Adjustable interlock system
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsGuoqing Lei, Simone Polvara
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An interlock mechanism for an appliance door includes a support plate defining a receipt path for a latch connected with the appliance door, a cam rotatably coupled with the support plate, defining a detent along a surface thereof, and moveable with respect to the receipt path between a release configuration and a retention configuration by movement of the latch into the receipt path. The mechanism further includes a mounting base coupled with the support plate so as to be moveable toward and away from the surface of the cam and a microswitch coupled with the mounting base and having a button exposed thereon such that moving the mounting base adjusts a threshold position at which the detent operably moves the button during rotation of the cam.
Claims20
An interlock mechanism for an appliance door, comprising:
- a support plate defining a receipt path for a latch connected with the appliance door;
- a cam rotatably coupled with the support plate, defining a detent along a surface thereof, and moveable between a release configuration and a retention configuration by movement of the latch into the receipt path;
- a mounting base coupled with the support plate so as to be moveable toward and away from the surface of the cam;
- and
- a microswitch coupled with the mounting base and having a button exposed thereon such that moving the mounting base adjusts a threshold position at which the detent operably moves the button during rotation of the cam.
A cooking appliance, comprising:
- a housing defining an interior with an open side;
- a door coupled with the housing and movable to selectively close the open side of the interior, a latch being coupled with the door on an interior side thereof;
- and
- an interlock mechanism, including:
- a support plate mounted within the housing and defining a receipt path for the latch;
- a cam rotatably coupled with the support plate, defining a detent along a surface thereof, and moveable between a release configuration and a retention configuration by movement of the latch into the receipt path;
- a mounting base coupled with the support plate so as to be moveable toward and away from the surface of the cam;
- and
- a microswitch coupled with the mounting base and having a button exposed thereon such that moving the mounting base adjusts a threshold position at which the detent operably contacts the button during rotation of the cam.
An interlock mechanism for an appliance door, comprising:
- a support plate defining a receipt path for a latch connected with the appliance door;
- a cam rotatably coupled with the support plate, defining a detent along a surface thereof, and moveable with respect to the receipt path between a release configuration and a retention configuration by movement of an appliance door latch into the receipt path, wherein the cam is configured for bi-stable movement wherein the cam is urged toward a first end position, within the release configuration, and a second end position, within the retention position, when positioned on respective first and second sides of a breakover point;
- a microswitch coupled having a button exposed thereon and moveably coupled with the support plate to adjust a threshold at which the detent operably contacts the button during rotation of the cam, the microswitch being moveable toward and away from the surface of the cam so as to define a range of adjustment of the threshold position that is between the breakover position and the second end position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.