, departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the enclosed Claims.

[0044] For example, in a first variation, member 11 as previously described (i.e. mounted on support 16 fixed to receptacle 6) is not a magnet element, while member 12 (carried by door 5) comprises, instead of a ferromagnetic armature, a magnet 13. In this variation, body 15 has a ferromagnetic core 21 covered by an over-injected outer layer 22 made of plastic material and attracted by magnet 13. Magnet 13 is substantially flat shaped and has a surface 38 for contacting body 15. Advantageously, magnet 13 is an electromagnet connected to a control circuit (known per se), so as the electromagnet can be switched off. Magnet 13 can be large enough to effectively interact with member 11 in any vertically adjusted position of receptacle 6; or can be shifted in different height position to adapt to respective vertical position of receptacle 6. Control circuit can also be used to select special operation programs, for example for adjusting automatically the magnetic force exerted by magnet 13, or for excluding the intervention of magnet 13 under specific use conditions.

[0045] In another variation, member 11 (including magnet 13 and revolution body 15) is mounted on support 16 that is carried by wall 37 of door 5; member 11 projects from wall 37 in chamber 3 and faces member 12 (comprising armature 14 provided with surface 38) carried by front portion 26 of receptacle 6. In this variation, member 11 can also be arranged to be movable vertically on door 5 between at least one active position and an inactive position; a spring can also be used to maintain member 11 in the desired position.

Claims

1. A cabinet apparatus (1) comprising a casing (2), having an inner chamber (3) and an opening (4) for access to the chamber; a door (5), hingedly connected to the casing for opening/closing the opening; at least one receptacle (6) housed in the chamber and movable with respect to the casing; and a first and a second magnetically cooperating members (11, 12), which are carried by the receptacle (6) and the door (5) respectively or vice versa, and engage one the other by magnetic connection for interconnecting the receptacle (6) and the door (5) to effect outward movement of the receptacle when the door is opening; the apparatus being characterized in that the first member (11) comprises a revolution body (15) which extends around a rotation axis (R) and is rotationally arranged on a support (16) to rotate with respect to the support around the rotation axis, and projects from the support to contact a surface (38) associated with the second member (12) and roll on said surface when the door (5) is closing.

2. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the support (16) is integrally fixed to a front portion (26) of the receptacle (6).

3. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support (16) is provided with guide means (32) and the first member (11) engages the guide means and is movable along a path (P) defined by the guide means.

4. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, characterized in that the support (16) has two sides (29) provided with respective grooves (31) facing each other and defining the guide means (32), the first member (11) being housed between the sides (29) and having opposite end pins (17) engaging the grooves (31).

5. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the first member (11) is movable between at least one active position (A), in which the members (11, 12) magnetically engage one the other to effect movement of the receptacle (6) by opening the door (5), and an inactive position (B), in which the members (11, 12) do not engage magnetically and the receptacle (6) does not move by opening the door (5).

6. An apparatus as claimed in one of Claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the guide means (32) are designed in such a way the first member (11) is pushed by the surface (38) associated with the second member (12), when the door (5) is closing, into an active position (A), in which the first member (11) projects frontally from the support (16) to contact said surface (38).

7. An apparatus as claimed in one of Claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the guide means (32) are designed in such a way the path (P) comprises a first path section (P1), in which the first member (11) is movable for selectively assuming two active positions (A, C), in each of which active positions the first member (11) projects from the support (16) to contact the surface (38) associated with the second member (12).

8. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 7, characterized in that the first member (11) is moved from one active position (A, C) to the other by the push of the door (5) when the door is closing.

9. An apparatus as claimed in one of the foregoing Claims, characterized in that the revolution body (15) has a magnetic core (21) surrounded by an outer layer (22) of soft and/or low friction material, e.g. a polymer material.

10. An apparatus as claimed in the preceding Claim, characterized in that the magnetic core (21) has a sandwich structure comprising rare earth magnet portions (23) and ferromagnetic portions (24).

11. An apparatus as claimed in one of the foregoing Claims, characterized in that the first member (11) is a magnet element comprising a magnet (13), and the second member (12) comprises a magnetic armature (14) attracted by the magnet (13).

12. An apparatus as claimed in one of the foregoing Claims, characterized in that the revolution body (15) is a rotating wheel, roller or ball mounted on the support (16).

Drawing