Drum for a laundry washing machine of the top-loading type

Abstract

 @ A drum for a laundry washing machine of the top-loading type is provided with door flaps (8, 9) adapted to partially overlap one another and hingedly connected to opposite rim portions (6, 7) of the drum opening (5).
The door flaps are provided respectively with hooks (12) and engagement openings (13) cooperating with one another in the closed position. Adjacent the hooks (12) there are further provided elastic elements (19) adapted to be negaged with corresponding engagement openings (13) for ensuring reliable closure of the door flaps.
One of the door flaps (9) finally is laterally seated, in its closed position, on a profile member (25) secured to each longitudinal rim (24) of the drum opening (5).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a drum for a laundry washing machine of the top-loading type provided with door flaps adapted to be engaged with one another in a simple and effective manner in the closed position.

[0002] Known laundry washing machines of the top-loading type are provided with a washing drum having a horizontal axis, the peripheral wall of the drum being formed with an opening for introducing and removing the laundry therethrough.

[0003] Hingedly connected to two opposite rims of this opening isr: a pair of door flaps by means of respective springs biassing them towards a raised position with respect to the opening.

[0004] From this raised position, in which the opening is accessible for the introduction or removal of the laundry into or from the drum, respectively, the door flaps can be moved to a lowered position in which they engage with one another by means of respective hooks and engagement openings, so as to close the opening and permitting the drum to be rotated.

[0005] The described door flaps are formed with a greater and a smaller width, respectively, than the opening of the drum, so that in the closed position the door flap of greater width is seated on the lateral rims of the opening, while the door flap having the smaller width is located at a position below that of the other door flap and is further able to be partially depressed into the opening of the drum during the operation of engaging and disengaging the door flaps with, or from, respectively, one another.

[0006] The door flap having the greater width is also provided with webs cooperating with the corresponding lateral rims of the opening of the drum in the closed position of the door flaps so as to avoid the formation of gaps between the door flaps and the opening, in which the laundry might be caught and thereby damaged on rotation of the drum.

[0007] Although the above described drum is satisfactory and reliable in operation, it is of rather complicated construction. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a washing drum for a laundry washing machine of the top-loading type, which is of relatively simple construction and adapted to be manufactured with a reduced consumption of material as compared to the above described drum.

[0008] These and other objects are attained according to the invention by a washign drum particularly for a laundry washing machine of the top-loading type, having a peripheral wall formed with an opening for the passage of the laundry, said opening being provided with two oppositely disposed door flaps adapted to partially overlap one another and hingedly mounted on opposite rims of said opening by means of springs adapted to bias them towards their open position, the width of said door flaps being smaller than that of said opening, said door flaps being provided respectively with hooks and engagement openings cooperating with one another, and with a safety catch means for locking said door flaps in their closed position.

[0009] According to the invention, a washing drum of the type defined above is characterized in that said door flap provided with said hooks is further provided with elastic engagement elements adapetd to be engaged with and disengaged from the corresponding engagement openings of the other door flap, the latter being adapted to seat on corresponding stopper elements secured along the lateral rims of said opening.

[0010] The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more clearly evident from the following description, given by way of a non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

fig. 1 shows a partial perspective view of a washign drum according to the invention, with the door flaps raised to a partially open position, and

fig. 2 shows a partial longitudinally sectioned view of the drum of fig. 1 with the door flaps disengaged from one another.

[0011] Shown in figs. 1 and 2 respectively is a part of a washing drum according to the invention, said drum being adapted to be mounted in a laundry washing machine of the top-loading type for rotation about a horizontal axis. The drum has a peripheral wall 3 formed with perforations 4, and to lateral end walls 23 secured to peripheral wall 3 in a per se known manner.. Peripheral wall 3 is formed with at least one opening 5 of a preferably rectangular shapes for permitting the laundry to be introduced into and removed from the drum.

[0012] Hingedly mounted on opposite transverse rims 6 and 7 of opening 5 is a pair of door flaps 8 and 9, respectively, the width of which is smaller than that of the opening. The door flaps are adapted to partially overlap one another in the closed position and are arcuately bent over their full width, so that their profile does not project from the circular profile of the drum in the closed position.

[0013] Adjacent the point whereat the respective door flaps 8 and - 9 are hingedly mounted there is provided at least one torsion spring 10 and 11, respectively, adapted to bias the respective door flap upwards to its open position.

[0014] The door flaps are formed with perforations for the passage of the washign liquid into and out of the drum, and provided with hooks 12 and engagement openings 13, respectively, for engagement with one another when moved downwards to their closed position. Hooks 12 are integrally formed with a planar plate member 14 secured in a per se known manner to the free end portion of door flap 8, together with a spring-biased safety catch 15 located below plate member 14 and mounted on the door flap for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane.

[0015] Safety catch 15 is formed with a lug 16 pivotable within a limited range in a recess 17 formed in plate member 14 and adapted to be engaged with a further engagement opening 18 formed in the other door flap 9 of the drum. Adjacent each hook 12 there is further provided an elastic engagement element 19 in the form of a blade member secured to door flap 8 together with plate member 14.

[0016] The free end portion of each elastic element 19 is bent over so as to form a convolute rim 20 which is received in a recess 21 of the respective hook 12 (fig. 1).

[0017] The purpose of the convolute rims 20 is to become engaged with a corresponding crimped edge 22 of the respective engagement opening 13 of door flap 9 in the engagement positio f the two door flaps 8 and 9.

[0018] Secured to each of the opposite longitudinal rims 24 of opening 5 is a profiled member 25 at a reentrant position with respect to the peripheral surface of the drum, said profiled members 25 acting as stop elements for door flap 9 in itsdclosed position to seat thereon.

[0019] To move the door flaps to their closed position, door flap 9 has at first to be brought to an overlapping position with respect to door flap 8, so as to enable hooks 12 and elastic elements 19 to be.received in engagement openings 13. Subsequently the two door flaps are further lowered until door flap 9 is seated on profile elements 25 and the convolute rims 20 of elastic elements 19 are engaged with the respective edges 22 of engagement openings 13, while. Lug 16 of safety catch 15 is engaged with engagement opening 13 of door flap 9 so as to prevent the door flaps from opening accidentally.

[0020] In this manner, the door flap 9 located on top remains seated on profile elements 25 and is prevented from being lifted therefrom to any appreciable degree, so as to avoid the formation therebetween of gaps in which the laundry night get caught. As a result, the laundry is substantially prevented from being damaged.

[0021] For opening the door flaps, door flap 8 alone has to be pushed slightly inwards of the drum, whereby the convolute rims 20 are disengaged from the edges 22 of engagement. openings 13. This operation is accompanied by displacement of safety catch 15 so as to disengage lug 16 from opening 18.

[0022] The inward movement of door flap 8 during this operation is limited to a short distance so as to avoid any damage to the laundry by the door flap itself. After the two door flaps have been disengaged from one another in the manner described,.they may be released so as to enable the respective springs 10 and 11 to raise them to their open position.

[0023] The advantages obtained by the use of the drum according to the invention are thus evident.

[0024] In the first place, thanks to the fact that both door flaps. have a smaller width than the drum opening and that the conventionally used webs have been eliminated, the drum according to the invention is of simplified construction requiring a reduced amount of material as compared to the initially discussed conventional drum.

[0025] In addition, the presence of the described elastic elements permits the mutual engagement and disengagement of the two door flaps to be accomplished in a simple and efficient manner without requiring the use of conventional door flap locking devices which are of a more complicated construction than the described elastic elements.

[0026] Thanks finally to the engagement between the hooks and engagement openings with the aid of the described elastic elements, it is always possible to obtain proper positioning of the door flaps in their closed position, Thus eliminating the danger of faulty engagement in the closed position which might result in the opening of the door flaps during rotation of the drum.

Claims

1. A washing drum, particularly for a laundry washing machine of the top-loading type, having a peripheral wall formed with an opening for the passage of the laundry, said opening being provided with two oppositely disposed door flaps adapted to partially overlap one another and hingedly mounted on opposite rims of said opening by means of symin springs adapted to bias them towards their open position, the width of said door flaps being smaller than that of sal said opening, said door flaps being provided respectively with hooks and engagement openings cooperating with one another, and with a catch means for locking said door flaps in their closed position, characterized in that said door flap (8) provided with said hooks (12) is further provided with elastic engagement elements (19) adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from the corresponding engagement openings (13) of the other door flap (9), the latter being adapted to seat on corresponding stopper elements (25) secured along the lateral rims (24) of said opening (5).

2. A drum according to claim 1, characterized in that each of said elastic engagement elements is formed as a blade member (19) located adjacent the respective hook (12) and secured to said door flap (8) together therewith, the free end portion of each said blade member (19) being arcuately bent so as to form a convolute rim portion (20) received in a corresponding recess (21) of said hook (12).

Drawing