Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
  • D06F34/00—Details of control systems for washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
  • D06F34/28—Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress
  • D06F34/34—Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress characterised by mounting or attachment features, e.g. detachable control panels or detachable display panels

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a system for fixing control panel housing of a laundry washing and/or drying machine to the front wall thereof to be secured on multiple axes.
• Interengaging mechanisms used in a laundry washing and/or drying machine during installation of different parts in a manner to be mounted to each other is important in many respects because structural integrity of certain parts also affects distant mechanical elements.
• an interconnection structure utilized to ensure uniform engagement of a plurality of elements while avoiding occurrence of non-symmetrical split lines between the mounted parts is important not only because serious structural problems may occur in time but also it is undesirable especially in terms of perceptual quality on the part of users, which is an essential quality factor.
• Parts making up the installation mechanisms of the laundry washing and/or drying machines affect the manufacturer in many ways like the operation of transportation. Undamaged transportability is an essential criterion in terms of quality for laundry washing and/or drying machines. Split lines encountered between parts mounted to each other may reveal such undesired results very early during transportation tests.
• Costs of the materials used for the installation of the parts may also be an important parameter to consider.
• Some units of the laundry washing and/or drying machines may be mounted using an external material, such as a seal, whereas some units might be interconnected to each other through their special design developed for their mounting without any additional part. That kind of a design may provide substantial cost savings especially when the external materials are more expensive.
• WO2007141135 discloses a domestic appliance, in particular a device for the care of washed articles, comprising a housing and a panel attached to one edge on a front surface of the housing, wherein the panel, relative to a longitudinal axis, is elongated and is delimited on an end surface corresponding to the edge along the longitudinal axis.
• the panel on the end surface is attached by means of at least one guide projection and at least one detent hook to the front surface, wherein the guide projection is fitted into a corresponding first recess of a corresponding component in the front surface, and the detent hook is engaged in a corresponding second recess of the component in the front surface.
• the present invention addresses the situation where the upper front part of the laundry washing and/or drying machine where a control panel housing is situated can be fixed to the front wall in a manner to avoid a non-symmetrical split line, which may be resulted due to the tension applied when mounting an upper cover part of the laundry washing and/or drying machine.
• This invention provides a robust structure for the laundry washing and/or drying machines through an installation method and system which provides secure installation of the mounted parts to each other in vertical and horizontal directions as well as along the axis perpendicular to the front door surface of the appliance. Uniform placing and installation of separate parts is essential in many respects, and directly affects transportation process of the products.
• the washing, drying and combo washing and drying appliances are transported to distant locations and as they should be manufactured to withstand severe transportation conditions, standard quality control tests are performed prior to market delivery to prevent unexpected events that may occur during transportation and installation. These quality control tests according to which the appliances are subjected to extreme treatments like throwing from a high place indicate whether they meet required quality standards.
• the present invention is designed under the recognition that a laundry washing and/or drying machine having structural durability and mechanical stability on the part of interacting parts during transportation and installation thereof remains a need.
• the invention offers a cost effective fixation system allowing easier installation by eliminating the need for additional mechanical parts for the mounting of the front wall and the control panel housing.
• Mechanical connection elements used for installation are diminished in number, which has a role as a serious cost saving considering that large quantities of those are involved in the manufacturing and installation processes.
• the present invention provides a system for fixing control panel housing of a laundry washing and/or drying machine to the front wall thereof to be secured on multiple axes as defined in Claim 1 and subsequent Claims.
• Primary object of the present invention is to provide a fixation system by which various parts making up the front side structures of the laundry washing and/or drying machine are mountable in a symmetrical and robust manner.
• the present invention proposes a laundry washing and/or drying machine with a fixation system between the front wall and the control panel housing, the system having at least one fixation means latched to a fixation slot.
• the fixation means is made structurally integral to the control panel housing so that the latter is mountable as a single unit without using additional bearings.
• the fixation means extend in vertical direction and engage with the fixation slots on a front wall extension portion of the front wall. This portion of the front wall is an inwardly extending edge portion.
• a plurality of fixation means and more preferably at least three fixation means are provided to be latched to respective fixation slots.
• a single fixation means can also effect fixation of the two parts alone.
• the fixation means provides a snap-fit connection by which a retainer thereof is flexed inwardly to be inserted in the fixation slot in a flexible manner for engagement with the slot contour of the fixation slot.
• the retainer comprises a first axis retaining edge and a second axis retaining edge, both bearing against lateral slot contour such that placement of the front wall and the control panel housing relative to each other is maintained in horizontal and vertical directions.
• Fig. 1 demonstrates a general perspective view of a laundry washing and/or drying machine according to the present invention.
• Fig. 2 demonstrates an exploded perspective view of the laundry washing and/or drying machine according to the present invention.
• Fig. 3a demonstrates a cross-sectional side view of the laundry washing and/or drying machine according to the present invention.
• Fig. 3b demonstrates an enlarged view of detail X as shown in Fig. 3a according to the present invention.
• Fig. 4a demonstrates a top view of the laundry washing and/or drying machine according to the present invention.
• Fig. 4b demonstrates a cross-sectional view of the laundry washing and/or drying machine taken along lines B-B in Fig. 4a according to the present invention.
• Fig. 5a demonstrates an enlarged view of detail Z as shown in Fig. 4b according to the present invention.
• Fig. 5b demonstrates an enlarged view of a fixation means (detail Y in Fig. 5a) according to the present invention.
• Fig. 6a demonstrates an enlarged view of detail Z as shown in Fig. 4b according to the present invention.
• Fig. 6b and 6c respectively demonstrate alternative embodiments of the fixation means according to the present invention.
• the present invention relates to a laundry washing and/or drying machine (1) such as a laundry washing, washing-drying or drying machine with a main body (2) comprising a front door allowing access into a drum installed in a tub of the appliance (1).
• the laundry washing and/or drying machine (1) generally comprises a six-sided cabinet with the front side door by which one can put in a laundry to be treated.
• the present invention proposes a fixation mechanism between a front wall (3) portion and a control panel housing (4) of the laundry washing and/or drying machine (1), the latter typically being a washing, drying or combo washing and drying appliance.
• the fixation system in accordance with the invention provides a more robust connection line between the front wall (3) and the control panel housing (4), configured to withstand axial as well as radial forces around a set of fixation means (7) as will be delineated hereinafter. Therefore, the force exerted in the upward direction by the upper cover (5) during which it is fixedly attached to the control panel housing (4), is counterbalanced by the fixation means (7) in vertical direction.
• the mounting of the fixation system that provides the mounting of the front wall (3) and the control panel housing (4) is effectuated by utilizing a plurality of fixation means (7) integrally provided on the lower part of the control panel housing (4) to engage with a plurality of corresponding fixation slots (8) on a front wall extension (6) portion of the front wall (3).
• the front wall (3) and the control panel housing (4) are mounted to each other in a mutually interlocked manner such that a retainer (9) moves aside for engagement with the mating slot contour (12). Return of the retainer (9) toward its original position accomplishes the interference required to latch the front wall extension (6) and the control panel housing (4) together.
• fixation slots (8) are designed in such a way that the fixation means (7) is received within the slot contour (12) in a restricted manner while a second axis retaining edge (11) of the retainer (9) also bears against lateral slot contour (12) and possible movement of the fixation means (7) in the fixation slots (8) in axial and radial directions is prevented.
• the fixation system between the control panel housing (4) and the front wall (3) having a snap-fit structure is secured against axial and radial forces thanks to the retainer (9) whose structure fitting into the fixation slot (8) with two parts thereof, namely the first and second axis retaining edges (10, 11) ensuring a fixedly attached connection and resistance against vertical and horizontal forces in both directions.
• the relative placement of the slot contours (12) with the contact distances c along the direction perpendicular to the front side surface of the laundry washing and/or drying machine (1), is shown as a lateral cross-sectional view in Fig. 3b.
• the fixation means (7) constitute integral extensions of the control panel housing (4), a plurality of fixation means (7) extending down into fixation slots (8) disposed on the front wall extension (6).
• the front wall extension (6) is an inward flange extending into the inner part of the laundry washing and/or drying machine (1) from the front side thereof. Therefore, a set of fixation means (7) are latched to mating fixation slots (8) in an inner part of the laundry washing and/or drying machine’s (1) main body (2).
• the snap-fit structure is particularly advantageous in that while it prevents reverse displacement of the control panel housing (4) in the demounting direction, it also provides a substantially practical and quicker installation of the respective parts in the manufacturing line.
• the control panel housing (4) can be mounted in one easy step onto the front wall extension (6) by way of snap-fitting all the fixation means (7) at once.
• the control panel housing (4) remains fixedly attached while the fixation means (7) withstand axial forces applied by the upper cover (5) at the final stage during which it is attached to the control panel housing (4).
• the proposed fixation system is more advantageous compared to the situation where a plurality of individual fixating elements are mounted one by one because each single fixating element may individually become loose due to the vibrational effects of the appliance’s operation and as such may break free. In this case a directly noticeable and non-attractive split line will appear on the front side of the appliance, which will be perceived as a direct indication of cheap materials being used and low manufacturing quality.
• the structure of the retainer (9) allows for a multi-axis fixation as it bears against the slot contour (12) by two separate edge portions, the first and second axis retaining edges (10, 11). While the first axis retaining edge (10) maintains horizontally fixed position of the control panel housing (4), the second axis retaining edge (11) restricts upward displacement of the control panel housing (4).
• the present invention proposes a laundry washing and/or drying machine (1) to effect washing or drying of the laundry placed in a drum, the laundry washing and/or drying machine (1) comprising a front door allowing access into the drum, a front wall (3) on which the front door is disposed and a control panel housing (4) connected with the front wall (3) and housing a control panel of the laundry washing and/or drying machine (1).
• a fixation system is provided between the front wall (3) and the control panel housing (4) of the laundry washing and/or drying machine (1); the system comprises at least one fixation means (7) latched to a fixation slot (8).
• the fixation means (7) is structurally integrally provided with the control panel housing (4).
• the fixation means (7) extends in the direction of the front wall (3) to fit into the fixation slot (8) in a direction perpendicular to the base of the laundry washing and/or drying machine (1).
• the fixation slot (8) into which the fixation means (7) fits is provided on a front wall extension (6) portion of the front wall (3), the front wall extension (6) constituting an inward flange extending into the inner part of the laundry washing and/or drying machine (1) from the front side thereof.
• a plurality of fixation means (7) are provided to be latched to respective fixation slots (8).
• a snap-fit connection is provided between the front wall (3) and the control panel housing (4).
• the fixation means (7) comprises a stem portion (13) around which a radially flexible retainer (9) is provided.
• the front wall (3) and the control panel housing (4) are mounted to each other in a mutually interlocked manner such that the retainer (9) of the fixation means (7) moves aside for engagement with the slot contour (12) of the fixation slot (8) and returns toward its original position to latch the front wall (3) and the control panel housing (4) together.
• the retainer (9) comprises a first axis retaining edge (10) bearing against lateral slot contour (12) such that placement of the front wall (3) and the control panel housing (4) relative to each other in lateral directions is maintained.
• the retainer (9) comprises a second axis retaining edge (10) bearing against lateral slot contour (12) such that placement of the front wall (3) and the control panel housing (4) relative to each other in the direction perpendicular to the base of the laundry washing and/or drying machine (1) is maintained.
• the fixation means (7) comprises two retainer (9) annularly spaced 180 degrees with respect to each other.
• each fixation means (7) is appropriately installed and an individual part cannot become loose while other parts remain interconnected as each fixation means (7) is an integral part of the control panel housing (4).

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Main Body Construction Of Washing Machines And Laundry Dryers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=51485616

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (2)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 2014
  • 2014-09-03 CN CN201480081746.8A patent/CN107075774A/zh active Pending
  • 2014-09-03 WO PCT/EP2014/068745 patent/WO2016034225A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2014-09-03 EP EP14758920.4A patent/EP3189180A1/en not_active Withdrawn

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