ES2400229T3 - Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes - Google Patents

Abstract

Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes comprising at least one bearing housing (5) assembled with a bearing block (4), a sealing gasket 2 slipped in a friction sleeve (1), the friction bushing assembly (1) and sealing gasket 2 pressure coupled in the bearing block (4), and said device (34) being connected to a part of a washing tank (8) of the machine (30), enclosing said washing tank (8) a drum (11), said drum (11) comprising at least one drive means (3) fixed on at least one flange (13) of said drum (11), said at least one means comprising drive (3) a shaft (14) that is inserted into the bearing housing (5), characterized in that the friction bushing (1) is slidably mounted in a seat (16) of said at least one means of drum drive (3) (11).

Description

Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes

The present invention relates to a bearing device.

The present invention relates in general to a machine for washing and / or drying clothes equipped with such a bearing device. This machine for washing and / or drying clothes comprises a tank in which a drum is housed to hold the clothes. This drum rotates inside the washing tank by means of a drive device.

Document FR 1 535 332 A is already known, which describes a machine for washing clothes comprising a bearing device, a tank in which a drum is housed to hold the clothes, the drum being rotated inside the tank Washing by means of a drive device.

The present invention relates to a bearing device for the rotation of a machine drum for washing and / or drying clothes and aims to obtain a compact and directly usable bearing device for assembly.

Said bearing device is designed in order to dissociate the friction track of a seal from the axis of rotation of the drum.

Furthermore, the present invention aims to protect the grease of the sealing gasket from the unpacking of said sealing gasket and its assembly in the bearing device as well as during the life of said bearing device.

On the other hand, disassembling and reassembling the assembly comprising a sealing gasket and a friction bushing is simple from the outside of the machine for washing and / or drying clothes and without disassembling the tank of said machine.

In known laundry machines, the bearing device comprises a radial contact sealing gasket that rubs on an intermediate bushing mounted on a rotating axis of the drum of the laundry machine. The friction bushes are integral with said drum rotation shaft and are not removable. The axis of rotation of the drum is comprised in a drum drive part which can be referred to by the term crosshead. The friction bushing is mounted with the help of a press on the axis of rotation of the drum. These thick bushings are machined and ground in order to obtain a rough surface condition and are sometimes treated. In addition, these friction bushings are made of brass.

However, these machines for washing clothes have the disadvantage of having a friction bushing integral with the axis of rotation of the drum and which does not allow a simple replacement of the sealing gasket pair and friction bushing, specifically in case of wear. In addition, the grease of the sealing gasket is not protected against possible contamination from its unpacking for mounting on the drum bearing device and until the assembly of the tank of the machine for washing and / or drying clothes during assembly. in a manufacturing line. On the other hand, the friction bushing must be pressure mounted and needs material adapted for this type of operation during manufacturing.

The present invention aims to solve the aforementioned drawbacks and propose a machine for washing and / or drying clothes with a bearing device that ensures a simple and reliable assembly. The friction bushing is not integral with the rotation axis of the drum and makes it possible to easily replace the sealing gasket and friction bushing. The grease of the sealing gasket is protected from its placement and until the assembly of the bearing device in the machine for washing and / or drying clothes. The disassembly of the bearing device is simple during an intervention of the after-sales service of the manufacturer of said machine. On the other hand, the friction bushing of the bearing device is of small thickness and stainless steel. In this way, the cost of obtaining the bearing device is minimized and allows fast and inexpensive after-sales service interventions.

A bearing device of this type is made in the form of an assembly ready to be mounted on a machine for washing and / or drying clothes and which needs a reduced volume.

To this end, the present invention aims at a bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes comprising at least one bearing housing assembled with a bearing block, a sealing gasket slid in a friction sleeve, the friction bushing and pressure seal assembly being coupled to the bearing block, and said device being connected to a part of a machine washing tank, said washing tank enclosing a drum, said drum comprising at least one drive means fixed on at least one flange of said drum, said at least one drive means comprising a shaft that is inserted into the bearing housing.

According to the invention, the bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes comprises the friction bushing slidably mounted on a seat of said at least one drum drive means.

In this way, the disassembly of the friction bushing and sealing gasket is easy during an intervention of the after-sales service.

The friction bushing comprises at least one flange that is located between the bearing housing and said at least one drum drive means.

The tightness of said device is guaranteed by pressing the bearing housing in said at least one flange of the friction sleeve.

The pressing of the bearing housing in said at least one flange of the friction bushing that guarantees the sealing of said device is carried out by means of screwing means

The friction bushing comprises a stop that limits the translational displacement of said friction bushing between the bearing housing and a wall of the bearing block. Said stopper facilitates the assembly of the bearing device and allows obtaining an assembly from which no part can escape before being mounted on the machine for washing and / or drying clothes.

The friction track of the seal in the friction sleeve extends between said at least one flange and the stop of said friction sleeve.

The friction bushing is centered on the sealing gasket inside a bearing block housing.

A functional set J is designed between an inner diameter of the friction sleeve and the seat of said at least one drum drive means.

A pulley is centered on the axis of said at least one drum drive means and fixed by means of screwing means.

The seal may be of the radial contact type. The sealing gasket comprises two radial contact lips to accommodate grease and rubbing on the friction bushing. The sealing gasket comprises at least one annular spring and an overmolded metal structure.

The seal can be of the V-Ring type. The use of a seal of this type allows to create a frontal contact. In this configuration, the friction bushing must be adapted in order to cause the sealing gasket to rub on the flange of said friction bushing and not already on the cylindrical seat of said friction bushing.

Said bearing device is overmoulded in the wash tank.

The bearing housing is fixed to the bearing block by means of screwing means.

The friction bushing is made of a stainless steel material.

The friction bushing is made by drawing and of small thickness.

Other particularities and advantages of the invention will be further revealed in the following description.

In the attached drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples:

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 Figure 1 represents a schematic sectional view of a machine for washing and / or drying clothes;

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 Figure 2 is an exploded view of the bearing device of a machine for washing and / or drying clothes according to the invention;

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 Figure 3 is a schematic perspective and fragmented view of the assembly of the bearing device on the axis of rotation of the drum according to a first embodiment of the invention;

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 Figure 4 is a schematic sectional view of the assembly of the bearing device on the axis of rotation of the

drum according to a first embodiment of the invention;

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 Figure 5 is a schematic sectional view of the assembly of the bearing device according to a first embodiment of the invention; Y

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 Figure 6 is a schematic partial sectional view of the bearing device assembly according to a second embodiment of the invention.

First, a machine for washing clothes according to the invention will be described in reference to FIG.

This laundry machine 30 is of the top loading type. In this way, this machine 30 is adapted to wash the clothes and eventually to dry it.

This washing machine 30 comprises a housing 31 comprising an access opening inside the housing 31. In the top loading machines, this access opening is made in an upper part 32 of the housing 31, and in this example , in an upper plane of the housing 31.

An access door 33 is adapted to seal this opening of the casing 31 of the machine 30, specifically during its operation.

In this exemplary embodiment, and in an absolutely non-limiting manner, the access door 33 is pivotally mounted around an axis of rotation integral with the housing 31 of the machine 30.

The housing 31 of the machine 30 is adapted to accommodate a washing tank 8 that is specifically adapted to contain the different wash and rinse baths.

Inside the washing tank 8, a drum 11, movable in rotation about an axis 14 during the different washing, rinsing and spin cycles of the machine 30, is mounted in a known manner.

The drum 11 is thus mounted in rotation about a horizontal axis 14.

It should be noted that Figure 1 is schematic and that numerous elements necessary for the operation of the machine (and for example engine, pumps, filters, ...) have been omitted and need not be described in detail herein.

A machine 30 for washing clothes comprises at least one bearing device 3 that allows the rotation of the drum 11 inside the washing tank 8. The machine 30 for washing the clothes illustrated in Figure 1 comprises two bearing devices 34 in order to balance the stresses exerted on said bearing devices 34 during rotation of the drum 11. Each bearing device 34 is arranged facing a drum flange 13.

Next, a first embodiment of the bearing device of a machine for washing and / or drying clothes will be described, with reference to Figures 2 and 5.

The bearing device 34 for a machine 30 for washing and / or drying clothes comprises at least one bearing box 5 assembled with a bearing block 4, a sealing gasket 2 slipped in a friction bushing 1, the bushing assembly being of friction 1 and seal 2 coupled under pressure in the bearing block 4.

Said device 34 is connected to a part of a washing tank 8 of the machine 30, said washing tank 8 enclosing a drum 11, said drum 11 comprising at least one actuating means 3 fixed on at least one flange 13 of said drum 11, said at least one driving means 3 comprising a shaft 14 which is inserted into the bearing housing 5.

The bearing block 4 of the bearing device 34 is the main structural element in which the components of this bearing device 34 are assembled. The sealing gasket assembly 2 and friction bushing 1 can be mounted with the aid of a press in said block. of bearing 4 during assembly by the manufacturer.

The bearing block 4 comprises at least three housings 27 which allow to place at least three tabs 28 arranged in the bearing housing 5. In this way, the bearing housing 5 is centered and locked in rotation inside the bearing block 4 .

The bearing block 4 comprises at least one rib 35 in the form of battlements in its outer periphery to carry out the assembly of said bearing block 4 in the washing tank 8, the assembly of the bearing block 4 can be carried out with the washing tank 8 by overmolding.

The bearing box 5 is constituted by a box made of sheet metal and at least one bearing that guarantees the kinematic pivot connection between the drum 11 and the washing tank 8. The bearing box 5 transmits the stresses generated by the rotation of the drum 11 and imbalance of drum 11 to the bearing block

4. Said housing comprises two half-shells 36. Said two half-shells 36 enclose said at least one bearing 37 in order to form a throat-shaped housing.

The seal 2 contributes to the seal of the bearing device 34.

The friction bushing 1 is slidably mounted in a seat 16 of said at least one driving means 3 of the drum 11.

In this way, the sealing gasket 2 is immobilized in rotation and in translation inside the bearing block 4 although the friction bushing 1 is free in rotation.

The friction bushing 1 comprises a stop 17 which limits the translational displacement of said friction bushing 1 between the bearing housing 5 and a wall 10 of the bearing block 4. Thus, the abutment 17 of the friction bushing 1 le prevents escaping in translation of the bearing device 34.

The bearing housing 5 is supported on a surface 22 of a housing 23 of the bearing block 4. Then, the bearing housing 5 is fixed to the bearing block 4 by means of screwing means 18. The bearing housing 5 is locked by the at least three screws that pass through at least three smooth holes disposed in said bearing housing 5 and said at least three self-shredded screws create the deformation screwed fillets in at least three smooth holes made in the bearing block 4.

Said at least three smooth holes of the bearing housing 5 are arranged in said at least three flanges 28 of said bearing housing 5.

Said at least three threaded holes of the bearing block 4 are made in said at least three housings 27 of said bearing block 4.

Said bearing device 34 is overmoulded in the washing tank 8. A first bearing device 34 is directly overmoulded on a flank of the washing tank 8 and a second bearing device 34 is overmoulded in a lid of the washing tank 8 .

Two drum drive means 3 are fixed on the flanges 13 of the drum 11. During the assembly of the drum 11 in the wash tank 8 comprising an opening closed by a lid, the shaft 14 of the drive means 3 of the drum 11 is centered on the bearing housing 5 of the bearing device 34.

A functional set J is designed between an inner diameter of the friction sleeve 1 and the seat 16 of said at least one driving means 3 of the drum 11.

The drum 11 is in position when the friction bushing 1 is axially stacked between the driving means 3 of said drum 11 and an inner bushing of the bearing housing 5.

A pulley 7 is centered on the shaft 14 of said at least one driving means 3 of the drum 11 and fixed by means of screwing means 6. The pulley 7 is in position when it is supported on an inner sleeve of the bearing housing 5. The Screwing means 6 connect the pulley 7 to the shaft 14 of the drive means 3 of the drum 11. The screw means 6 comprise a support surface 9 that comes into contact with an outer surface of the pulley 7.

The second bearing device 34 mounted on the lid of the washing tank 8 also includes screw means 6 installed in the actuating means 3 of the drum 11 and which rest directly on the inner bushing of the bearing housing 5. The second Bearing device 34 is not connected to a pulley 7 that drives the drum 11 in rotation.

In this embodiment, the seal 2 is of the radial contact type. The sealing gasket 2 comprises two radial contact lips 20 to accommodate grease and rubbing on the friction bushing 1. This sealing gasket 2 has the function of preventing the passage of liquid and dust. The seal 2 comprises at least one annular spring and an overmolded metal structure.

The friction bushing 1 comprises a friction track for the lips of the sealing gasket 2 and also contributes to the sealing of the bearing device 34. Said friction bushing 1 protects the grease of the sealing gasket 2 from unpacking the assembly. constituted by these two elements for mounting the latter in the bearing device 34.

The friction bushing 1 comprises at least one flange 15 that is located between the bearing housing 5 and said at least one driving means 5 of the drum 11.

The flange 15 of the friction bushing 1 comprises an opening 26 in its center to allow the shaft 14 of the driving means 3 of the drum 11 to pass through said opening 26.

This flange 15 contributes to the tightness of the bearing device 34. The sealing is done by the metal-to-metal contact of the bearing housing 5 in the flange 15 of the friction sleeve 1 and of the flange 15 of the friction sleeve 1 in the seat 16 of the drive means 3 of the drum 11. The tightness is guaranteed by the pressure exerted by the screw means 6 in the bearing housing 5, the flange 15 of the friction sleeve 1 and the seat 16 of the drive means 3 of the drum eleven.

The bearing device 34 makes it possible to make the water tightness in liquid or steam form inside the washing tank 8 towards the machine box for washing and / or drying clothes.

The tightness of said bearing device 34 is ensured by pressing the bearing housing 5 into said at least one shoulder 15 of the friction sleeve 1.

The pressurization of the bearing housing 5 in said at least one flange 15 of the friction bushing 1 which guarantees the sealing of said device is carried out by means of screwing means 6.

The friction bushing 1 is centered on the sealing gasket 2 inside a housing 21 of the bearing block 4.

The tightness of the bearing device 34 is guaranteed between two independent assemblies of which a first set is fixed and a second set is movable.

The fixed assembly comprises the washing tank 8 and its cover, the bearing block 4, the bearing box 5 and the sealing gasket 2.

The mobile assembly comprises the drum 11, the drive means 3 of said drum 11, the friction bushing 1 and the pulley 7 with the screw means 6.

The bearing device 34 provides a first static seal between the bearing block 4 and the seal 2. The seal 2 is pressurized in the bearing block 4 to prevent any water leakage between the outer periphery of the seal 2 and the housing 21 of the bearing block 4 adapted to accommodate said seal 2.

The bearing device 34 provides a second static seal between the friction bushing 1 and the driving means 3 of the drum 11. A functional mounting kit J is necessary between the inner diameter of the friction bushing 1 and the seat 16 of the drive 3 of drum 11 and water can infiltrate this space. This amount of water cannot infiltrate further into the bearing device 34 thanks to the axial tightening of the flange 15 of the friction bushing 1 between the seat 16 of the driving means 3 of the drum 11 and the inner bushing of the bearing housing 5 by the screwing means 6. The axial tightening is specifically guaranteed by appropriate surface states of the bearing faces of the seat 16 of the drive means 3 of the drum 11, of the flange 15 of the friction sleeve 1 and of the inner sleeve of the housing bearing 5 involved in the stacking of the bearing device 34. The roughness of said bearing faces is of a medium quality and does not require rectification operations or other treatment operations to ensure the tightness. The tightness is guaranteed by metal-to-metal contact and by mechanical request of said elements mentioned above.

The tightness is guaranteed by the retouching of the material of the seat 16 of the drum drive means 3

11. The material of the seat 16 is preferably aluminum.

Due to the force exerted by the screw means 6 through the pulley 7 and the inner bushing of the bearing 37 and the contact surface between the friction bushing 1 and the seat 16 of the driving means 3 of the drum 11, the contact pressure is sufficiently high to touch up the soft material of the seat 16 which is made of aluminum and thus form a seal of the bearing device 34.

The bearing device 34 also provides a dynamic seal between the sealing gasket 2 and the friction bushing 1. The sealing gasket 2 comprising two lips 20 rubs on the friction race located in the outer cylindrical part of the friction bushing 1 In this way, the passage of water is blocked.

The friction track 19 of the seal 2 in the friction bushing 1 extends between said at least one shoulder 15 and the abutment 17 of said friction bushing 1.

The friction bushing 1 is made of a stainless steel material. The friction sleeve 1 can be made either by drawing or by pressure polishing and in this way the cost of obtaining the latter can be reduced.

The bearing device 34 according to the invention makes it possible to produce a friction sleeve 1 of less precision than the friction bushings known in the state of the art. It is not necessary to perform said friction sleeve 1 by machining and then rectified or even treated to obtain a surface state of low roughness.

The disassembly of this bearing device 34 during an after-sales service intervention is facilitated by slidingly mounting the friction bushing 1 in the seat 16 of the at least one driving means 3 of the drum 11. The disassembly of the bearing device 34 It allows replacing the bearing housing 5 and / or the friction sleeve 1 and / or the seal 2.

The disassembly of the bearing device 34 is carried out following the following operations:

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 unscrewing at least one screw means 6 that is supported on the rotating pulley 7 of the drum 11;

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 removal of pulley 7 from shaft 14 of drive means 3 of drum 11;

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 unscrewing of the screw means 18 that fix the bearing housing 5 to the bearing block 4;

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 removal of the bearing housing 5 from the bearing block 4;

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 removal of the gasket assembly 2 with the friction bushing 1.

Next, a second embodiment of a bearing device of a machine for washing and / or drying clothes will be described, referring to Figure 6.

As before, Figure 6 schematically illustrates the different means necessary for the implementation of the invention.

Elements identical to the previous embodiment, and bearing the same numerical references, will not be described again below.

In this embodiment, the seal 2 is of the V-Ring type. The friction bushing 1 is not centered by the sealing gasket 2 since the contact for the sealing is of the frontal type. Therefore, the bearing block 4 and the friction bushing 1 are adapted to this type of sealing gasket 2. The sealing gasket 2 rubs on a friction track made by a disk 24 placed around the cylindrical part of the bushing. friction 1. Said disc 24 is supported on the bearing housing 5 and a flange 25 disposed in the housing 21 of the bearing block 4. The inner diameter of the disc 24 is greater than the outer diameter of the friction sleeve 1 in order not to create friction.

Obviously, the present invention is not at all limited to the embodiments described and represented, but instead encompasses any variant available to the person skilled in the art and, among others, the use of such a device in any washing machine

Claims (15)

1. Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes comprising at least one bearing housing (5) assembled with a bearing block (4), a sealing gasket 2 slipped in a friction sleeve (1 ), the friction bushing assembly (1) and sealing gasket 2 being pressurized coupled in the bearing block (4), and said device (34) being connected to a part of a washing tank (8) of the machine (30), said washing tank (8) enclosing a drum (11), said drum (11) comprising at least one drive means (3) fixed in at least one flange (13) of said drum (11), said at least one driving means (3) comprising a shaft (14) which is inserted inside the bearing housing (5), characterized in that the friction bushing (1) it is slidably mounted on a seat (16) of said at least one actuator means (3) of the drum (11).

2.

Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes according to claim 1, characterized in that the friction bushing (1) comprises at least one flange (15) that is placed between the bearing housing (5) and said at minus a drum drive means (3) (11).

3.

Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes according to claim 2, characterized in that the sealing of said device (34) is guaranteed by pressing the bearing housing (5) on said at least one flange (15) of the friction bushing (1).

Four.

Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes according to claim 3, characterized in that the pressing of the bearing housing (5) in said at least one flange (15) of the friction sleeve (1) which Ensures the tightness of said device (34) is carried out by means of screwing means (6).

5.

Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the friction sleeve (1) is centered on the sealing gasket (2) inside a housing ( 21) of the bearing block (4).

6.

Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a functional set J is designed between an inner diameter of the friction sleeve (1) and the seat (16) of said at least one drive means (3) of the drum (11).

7.

Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the friction bushing (1) comprises a stop (17) that limits the translational displacement of said friction bushing (1) between the bearing housing (5) and a wall (10) of the bearing block (4).

8.

Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes according to claim 7, characterized in that the friction track (19) of the seal 2 in the friction sleeve (1) extends between said at least one flange (15) and the stop (17) of said friction bushing (1).

9.

Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a pulley (7) is centered on the shaft (14) of said at least one drive means (3) of the drum (11) and fixed by means of screwing means (6).

10.

Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the sealing gasket (2) is of the radial contact type.

eleven.

Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes according to claim 10, characterized in that the sealing gasket (2) comprises two radial contact lips (20) to accommodate grease and rubbing on the friction sleeve (1 ).

12.

Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes according to claim 11, characterized in that the sealing gasket (2) comprises at least one annular spring and an overmolded metal structure.

13.

Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes according to any one of claims 1, 2, 7, 8 or 9, characterized in that the sealing gasket (2) is of the V-Ring type.

14.

Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said bearing device (34) is overmoulded in the washing tank (8).

fifteen.

Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing housing (5) is fixed to the bearing block (4) by means of screwing means (18).

16. Bearing device for a machine for washing and / or drying clothes according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the friction sleeve (1) is made of a stainless steel material.