EP2465994B1 - Household device for caring for items of laundry and method for operating same - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a domestic appliance for the care of laundry items, with a drum for receiving the laundry items, which is rotatably mounted about a horizontal axis of rotation. Furthermore, the domestic appliance comprises a tub, which is arranged on a front edge web of the drum, which delimits a loading opening of the drum, through a gap spaced apart from the drum and fixed to a housing of the domestic appliance. A sleeve is arranged in the region between the drum and the housing of the domestic appliance. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating a household appliance for the care of laundry.

Household appliances for maintaining items of laundry, such as a washing machine, can be designed, for example, as front loading washing machines. The mentioned cuff in washing machines of this type has the function of ensuring a seal of the tub together with the sight glass of the window of the door for closing the loading opening. In addition, the cuff should ensure the function of bridging the distance between the tub and the housing of the washing machine. Last but not least, it should also be prevented that items of laundry or small parts from the drum get into the tub.

Known front-loading washing machines have a vibration system which consists of a swing-mounted suds container in which a drum is rotatably mounted. In these configurations, the tub and the inner drum move together.

Out DE 1 772 023 U is known storage of a drum rotatably mounted in a tub of a washing machine. The bearing can be centered with a chip removal device when the drum is moved from the horizontal.

In addition, it is also known that a washing machine is designed with a tub that is fixed relative to the housing. Such a non-swinging tub is for example from the EP 1 433 890 A2 known. There the drum is movably mounted to the housing and thus moves within the tub.

With this fixed tub, the cuff no longer moves together with the drum. So there are relative movements between the cuff and the drum. The greater the load on the drum, the more the sleeve and the drum will move against each other and the gap will increase. It is known that with large gaps there is the problem that items of laundry or other small parts can get into the gap between the sleeve and the drum. This can lead to damage to components of the household appliance or loss of function. In addition, the items of laundry can also be damaged or destroyed as a result.

Furthermore is off DE 10 2007 038 672 A1 a laundry treatment machine with a housing, a tub, and a drum arranged therein and a sleeve arranged between the housing and the drum is known, the laundry treatment machine also a sensor for detecting a height offset of the tub depending on the loading condition and a compensation device arranged on the front wall of the housing with which the resulting height offset can be compensated for by the loading condition of the sleeve fastened to a housing opening.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a domestic appliance for the care of laundry items and a method for operating such a domestic appliance, with which an undesirable gap formation between the drum and the cuff can be prevented with a fixed tub, so that the penetration of laundry items or other Small parts in this intermediate area can be prevented or at least significantly reduced compared to the conventional state of the art.

This object is achieved by a domestic appliance which has the features of claim 1 and a method which has the features of claim 13.

A household appliance according to the invention for the care of laundry items comprises a drum for receiving the laundry items. The drum is rotatably supported about a horizontal axis of rotation. The domestic appliance is thus designed for loading the drum from the front. The domestic appliance also includes a tub which is attached to a front edge web of a drum that delimits a loading opening of the drum Drum is arranged through a gap spaced from the drum and to a housing of the household appliance. The household appliance also comprises a sleeve which is arranged in the area between the drum and the housing of the household appliance. The household appliance also has a height adjustment device. The height of the drum can be adjusted with this height adjustment device. This can be set as a function of a specific operating state of the drum, which differs from a basic state, relative to the position of the sleeve. With such a design of the domestic appliance, an undesirable occurrence of gaps between the sleeve and the drum is prevented even in this specific constellation, in which the tub is arranged in a fixed manner and thus cannot perform a relative movement to the housing of the domestic appliance. Even if the drum is in specific operating states and the position, in particular the altitude, has changed compared to the basic state, this can be corrected by the height adjustment device, so that these undesired gaps between the sleeve and the drum are avoided.

A state loaded with laundry items is characterized as the specific operating state of the drum. The basic state of the drum is characterized by the empty state of the drum.

Furthermore, the domestic appliance comprises a sensor which is designed to detect the position of the drum in the specific operating state of the drum and / or to detect the deviation of the position of the drum in the specific operating state from the position in the basic state of the drum.

The height of the drum can therefore be completely and deliberately changed in these specific operating states.

Furthermore, it is provided that the height in the specific operating state of the drum can be adjusted so that the relative position of the drum, in particular of the edge web, to the cuff corresponds to that position in the basic state of the drum relative to the cuff. The height adjustment device therefore ensures that the height of the drum can also be adjusted in these specific operating states, that it is the same or within an acceptable tolerance range around the height position in the basic state of the drum. Since the gap formation between the sleeve and the drum, in particular in the front edge web, is minimized in the basic state, this adjustment of the altitude in the specific operating state of the drum is adapted to this optimal position or corresponds to it.

A loaded state and the deviation of the position of the drum resulting from the loading compared to the unloaded basic position are therefore preferably taken into account as the operating state of the drum. The setting of the altitude can be done very specifically with regard to the optimally desired position.

The height adjustment device preferably has a spring device with which the drum is held in the housing. The spring device is designed to be adjustable in length and / or position. The height of the drum is adjusted by changing the length and / or position of the spring device. In this specific embodiment, a very special component of the domestic appliance, namely the spring device, is thus changed in one of its parameters in such a way that the height of the drum can be changed relative to the sleeve. Especially when the spring device is designed accordingly, this can be a very advantageous embodiment, since the change in length of the spring device can be carried out very easily and with little effort and yet precisely.

In particular, it is provided that the height adjustment device is designed to influence a spring hardness of the spring device and the height of the drum is adjusted by changing the spring hardness of the spring device.

The spring device can have one or more spring elements. It can be provided that the spring device is arranged in such a way that the drum is kept mounted from above, so to speak. It can also be provided that the drum is held from below. In the first-mentioned embodiment, a hanging spring device and thus a suspension are quasi provided. In the case of the second embodiment mentioned, an embodiment that supports from below is practically implemented. The spring elements can be arranged vertically or at an angle. The spring elements can also be spring struts, in which case a spring and a damper are integrated in one element.

It is preferably provided that the domestic appliance has a spring and / or damper device, by means of which the drum is held in the housing and is damped in motion. The height adjustment device then comprises in particular a carrier with which the spring and / or damper device is connected, the carrier being arranged in the housing in an adjustable height position. Depending on the change in height of the carrier, the height of the drum coupled to the carrier via the spring and / or damper device can be adjusted. In such an embodiment it is therefore provided that the carrier can be moved relative to the sleeve and also to the housing. As a result, the height of the drum connected to it is changed accordingly. The carrier can be arranged below or above the drum.

It is preferably provided that the carrier is a plate or a frame. This ensures a particularly stable design, which is robust in terms of mobility and internal torsional rigidity. This enables the altitude to be set very precisely.

The height adjustment device is preferably designed for electromotive adjustment of the height of the drum. In particular, the height adjustment device includes an adjustment gear.

Provision can also be made for the height adjustment to be designed in addition to or instead of for the hydraulic or pneumatic adjustment of the height of the drum. To this end, it can preferably be provided that the height adjustment device has a lifting pump and / or a reciprocating piston.

In a further embodiment, in addition or instead of this, it can be provided that the height adjustment device is designed to adjust the height of the drum by magnetic force. Corresponding magnetic fields can be generated by permanent magnets or electromagnets.

In a further embodiment, in addition or instead of this, it can be provided that the height adjustment device is designed for the electrical adjustment of the height position of the drum. In particular, the height adjustment device can have at least one piezo actuator for this purpose, which expands when an electrical voltage is applied.

In a further embodiment it can be provided that the height adjustment device is designed for the thermal adjustment of the height position of the drum. In particular, the height adjustment device includes a thermal actuator which expands when the temperature is applied.

It is advantageously provided that the height adjustment device has at least one sensor which is designed to detect the position of the drum in the specific operating state and / or to detect the deviation of the drum from the position in the basic state is formed. The required adjustment height is thus determined on the basis of the information from the sensor.

In particular, the domestic appliance comprises a control unit, by means of which the height adjustment device can be controlled and / or the information detected by the sensor can be evaluated.

Particularly in the case of household appliances with vibration systems with a fixed tub, the implementation of minimum gaps between the sleeve and the drum is of particular importance, even when loaded, in order to avoid damage to laundry or loss of laundry items. With the invention and an advantageous embodiment thereof, this gap dimension can be minimized in every loading case by an actively defined change in the height of the drum being adjustable.

The invention can also be applied to domestic appliances which have a drum which is rotatably arranged in a tub which is mounted in a vibrating manner in the housing of the domestic appliance. In this case, the tub also serves as a carrier, which is connected to the spring and / or damper device. Therefore, the height of the drum in such a domestic appliance can also be determined by determining the height of the tub.

In addition, the invention also relates to a method for operating a domestic appliance for the care of laundry items, which has the components of the domestic appliance according to the invention already mentioned at the beginning. In the method, the position of this drum is detected in a specific operating state of the drum and, depending on a deviation of this position from a position of the drum in a basic state, a height position of the drum relative to the position of the cuff is set by means of a height adjustment device.

Advantageous refinements of the domestic appliance according to the invention are to be regarded as advantageous refinements of the method according to the invention. The components mentioned in the domestic appliance according to the invention or in an advantageous embodiment thereof are designed to carry out the respective method steps.

Further features of the invention result from the claims, the figures and the description of the figures. The features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description and the features and combinations of features mentioned below in the description of the figures and / or shown alone in the figures can be used not only in the respectively specified combination but also in other combinations or on their own, without the scope of Leaving invention.

Fig. 1

eine schematische perspektivische Darstellung eines Ausführungsbeispiels einer erfindungsgemäßen Waschmaschine;

Fig. 2

eine schematische Schnittdarstellung eines ersten Ausführungsbeispiels der Waschmaschine gemäß Fig. 1; und

Fig. 3

eine schematische Schnittdarstellung eines weiteren Ausführungsbeispiels der Waschmaschine gemäß Fig. 1.

The exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with the aid of schematic drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1

is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a washing machine according to the invention;

Fig. 2

is a schematic sectional view of a first embodiment of the washing machine according to Fig. 1 ; and

Fig. 3

is a schematic sectional view of another embodiment of the washing machine according to Fig. 1 ,

In Fig. 1 a household appliance for the care of laundry items is shown, which is designed as a washing machine 1. However, the household appliance can, for example, also be designed as a washer dryer. The washing machine 1 comprises a housing 2. A drum 3 is arranged in the housing 2, which drum is cylindrical and is rotatably mounted about a horizontally oriented axis A. The washing machine 1 is thus designed as a front loading washing machine. In addition, a tub 4 is provided, which surrounds the drum 3 on the circumference. A loading opening 5 is formed on the front through which the drum 3 can be loaded with items of laundry. The tub 4 is arranged so that there is no relative movement between the tub 4 and the housing 2. In particular, it is provided that the tub 4 is firmly connected to the housing 2.

An operating device 6 with operating elements 7 and 8 and a display unit 9 is also shown by way of example only. Both the position of the operating device 6 and the number and position of the operating elements 7 and 8 and the display unit 9 are only exemplary.

In Fig. 2 an exemplary embodiment of the washing machine 1 is shown in a schematic sectional illustration. It can be seen that the drum 3 has a front edge web 10 to limit the loading opening 5. This is spaced from a front edge web 11 of the tub 4. In addition, this edge web 10 is also spaced forward from a housing wall 12 of the housing 2. In the area between the housing wall 12 and the edge web 10 is a schematically drawn sleeve 13, the is formed from an elastic material, arranged. The sleeve 13 is preferably made of an elastomer. It can deform both in the y direction and in the z direction, so that there is a certain freedom of movement. As already mentioned, the tub 4 is fixed in the housing 2. This can result in a relative movement between the drum 3 and the tub 4, which is given not only with regard to the rotation about the axis A, but also with regard to a position shift in the three spatial directions x, y and z. The cuff 13 can moreover be fixedly arranged on the housing wall 12, so that here too a relative movement between the cuff 13 and the drum 3, in particular the edge web 10, can result.

In a basic state in which the drum 3 is unloaded and thus has no items of laundry, the drum 3 has a basic position with regard to its height position and thus in the y direction. In this embodiment, a gap between the sleeve 13 and the edge web 10 is so minimal that the penetration of laundry items or small parts is prevented.

If the drum 3 is now transferred into a specific operating state, which is characterized in that the drum 3 is loaded with laundry items, the drum 3 is lowered towards the bottom. This change in the height position becomes active in the washing machine 1 and is compensated in a defined manner. For this purpose, the washing machine 1 comprises at least one sensor 14, which is used to detect the position of the Drum 3 is designed in this specific operating state and / or is designed to detect the deviation of the drum 3 from the position in the basic state.

This information is then transmitted to a control unit 15. This is designed to evaluate the information of the at least one sensor 14. It should be mentioned that the location of the sensor 14 is only exemplary and schematic. It can also be arranged at another location.

The washing machine 1 also includes a height adjustment device 16, which is connected to the control unit 15. The height of the drum 3 is changed or corrected in this specific operating state by means of the height adjustment device 16. In particular, when the drum 3 is loaded, the height is then changed upwards by means of the height adjustment device 16, in particular the height of the drum 3 being set which it has in the unloaded basic state. As a result, the relative position between the edge web 10 and the sleeve 13 is also set in this specific loaded operating state of the drum 3 in accordance with the position in the basic state. The minimum gap between the sleeve 13 and the edge web 10 is thus also maintained in this specific operating state of the loaded drum 3.

The height adjustment device 16 comprises in particular at least one spring device 17, which is shown schematically in FIG Fig. 2 is shown. In the execution according to Fig. 2 the drum 3 is thus arranged and supported in a quasi-hanging manner by the spring device 17. Other components of the existing storage device are not shown here.

It can now be provided that the spring hardness of the spring device 17 is changed to correct the height of the drum 3. With increasing load, the spring hardness is preferably increased, with a linear increase in spring hardness being carried out in particular for this purpose. In particular, this change in the spring hardness can take place in such a way that the desired deflection of the drum 3 corresponds to that of the height of the drum 3 even when the drum 3 is unloaded, even when the drum 3 is loaded to the maximum.

It can also be provided that the spring device 17 is arranged below the drum 3 or laterally and thus represents a supporting system. Both the number and the position of the spring device 17 are therefore only exemplary in FIG Fig. 2 to understand.

In Fig. 3 Another exemplary embodiment is shown in a schematic sectional illustration. It is provided here that the washing machine 1 has a spring and / or damper device 18. With this, the drum 3 is held in the housing 2 and damped in motion.

In this embodiment, the height adjustment device 16 also includes a plate 19 as a carrier on which the spring and / or damper device 18 is arranged.

The height adjustment device 16 can be designed in a variety of configurations for adjusting the height of the drum 3. For this purpose, it comprises at least one component 20. This component 20 can be designed, for example, to generate electromotive forces for adjusting the altitude and, for example, can comprise an adjusting gear. It can also be provided that the component 20 is designed to be pneumatically or hydraulically generated forces for adjusting the height of the drum 3 and, for example, has a lifting pump and / or a reciprocating piston. It can also be provided that the component 20 is designed to generate magnetic forces to adjust the height of the drum 3. It can also be provided that the component 20 is designed to set the height of the drum 3 by means of electrically generated forces and in particular has a piezo actuator which expands when an electrical voltage is applied. It can also be provided that the component 20 is designed to adjust the height of the drum 3 by thermal influence, and in particular has a thermal actuator which expands when the temperature is applied.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Washing machine

2

casing

3

drum

4

tub

5

loading port

6

operating device

7, 8

operating element

9

display unit

10, 11

edge web

12

housing wall

13

cuff

14

sensor

15

control unit

16

height adjuster

17

spring means

18

Spring and / or damper device

19

plate

20

component

A

axis

x, y, z

spatial direction

Claims (13)

1. Household device for caring for items of laundry, having a drum (3) for receiving the items of laundry, which is rotatably mounted about a horizontal axis of rotation (A), and a tub (4) which is fixedly arranged at a front edge web (10) of the drum (3) bounding a loading opening (5) of the drum (3), separated from the drum (3) and from a housing (2) of the household device (1) by a gap, and having a sleeve (13) arranged in the region between the drum (3) and the housing (2) of the household device (1), characterised in that the household device (1) comprises a sensor (14) which is designed to detect the position of the drum (3) in a specific operating state of the drum (3), in which the drum (3) is loaded with items of laundry, and/or to detect the deviation in the position of the drum (3) in the specific operating state from the position in a basic state of the drum (3) in which the drum (3) is not loaded, and that a height adjustment device (16) is formed with which the height position of the drum (3) relative to the position of the sleeve (13) in the specific operating state of the drum (3) can be adjusted as a function of the deviation in the position of the drum (3) from the position in a basic state of the drum (3), such that the height position in the specific operating state of the drum (3) is identical to the height position of the basic state of the drum (3) or is within a tolerance range around the height position in the basic state of the drum (3).
2. Household device according to claim 1, characterised in that the operating state of the drum (3) is characterised by its being loaded with items of laundry and the deviation in the position of the drum (3) resulting from the loading compared to the non-loaded basic position is taken into account for the height adjustment.
3. Household device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the height adjustment device (16) has a spring device (13, 18) with which the drum (3) is held in the housing (2) and the spring device (13, 18) is designed such that length and/or position can be changed, wherein the adjustment of the height position of the drum (3) takes place by changing the length and/or position of the spring device (13, 18).
4. Household device according to claim 3, characterised in that the height adjustment device (16) is designed to influence a spring stiffness of the spring device (13, 18) and the adjustment of the height position of the drum (3) takes place by changing the spring stiffness of the spring device (13, 18).
5. Household device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the household device (1) has a spring and/or damper device (13, 18) with which the drum (3) is held in the housing (2) and is motion-damped, and the height adjustment device (16) has a support (19) to which the spring and/or damper device (13, 18) is connected, wherein the support (19) is arranged so that its height position can be adjusted in the housing (2) and as a function of the change in height of the support (19) the height position of the drum (3) coupled to the support (19) via the spring and/or damper device (13, 18) can be adjusted.
6. Household device according to claim 5, characterised in that the support is a plate (18) or a frame.
7. Household device according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that the height adjustment device (16) is designed to adjust the height position of the drum (3) by electromotively generated forces, and in particular has an adjustment gearing mechanism.
8. Household device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the height adjustment device (16) is designed to adjust the height position of the drum (3) by means of pneumatically or hydraulically generated forces, and in particular has a lifting pump and/or a reciprocating piston.
9. Household device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the height adjustment device (16) is designed to adjust the height position of the drum (3) by magnetic force.
10. Household device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the height adjustment device (16) is designed to adjust the height position of the drum (3) by electrically generated forces, and in particular has at least one piezoelectric actuator, which extends upon application of an electrical voltage.
11. Household device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the height adjustment device (16) is designed to adjust the height position of the drum (3) by thermal influence, and in particular has a thermoactuator, which extends under the influence of temperature.
12. Household device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the height adjustment device (16) has at least one sensor (14) which is designed to detect the position of the drum (3) in the specific operating state and/or to detect the deviation in the position of the drum (3) from the position in the basic state.
13. Method for operating a household device for caring for items of laundry, having a drum (3) for receiving the items of laundry, which is rotatably mounted about a horizontal axis of rotation (A), and a tub (4) which is fixedly arranged at a front edge web (10) of the drum (3) bounding a loading opening (5) of the drum (3), separated from the drum (3) and from a housing (2) of the household device (1) by a gap, and a sleeve (13) is arranged in the region between the drum (3) and the housing (2) of the household device (1), characterised in that in a specific operating state of the drum (3), in which the drum (3) is loaded with items of laundry, the position of the drum (3) and/or a deviation in the position of the drum (3) from a position in a basic state of the drum (3), in which the drum (3) is not loaded, is detected, and as a function of the deviation in this position from the position of the drum (3) in the basic state, a height position of the drum (3) relative to the position of the sleeve (13) is adjusted by means of a height adjustment device (16), such that the height position in the specific operating state of the drum (3) is identical to the height position in the basic state of the drum (3) or is within a tolerance range around the height position in the basic state of the drum (3).

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