EP2832917B1

EP2832917B1 - Washing machine with drawer assembly

Info

Publication number: EP2832917B1
Application number: EP13178926.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mauro Cinello; Daniele Da Riol
Original assignee: Electrolux Appliances AB
Current assignee: Electrolux Appliances AB
Priority date: 2013-08-01
Filing date: 2013-08-01
Publication date: 2017-11-08
Anticipated expiration: 2033-08-01
Also published as: EP2832917A1

Description

Field of the invention

The invention relates to a washing machine, or a washing machine having dryer function, having a drawer for receiving a laundry treating agent, a supporting structure on which said drawer can slide and a disengageable retaining device adapted to delimit a movement of said drawer with respect to said supporting structure.

Background of the invention

Conventionally, laundry washing machines include a drawer for receiving a detergent agent or other agents for treating the laundry, such as softener or bleach, to be used during the washing cycles.
An example of such washing machine is disclosed in EP 2 372 011 , relating to a washing machine having a drawer assembly comprising a drawer with at least one compartment for receiving a detergent agent. The drawer assembly further comprises a housing in which an opening is defined to receive the drawer therein. A disengageable retaining device is provided in order to delimit the movement of the drawer with respect to the housing. The retaining device comprises at least one stopping element and at least one catching element adapted to engage each other.
The stopping element is provided at an upper wall element or a cover and/or a side wall of the housing, and the catching element is provided at a side wall of the drawer or an intermediate wall of the drawer.
On DE 195 05 292 the catching element is provided in a siphon insert placed in one chamber of the drawer; said drawer with the siphon insert is inserted in a opening provided in a washing machine, so that said catching element can interact with a stopping element provided on said washing machine. The catching element is then provided at a top side of the drawer.

Summary of the invention

An object of the invention is to provide an improved washing machine having a drawer comprising a disengageable retaining device.
A further object is to provide a washing machine in which the drawer can be easily removed from a respective supporting structure.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a laundry washing machine wherein the drawer can be removed without requiring excessive effort to the user for disengaging the desengageable retaining device or for pulling out the drawer.
Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a laundry washing machine wherein the disengageable retaining device is barely subjected to wear.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine wherein the disengageable retaining device can be easily reached and operated in order to disengage a catching element from a respective stopping element for allowing the removal of the drawer.
According to the invention it is provided a washing machine comprising:

a drawer comprising at least one compartment for receiving an agent for treating laundry;
a supporting structure on which said drawer can slide;
a disengageable retaining device delimiting a movement of said drawer with respect to said supporting structure;

It is to be understood that in the laundry washing machine according to the invention the displacement of the catching element in the disengaged position barely produces any deformation of the side wall of the drawer since it is connected thereto only at the two opposed ends, while the free edges are freely movable with respect to the side wall of the drawer.
This is also advantageous since it allows an easy and smooth removal of the drawing from the supporting structure since any interference between them, due to the deformation of the side wall, is avoided.
Furthermore, the catching element can be advantageously easily reached and operated in order to be disengaged since it is connected to the side wall of the drawer.
Moreover, by connecting the catching element to the side wall of the drawer it is possible to remarkably reduce any risk of dropping detergent or other agent for treating the laundry on the catching element and on the disengageable retaining device in general, thus avoiding possible defects in the operation of the desengageable retaining device or leaks of detergent in the internal parts of the washing machine.
According to a preferred embodiment, the disengageable retaining device comprises an operative portion associated to the catching element such that the catching element is disengaged from the stopping element by operating the operative portion.
In this manner the catching element can be advantageously disengaged without operating directly on it.
Preferably, the catch portion is movable apart from the stopping element by pushing the operative portion. This further improves the easiness of the disengagement operation of the desengageable retaining device since it can be easily pushed by user, e.g. with his or her thumb, when the drawer is to be removed.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the operative portion is positioned such that it is reachable by a hand of a user when the catching element is engaged with the stopping element.
Since the catching element is connected to a side wall of the drawer, according to this aspect it is possible to extract the drawer, e.g. by pulling its handle, until it is stopped by the engagement between the catching element and the stopping element. Successively, in order to fully remove the drawer it is possible to hold it with the fingers of both hands and operate the operating portion with the thumb. This is particularly advantageous since it allows a firm hold of the drawer when it is fully extracted from the supporting structure.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the operative portion is formed as a single body with the catching element. In this manner the drawer can be easily manufactured, e.g. by molding of plastic material, and no assembly operations of the catching element are required. Furthermore, this allows to bend the catching element when the operative portion is pushed, thus obtaining an effective displacement of the catch portion.
Preferably, the catching element has an increased deformability in correspondence of the opposed ends. Even more preferably, the catching element has also an increased deformability between the catch portion and the operative portion. In this manner a deformation of the catching element capable of disengaging it from the stopping element can be obtained even by applying a relatively small force on the operative portion.
According to a preferred embodiment, the catching element extends between opposed ends such that a cross section of the catching element narrows in correspondence of the opposed ends and/or between the catch portion and the operative portion. Preferably, the catching element is also oblong shaped. These features advantageously allow an easy manufacturing of a catching element having increased deformability in correspondence of predetermined portions.
In order to have a good deformability of the catching element, while at the same time having a simple structure, the catching element is preferably formed as a single body with the side wall.
Also preferably, a gap is defined between at least one of the free edges and said side wall, thus allowing the free movement of the catching element with respect to the side wall with a simple and cheap solution.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, the drawer comprises a sliding surface laterally projecting from the side wall and adapted to slide on a respective guide member of the supporting structure, and a gap is defined between one of the free edges and the sliding surface.
In this manner the disengagement of the catching element from the stopping element does not hinder in any way the movement of the drawing along the guide member, since the sliding surface is not subjected to deformations when the catching element is disengaged.
Preferably, the opposed ends are aligned with a sliding direction of the drawer from the supporting structure. This makes it possible to provide a more stable and strong structure to the drawer since the forces produced by the catching member engaging on the stopping member both during insertion and during withdrawal of the drawer are aligned with the opposed ends which are connected the side wall.
According to a preferred embodiment, a maximum filling level of the agent for treating laundry is defined in the compartment, the free edges of the catching element being both positioned above the maximum filling level. This advantageously avoids the agent for treating laundry to reach the gap between the side wall and the catching element.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the drawer comprises a first compartment and a second compartment, the first compartment being adapted to receive a detergent and the second compartment being adapted to receive an auxiliary agent for treating laundry, the side wall being formed in the second compartment. This is particularly advantageous since only a limited volume is generally required for containing the auxiliary agents, such as a softener, and, therefore, a bigger portion of the respective compartment can be available for the catching element in the side wall thereof.

Brief description of the drawings

These and other features and advantages of the invention will be better apparent from the following description of some exemplary and non-limitative embodiments, to be read with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

Figs. 1 and 1A are a front perspective view of the washing machine of the present invention, in which a drawer is partially withdrawn from a respective supporting structure, and a detail thereof, respectively;
Figs. 2 and 2A are a front perspective view of the washing machine of Fig. 1, in which the drawer is removed from the supporting surface, and a detail thereof, respectively;
Figs. 3A and 3B are front perspective views of the drawer and of the supporting structure of the washing machine according to the present invention, in which the drawer is partially withdrawn and removed from the supporting structure, respectively;
Figs. 4 and 4A are a front perspective view of the drawer of the washing machine according to the present invention and a detail thereof;
Fig. 4B is a front perspective view of the drawer of Fig. 4, with a cover surface of a compartment for an auxiliary laundry treating agent removed;
Figs. 5A, 5B and 5C are partially sectional top views of a catching element and of a stopping element formed on the drawer and on the supporting surface, respectively, in which the catching element is engaged with the stopping element, pushed in order to be disengaged and disengaged from the stopping element, respectively;
Figs. 6A and 6B are a top sectional view, taken along line VI-VI of Fig. 7, of the drawer of Fig. 4 and a detail thereof, respectively;
Fig. 6C is a front perspective view of the drawer of Fig. 6A, with the cover surface of the compartment for the auxiliary laundry treating agent removed; and
Fig. 7 and 7A are a side sectional view, taken along line VII-VII of Fig. 6C, of the drawer of Fig. 4 and a detail thereof, respectively.

Detailed description of the invention

With reference initially to Fig. 1, a laundry washing machine realized according to the present invention is globally indicated with the reference number 100.
It should be noted that in the context of the present invention with the expression "washing machine" is referred both to a "standard" washing machine, adapted only for washing and rinsing the laundry, and to a washer-drier, which is adapted for washing, rinsing, and also for drying the laundry.
The washing machine 100 comprises an outer casing 101, preferably but not necessarily parallelepiped-shaped, and a treatment chamber for receiving the laundry and in general the clothes and garments to be washed and/or dried.
An aperture is defined in a front bulkhead of the casing, facing the treatment chamber and thus allowing loading and unloading the laundry in the machine. The washing machine 100 further comprises a door assembly 102, preferably pivotally supported on the casing 101 and displaceable between a closed position, shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and in which the aperture is closed or preferably sealed, and an open position in which access to the drum is granted.
According to the present embodiment, in the front face of the casing 101 are also located a control panel 103 of the machine 100 and a drawer 1 suitable for containing detergents and other agents for treating the laundry, such as softener or bleach.
In other words, the device 100 according to present embodiment is a front-load device. Nevertheless it will be appreciated that the present invention could also apply to different type of washing laundry machines, such as top-loading ones.
The drawer 1 is slidably associated to a supporting structure 2, preferably formed by a receptacle in which the drawer 1 can be housed. As it will be better shown in the following, according to a preferred embodiment, the supporting structure 2 defines a housing 20, better shown in Fig. 3B, capable of receiving therein the drawer 1 such that when the drawer is fully inserted in the housing, a front panel 15 of the drawer is flush with the front bulkhead of the casing. Preferably, the front panel 15, or more in general the drawer 1, comprises a handle 16, by means of which the drawer 1 can be pulled and extracted from the housing.
Figs. 1 and 1A depict the drawer 1 in a partially withdrawn position, in which compartments 1' and 1", adapted for receiving the detergents and the other agents, respectively, are at least partially extracted from the receptacle 2. In this position, the detergents and the other agents can be poured inside the compartments 1' and 1".
To this regard it should be also noted that, preferably, the first compartment 1' is adapted to receive a detergent, while the second compartment 1" is adapted to receive an auxiliary agent for treating laundry, such as a softener.
The movement of the drawer 1 along the withdrawal direction, shown by arrow W in the Figures, is limited by a disengageable retaining device, shown in Figs. 5A-5C and indicated with the reference number 3.
When engaged, the disengageable retaining device 3 delimits the movement of the drawer 1 with respect to the supporting structure 2, such that full removal of the drawer 1 is prevented.
In this position, which is depicted in Figs. 1 and 1A, the drawer 1 is still associated to the supporting structure 2, such that the drawer does not tilt or fall due to the gravity.
In order to disengage the desengageable retaining device 3 and allow the complete removal of the drawer 1, an operating portion 40 is provided on a side wall 11 of the drawer 1.
According to a preferred embodiment, the desengageable retaining device 3 is disengaged by pushing the operating portion 40, e.g. by the thumb of a user.
With reference to Figs. 2 and 2B, when the desengageable retaining device 3 is disengaged, the drawer is freely slidable on the supporting structure 2 along the sliding direction S, corresponding to the withdrawal direction W, and it can be pulled further in order to remove it from the housing defined by the supporting structure.
Figs. 3A and 3B depict the supporting structure 2 and the drawer 1, with the front panel 15 removed, in the partially withdrawn position and in the fully removed position, respectively.
As it can be seen in the Figures, according to the present embodiment, the drawer 4 comprises two side walls 11, 11', and a dividing wall 13 dividing the drawer 1 in the two compartments 1, 1'.
The supporting structure 2 preferably comprises an upper wall element, adapted to dispense water into the compartments 1, 1'. To this purpose, the supporting structure 2 comprises water inlets 22, 22', which are connected or connectable to a water supply (not shown) of the washing machine. The supporting structure 2 further comprises a duct 21 to guide water or water mixed with detergent from the drawer 1 into the laundry treating chamber of the washing machine 100.
Preferably, in order to allow sliding of the drawer 1 on the supporting structure 2, the former comprises a sliding surface 14 laterally projecting from the side walls 11, 11' and adapted to slide on a respective guide member 24 of the supporting structure 2, shown in Figs. 5A-5C.
As previously explained, sliding of the sliding surface 14 on the guide member 24 along the sliding direction S is limited by the disengageable retaining device 3. As better shown in Figs. 5A-5C, the disengageable retaining device 3 comprises a stopping element 5 and a catching element 4. Preferably, the stopping element 5 is formed on the supporting structure 2 and it comprises a stop portion 51 which can engage with a catch portion 41 of the catching element 4.
According to a preferred embodiment, the stop portion 51 and the catch portion 41 are substantially wedged-shaped and they comprise respective leading and trailing surfaces.
The leading surfaces are defined by the surfaces engaging each other when the drawer 1 is inserted in the housing 2, while the trailing surfaces are defined by the surfaces engaging each other when the drawer 1 is withdrawn therefrom.
Preferably, the leading surfaces are tilted with respect to the sliding direction S of the drawer 1, such that when the leading surface of the catch portion 41 engages with the leading surface of the stop portion 51, the catching element 4 is moved apart from the stopping element 5. In this manner insertion of the drawer 1 in the housing 2 is not prevented by the disengageable retaining device 3.
On the contrary, the trailing surfaces are tilted with respect to the sliding direction S of the drawer 1 with a different tilting angle, such that when the trailing surface of the catch portion 41 engages with the trailing surface of the stop portion 51, the catching element 4 remains in the engaged position, thus preventing further withdrawal of the drawer 1.
According to a preferred embodiment, this can be achieved by giving a smaller tilting angle to the leading surface, e.g. 30 degrees, and a greater tilting angle to the trailing surface, e.g. 60 degrees.
As shown in Figs. 1A and 5A, when the drawer 1 is in the partially withdrawn position, i.e. when the catching element 41 is engaged with the stopping element 42, the operative portion 40 is positioned such that it can be reached by the hand of a user.
Even more preferably, the operative portion 40 is positioned in the uppermost part of the side wall 11, such that it can be reached by the thumb of a user when he or she grasps the drawer 1.
Advantageously, the operative portion 40 is associated to the catching element 4 such that the catching element 4 is disengaged from the stopping element 5 by operating the operative portion 40.
In the present embodiment, the operative portion 40 is operated when it is pushed, preferably by the thumb, in a disengaging direction, depicted by arrow P in Fig. 5B and which is substantially perpendicular to the withdrawn direction W of the drawer 1 and to the side wall 11. Preferably, marks 43 are also provided in order to better identify the position of the operative portion 40 and accordingly indicating where the pushing action is required in order to disengage the disengageable retaining device 3.
The disengagement of the disengageable retaining device 3 and the operation of the catching element 4 will be now disclosed in further detail with reference to Figs. 4, 4A and 4B.
According to a preferred embodiment, the catching element 4 is oblong shaped and it is formed as a single body with the side wall 11 of the second compartment 1".
As shown in greater detail in Fig. 4A, the catching element 4 is connected at two opposed ends 410, 411 thereof to the side wall 11 of the drawer assembly 10 and respective free edges 412, 414 are defined between said opposed ends 410, 411. Preferably, the opposed ends 410, 411 are aligned with the sliding direction S and the free edges 412, 414 are substantially perpendicular thereto.
Gaps 112 and 114, better shown in Fig. 7 and 7A, are defined between the free edges 412, 414 and the side wall 11 and the sliding surface 14, respectively. In this manner, the free edges 412, 414 are separated from the wall 11 and they are freely movable with respect thereto.
Accordingly, when the catching element 4 is pushed, the displacement thereof is obtained by deforming the opposed ends 410, 411, with only a minimal deformation of the side wall 11 to which it is connected.
Preferably, in order to limit further the deformation of the side wall 11 due to the pushing action of the operative portion 40 and, in general, of the catching element 4, the catching element 4 has an increased deformability in correspondence of the opposed ends 410, 411. According to a preferred embodiment, this is obtained by shaping the catching element 4 such that a cross section thereof narrows in correspondence of the opposed ends 410, 411. Even more preferably, the catching element 4 has a smaller thickness in correspondence of opposed ends 410, 411 than in the rest of its body.
Since according to the present embodiment the operative portion 40 is formed as a single body with the catching element 4, the deformability of the catching element 4 is preferably further enhanced by providing the catching element 4 with an increased deformability also between the catch portion 41 and the operative portion 40. Also in this case, this can be obtained by shaping the catching element 4 such that its cross section narrows also between the catch portion 41 and the operative portion 40, e.g. providing the catching element 4 with a smaller thickness between said portions.
It is therefore evident that when the operative portion 40 is pushed, the catching element 4 is bent such that the catch portion 41 is moved apart from the stop portion 51.
Preferably, the catching element 4 is made of a resilient material, and returns in the unbent position, i.e. engaged or engageable with the stopping element 5, when the pushing action is removed.
As previously explained, according to the present embodiment, the catching element 4 is positioned on the side wall 11 of the second compartment 1". Preferably, the catching element 4 is positioned in the uppermost part of compartment 1" and both free edges 412, 413 of the catching element 4 are positioned above a maximum filling level 15 of the compartment.
According to the present embodiment, the second compartment 1" comprises a cover surface 12", below which a syphon system 17 for mixing the auxiliary laundry treating agent with water, partially shown in the figures, is provided. In this case the catching element 4 is preferably positioned immediately above the cover surface 12".
It has thus been shown that the present invention allows all the set objects to be achieved. In particular, the side wall of the drawer is barely deformed when the catching element is disengaged from the stopping element. In this manner the drawer can smoothly slide on the supporting structure even when the operative portion is pushed, thus making the removal of the drawer particularly easy.

Claims

A washing machine (100) comprising:
• a drawer (1) comprising at least one compartment (1', 1") for receiving an agent for treating laundry;

• a supporting structure (2) on which said drawer (1) can slide;

• a disengageable retaining device (3) delimiting a movement of said drawer (1) with respect to said supporting structure (2);
wherein said desengageable retaining device (3) comprises a stopping element (5) and a catching element (4), said catching element (4) comprising a catch portion (41) adapted to engage with said stopping element (5),
characterized in that said catching element (4) is connected at two opposed ends (410, 411) thereof to a side wall (11) of said drawer (1) and in that respective free edges (412, 414) of said catching element (4) are defined between said opposed ends (410, 411) which are separated from said wall (11).
The washing machine (100) according to claim 1, wherein said disengageable retaining device (3) comprises an operative portion (40) associated to said catching element (4) such that said catching element (4) is disengaged from said stopping element (5) by operating said operative portion (40).
The washing machine (100) according to claim 2, wherein said catch portion (41) is movable apart from said stopping element (5) by pushing said operative portion (40).
The washing machine (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said operative portion (40) is positioned such that it is reachable by a hand of a user when said catching element (4) is engaged with said stopping element (42).
The washing machine (100) according to any claims 2 to 4, wherein said operative portion (40) is formed as a single body with the catching element (4)
The washing machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said catching element (4) has an increased deformability in correspondence of said opposed ends (410, 411).
The washing machine (100) according to claims 5 or 6 when dependent on claim 5, wherein said catching element (4) has an increased deformability between said catch portion (41) and said operative portion (40).
The washing machine (100) according to claims 6 or 7, wherein said catching element (4) extends between opposed ends (410, 411) such that a cross section of said catching element (4) narrows in correspondence of said opposed ends (410, 411) and/or between said catch portion (41) and said operative portion (40).
The washing machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said catching element (4) is oblong shaped.
The washing machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said catching element (4) is formed as a single body with said side wall (11).
The washing machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a gap (112) is defined between at least one of said free edges and said side wall (11).
The washing machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said drawer (1) comprises a sliding surface (14) laterally projecting from said side wall (11) and adapted to slide on a respective guide member (24) of said supporting structure (2), and wherein a gap (114) is defined between one of said free edges (412, 413) and said sliding surface (14).
The washing machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said opposed ends (410, 411) are aligned with a sliding direction (S) of said drawer (1) from said supporting structure (2).
The washing machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a maximum filling level (15) of said agent for treating laundry is defined in said compartment (1', 1") said free edges (412, 413) of said catching element (4) being both positioned above said maximum filling level (15).
The washing machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said drawer (1) comprises a first compartment (1') and a second compartment (1"), said first compartment (1') being adapted to receive a detergent and said second compartment (1") being adapted to receive an auxiliary agent for treating laundry, said side wall (11) being formed in said second compartment (1").