EP3243953A1

EP3243953A1 - Household electrical appliance for the treatment of clothes, with an improved drainage unit

Info

Publication number: EP3243953A1
Application number: EP17170227.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Helena ROMITO
Original assignee: Electrolux Appliances AB
Current assignee: Electrolux Appliances AB
Priority date: 2016-05-09
Filing date: 2017-05-09
Publication date: 2017-11-15
Also published as: ITUA20163248A1

Abstract

Household electrical appliance (105) for the treatment of clothes, particularly a laundry washer and laundry washer-dryer, comprising a drainage unit for washing/rinsing liquid that includes a chamber (207) adapted to contain or conduct the liquid accessible from outside the household electrical appliance through an access opening (215) that can be closed by a cap (220). The household electrical appliance comprises a liquid conveyor element (310) associated with said access opening for controlling the leakage of liquid from the drainage unit.

Description

The solution presented in this document refers to the sector of household electrical appliances in general and, more specifically, to household electrical appliances for the treatment of clothes, particularly a laundry washer and laundry washer-dryer, having a water drainage (and possibly recirculation) unit with an inspectable outlet filter.
Usually, a household electrical appliance for the treatment of clothes, such as the laundry washer or washer-dryer in question, is divided into different sections, namely: a section for loading the washing/rinsing water, a section for washing garments (comprising a washing tub and movable drum housed inside the tub) and a section for draining off the washing/rinsing water. The drain section is managed by a drain pump that sends the water exiting the tub toward the drain system.
Upstream of the drain pump there is normally a filtering unit that comprises a pump body defining within it a chamber (or chambers) in which to house the filtering element through an opening, a filter (diaphragm) designed to allow the passage of water and trap any objects contained in the flow of water to be drained and a cap, usually screwed on, that closes the opening of the pump body and through which the filter can be accessed.
The drain filter is usually located at the bottom of the household electrical appliance and placed in communication with the cabinet, which constitutes the outer casing of the household electrical appliance, through an interface. Access to the filter, to inspect and clean it, or generally access to the cap that allows the chamber (or chambers) defined by the filtering unit to be closed, is gained by opening an outer flap hinged on the cabinet.
A problem with known solutions is that, when accessing the filter, water leaks out, some of it re-entering the household electrical appliance and some leaking onto the floor, and is difficult for the user to collect.
One of the aims of the solution described in this document is to facilitate the inspection of the chamber (or chambers) defined by the unit that usually comprises the pump impeller and the filter, and consequent cleaning of the drain filter of the household electrical appliance, and in particular to prevent uncontrolled leakage of water during these operations.
According to the solution presented in this document, a household electrical appliance is provided for the treatment of clothes, particularly a laundry washer and laundry washer-dryer, comprising a drainage unit for washing/rinsing liquid that includes a chamber adapted to contain or conduct the liquid accessible from outside the household electrical appliance through an access opening that can be closed by a cap. The household electrical appliance comprises a liquid conveyor element associated with said access opening for controlling the leakage of liquid from the drainage unit.
In an embodiment, said liquid conveyor element is mechanically coupled in a rotatable way to the household electrical appliance in correspondence of said access opening, and is positioned in an open position in which the liquid conveyor element is adapted to act as a gutter for the liquid leaking from the drainage unit.
In an embodiment, the household electrical appliance comprises a casing and said access opening is an opening in said casing.
Advantageously, said liquid conveyor element is mechanically coupled to said casing in correspondence of said opening, or to an interface element between said casing and a wall of an external cabinet of the household electrical appliance.
For the mechanical coupling between the liquid conveyor element and the casing or the interface element, first coupling means are provided on the casing or on the interface element, and second coupling means are provided on the liquid conveyor element.
Preferably, one of the first coupling means and the second coupling means comprises at least one pin, and the other of the first coupling means and the second coupling means comprises at least one respective seat adapted to rotatably accommodate said pin.
Preferably, said one of the first coupling means and the second coupling means comprising at least one pin is provided with a centering element adapted to cooperate with said seat for the correct positioning of the liquid conveyor element in the assembling phase.
Advantageously, said first and second coupling means comprise end-of-stroke means for determining a first end-of-stroke of the liquid conveyor element in said open position and a second end-of-stroke of the liquid conveyor element in a closed position.
Said chamber adapted to contain or conduct the liquid can include a filtering element accessible from outside the household electrical appliance through an access opening.
The filtering element can be removably contained in said casing, and said access opening can be an opening in said casing.
The solution proposed here has the advantage of making it possible for the user to control the direction of liquid flow, encouraging it to flow correctly outwards and preventing it from flowing back/falling into the cabinet of the household electrical appliance.
These and further features and advantages of the solution presented here will emerge from the following detailed description of one of its embodiments, given purely by way of a non-limiting example. For a clearer understanding, the description should be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1A, 1B and 1C show a laundry washer implementing an embodiment of the solution proposed herein, with the access flap to the drain filter closed ( Figure 1A ) and open ( Figures 1B and 1C );
Figure 2 shows in axial section the filtering unit of the laundry washer;
Figures 3A and 3B show, enlarged, the detail of the access area to the filtering unit shown in Figures 1B and 1C ;
Figure 4 shows, in plan view, front view and side view, a rotatable gutter of the filtering unit;
Figure 5 shows, enlarged, a detail of the rotatable gutter in Figure 4 ;
Figure 6 shows the coupling between the rotatable gutter and an interface that places the filtering unit in communication with the external cabinet of the laundry washer, and
Figures 7 and 8 show details of the areas of coupling between the rotatable gutter and the interface.

With reference to the drawings, Figures 1A, 1B and 1C show a household electrical appliance for the treatment of clothes, particularly a laundry washer (or laundry washer-dryer).
The household electrical appliance, shown as a whole by reference numeral 105, comprises in a known way a section for filling with the washing/rinsing liquid, a section for washing the garments (comprising a washing tub and a drum for garments to be washed housed inside the drum, both not visible in the Figures and known per se) and a section for draining the washing/rinsing water. The section for draining the washing/rinsing water comprises a water draining/recirculation unit with a filtering unit.
The filtering unit, partially visible in Figures 1B and 1C where it is identified by reference numeral 110, is usually located at the bottom of the household electrical appliance 105 and is accessible, for simple inspection or cleaning (by the user or maintenance engineer), by opening an external flap 115 hinged, so as to be openable and reclosable, on a front wall 120 of a cabinet 125 that constitutes the external casing of the household electrical appliance 105. The filtering unit 110 is placed in communication with the front wall 120 of the cabinet 125 by means of an interface 305 partially visible in Figures 3A and 3B and in its entirety in Figure 6 .
The section for draining the washing/rinsing water is managed by a drain pump that sends the water exiting the tub toward the drainage system. The filtering unit 110 is located upstream of the drain pump and, as shown in Figure 2 , comprises a pump body 205 defining within it a chamber 207 (or several chambers), adapted to contain or convey the liquid and in which can be housed a filtering element 210 that can be inserted/extracted through an opening 215 in the pump body 205, which enables access to the filtering element 210. A cap 220, usually screwed on, closes the opening 215 of the pump body 205. The filtering element 210 comprises for example a filter (for example a diaphragm) designed to allow the passage of water and trap any objects contained in the flow of water to be drained.
As shown in Figures 3A and 3B , a rotatable gutter 310 is positioned externally in relation to the filtering unit 210 and pivots on the interface 305 in correspondence of two appropriate seats 315a and 315b. When in the closed position, as in Figure 3A , the gutter 310 partially or totally conceals the access cap 220 to the filtering element 210 and unambiguously defines the correct positioning; through a rotation of at least one prescribed angle in relation to the plane of the front wall 120 of the cabinet 125, for example a rotation of approximately 90° or more, the gutter 310 assumes an open and inclined position outward from the machine, as shown in Figure 3B . With the gutter 310 in the open position it is possible to access the cap 220, affording access to the filtering element 210, and to perform inspection, cleaning and ordinary and extraordinary maintenance operations.
Advantageously, the gutter 310 has a converging geometry tapering from the end provided with the pins 405a and 405b toward the front part of the gutter 310 itself, is concave towards the top and has raised external lateral edges 320a and 320b.
On opening the cap 220, the liquid (water for washing or rinsing or mixed with detergent) that may be contained in the drainage system, and particularly in the filtering unit 110, flows outwards through a gap 225 (see Figure 2 ) between the cap 220 and the pump body 205; the quantity of liquid that leaks out is regulated and controlled by the extent of rotation (unscrewing) of the cap 220. Thanks to the provision of the gutter 310, which advantageously has a converging, concave geometry with raised outer edges, and to its position when open (inclined downwards), it is possible to control the direction of the flow of water, encouraging it to flow correctly outwards and preventing it from flowing back/falling into the cabinet 125.
In the example of an embodiment described here, shown in Figures 4 and 5 , the gutter 310 is provided with two lateral pins 405a and 405b, each of which is engaged in one of the two respective seats 315a and 315b of the interface 305. Pins 405a and 405b are characterized by:

two raised surfaces, for example two discs 410a and 410b, one on each pin 405a and 405b, which during the assembly phase come into contact with the interface 305 and determine the correct centering of the gutter 310;
two cams 415a and 415b, one on each pin 405a and 405b, which serve to:
- ∘ define an end-of-stroke means for the gutter 310 in the two main operating positions (open and closed);
- ∘ prevent the unintended rotation of the gutter 310 (due to the effect of the force of gravity or vibrations, for example);
- ∘ give the user the sensation of having opened/closed the gutter in the correct way by means of a sound/tactile "click-clack'' sensation.

The seats 315a and 315b for the two pins 405a and 405b made in the interface 305 are advantageously modeled so as to allow the gutter 310 to be mounted with one movement in a single direction, for example in a horizontal direction, as illustrated in Figure 6 .
As shown in Figures 7 and 8 , in each of the two seats 315a and 315b made in the interface 305 there are two different areas: a first area 705 dedicated to the fixing of the gutter 310, by coupling with one of the two disks 410a and 410b on one of the two pins 405a and 405b of the gutter 310, and a second area 710 responsible for controlling the rotation of the gutter 310, by coupling with one of the two cams 415a and 415b. Both of these two areas 705 and 710 are resilient and flexible.
The area 705 for fixing the gutter 310 is characterized by a cantilevered geometry 715 that flexes during the fitting/removal of the gutter 310 to facilitate the passage of the pins.
The part 720 of the area 710 designed to cooperate by contact with the cams 415a and 415b is engaged at either end and free to flex in the middle. Depending on the direction of rotation of the gutter 310 and the consequent flexing of the area 710, the end-of-stroke of the gutter 310 is defined in the two positions (open and closed) and the gutter is locked in the correct operating position. As stated above, the two operating positions of the gutter 310 can easily be identified by the user thanks to the sound/tactile "click-clack" effect given by the rotation of the cams 415a and 415b.
The two areas 705 and 710 - namely the two functions of fixing the gutter 310 and controlling the rotation of the gutter 310 - can be made either as separate areas, as in the embodiment shown, or, alternatively, be incorporated into one geometry.
As stated above, thanks to the provision of the gutter 310, which advantageously has a converging geometry and raised outer edges, and to its position when open (inclined downwards), it is possible to control the direction of flow of the water, encouraging it to flow correctly outwards and preventing it from flowing back/falling into the cabinet 125.
Thanks to the fact that the gutter 310 is not connected to the cap 220 for accessing the filtering element, but rather to the interface 305, the action by the user on the cap 220 is facilitated (as there are no mechanisms incorporated within the cap).
The solution proposed is easy and intuitive to use.
The gutter 310 can be easily fitted/removed.
Thanks to the cams, the possibility of incorrect positioning is much reduced.
Naturally, variations can be made to the embodiment described.
For example, the seats for the two pins of the gutter can be made in the pump body 205 instead of in the interface 305.
Another possibility consists in swapping the position of the pins and the seats, making the pins in the interface 305 (or in the pump body 205) and the seats in the gutter 310.

Claims

Household electrical appliance (105) for the treatment of clothes, particularly laundry washer and laundry washer-dryer, comprising a drainage unit for washing/rinsing liquid that includes a chamber (207) adapted to contain or conduct the liquid accessible from outside the household electrical appliance through an access opening (215) closable by a cap (220), characterized by comprising a liquid conveyor element (310) associated with said access opening for controlling the leakage of liquid from the drainage unit.
Household electrical appliance according to claim 1, wherein said liquid conveyor element is mechanically coupled in a rotatable way to the household electrical appliance in correspondence of said access opening and is positioned in an open position, in which the liquid conveyor element is adapted to act as a gutter for the liquid leaking from the drainage unit.
Household electrical appliance according to claim 2, comprising a casing (205) in which said access opening is an opening of said casing.
Household electrical appliance according to claim 3, wherein said liquid conveyor element is mechanically coupled to said casing in correspondence of said opening, or to an interface element (305) between said casing and a wall (120) of an external cabinet (125) of the household electrical appliance.
Household electrical appliance according to claim 4, wherein, for the mechanical coupling between the liquid conveyor element and the casing or the interface element, first coupling means (315a,315b) are provided on the casing or on the interface element, and second coupling means (405a-b,410a-b,415a-b) are provided on the liquid conveyor element.
Household electrical appliance according to claim 5, wherein one of the first coupling means and the second coupling means comprises at least one pin (405a-b), and the other of the first coupling means and the second coupling means comprises at least one respective seat (315a-b) adapted to rotatably accommodate said pin.
Household electrical appliance according to claim 6, wherein said one of the first coupling means and the second coupling means comprising at least one pin is provided with a centering element (410a-b) adapted to cooperate with said seat for the correct positioning of the liquid conveyor element in the assembling phase.
Household electrical appliance according to any one of claims from 5 to 7, wherein said first and second coupling means comprise end-of-stroke means (415a-b,710,720) for determining a first end-of-stroke of the liquid conveyor element in said open position and a second end-of-stroke of the liquid conveyor element in a closed position.
Household electrical appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said chamber adapted to contain or conduct the liquid includes a filtering element (210) accessible from outside the household electrical appliance through an access opening (215).
Household electrical appliance according to claim 9, comprising a casing (205) in which the filtering element is removably contained, and wherein said access opening is an opening of said casing.