GB2164666A

GB2164666A - Clothes washing machine

Info

Publication number: GB2164666A
Application number: GB08522475A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dino Piai; Olindo Regazzo; Silvano Cimetta
Original assignee: Zanussi Elettrodomestici SpA
Current assignee: Electrolux Zanussi Elettrodomestici SpA
Priority date: 1984-09-19
Filing date: 1985-09-11
Publication date: 1986-03-26
Also published as: FR2570396A3; GB8522475D0; DE8525800U1; GB2164666B; ES288983U; ES288983Y; FR2570396B3; IT8434052V0

Abstract

A clothes washing machine is provided with a sectional structure for supporting the various operational components and the tank-drum unit (12) of the machine, with the associated members for actuating the drum, said structure comprising first and second casing elements (3, 4) which can be fitted to each other, the latter (4) being provided with a panel (23) supporting a series of control components with the associated operating knobs for setting the various operating cycles of the machine, and also comprising a top working surface member (5) which can be fitted to at least said first casing element (3) for closing same and a lower base portion which is removably connected to said casing elements. The control panel (23) is hinged to said second casing element in such a way that it is pivotable with respect thereto. The tank-drum unit (12) is provided with an inclined loading opening for introducing and removing the laundry, and the loading opening (35) is disposed in a position corresponding to that of said control panel (23) and is accessible from the exterior by pivoting away the control panel. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Clothes washing machine The invention relates to a clothes washing machine provided with a sectional structure of simple type, formed by a series of elements which can be easily fitted together and dismantled to permit access to the various operational components of the machine.

Clothes washing machines are known, in particular of the top loading type, which have a sectional structure comprising two casing elements which can be fitted together and a lower base portion for supporting the various operational components of the machine, wherein said casing elements can be removably fitted to the base portion.

The tank-drum unit of such machines and the associated members for operating the drum are supported by the above-specified structure by means of top suspension springs which are connected to suitable transverse members fixed in the upper part of the casing elements, and also dampers, springs or the like which are first installed in the above-mentioned base portion and then fixed in the lower part of the tank-drum unit.

Finally, fitted on to the upper part of the structure formed in the above-indicated manner is a pivotable closure lid which is hinged to one of the above-mentioned casing elements.

In that way, that structure makes it possible to have access to the various operational components of the machine for repair, replacement and maintenance thereof, by first removing one of the casing elements from the remaining element which remains connected to the transverse members and the base portion, thus performing the function of a support structure for carrying the operational components of the machine.

Also known are clothes washing machines, in particular of the front loading type, with a sectional support structure comprising the casing elements and the base portion as described hereinbefore; however, that structure is arranged to support the tank-drum unit of the machine and the associated members for operation of the drum in a different manner relative to that described above.

In this case, the above-mentioned components are supported in the structure by means of upper suspension springs which are connected to a single transverse member fixed removably in the upper part of the casing elements and dampers, springs or the like which are first installed in the above-described base portion and then fixed in the lower part of the tank-drum unit. Finally, a worktop or working surface member is disposed on and fixed to the upper part of the above-defined structure.

Therefore, that sectional structure also permits access to be had to the various operational components of the machine or the same purposes as described hereinbefore, by first removing one of the casing elements from the remaining element which thus remains connected to the transverse member and the base portion, thereby performing the function of a support structure for the operational components of the machine.

While those types of sectional structures provide for efficient functioning of the clothes washing machines, they are however, impractical in use as regards accessibility to the control panel which is fixed to the upper part of the front casing element of the machine and which supports the control components with the associated operating knobs or buttons for setting the various operating cycles of the clothes washing machine. In fact, in such situations in order to gain access to the above-mentioned control panel for the purpose of carrying out repair, replacement or maintenance on said control components, it is necessary first to remove the front casing element, and that is an operation which is a difficult one and also requires the services of specialist personnel.

According to the present invention, there is provided a clothes washing machine provided with a sectional structure for supporting the various operational components and the tank-drum unit of the machine, with the associated members for actuating the drum, said structure comprising first and second casing elements which can be fitted to each other and are provided with a panel supporting a series of user operable control components for setting the various operating cycles of the machine, and a top working surface member which can be fitted to at least said first casing element for closing same and a lower base portion which is removably connected to said casing elements, the control panel being hinged to said second casing element in such as way that it is pivotable with respect thereto.

As will become apparent from the following description, the illustrated embodiment of the invention eliminates the above-described disadvantage in a clothes washing machine provided with a sectional structure of the same type as that specified above, that is to say, the components mounted in the control panel are easily accessible for the purpose of carrying out the above-described operations, by acting directly from the front part of the machine without the need to remove the front casing element, as hitherto.The control panel can also advantageously perform the function of a closure cover for the loading opening of the tank in the case of a clothes washing machine which is equipped with an inclined-loading drum, that is to say in which the aperture of the drum is disposed in the cylindrical casing portion thereof and the drum is loaded by way of a loading opening disposed at an inclined front surface of the casing when the drum is rotated in such a way that the aperture thereof coincides with the loading opening.

The invention will be further described by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a clothes washing machine according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a partly sectional diagrammatic side view of the machine shown in Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1, shown therein is a clothes washine machine, in particular of the top loading type, provided with a sectional structure of the same type as that described in the present applicants' utility model application No. 34037-B/84 filed on 19th June 1984.

For that purpose, the structure is provided with two individual casing elements 3 and 4 which can be fitted to each other, a top working surface member 5 which can be fitted to at least the casing element 3 for closing same, and a lower base portion 6 which is removably connected to the casing elements and which is so shaped as to permit the various operational components of the machine to be connected together, such as for example the discharge pump 7, the fluff filter 8 and the discharge conduit 9 which are connected to the pump, as well as the dampers 10 and 11 for the bottom connection of the tank-drum unit 12 of the machine.

In turn, the tank-drum unit 12 is provided with suspension springs 13, 14, 15 and 16 of conventional type, which are engaged into suitable carriers or seats (not shown) on the transverse members 17 and 18 which are respectively fixed to the side walls 19, 20 and 21, 22 of the casing elements 3 and 4.

In particular the casing element 4 is provided with a control panel 23 which is disposed in the upper front part of the casing element 4 and which supports a series of control components (not shown) with the associated operating knobs, in the present case comprising the knobs 24, 25 and 26 for setting the various operating cycles of the clothes washing machine.

In accordance with the invention, the control panel 23 is substantially formed by a box-like or housing portion in the form of a right prism with triangular bases, provided with two flat surfaces 27 and 28 which are orthogonal relative to each other, a flat surface 29 which is inclined with respect to the above-indicated surfaces 27 and 28, and two flat side surfaces 30 and 31. It will be apparent that the housing portion may also be provided in various geometrical shapes without thereby departing from the scope of protection of this invention.The housing portion is fitted to the upper part of the casing element 4 in such a way that the inclined surface 29 thereof bears against the corresponding inclined surfaces 32 and 33 provided on the associated walls 20 and 22 of the casing element 4, said portion also being pivotally mounted in the casing element 4 by means of pivot pins or hinges 34 provided on the rearward edge of the upper surface 27 of said housing portion.

The control panel 23 may thus be pivoted or tipped upwardly, by rotating it about the associated hinge 34 in such a way as to provide rapid access to the control conponents which are fixed on the rear wall of the panel, to carry out repair, replacement and maintenance of such components.

Consequently, this construction no longer requires the casing element 4 firstly to be removed from the remaining structure of the machine, as in the past, for carrying out the above-indicated repair, replacement and maintenance operations.

As will be seen from Figure 2, the control panel 23 may also be hinged to the casing element 4 at a position different from that described above. In this case, the hinge 34 is provided along the lower edge of the front surface 28 of the control panel 23 whereby the latter can be pivoted downwardly by rotating it about the hinge 34, for the same abovementioned purpose. Still referring to Figure 2, it will be noted that in this case the loading opening 35 of the tank 36 for giving access to the drum of the machine is no longer in an upper position, as in the present top loading clothes washing machines, but rather it is provided in an inclined position corresponding to that of the control panel 23 in such a way that the loading opening is directly accessible from the front part of the machine by pivoting the control panel out of the way.For that purpose, the loading opening 35 is connected by means of a conventional bellows member 37 to a corresponding access aperture 38 provided in the casing element 4 at a position beneath the control panel 23.

Therefore, this type of sectional structure eliminates the cover for closing the top loading opening of the present top loading washing machines, which cover is generally impractical in use as a working surface by virtue of the fact that it has to be frequently opened and closed in order to gain access to the loading opening.

In addition, the control panel 23 of the present sectional structure also advantageously performs the function of a lid for closing the loading opening 35 and, by virtue of being pivotally mounted on the casing element 4, it makes it possible to use the remaining top surface of the machine as a working surface.

Thus, the sectional structure formed in the above-indicated manner is of a type which is simple and convenient to use.

Finally, the sectional structure may also be used for front loading clothes washing machines by replacing the above-described casing element 4 by a further casing element provided with the same control panel 23 and the specific front aperture for gaining access to the drum.

In addition, the structure of that kind may also be produced with the same casing elements and the same base portion as specified above, but with a different system for supporting the tank-drum unit and the associated members for actuating the drum, without thereby departing from the scope of protection of this invention.

Solely by way of example, such components may be supported in the machine by means of suspension springs which are connected between the drum-tank unit and a single transverse member which can be removable fixed in the upper part of the casing elements, as well as by means of dampers, springs or the like which are previously fitted in the above-described base portion and then fixed in the lower part of the tank drum unit, as disclosed in the present applicants' utility model application No 34036-B/84 filed on 19th June 1984.

Equally, the tank-drum unit and the remaining op erational components of the machine may also be supported by a rigid carrier frame which also forms the base portion of the machine, which frame is joined to the casing elements, as dislosed in the present applicants' patent application No 45732-A/82 filed on 28th September 1982.

Claims

1. A clothes washing machine provided with a sectional structure for supporting the various operational components and the tank-drum unit of the machine, with the associated members for actuating the drum, said structure comprising first and second casing elements which can be fitted to each other and are provided with a panel supporting a series of user operable control components for setting the various operating cycles of the machine, and a top working surface member which can be fitted to at least said first casing element for closing same and a lower base portion which is removable connected to said casing elements, the control panel being hinged to said second casing element in such a way that it is pivotable with respect thereto.

2. A clothes washing machine according to claim 1 wherein said tank-drum unit is provided with an inclined loading opening for introducing and removing laundry, said loading opening being disposed in a position corresponding to that of said control panel and being accessible from the exterior by pivoting away the control panel.

3. A clothes washing machine constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.