Washing machine door interlock.

Whenever I see a piece of metal used as a spring hinge like that I always wonder how it doesn't just break after a few times of being bent back and forth, since I often break piece just by bending back and forth. Ture that sometimes it seems to only work if it is bent at a fast rate of speed so maybe the heat adds to the failure. Not sure, but obviously the parts in the washer dryer doors last for a long time without failure. Seeing this mechanism does make me think of some other neat uses for it. Thanks again BC.

the Trumpy Brick 😆😆

God 420

Thanks Clive I learned something today.

Nuts 'n' Proud

According to my great aunt, who believed that superstition, the way to counter the bad luck is by saying "bread and butter".

I always thought it was some sort of clock or timer mechanism. I still wonder what's in my parent's Whirlpool that has a pause button. When this is pushed, it unlocks the door within 5 seconds (to add extra laundry, etc) and similarly unlocks the door immediately at the end of the cycle when the "End" LED lights. That machine is a semi-pro model (large like the modern USA front-loaders) so probably has a more sophisticated door lock.

Seán Byrne

I replaced the one in my washing machine a couple of years ago. Came in at about 80GBP shipped, cheapest i could find that could deliver in a reasonable time. They were half the price on eBay but i could not wait a month for shipping. Mine was much bigger than the one in the video, and i think it had five wires. When i replaced it it had a nice burnt orange colour with a big black and crispy spot on the back near the contact. Seems someone made it unnecessarily complicated on this one :/

Thor Syvertsen

PTC thermistors show up in a lot of places I would never suspect. cool

Nani Isobel

https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/97/91/cb/c3556642407fb9/US4032180.pdf

A good thump on the front panel of the washing machine, next to the door catch will cause these to unlock a little earlier. My washing machine takes a couple of minutes to unlock without a thump, but I can usually "persuade" it after say 30 seconds.

Funnily enough I was thinking just the other day that I was curious how it worked. I had assumed something clockwork, but this is much simpler (and more reliable no doubt).

Genius! I’d always wondered how those worked. I had assumed it was a DC solenoid and a large capacitor...

MarcT

Invented by Walter Pohl from Texas Instruments Inc in the 1970s apparently (If Google patents can be believed).

John Russell

We had one of these locks (or a previous incarnation) about 40 years ago refusing to let go at the end of the cycle. When the 'engineer' eventually came he forced the door open, wrecking the latch in the process. I could have done that, if I had known, then the clothes might have been saved. We found out later that the cause was simply one of our earlier visitors entering the house by the front door, and leaving by the back. Brings bad luck, apparently... (Hope I don't get banned from the science & technology YouTube channels...). PS I do enjoy your enthusiasm while exploring the most mundane objects! PPS We have never allowed subsequent visitors to do that, and so far, so good.

Keith Miller

When you said "I'll just bring in" I was secretly hoping for the washing machine :)

Phil Collins