The present invention relates to door connection apparatuses used for mounting hinged doors in dishwashers.

Dishwashers widely used nowadays are front-loaded white goods equipped with hinged door systems. In such type of machines, in which kitchen utensils to be cleaned are placed in lower and upper dish racks disposed in the machine, the door situated at the front side of machine is sized so as to completely expose the front of the washing compartment with respect to placing and removing the kitchen utensils. These doors rotate around a single axis by means of a hinge mechanism, and this axis is parallel to the ground. When the door is completely opened, it comes parallel to the ground, and the lower dish rack is pulled and brought over the door for placing/removing kitchen utensils. Therefore, the doors of dishwashers sustain the weight of filled lower dish racks.

Additionally, dishwasher doors are frequently opened and closed within a day since they are used frequently. Therefore, the hinge mechanisms of doors become subjected to loads and resultantly to wearing-out. The complex structures of hinge mechanisms in turn bring about difficulties with respect to assembly and service.

Other problems encountered in said hinge mechanisms are the loosening, which occurs in time, and the running clearances, which occur on moving components. These clearances cause the dishwasher door to close incompletely so that water leaks out of the dishwasher as the latter is in operation.

There have been various improvement efforts made for door hinge mechanisms of dishwashers according to the prior art. The published patent DE10259065 may be referred to as a relevant example. In the embodiment according to this application is disclosed a connection apparatus for mounting the dishwasher door and the connection of this apparatus to the door pin. For this purpose, a slot is formed on one side of the connection apparatus, wherein this slot is placed a bearing bush. The door is mounted to said apparatus, and this apparatus is attached to the door pin by means of the bearing bush.

An open slot is provided at one side of the bearing bush described in DE10259065 so that the assembly is made by introducing the door pin into the slot. While the bearing bush is placed on the pin, the spring arms in said slot are flexed, such that the pin is fully settled into the slot. While in this position, the spring arms are released from the pin and restored, and prevent the removal of the pin from the slot. In this connection manner, however, the pin may exert pressure on spring arms in a counter direction, and the spring arms may become flexed back, resulting in a running clearance between the pin and the bearing bush that is larger than the normal running clearance. This is an unwanted case for mounting the door. Additionally, due to the structure of the bearing bush, it may not provide full surface contact with the pin.

The utility model document DE 29621599 U1 discloses a door connection apparatus which comprises a plate shaped mounting arm with a channel into which a pin is introduced so that the door movement is limited by the channel and the pin. Said apparatus determines a simple and robust connection mechanism.

The subject door connection apparatus is likewise developed for mounting hinged doors in dishwashers. Said apparatus comprises a mounting arm on which the door is connected, a bearing part and a fixation element which connects these two parts together. The mounting arm contains a channel, extending from the side of the arm to the interior, with one end open and the opposite bottom part having the form of a semicircle. A projection on the bearing part is introduced into the channel at the mounting arm, and the side of projection facing the bottom part of the channel is provided with a leaning surface with a semicircle form. The cylindrical door pin of the dishwasher is supported between said bottom part and the leaning surface.

When the bearing part is attached to the mounting arm, the bottom part with the semicircle form and the leaning surface come together, resulting in a full-circle gap. This gap is the gap where the door pin is disposed. Bearing the door pin in said full-circle gap provides full surface contact between the door pin and the door connection apparatus. In other words, the door pin becomes borne within a uniform surface.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a connection apparatus to be used for mounting the doors of dishwashers to the latter.

Another objective of the present invention is to ensure the placement of the door connection apparatus to the door pin in a rapid and practical manner.

A further objective of the present invention is to form a structure to provide full surface contact between the door pin and the connection apparatus.

Still a further objective of the present invention is to form an inexpensive, reliable and robust structure for connecting the door connection apparatus to the door pin.

An exemplary dishwasher and the respective exemplary door connection apparatus according to the present invention are illustrated in annexed figures briefly described hereunder.

• Figure 1 is a side view of the interior of an exemplary dishwasher.
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of the dishwasher door connection apparatus in a mounted form.
• Figure 3 is a perspective view of the dishwasher door connection apparatus prior to being mounted to the dishwasher.

The parts in said figures are individually enumerated as following:

• Door connection apparatus (A)
• Dishwasher (1)
• Door placement region (1a)
• Mounting arm (2)
• Door pin (3)
• Bearing part (4)
• Fixation element (5)
• End of the mounting arm (21, 22)
• Channel (23)
• Bottom part (24)
• Side surface (25)
• Orifice (26)
• Surface (40)
• Projection (41)
• Leaning surface (42)
• Orifice (46)

Figure 1 illustrates the side view of the interior of an exemplary dishwasher (1). As is known, the dishwasher's door (not illustrated in figures) is placed onto a placement region (1 a) at the front of the dishwasher (1). At the lower part of the door is disposed a door connection apparatus (A) according to the present invention. Said door connection apparatus (A) is developed for mounting hinged doors to dishwashers. (The apparatus (A) is used at both ends of the dishwasher door for providing the door with a balanced movement.)

In figures 2 and 3 are given perspective illustrations of the connection apparatus (A), in mounted form and prior to mounting, respectively. The door connection apparatus (A) comprises a mounting arm (2), a bearing part (4) and a fixation element (5). Said mounting arm (2) has a plate-shaped structure, with one end (21) used for directly connecting the dishwasher door and the other end (22) used for coupling a mechanism which prevents the door from falling down (this mechanism, which is usually equipped with a spring, is not illustrated in the figures).

At the edge of the mounting arm (2) is provided a channel (23), extending from outside to the interior, with one end open and the opposite bottom part (24) having the form of a semicircle. The channel (23) is formed so that the cylindrically-structured door pin (3) is passed through it (23). When the door pin (3) rests against the bottom part (24) of the channel (23), the pin (3) and the mounting arm (2) become relatively rotating in each other. This rotation motion is required for opening and closing the door coupled to the arm (2). The door pin (3) is fixed in the machine body, whereas the central axis of the cylindrical pin (3) constitutes the rotational axis of both the mounting arm (2) and the door.

As for the bearing part (4), it is used for preventing the removal or dislocation of the mounting arm (2) over the door pin (3), and for bearing the door pin (3) together with the mounting arm (2). The bearing part (4) in turn has a plate-shaped structure, with one surface (40) leaning against the side surface of the mounting arm (2) (against the surface which is opposite to the side surface (25) illustrated in Figure 3). The bearing part (4) is provided with a projection (41), extending out of said surface (40) thereof, this projection (41) becoming introduced into the channel (23) in the mounting arm (2).

The projection (41) is introduced to perform only linear movement within the channel (23) and closes the channel (23). For this reason, the bearing element (4) and the mounting arm (2) are prevented from making rotative motion relative to each other. At the side of the projection (41) that faces the bottom part (24) of the channel (23) is in turn formed a leaning surface (42) with a semicircle form. When the bearing part (4) is attached to the mounting arm (2), the bottom part (24) with the semicircle form and the leaning surface (42) come together, resulting in a full-circle gap. This gap is the gap where the door pin (3) is disposed. Bearing the door pin (3) in said full-circle gap provides full surface contact between the door pin (3) and the door connection apparatus (A). In other words, the door pin (3) becomes borne within a uniform surface.

As referred to supra, once the mounting arm (2) is attached to the door pin (3), the bearing part (4) is attached to the mounting arm (2) such that the removal of the arm (2) from the pin (3) is prevented. This structure is also used for bearing the door pin (3). For fixing the bearing part (4) to the mounting arm (2), one orifice (26, 46) is provided on each of both parts (2, 4), these orifices (26, 46) becoming coaxial when the parts (2, 4) are attached to each other. Both parts (2, 4) are fixed to each other by introducing into these orifices (26, 46) a fixation element (5), such as a screw, a rivet, or another standard fixation element. Screws or rivets are preferably used with respect to convenience of assembly.