Motorized home appliance door
AssigneeBSH Home Appliances Corporation
InventorsGerhard Busalt, Joachim Grützke, Graham Sadtler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A home appliance that includes a power operated door includes a first sensor that is accessible to a user when the door is closed, and a second sensor that is accessible to the user when the door is open. The first sensor is used to cause the door to move from the closed position to the open position. The second sensor is used to cause the door to move from the open position to the closed position. The first sensor may be located on an exterior of the door and the second sensor may be located on an inner surface of the home appliance or on an inner surface of the door itself.
Claims20
A home appliance, comprising:
- an enclosure;
- a door connected to the enclosure, the door movable between an open position and a closed position;
- a door drive unit that is operable to move the door between the open position and the closed position;
- a first sensor disposed on an outer portion of the home appliance, wherein when the first sensor is activated, the first sensor signals the door drive unit to move the door to the open position;
- and
- a second sensor disposed on an inner portion of the home appliance, wherein when the second sensor is activated, the second sensor signals the door drive unit to move the door to the closed position.
A home appliance, comprising:
- an enclosure having an opening;
- a door connected to the enclosure, the door being movable between a closed position and an open position;
- a first sensor disposed on an outer surface of the door, wherein when the first sensor is activated the door moves to the open position;
- and
- a second sensor disposed on the enclosure, wherein when the second sensor is activated the door moves to the closed position, and wherein when the door is in the closed position, the door covers the second sensor.
A home appliance, comprising:
- an enclosure having an opening;
- a door connected to the enclosure, the door being movable between a closed position in which the door closes the opening and an open position in which the door exposes the opening;
- a door drive unit that moves the door between the open and closed positions;
- and
- a sensor disposed on the enclosure, wherein, when the sensor is activated, the sensor signals the door drive unit to move the door to the closed position, and wherein when the door is in the closed position the door covers the sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.