EP2002047B1

EP2002047B1 - A noise-reduced tub for a washer/dryer

Info

Publication number: EP2002047B1
Application number: EP07727542.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Levent Gokkus
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2006-03-31
Filing date: 2007-03-30
Publication date: 2013-11-06
Anticipated expiration: 2027-03-30
Also published as: EP2002047A1; WO2007113228A1

Description

The present invention relates to a washer/dryer comprising a plastic tub.
The washer/dryers comprise a drum, having ribs of various sizes and numbers for increasing the washing effectiveness by moving the laundry emplaced therein, a tub inside which the drum is situated and a pulley attached to the drum shaft, providing the drum to rotate within the tub by transferring the motion received from the motor to the shaft. The shaft, with one end connected to the hub of the pulley and the other end to the drum, is supported on the rear wall of the tub.
On the rear wall of the tub, the support elements which encircle the hub and extend adjacently from the hub towards the rear wall spaced with certain intervals and gaps in between these support elements are provided. These support elements yield a rigid structure while supporting the hub through which the shaft is inserted and the gaps between the support elements provide the tub to be lightweight.
There are also support elements arranged at certain intervals on the pulley, with a similar structure to that of the tub rear wall, extending between the pulley hub and its perimeter providing to support the hub of the pulley.
When the pulley is mounted to the end of the shaft, there is a certain gap left between the tub rear wall and itself. The gaps situated on the rear wall of the tub generate a noise due to the air movements during the activation of the pulley. Par-ticularly in the spinning phase wherein the drum rotates at high speed, an air movement is created between the tub rear wall and the pulley. Noise is generated due to this air movement.
In the state of the art, various implementations have been developed in order to prevent the noise generated in the gaps situated on the tub rear wall between the tub and the pulley due to the rotation of the pulley.
In the state of the art United States of America Patent no. US5263343 , the ex-planation is given for the tub of a washing machine including an outer surface having a plurality of outwardly open recesses, and thermal insulating panels disposed in respective ones of said recesses. Both sound and heat transfer are minimized by disposing these insulating panels in these recesses.
In the state of the art European Patent Application no. EP1431439 a pulley wheel that drives the drum of the washing machine is explained. The gaps between the pulley strengthening ribs are covered in order to minimize the sound between the pulley wheel and the rear wall of the tub.
In the state of the art International Patent Application no. W02005052243 , the explanation is given for how the supports on both the tub and the pulley are covered with a cover. EP 1 538 252 A discloses a plastic tub for a washing machine in which the drum of the washing machine is to be placed. The tub comprises a rear wall with alternating inward and outward facing sectors.
In the state of the art applications, separate elements are situated on the tub or the pulley. This will increase costs and will also result in loss of time due to workmanship.
Furthermore, since the gaps on the rear all of the tub can give rise to generation of noise while the pulley rotates at high speed, also causing a temperature decrease of the water in the tub that is heated by a heater.
The objective of the present invention is to design a washer/dryer comprising a tub wherein the noise generated by the rotation of the pulley and the temperature loss are minimized.
The washer/dryer designed to fulfill the object of the present invention, described in the first claim and the respective dependent claims thereof, comprises a cover produced as a single piece with the tub in the mould, extending out from the rear wall, which provides an air filled insulation chamber by being bended over and covering the hollow chamber next to the support element after the tub is taken out of the mould.
By means of this cover, the rear wall of the tub is provided with heat and sound insulation feature by covering over the chambers between the support elements such that air is trapped therein, minimizing both noise and heat transfer.
The cover is formed on at least one of the walls bounding the chamber between two adjacent support elements.
One side of the cover is joined as a single piece to one of the walls bounding the chamber in the mould and the other sides move by turning around this side.
In another embodiment of the present invention, one side of the cover is formed on the support elements adjacent to the chamber. In this embodiment, one side of the cover is attached on the support element, the side opposite to this side moves, bending over the adjacent support element such that a chamber is formed between the two support elements. When the movable side is seated on the support element, the cover is fixed on the support element by any attachment method.
The covers are dimensioned such that the chamber is entirely or partially covered.
When the cover is closed over the chamber, it can be fixed by any fixation method (press-fitting, snap-fitting, adhesion, screwing etc.) on the chamber.
By means of producing the covers that will close down on the chambers in between the support elements as a single piece with the tub, use of numerous amounts of components is prevented and also workmanship is reduced.
By means of the present invention, both heat and sound insulation is provided on the rear wall of the tub with the covers formed in a single piece with the tub during the production of the plastic tub.
The washer/dryer designed to fulfill the objective of the present invention is illustrated in attached figures, where:
Figure 1 - is the schematic view of a washer/dryer.
Figure 2 - is the perspective view of an embodiment of the tub.
Figure 3 - is the perspective view of another embodiment of the tub.
The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1.: Washer/dryer
2.: Drum
3.: Tub
4.: Rear wall
5.: Support element
6.: Chamber
7.: Motor
8.: Cover
9.: Hub
10.: Pulley
11.: Shaft

The washer/dryer (1) of the present invention comprises a drum (2) wherein the laundry to be washed is emplaced, a tub (3) made of plastic material, in which the drum (2) moves, a motor (7) situated outside the tub (3) providing to drive the drum (2), a pulley (10) transferring the movement received from the motor (7) and a shaft (11) one end of which is fixed to the pulley (10) and the other end to the drum (2), transferring the movement to the drum (2) and beared in the tub (3) (Figure 1).
The tub (3) comprises a rear wall (4), one or more support elements (5) situated on this rear wall (4) and one or more chambers (6) arranged in between the support elements (5).
The washer/dryer (1) comprises one or more covers (8) produced in a single piece with the tub (3) in the mould, on at least one of the sides bounding the chamber (6) situated at the rear wall (4), extending out from the surface of the rear wall (4), and forming an air-filled insulated chamber (6) partially or entirely covering the chamber (6) by being bent over after the tub (3) has been taken out of the mould.
At least one side of the cover (8) is joined as a single piece to the wall bounding the chamber (6) in the mould and the other sides, turning around this side, bear on the support elements (5) bounding the chamber (6) and cover over the chamber (6) that is in between the support elements (5)
The chambers (8) in between the support elements (5) are enclosed by the covers (8) situated on the tub (3) and produced as a single piece with the tub (3) in the mould, forming air-filled chambers (8), minimizing both heat transfer and noise, providing the heat and sound insulation feature to the rear wall (4) of the tub (3)
In another embodiment of the present invention, the cover (8) is situated on the wall of the support element (5) adjacent to the chamber (6) In this embodiment, one side of the cover (8) is conjoint with the support element (5) in the mould, and when this side is bended, the other side bears on the other support element (5) such that there is a chamber (6) in between the two adjacent support elements (5) The side of the cover (8) bearing on the support element (5) is fixed on the support element (5) by any fixation method. Consequently, the cover (8) extends such that it is between the adjacent support elements (5) and the top of the chamber (6) between two support elements (5) is enclosed (Figure 3).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the washer/dryer (1) comprises a hub (9) on the tub (3) rear wall (4), bearing the shaft (11) to which the drum (2) and the pulley (10) are fixed to each of its ends. The support elements (5) situated on the rear wall (4) and the chambers (6) between the support elements (5) encircle the hub (9), extending from the hub (9) to the perimeter of the tub (3).
In this embodiment of the present invention, the cover (8) is situated on the wall of the chamber (6) adjacent to the hub (9) In this embodiment, when the cover (8) is bent towards the rear wall (4), the top of the chamber (6) is enclosed by bearing on the two support elements (5) (Figure 2)
In both embodiments of the resent invention, the cover (8) is produced in a single piece with the tub (3); the portion of the cover attached to the rear wall (4) is comparably thinner than its other portions and accordingly serves as hinge.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the tub (3) comprises a locking mechanism preferably formed of protrusions and recesses situated on the opposite sides of the support element (5) and on the side of the cover (8) bearing on the support element (5) providing the cover (8) to be fixed to the support element (5)
In another embodiment of the present invention, the cover (8) is closed on the chamber (6) in a shape locking manner with the rear wall (4)
In another embodiment of the present invention, the cover (8) is closed on the chamber (6) by press-fitting.
Similarly the cover (8) is fixed over the support elements (5) by any fixing method (snap-fitting, adhesion, screwing etc.) such that there is a chamber (6) there between.
The drum (2) of the washer/dryer (1) of the present invention can either be driven by a belt-pulley (10) or by a direct drive motor (7).
Heat loss from the tub (3) towards the exterior and the noise generated as a result of the air movement between the pulley (10) and the rear wall (4) are prevented by covering the top of the chambers (6) situated on the rear wall (4) with the covers (8) produced in a single piece with the tub (3) and as a result of providing air-filled chambers (6) Furthermore, the use of superfluous parts is prevented and also labor costs is reduced by means of producing the covers (8) in a single piece with the tub (3) for closing the top of the chambers (6) in between the tub (3) and the support elements (5)

Claims

A washer/dryer (1) comprising a drum (2) wherein the laundry to be washed is emplaced, a tub (3) made of plastic material, in which the drum (2) moves, having a rear wall (4), one or more support elements (5) situated on this rear wall (4) and one or more chambers (6) arranged in between the support elements (5) and characterized by one or more covers (8) each produced in a single piece with the tub (3) in the mould, extending out from the surface of the rear wall (4) on at least one of the
sides bounding the one or more chambers (6) situated on the rear wall (4), the covers (8) being adapted for subsequent bending over each of the one or more chambers (6) in order to provide one or
more air-filled insulated chambers (6) partially or entirely covered by the covers (8).
A washer/dryer (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by one or more a covers (8) having each at least one side joined as a single piece to the wall bounding the chamber (6) in the mould, and
the other sides, turning around this side, in the bent state of the cover (8) bearing on the support elements (5) bounding the one or more chambers (6) and covering the one or more chambers (6) that is/are
in between the support elements (5).
A washer/dryer (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by the one or more covers (8) being situated in its bent state on the wall of the support element (5) adjacent to the chamber (6) and extending, in the bent state, between two adjacent support elements (5).
A washer/dryer (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by each cover (8) having its portion attached to the rear wall (4) comparably thinner than the other portions, thus providing a hinge.
A washer/dryer (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, comprising a motor (7) situated outside the tub (3) and providing to drive the drum (2), a pulley (10) transferring the movement received from the motor (7) and a shaft (11) supported from the tub (3), one end of which is fixed to the pulley (10) and the other end to the drum (2), transferring the movement to the drum (2) and a hub (9) in which the shaft (11) is supported and characterized by the one or more covers (8) being situated on the wall of the one or more chambers (6) adjacent to the hub (9) in its bent state.
A washer/dryer (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the tub (3) comprising a locking mechanism formed of protrusions and recesses situated on the opposite sides of the support element (5) and on the side of the one or more covers (8) bearing on the support element (5), providing the one or more covers (8) to be fixed to the support element (5).
A washer/dryer (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the one or more covers (8) closed on the chamber (6) in a form-closed manner with the rear wall (4).
A washer/dryer (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the one or more covers (8) closed on the chamber (6) and fixed by press-fitting.