GB2168387A

GB2168387A - Enclosing structure for clothes washing machine

Info

Publication number: GB2168387A
Application number: GB08530525A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Antonio Marangoni
Original assignee: Domar SA
Current assignee: Domar SA
Priority date: 1984-12-14
Filing date: 1985-12-11
Publication date: 1986-06-18
Also published as: DE3543748A1; ES283444U; GB2168387B; IT1200873B; ES283444Y; IT8524136V0; FR2574824A1; GB8530525D0; IT8523185A0

Abstract

An enclosing structure for a domestic appliance such as a clothes washing machine is formed by only three members, namely a front member (1) having lateral extensions (2 and 3) which form sides of the machine, a rear panel (4) which is attached to the rear edges of the front member (1) and a rear cover (6) which fits a central aperture (5) of the rear panel (4). The central aperture (5) and the cover (6) are formed by cutting the cover from the central area of the panel (4) and the aperture (5) and the cover (6) are provided with rims (41,42) to facilitate the attachment of the cover (6) to the panel (4). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Enclosing structure for clothes washing machine This patent refers to an enclosing structure designed to form the exterior casing of a clothes washing machine and which offers, specifically, improvements with respect to the currently known models.

It is known that the presently manufactured clothes washing machines comprise a framework to which is attached the assembly of mechanical and electrical components having fitted thereto at the final stage of assembly protective and decorative metal sheets which provide the visible casing and to which the control and operating elements are mounted.

This classic arrangement has the disadvantages arising from the number of components required and the amount of labour needed for the assembly. This suggests the desirability of a simplified different structure reducing to the minimum the manufacturing process and assembly of these components.

The object underlying the design of the novel enclosing structure for clothes washing machines as stated above, is embodied in reducing the number of components such that the structure itself is at the same time the supporting means for the mechanical and electrical components of the machine and forms the external casing of the machine. That is to say, it is self-supporting with the components and equally provides the external visible aesthetic part of the machine.

With this objective the enclosing structure consists basically of only three pieces, being respectively, the front face and the two adjacent side faces, the rear panel and its associated cover plate.

These parts in metal of a suitable gauge, are shaped to provide the required stiffness, and have attached to their edges and surfaces the various functional and other elements which are incorporated in the machine.

To assist the explanation of this specification, drawings are attached showing by way of a non limitative illustration one embodiment of an enclosing structure for clothes washing machines in accordance with the principles described in the claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the three essential parts of the novel enclosing structure, shown in the position prior to joining them together, in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figures 2 and 3 show details on a larger scale of the structure in partial section, of the novel enclosure for washing machines, corresponding to a side-front view and a side-rear view respectively.

Figures 4 and 5 show stages in the formation of the upper front part of the novel enclosure, figure 6 the attachment of the rear panel to the side members, figure 7 the forming of the lowest part of the side member and figure 8 the shape of the rear part of the side member, also at the base thereof.

The numbered references below correspond to the numbers in the drawings attached hereto.

The front member -1- has lateral extensions -2and -3- which form the sides of the machine, the rear edges of which will receive the attachment of the rear panel -4-, which same has provided therein a central aperture -5- to which is attached the cover -6-. This cover is obtained by cutting it out of the central area of the panel 4-4, thus utilizing the entirety of the material.

The front member -1- has a ledge -7- at its upper part extending to a zone -8- with a flanged edge -9 these being designed to receive the control panel of the machine.

Figures 2, 4 and 5 show how the various pieces of sheet metal are joined together to form the first component of the enclosing structure. The quadrangular lap -10-, joined through the zone -11- to the side panel -2- and the lap -12- connected through zone -13- but being shorter than the latter.

provide areas of reinforcement with respect to the zones -7- and -8- respectively and to which they are attached by spot welding in the manufacturing stage. Equally the upper area -14-, continuing to the interior flap -15- extends to a lap -16- which will be attached to -8- and -12-, the three parts being joined by a further spot weld. The lip -17- increases the stiffness of the area forming the top edge.

The recess -18- strengthens the upper face -14-.

In the lower part, shown in figure 7, the re-entrant face -19- and the vertical extension thereof 20- extend further to a lap -21- and its flange -22-, to form the base surface on which the structure will repose. The lap -24- will be applied, by means of its area of junction and folding -25- against the re-entrant face -19- and fixed by spot welding. The lap -26-will similarly be applied against the area 20- and welded.

Line -27- is the bottom edge of each side panel and zone -28- extends therefrom to form by succession of elevations and troughs a castellation providing stiffness to the said component to form the base plate, with an end flange -30-, and attached to the lap -21- by welding.

Both the side panels -2- and -3- extend to a further area -31- at their extremities, as in figure 6 and 8, and flanges -32- and -33- at their edges so as to form together with -14- and -15-, as well as with -28- and -29- the sides of the said panels to give them a high mechanical strength.

The rear panel -4-, as shown in figures 1 and 3, is in the form of a quadrangular frame resulting from the formation of a protrusion area -34- extending from the panel -35-, the edges of which will be joined to the side members of the structure.

At the upper part of this panel there is an area -36with, in its central part, an elongated trapezoidal re-entrant section forming the zones -37- and the flanges -38- in the perpendicular plane designed to be juxtaposed to the flap -15- as shown in figure 3- and -6-, and similarly the elements -36 and -14.

At its lower edge the panel -4- extends to an area -39- and then to a flange -40- which will be attached by spot welding to the base areas -28- and 29-.

The aperture -5- has, for preference, a peripheral rim -41- suitable for having attached thereto the rear panel cover -6-, equally provided with a rim 42-. The protrusion -43- corresponds to the position of the components related to the tub and rotating drum of the machine, the opening -23- being for the circular access door to the drum.

Claims

1. An enclosing structure fofr clothes washing machines characterized essentially in that it comprises exclusively three constituent components, these being respectively, the front panel with the two adjacent side members, the rear panel with a large central aperture and a cover component for the latter having the same shape and dimensions, the three components on being joined together forming an orthometric body with open ends.

2. An enclosing structure for clothes washing machines as in the previous claim, characterized in that the first component consists of a piece of sheet metal, pressed and folded into shape so as to form three of the vertical sides of the orthometric self supporting body forming the enclosure, the front face having formed therein an upper ledge and a long rectangular plane with a flange on its upper edge, each of the side panel members having three rectangular laps design- for juxtaposition with the upper ledge and the said rectangular planes, so strengthening the areas corresponding to the corners and upper edges of the structure.

3. An enclosing structure for clothes washing machines characterized in that the lower part of the front panel is provided with a re-entrant section defined by the panel and a rectangular zone designed to receive the cabinet skirting strip, the former being defined by three consecutive elongated rectangular faces, to which correspond strengthening laps extending from the side panels, and to the lower face, the extremities of the castellated section forming the base and derived from the side panels.

4. An enclosing structure for clothes washing machines characterized in that each of the side members being part of the first component has on its free edges, rectangular extensions of lesser width forming flat flanges orthometric to the panels themselves and there being in the area extending from the lower edge of each panel member a reinforcement area of castellated section the extremities of which are respectively juxtaposed to the lower edge of the front panel and to an extension of the rear panel.

5. An enclosing structure for clothes washing machines as in the previous claims, characterized in that the component forming the rear panel consists of a rectangular frame, the lateral peripheral edges thereof defining a surrounding coplanar zone designed for attachment to the free edges of the side members, the upper edge forming a flat area extending to a pair of laps lying in the plane parallel to the side members and for juxtapositioning with them, there being also a re-entrant section parallel to the plane of the rear panel, the latter having at its lower edge an elongated rectangular zone with a flange designed to receive at its extremities the extremities of the castellated section of the first component.

6. An enclosing structure for clothes washing machines as in the previous claims, characterized in that the cover plate which is to be attached to the aperture in the rear panel is made from material removed from the said panel in making the aperture, the latter having a continuous peripheral rim to facilitate attachment of the cover plate.

7. An enclosing structure for a domestic appliance, substantially as described herein.

8. The features herein described, or their equivalents, in any patentably novel selection.