Safety latch for washer closure

In an appliance for cleaning clothes having a housing, a door hingedly secured to the housing, said door providing access to a cleaning chamber located in the housing, said door having an indentation on one side to define a recess between door and housing and a latch for said door, said latch comprising a handle portion with a depending catch portion and means for mounting the latch to the door, said catch portion being adapted to be engaged by locking means located in the housing, said latch being biased in a manner whereby the catch portion is engaged by the locking means when the door is closed, the graspable portion of said handle being positioned within the door recess which allows the handle to be moved sideways to disengage the catch and the perimeter of such limiting access to the graspable handle portion when the door is closed and the catch is secured by the locking means.

In an appliance for cleaning clothes having a housing a door hingedly secured to the housing, said door providing access to the cleaning chamber located in the housing, said door also provided with a recess on one side, a unitary handle, catch and hinge for said door wherein a single rod is formed to provide a catch portion connected to said handle and a hinge portion connected to said handle by a length of said rod, said length of rod being secured to said door adjacent said hinge portion, said handle portion being positioned in the recess as said rod extends out of said door, said catch portion adapted to be engaged by locking means located in the housing opposite said catch, the arrangement being such that the length of rod resiliently allows the handle to be moved laterally within the recess, said lateral movement of said handle operating so as to disengage the catch from the locking means when the door is closed, access to the handle being limited when the door is closed and the catch is operatively secured by said lock.

In an appliance for cleaning clothes having a housing, a door hingedly secured to the housing, said door providing access to a cleaning chamber located in the housing, said door having an indentation on one edge to define a recess between door and housing, and a closure for said door, said closure comprising a catch and a barrier, said catch adapted to latch the door closed, said barrier mounted within the recess of the door and adapted to be moveable within said recess, the movement of the barrier from the position where the catch is engaged to latch the door being such that the catch is released and access is provided to a handle for said door, the access to said handle being impeded by the barrier when the catch is operatively engaged to keep the door closed, and means adapted to return the barrier to the position where the catch is operatively engaged from the position where the catch is released.

In an appliance for cleaning clothes having a housing, a door hingedly secured to the housing, said door providing access to a cleaning chamber located in the housing, said door having an indentation on one side to define a recess between door and housing and a latch for said door, said latch comprising a handle portion, and a depending catch portion, the catch adapted to project into the housing and be engaged by locking means located therein, said handle adapted to be mounted within said recess to allow movement thereof, said movement of the handle releasing the catch from an operatively engaged position whereby the door is latched closed and said movement also providing access to the handle, said access impeded when the catch is operatively engaged, and said latch spring biased towards the position whereby the catch is operatively engaged.