GB2356638A

GB2356638A - A Front-Loading Washing Or Drying Machine With An Elongated Door Opening

Info

Publication number: GB2356638A
Application number: GB0028490A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Piero Durazzani
Original assignee: Electrolux Zanussi Elettrodomestici SpA; Electrolux Zanussi SpA
Current assignee: Electrolux Zanussi Elettrodomestici SpA; Electrolux Zanussi SpA
Priority date: 1999-11-23
Filing date: 2000-11-22
Publication date: 2001-05-30
Also published as: IT248153Y1; DE20016977U1; ES1047499U; ITPN990047V0; FR2801325B3; ES1047499Y; ITPN990047U1; FR2801325A1; GB0028490D0

Description

2356638 FRONT LOADING MACHINE FOR WASHING AND/OR DRYING LAUNDRY The

present invention relates to a machine, for washing and/or drying laundry, which has an opening on the front part of its outer casing. This opening, which is usually closed with a door, is used for loading laundry into, and unloading it from, a rotating drum.

Machines of this kind are well known, partly as a result of the approval they have received from consumers in most. countries of the world. By comparison with top-loading machines, these machines have the disadvantage of requiring users to bend down during the operations of loading and unloading laundry. To facilitate these operations, the applicant and others have adopted relatively simple solutions, such as raising the opening in the front wall of the outer casing and increasing its diameter.

Clearly, however, because the overall measurements of the outer casing, whose height (85 or 90 cm) is always markedly greater than its width (not more than 60 cm), are standardized, there are limitations as to the maximum diameter of the opening.

According to the present invention there is provided a machine for washing and/or drying laundry, comprising a generally parallelepipedal outer casing, the casing having a front wall provided with an opening, arranged to be closed by a door, for the loading and unloading of laundry into and from a rotatable drum housed within the casing, the opening having a vertical dimension which is greater than its horizontal dimension.

The provision of this opening, in accordance with the invention, provides for an improvement in the ease of use of the machine without the need to change the overall dimensions of the machine's outer casing.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure I in a partial front elevation of a preferred embodiment of washing machine according to the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic sectional side elevation through the machine of Figure 1, taken along the line IMI in Figure 1.

As is conventional, the machine in Figure I has an outer casing that is essentially parallelepipedal in shape. The casing has a front wall 1, right and left side walls 2 and 3, a rear wall 4, an upper work surface 5 and a base 6. The front wall I is provided with a control panel 7, a receptacle 8 for washing formulation, a cover 9 for a of the lint filter, and a door 10. The door 10, when closed, closes an opening I I and, when open (as shown), provides access to an oscillating washing unit 20 to enable loading and unloading therefrom of laundry.

The washing unit 20 consists essentially of a chamber 21 which encloses a rotatable drum 22. The chamber 21 is connected to the outer casing by suspension springs 24 and dampers 25 is and also connected to the opening 11 by means of a flexible bellows 26 which is fixed to the peripheral edge of a front opening 23 of the chamber 2 1. As shown in Figure 2, the axis Y-Y of rotation of the drum 22 is inclined at approximately 15 degrees to the horizontal.

The opening I I in the front wall I is generally elliptical in shape, the vertical dimension (indicated by double-headed arrow A in Figure 1) being greater than the horizontal dimension (indicated by double-headed arrow B in Figure 1). Additionally, the centre C of the opening I I is located approximately 2/3 of the way up the total height H of the outer casing of the machine, in such a way that the upper limit of the said opening I I is brought to the immediate vicinity of the upper work surface 5. The greater ease of use of this construction, by comparison with that of a conventional machine, is evident.

The above description concerns just one preferred embodiment. It will be apparent that, instead of being generally elliptical, the loading opening may, for example, have a generally rectangular shape.

Although in the preferred embodiment the invention is described in relation to a washing machine, it will also be apparent that the invention has application to other domestic appliances such as tumble driers and so-called washer-driers.

-3,

Claims

1. A machine for washing and/or drying laundry, comprising a generally parallelepipedal outer casing, the casing having a front wall provided with an opening, arranged to be closed by a door, for the loading and unloading of laundry into and from a rotatable drum housed within the casing, the opening having a vertical dimension which is greater than its horizontal dimension.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opening is generally elliptical in shape.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opening is generally rectangular in shape. 15

4. A machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the centre of the opening is in a vertical position such that the upper limit of the opening is located in the immediate vicinity of the top of the outer casing.

5. A machine for washing and/or drying laundry, the machine being substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.