FOR A PULLEY ASSEMBLY

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to home appliances, such as ovens, ranges, washing machines, dishwashers, and more particularly to an improved control system for controlling the operation of a dishwasher door.

In various home appliances, such as ovens, ranges, washing machines and dishwashers, access to the working chamber is attained by means of a pivotally mounted door which when closed forms one of the sides of the machine.  The doors of these appliances are often insulated and made of metal, and hence are quite heavy. Therefore, they are counterbalanced for the users’ convenience.  Counterbalancing is done in order to enhance maneuvering of the doors.  In dishwashers, pivoting door systems are known to include conventional counterbalance mechanisms configured to facilitate pivoting of the door between an open and a closed orientation.  However, conventional counterbalance techniques and mechanisms result in an increase in material and assembly costs due to their complexity.  Moreover, conventional techniques may suffer from undesirable wear and tear with passage of time.

There exist various door control assemblies for use on the doors of dishwashers.  Some dishwashers use one spring on each side of the door with a connection for a single spring on the door control assembly.  However the door control assembly requires a pulley, a cable, and two screws for each spring, which complicates the design.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved and reliable counterbalance device for controlling the operation of a dishwasher door with reduced complexity and assembly costs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an eyelet used in a dishwasher according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of an eyelet with a cable and a pulley assembly used in a dishwasher according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an eyelet design used in a dishwasher.  The eyelet design is an L-shape with two holes for the connection of two springs. The eyelet also includes a small groove element that provides a connection for a cable. The design allows for the two springs to be connected at two different heights. These connections allow for the two springs to be the same length and ensures that the springs do not interfere with each other during operation. The eye...