Safety lock for the doors of electrical applicances

A safety door lock for a door of an electrical appliance to selectively enable or disable operation of the electrical appliance, comprising:

• a longitudinally displaceable detent bolt mounted in a door of an appliance, said detent bolt including a free end having a detent recess;
• a door lock housing having an opening adapted for receiving said free end of said detent bolt;
• a switching slide which is longitudinally displaceable along a longitudinal axis and which is mounted in the door lock housing, the switching slide being oriented such that longitudinal displacement of the detent bolt toward the switching slide brings the detent bolt into engagement with the switching slide, said switching slide having a stub end adapted to engage with the free end of the detent bolt;
• after engagement of the end of the detent bolt with the stub end of the switching slide, further longitudinal displacement of the detent bolt in a direction toward the switching slide causing movement of the switching slide in an "on" direction to its "on" position;
• a biasing means for urging the switching slide in an "off" direction toward an "off" position in which the appliance is disabled;
• a detent means for latching the free end of the detent bolt in a locking position within the door lock housing upon insertion of the detent bolt in the door lock housing and for locking the switching slide in its "off" position when the end of the detent bolt is not inserted in the door lock housing;
• the detent means including at least one releasable locking latch which clamps the stub end of the switching slide in the "on" position of the switching slide, to prevent longitudinal movement of the switching slide;
• said at least one locking latch being movable in a direction which is generally radial to the longitudinal axis;
• means for biasing the latch carriers toward the longitudinal axis;
• said at least one locking latch having a first portion which, in the "on" position of the switching slide, engages the detent recess in the free end of the detent bolt to retain the detent bolt within the door lock housing, and having a second portion which, in the "off" position of the switching slide, engages the stub end of the switching slide to retain the switching slide against longitudinal movement toward the "on" position.