The present invention relates to a laundry treatment appliance with a washing receptacle, i.e. a drum equipped with a plurality of lifters by which any damage to the laundry being washed is prevented.
Laundry treatment appliances such as washing machines, dryers and combo washing/drying machines have a washing receptacle along a plurality of internal surface axial lines of which several lifters at various dimensions are provided in the manner to increase the washing efficiency by enabling the movement of the laundry. While the washing process takes place, the cloth items are raised to a certain height and then left free to fall, thereby a required displacement is accordingly induced in the washing receptacle.
A washing receptacle is typically produced by joining two opposite sides of a plate so as to obtain a cylindrical shape and by covering the axial ends of the resulting form by means of front and rear lids. A conventional technique for joining the two opposite sides of a plate is the clinching method by which the two metal layers one over the other are fastened together with the help of a punch and die. The tooling typically clamps the layers between the punch and die by drawing and squeezing the same into the die so as to form a lock.
A few lifters, preferably three lifters i.e. baffles can be obtained by conventional manufacturing techniques such as cutting, boring and bending or can be manufactured as a separate element to be mounted within the washing receptacle. A lifter can be attached to the washing receptacle through holes on the internal surface thereof by means of various locking arrangements. It is to be noted that it is of great concern that the joining line on which the clinching technique is applied is covered by a lifter. However, the fact that the joining line in the washing receptacle involves an inwardly projecting surface character due to the nature of the technique being applied, the lifter being directly attached on the joining line may result in that an opening of a certain size appears in between the lifter and the internal surface of the washing receptacle through the joining line,
or even the lifter may prove not possible to be attached at all due to the mutual irregularity. These gaps under the lifters might cause laundry damage in case a respective end of a cloth item is stuck in such a gap.
It is therefore desirable to obtain a structural arrangement by which the openings in between the lifter and the joining line of the washing receptacle is closed so as to avoid an open region exposed to cloth items and respective parts thereof, such as zippers, belts, collars and other end parts.
A prior art reference in the technical field of the present invention may be referred to as
The present invention, on the other hand, provides a structural arrangement by which the openings in between the lifter and the joining line of the washing receptacle is fully closed so as to avoid an open region exposed to cloth items.
Prior art document
Prior art document
Primary object of the present invention is therefore to avoid an open region exposed to cloth items in between the lifter and the joining line of the washing receptacle
The present invention therefore provides a washing receptacle, which is defined in the characterized portion of Claim 1.
The present invention discloses a laundry treatment appliance, i.e. an appliance having a drum receiving the laundry to be treated, the latter conventionally disposed in a tub. The washing receptacle, i.e. the drum is manufactured by way of clinching two opposite sides of a plate and mounting a plurality of axial lifters therein for imparting movement to the laundry under different operational conditions.
The clinching line, or in other expression the "seam" of the washing receptacle is covered by a lifter such that said clinching line is concealed in its entirety and contact of the laundry with the same during operation of the appliance is prevented. The axial side surfaces of the lifter that is the two end surfaces at the longitudinal ends thereof have intermediate cavities at the skirt portions, shaped to receive a clinching line protrusion in a mutually confronting relationship.
Further, embossed fillings are alternatively disposed between the intermediate cavities and said clinching line protrusions to feature an improved contact engagement. The embossed fillings are also applicable on the internal side of the lateral surface of said washing receptacle where no clinching lines are present.
Accompanying drawings are given solely for the purpose of exemplifying a washing receptacle whose advantages over prior art were outlined above and will be explained in brief hereinafter.
The drawings are not meant to delimit the scope of protection as identified in the claims nor should they be referred to alone in an effort to interpret the scope identified in said claims without recourse to the technical disclosure in the description of the present invention.
The followings numerals are used in the detailed description:
The present invention proposes a laundry treatment appliance (1) such as for instance a washing machine, a dryer or a combo washing/drying machine. The laundry treatment appliance (1) of the invention conventionally comprises a tub (2) and a washing receptacle (3), i.e. a drum located in the tub (2), in which the laundry to be washed is placed. Said washing receptacle (3) is produced by joining two opposite sides of a plate so as to obtain a cylindrical shape and by covering the axial ends thereof by means of a front (4) and a rear lid (5). To this end, the lateral surface (6) of the washing receptacle (3) making up the axially extending side surface thereof is obtained by the clinching method such that the two reciprocal metal layers are fastened together with the help of a punch and die. The internal side of the lateral surface (6), i.e. the internal surface, conventionally comprises a plurality of lifters (7) i.e. the baffles intended for inducing displacement of the laundry under different operational condition, i.e. so as to move in a predetermined manner during washing or spin-drying. In a nutshell, the present invention proposes a laundry treatment appliance (1) comprising a tub (2) and a washing receptacle (3) located in the tub (2) and in which the laundry to be washed is placed, said washing receptacle (3) having a clinching line (12) i.e. a seam by which two opposite sides of a plate are joined to obtain a cylindrical shape. A plurality of lifters (7) for inducing predetermined displacement of the laundry under different operational conditions is provided in said washing receptacle (3).
The joining line on which the clinching technique is applied is needed to be covered by a lifter (7) due to a plurality of reasons, including those such as aesthetical ones in an effort to conceal the joining line or simply in order for regaining discharge or circulation holes provided on the lateral surface (6) of the washing receptacle (3), which would otherwise be covered by the respective lifter (7). Since the fact that the joining line in the washing receptacle (3) involves an inwardly projecting surface character due to the nature of the clinching technique, the lifter (7) being attached on the joining line may result in that an opening appears in between the lifter (7) and the lateral surface (6) of the washing receptacle (3), in which case a respective end of a cloth item can be stuck in such an opening and damaged. According to the present invention, to overcome the above-identified inconvenience, the axial side surfaces (8) of the lifters (7) have an intermediate cavity (9) at the skirt portions thereof, designed so as to be receiving a clinching line protrusion (10). These axial end clinching line protrusions (10) are therefore covered by the borders of the intermediate cavities (9) so as to cover any gap between the skirt portions of the lifters (7) where the intermediate cavities (9) are disposed and the internal side of the lateral surface (6), where the clinching line protrusions (10) are present. Alternatively, as shown in
According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, embossed fillings (11) are employed to obtain a reciprocally tight-fit engagement surface between the intermediate cavities (9) and said clinching line protrusions (10) so as to be disposed thereinbetween. The embossed fillings (11) fully cover said clinching line protrusions (10). It is to be noted that a lifter (7) provided with intermediate cavities (9) according to the present invention can be used on the internal side of the lateral surface (6) along axial lines where no clinching line (12) is present. To this end, to adapt the internal side of the lateral surface (6) to be suitable for establishing a mutually confronting surface relationship with the skirt portions at the axial side surfaces (8) of said lifters (7), said embossed fillings (11) are also provided along axial lines outside the clinching line (12). To this end, a lifter (7) used on the clinching line (12) is also usable on other parts of the washing receptacle (3). Said embossed fillings (11) are therefore directly applicable on the internal side of the lateral surface (6) of said washing receptacle (3).
In another embodiment of the present invention, said embossed fillings (11) can be formed by applying the clinching technique such that a modified die is used to obtain a greater protrusion at the skirt portions of the lifters or they can be designed in the shape of individual members mechanically connectible with said washing receptacle (3).
Accordingly, a structural arrangement is proposed, by which the openings in between the lifter (7) and the clinching line (12) of the washing receptacle (3) is closed so as to avoid an open region exposed to cloth items and respective parts thereof, such as zippers, belts, collars and other end parts.
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.