FR2473571A3 - DOOR FOR WASHING MACHINE OF INDUSTRIAL TYPE - Google Patents

Abstract

Door for a washing machine comprising a drum containing the laundry, rotating about a horizontal axis, mounted in a fixed tub provided with at least one opening for accessing the drum 9, this opening being hermetically sealed with the aid a door 10 sliding between guides 15, 16 fixed to the wall of the tank, sealing means being arranged between the tank and the door, these means comprising linings in an anti-friction material and at least one element expandable tubular 24 connected to a source of pressurized fluid 26 by means of control and regulator means 29, 30 and 31. Application to industrial washing machines intended for hospitals, factories, etc. (CF DRAWING IN BOPI)

Description

247357 1

  The invention relates to a door intended

  machines washing industrial laundry which may contain

  a large quantity of linen, these machines serve

  such as washing clothes for hospitals, work clothes in factories, etc. These machines have a large drum with perforated walls that can hold washing clothes,

  it can be run by means of engines and

  missions known per se and arranged in a tank supported by an outer frame. The drum has an axis, preferably horizontal, and it has an access opening made in its peripheral envelope with a door allowing to close this opening and that one can

  operate automatically with pneumatic cylinders

or similar means.

  The tank of these machines has a front opening to access the drum and

a closing door.

  On its side the opening of the tank is made to be placed in front of the opening of the drum so that these two openings coincide

  between them only when the drum is brought automatically

  by means known per se, in the position allowing the loading and unloading of the

  linen in relation to the drum itself.

  The closing door of the tank can slide from the open position to the position of

  closing and vice versa; it is automatically activated

  pneumatic cylinders or similar means each placed between the frame of the machine and

tank.

  In order to prevent a flow of the washing liquid contained in the tank this door is provided with at least one inner seal which can make

  pressure against the wall of the tank.

  Such packing consists of a hermetically sealed tubular chamber connected by means of pipes to a source of pressurized fluid, for example compressed air, and is inflatable when this fluid is sent into the chamber itself. When the machine door is closed the chamber fills with pressurized fluid whereby the seal is pressed tightly against the

wall of the tank.

  Before the door is brought into

  its open position, the fluid contained in the chamber

  previously described is discharged. As a result, the

  the construction is deflated and as it no longer seals

  pressure against the wall of the tank it allows

  the movement of the door in its open position.

  In order to work properly,

  this trim must be mounted on the door in

  tolerances determined in order to maintain a certain

  some contact between the wall of the tank and the lining,

  even when it is deflated.

  Also, when the door slides

  ture continually rubs against the wall of the tank and

it wears gradually.

  This machine is arranged to eliminate the drawback mentioned above and allows

  to achieve an effective sealing system between the por-

  te and the tank wall of a simple and reliable type.

  For this purpose, the machine is provided with a seal attached to the wall of the

  tank rather than on the door as

  of this connection being connected to a gon-

  flangeable and deflatable in the manner described above, while the door is free from gaskets

  and can slide without any difficulty.

  These and other objects are achieved by means of an industrial laundry machine according to the invention which comprises a drum

  which can hold the laundry, rotating around a sensing axis

  sibly horizontal, mounted in a fixed tank; this tank being provided with at least one access opening to the drum. This opening is hermetically closable with the aid of at least one sliding door between guides fixed to the wall of the tank, sealing means being arranged between the tank and the door, these means comprising fittings made of an anti -friction as well as at least one expandable tubular element connected to a source of fluid under pressure via

  control and regulation means.

  This machine is characterized in that said tubular element is mounted on the periphery of

  the opening of the tank and that between the tubular element

  re and the door is available another lip seal attached to the guides and whose edge is inserted freely into a groove covered over the entire length of the

around said opening.

  The invention will be better understood using

  attached drawings in which the figures represent

  Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an industrial laundry machine according to the invention; Figure 2 illustrates in partial section

  a detail of the machine shown in Figure 1.

  It can be seen that the industrial laundry machine shown in FIG.

  drum 3 for containing the laundry to be washed and

  seen from a large load capacity.

  This drum can rotate using means known per se around a horizontal axis and it is provided with a front opening 4 closable with a sliding door 5 mounted opposite the envelope

  device (6) of said drum and that can be maneuvered

  by means of a pneumatic cylinder or a means of

logue (not shown).

  For its part, the drum (3) is placed in a tank 7 which can contain the different liquids necessary for carrying out the laundry cycle, this tank being resiliently supported in a known manner

  in itself, inside an outer frame (8).

  The tank (7) is provided with a border opening

  tale (9) closable with at least one door (10) mounted in front of the opening (9) and operable with a pneumatic cylinder (11) or a similar means connected to the dough and

  the side wall (12) of the tank (7).

  The front opening (9) of the tank (7) is made to coincide with the opening (4) of the drum (3) only when it stops

  in a position determined to permit, the

  troduction and removal of the linen in relation to the drum itself. In front of the closed position of the door (10) there is provided a regulating device (13) for opening the door such as an electrical limit switch or the like mounted on the front part of the tank ( 7) and able to cooperate with the door of such

  way that this device is operated by the door itself.

  even when it is moved to its precise position

closing by the cylinder (11).

  The purpose of this regulating device

  consists in acting on control means

  individuals (which will now be described)

  when the door (10) is in its posi-

closure.

  By examining FIG. 2, it can be seen that the door (10) is slidably mounted between two longitudinal grooves (14) opposite to one another opposite the respective longitudinal edges of the opening (9) of the tank (7). ) and having at least the same length as this opening. Each groove (14) is made by means of two guides (15) and (16) that can be fixed

  against the front surface of the tank (7).

  The guides (15) and (16) are provided with

  respective sealing nitrites (17) and (18) in one

  appropriate antifriction material, each of these

  being fixed on a single surface of the respective guide.

  To mount the guides (15) and (16), it

  a lip seal (19) must first be

  rubber or similar material on the front surface of the tank (7) opposite the entire peripheral portion of the opening (9), then fix the guides against said front wall with one end of the lining (19) by means of bolts (20) and nuts (21) or other

similar fasteners.

  In this way, each groove (14) is

  covered by the three fittings (17), (18) and (19) de-

  written above. The free edge of the lip seal (19) is then inserted into a groove (22) formed all around the opening (9) with a seat (23). seat 3), over the entire length thereof, an expandable tubular member (24) of an elastic material

  appropriate, so that the lining (19) is then placed

  against the element (24) and always maintain

contact of the latter.

  The tubular element (24) comprises a chamber

  inner housing (25) hermetically closed and connected to a source of compressed air (26) or other suitable fluid under pressure via a connection (27), a pipe (28), a safety valve (29), a three-way solenoid valve (30) of the pneumatic type

  and a pressure regulator (31), known per se.

  The sliding of the door (10) in the grooves (14) is produced by the pneumatic cylinder (11) which is controlled by means of electrical switches

  pushbuttons (32) and (33) operable by means of

  and capable of causing the door (10) to move from the open position to the

closing and vice versa.

  For its part, the solenoid valve (30) is provided with an input and two switchable outputs respectively connected to the pneumatic supply (26) and

  the outdoor atmosphere. In his first position of com-

  the solenoid valve (30) directly communicates

  cation with the outside the inner chamber (25) of the tubular element (24) and interrupts the connection with the pneumatic supply (26) while in its second switching position the solenoid valve interrupts the connection between the inner chamber (25) and the outside,

  while putting the inner chamber directly into

  communication with the pneumatic supply (26).

  We will describe the operation of the pre-

  washing machine assuming that the door is

te (10) is initially closed.

  As soon as the push switch (33) is actuated, the jack (11) moves the door (10) into its

opening position.

  During this phase, the door (5) of

  drum (3) is also open, whereby the opening

  ture (4) of the drum (3) and the opening (9) of the bowl (7)

  are both accessible from the outside and corner-

  cidet between them. We can therefore introduce into the drum

bour (3) washing clothes.

  During this phase, the solenoid valve (30) is further switched to its first position previously

  described, whereby the tubular element (24) is de-

  inflated, the filling (19) is not pressed against the

  door (10) and allows the sliding of this door

  you practically without any friction.

  When all the laundry has been loaded into the drum (3) and before starting the washing cycle * of the machine, provided in a manner known per se, for example

  by means of a punched card drive, it is necessary to

  switch the pushbutton switch (32) so that the

  cylinder (11) moves the door (10) to its closed position.

  ture. The movement of the door (10) occurs as before; the tubular element (24) not being supplied with compressed air, this displacement occurs without

  no difficulty. The door (10) stops in its posi-

  closing and acts on the device (13) which, in turn, switches, in a manner known per se,

  the solenoid valve (30) in its second operating position

  ment. Therefore, the tubular element is powered

  in compressed air and swelling it compresses elastic-

  the lining (19) against the door (10) thus preventing any flow of the washing liquid contained in the tank (7). The elastic movement of the lining (19) is made possible by the fact that the free edge

  of it can move in a limited way in the reason-

  Nure (22) without however leaving it.

  The door (10) is held in the closed position as the different phases of the cycle of the machine are in progress. As soon as this cycle

  is completed, the user again activates the

  pushbutton (33) to replace the door (10) in

  its opening position as previously described.

  In this case, the door first disengages from the device 13

  stopping for a moment to switch the electricity

  trovanne (30) in its first operating position and thereby causing the flow of air contained in the tubular element (24), then it opens when this element is completely deflated. From what has just been described, it follows that the door can slide from its closed position to its open position and vice versa without rubbing against the gasket (19), as was previously the case with the known devices . So we provide in a simple and reliable way a longer life of the pad itself and a

  better operation of the machine thus produced.

  Naturally, instead of a single door, the present machine can also be provided with two doors operating in opposition, each of them being controlled by a pneumatic cylinder and cooperating with a control device according to the previously described methods and without the 'So far out of the field of protection of the

present invention.

Claims (1)

R E V E N D I C A T I O N   An industrial laundry machine comprising a drum which can hold the laundry, rotating around a substantially horizontal axis and mounted in a fixed bowl which is provided with at least one access opening   with the drum, this opening can be closed hermetically   only with the aid of at least one sliding door between guides fixed on the wall of the tank, sealing means being arranged between the tank and the door and comprising gaskets of antifriction material and at least one tubular element extensible connected to a source of fluid under pressure through control and regulation means, this machine being characterized in that the tubular element (24) is mounted at the periphery of the opening (9) of the tank (7) and that there is arranged between the tubular element (24) and the door (10) another lip seal (19) fixed to said guides (15) and (16) whose edge is inserted freely into a groove (22) covered over the entire length around the opening (9).