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
  • D06F39/00—Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00 
  • D06F39/12—Casings; Tubs
  • D06F39/14—Doors or covers; Securing means therefor
• • 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
  • D06F37/42—Safety arrangements, e.g. for stopping rotation of the receptacle upon opening of the casing door

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a household appliance door according to the preamble of claim 1.
• Said door particularly lends itself for installation to a front-loading or substantially front-loading laundry washing machine, washing/drying machine o clothes dryer.
• the Applicant has studied various household appliance doors, in particular various doors for front-loading or substantially front-loading laundry washing machines, washing/drying machines or clothes dryers, which consist of an assembly of at least two structural components made of a thermoplastic material. Such structural components are used to hold a further component in between them, in particular a glass door bowl which, being transparent, allows the user to see inside the appliance even when the door is closed.
• Said structural components may be locked together so as to form a single body or joining them together using mechanical devices, e.g. securing screws.
• connection turns out to be rather weak, thus causing a creaking sound when the door is moved, a creaking sound which is subject to increase during the life of the household appliance, considerably reducing the quality perceived by user.
• forces necessary to ensure the connection between the thermoplastic structural components e.g. tightening torque by screwing in the securing screws
• the object of the present invention is to overcome the above drawbacks through an innovative household appliance door, adapted to be installed preferably in a front- loading or substantially front-loading laundry washing machine, washing/drying machine or clothes dryer.
• the household appliance door adapted to attain said object incorporates the features set out in the annexed claims, which form an integral part of the present description.
• the present invention is based on the idea of a door for a household appliance, in particular a door for a front-loading or substantially front-loading laundry washing machine, washing/drying machine or clothes dryer, comprising a plurality of thermoplastic components and characterized in that at least two of said thermoplastic components are connected together through welding.
• the welding creates a nonremovable connection which replaces the traditional removable mechanical connections (such as, for instance, connections through securing screws or joints), which operate by interference.
• any welding technique vibration welding, ultrasonic welding, heat seal, infrared welding, laser welding or spot welding
• Fig.l shows schematically a possible embodiment of a household appliance door according to the present invention, said door being in particular installed to a front-loading or substantially front-loading laundry washing machine, washing/drying machine or clothes dryer;
• Fig.2 is a schematic exploded view of a possible embodiment of a household appliance door according to the present invention and
• Fig.3 shows schematically a particular thermoplastic component included in the possible embodiment of the household appliance door according to the invention illustrated in Fig.2, more precisely the component called "rear element” in the following detailed description.
• Fig.l illustrates a laundry washing machine, washing/drying machine or clothes dryer 1 adapted to carry out typically at least one washing and/or drying treatment, in particular said laundry washing machine, washing/drying machine or clothes dryer 1 being a front-loading machine.
• the laundry washing machine, washing/drying machine or clothes dryer 1 comprises:
• interface means adapted to, among other things, allow the user to select at least one of the programmes and/or treatment parameters available in the laundry washing machine, washing/drying machine or clothes dryer 1 and/or to display useful information to the user.
• Door 20 is so shaped and positioned so as to, when closed, fully cover the aperture obtained in front face 4 and to prevent any water or wash liquid contained in the tub of the laundry washing machine, washing/drying machine or clothes dryer 1 from flowing out of the tub by leaking between front face 4 and door 20.
• the latter is connected to front face 4 by means of one or more hinges (5 A and 5B in Fig.2), which allow door 20 to be rotated about an axis (usually a vertical axis).
• said door 20 has a catch (6 in Fig.2) which, by engaging into a suitable lock obtained on front face 4, ensures that door 20 cannot open during the operation of the laundry washing machine, washing/drying machine or clothes dryer 1.
• grip means 3 are associated with door 20 which allow the user to exert the force required to disengage the catch from the lock in order to open door 20.
• An important peculiarity of the machine of Fig.1 is its large door, i.e. door 20, for accessing the drum of the machine, which replaces the simple glass door bowl used in prior-art machines.
• door 20 In its central area, door 20 has a window which allows the user to see inside the drum even when the door is closed.
• Door 20 is characterized by being substantially flat on the outside, i.e. its window has no substantial recess, unlike prior-art glass door bowls; however, this does not exclude the advantageous presence of a convex glass door bowls adjacent to the inner side of the door.
• door 20 comprises a plurality of thermoplastic components, at least two of which are locked together by welding.
• the total number of thermoplastic components is three or four; however, the present invention does not exclude that the total number may be just two or more than four, e.g. five or six.
• Fig.2 illustrates, by way of explanatory but non-limiting example, a door 20 which represents a possible embodiment of the door for a household appliance, in particular for a front-loading or substantially front-loading laundry washing machine, washing/drying machine or clothes dryer 1 being the subject of the present invention.
• the welding technique used for connecting the thermoplastic components of door 20 is linear vibration welding.
• linear vibration welding utilizes, in order to weld together two thermoplastic parts, the heat generated by friction in the contact areas between the parts in the presence of a relative motion of a part with respect to another part. Usually, one part is clamped while the other part is gripped with a template and moved in a linear direction.
• door 20 comprises three thermoplastic structural components: a rear element 8, a front element 9 and a central element 10.
• the rear element 8 is used to support the other structural components of door 20, which are non-removably connected thereto by linear vibration welding. Rear element
• ABS 5 shown in detail in Fig.3 and preferably made of ABS 5 is so shaped as to allow the other structural components of door 20 to be connected thereto.
• ⁇ element 8 may comprise:
• Glass door bowl 12 is preferably made of a transparent material such as glass, which, among other things, allows the user to see inside the household appliance even when door 20 is closed.
• Said glass door bowl 12 comprises:
• annular surface 41 used to ensure the connection of glass door bowll2 to rear element 8 in that, when securing glass door bowl 12, said annular surface 41 comes in contact with the annular surface 29 of the rear element 8;
• a central surface 43 which may lie in a substantially vertical plane or, preferably, may comprise at least a portion somewhat inclined relative to the vertical axis.
• Central element 10 comprises surface 30 having the shape of a cut cone being essentially coaxial to hole 22 of rear element 8 and being so shaped as to have a diameter and an opening angle compatible with the diameter and inclination of side surface 42 of glass door bowl 12.
• Central element 10 is connected to rear element 8 through welding, preferably by linear vibration welding, glass door bowll2 being interposed between central element 10 and rear element 8.
• Rear element 8 and/or central element 10 may comprise:
• suitable auxiliary means comprising additional material used for forming the weld bead and additional material used for limiting the burrs generated during the welding process.
• Fig.3 illustrates two explanatory but non-limiting examples of the above means on the rear element 8:
• reference means 27 A and 27B essentially consisting of two monodimensional profiles, which at the same time simplify the positioning between central element 10 and rear element 8 and define the linear sliding direction of central element 10 along rear element 8 during the welding process (reference means 27A and 27B, as shown in Fig.3, are suitable for use when linear vibration welding is carried out with the vertical direction as a relative sliding direction between central element 10 and rear element 8) and
• auxiliary means 28 arranged near annular surface 29 and adapted to form, together with the corresponding material being present on central element 10, a weld bead ensuring a strong and water tight connection of glass door bowll2, thereby preventing adjacent water or wash liquid from leaking out.
• Front element 9 preferably made of SAN or polycarbonate (or appropriately treated ABS), is the only component of door 20 which is visible when door 20 is closed; therefore, in addition to a structural function, it also has an aesthetic one.
• Said front element 9 comprises grip means 3, which allow the user of the front-loading or substantially front-loading laundry washing machine, washing/drying machine or clothes dryer 1 to apply the force required for disengaging catch 6 from the lock in order to open door 20.
• grip means 3 are located in the upper portion of front element 9, thus making, the laundry washing machine, washing/drying machine or clothes dryer 1 more ergonomic, and soft elements are associated thereto in order to make the grip means more user friendly.
• Front element 9 is so designed as to allow the user to see inside the laundry washing machine, washing/drying machine or clothes dryer 1 when door 20 is closed: it follows that, since front element 9 has no hole matching glass door bowl 12, at least central portion 7 of front element 9 must be transparent. Front element 9 is connected to door 20 by welding, thereby non-removably coupling front element 9 with rear element 8, central element 10 and glass door bowll2 being interposed between front element 9 and rear element 8. As already stated above, this fastening may be carried out by using any known welding technique for thermoplastic materials. By way of explanatory but non-limiting example, front element 9 may be connected to rear element 8 by linear vibration welding. Rear element 8 and/or front element 9 may comprise suitable reference means and suitable auxiliary means similar to those already illustrated in the description of the connection between central element 10 and rear element 8.
• door 20 overcomes the inherent drawbacks of the prior art.
• door 20 comprises just a single structural component.
• the welding creates continuity of material among the above-mentioned components, so that they become an enbloc structural component. It is clear that this considerably reduces the creaking sound typical of prior-art thermoplastic doors for household appliances: in fact, friction (as well as any consequent noise) is eliminated between the various thermoplastic components of door 20, for they have become as one piece.
• the welding used for manufacturing the door according to the invention allows to eliminate all removable connections, which would be subject to loosening during the life of the household appliance, resulting in door 20 having strength and solidity characteristics being essentially constant over time.
• front element 9 of door 20 is made in one piece; this gives an impression of great strength of the door and of definite separation between the drum filled with liquid and the surrounding environment; however, it is appropriate to place also a glass door bowl, e.g. of the traditional type, behind the front element.
• the whole front element 9 of door 20 is made of the same transparent material; on said element an opaque film is then applied, which has essentially a decorative function and is so shaped that the central area of front element 9 remains transparent.
• the opaque film is only applied onto the back surface of front element 9 (i.e. onto the surface facing the inside of the laundry washing machine, washing/drying machine or clothes dryer 1), so that the front surface of element 9 has a better appearance and is smooth and even to the touch.
• both the material and the shape of front element 9 can be chosen freely, thereby meeting a wider range of aesthetic and/or functional needs. Furthermore, if front element 9 is connected to the door, in particular to rear element 8, through welding, there will be no aesthetic and/or functional problems relating to the arrangement of screws and joints.
• rear element 8 central element 10 and front element 9 form, through linear vibration welding, a single thermoplastic element which ensures a permanent and solid fastening of glass door bowl 12 inside of it and which is connected to front face 4 of the front-loading or substantially front-loading laundry washing machine, washing/drying machine or clothes dryer 1 through the pair of hinges 5 A and 5B.
• the present invention has been described with particular reference to the above embodiment, but it is clear that many changes may be made thereto by those skilled in the art.
• the glass door bowl is made of a thermoplastic material instead of glass, the door may be manufactured by using a different number and a different type of structural components.
• a possible embodiment of the present invention will consist of a door manufactured through welding a rear element including a central profile acting as a glass door bowl to a front element similar to front element 9 of Fig.2.
• the interface means may advantageously be easily removable from the door, so that they can be repaired or replaced in the event of a failure preventing them from operating properly.
• the interface means may be housed within a compartment (in the illustrated example, said compartment is designated by reference - numeral 23) obtained in the rear element of the door, and they may be secured to the door through removable connection means, such as screws and/or snap elements.
• the interface means must also be provided with a suitable power supply.
• a power cable supplying the interface means and any other data transfer cables may advantageously be routed from the inside of the door to the inside of the cabinet of the household appliance near or through one of the door hinges.
• the door comprises a first, a second, a third and a fourth element, at least the first, the second and the third elements being made of a thermoplastic material, the first element comprising at least one hole and an annular surface surrounding said hole, and the fourth element comprising at least one annular surface; said method comprises the steps of: i) positioning the fourth element inside the hole of the first element, so that the annular surface of the fourth element comes in contact with the annular surface of the first element; ii) properly positioning the second element relative to the first element; iii) connecting the second element to the first element through welding, the fourth element being interposed between the second element and the first element; iv) positioning the third element relative to the first element properly, and v) connecting the third element to the first element through welding, the second element and the fourth element being
• this method may be used to manufacture said door 20, wherein the first element is rear element 8, the second element is central element 10, the third element is front element 9 and the fourth element is glass door bowl 12.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Main Body Construction Of Washing Machines And Laundry Dryers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=37398400

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Cited By (6)

Families Citing this family (9)

Citations (1)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2005
  • 2005-06-29 IT IT000453A patent/ITTO20050453A1/it unknown
• 2006
  • 2006-06-26 RU RU2008103192/05A patent/RU2407835C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2006-06-26 WO PCT/IB2006/001742 patent/WO2007000645A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2006-06-26 EP EP06795055A patent/EP1907616A1/en not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (1)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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