Domestic dishwashing machine and door latch therefor

A door latch for a domestic electrical appliance, comprising:

• a housing member;
• a one-piece closing member arranged in the housing member so as to be movable between an open position and a closed position;
• and
• a closing spring arrangement which is supported on the closing member and which, in the open position of the closing member, urges the closing member into blocking engagement with a blocking surface arranged stationarily relative to the housing member, which blocking engagement prevents relaxation of the closing spring arrangement, wherein the closing member forms a gripping mouth, delimited by an upper and a lower jaw structure, for a closing shackle which, on closing of the door, pushes against one of the upper and lower jaw structures and thereby initiates a tilting of the closing member that leads to the release of the blocking engagement, wherein a subsequent relaxation of the closing spring arrangement is effective to cause a substantially translational displacement of the closing member relative to the housing member into the closed position, wherein, on closing of the door, the other of the upper and lower jaw structures engages behind a shackle crosspiece of the closing shackle, and both the tilting and the translational displacement are carried out by the closing member as a whole.

A domestic electrical appliance, such as a dishwashing machine, comprising:

• an appliance body having a process chamber formed therein;
• a door for closing the process chamber, which door is movably mounted on the appliance body;
• and
• a door latch for holding the door closed, wherein the door latch comprises a latch assembly installed in the appliance body,
• wherein the latch assembly comprises a frame having mounting structures for fastening the frame to a structural component of the appliance body,
• wherein the latch assembly further comprises a housing member supported on the frame, a closing member arranged in the housing member so as to be movable between an open position and a closed position, and a closing spring arrangement supported on the closing member,
• wherein, in the open position of the closing member, the closing spring arrangement urges the closing member into blocking engagement with a blocking surface arranged stationarily relative to the housing member, which blocking engagement prevents relaxation of the closing spring arrangement,
• wherein the closing member has a contact surface for a blocking-release element which is arranged on the door and which, on closing of the door, pushes against the contact surface and thereby frees the closing member from blocking engagement with the blocking surface,
• wherein, on closing of the door, the closing member comes into gripping engagement with an engagement structure arranged on the door and pulls the door shut under the action of the relaxing closing spring arrangement,
• wherein the housing member is supported on the frame so as to be movable relative thereto, such that, when the door is open, a change of position of the contact surface of the closing member relative to the frame can be brought about by movement of the housing member relative to the frame.