This invention relates to a washer/dryer comprising a group of door which can be mounted to be opened and closed preferably towards the right and left of the front panel.
In state of art, doors used in the washer/dryers especially in the washing machines are opened in one direction preferably in right or left direction of the washer/dryer. When it is requested to be opened in both directions, modifications are made either on the door or the hinge of the door. However problems may arise for the user when they are made on the doors having on knobs or indicators operating with electricity and hinges having cables on conveying the voltage to these parts.
In prior art, International Patent Application No.
The object of this invention is to realize a washer/dryer comprising a group of doors which can be mounted to be opened and closed preferably in right or left direction of the front panel and to provide connection of the cables for the parts on such as knobs and indicators with the network voltage supply and the machine itself without any damage for the users while using and placing.
The washer/dryer realized in order to attain the above mentioned objective of the present invention has been illustrated in the attached drawings, wherein;
The components shown in the figures have individually been enumerated as shown below:
24. Cable pusher
30. Front panel
31. Panel door replacement housing
32. Housing camouflage plate
33. Housing covering plate
34. Bolt
35. Locking mechanism
36. Clip holes
39. Stopper
40. Cable protection extension
41. Male socket
42. Female socket
Washer/dryers (1) preferably front loaded washing machines comprise a group of doors (2) preferably in the circular form which can be opened and closed for the placement and removal of the laundry to be washed and/or dried, a front panel (30) on which the group of doors is attached, more than one panel door replacement housing (31) which provide the use of the group of doors in the requested direction, a locking mechanism (35) which locks the group of doors (2), a bolt (34) which provides the operation of the locking mechanism (35), a hinge (5) which is attached to the group of doors (2) and provides the opening and closing of the group of doors (2), a housing camouflage plate (32) near the hinge (5) which covers the openings on the panel door replacement housing (31) without preventing the operation of the hinge (5) and a housing covering plate (33) far from the hinge which covers the openings on the panel door replacement housing (31) without preventing the operation of the bolt (34).
Hinge (5) comprises a hinge holder (6) which fixes it, preferably as a single part, one or more stoppers (39) which prevent its motion more than the required amount, one or more cable protection extension (40) which provides the attachment of the cables and protection from any damage during its motion and one or more clip holes (36) by which preferably the string clips and cables are attached which provide the proper placement of the cables into the cable protection extension (40) in required order and prevention from leaving from its place or any possible damage which may arise from their compression or extension during its movement.
Group of doors (2) comprises an outer door (3) providing an aesthetical appearance, a control card (17) enabling the user to control monitor and/or control the washer/dryer (1), a control panel (16) connected to the control card (17), an inner door (4) onto which the outer door (3) is attached, a transparent door (7) preferably made of glass material placed between the inner door (4) and the outer door (3), and one or more male and female sockets (41, 42) on the edge of the cable conveying the voltage from the network voltage supply or on the edge of the cables into which it is placed which convey the voltage by being connected to each other.
Outer door (3) comprises a motion gap (8) which is placed on both sides of the hinge (5) symmetrically and provides the easy motion of the hinge (5) and cables without any tight, and one or more control panel housing (15) which is placed into the control panel (16) and provides its vision and use from outside.
Inner door (4) comprises one or more transparent door fixation extension (10) one or more transparent door guidance projection (11) used to stop the transparent door (7) in the right position when it is required to be rotated in an unsymmetrical form, a hinge housing (12) in which the hinge (5) is placed, at least two control card housings (9) having the same form placed symmetrically onto both sides of the hinge housing (12) onto which the control card (17) and/or the control panel (16) are placed, one or more socket housings (13) providing the connection of the cable on the hinge (5) near the hinge housing (12) facing the control card housings (9) with the group of doors (2) and one or more cable housing (14) providing the attachment of the cables extending along the socket housing (13) to the control card (17) between the hinge housing (12) and the control card housings (9).
Hinge holder (6) comprises one or more cable pusher (24), which prevents the damage to the cables extending from the hinge (5) due to the motion of the hinge (5).
When the group of doors (2) is mounted, the hinge (5) is placed into the hinge housing (12) and the fixed by the hinge holder (6). After the hinge (5) is fixed, the control panel (16) is placed to the control panel housing (15), the control card (17) is placed to the control card housing (9) and cable housings (14) attached to the control card (17) and the socket at the edge of the cables is placed to the socket housing (13) according to the opening direction of the group of doors (2). Socket cable on the hinge (5) is plugged into the socket placed into the socket housing (13). Following the assembly of the inner door (4), outer door (3) is attached onto the inner door (4).
When the direction of the group of doors (2) is required to be changed, the inner door (4) is separated from the outer door (3) and the hinge holder (6), the hinge (5), the control panel (16), the control card (17) and the connection cables are disassembled. The outer door (3) remains fixed due to the position of the control panel (16) and the inner door (4) is rotated by 180 degrees such that the control panel (16) is faced against to the control card housing (9). In this position, the control card (17) is attached to the other control card housing (9) and the control panel (16) is mounted on it, and then the hinge (5) is fixed by the hinge holder (6), the cables on the hinge (5) are connected to the control card (17) by means of the male and female sockets (41, 42). After the inner door is mounted, the outer door (3) is attached onto the inner door (4). Therefore, the opening direction of the group of doors (2) is changed easily without changing the place of the control panel housing (15).
The washer/dryer (1), which is the subject of the invention, can be easily mounted together with the group of doors (2) in accordance with the required opening and closing direction or the mounted group of doors (2) can be easily dismounted for opening and closing in the required direction.
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.