EP3757272A1 - Cuff for a laundry treatment apparatus, laundry treatment apparatus and method for adjusting a gap dimension - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a sleeve (25) for a laundry treatment device (1) which has a housing (4) and a tub (10) contained therein with a laundry drum (13) rotatably arranged therein. The cuff (25) forms a feed channel (24) between a housing-side feed opening (2) and a tubing-side through opening (12) and has a cuff area (42) with a functional surface (36), which in the installed position to form a gap (40) a surface (20) of the laundry drum front side (15) facing it is positioned. In order to set a minimum gap between the functional surface and a corresponding, facing surface of a washing drum front side (15), which is required for dynamic reasons and due to component tolerances, simply, reliably and reproducibly during the production process can, the cuff region (42) has at least one inner cavity (45) which extends in the circumferential direction and is at least partially flexible. At least one external access (51) opens into the cavity (45).

Description

The invention relates to a cuff according to the preamble of claim 1, a laundry treatment device according to the preamble of claim 7 and a method for setting a gap between a functional surface of a cuff of a laundry treatment device and a surface of a laundry drum facing this functional surface.

The invention relates in particular to a laundry treatment device in which the laundry is fed in at the front through an essentially axial loading channel through a closable loading opening formed in the housing of the laundry treatment device. Such laundry treatment devices are also referred to as front loaders.

In the context of the present invention, the term laundry treatment device is understood to mean both a classic washing machine and a so-called washer-dryer which combines the functions of a washing machine and a clothes dryer.

A cuff for a laundry treatment device and a laundry treatment device of the type mentioned at the beginning are based on the German Offenlegungsschrift DE 10 2015 216 363 A1 which describes a front-loading washing machine with a washing machine housing, a tub received in the housing and mounted so as to be movable in a swinging manner relative to this, and a laundry drum arranged therein to be rotatable. The laundry drum has a front side in which a loading opening aligned with its axis of rotation is provided. This charging opening is in turn surrounded by a concentric through-opening in the end face of the tub, which is aligned with a charging opening on the housing side. The feed opening on the housing side and the through-opening of the tub are connected by a hose-like cuff which allows the tubing to oscillate relative to the housing. The cuff forms a liquid-tight feed channel through which laundry can be introduced into the laundry drum or removed from it.

The cuff has a cuff end on the tub side, which is liquid-tight and firmly connected to the tub around the through opening of the tub. A section or area of the cuff has a circumferential side that functions as a functional surface. In the installed position, the functional surface is positioned with the formation of a gap in relation to a surface of the laundry drum front facing it. This surface can be formed by the edge which delimits the loading opening in the laundry drum front. This edge can be designed as a fold or bead.

From the German patent specification DE 103 58 941 B3 shows a similarly constructed laundry treatment device in the form of a front-loading washing machine with a housing, a tub swingingly mounted therein and a rotatably mounted cylindrical laundry drum arranged in the tub. A loading opening in the front side of the washing drum, a passage opening in the tub and a loading opening in the front of the housing are essentially aligned in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the washing drum. The through opening and the loading opening in the front of the housing are connected to one another in a liquid-tight manner by an elastomeric bellows (sleeve). The bellows has a fold formed approximately in its middle length region and formed approximately S-shaped in longitudinal section, the S-bend of which on the outside forms a circumferential functional surface, close to the longitudinal axis. The functional surface is at a distance from an edge of the front side of the laundry drum surrounding the loading opening, an at least partially elastomeric extension protruding radially into the space existing between the fold and the edge. The extension serves to prevent laundry from sliding into the space. In order to set a desired gap between the extension and the edge in a simplified manner during assembly, the extension is a component separate from the bellows and the elastomeric material of the extension has a greater hardness than the elastomeric material of the bellows.

The German patent specification DE 102 37 017 B3 describes a laundry treatment machine with a laundry drum which can be driven and which receives laundry and is rotatably arranged in a tub. Here, too, a loading opening in the front of the laundry drum is surrounded by a passage opening in the tub, which is connected to a liquid-tight via an elastic sleeve housing front loading opening of the laundry treatment machine is connected. In the end area near the suds container, the sleeve has a functional area with a functional surface which is approximately U-shaped in longitudinal section and which is arranged opposite the edge of the laundry drum that delimits the loading opening. In order to avoid damage to laundry even when the load is large, a specially designed laundry deflector is provided in the area of the top dead center of the laundry drum.

The international patent application with the publication number WO2009 / 004045 A1 describes a laundry treatment machine with a tub, in which one end of a bellows-like sleeve surrounds a passage opening of the tub and is connected to the tub by overmolding or overmolding with an injection molding material in a liquid-tight manner.

Against this background, one object of the present invention is to simply and reliably provide a minimum gap between the functional surface and a corresponding, facing surface of the laundry drum front, which is required for dynamic reasons and due to component tolerances in laundry treatment devices of the type mentioned at the beginning, in particular in so-called front loaders and to be able to adjust it reproducibly. The required gap size is particularly dependent on the tub geometry and the length of the drum.

This object is achieved with regard to a cuff for a laundry treatment device by a cuff with the features of patent claim 1, with regard to a laundry treatment device by a laundry treatment device with the features of patent claim 7 and with regard to a method for setting a gap between a functional surface of a cuff of a laundry treatment device and one of these functional surfaces facing surface of a laundry drum front by a method having the features of claim 8 solved.

Accordingly, in a cuff of the type mentioned, the invention provides that the cuff region has at least one inner cavity which extends in the circumferential direction and is at least partially flexible, and that at least one access opens into the cavity.

In the context of the present invention, a flexibly designed cavity is to be understood as meaning a cavity whose size (volume) and / or geometry can be changed, that is to say has the technical property of being easy to change mechanically. This can be done, for example, in that a filler material is introduced into the cavity. Depending on, for example, the amount, the introduction pressure and the material properties of the filler material, the cavity or its geometry can thus be influenced or also permanently determined.

With regard to a laundry treatment device optimized according to the task, it is provided according to the invention that a cuff according to the invention is included.

With regard to a method for setting a gap between a functional surface of a cuff of a laundry treatment appliance and a surface of a laundry drum front facing the functional surface, the invention provides that a cuff blank is used with a cuff area in which at least one inner, circumferentially extending and at least partially flexible cavity is used is provided, the cuff blank is connected to a cuff end on the tub side with the tub, a curable material is introduced into the cavity in such a way that the functional surface assumes a predetermined target position in relation to the facing surface of the laundry drum front, and then the curable material is cured.

An essential aspect of the present invention is, in a sleeve, which serves to form a liquid-tight loading channel between a loading opening in a housing of a laundry treatment device and a corresponding opening in the front of a tub, at least in sections, preferably circumferentially, offset in the circumferential direction and / or to provide one or more cavities distributed radially. According to the invention, these cavities are filled with a curable material or a curable mass in the manufacturing process of the laundry treatment device and can thus be varied in their final volume or geometry which determines the gap size. Depending on the degree of filling, the (in particular axial) position of the functional surface or its geometry can be changed. So it can be done easily - for example by dosing the introduced Filling material - which reliably, precisely and reproducibly define the distance or gap that sets itself to the corresponding surface (second functional surface) of the laundry drum, namely for example the edge around the loading opening in the laundry drum. The material is then cured or solidified so that the desired position or geometry of the functional surface is permanently set. Curing can - depending on the material used - take place in a manner known per se in the most varied of ways. For example, multi-component adhesives or resins can be hardened through appropriate crosslinking and chemical hardening processes. It is also possible to use thermally curable materials and / or light (for example UV-curable) adhesives or materials, with a corresponding area of the cuff designed to be transparent to light / UV radiation being irradiated after the material has been introduced. Mechanical hardening or solidification of the material or pre-activation of the adhesive is also conceivable. A UV-curable epoxy-based adhesive is preferably used.

In order to supply the hardenable material to the cavity or the respective cavities, an access is provided which can be charged from the outside with a suitable material and which opens into the cavity.

Advantageous refinements of the invention emerge from the following description, the subclaims and the description of the figures, with individual features being able to be used in combination or individually.

In a preferred embodiment of the cuff according to the invention, it is provided that the access leads radially from the outer circumference of the end region of the cuff near the tub into the cavity.

According to an advantageous development of the cuff according to the invention, the supply of material into the cavity is simplified in that the access comprises two sub-channels, one sub-channel serving for material supply and the other sub-channel for venting the cavity.

According to a preferred development of the cuff according to the invention, a particularly precise and easily controllable setting of the position of the functional surface is possible in that the functional surface is an outer surface of a flexible outer wall of the Cavity is. The flexibility of the outer wall can in particular be implemented by appropriate structure, dimensioning (wall thickness) and / or by the (elastic) material used for the cuff in this area.

In the method according to the invention for adjusting the gap dimension, the target position can preferably be defined by at least one spacer between the functional surface and the surface of the laundry drum facing it. The spacer can be designed in the form of a gauge or template.

A preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention provides that the target position is defined by positioning the laundry drum and that the laundry drum is axially removed from the functional surface by the desired gap dimension after the material has hardened. This means that there is no need for a template or a spacer. By moving the laundry drum in the axial direction, the desired gap size can be set exactly, with a certain residual gap remaining desirable for dynamic reasons.

• Figur 1 einen Längsschnitt eines erfindungsgemäßen Wäschebehandlungsgerätes in Teilansicht, die auf den für die Erfindung wesentlichen Bereich beschränkt ist,
• Figur 2 ausschnittsweise Details aus Figur 1,
• Figur 3 schematisch den Ablauf des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens und
• Figur 4 schematisch zu den korrespondierenden Verfahrensschritten eine Positionierung einer Wäschetrommel.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings; show it:

• Figure 1 a longitudinal section of a laundry treatment device according to the invention in partial view, which is limited to the area essential for the invention,
• Figure 2 excerpts from details Figure 1 ,
• Figure 3 schematically the sequence of the method according to the invention and
• Figure 4 schematically a positioning of a laundry drum for the corresponding process steps.

Figure 1 shows in longitudinal section a detail from a laundry treatment machine 1 in the area of its loading opening 2, which is formed in the front side 3 of its housing 4. The loading opening 2 can be closed by a door 6 with a porthole 7 in a manner known per se. Figure 1 shows the closed door position. An in Figure 1 The tub 10, which is only hinted at, is mounted in a swinging manner in the housing 4 in a manner not shown and has a through opening 12 in its front face 11. In the tub 10, a laundry drum 13 is arranged, which is rotatably mounted about a longitudinal axis 14 and can be set in rotation by a drive, not shown. The laundry drum 13, which is also only partially shown has an end face or laundry drum front face 15 with a loading opening 16 which is aligned in the direction of the longitudinal axis 14 with the through opening 12 and the loading opening 2. The loading opening 16 of the laundry drum 13 is radially delimited by an opening edge 18 in the laundry drum front side 15, the opening edge 18 being stiffened by a fold or a flanging. In this exemplary embodiment, the front area or the end face 20 of the edge 18 protrudes into the through opening 12 of the tub 10.

Between the tub 10 and the housing 4 extends a feed channel 24 between the feed opening 2 and the through opening 12 forming sleeve 25, the central region 26 of which is designed like a bellows and has an approximately S-shaped longitudinal section. The arc 28 of the S-shape close to the longitudinal axis 14 has its inner surface 29 facing the edge 18. An end region 30 of the cuff 25 close to the housing is in a manner known per se (cf. DE 10 2015 216 363 A1 ) connected to the edge 32 of the charging opening 2 of the housing 4 in a liquid-tight manner. The end region 34 of the cuff 25 close to the caustic container is positively and fluid-tightly connected to the edge region 35 which surrounds the through opening 12. A side or surface of the cuff 25 facing the opening edge 18 forms a functional surface 36, which will be explained in more detail below. Between the functional surface 36 and the surface 20 of the edge 18 facing it, a tolerance-related gap 40 required for dynamic reasons is formed.

Figure 2 shows details in the area of the gap 40 formed between the functional surface 36 and the facing surface 20. The same or functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference symbols as in FIG Figure 1 . However, there are several in Figure 1 Parts shown and shadow edges of rotationally symmetrical parts such as the laundry drum are omitted for reasons of illustration.

In this exemplary embodiment, a cuff area 42 having the functional surface 36 is formed on the end area of the cuff 25 near the tub. In principle, however, this cuff region 42 can also - as can also be seen in part from the prior art described at the beginning - be formed on another longitudinal section of the cuff 25.

The cuff area 42 has at least one cavity 45 in this Embodiment is designed as an annular, radially circumferential inner cavity. The cavity 45 thus extends in the circumferential direction concentrically around the longitudinal axis 14. In principle, however, the cavity 45 can also be formed from a plurality of partial cavities, for example extending in the circumferential direction. Likewise, several at least partially circumferential cavities could be provided axially spaced apart. The cavity 45 is delimited by an outer wall 46 as seen in the axial direction. Owing to its wall thickness and / or the material used for it, the outer wall 46 is designed in such a way that the cavity 45 is at least partially flexible. In other words: the cavity 45 can expand in particular in the axial direction (arrow direction B) when a material or a medium is introduced into the cavity 45.

As in Figure 2 indicated, a hardenable material 50, in particular in the form of hardenable components, can be supplied from the outside through a supply channel or access 51. The access 51 has an outside filler neck 52 on the outer circumference 53 of the end region 34 and opens into the cavity or cavities 45. Of course, several feed nozzles or accesses could also be provided. An axial partition 55 is preferably provided in the access 51, through which partial channels 56 and 57 are formed. This facilitates the filling process in that hardenable material 50 is fed through the first partial channel 56 and the air displaced from the cavity 45 can easily escape through the second partial channel 57.

A thermally, chemically and / or optically hardenable material, such as a UV-hardening epoxy resin adhesive, can be used as the hardenable material, the sleeve area 42 being designed to be UV-light-permeable at least in the area of the cavity 45.

Before the hardenable material is supplied, one or more spacers 60 are introduced into the space 62 between the functional surface 36 and the facing surface 20 in order to define a desired distance or gap 40 between these surfaces and thus a target position of the functional surface precisely adjust. The spacer 60 can consist of a multi-part template which is removed again after the material 50 has hardened.

With additional reference to Figure 3 the essential method steps for setting a desired gap dimension 70 of the gap 40 are summarized ( Figure 2 ) explained. In a first method step S1, a sleeve blank (25 '), which is designed essentially like the sleeve described above, is mounted in the manner described, that is, at least connected to the tub 10 or the edge region of the through opening 12 formed therein.

In the subsequent method step S2, the cuff area 42 ( Figure 2 ), in which the previously explained hollow space 45 is or are provided, for example aligned and spaced apart in relation to the surface 20 using a spacer 60. Then, as described, a curable material is introduced into the cavity 45 or into the cavities in such a way that the functional surface 36 assumes a predetermined target position 64 in relation to the facing surface 20 of the laundry drum 13. The target position can be as in Figure 2 the direct contact with the front-facing contact surface 65 of the spacer 60 can be shown.

Subsequently, in a method step S3, so much hardenable material 50 is introduced into the cavity 45 that the functional surface 36 comes into the desired contact and shape with respect to the spacer 60. Then the curable material is cured as described above by suitable treatment and after curing has taken place and the permanent positioning of the functional surface 36 in relation to the facing surface 20 or the laundry drum 13 of the spacers 60 is removed again (method step S4).

When using the Figure 4 A spacer is dispensed with in the illustrated variant of the method according to the invention in that the functional surface 36 is first brought into direct contact with the corresponding facing surface 20 (upper part of FIG Figure 4 ). For this purpose, for example, the laundry drum 13 can be mounted displaceably or adjustably in the axial direction (within small limits) in the direction of arrow A. The curable material is then introduced into the cavity or cavities 45 and cured as described. After hardening, the laundry drum 13 is axially displaced back in a defined manner in the direction of arrow B and fixed in the final desired axial position, so that the desired distance or the desired gap dimension 70 of the gap 40 is set by the now permanently fixed functional surface 36 (lower part of the Figure 4 ).

Reference number

1

Laundry treatment machine

2

Loading opening

3

Front

4th

casing

6th

door

7th

Porthole

10

Suds container

11

Face

12th

Through opening

13

Laundry drum

14th

Longitudinal axis

15th

Laundry drum front

16

Loading opening

18th

Opening edge

20th

front surface

24

Loading channel

25th

cuff

25 '

Cuff blank

26th

middle area of the cuff

28

inner arch

29

Inner surface

30th

end area close to the housing

32

edge

34

End area near the suds container

35

Edge area

36

Functional area

40

gap

42

Cuff area

45

cavity

46

Outer wall

50

curable material

51

Access

52

Filler neck

53

scope

55

partition wall

56, 57

Subchannels

60

Spacers

62

Space

64

Target position

64 '

Target position

65

Contact surface

70

Gap dimension

A.

Arrow direction

B.

Arrow direction

S1

Process step

S2

Process step

S3

Process step

S4

Process step

Claims (10)

Cuff (25) for a laundry treatment device (1), which has a housing (4) and a tub (10) contained therein with a laundry drum (13) rotatably arranged therein, - With a cuff area (42) with a functional surface (36) which, in the installed position, is positioned with the formation of a gap (40) in relation to a surface (20) of the laundry drum front side (15) facing it, - wherein the sleeve (25) forms a feed channel (24) between a feed opening (2) on the housing side and a through-opening (12) on the tub side,
characterized, - That the cuff area (42) has at least one inner cavity (45) which extends in the circumferential direction and is at least partially flexible, and - That at least one access (51) opens into the cavity (45). Cuff according to claim 1,
characterized in that
the access (51) leads radially from the outer circumference (53) of an end region (34) of the cuff (25) close to the tub into the cavity (45). Cuff according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that
the access (51) comprises two sub-channels (56, 57), of which one sub-channel (56) is used to supply material (50) into the cavity (45) and the other sub-channel (57) is used to vent the cavity (45). Cuff according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the functional surface (36) is an outer surface of a flexible outer wall (46) of the cavity (45). Cuff according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
a curable material (50), in particular an epoxy-based adhesive, is introduced into the cavity (45). Cuff according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
a UV-curable epoxy-based adhesive is introduced into the cavity (45) and the sleeve area (42) is designed to be UV-light-permeable at least in the area of the cavity. Laundry treatment device (1) with - A housing (4), a tub (10) in which a laundry drum (13) is rotatably arranged, and a sleeve (25) which forms a feed channel (24) from a feed opening (2) in the front of the Housing (4) leads to a front through opening (12) of the tub (10), and which has a cuff area (42) with a functional surface (36), which through a gap (40) to a surface (20) facing it on the laundry drum front (15) is spaced apart,
characterized in that - The cuff (25) is designed according to one of Claims 1 to 5. Method for setting a gap dimension (70) between a functional surface (36) of a cuff (25) of a laundry treatment device (1) and a surface (20) of a laundry drum front side (15) facing the functional surface (36), in which, - A cuff blank (25 ') with a cuff area (42) is used in which at least one inner, circumferentially extending and at least partially flexible cavity (45) is provided, - the cuff blank (25 ') is connected to the tub (10) by an end region (34), - A curable material (50) is introduced into the cavity (45) in such a way that the functional surface (36) assumes a predetermined target position (64) in relation to the facing surface (20) of the laundry drum front side (15), and - Then the curable material (50) is cured. Method according to claim 8,
characterized in that
the target position (64) is defined by at least one spacer (60) introduced between the functional surface (36) and the surface (20) of the laundry drum front side (15) facing it. Method according to claim 9,
characterized in that
the target position (64 ') is defined by positioning the laundry drum (13) and the laundry drum (13) is axially removed from the functional surface (36) by the desired gap (70) after the material (50) has hardened.

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