EP3341517B1 - Washing machine having a door region for avoiding laundry damage - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a washing machine according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, a washer-dryer should also be included.

Recently, washing machines that have a particularly high capacity have become marketable. At the same time, these washing machines have large door openings, so that the difference in the diameter of the door opening in relation to the diameter of a washing drum belonging to this type of washing machine is relatively small. As a result, it is easy for an operator to prevent individual items of laundry from hanging out or hanging down beyond the door opening on the front of the washing machine when this type of washing machine is initially loaded. If the door of the washing machine is then closed, such laundry items can be clamped between the inner wall area of a door frame and the opposite wall area of the housing of the washing machine in such a way that the laundry items suffer damage when the drum starts up.

The DE 10 2008 018 731 A1 discloses a cuff which is shaped in such a way that it can be mounted both on the tub and on a loading or unloading opening of a laundry care device. The sleeve is shaped in such a way that it simultaneously forms a seal between the loading and unloading opening and the inspection glass and thus closes the tub in a watertight manner.

The DE 20 2004 012 221 U1 discloses a laundry deflector which is located within the tub of a laundry care device. The laundry deflector is designed in such a way that when the laundry drum starts to spin up, it gets caught and loosens items of laundry protruding in the area of the cuff, thereby keeping them away from the cuff.

The DE 102 37 017 B3 discloses a laundry deflector which has a rigid fastening part at the front opening and an elastic deflector which engages in the individual opening of a laundry care appliance. The rigid fastening part can be clearly defined on the container and the elastic deflector part remains flexible and elastic.

It is therefore the object of the invention to specify a washing machine with a door area, which enables laundry damage to be avoided in washing machines of the type described above.

In the case of a laundry treatment device according to the preamble of claim 1, this object is achieved by its characterizing features and further developed by claims that refer back to this claim.

The invention thus relates to a washing machine with a machine housing, with a tubing tub that is received in the housing and vibratingly movably received with respect to it, with a laundry drum that is rotationally movably received in the tub with a loading opening that is aligned with the axis of rotation of the drum, in particular rotationally symmetrically, which is connected by an opening of the Lye container is included, wherein the opening of the tub is aligned with a loading and unloading opening in the housing, the opening of the tub and the loading and unloading opening are connected by a, a vibration compensation enabling, hose-like sleeve, while between a frame of Housing door or a door frame and a ring-like area of the housing surrounding the loading and unloading opening somewhat spaced apart in the closed state of the door a gap, also referred to as door gap, is present, whereby it is provided that the door gap is at least in a lower sub-area opposite its remaining area is designed enlarged, ie the door gap is designed as an enlarged gap (d ₃ ', d ₃ ") at least in a lower sub-area compared to its remaining area. The loading and unloading opening is arranged on the front of the washing machine, as is the case with so-called front-loading Washing machines which have a substantially horizontal drum axis of rotation or a drum axis of rotation inclined with respect to the horizontal is common. The door gap that occurs when the door of a front loading washing machine is closed has a lower portion which is at least below the horizontal center line of the loading and unloading opening ring like area. The horizontal center line is also referred to below as the hypothetical axis of the door.

With the invention it is thus possible that items of laundry that hang out when loading the laundry drum in the area of the opening of the washing machine housing downwards, with the door of the washing machine not initially closed, are not subject to a risk of damage even after the door of the washing machine is closed if the Drum movement starts. The inventive measure of the formation of the enlarged gap in the lower part of the door, when this is in its closed state, prevents the laundry items from getting jammed, which would be the case if the named inventive measure were not carried out. Thus, even if the washing machine is incorrectly loaded with laundry by an operator, such an error can be corrected again without the laundry being damaged in the process.

In a first alternative, it is provided that a wall of the housing of the washing machine in the lower partial area has an enlarged distance from an inner wall area of a door frame and thus enables the enlarged gap to be formed. As explained above, the lower sub-area is to be understood as an area which is located below the hypothetical axis of the door of the washing machine. It can therefore preferably be an angular range in relation to this hypothetical axis, such as 30 ° to 45 °, or a segment of a circle.

According to a second alternative, it is provided that an inner wall area of a door frame is designed to be less thick than its outer wall area in relation to a lower sub-area of the door and thus enables the enlarged gap to be formed. The first and second alternatives can also be used in combination, i.e. the enlarged gap is formed both by the increased distance in the lower partial area and by the reduced thickness of the door frame in the lower door area.

In the washing machine according to the invention, it is taken into account according to the invention that in a closed state of the door a sealing lip comprised by the hose-like cuff in relation to a casing of a porthole with a truncated cone-like structure that is accommodated in the door frame seals the solution container with respect to the housing or the sealing lip and the jacket of the porthole interact to seal. Thus, the actual sealing function does not take place between the door frame and the housing opening and the prerequisite is thus created that a gap can be present between an inner wall area of the door frame and a corresponding wall of the housing in the door opening area, in particular in a manner enlarged according to the invention in the lower one Area below the hypothetical axis of the washing machine door.

If there is an item of laundry that has not been correctly inserted into the washing drum by the operator and is hanging out of the loading opening, it is initially held elastically by the sealing lip of the cuff when the door is closed.

When the drum rotates, in particular when it begins to rotate, such an item of laundry can be released, provided that, according to the invention, the gap described above is enlarged in an area, in particular below a hypothetical axis of the door.

The release of the item of laundry is made possible in particular because the item of laundry held by the sealing lip is carried along by other items of laundry in the laundry drum that are moved by the rotation, whereby a tensile force acts on the held item of laundry in the direction of the interior of the laundry drum. Due to the enlarged gap in the lower partial area, the holding force acting on the held or clamped item of laundry is reduced, so that the item of laundry can be drawn in significantly more easily. According to the invention, the sealing lip is designed to be resilient, which is additionally supported by the

Sealing lip from the holding or clamping force acting on the jammed item of laundry does not exceed a predetermined maximum value, as a result of which a release of the item of washing enables a rotation of the drum. Furthermore, the sealing lip preferably has a geometry which enables a trapped item of laundry to be drawn in. Such a geometry is designed to be as smooth as possible and without additional edges on which the trapped item of laundry could get caught.

The washing machine according to the invention is also controlled by a control system comprised by the washing machine, with a rotary movement of the drum by a drive unit and a controlled liquid supply and discharge of liquid in the tub with partial dosing of detergents by a liquid supply and discharge unit and a metering unit as well as a heating unit.

A washing program can thus be carried out and triggered in accordance with an arbitrary influence on an input and display surface of an operator. If a sensor is additionally provided in the area of the door gap, which interacts with the control in a suitable manner and is designed to detect an item of laundry in the door gap when the door is closed, it becomes possible that an item of laundry that, in particular, when the drum begins to rotate exceptionally proves not to be retractable, can be recognized. The sensor preferably works together with the controller in such a way that a movement of the sensor towards the inside of the washing machine can be detected. An item of laundry is deemed not to be retractable, for example, if the sensor detects the presence of an item of laundry in the area of the door gap after a predetermined period of time from the beginning of a rotation of the drum, in particular from the first rotation of the drum of a washing process. Correspondingly, a pull-in movement can be detected by detecting the presence of an item of laundry in the area of the door gap before the drum rotates and no more items of laundry are detected in the area of the door gap within a predetermined period of time from the start of the rotation. The sensor is preferably provided in the area of the enlarged gap, whereby an item of laundry present in the enlarged gap can be detected. The control system preferably triggers an operating program to be aborted if the sensor detects the presence of the item of laundry, and this is so displayed by the operator via the input and display surface. Such a termination is also referred to as an emergency stop with program termination. However, such a case is extremely rare, but, as shown, can be controlled.

Furthermore, the sensor can be designed to detect a movement of an item of laundry. In such a case, the control can preferably trigger an abortion of an operating program if it is detected by the sensor that the item of laundry turns out to be not retractable when the drum starts to rotate in particular. For example if, after a predetermined period of time from the beginning of the rotation or from a previous sensor query, the presence of an item of laundry is still detected.

Touch, distance or force sensors, for example, can be used as sensors.

Insofar as the invention is still defined on the basis of the patent claims listed at the end of the following description of the exemplary embodiments, it should be such that an initially specified chain of back-references from subclaims in relation to the superordinate main claim is not to be regarded as restrictive with regard to the teaching communicated as a whole is to the extent that other combinations of features are found to be suitable and feasible from the point of view of the person skilled in the art.

• Fig. 1 eine schematische und perspektivische Frontansicht wesentlicher Teile einer üblichen Waschmaschine mit einer zugeordneten Fronttür in teilweiser Explosivdarstellung,
• Fig. 2 eine Teil- Schnittansicht der Waschmaschine nach Fig. 1, die im Wesentlichen auf den Bereich einer Be- und Entladeöffnung mit zugeordneter Tür gerichtet ist,
• Fig. 3 eine gegenüber Fig. 2 schematisierte Darstellung, die auch in Teilen zur Beschreibung der erfinderischen Problematik und dazugehöriger Lösungsansätze beibehalten wird,
• Fig. 3a die erfinderische Problematik in Bezug auf ein Wäschestück,
• Fig. 3b eine erste Lösung in Bezug auf die erfinderische Problematik, und
• Fig. 3c eine zweite Lösung in Bezug auf die erfinderische Problematik,
• Fig. 4 eine schematische Blockdarstellung einer Steuerung im Zusammenhang mit Aggregaten der erfindungsgemäß, insbesondere im Türbereich, gestalteten Waschmaschine mit zusätzlicher Überwachung.

In the following, the invention is described in more detail schematically with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying drawing. The preferred embodiment of a laundry treatment device is shown as a washing machine. The figures of the drawing are first briefly explained. Show it:

• Fig. 1 a schematic and perspective front view of essential parts of a conventional washing machine with an associated front door in a partially exploded view,
• Fig. 2 a partial sectional view of the washing machine according to Fig. 1 , which is essentially directed towards the area of a loading and unloading opening with an assigned door,
• Fig. 3 one opposite Fig. 2 Schematic representation, which is also retained in parts to describe the inventive problem and the associated solution approaches,
• Fig. 3a the inventive problem in relation to an item of laundry,
• Figure 3b a first solution with regard to the inventive problem, and
• Figure 3c a second solution in relation to the inventive problem,
• Fig. 4 a schematic block diagram of a control in connection with units of the washing machine designed according to the invention, in particular in the door area, with additional monitoring.

In Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a washing machine with its essential parts, as far as of interest to the invention, shown, wherein a front door (hereinafter 13) has been added in a partially exploded view. A washing machine 1 comprises a machine housing 2, which has a loading and unloading opening 3 on the front side, which can be closed via a door 13 with a door frame 14, usually also a design frame 16 and a porthole (sight glass) 15. The door 13 with the door frame is connected to the housing 2 on the right or left with a hinge (not shown). A closed position of the door 13 can be fixed by a door lock (not shown). The housing 2 accommodates a tub 4 in an interior space which, together with other units assigned to the tub, is supported in the machine housing 2 in a swinging manner via spring elements 5. However, suspension via spring elements of other types (not shown) and support by damping elements (not shown) is also possible. The tub 4 in turn has, in particular, a laundry drum 7 rotatably mounted on a rotation axis 6 and is also aligned with a loading opening 8 in the direction of the loading and unloading opening 3 of the machine housing, so that loading and unloading of laundry from the laundry drum 7 from the Front side of the machine housing 2 can be done with the door 13 open.

A washing machine 1, which is to be taken into account in the context of the invention, has a diameter compared to washing machines that are otherwise mostly known to users d _{2 of} the loading opening 8, which is not significantly below the diameter d _{1 of} the laundry drum 7. In addition, the filling volume or the standardized maximum filling weight of such a washing machine 1 is greater than the filling weight of washing machines known to users, such as 5.0 to 5.5 kg. In the invention, for example, there may be a difference between the diameter d _{1 of} the laundry drum 7 and the diameter d _{2 of} the loading opening 8 of 50 mm to 100 mm. A user 18 (cf. Fig. 3 ) of the washing machine 1 is oriented from above downwards in relation to the loading opening 8.

Because of the oscillating suspension of the tub 4, a compensation of the position of the tub 4 with its loading opening 8 in relation to the housing 2, in particular the loading and unloading opening 3, is necessary. A sleeve 9 is used for this, which is designed as a hollow cylinder and connects the two openings 3 and 8 to one another in a liquid-tight manner, so that no liquid or lye can get into the machine housing from an interior of the lye container.

A somewhat more detailed representation of the cuff 9 goes out Fig. 2 which incidentally shows the entire area of the door 13 with the loading and unloading opening 3 and the loading opening 8 (diameter d ₂ ) of the drum 7 or the tub 4 surrounding the drum with an opening 8 'of almost the same size. The door 13 is shown in FIG Fig. 2 closed. The cuff 9 has a Z-shaped area 12 which is used to compensate for the positions between the openings 3 and 8 '. In addition, the sleeve 9 is received in a first connection area 9a in relation to the tub 4 and in a second connection area 9b in relation to the machine housing 2. The connection areas 9a and 9b essentially determine the openings 8 'or 3 (when considering the end closer to the axis). It is also of particular importance that a door frame 14 of the door 13 does not create a seal with respect to the housing 2 in the closed state, but that a frustoconical porthole 15 embedded in the door frame 14 is attached to its wall area 15a in relation to a sealing lip 10 of the sleeve 9 performs the sealing function. The sealing lip 10 is also designed to be flexible and has an area 11 which makes it easier for objects such as laundry to be inserted into the drum interior, but not so easily removed, since the lip area 10 would then develop a locking effect. The frame 14, which, as already described, receives the porthole 15 in a stationary manner, is still from a design frame 16, which itself has no function in relation to the washing machine 1. It will also be explained that an inner wall area 14a of the frame 14, which is opposite to the housing wall 2a, has a distance d ₃ and thus forms a gap d ₃ , which in relation to the entire circumference with respect to the ring-like formations of the inner wall area 14a and the housing wall area 2a, at least in a conventional manner, is constant.

A schematic representation that the Fig. 2 and is only aimed at the door area, shows the Fig. 3 . There are those already with the description too Fig. 2 introduced reference signs.

Another schematic diagram used by the Fig. 3 goes out, shows the Fig. 3a . Only the lower part of the door area, starting with a hypothetical axis 19 of the door 13, is shown, since this area is of particular interest for the problem according to the invention. So is in addition to that Fig. 3 a laundry item 17 is shown, which, due to the small difference in the diameter d _{2 of} the loading opening 8 of the laundry drum 7 in relation to the diameter d _{1 of} the laundry drum, shows how the laundry item 17 is present with a certain probability that it does not enter the drum interior is introduced. It is pressed elastically against the wall 15a of the porthole 15 in the area of the sealing lip 10 of the cuff. However, since in the area of the door gap between the wall 2a of the machine housing 2 and the inner wall area 14a of the door frame 14 with only a small distance d ₃ or a corresponding gap, both a multiple deflection of the laundry item 17 and the small distance d ₃ or the gap With a small width itself causes the item 17 to become trapped, when the drum 7 begins to rotate, the item 17 of laundry cannot be drawn into the interior of the drum 7. The laundry item 17 gets cracks. Then even an almost immediate emergency stop of the laundry drum 7 would no longer be of any use.

According to the invention, a remedy for this is in Figure 3b and is described below. The wall 2a 'of the machine housing 2 is held at a greater distance d ₃ ', ie with a larger gap, from the inner wall area 14a of the door frame 14, so that the laundry item 17 hanging out is not jammed. Here, at the discretion of the person skilled in the art, the greater distance d ₃ ′ compared to the smaller distance d ₃ in a certain angle of rotation range with reference to the hypothetical one Axis 19 of the door 13 - at least in some areas below this hypothetical axis - to be formed, the sealing function only having to be present in the area of the sealing lip 10 and the wall 15a of the porthole 15. A sensor 31 arranged in the area of the wall 2a 'in a preferred embodiment will be explained below.

Another workaround is provided in Figure 3c shown. In this alternative, the wall 2a of the machine housing 2 remains unchanged, as in FIG Figures 3 and 3a shown, received. A larger distance d ₃ ″ or gap, which roughly also corresponds to the previously discussed distance d ′ ₃ , is obtained in that the inner wall region 14a ′ is spaced closer to an outer wall region 14b, which is adjoined by the design frame 16 the greater distance d ₃ "or gap is formed. It is at the discretion of the person skilled in the art to form this spaced approximation of the inner wall area 14a 'with respect to the design frame 16 only in a certain angle of rotation range in relation to the hypothetical axis 19 of the door 13 - at least in some areas below this hypothetical axis. Furthermore, it is also possible to dispense with an outer area (at 14c) of the frame 14 with a greater distance in relation to the design frame 16, if this also leads to sufficient stability of the door frame 14, which the person skilled in the art can assess in individual cases. A sensor 31 that can be attached in the area of the wall 2a will be explained below.

With the Fig. 4 a schematic block diagram shows how a controller 30 can be designed in connection with units (explanation below) of the washing machine 1, the door area designed according to the invention being further developed with additional monitoring.

The controller 30 takes over the program sequence of the washing machine 30 based on inputs arbitrarily influenced by the operator18 via an input or user interface 25. The drum 7, which is surrounded by the tub, provides a treatment room for items of laundry brought in (cf. 17) within which the laundry is treated under the influence of chemistry (detergent dissolved in liquid), movement and heat. Usual sensors of the treatment room are connected to the controller 30 via a bidirectional bus 26. The controller 30 acts on units such as a drive unit 20, a liquid supply and discharge unit 21, a metering unit 22 for the dosage of detergents, a heating unit 23 for the Increase in the temperature of the liquid, such as lye in the treatment room 4, 7 so that the program sequence can be carried out as intended, the named units being controlled by the controller 30 according to the program progress, taking into account the data exchange via the bus 26. After the program has been entered via the user interface 25, the program is also started via the user interface 25. This start usually only takes place when the operator has placed the laundry items in the drum 7 or the treatment room.

In the area of the enlarged gap d ₃ 'or d ₃ "according to the invention, in the area of the housing wall 2a' or 2a, according to the preferred embodiment, a sensor 31 is able to detect the presence of an item of laundry 17 and its change in position. Associated with sensor 31 is a, for example, infrared, radiation transmitter 31a and a reflection receiver 31b. Several radiation transmitters and receivers can also be used.

Due to the enlarged gap d ₃ ′ or d ₃ ″ designed according to the invention, it is not necessary that when the washing machine is started when the sensor 31 detects an item of laundry 17 hanging out, an emergency stop of the drum 7 must occur, since the enlarged gap d ₃ ′ or d ₃ ″ it is made possible that with a high probability the item 17 of laundry is drawn into the interior of the drum 7 without the item 17 of laundry being damaged. Tests have shown that this is the case in 97 to 99 out of 100 cases. However, in order to rule out damage to items of laundry 17 even in the unfavorable, relatively improbable cases, the sensor 31 is operated by the controller in such a way that the movement of the items of laundry 17, i.e. ultimately their entry into the interior of the washing machine, is detected. With a multiple arrangement of radiation transmitters and reflection receivers, it is possible, taking into account the mostly computer-like control, which includes means for detecting the presence of an item of laundry in the area of the sensor 31, in particular the gap d ₃ 'or d ₃ ", and / or are designed to recognize mesh or woven structures of the item of laundry 17 and thus its movement. A movement of the item of laundry 17 can also be determined via a repeated detection, it being possible to infer a movement if, after a first detection of an item of laundry 17 in the repeated detection no presence of the previously detected item of laundry can be determined. Then no emergency stop has to be triggered. The inventive teaching with the enlarged gap d ₃ 'or d ₃ "advantageously leads to a correction of the incorrectly inserted item of laundry 17, that is, to move it into the interior of the washing machine without losing any time. Only when it is recognized that the item of laundry 17 is not moving inward towards the interior of the washing machine is an emergency stop of the washing machine triggered and the operator 18 can be requested, in particular by a possibly flashing display in the area of the control and display panel 25, to put the item of laundry in an orderly manner Way to re-insert it into the washing machine or its drum 7, with a previous locking of the door 13 being released by the controller 30. Expedient, further operating instructions can be directed to the operator 18 through the operating and display panel 31.

List of reference symbols:

1

Washing machine

2

Machine housing

2a

Wall of the housing (door area)

3

Loading and unloading opening (door open)

4th

Suds container

5

Spring elements

6th

Axis of rotation

7th

Laundry drum

8th

Loading opening (of 7)

8th'

Opening (of 4)

9

cuff

9a

first connection area of the cuff (tub)

9b

second connection area of the sleeve (wall door area)

10

Sealing lip from 9

11

Area of sealing lip

12

Z-shaped area

13

door

14th

Door frame

14a

Inner wall area from 14

14b

Outer wall of 14 (with design frame)

14c

Part of 14a

15th

Porthole

15a

Wall of porthole

16

Design frame

17th

Laundry item

18th

Operator

19th

hypothetical axis (of 13)

20th

Drive unit

21st

Feed and discharge unit

22nd

Dosing unit

23

Heating unit

25th

Input surface

30th

control

31

sensor

31a

Radiation emitter

31b

Radiation receiver

d ₁

Drum diameter

d ₂

Feed opening diameter

d ₃

Distance 14a to 2a

Claims (9)

1. Washing machine (1) with a machine housing (2), with a water container (4) received in the housing and received in an oscillatory manner relative hereto, with a laundry drum (7) received in a rotating manner in the water container with a feed opening (8) aligned relative to the axis of rotation (6) of the drum, said feed opening being included in an opening (8') of the water container, wherein the opening of the water container (8') is aligned relative to a loading and unloading opening (3) in the housing, wherein the opening (8') of the water container and the loading and unloading opening (3) are connected by a tube-type collar (9) which enables a oscillation compensation, while a door gap is present between an inner wall region of a door frame (14, 14a) of the housing door (13) and a ring-type region (2a) of the housing surrounding the loading and unloading opening (3) in the closed state of the door (13), wherein the collar (9) comprises a sealing lip (10) which, in a closed state of the door (13), interacts with a casing (15a) of a bull's eye (15) received in the door frame (14) with a truncated structure to seal the water container (4) in respect of the housing (2),
   characterised in that at least in a lower subregion the door gap is embodied as an enlarged gap (d₃',d₃") compared with its remaining region, wherein the sealing lip (10) is embodied to be resilient so that an item of laundry (17) which is clamped when the door (13) is closed is released with an, in particular initial, rotation of the drum (7), wherein the sealing lip does not exceed a predetermined maximum value of the holding or clamping force acting therefrom on the clamped item of laundry.
2. Washing machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the lower subregion is a region which lies below the horizontal middle line (19) of the ring-type region surrounding the loading and unloading opening (3).
3. Washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a wall (2a) of the housing (2) has an enlarged distance in the lower subregion compared with an inner wall region (14a) of the door frame (14), by means of which distance the enlarged gap (d₃') is embodied.
4. Washing machine according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that an inner wall region (14a) of the door frame (14) is configured with less strength compared with its outer wall region (14b) with respect to a lower subregion of the door (13), by means of which the enlarged gap (d₃') is embodied.
5. Washing machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the washing machine comprises a controller (30) and a sensor (31) which interacts with the controller (30) and is provided to detect an item of laundry (17) present in the door gap, in particular in the enlarged gap (d₃', d₃") when the door (13) is closed, and in the region of the door gap, in particular the enlarged gap (d₃', d₃").
6. Washing machine according to claim 5, characterised in that the controller (30) is embodied to interrupt an operating program, wherein such an interruption can then only be triggered by the controller (30) if the presence of the item of laundry (17) is detected by the sensor (31).
7. Washing machine according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that the sensor (31) is embodied to detect a movement of the item of laundry (17).
8. Washing machine according to claim 7, characterised in that the controller (30) is embodied to interrupt an operating program, wherein such an interruption can then only be triggered by the controller (30) when the sensor (31) detects that the item of laundry (17) has proven not to be retractable in the case of an, in particular initial, rotation of the drum (7).
9. Washing machine according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterised in that the sensor (31) is embodied as a touch, distance or force sensor.

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