EP1914340B1

EP1914340B1 - Clothes drier with improved engaging device for the waste water storage container

Info

Publication number: EP1914340B1
Application number: EP06425708A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Silvano Fumagalli
Original assignee: Candy SpA
Current assignee: Candy SpA
Priority date: 2006-10-16
Filing date: 2006-10-16
Publication date: 2010-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 2026-10-16
Also published as: EP1914340A1; DE602006018475D1

Description

The present invention relates to a clothes drier comprising: a drain circuit with a terminal portion which defines a first longitudinal axis and is able to drain water inside an extractable container provided with an inlet which defines a second longitudinal axis, a seat able to receive the extractable container, and an engaging device able to ensure engagement of the terminal portion of the drain circuit with the inlet so as to transfer water from the drain circuit into the container when the container is located in its seat wherein the engaging device comprises at least one first member pivotably mounted on a pivot fixed with respect to the terminal portion of the drain circuit.
Such a clothes dryer is known, e.g. from EP 0 484 225 A . EP 1 524 359 A , discloses a clothes dryer comprising a drain circuit with a terminal portion which is able to discharge water inside an extractable container having an inlet, a seat able to receive the extractable container, an engaging device with at least one first member pivotably mounted on a pivot fixed with respect to the terminal portion of the drain circuit.
Clothes driers are electric household appliances which are particularly common in cold climates where it is not possible to hang out washing to dry. Since generally, in the premises where they are installed, all the water drain pipes are already used by the sanitary apparatus or by the washing machine, clothes driers are designed so that they do not require any type of connection to the water mains.
The water which is extracted from the damp clothes during drying is therefore collected, via a drain circuit inside the said clothes drier, in a special container. When the drying program has ended, the user is able to extract the container and empty it, for example in the bathroom or in the kitchen.
In order to prevent accidental spillage of liquid when the container is not inserted in its seat, the drain circuit and the container are provided with respective safety valves, for example such as those shown in Figure 2.
These valves 100, 200 each comprise a central duct 101, 201, contained in a support 102, 202 which has openings 104, 204 for allowing the water to pass through in the vicinity of one end 103, 203.
When the container 2 is in its seat, the ends 103, 203 of the central ducts 101, 201 protrude from the associated support 102, 202 so as to connect the terminal portion 4 of the drain circuit to the container 2.
The terminal portion 4 of the drain circuit defines a first longitudinal axis X-X; the terminal section of the inlet 3 of the container 2 defines a second longitudinal axis Y-Y (visible in Figure 1).
In order to insert the container 2 into its seat, it is necessary first of all to align the axes X-X and Y-Y and then move, by means of a translatory movement along the axis X-X (or Y-Y), the inlet 3 towards the terminal portion 4 of the drain circuit.
A spring 105, 205 is arranged in each valve between the central duct 101, 201 and the support 102, 202 so that, when the container 2 is not in its seat, the valves 100, 200 assume the closed configuration again.
In order to ensure correct and secure insertion of the container in its receiving seat, in the prior art the solution shown in Figure 3 has been developed.
By means of this solution, when container 2 reaches the correct position, snap-engaging parts 106, 206 engage with each other, maintaining inlet 3 inside terminal portion 4 of the drain circuit.
This system, however, requires that the snap- engaging parts 106, 206 be aligned by the user with a precision which cannot be easily achieved, in particular if the container 2 is situated in the bottom zones of the clothes drier 1 and the user is obliged to perform operations in an awkward position.
It is therefore possible that errors may occur in the alignment between inlet 3 of container 2 and terminal portion 4 of the drain circuit and consequently that the clothes drier 1 may lose water.
In view of the described state of the art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connection which ensures a sealing tightness and reliability superior to that known hitherto.
In accordance with the present invention, this object is achieved by means of a clothes drier according to Claim 1.
The characteristic features and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following detailed description of a practical embodiment provided by way of a non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic, partly cut-away, perspective view of a front loading clothes drier with a container inserted at the front;
Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a connection of the known type between the water storage container and the terminal portion of the drain circuit of the clothes drier, with the safety valves open;
Figure 3 shows a partially sectioned view of an engaging device of the known type;
Figure 4a shows schematically the container provided with an outlet;
Figures 4b, 5 and 6 show schematically three successive stages of insertion of a container in a clothes drier provided with an engaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

With reference to Figure 1 and Figures 4 to 6, container 2 is provided with an inlet 3 which is substantially cylindrical and extends mainly along an axis Y-Y. In order to insert the container 2 into its seat it is firstly necessary to align the axis Y-Y with the axis X-X and then move the end of the inlet 3 towards terminal portion 4 of the drain circuit.
The terminal portions of the drain circuit and of the inlet comprise each a safety valve, preferably such as those described above with reference to Figure 2.
As will also become clearer below, the term "terminal portion of the drain circuit" has to be understood also as meaning the parts which are immediately adjacent to the actual pipes.
An engaging device 5 ensures that the inlet 3 is correctly inserted and kept in position in terminal portion 4 of the drain circuit so as to prevent accidental leakage of water.
Inlet 3 comprises a pin 6 (not visible in Figure 1) which is able to slide inside suitable guides 7, 12. Pin 6 is composed of a preferably cylindrical part projecting from the outer surface of the inlet, perpendicularly with respect thereto.
Terminal portion 4 of the drain circuit comprises a slot 7 able to guide inlet 3 along the axis X-X so as to form the sealed connection described above.
The width of slot 7 is substantially equal to the diameter of pin 6 so as to engage with it without play; if necessary, opening 8 of slot 7 may be slightly diverging. Advantageously, when the clothes drier 1 is installed, the slot is in the horizontal direction.
The engaging device 5 is a hinge-type articulated system, such as, for example, a toggle-joint system. It comprises at least a first member 9 pivotably mounted on a pivot P which is fixed with respect to the terminal portion 4 of the drain circuit.
In addition to first member 9, the engaging device 5 may comprise resilient means 11 and a second member 10 which is hinged with first member 9 by means of a hinge H.
As can be seen more clearly in Figure 6, the first member is defined by two sides A and B which are substantially parallel to each other, two sides C and D which are inclined with respect to A and B and substantially parallel to each other, a slot 12 with sides parallel to A and B and two sides E and F.
Angle AC, in the vicinity of pivot P, is obtuse, while acute angle BC is radiused close to hinge H.
Slot 12, which separates two arms 13, 14 from each other, has a width substantially equal to the diameter of pin 6 and a length such as to allow pin 6 to freely slide inside it during rotation of first member 9 about pivot P.
The side D defines, together with one of the sides of slot 12, the tip of arm 13; the tip of arm 14 is defined by sides E and F which are substantially symmetrical with respect to a plane parallel to sides A and B and passing substantially through the centre of arm 14.
The second member 9 has a substantially straight shape, having one end 15 hinged by means of hinge H with first member 9 and the opposite end 16 sliding, if necessary by means of a projecting engaging member (not shown), inside a guide 17 which is fixed with respect to the clothes drier 1.
The guide 17 allows the second end 16 of second member 10 to move along a (preferably straight) path and come into contact with resilient means 11, compressing them.
When inlet 3 is inserted into terminal part 4 of the drain circuit, pin 6 is inserted at the same time into slot 7 and into the slot 12 formed, respectively, in terminal portion 4 of the drain circuit and in first member 9 of the engaging device 5.
Since terminal portion 4 of the drain circuit is fixed, pin 6 is forced to move exclusively along slot 7 and slot 12, which is able to rotate about the pivot P, must follow the rising movement of pin 6 inside slot 7.
The slot 12 is then rotated about the pivot P in clockwise direction, in the embodiment shown in the figures.
This rotation causes sliding of second end 16 of second member 10 inside guide 17 until it comes into contact with resilient means 11. Advantageously, contact between second end 16 of second member 10 and resilient means 11 occurs at an angle of about ±30° with respect to the aligned position of Figure 5.
Insertion of inlet 3 is opposed by the action of resilient means 11 until the position shown in Figure 5 is reached, in which pivot P and hinge H are aligned with the direction of the force F which resilient means 11 exert on second member 10. Advantageously, this alignment occurs in the direction perpendicular to axis X-X.
The value of the force exerted by engaging device 5 on container 2 depends on the geometrical relationship between the parts; in the position shown in Figure 5, engaging device 5 does not transmit any force to container 2.
Beyond this position, resilient means 11 exert on first member 9 a torque which favours the insertion of container 2 inside its seat in the clothes drier 1.
When container 2 has reached the position shown in Figure 6, namely when it is inserted inside its receiving seat, second end 16 of second member 10 is no longer in contact with resilient means 11.
In order to pass from the configuration shown in Figure 4 (namely the one corresponding to initial contact between pin 6 and first member 9 of engaging device 5) to the one shown in Figure 5, pin 6 (and therefore container 2) must perform a displacement along axis X-X which may advantageously be between 5 and 8 mm and preferably is equal to about 6.5 mm.
In order to pass from the configuration shown in Figure 5 to the one of Figure 6, the displacement may instead be between 7 and 11 mm and preferably is equal to about 9 mm.
The force due to resilient means 11 which is transferred to container 2 by means of engaging device 5 is a resistance which decreases during the first stage of insertion (namely between the position shown in Figure 4 and that shown in Figure 5) and a positive force which increases during the second stage of insertion (namely between the position shown in Figure 5 and that shown in Figure 6).
Resilient means 11 may be a flexible spring, but also other constructional forms are possible such as, for example, a coil spring, a helical spring, a leaf spring, etc.
Similarly, engaging device 5 has been shown as rotating in the clockwise direction during insertion, but could be designed symmetrically, achieving the same results.
Likewise, in the case where inlet 3 has two diametrically opposite pins 6 which are inserted in two respective slots 7 formed on terminal part 4 of the drain circuit, the same effects of the present invention may be obtained by providing the clothes drier with a second engaging device symmetrical with the first device relative to a plane parallel to the plane defined by first member 9 and passing along the axis X-X.
The present invention has been described with reference to the axis X-X which, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, is horizontal. It is nevertheless possible to realise the teachings of the present invention even if the axis X-X should be oriented differently. Likewise, the present invention is applicable both to front loading clothes driers and to other types of clothes drier, such as, for example, top loading driers.
Obviously a person skilled in the art, in order to satisfy contingent and specific requirements, may make numerous other modifications and variations to the configurations described above, without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

Clothes drier (1) comprising:
- a drain circuit, comprising a terminal portion (4), said terminal portion (4) defining a first longitudinal axis (X-X) and being able to discharge water inside an extractable container (2);

- a seat able to receive said extractable container (2), said container (2) having an inlet (3) defining a second longitudinal axis (Y-Y) ;

- an engaging device (5) able to ensure engagement of said terminal portion (4) of the drain circuit with said inlet (3) so that said first and second longitudinal axes (X-X, Y-Y) coincide so as to transfer water from said drain circuit to said container (2), when said container (2) is located in said seat;
wherein
said engaging device (5) comprises at least one first member (9) pivotably mounted on a pivot (P) fixed with respect to said terminal portion (4) of the drain circuit,
characterized in that
said engaging device (5) comprises a second member (10) connected at one (15) of its ends, by means of a hinge (H), to said first member (9) and in that the other end (16) of said second member (10) is constrained with respect to said terminal portion (4) of the drain circuit so as to be able to move along a linear path.
Clothes drier (1) according to the preceding claim, in which said other end (16) slides inside a straight guide (17) formed in said clothes drier (1).
Clothes drier (1) according to the preceding claim, comprising resilient means (11) such that said other end (16) may come into contact with them and compress them.
Clothes drier (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said terminal portion (4) of the drain circuit comprises a slot (7) for guiding a pin formed in said inlet (3).
Clothes drier (1) according to the preceding claim, in which said slot (7) comprises a diverging mouth (8).
Clothes drier (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said first member (9) of said engaging device (5) comprises a slot (12) able to guide a pin (6) formed in said inlet (3).
Clothes drier (1) according to the preceding claim, in which said slot (12) is straight and is formed on the end of said first member (9) opposite to that hinged with said second member (10).
Combination of said extractable container (2) comprising said inlet (3) defining said second longitudinal axis (Y-Y) and a clothes drier (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said inlet (3) comprises a cylindrical pin (6) projecting radially from the outer surface of said inlet (3).