EP2038469B1 - Front-loading laundry treatment machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The loading opening for the washing items is closed by a door with a basically frustrated conical (14) glass centre bowl (7) to prevent clothing being isolated on the flexible coupling between the mobile drum unit and the machine front panel. To also prevent such items being isolated on the conical door bowl various adaptations are devised, one of which, here described, has a partially helical land (18) extending from (12) near the rim (8) and the crown (9).

Description

The invention relates to one of the feedable laundry treatment machine, preferably a washing machine, with a washing tub swinging in the device housing and with a laundry drum rotatable in the tub, with a material elastic cuff, via which the tub at the edge of its front loading port is liquid-tightly connected to the housing side feed opening, and a door closing the housing side opening with a frusto-conical bulging towards the interior of the drum.

The term "truncated cone" is to be understood as a conical body with any surface with continuous arcs of any radii, z. B. in addition to circular bases with oval, elliptical or egg-shaped bases. The invention is described below with reference to a washing machine; However, it can also be applied to a laundry drying machine.

In order to prevent known washing machines of the type mentioned above, that during the washing process promoted up laundry items remain on the cup-shaped filling body, an inwardly directed chamfer is formed in the upper region of the packing. The laundry can slide off this slope and, following gravity, falls back into the interior of the drum. This simple form of a laundry deflector is practiced on many washing machines.

In a specially designed embodiment of a tapered filling body has in DE 102 28 602 A1 the inwardly directed region of the filling body has a structure in the form of rowed elevations and depressions. With this molded wavy or corrugated structure of the projecting into the laundry treatment space filling body of the entry of mechanics is to be reinforced in the laundry. On the function as a laundry deflector, the proposed shape does not have a positive effect, because the structure of the surface no repellent force component but acting in small areas of the fabric parts of the laundry flexing is done.

When the washing machine is running, in particular during spin-up, it generally comes to unbalanced vibration of the elastically suspended system of tub and laundry drum. In addition, swinging to a lesser extent, the flying stored laundry drum opposite the tub. In order to avoid that the drum and the stationary sleeve rub against each other, a sufficient distance must be maintained between them. The same applies to the distance of the edge of the drum opening with respect to the inside of the drum projecting filler. From these boundary conditions constructively results between the edge of the drum, cuff and filling an annular gap, which carries the risk that, during operation of the washing machine get laundry parts in this gap and rub with the rotating drum moving laundry items on the stationary cuff. This friction can damage both the garment and the cuff.

With the size of the drum and the width of its filling opening, the tendency for laundry to be conveyed from the rear area of the laundry drum to the front area during washing or spinning increases. In addition to the risk of damage to the laundry and the cuff by mutual abrasion, the frictional forces cause increased stress on the drum drive motor. For a given engine speed increases the necessarily applied drive torque.

The mif of the rotating drum moving laundry could also be trapped in the gap between the edge of the laundry drum and the cuff, which increases the risk of damage to the laundry to a special degree and complicates the start of the drum during washing and spinning or even prevent. This will also overburden the drive motor. Such dangers are particularly present when the drum is filled to its maximum capacity with laundry.

In order to be able to counteract the hazards described above, laundry deflectors have been developed in addition to the filler as additional components. In DE 103 59 011 B3 It is proposed to attach an annular elastic laundry deflector on the tub so that the space between the filler and the cuff is at least partially filled. The resulting narrowing of the annular gap reduces the risk that the laundry can penetrate into this room.

In DE 20 2004 012 221 U1 a laundry deflector is described, which is fixed in the upper region of the feed opening to the tub and extends into the area covered by the cuff. The laundry deflector has a cross-sectional area in the form of a triangle with symmetrical or asymmetrical flanks. The top of the triangle shows from the top to the center of the filling opening. The triangular shape causes a detachment of the laundry in both directions of rotation, in symmetrical triangles in the same, in asymmetric triangles in direction of rotation-dependent strength. The laundry is transported in a vertical direction. In order to reduce the friction on the laundry deflector this is provided with a particularly lubricious coating.

In practice, however, shows that the use of the described laundry deflector laundry is still damaged and unwanted friction on the cuff is still unavoidable.

The invention has for its object to design a washing machine without the use of additional built-in components described above so that the function of the laundry rejection is maintained, and even enhanced without risking damage to the laundry by friction on the sleeve during operation of the washing machine , and that the operation of the washing machine with respect to the drive of the laundry drum safer. The implementation of the invention and the achievable with their application advantages should be achievable with the least possible effort.

According to the invention the object is achieved by the features listed in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

The designed according to the present invention washing machine is characterized in that the lateral surface of the packing has at least one indentation, which begins near the largest diameter of the truncated cone and in the direction of the drum interior and the smallest diameter of the truncated cone on the lateral surface along a rising forms a sickle-shaped surface. The crescent-shaped surface forms a sliding surface with a directed inside the drum pitch, which has virtually no friction on the surface of the - mostly consisting of glass - packing in the interior of the drum to her fitting and in rotation laundry parts.

By the filler according to the invention namely acts on the laundry during operation of the drum, a force which has a component similar to a screw conveyor tangential to the lateral surface of the packing and an additional force component, the axially into the Drum interior is addressed. In particular, this axial force component conveys the laundry forced into the front drum region back into the middle region of the drum and prevents laundry from entering the critical region of the gap between the sleeve and the filling body, without first making contact with the sleeve.

The dynamics of the generated force is primarily dependent on the speed of the drum, the force on the laundry increases during drum run-up. Thus, and in particular by the axially acting force component, the effect of the filler designed according to the invention differs in principle from the operation of known laundry deflector, apart from the significantly lower friction between the surfaces of the laundry deflector according to the invention and the laundry.

As described above, as the rotational speed of the drum increases, the tendency of the laundry or portions thereof to be pushed forward out of the drum opening increases. The inventive shape of the packing results in the advantage that to the same extent, i. Also with increasing speed the tendency increases, by the drum-inward acting force, the laundry acts to bring back into the drum back.

In order to produce different deflection effects, which are oriented towards the wash-technological objective, the surface resembling the shape of a sickle can be dimensioned and shaped discontinuously. Notwithstanding the preferred form with a constant pitch, the sickle surface may have a partially non-uniform slope along its extent. The Abweiserwirkung of the packing can also be influenced by the fact that in the region of the indentation, the lateral surface area has a changing cone angle.

In an embodiment of the invention, the filler has two oppositely directed indentations, whereby a deflecting effect is achieved in both directions of rotation of the drum. Depending on whether the washing machine is operated predominantly uniformly reversing or with a preferred direction of rotation, the oppositely directed recesses are designed symmetrical or asymmetrical. The symmetrical embodiment has the effect that equally large deflecting forces are transmitted to the laundry in both directions of rotation. In the preferred asymmetric embodiment, in Main direction produces a stronger Abweiserwirkung than in the opposite direction of rotation.

The inventively designed washing machine reduces the friction of the laundry in the region of the filling opening and the risk that laundry out of the filling opening of the drum is conveyed out. The filler according to the invention causes a particularly gentle rejection of the laundry from the region of the filling opening. Friction damage to the laundry is significantly reduced and the service life of the cuff is increased.

With the reduced friction and the burden on the drum drive motor is reduced. Its energy consumption decreases, preventing drum startup due to trapped laundry parts is effectively prevented. Compared to device configurations without the use of the invention, it is possible to use motors of lower power, which can mean a cost reduction. A further advantage is that with the application of the invention, a significant reduction of the noise development is noticeable for the customer.

The additional expense associated with the invention is limited to the one-time production of a modified injection mold for the specially designed packing. The manufacturing process in the production of the filler as well as its installation in the frame of the loading door remain unchanged. Further adjustments or additional built-in parts are not required.

Fig. 1

eine Waschmaschine gemäß dem Stande der Technik,

Fig. 2

ein erfindungsgemäßer Füllkörper (1. Ausführungsform) in einer Ansicht auf den kleineren Konus-Durchmesser,

Fig. 3

der Füllkörper gemäß Fig. 2 in derselben Ansicht als dreidimensionales Bild mit Schattierung,

Fig. 4

der Füllkörper gemäß Fig. 2 in einer Ansicht von der Seite (aus der Einbau- lage um 90° gedreht),

Fig. 5

der Füllkörper gemäß Fig. 2 in einer Ansicht wie in Fig. 4; jedoch in Einbau- lage und dreidimensional schattiert,

Fig. 6

der Füllkörper gemäß Fig. 2 in schattierter perspektivischer Ansicht,

Fig. 7

eine andere Variante des erfindungsgemäßen Füllkörpers in einer Ansicht wie in Fig. 2,

Fig. 8

der Füllkörper gemäß Fig. 7 in einer Ansicht wie in Fig. 3,

Fig. 9

der Füllkörper gemäß Fig. 7 in einer Ansicht wie in Fig. 4 und

Fig. 10

der Füllkörper gemäß Fig. 7 in wie in Fig. 5.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawing. Show it

Fig. 1

a washing machine according to the prior art,

Fig. 2

an inventive packing (1st embodiment) in a view of the smaller cone diameter,

Fig. 3

the filler according to Fig. 2 in the same view as a three-dimensional image with shading,

Fig. 4

the filler according to Fig. 2 in a view from the side (rotated from the installation position by 90 °),

Fig. 5

the filler according to Fig. 2 in a view like in Fig. 4 ; but shaded and three-dimensionally shaded,

Fig. 6

the filler according to Fig. 2 in shaded perspective view,

Fig. 7

another variant of the filling body according to the invention in a view as in Fig. 2 .

Fig. 8

the filler according to Fig. 7 in a view like in Fig. 3 .

Fig. 9

the filler according to Fig. 7 in a view like in Fig. 4 and

Fig. 10

the filler according to Fig. 7 in like in Fig. 5 ,

In Fig. 1 a washing machine 1 according to the prior art is shown schematically in perspective from the front. In the housing of the washing machine, the tub 2 is suspended resiliently in which the intended for receiving the laundry drum 4 is arranged rotatably about a horizontal axis. The tub 2 and the drum 4 each have an opening 3 at the front, which are concentric with each other and lie almost in the same plane - therefore they both have the same reference number - and on which the drum 4 can be loaded and unloaded with the laundry.

The opening corresponding to the feed opening 3 of the tub 2 / the drum 4 provided in the device housing opening is sealingly connected via a material-elastic rubber sleeve 5 with the opening 3 of the tub 2 and closed with a hinged door 6. The door 6 carries a clear packing 7 according to the prior art. When the door 6 is closed, the filling body 7 closes the work area of the washing machine in a liquid-tight manner to the outside via a sealing ring, not shown, of the sleeve 5. The filler 6 is firmly clamped over the angled edge region 8 in the door frame. The trained as a truncated cone, inwardly tapered conical filler 7 protrudes with the door closed 6 in the opening 3 of the laundry drum 4. This is to prevent laundry from the drum interior in the area between the filler 7 and the sleeve 5 can pass, but because of the required vibration space of the tub 2 have a considerable distance from each other. A vertical plane region 9, via which the operation in the washing machine 1 can be tracked or controlled, closes the filling body 7 inwards. The filler 7 has in known manner in the upper third of the lateral region of the truncated cone a chamfer 10. The chamfer 10 acts as a sliding surface; Items of laundry conveyed upwards by the drum rotation slide off the chamfer 10 of the filling body 7 and fall back into the drum 4 in accordance with gravity.

The embodiments of the inventively designed filler 7 are shown for better intuition both as a drawing and as an image with shaded areas. The inventively designed packing occur in place of the filling body 7 in Fig. 1 , Instead of the known from the prior art bevel 10, the packing 7 of the illustrated embodiments but a sickle-shaped indentation on 11th

The first embodiment ( Fig. 2 to 6 ) has along the lateral surface 14 of the filler cone on a circumferentially extending, from the lowest end 12 near the largest diameter of the truncated cone steadily increasing indentation 11. The indentation 11 begins with its one end 12 in front of the upper vertex 16 of the packing 7, counter to the drum rotation 13 offset by an angle α, and extends from the vertex 16 of the packing 7 in drum rotation direction 13 over an angular range β on, which is significantly greater than 90 ° is. The indentation 11, tapering at both ends 12 and 17, forms - viewed from the interior of the drum - a surface which resembles a sickle shape 18. The molded-in sickle surface 18, starting from the end 12, has a constant pitch directed into the interior of the drum.

The indentation 11 is designed so that edges are avoided and all transitions are fluid. Depending on the washing technology target position, the sickle surface 18 may be different in width and circumferentially different lengths. The effect as a laundry deflector can be varied and thus adapted to the washing technology target position.

An additional, not shown in the embodiments, the Abweiserwirkung to vary, is the sickle surface 18 is not curved as a flat surface but over its length and / or its width concave or convex or cylinder jacket-shaped curved. When shaped, the sickle surface 18 has an at least partially discontinuous pitch. Another design possibility is to form the truncated cone of the filling body 7 in the region of the indentation 11 in such a way that the lateral surface 14 has a different inclination to the interior of the drum in the upper region than in the lateral region without Shaping 11. Thus, the slipping of the laundry items and the force with which the laundry items are fed back into the drum 4, can be influenced.

In Fig. 7 to 10 a second embodiment of a filling body 7 is shown, which has two oppositely directed recesses 11. The two molded sickle surfaces 18.1 and 18.2 are dimensioned and aligned differently. Starting from the vertex 16, they extend in increasing fashion against the direction of rotation 13 over an angular range β ₁ or with the direction of rotation 13 over an angular range β _2. Deviating from the first example, the sickle surfaces 18.1 and 18.2 do not taper pointedly. The Abweiserwirkung the recesses 11 is direction of rotation in this embodiment, in the main direction of rotation 13 of the drum 4, it is greater than in the opposite direction of rotation. Such a filling body 7 is particularly suitable for washing machines 1 with two directions of rotation during washing, of which one direction of rotation is considered with respect to the other with different main task, z. B. for wetting the laundry.

For use in washing machines 1, which are operated substantially uniformly reversing, the use of a filling body 7 can be preferred, in which the sickle surfaces 18.1 and 18.2 are of equal size and are perpendicular to the vertical median plane of the truncated cone to each other. The effect as a laundry deflector is equal in such a filler 7 in both drum rotation directions 13.

In the last-mentioned embodiments, the function is effective as a laundry deflector in both directions of rotation. By appropriate design of the slopes and an asymmetry of the recesses 11 with their Sichefflächen 18.1 and 18.2, the direction of rotation-dependent Abweiserwirkung can be varied within wide limits and thus tailored specifically to the operation of the washing machine 1.

Claims (8)

1. Front-loading laundry treatment machine, preferably washing machine (1), with a solution container (2) suspended in the appliance housing to oscillate and with a laundry drum (4), which is rotatable in the solution container (2), with an elastic material sleeve (5) by way of which the solution container (2) is liquid-tightly connected at the edge of its frontal loading opening (3) with the loading opening at the housing, as well as a door (6), which closes the loading opening at the housing, with a filler body (7) frustro-conically bulging towards the drum interior, characterised in that the circumferential surface (14) of the filling body (7) has at least one shaped-in portion (11) which begins near the largest diameter of the conical frustum and forms in direction towards the drum interior space and towards the smallest diameter of the conical frustum a surface (18) rising similarly to a sickle shape along the circumferential surface (14).
2. Washing machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the surface (18) has non-constant shaping and/or dimensioning.
3. Washing machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the surface (18) has a constant gradient along its length.
4. Washing machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the surface (18) has a changing gradient along its length.
5. Washing machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the circumferential surface (14) has, regionally, a changing cone angle in the region of the shaped-in portion (11).
6. Washing machine according to claim 1, characterised in that two surfaces (18.1, 18.2) oriented in opposite sense and similar to a sickle shape are formed in the filler body (7).
7. Washing machine according to claim 6, characterised in that the surfaces (18.1, 18.2) are formed symmetrically with respect to the perpendicular central plane of the filler body (7).
8. Washing machine according to claim 6, characterised in that the two surfaces (18) have gradient angles differing from one another.

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