EP1826308B1

EP1826308B1 - Device for closing and opening the access to a compartment

Info

Publication number: EP1826308B1
Application number: EP06425123A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Silvano Fumagalli
Original assignee: Candy SpA
Current assignee: Candy SpA
Priority date: 2006-02-28
Filing date: 2006-02-28
Publication date: 2009-06-24
Anticipated expiration: 2026-02-28
Also published as: EP1826308A1; DE602006007434D1

Description

The present invention relates to a device for closing and opening the access to a compartment in which said access is formed in a wall of the structure of a machine, comprising a hatch which can be displaced about a virtual axis of rotation between a first position where it is situated arranged over the access to the said compartment, resulting in closing thereof, and a second position, angularly displaced with respect to the first position, where the access to the compartment is open, as well as resilient recall means acting on said hatch.
Particularly, although not exclusively, the device is applicable to the hatch for closing and opening the access to the compartment containing the extractable filter of a washing machine where said access is formed in a wall of the machine and is accessible from the outside of the latter.
According to the prior art, the hatches of the type indicated above are usually connected to an edge of the compartment access zone by means of a hinge-type joint which comprises one or more pins aligned along the axis about which the rotation or angular displacement of the hatch occurs.
According to the prior art, therefore, the hatch devices of the type and for the purposes mentioned above comprise a plurality of mechanical component parts which necessarily include, in addition to the resilient means for recalling the hatch into the closed position or into the open position, the pins for the hinged joint.
An example of a known hatch device provided with pins for the hinged joint is shown in US-A-3,698,781 .
It is obvious that the presence of the pins constitutes a cost factor which, in the case of production on an industrial scale, may be quite considerable.
The object of the present invention is to eliminate this cost factor and to use portions of the resilient means for recalling the hatch in order to join the latter to the wall of the machine in which the access to the compartment is provided.
This object is achieved by the device according to the invention in accordance with Claim 1 which follows.
The invention will now be described more fully with reference to a preferred example of embodiment, provided solely by way of a non-limiting example shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows the device according to the invention in a perspective view from the inside of the wall of the machine in which the access to the compartment is formed, the latter not being shown for the sake of clarity of the illustration, with the door in the closed position;
Figure 2 shows the device according to the invention as in Figure 1, but with the hatch in the open position;
Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the device according to the invention with the hatch in the open position, seen from the outside of the wall in which the access is formed;
Figure 4 shows an exploded perspective view of the hatch and the resilient means of the device according to the invention, seen from the inside of the wall in which the access is formed;
Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the device according to the invention mounted on the filter containing compartment of a washing machine, seen from the inside of the wall in which the access to the compartment is formed, with the compartment partially detached from the access for the sake of clarity of the illustration.

With reference to the abovementioned figures, 1 denotes the wall of a machine, for example a washing machine, in which the access 2 to a compartment, denoted overall by 3 in Figure 5, is formed, said compartment being, for example, the compartment containing the extractable filter.
The wall 1 is, in a conventional manner, associated with a structural part of the machine which is denoted by 4 and situated perpendicularly or, more generally, at an angle with respect to the wall 1.
The access 2, which is usually in the form of one or more openings, is closed and opened by a hatch 5 which is displaceable about a virtual axis V-V (Fig. 4) between a first position where it is arranged over the access 2 of the said compartment 3, causing closing thereof, and a second position, angularly displaced with respect to the first position, where the access 2 to the compartment 3 is open.
A conventional resilient tongue 5a is intended to engage with a lug 2a (Fig. 2) formed on the edge of the access 2 and ensures that the hatch 5 is kept in the closed position.
The virtual axis V-V lies substantially close and parallel to the bottom side 5c (Fig. 3) of the hatch 5.
The hatch 5 is provided with a pair of feet 6 and 7 projecting in cantilever fashion from its wall 5b which, in the closed position, is arranged over the access 2.
The feet 6 and 7 are intended to be inserted inside a pair of corresponding openings 8 and 9 (Fig. 1) formed in the wall 1 of the machine in which the access 2 is provided, in respective positions spaced and aligned with each other along a straight axis which, in Figure 4, is indicated by A-A.
The feet 6 and 7 are slidable inside the respective openings 8 and 9 following the angular displacements of the hatch 5 and the openings act as a guide for their movement, the contour of the openings 8 and 9 being such as to correspond substantially to the larger cross-section of the respective feet.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 5, each foot 6 and 7 projects from the wall 5b of the hatch 5 at an angle which is acute when viewing the feet from the edge 5c of the said hatch 5.
Each foot 6 and 7, at the respective free end, is provided with a seat, denoted by 10 and 11, having a mainly straight extension parallel to the said virtual axis V-V of angular displacement of the hatch 5. Each seat 10 and 11 is open towards the wall 5b of the hatch and closed on the opposite side.
The seats 10 and 11 are open at at least one of the ends of their straight extension and, in a preferred manner, are open at both the ends.
The device according to the invention is completed by resilient recall means which are denoted overall by 12 and consist, in the example shown in the drawings, of piano wire which is bent so as to assume a curved configuration indicated by 13. Respective spirally wound portions 14 and 15 are formed at the ends of the curved configuration 13 and terminate in respective straight rod- like sections 16 and 17.
The straight sections 16 and 17 are intended to be inserted inside the respective seats 10 and 11 of the free ends of the feet 6 and 7, while the curved part 13 is intended to rest against the wall 4 integral with the wall 1.
Preferably, although not necessarily, the part with a curved configuration 13 is fixed to the wall 4 by conventional means, not shown, for example by welds, screws or grooved seats.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, these straight end sections 16 and 17 of the resilient means 12 are folded so as to have their respective free ends directed in the same direction parallel to the straight extension of the seats 10 and 11 of the ends of the feet 6 and 7 so as to facilitate their insertion inside the seats 10 and 11.
Advantageously the sections 16 and 17 have a length greater than the straight extension of the respective seats 10 and 11 of the feet so as to be able to press against the wall 1 when the hatch 5 is in the position where the access to the compartment is free and the feet 6 and 7 are almost completely extracted from the openings 8 and 9.
From the above description it can be understood that the hatch 5 is mounted on the access 2 of a compartment by inserting the feet 6 and 7 inside the respective openings 8 and 9 formed in the wall 1 of the machine. Assembly is completed by axially inserting the free sections 16 and 17 of the resilient recall means 12 inside the respective seats 10 and 11 of the feet, resiliently deforming the curved part 13 and the spiral parts 14, 15.
The hatch 5 in this way remains fixed to the wall 1 without the need to use pins, with the possibility of being angularly displaced about a virtual axis V-V substantially coinciding with its bottom edge 5c.
The same resilient members intended to recall the hatch 5 into the closed position act, with their end parts 16 and 17, as means for joining the hatch 5 to the wall 1, with a considerable saving in the cost of manufacture of the device and assembly thereof.
Although in the example illustrated the virtual axis of angular displacement of the hatch 5 has been shown in a horizontal position, it is obvious that it may also be situated in a vertical position.

Claims

Device for closing and opening the access (2) to a compartment (3), in which said access (2) is formed in a wall (1) of the structure of a machine, comprising;
- a hatch (5) displaceable about a virtual axis of rotation (V-V) between a first position where it is arranged over the access (2) of the said compartment, causing closing thereof, and a second position, angularly displaced with respect to the first position, where the access (2) to the compartment is open said hatch (5) being provided with a pair of feet (6, 7) which are integral with the inside wall (5b) of the hatch which, in the closed position, is arranged over the access (2) of the compartment and which project from this wall;

- pairs of openings (8, 9) formed in the wall (1) of the machine in which the said access (2) to the compartment is formed, said openings (8, 9) being spaced and aligned with each other in a direction (A-A) parallel to the virtual axis (V-V) about which the angular displacement of said hatch (5) occurs;.

- the said feet (6, 7) being inserted inside a respective opening of the said pair of openings (8, 9) and being slidable inside the latter following the angular displacement of the hatch (5), said openings (8,9) acting as guides for the feet (6, 7);

- resilient recall means (12) acting on said hatch;

- said resilient recall means (12) comprising parts (16, 17) each of which is engaged with the free end (10, 11) of a respective foot (6, 7) and abuting against the said wall (1) of the machine when the hatch (5) is displaced into its second position where the access (2) to the compartment is open
characterized in that said parts of the resilient recall means (12) engaged with the ends of the respective feet (6, 7) comprise straight rod-like sections (16, 17) able to be inserted inside respective seat (10, 11) provided at the free end of each foot with a mainly straight extension, said straight rod-like sections (16, 17) having a length greater than the extension of the respective straight seats (10, 11).
Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that each foot (6, 7) of the said pair of feet projects from the said inside wall (5b) of the hatch at an acute angle when viewed from the edge (5c) of the hatch closest to said virtual axis (V-V) of angular displacement.
Device according to Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said seat provided at the free end of each foot, has a mainly straight extension parallel to the said virtual axis (V-V) of angular displacement of the hatch (5), said seats (10, 11) being open towards the wall (5b) of the hatch from which the foot projects and closed on the opposite side.
Device according to Claim 3, characterized in that said seats (10, 11) of the free ends of the feet (6, 7) are open at at least one of the ends of their straight extension.
Device according to Claim 3, characterized in that said seats (10, 11) at the ends of the feet are open at both the ends of their straight extension.
Device according to any one of the claims from 1 to 5, characterized in that the said straight rod-like sections (16, 17) of the said resilient recall means are terminal portions of a resilient member made of piano wire bent in a curved form (13).
Device according to Claim 6, characterized in that the said terminal portions (16, 17) of the said resilient member have their respective free ends directed in the same direction parallel to the straight extension of the seats (10, 11) of the ends of each foot (6, 7).
Device according to any one of the claims from 1 to 7, in which the said machine is a washing machine.
Device according to any one of the claims from 1 to 7, in which the said compartment (3) is the compartment containing the extractable filter of a washing machine.