[001] The present invention relates to a household appliance which comprises a knob assembled on the panel.

[002] In the state of the art, the household appliances, for example cooking devices, washing machines etc. comprise a panel, a control unit and knobs for monitoring and controlling their functions. The knobs are attached to the shafts of the components they control behind the panel with the help of the sockets on the panel, for example the shafts connected to the switches on the electronic control card or the gas flow control shafts, directly or with the help of spring like components by snap-fitting or with the help of rings or clamps. As the knobs are actuated, the shafts connected to the knobs also move and the desired functions may be chosen. But as the users actuate the knobs, the weak components fixed to the shafts may be damaged and this may cause the switching handle and thus the household appliance not to function.

[003] In the United States of America Patent no. US4920823, a description is given of a rotary knob wherein the rotary knob is secured to the panel using an inner member, and the users are enabled to select the functions using an outer member fixed to the inner member.

[004] In the German Patent document no. DE3721955, a description of a control knob is given wherein the control knob is fixed and housed on the switch panel with an additional fixing element, the user is enabled to make selections by the knob handle and an end portion is provided for transmitting the user selections to a selector switch to which it is attached and actuated by it.

[005] The aim of the present invention is to design a household appliance which comprises a knob which is actuated by the user without damaging the components to which it is attached, which may easily be mounted and fixed to the panel and if required which may easily be dismounted.

[006] The household appliance designed to fulfill the objective of the present invention is shown in the attached figures where:

[007] Figure 1 - is the perspective view of a household appliance.

[008] Figure 2 - is the exploded perspective view of a panel and a control unit.

[009] Figure 3 - is the perspective view of a knob.

[010] Figure 4 - is the schematic view of a knob fixed to a panel.

[011] Figure 5 - is the perspective view of an alternative knob.

[012] Figure 6 - is the AA sectional view of an alternative knob fixed to a panel.

[013] Elements shown in the drawings are numbered as follows:

1. Household appliance

2. Panel

3. Control unit

4. Knob

5. Latch

6. Groove

7. Flexion socket

8. Shaft

9. Shaft housing

10. Knob socket

11. Switching handle

12. Base

13. Retainer socket

14. Retainer

[014] The household appliance (1), for example a cooking apparatus, washing machine etc. comprises one or more panels (2) rendering an esthetic appearance, one or more control units (3) situated behind the panel (2), allowing for monitoring or controlling the functions, one or more shafts (8) providing transmitting the user selections to the control unit (3) and the components on it, one or more knobs (4) fixed to the panel (2) so that the shaft (8) is centrally fixed on it, by which the user can actuate the shaft (8) without damaging the panel (2) and/or the control unit (3) to which it is fixed, and a knob socket (10) situated on the panel (2) into which the knob (4) is attached.

[015] The knob (4) comprises a switching handle (11) by which the user can hold to actuate it, a base (12) under the switching handle (11) which encompasses the shaft (8), a shaft housing (9) inside the base (12) and/or the switching handle (11), inside which the shaft (8) is situated, the closed end dimensioned and formed, for example with a half-circle section, so that the end of the shaft (8) can fit in a loose fitted way, allowing it to move together with itself, a latch (5) which by connecting to the panel (2) makes it hard for the knob socket (10) to be disengaged, one or more grooves (6) on the side surfaces of the base (12) which partially separates the base (12) side surfaces to flex towards each other due to the flexible structure of the base (12) providing the latch (5) to skip the panel (2) while it is being mounted or dismounted in the knob socket (10) , and a flexion socket (7) inside the shaft housing (9), formed between the shaft (8) and the shaft housing (9), which allows the base (12) side surfaces to approach each other so that the latch (5) skips the panel (2) while it is assembled in the knob socket (10).

[016] In another embodiment of the present invention, the panel (2) comprises a retainer

(14) which prevents the knob (4) to disengage from the knob socket (10). In this embodiment, the knob (4) comprises a retainer socket (13), on the exterior surface of the base (12), into which the retainer (14) is situated .

[017] The control unit (3) is fixed to the panel (2) so that the shaft (8) can be inserted into the knob socket (10) during assembly. The knob (4) is pushed towards the control unit (3) so that the shaft (8) enters into the shaft housing (9) and the base (12) enters into the knob socket (10). When the latch (5) leans on the retainer (14) as the knob (4) is pushed by its switching handle (11), the side surfaces of the base (12) start to be pressed towards the grooves (6) and start to reduce the base (12) dimensions until it skips the retainer (14). After the latch (5) skips the retainer (14), the retainer (14) is fixed in the retainer socket (13) and provides the knob (4) to be fixed to the panel (2). Simultaneously the shaft (8) fits in the shaft housing (9) so that the flexion socket (7) lies in between. When the user turns the knob (4), the shaft (8) moves together with the base (12), allowing the function of the control unit (3) selected by the user to be executed.

[018] If the knob (4) is desired to be disengaged from the knob socket (10), the base (12) side surfaces are pulled away from the panel (2) by the switching handle (11), approaching each other with the help of the grooves (6) until the latch (5) skips the retainer (14). After the latch (5) skips the retainer, the base (12) is pulled away from the knob socket (10) out of the panel (2). At the same time the shaft (8) will be disengaged from the shaft housing (9) where it is fitted in a loose fitting manner without being strained.

[019] With the embodiment of the present invention, when the user wants to turn the knob

(4), the shaft (8) which moves together with the knob (4) is influenced by a force or moment only in the direction of the turning movement since the knob (4) is fixed on the panel (2), a force or moment does not affect the control unit (3) on which the shaft (8) is situated. Thus the service life of the shaft (8) and the control unit (3) is extended and the defect rates are reduced.

[020] Furthermore, the knob (4) of the present invention can easily be attached to or detached from the panel (2) without the use of an additional component.