WO2005066408A1

WO2005066408A1 - A washer/dryer

Info

Publication number: WO2005066408A1
Application number: PCT/IB2004/052922
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ibrahim Yildirim
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2003-12-26
Filing date: 2004-12-25
Publication date: 2005-07-21
Also published as: TR200603231T1

Abstract

This invention relates to a washer/dryer (1) wherein a fixing mechanism (5) is utilized to prevent damages as a consequence of unexpected loads applied upon the washer/dryer during transportation when, for example, the transport vehicle suddenly stops, the item falls down or hits something.

Description

A WASHER/DRYER

This invention relates to a washer/dryer wherein means are provided to prevent the damage that may occur during transportation.

In washer/dryer machines, the drum where laundry to be washed is loaded, moves inside a washing tank which is connected to the main body by dampers, in order to balance the loads that are created during washing/drying processes. To prevent the washing tank from hitting the interior wall of the body and pushing the dampers while swinging during transportation, it is temporarily fixed to the main body as to be detached after transportation. In situations where the transport vehicle suddenly stops, the item is rapidly put down or the item falls down, the affecting forces are larger than usual in which case the parts that are used to fix the washing tank to the main body may also damage the washer/dryer, as an example the bolts used to fix the washing tank to the body may cause damage in the tank by tearing off the region around the hole of the bolt. In order to prevent the damage due to unexpected overloads, connection mechanisms which also oppose and dampen the forces from various directions are utilized; however, to be able to utilize these connection mechanisms, the external body of the washers/dryers should be supported by members such as a carrying beam and as a result this application may be highly costly considering that it would be used just for transportation.

In the European Patent Document EP0916760, a description is given of a mechanism which passes through a transverse crossbar placed at the rear wall of a washing machine wherein the bolt head rests on the crossbar or on the rear wall of the machine and which comprises a plastic sleeve that carries axial loads and supports lateral slips and additionally comprises a pressure spring between the bolt head and the locking plate on the plastic sleeve. In the German Patent Document DE19703396, a description is given of a transportation safety system connected to the washing tank of a washing machine which consists of a box-shaped insert wrapped with an elastic strip embedded to the rear wall of the machine and a mounting bolt inside a plastic sleeve fixed to the insert.

The aim of the present invention is the realization of a washer/dryer with a low-cost fixing mechanism wherein means are provided to prevent damage that may occur during transportation.

The washer/dryer realized in order to attain the object of this invention has been illustrated in the attached drawings where:

Fig.l - is a schematic representation of a washer/dryer.

Fig.2 - is a cross-sectional view of fastening of the washing tank of a washer/dryer to the external body via a fixing mechanism.

Fig.3 - is a cross-sectional view of a fixing mechanism.

Fig.4a, 4b, 4c - are detailed representations of a fixing mechanism comprising rigid supports in various forms.

The components are shown in the drawings have been numbered individually and listed below:

1. Washer/dryer 2. External body 3. Drum 4. Washing tank 5. Fixing mechanism 6. Bolt 7. Rigid Support 8. Adapter 9. Bush 10. Bolt body

The washer/dryer (1) comprises an external body (2) protecting the operating parts inside, a drum (3) where laundry to be washed is placed, a washing tank (4) in which the drum (3) moves and, one or more fixing mechanisms (5) which prevent the possible damage during transportation by fastening the washing tank (4) to the external body (2).

The fixing mechanism (5) comprises a bolt (6) connecting the external body (2) and the washing tank (4) to each other and carrying the loads created as a result of the swinging motion of the washing tank (4), one or more rigid supports (7) surrounding the bolt (6) which maintain the necessary distance between the washing tank (4) and the external body (2) during fastening, a bush (9) whereby the rigid support (7) is pushed to the point where it touches the washing tank (4) while the bolt (6) is tightened and an elastic adapter (8) with damping properties fitted on the bush (9) which provides the fixing mechanism (5) to be attached to its position on the external body (2) with an elastic connection.

The bolt (6) comprises a bolt body (10) which carries the forces created as a result of the swinging motion of the washing tank (4) and which deforms or breaks under the action of sudden and excessive loads that occur in situations when, for example, the transport vehicle suddenly stops, the washer/dryer (1) is rapidly put down or the item falls down wherein in a preferred application that body has cross-sections weakened by notching. When excessive loads act on the system, the bolt (6) that connects the washing tank (4) to the external body (2) deforms at the weakened section either by bending or by breaking and thus, the bolt (6) is prevented from tearing off the region around the hole of the bolt (6) by overloading the aforesaid hole in the washing tank

(4). In the preferred application of the present invention, contact surfaces of several rigid supports (7) are positioned to correspond to the weakened section of the bolt body (10) so as to facilitate the deformation of the bolt (6) when excessive loads act on the system.

In the above-mentioned application of the present invention, after the fixing mechanism is mounted and providing that there is no deformation in the bolt under normal transportation conditions, the rigid supports (7) around the bolt body (10) are in contact with each other and they ensure that the distance between the washing tank (4) and the external body (2) is preserved by bearing just on each other. Under conditions when the bolt (6) undergoes deformation as a result of having access to excessive loads during transportation, because the contact surface of rigid supports (7) comes into a position corresponding to the weakened section of the bolt body (10), the said supports do not set an obstacle for the bolt body (10) to deform or break under excessive loads.

In one application of the present invention where more than one rigid supports (7) are utilized, the rigid supports (7) are touching each other at surfaces with a slope angle close to the slope angle (A) of the slip plane (C) wherein it is considered that the bolt body (10) would break along a slip plane (C) with an angle (A) with respect to the axis (y) perpendicular to the bolt (6), under the action of horizontal and vertical forces.

In the afore-mentioned application, in a hit or fall situation which might occur during transportation, horizontal and vertical forces act on the bolt (6) that carries the washing tank (4) and under the action of these forces, the slip plane (C) in the bolt body (10) constitutes the weakest section where failure is expected. Since the rigid supports (7) are touching each other at surfaces with a slope angle close to the slope angle (A) of the slip plane (C), it is ensured that the rigid supports (7) do not set an obstacle for the bolt (6) to deform or break under excessive loads. In another application of the present invention, the contact surfaces of the rigid supports (7) are toothed, curved or in a form with varying slope angle so that the fixing mechanism (5), the rigid supports (7) do not slide on each other during mounting and thus move as if they are one piece while preserving the distance between the washing tank (4) and the external body (2).

In another application of the present invention, the rigid support (7) is single piece whereby the deformation of the bolt (6) is facilitated when excessive loads act on the system and which comprises weakened portions corresponding to the weakened section on the bolt body (10).

In the washer/dryer (1) according to the present invention, it is predicted that when an excessive load acts during transportation damage would be in the fixing mechanism (5) in lieu of the parts such as the washing tank (4), the drum (3) and the external body (2) and, since the fixing mechanism (5) consists of simple parts used temporarily, just for transportation, the problem of transportation safety of the washer/dryer (1) is solved economically.

Claims

1 - A washer/dryer (1) comprising an external body (2), a drum (3) where laundry to be washed is placed, a washing tank (4) in which the drum (3) moves, and characterized by a fixing mechanism (5) which comprises a bolt (6) having a bolt body (10) with weakened sections wherein said bolt fastens the washing tank (4) to the external body (2), carries the forces created as a result of the swinging motion of the washing tank (4), deforms or breaks under the action of sudden and excessive loads during transportation and is prevented from tearing off the region around the hole of the bolt (6) in the washing tank (4).

2 - A washer/dryer (1) as described in Claim 1, characterized by a fixing mechanism (5) comprising one or more rigid supports (7) around the bolt (6) which maintain the necessary distance between the washing tank (4) and the external body (2) during fastening and, the contact surfaces of which are positioned to correspond with the weakened section of the bolt body (10).

3 - A washer/dryer (1) as described in Claim 1, characterized by a fixing mechanism (5) comprising a rigid support (7) around the bolt (6) which maintains the necessary distance between the washing tank (4) and the external body (2) during fastening and, comprises weakened portions corresponding the weakened section on the bolt body (10).

4 - A washer/dryer (1) as described in Claim 2, characterized by a fixing mechanism (5) comprising rigid supports (7) that are touching each other at surfaces with a slope angle close to the slope angle (A) of the slip plane (C) and, that are not a hindrance while the bolt (6) breaks along a slip plane (C) with an angle (A) with respect to the axis (y) perpendicular to the bolt (6) under the action of horizontal and vertical forces.

5 - A washer/dryer (1) as described in Claim 2, characterized by a fixing mechanism (5) comprising rigid supports (7) wherein the contact surfaces of the said supports are toothed, curved or in a form with varying slope angle so that the fixing mechanism (5), the rigid supports (7) do not slide on each other during mounting and thus, move as if they are one piece while preserving the distance between the washing tank (4) and the external body (2).