RETRACTABLE ROTATING KNOB OF A SWITCH DEVICE ESPECIALLY OF A HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE

The present invention relates to a household appliance comprising push-in pop-out knobs.

In household appliances, knobs which provide the control of the programs are disposed and these knobs are mounted on the housings on the control panel which is situated on the front side of the household appliance. Knobs are generally brought to the desired setting by being rotated and/or provide the start and stop of a program. Some of the knobs utilized in household appliances have a push-in pop-out mechanism which provides the movement of the knob between an open position where the knob is ejected outside the housing when it will be utilized and a position where the knob stays hidden in the housing.

In the knobs of the push-in pop-out type in the technique, a pin situated on the body and a guiding means on which the body bears are provided. During the push-in pop-out movement of the body, the pin moves inside the channels situated on the fixed guiding means. Pin has a flexible configuration so that it can move. In these embodiments, the pin can be broken as a result the whole body needs to be changed since it has a thin configuration so that it can be flexible.

The state of the art International Patent Application No WO9811574 relates to a rotating control knob that can be utilized for the operation of the components controlled by a crank or a tie bar and that protrudes, when it is pushed, from the control surface so that it can be held.

The aim of the present invention is the realization of a household appliance comprising a push-in pop-out type knob, the durability of which is increased.

The household appliance realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is explicated in the claims.

In household appliances, a control panel, a housing situated on the control panel and at least a knob which is disposed in the housing are provided.

The knob comprises a body which enables the selection of the desired setting by being pushed and rotated, a pin which is situated on the body, an adaptor which provides the bearing of the body into the housing, a guiding means that the pin moves from right to left when the body is pushed.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the knob comprises heart-shaped channels and steps which are situated in the channels, which provide that the pin stays inside the knob with the first push and that with the second motion the body stays in the desired position with the passing of the pin to the other channel by being freed from inside the steps.

In accordance with the present invention, a bearing is situated in the adaptor wherein the guiding means is disposed. The bearing allows the guiding means only to move diagonally to the back and forth movement of the body.

The bearing comprises at least one opening so that the guiding means can be mounted and can move therein.

The bearing also comprises an aperture so that the pin enters therein. The aperture provides that the pin reaches the guiding means.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the body comprises at least one rail on its surface which faces the adaptor and the adaptor comprises at least one slide on its surface which faces the body. By clamping into each other, the rail and the slide provide that the body is fixed to the adaptor. Thus, while the body rotates in the housing, the adaptor also rotates in the housing with the body and the pin, in all the positions of the body, can move back and forth without detaching from the guiding means which is situated in the housing.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the body comprises a detent on at least one of its edges and, on the surface of the adaptor, a gutter wherein the detent is mounted. The detent bears against the wall of the gutter which faces the opening of the housing with the detachment of the body from the housing and prevents the detachment of the body from the bearing element.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the knob comprises at least one Z-shaped biasing means which is situated on the movement direction of the guiding means, which is fixed with one of its legs onto the guiding means, the other leg of which contacts the adaptor and which provides that the guiding means moves tautly while the pin moves in the channel and also comprises at least one slit which is situated on the adaptor and wherein the leg is seated. The biasing means provides that the guiding means moves tautly in the housing.

By means of the present invention, a push-in pop-out knob is realized, which provides that the desired setting is securely adjusted without its parts, which move inside each other, straining and breaking each other.

The household appliance realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

• Figure 1 - is the perspective view of a household appliance.
• Figure 2 - is the perspective view of a knob in the open position.
• Figure 3 - is the perspective view of a knob in the closed position.
• Figure 4 - is the perspective view of a body in an embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 5 - is the perspective view of an adaptor in an embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 6 - is the perspective view of a guiding means in an embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 7 - is the perspective view of the adaptor while the guiding means is mounted in the housing.
• Figure 8 - is the perspective view of the knob in an embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 9 - is the perspective view of a guiding means in another embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 10 - is the perspective view of an adaptor in another embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 11 - is the exploded view of a knob in another embodiment of the present invention.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. 1. Household appliance
2. 2. Control panel
3. 3. Knob
4. 4. Housing
5. 5. Body
6. 6. Pin
7. 7. Guiding means
8. 8. Adaptor
9. 9. Channel
10. 10. Bearing
11. 11. Opening
12. 12. Aperture
13. 13. Rail
14. 14. Slide
15. 15. Detent
16. 16. Gutter
17. 17. Biasing means
18. 18. Slit
19. 19. Barrier

The household appliance (1) comprises a control panel (2), one or more knobs (3) of the push-in pop-out type which are situated on the control panel (2) and a housing (4) which is situated on the control panel (2), wherein the knob (3) is seated (Figures 1, 2 and 3).

The knob 3 comprises

• a body (5) which is borne in the housing (4) and that is moved inside the housing (4) by being rotated and pushed.
• a pin (6) situated on the body (5),
• an adaptor (8) which is situated in the housing (4) and onto which the body (5) is mounted and
• a guiding means (7) positioned between the adaptor (8) and the body (5), having the channels (9) wherein the pin (6) seats, and moved with the movement of the pin (6) inside the channels (9), in a direction transverse to the direction wherein the pin (6) moves

(Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8).

The knob (3) is a push-in pop-out type whereof the body (5) is outside the housing (4) when it will be utilized and which can be hidden inside the housing (4) by pushing when it will not be utilized. Preferably two channels (9) are provided on the guiding means (7) so that the body (5) enters into the housing (4) when pushed and stays inside the housing (4) and that the body (5) protrudes from the housing (4) when pushed again and a step (K) on which the pin stands after it passes through the first channel (9) with the first push and from which it releases and passes to the second channel (9) with the second push (6) is provided between the channels (9). While the pin (6) moves back and forth, it applies pressure on the walls of the channels (9) and the guiding means (7) moves to the right and left. Thus, the pin (6) can be manufactured as fixed to the body (5) and the pin (6) is prevented from being strained and damaged during the push-pull movement.

The knob (3) furthermore comprises a bearing (10) that guides and restrains the movement of the guiding means (7). The bearing (10) is on the adaptor (8). The guiding means (7) is disposed into the bearing (10) in such a manner that it can move freely perpendicular or inclined to the movement direction of the pin (6) (Figures 7 and 10).

The bearing (10) comprises at least one opening (11) which is situated on its ends and which enables the movement of the guiding means inside it (7) by the translating of the pin (6). The guiding means (7) is mounted into the bearing (10) from the opening (11). During the back and forth movement of the pin (6) inside the channels (9), the guiding means (7) exits outside and enters into the bearing (10) from these openings (11) (Figures 5 and 7).

The bearing (10) furthermore comprises an aperture (12) which is situated thereon and which provides that the pin (6) reaches the channels (9). The aperture (12) is sized such that it enables the entrance of the pin (6) into the channels (9) but does not prevent the back and forth movement of the pin (6). While the pin (6) moves inside the channels (9) that it reaches by passing through the aperture (12), the guiding means (7) moves inside the bearing (10) and between the openings (11) (Figures 7, 8, 10 and 11).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the knob (3) comprises heart-shaped channels (9) (Figures 6 and 9).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the knob (3) comprises a rectangular guiding means (7) in the form of a tablet. In this embodiment, the guiding means (7) moves in a direction perpendicular to the movement direction of the pin (6). By means of its rectangular and tablet form the guiding means (7) occupies a small amount of space in the bearing (10). Thus the guiding means (7) easily changes its place depending on the path that the pin (6) follows inside the channels (9) (Figures 6, 7, 9 and 11).

In an embodiment of the present invention the knob (3) comprises at least one rail (13) which is situated on the body (5) and at least one slide (14), situated on the adaptor (8), mounted in the rail (13), providing the adaptor (8) and guiding means (7) rotates with the body (5) in the housing (4). While the user rotates the body (5), the adaptor (8), clamped to the body (5) with the rail (13) and slide (14) forms, also rotates (Figures 4, 5 and 11).

In another embodiment of the present invention, the knob (3) comprises at least one detent (15) which is situated on the side of the body (5) and at least one L-shaped gutter (16) which is situated on the adaptor (8), into which the detent (15) seats and which guides, along itself, the push-pull movement of the body (5) which moves inside the gutter (16). The gutters (16) are preferably in the form of a cut out in such a manner that its long leg is on the side surface of the adaptor (8) and its short leg is on the closed-surface. While the body (5) is mounted on the adaptor (8), the detent (15) seats in the gutter (16). The detachment of the body (5) from the housing (4) during the push-in pop-out movement is prevented by mounting of the detent (15) to the long leg of the gutter (16) (Figures 4, 5, 8 and 11).

In another embodiment of the present invention, the knob (3) comprises at least one Z-shaped biasing means (17) which is situated on the movement direction of the guiding means (7), which is fixed to the guiding means (7) with one of its ends and the other end (U) of which bears against the inner wall of the adaptor (8). The biasing means (17) provides that the guiding means (7) moves tautly while the pin (6) moves forward in the channel (9) (Figure 9). The knob (3) furthermore comprises at least one slit (18) which is situated on the adaptor (8) and into which one end (U) of the biasing means (17) is seated. The slit (18) enables that the biasing means (17) and hence the guiding means (7) are properly disposed into the bearing (10) and prevents the guiding means (7) from freeing from the bearing (10) while moving to right and left (Figures 10 and 11).

In another embodiment of the present invention, the guiding means (7) comprises at least one barrier (19) situated between the channels (9) and on the side of the step (K). In the embodiment wherein the biasing means (17) is utilized, the barrier (19) prevents the pin (6) from turning back as a result of the movement of the guiding means (7) in the undesired direction (Figure 9). While the knob (3) is in the closed position, the pin seats on the step (K) and while the knob (3) is in the open position, the pin (6) is in the free position at a position near the channel (9) entrance by being released from the step (K). While the knob (3) is changed from the closed position to the open position, the pin (6) moves inside the channels (9). At this moment, the biasing means (17) applies pressure on the guiding means (7) to translate it towards a perpendicular direction to the movement direction of the pin (6). The barriers (19) configured in the channels (9) prevents the pin (6) from moving in the opposite direction in the channel (9) as a result of the force applied by the biasing means (17) to the guiding means (7).

In this embodiment of the present invention, two barriers (19) are utilized. One of the barriers (19) is on the side of the step (K) and prevents the pin (6) from freeing from the step (9). The other barrier is at the point where the channel (9) after the step (K) (the return channel (9) of the pin (6)) and the other channel (9) join and prevents the pin (6) from entering into the return channel (9) instead of the entrance channel (9). The barrier (19) between the channels (9) is in the form of a ramp. Thus, the barrier (19) prevents the movement of the pin (6) in the reverse direction but not the movement of the pin (6) in the other direction.

By means of the embodiment of the present invention, a secure and solid knob (3) that isn't damaged during the push-in pop-out is realized. The movable nature of the guiding means (7) enables that the pin (6) is manufactured as fixed to the body (5), thus cost advantage is provided.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed above and a person skilled in the art can easily introduce different embodiments. These should be considered within the scope of the protection postulated by the claims of the present invention.