EP2115209B1

EP2115209B1 - A washer/dryer

Info

Publication number: EP2115209B1
Application number: EP07858143A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Orhan Daioglu; Alper Aydinay
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2006-12-29
Filing date: 2007-12-26
Publication date: 2012-06-06
Anticipated expiration: 2027-12-26
Also published as: WO2008080920A2; CN101611188A; EP2115209A2; RU2408753C1; CN101611188B; WO2008080920A3

Abstract

The present invention relates to a washer/dryer (1), which allows easy assembly and wherein the damages that may occur during transport are prevented.

Description

The present invention relates to a washer/dryer which allows an easy assembly and the damages that may occur during transportation are prevented.
In washer/dryers the outer cabin is formed by connecting together the rear, side and front walls by means of fastening elements such as screws etc. Forces from various directions affect on these screws and fastening elements during the impacts, toppling over that may occur while transporting. In the case the screw joints cannot counteract these forces, deformations or rupture of the metal sheet may result at those regions. In state of the art, various methods are utilized for allowing easy assembly of the outer cabinet and preventing the damages at the connection joints.
In the United States of America Patent No US2004/0244439 , a cabinet for a home appliance, which permits an easy assembly, is explained. Projections and holes are provided on the side and rear panels forming the cabinet. The projections on the side panels are inserted into the holes on the front panel for fixing the front panel. The cabinet is completely locked by seating the latch in the base of the hole into the groove on the lower side of the projection.
In the United States of America Patent No US2004/0107738 , an improvement in the assembly of the front panel to the side panels is explained. The flanges on the side panels are inserted into the notch recesses on the front panel for securing. Since a plurality of notch recesses is provided, the stress concentration on each joint is decreased.
The aim of the present invention is the realization of a washer/dryer that allows easy assembly and wherein the damages that may occur during transport are reduced.
The washer/dryer designed realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is explicated in the claims.
In the washer/dryer of the present invention, at least one slot is disposed on both sides at the inner surface of the front wall and clutches corresponding to these slots on the side walls are provided for assembling the front wall on the side walls.
The clutches used in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, comprise a half-spherical head and a neck that connects this head to the side wall. On the other hand, the slots arranged on the front wall are configured to be wide enough for the head to pass at the upper portion, while the lower portion is sized to be as narrow as the neck. In this embodiment, passing the clutch to the slot is maintained by inserting the head to the wide portion of the slot and sliding the front wall upwards for seating the neck in the narrow portion of the slot. Thus, the clutch bears on the lowest point of the slot. The lower side of the slot serves as a barrier preventing the movement of the front wall in the upwards direction.
Locking of the front wall after the side walls are fastened thereon is maintained by means of protuberances each formed oppositely on the front wall and side walls. The protuberances are configured to slide over each other during locking of the front wall and to provide locking such that movement in the reverse direction is not allowed after being seated in place.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the protuberances are formed by the operation performed on the metal sheet on the front and side walls. The protruded portion forms the protuberance by going to the other side of the wall during the protrusion process. The protuberance comprises a slid surface whereon they bear on each other before the front wall is locked to the side walls. When the front wall is slid to maintain locking, the protuberances slide over each other along the slid surfaces. The protuberances furthermore comprise a resting surface whereon each leans on the other when the front wall is locked to the side walls. When the locking process is completed, the resting surfaces of the protuberances overlap one another by coming opposite to each other and prevent movement in the opposite direction of sliding.
During assembly, first of all the front wall is attached to the side walls by passing the protuberances on the front wall into the slots on the side walls. Then the protuberances are skipped over each other by the front wall sliding with stretching, maintaining the protuberance on the front wall to be above the protuberance on the side wall. While the outward inclined backsides of the protuberances bear on each other before sliding, the forces that may affect from various directions during transport are compensated more effectively since the upward and downward facing sides are opposite one another in the locking position.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the side walls are secured to the base and the ceiling by using additional fastening elements (nuts, screws etc.) after the assembly of the front wall to the side walls is completed.
The washer/dryer realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:
Figure 1 - is the front schematic view of a washer/dryer.
Figure 2 - is the detailed perspective view of the protuberances used in a washer/dryer.
Figure 3 - is the detailed perspective view of the clutch and the slot used in a washer/dryer before assembling.
Figure 4 - is the detailed perspective view of the clutch and the slot used in a washer/dryer after assembling.
Figure 5 - is the cross-sectional view of the protuberances before locking.
Figure 6 - is the cross-sectional view of the protuberances after locking.
Figure 7 - is the perspective view of the protuberances after locking.
The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Washer/dryer
2. Side wall
3. Front wall
4. Slot
5. Clutch
6. , 60. Protuberance
7. Fastening elements
8. Head
9. Neck

The washer/dryer (1) comprises at least two side walls (2) that cover the volume containing the drum, wherein laundry is placed, and the other machine elements from the sides, a front wall (3) secured on the side walls (2), at least one slot (4) disposed on the inner surface of the front wall (3) for mounting the front wall (3) to the side walls (2) and at least one clutch (5) disposed on the outer surface of the side walls (2) for fastening the front wall (3) to the side walls (2) by inserting through the slot (4).
The washer/diyer (1) furthermore comprises protuberances (6, 60) disposed oppositely on the surfaces of the front wall (3) and the side walls (2) facing each other, that slide over one another while the front wall (3) is mounted to the side walls (2) and provide locking by not allowing movement in the reverse direction after the front wall (3) is secured in place.
The clutches (5) can be in the form of a hook, pin, latch etc. matching the shape of the slot (4).
The clutches (5) used in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, comprise a half spherical head (8) and a neck (9) with a width smaller than the diameter of the sphere that connects this head (8) to the side wall (2). In this embodiment, the upper part of the slots (4) to which the clutches (5) are mounted is wide enough for the head (8) to be inserted. The lower part of the slots (4) is wide enough for the neck (9) to be seated; however, sized for not allowing the head (8) to pass. Therefore, the clutch (5) is inserted through the wider part of the slot (4) such that the head (8) passes behind the front wall (3). Then the front wall (3) is slid upwards for seating the neck (9) in the narrow part of the slot (4).
The protuberances (6, 60) are formed on the front and side walls (2, 3) by the protrusion process. The portions protruded during the protrusion process form the protuberances (6, 60). The protuberances (6, 60) comprise a slid surface (A) whereon they bear on each other before the front wall (3) is interlocked to the side walls (3). The protuberances (6, 60) slide over each other along the slid surfaces (A) when the front wall (3) is slid to maintain locking. The slid surface (A) can either be parallel to the plane formed by the protuberances (6, 60) or can be inclined. The protuberances (6, 60) comprise a resting surface (O) whereon each lean to the other after the front wall (3) is locked to the side walls (2). When the locking process is completed, the resting surfaces (O) of the protuberances (6, 60) overlap one another by facing oppositely and prevent movement in the opposite direction of sliding. The resting surface (O) is almost vertical to the plane whereon the protuberances (6, 60) are formed.
The clutches (5) restrict the back and forth movement of the front wall (3). Falling down of the front wall (3) is prevented by means of the locking provided with the protuberances (6, 60).
In a version of this embodiment, the slid surfaces (A) of the protuberances (6) on the front wall (3) are inclined in the downward direction; the slid surfaces (A) of the protuberances (6) on the side walls (3) are inclined in the upward direction. The slid surfaces (A) of the opposite protuberances (6, 60) bear on each other before the locking operation, therefore the protuberance (6) on the front wall (3) is almost at the same level with the protuberance (6) on the side wall (2) or somewhat lower.
For assembling the front wall (3) to the side walls (3), first of all the clutches (5) are inserted through the slots (4) on the side walls (3). Then, the protuberances (6, 60) are skipped over each other by stretching the front wall (3) to slide upwards, maintaining the protuberance (6) on the front wall (3) to be above the protuberance (60) on the side wall (2). In this position, the resting surfaces (A) situated on the ends of the protuberances (6, 60) separating the surfaces of the front wall (3) and the side wall (2) are aligned and at least partially bear on each other. Consequently, the locking of the front wall (3) is maintained and the front wall (3) is connected to the side walls (2) without requiring a separate support from outside.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the side walls (2) are secured to the base and the ceiling by using additional fastening elements (nuts, screws etc.) after the assembly of the front wall (3) to the side walls (2) is completed.
In the washer/dryer (1) of the present invention, in the case excessive loads affect during transport, the load is shared by the clutches (5) and the protuberances (6, 60) on the front wall (3) and the side walls (2) preventing the region at the lower side connected by the fastening elements (7) to be forced to detach.

Claims

A washer/dryer (1) comprising at least two side walls (2) that cover the volume containing the drum, wherein laundry is placed, and the other machine elements from the sides, a front wall (3) secured on the side walls (2), at least one slot (4) disposed on the inner surface of the front wall (3) and at least one clutch (5) disposed on the outer surface of the side walls (2) for fastening the front wall (3) to the side walls (2) by inserting the clutch (5) through the slot (4) and characterized by the protuberances (6, 60) disposed oppositely on the surfaces of the front wall (3) and the side walls (2) facing each other, that slide over one another while the front wall (3) is mounted to the side walls (2) however not allowing movement in the reverse direction after the front wall (3) is secured in place by providing locking, the protuberances (6, 60) each comprising a slid surface (A) whereon they slide over each other when the front wall (3) is slid to maintain locking and a resting surface (O) whereon they overlap on another by facing each other and prevent movement in the opposite direction of sliding when the locking process is completed, wherein the upward and downward facing resting surfaces (O) are opposite one another in the locking position.
A washer/dryer (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by protuberances (6, 60) that are formed by the protrusion process.
A washer/dryer (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by the clutch (5) comprising a half spherical head (8) and a neck (9) with a width smaller than the diameter of the sphere, that connects this head (8) to the side wall (2).
A washer/dryer (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by the slot (4) wherein the upper part is wide enough for the head (8) to be inserted, and the lower part is wide enough for the neck (9) to be seated but sized such that the head (8) is not allowed to pass.
A washer/dryer (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by the clutch (5) that can simultaneously restrict the frontward and downward movement of the front wall (3).
A washer/dryer (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by protuberances (6, 60) that are formed outwards on the side walls (2) and inwards on the front wall (3).
A washer/dryer (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by protuberances (6, 60) each comprising a slid surface (A) whereon they bear on each other before the front wall (3) is interlocked to the side walls (3).
A washer/dryer (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized by protuberances (6, 60) comprising a resting surface (O) whereon they lean to each other after the front wall (3) is locked to the side walls (2).
A washer/dryer (1) as in Claim 7, characterized by the slid surface (A) that is parallel to the plane whereon the protuberances (6, 60) are formed.
A washer/dryer (1) as in Claim 7, characterized by the slid surface (A) that is inclined with respect to the plane whereon the protuberances (6, 60) are formed.
A washer/dryer (1) as in Claim 7, characterized by the resting surface (O) is almost vertical to the plane whereon the protuberances (6, 60) are formed.