EP1544343A1 - Top-loading washing machine with a drum equipped with a single door flap - Google Patents
Top-loading washing machine with a drum equipped with a single door flap Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1544343A1 EP1544343A1 EP03029430A EP03029430A EP1544343A1 EP 1544343 A1 EP1544343 A1 EP 1544343A1 EP 03029430 A EP03029430 A EP 03029430A EP 03029430 A EP03029430 A EP 03029430A EP 1544343 A1 EP1544343 A1 EP 1544343A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- door
- washing machine
- opening
- flap
- drum
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
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Classifications
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F37/00—Details specific to washing machines covered by groups D06F21/00 - D06F25/00
- D06F37/02—Rotary receptacles, e.g. drums
- D06F37/04—Rotary receptacles, e.g. drums adapted for rotation or oscillation about a horizontal or inclined axis
- D06F37/10—Doors; Securing means therefor
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a top-loading washing machine having a drum with a peripheral wall formed with an opening for the passage of the laundry, said opening being provided with a door adapted to close such opening.
- the drum of the majority of top-loading washing machines has a door made by two flaps adapted to partially overlap one another and hingedly mounted on opposite rims of the drum opening by means of springs adapted to bias them towards their open position.
- Such door flaps are provided respectively with hooks and engagement openings cooperating with one another for locking the flaps in their closed position.
- a top-loading washing machine having a door in a single piece is disclosed in EP-A-869212 in which the door is pivotally mounted to the spin drum so as to pivot about the centre axis of rotation of the drum. Even if this solution does simplify the way in which the door is opened by the user, nevertheless this system is quite complex, expensive and needs a proper balancing of the door. According to the present invention, the above disadvantages are overcome thanks to the features listed in the appended claims.
- the door of the drum comprises a single flap having a first end hingedly mounted on a first rim of the opening. Snap-engagement means for locking and unlocking the door are provided between a second end of the flap, opposite to its first end, and a second rim of the opening. In this way the user has to handle only one flap.
- the snap-engagement means comprise a latch element slidable on the second end of the flap and hook elements on the corresponding second rim.
- a top-loading clothes washing machine comprises a tub 10 that is adapted to be suspended in a frame (not shown).
- a drum 12 having a horizontal axis is rotatably mounted and it is provided, on its peripheral cylindrical wall 12a, with an opening 14 for loading and unloading clothes items.
- the drum 12 comprises also two opposing end walls 12b, and the opening 14 has two opposite rectilinear rims 14a and 14b respectively.
- a door 16 made by a single curved flap is hinged to a first rim 14a of the opening 14, and springs 18 are coaxially mounted on the hinge in order to bias the door 16 towards its open position shown in figure 1.
- the second rim 14b of the opening 14 is provided with a plurality of mushroom-shaped pins 20 projecting outside the drum.
- Each pin 20 has a base portion 20a fixed to the drum, and an enlarged tapered end portion 20b, adapted to cooperate with corresponding holes 22a provided in a sliding latch 22 carried by an edge 16a of the door 16.
- the latch 22 is slidably mounted in a seat 24 defined by the wall of the door and by a cover 26 fixed in 28 to the door (figure 3).
- the cover 26 is not shown in figures 1 and 4.
- the cover 26 present a plurality of dome portion 26a in correspondence to the position of the holes 22a, and it has the main function to avoid any entanglement of laundry items with the pins 20 during loading and unloading of the drum 12.
- an axial spring 30 which urges the latch toward a side end position, as shown in figure 4.
- the latch 22 is also provided with a trigger 32 sliding in a corresponding slot of the cover 26 in order to allow the user to slide the latch 22 against the action of the spring 30.
- the closure of the door 16 is very easy for the user. He has only to urge the door 16 against the actions of the springs 18 up to a position shown in figures 4 and 5, where the latch 22 is in contact with the tapered end portions 20b of the pins 20. A further small rotation of the door 16 urged by the user causes a snap-engagement of the pin 20 in the corresponding holes 22a of the latch 22 (as shown in figure 6). In this configuration the washing machine can start its washing program. For opening the door 16 the user needs only to act on the trigger 32 so that the latch 22 is disengaged from the pins 20. The springs 18 do the rest.
- the latch 22 is provided with an end E which can be driven automatically by a device (not shown) in order to open automatically the door once the user open the lid of the washing machine.
- a device can be mechanical (for instance driven by the opening movement of the lid) or electromechanical (for instance driven by a switch that senses when the lid is opened by the user).
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Textile Engineering (AREA)
- Main Body Construction Of Washing Machines And Laundry Dryers (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to a top-loading washing machine having a drum with a peripheral wall formed with an opening for the passage of the laundry, said opening being provided with a door adapted to close such opening.
- The drum of the majority of top-loading washing machines has a door made by two flaps adapted to partially overlap one another and hingedly mounted on opposite rims of the drum opening by means of springs adapted to bias them towards their open position. Such door flaps are provided respectively with hooks and engagement openings cooperating with one another for locking the flaps in their closed position.
- Such way of construction, for instance shown in EP-A-657573 has the disadvantage that the user has to manipulate two flaps, after having opened the outer lid of the machine that gives access to the drum. Since the user has often one hand already used for carrying a container with the laundry, it is clear that the two flaps door system is not optimal for the user. Another disadvantage of this known door is that it is not very easy to be handled by the user, since the spring-loaded flaps can require damping means for avoiding a too quick and uncontrolled opening of the door, such uncontrolled movement of flaps being noisy. Furthermore, the presence of hooks can also hurt the user.
- A top-loading washing machine having a door in a single piece is disclosed in EP-A-869212 in which the door is pivotally mounted to the spin drum so as to pivot about the centre axis of rotation of the drum. Even if this solution does simplify the way in which the door is opened by the user, nevertheless this system is quite complex, expensive and needs a proper balancing of the door. According to the present invention, the above disadvantages are overcome thanks to the features listed in the appended claims.
- In the washing machine according to the invention the door of the drum comprises a single flap having a first end hingedly mounted on a first rim of the opening. Snap-engagement means for locking and unlocking the door are provided between a second end of the flap, opposite to its first end, and a second rim of the opening. In this way the user has to handle only one flap.
- Moreover, such kind of door can be easily opened automatically once the user has manually opened the outer lid of the machine.
- Preferably the snap-engagement means comprise a latch element slidable on the second end of the flap and hook elements on the corresponding second rim.
- The absence of hooks results also in a less dangerous design for the user, who does not run the risk of being hurt during the opening of the door.
- The invention will be explained in the following description on the basis of an example of embodiments shown in the drawings in which:
- Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a partially sectioned tub of a top-loading washing machine according to the present invention,
- Figure 2 is a perspective view of the drum of the washing machine shown in figure 1,
- Figure 3 is a top view of a portion of the door drum in a closed configuration,
- Figure 4 is a view similar to figure 3 in which a cover is removed in order to show the snap-engagement mechanism,
- Figures 5 is a cross sectional view along line V-V of figure 3 (configuration of the door immediately before the activation of the snap-engagement mechanism), and
- Figure 6 is a cross sectional view similar to figure 5 in which the locked configuration of the door is shown.
- With reference to the drawings, a top-loading clothes washing machine comprises a
tub 10 that is adapted to be suspended in a frame (not shown). In the tub 10 a drum 12 having a horizontal axis is rotatably mounted and it is provided, on its peripheral cylindrical wall 12a, with anopening 14 for loading and unloading clothes items. - The drum 12 comprises also two opposing end walls 12b, and the opening 14 has two opposite rectilinear rims 14a and 14b respectively. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, a
door 16 made by a single curved flap is hinged to a first rim 14a of theopening 14, andsprings 18 are coaxially mounted on the hinge in order to bias thedoor 16 towards its open position shown in figure 1. - The second rim 14b of the
opening 14 is provided with a plurality of mushroom-shaped pins 20 projecting outside the drum. Eachpin 20 has abase portion 20a fixed to the drum, and an enlargedtapered end portion 20b, adapted to cooperate with corresponding holes 22a provided in asliding latch 22 carried by an edge 16a of thedoor 16. Thelatch 22 is slidably mounted in aseat 24 defined by the wall of the door and by acover 26 fixed in 28 to the door (figure 3). For sake of clarity thecover 26 is not shown in figures 1 and 4. Thecover 26 present a plurality of dome portion 26a in correspondence to the position of the holes 22a, and it has the main function to avoid any entanglement of laundry items with thepins 20 during loading and unloading of the drum 12. Between the wall of thedoor 16 and thelatch 22 there is provided anaxial spring 30 which urges the latch toward a side end position, as shown in figure 4. Thelatch 22 is also provided with atrigger 32 sliding in a corresponding slot of thecover 26 in order to allow the user to slide thelatch 22 against the action of thespring 30. - The closure of the
door 16 is very easy for the user. He has only to urge thedoor 16 against the actions of thesprings 18 up to a position shown in figures 4 and 5, where thelatch 22 is in contact with thetapered end portions 20b of thepins 20. A further small rotation of thedoor 16 urged by the user causes a snap-engagement of thepin 20 in the corresponding holes 22a of the latch 22 (as shown in figure 6). In this configuration the washing machine can start its washing program. For opening thedoor 16 the user needs only to act on thetrigger 32 so that thelatch 22 is disengaged from thepins 20. Thesprings 18 do the rest. - In another embodiment of the invention, the
latch 22 is provided with an end E which can be driven automatically by a device (not shown) in order to open automatically the door once the user open the lid of the washing machine. Such device can be mechanical (for instance driven by the opening movement of the lid) or electromechanical (for instance driven by a switch that senses when the lid is opened by the user).
Claims (6)
- A top-loading washing machine, having a drum with a peripheral wall formed with an opening for the passage of the laundry, said opening being provided with a door adapted to close such opening, characterised in that said door comprises a single flap (16) hingedly mounted on a rim (14a) of said opening, there being provided snap-engagement means (20, 22) between the flap (16) and the drum (12) for locking the door.
- A top-loading washing machine, characterised in that the snap-engagement means are placed between a second rim (14b) opposite to the first rim (14a) where the single flap (16) is hinged and a second end (16a) of the flap (16) opposite to the first end hinged to the drum (12).
- A top-loading washing machine according to claim 2, characterised in that said snap-engagement means comprise a latch element (22) on the second end (16a) of the flap (16) and hook elements (20) on the corresponding second rim (14b).
- A top-loading washing machine according to claim 3, characterised in that the latch element (22) is slidably mounted on the flap (16) in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the drum and comprises a plurality of openings (22a) adapted to cooperate with said hook elements (20), spring means (30) being provided between the latch element (22) and the flap (16) in order to allow the snap-engagement with the hook elements (20) when the door (16) is closed.
- A top-loading washing machine according to claim 4, characterised in that the latch element (22) is provided with a trigger portion (32) adapted to be driven by the user in order to allow the door opening.
- A top-loading washing machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises means for automatically driving the snap-engagement means (20, 22) in order to open the door (16).
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE60316822T DE60316822T2 (en) | 2003-12-19 | 2003-12-19 | From the top loadable washing machine with a single door equipped drum |
ES03029430T ES2292897T3 (en) | 2003-12-19 | 2003-12-19 | UPPER LOADING WASHER WITH A DRUM EQUIPPED WITH A SINGLE DOOR FLAP. |
EP03029430A EP1544343B1 (en) | 2003-12-19 | 2003-12-19 | Top-loading washing machine with a drum equipped with a single door flap |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP03029430A EP1544343B1 (en) | 2003-12-19 | 2003-12-19 | Top-loading washing machine with a drum equipped with a single door flap |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1544343A1 true EP1544343A1 (en) | 2005-06-22 |
EP1544343B1 EP1544343B1 (en) | 2007-10-10 |
Family
ID=34486271
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP03029430A Expired - Fee Related EP1544343B1 (en) | 2003-12-19 | 2003-12-19 | Top-loading washing machine with a drum equipped with a single door flap |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1544343B1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE60316822T2 (en) |
ES (1) | ES2292897T3 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP2952621A1 (en) | 2014-06-03 | 2015-12-09 | Whirlpool Corporation | Top-loading washing machine |
Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB134659A (en) * | 1900-01-01 | |||
US1596887A (en) * | 1925-04-25 | 1926-08-24 | June B Morey | Washing-machine latch |
GB351418A (en) * | 1930-03-24 | 1931-06-24 | Frederick Marryat Lord | Improvements in door fastening devices |
DE1815020U (en) * | 1960-04-27 | 1960-07-21 | Masch U Metallwarenfabrik Jos | DRUM FLAP WITH CLOSURE FOR HOUSEHOLD WASHING MACHINES. |
US3226961A (en) * | 1963-05-13 | 1966-01-04 | Washing Machine Res And Dev Co | Washing machines |
EP0681050A2 (en) * | 1994-05-02 | 1995-11-08 | Whirlpool Corporation | Basket positioning system for a top-loading horizontal axis automatic washer |
EP0959169A1 (en) * | 1998-05-15 | 1999-11-24 | Ciapem | Washing machine or clothes dryer with a drum equipped with a single door wing |
-
2003
- 2003-12-19 DE DE60316822T patent/DE60316822T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2003-12-19 EP EP03029430A patent/EP1544343B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2003-12-19 ES ES03029430T patent/ES2292897T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB134659A (en) * | 1900-01-01 | |||
US1596887A (en) * | 1925-04-25 | 1926-08-24 | June B Morey | Washing-machine latch |
GB351418A (en) * | 1930-03-24 | 1931-06-24 | Frederick Marryat Lord | Improvements in door fastening devices |
DE1815020U (en) * | 1960-04-27 | 1960-07-21 | Masch U Metallwarenfabrik Jos | DRUM FLAP WITH CLOSURE FOR HOUSEHOLD WASHING MACHINES. |
US3226961A (en) * | 1963-05-13 | 1966-01-04 | Washing Machine Res And Dev Co | Washing machines |
EP0681050A2 (en) * | 1994-05-02 | 1995-11-08 | Whirlpool Corporation | Basket positioning system for a top-loading horizontal axis automatic washer |
EP0959169A1 (en) * | 1998-05-15 | 1999-11-24 | Ciapem | Washing machine or clothes dryer with a drum equipped with a single door wing |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP2952621A1 (en) | 2014-06-03 | 2015-12-09 | Whirlpool Corporation | Top-loading washing machine |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
ES2292897T3 (en) | 2008-03-16 |
DE60316822T2 (en) | 2008-02-07 |
DE60316822D1 (en) | 2007-11-22 |
EP1544343B1 (en) | 2007-10-10 |
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