Electric Household Appliance Door Locking Device

摘要

An electric household appliance having a casing (2); a compartment (3) housed inside the casing (2) and facing an opening (4); a door (5) fitted to the casing (2) and movable between an open position and a closed position; and a locking device (6); the locking device (6) having a box body (7) fixed to the casing (2), alongside the door (5); latch means (8, 13) fitted to the box body (7) to move between a lock position locking the door (5), and a release position releasing the door (5); and an actuating device (11) for selectively moving the latch means (8, 13) between the lock position and the release position, and which has at least an electrically conducting resistance wire (16) made of a shape-memory alloy and designed to vary in length alongside a variation in temperature, and electric power devices (18) for powering the resistance wire (16) and producing a controlled Joule-effect variation in temperature.

主权项

1. An electric household appliance comprising: a casing; a compartment housed inside the casing and facing an opening formed in the casing; a door fitted to the casing and movable between an open position and a closed position opening and closing the opening respectively; and a locking device for locking the door in the closed position to the casing;
said locking device comprising:
a box body fixed to the casing, alongside the door;latch means fitted to the box body to move between at least a lock position locking the door, and a release position releasing the door; andactuating means for selectively moving said latch means between said lock position and said release position; said actuating means comprising: a shape-memory thrust-bearing device comprising at least an electrically conducting resistance wire made of a shape-memory alloy and designed to vary in length alongside a variation in temperature; and electric power means for powering said resistance wire and producing a controlled Joule-effect variation in temperature.