EP3924545A1

EP3924545A1 - Vibration-reduced washing machine

Info

Publication number: EP3924545A1
Application number: EP19720838.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Martin SIBAK
Original assignee: V-Zug AG
Current assignee: V-Zug AG
Priority date: 2019-04-26
Filing date: 2019-04-26
Publication date: 2021-12-22
Also published as: WO2020216457A1

Abstract

A washing machine for laundry comprises a casing, a rotatable drum (12), a tub (11) enclosing said drum (12) for receiving laundry, a support device (13) inside said casing for supporting said tub (11), a first damping member (20) with a first movement axis and a second damping member (21) with a second movement axis arranged between said tub (11) and said support device (13). Said first damping member (20) and said second damping member (21) are arranged such that said first movement axis and said second movement axis span an angle of at least 65°.

Description

Vibration-reduced washing machine

Technical Field

The invention relates to a washing machine for laundry. It comprises a casing, a rotatable drum, a tub enclosing said drum for receiving laundry and a sup- port device inside said casing for supporting said tub. A first damping member with a first movement axis and a second damping member with a second movement axis is ar- ranged between said tub and said support device.

Background Art

Laundry non-uniformly distributed inside the drum of a washing machine generates a rotating unbalance and undesired vibrations of the whole machine during cen- trifugation. In order to keep the vibration of the casing at a low level, the tub is suspended inside the casing by means of a system of springs and damping elements. This system reduces the vibrational forces transferred to the casing .

Disclosure of the Invention

The problem to be solved by the present in- vention is to provide a washing machine with reduced vi- brations of the casing.

This problem is solved by the washing machine of the independent claim. Accordingly, the washing ma- chine comprises at least the following parts:

- a casing: The casing forms the machine's outer housing.

- a rotatable drum: The drum receives the laundry to be washed. It is advantageously rotatable about a horizontal axis of rotation.

- a tub enclosing the drum: The tub is the part retaining the washing liquid during washing.

- a support device: the support device is ar- ranged inside said casing for supporting said tub.

- a first damping member with a first move- ment axis and a second damping member with a second move- ment axis: the first damping member and the second damp- ing member are arranged between said tub and the support device and are arranged such that said first movement axis and said second movement axis span an angle of at least 65 ° .

Advantageously the angle is measured by pro- jecting the first movement axis and the second movement axis into a plane parallel to the opening side, in par- ticular the front side, of the casing.

In connection with the present invention, an angle is always the acute angle, i.e. an angle less than 90° . The large angle of 65° has the advantage of reducing the vibrations transferred from the tub to the casing since pendulum movements can be reduced.

In particular, the washing machine comprises a vertical axis and a horizontal axis.

In a preferred embodiment, the first damping member is arranged such that the first movement axis and the horizontal axis form an angle of maximum 10°, in par- ticular of maximum 5°. The strong horizontal orientation has the advantage, that pendulum movements can effec- tively be reduced.

Advantageously, the second damping member is arranged such that the second movement axis and the ver- tical axis form an angle of maximum 10°, in particular of maximum 5 ° .

Furthermore, the first damping member and/or the second damping member can be friction dampers, in particular translational friction dampers, in particular free lift dampers, in particular with a free lift of at least 4 mm, in particular of at least 10 mm.

The free lift damper is a friction damper which allows the washing drum to move with little or al- most no friction within a small distance. Relevant fric- tion damping only takes effect when the deflections or vibrations of the tub are large. The vibrations are only damped at higher speeds.

Advantageously, said first damping member and said second damping member are arranged such that said first movement axis and said second movement axis span an angle of at least 70°, in particular of at least 75°, in particular of at least 80°, in particular of at least 85°. Such a large angle reduces the vibrations of the washing machine effectively.

In a preferred embodiment, the washing ma- chine comprises a third damping member with a third move- ment axis, wherein the third damping member is arranged such that the third movement axis and the vertical axis or the third movement axis and the horizontal axis form an angle of maximum 10°, in particular of maximum 5°.

Advantageously, the first damping member and the second damping member are arranged below the central axis of the drum and the first damping member and the second damping member can be spaced in longitudinal di- rection, i.e. in the direction from the front to the back of the washing machine.

Furthermore, the frictional force of the first damping member can be at least 1.5 as high, and in particular maximum 2.5 as high, as the frictional force of the second damping member.

Advantageously, the frictional force of the first damping member is at least 20 N, in particular at least 50 N, in particular at least 100 N, and/or maximum 200 N, in particular maximum 150 N.

Advantageously, the frictional force of the second damping member is at least 20 N, in particular at least 40 N, in particular at least 50 N, and/or maximum 120 N, in particular maximum 80 N.

Other advantageous embodiments are listed in the dependent claims as well as in the description below.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become ap- parent from the following detailed description thereof. Such description refers to the annexed drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a washing machine with a casing;

Fig. 2 shows a washing machine without a cas- ing in a side view;

Fig. 3 shows the washing machine of Fig. 1 in a front view; and

Fig. 4 shows a detail view of Fig. 3.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention Fig. 1 shows a washing machine in operating position with a casing 1 and an opening for loading the washing machine with laundry. A door 2 closes the open- ing. The washing machine according to Fig. 1 is a front- loading washing machine. The opening side 3 is the front side of the washing machine. In case of a top-loading washing machine, the opening side would be the top side of the washing machine.

The washing machine further comprises a dis- play with control elements 4 and a detergent drawer 5.

The central axis of the drum corresponds to the rota- tional axis 6 of the drum. A coordinate system symbolizes a horizontal axis 7 of the washing machine, a vertical axis 8 of the washing machine and a longitudinal axis 9 of the washing machine. The longitudinal axis 9 of the washing machine is substantially parallel to the rota- tional axis 6. The dashed line symbolises a cross-sec- tional plane 10 which is parallel to the opening side 3.

Fig. 2 shows a washing machine without its casing. The washing machine comprises a tub 11. Tub 11 encloses a rotatable drum 12 for receiving the laundry for washing and, optionally, centrifugation.

Drum 12 is rotated about the rotational axis 6, which is substantially horizontal and substantially corresponds to the longitudinal axis 9. In particular, the rotational axis 6 of the drum 2 deviates by less than 30°, in particular by less than 15°, from the longitudi- nal direction.

The washing machine further comprises a sup- port device 13 for supporting the tub 11. Support device 13 includes, in the shown embodiment, a support base 30 and a support frame 31, 32, 33.

Support device 13 is supported by several, e.g. four, foot members 14a, 14b, 14c... forming a foot section 14 of the device. In operating position, the whole weight of the machine rests on foot section 14 and foot section 14 is in direct contact with e.g. the ground or shelf the machine is placed on.

Support base 30 forms a frame surrounding a central opening 15 located vertically below tub 11.

Support base 30 supports support frame 31,

32, 33.

Support frame 31, 32, 33 comprises two sup port members 31 and 32, which are arranged laterally at opposite sides of tub 11 and e.g. consist of two vertical pillars. The two support members 31 and 32 are intercon- nected, at their upper ends, by an interconnecting member 33, which is arranged vertically above tub 11.

Support device 13 is advantageously made of steel .

The support members 31 and 32 are mounted on support base 30 by means of stiff couplings 16. Each stiff coupling 16 is e.g. a sleeve that holds the respec- tive support member 31, 32 in a fixed position relative to support base 30. Alternatively or in addition thereto, the couplings can e.g. be formed or reinforced by weld- ing .

Fig. 3 shows the washing machine from its front side, again without the casing.

As can be seen, one or more baffles 17 are arranged inside drum 12 in a design basically known to the skilled person.

Tub 11 is suspended from support device 13 by two spring members 18 and 19.

A first damping member 20, a second damping member 21 and a third damping member 22 support the tub 11 from below. The damping members 20, 21, 22 are con- nected to the support device 13, preferably to the sup- port base 30, and are arranged below the central axis of the drum which corresponds to the rotational axis 6. The first damping member 20, the second damping member 21 and the third damping member 22 are arranged between the sup- port device 13 and the tub 11. Fig. 4 shows a detail view of the encircled area of Fig. 3. Fig. 4 shows the first damping member 20 and the second damping member 21 with a first movement axis 23 and a second movement axis 24. The first movement axis 23 and the second movement axis 24 span an angle 26, which is at least 65° and in the present embodiment 90°.

The first movement axis 23 and the horizontal axis 7 form an angle 27 of maximum 10°. In the present embodiment, the angle 27 is 5°. The second movement axis 24 and the vertical axis 8 form an angle 28 of maximum 10°. In the present embodiment, the angle 28 is 5°.

The angles are measured from a frontal per- spective, i.e. the measured angles correspond to angles projected into a plane parallel to the opening side 3, in particular to the front side. Such a plane parallel to the opening side 3 could be the cross-sectional plane 10 as shown in Fig. 1.

The first damping member 20, the second damp- ing member 21 and the third damping member 23 are fric- tional dampers with a free lift of at least 4 mm.

Furthermore, the washing machine comprises a third damping member 22 (shown in Fig. 3) with a third movement axis 25. The third movement axis 25 and the ver- tical axis 8 form an angle 29 of maximum 10°. In the pre- sent embodiment, the angle 29 is 5°.

The first damping member 20 and the second damping member 21 are spaced in longitudinal direction, i.e. in the present embodiment, the second damping member 21 is arranged behind the first damping member 20. Longi- tudinal is the direction from the front to the back of the washing machine.

While there are shown and described presently preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be dis- tinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and prac- ticed within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A washing machine for laundry comprising

- a casing (1) ,

- a rotatable drum (12),

- a tub (11) enclosing said drum (12) for re- ceiving laundry,

- a support device (13) inside said casing

(I) for supporting said tub (11),

- a first damping member (20) with a first movement axis (23) and a second damping member (21) with a second movement axis (24) arranged between said tub

(II) and said support device (13),

characterized in that said first damping mem- ber (20) and said second damping member (21) are arranged such that said first movement axis (23) and said second movement axis (24) span an angle of at least 65°.

2. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein said washing machine comprises a vertical axis (8) and a horizontal axis (7).

3. The washing machine of claim 1 and 2, wherein the first damping member (20) is arranged such that the first movement axis (23) and the horizontal axis (7) form an angle of maximum 10°, in particular of maxi- mum 5 ^° .

4. The washing machine of any of the preced- ing claims and of claim 2, wherein the second damping member (21) is arranged such that the second movement axis (23) and the vertical axis (8) form an angle of max- imum 10°, in particular of maximum 5°.

5. The washing machine of any of the preced- ing claims, wherein the first damping member (20) and/or the second damping member (21) are friction dampers, in particular translational friction dampers, in particular free lift dampers, in particular with a free lift of at least 4 mm, in particular of at least 10 mm.

6. The washing machine of any of the preced- ing claims, wherein said first damping member (20) and said second damping member (21) are arranged such that said first movement axis (23) and said second movement axis (24) span an angle of at least 70°, in particular of at least 75°, in particular of at least 80°, in particu- lar of at least 85°.

7. The washing machine of any of the preced- ing claims and of claim 2, wherein said washing machine comprises a third damping member (22) with a third move- ment axis (25), wherein the third damping member (22) is arranged such that the third movement axis (25) and the vertical axis (8) or the third movement axis (29) and the horizontal axis (7) form an angle of maximum 10°, in par- ticular of maximum 5°.

8. The washing machine of any of the preced- ing claims, wherein the first damping member (20) and the second damping member (21) are arranged below the central axis (6) of the drum.

9. The washing machine of any of the preced- ing claims, wherein the first damping member (20) and the second damping member (21) are spaced in longitudinal di- rection .

10. The washing machine of any of the preced- ing claims, wherein the frictional force of the first damping member (20) is at least 1.5 as high, and in par- ticular maximum 2.5 as high, as the frictional force of the second damping member (21) .

11. The washing machine of any of the preced- ing claims, wherein the frictional force of the first damping member (20) is at least 20 N, in particular at least 50 N, in particular at least 100 N, and/or maximum 200 N, in particular maximum 150 N.

12. The washing machine of any of the preced- ing claims, wherein the frictional force of the second damping member (21) is at least 20 N, in particular at least 40 N, in particular at least 50 N, and/or maximum 120 N, in particular maximum 80 N.