WO2008104829A1 - Laundry washing machine with vent device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laundry washing machine (1) which comprises a structure (2) having a load opening (3) for placing laundry to be washed into a wash chamber, and a door (6) for closing the load opening. The machine (1) comprises a vent device which puts the wash chamber in communication with an environment outside the machine (1), so that the wash chamber is kept at atmospheric pressure. The vent device comprises means (9) which define a path at least partly comprised within said door (6), thus allowing air to be vented out of the tub (5) and into the outside environment.

Description

LAUNDRY WASHING MACHINE WITH VENT DEVICE

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a laundry washing machine according to the preamble of claim 1.

In particular, the invention relates to laundry washing machines (in particular washing and washing/drying machines) wherein a washing agent dispenser is arranged in the door that closes the load opening.

As known, in washing machines the laundry to be washed is placed into a drum which rotates inside a tub.

The latter is essentially a hollow body communicating through a gasket with the load opening obtained in the cabinet of the washing machine. When the load opening is closed by means of a door, a volume is delimited into which wash water is supplied.

As water is supplied, the air contained in the tub is pressurized and it is therefore necessary to provide a vent which allows to maintain a pressure substantially equal to the atmospheric pressure. In known washing machines, this vent is provided by a vent device usually consisting of a duct that connects the tub to the outside environment.

In some front-loading washing machines, said duct connects the tub to the detergent dispenser drawer, being thus also used for dispensing the washing agents into the tub; from the drawer, the vent air can freely flow out of the machine. With the exception of this latter type of washing machine, the vent duct is a device having no other function than to discharge air from the tub; it would therefore be preferable to eliminate this element in order to cut down production times and costs.

Moreover, if improperly sized and/or installed, said duct represents a potential source of noise during the operation of the washing machine, since it is an elastic tube subject to the oscillations of the tub connected thereto.

The present invention aims at solving said drawbacks of the prior art and it proposes a laundry washing machine which is simpler in construction and possibly less noisy.

This object is achieved through a laundry washing machine incorporating the features set out in the appended claims.

In particular, the invention is based on the idea of providing a vent device which comprises means adapted to define a path at least partly comprised within the door, thus allowing air to be discharged out of the tub and into the outside environment; this eliminates the need to use a tube connected to the tub, thus reducing the noise produced by the machine as well as the production costs thereof.

Advantageously, in order to prevent the water contained in the tub from leaking out, the vent device comprises an air duct preferably including a curvilinear section, thus blocking the way of water flow.

Still for solving the problem of water leakage though the vent path, the washing machine is provided with means adapted to block the way of any flow of liquids through said path, such as a micro perforated wall possibly connected to the gasket and installed at the inlet of the vent passage.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and from the annexed drawings, which are supplied by way of non-limiting example, wherein:

- Fig. 1 is a front view of a laundry washing machine according to the present invention, with the door open;

- Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a detail of the machine of Fig. 1, with the door closed.

In Fig. 1 , reference number 1 designates a front-loading laundry washing machine, i.e. of the type wherein structure 2 of machine 1 has a load opening 3 on one of side walls 21 that support top cover 22.

Through load opening 3, the user places the laundry to be washed into a drum 4 which is rotated in a known manner by a motor, not shown in the drawing.

Drum 4 thus rotates inside a tub 5 supplied with water and washing agents, such as detergents and softeners. Load opening 3 is closed by means of a door 6; in Fig. 1 the door is shown in the open position, whereas for clarity Fig. 2 shows it in the position in which it closes load opening 3.

As can be seen in Fig. 2, when the door is closed a portion thereof is within structure 2 of the machine, while another portion remains outside the structure.

In the preferred embodiment example shown in the drawings, a washing agent dispenser 7 is mounted to the door side which enters into the load opening.

A gasket 8 around load opening 3 connects structure 2 to tub 5, thereby delimiting a volume within which the laundry is washed.

A hydraulic system of a known type, not shown in the drawings, allows to supply water into the tub pouring it onto the dispenser, thus carrying the washing agents contained therein into the tub as well.

The water and the washing agents are held in tub 5, since door 6 and gasket 8 prevent them from leaking out.

In order to give off air from the wash chamber, the machine is provided with a suitable vent device which comprises means adapted to define a path at least partly comprised within door 6, thus allowing air to be given off from tub 5 and into the outside environment.

In the example of Figs. 1 and 2, said means adapted to define an air path comprise a duct 9 which has an aperture 91 acting as a vent air inlet, said aperture being located in the door portion which enters into load opening 3. Said inlet aperture 91 is preferably located in the upper half of the door, thus being above the level of the water supplied into the tub.

For the purpose of preventing any water splashes from flowing through the duct and out of the machine, in a preferred embodiment duct 9 has at least one curvilinear section and/or a plurality of straight sections in succession forming a segmented line.

In the preferred embodiment example described herein, the duct has two straight sections connected to form a right angle.

Of course, the duct may have a different shape or follow a more articulated path.

However, it appears to be advantageous that duct outlet 92 and inlet 91 are so arranged that outlet 92 is not visible from the inlet.

Preferably, outlet 92 is located on a peripheral surface of door 6 which remains free when the latter is closed and which at least partly faces machine structure 2.

In particular, aperture 92 may be obtained in that' door surface which, as shown in

Figs. 1 and 2, does not come in contact with the machine structure while still remaining hidden to the user. Thanks to this solution, any vapor given off through outlet 92 will be cooled down in an area of the structure which normally remains out of view; this reduces condensation on the visible part of the structure.

As shown in the embodiment example of Figs. 1 and 2, the door may comprise a body 61 to which dispenser 7 and a cover 62 are mounted on opposite sides. Therefore, between body 61 and cover 62 there is an interspace 63 which may possibly be used as a vent chamber; in this case, the means that define the air vent path will comprise said interspace.

In this embodiment, which seemingly is not preferable to the solution of Figs. 1 and 2 due to problems of condensation within the door, the structure of the door is however simpler because no duct has to be obtained therein, the door just having to be provided with a vent air inlet and a vent air outlet.

According to the invention, in addition to or in the place of ducts comprising curvilinear sections, it is possible to use means adapted to block the way of any flow of liquids through the air vent passage. For example, the vent device may comprise one or more walls 93 interposed between the vent air inlet and outlet.

Advantageously, said wall may be a microperforated one, so that air can flow through it but not the liquids.

The features and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the above description.

In particular, it will be apparent to the man skilled in the art that, although the preferred embodiment example refers to a front-loading laundry washing machine, the present invention is also applicable to top-loading laundry washing machine, i.e. those machines wherein the load opening is located on the top of the structure. In this latter case as well, the air vent passage provided through the door allows to avoid using a dedicated vent duct connected to the tub. The position of the dispenser, which in the embodiment example described herein is mounted to the door, is not limiting at all for the present invention, since the dispenser can be mounted in many other known manners, e.g. within one or more paddles (as in the laundry washing machine described in patent application WO90/00641) or within a dedicated compartment accessible through the structure of the washing machine (as in the laundry washing machine described in patent application EP1445368).

Claims

1. Laundry washing machine (1), comprising:

- an external structure (2) having a load opening (3) for placing laundry to be washed into a tub (5) housed within said structure (2) and communicating with said opening (3), - a door (6) adapted to close said load opening (3), and

- a vent device which puts said tub (5) in communication with an environment outside the machine (1), so that the tub (5) is kept at atmospheric pressure, characterized in that said vent device comprises means (9) which define a path at least partly comprised within said door (6), thus allowing air to be given off from the tub (5) and into the outside environment.

2. Machine according to claim 1, wherein said path comprises a vent air inlet (91) located in the upper half of the door (6).

3. Laundry washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said path- defining means consist of a duct (9).

4. Laundry washing machine according to claim 3, wherein said duct (9) has at least one curvilinear section and/or a plurality of straight sections in succession forming a segmented line.

5. Laundry washing machine according to claim 3 or 4, wherein an outlet (92) and an inlet (91) of said duct are so arranged that the outlet (92) is not visible from the inlet (91).

6. Laundry washing machine according to any of claims 3 to 5, wherein said duct comprises an outlet (92) for giving off air from the tub (5), and wherein said outlet (92) is located on a peripheral surface of the door (6) which remains free when said door (6) is closed and which at least partly faces the structure (2) of the machine.

7. Laundry washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said means adapted to define an air path comprise an interspace (63) being present in said door.

8. Laundry washing machine according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein said laundry washing machine is of the front-loading type and wherein said door (6) comprises a washing agent dispenser (7) mounted on that side of the door which is adapted to be inserted into the load opening (3).

9. Laundry washing machine according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein said machine is of the top-loading type and said load opening (3) is located on the top (22) of said structure (2).

10. Laundry washing machine according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein said vent device additionally comprises means adapted to block the way of any flow of liquids through said path.

11. Laundry washing machine according to claim 10, wherein said means adapted to block the way of any flow of liquids comprise a wall (93).

12. Laundry washing machine according to claim 11, wherein said wall is a micro perforated one.

13. Laundry washing machine according to claim 11 or 12, wherein said wall is interposed between an air inlet and an air outlet in said vent device.