U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,746, describes a dishwasher in which the closing tab is arranged on a closing plate and the closing plate is mounted eccentrically on a motor. As a result, the dishwasher tub can be partially opened automatically after the cleaning and rinsing cycles, so that the residual moisture escapes by natural convection. Even though the opening mechanism described in this publication accounts for an improvement of the drying procedure, there are still drawbacks due to the fact that the opening mechanism described here cannot bring about the necessary degree of opening. Such a degree of opening is required especially when the dishwasher has been installed in a custom kitchen and its upper section is covered by a countertop. In the embodiment shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,746, the hot air laden with moisture condenses on the underside of the cold countertop, which can damage it.
Another drawback can be seen in the fact that the door can only be closed by bringing considerable pressure to bear or by slamming the door since this pushing or slamming force has to be exerted against the resilience of the door sealing gasket. Therefore, weak persons often have a difficult time closing the door.
European patent application EP 0 687 439 A1 discloses a dishwasher in which the door is likewise partially opened by means of closing tab that is moved by a motor after the cleaning and drying cycles have ended. Here, the closing tab remains in this slightly open position after the end of the cycle. As a result, it should be easier for users to close the door after unloading the dishwasher since then the closing tab is moved into its end position by the motor. A disadvantage of this solution is that the opening gap has to be large during the assistance drying procedure (see above), as a result of which the closing tab protrudes far into the room. In this position, the closing tab constitutes an injury hazard, in addition to which it can easily be damaged.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds