FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technology field household appliances, and more
particularly to a front-loading washing machine.
BACKGROUND
[0002] In the related art, the washing machine includes a front-loading washing machine
and a pulsator washing machine. When the pulsator washing machine operates, the laundry
needs to be completely immersed in water, so that the water saving effect is poor.
Moreover, when loading or unloading the laundry with the front-loading washing machine,
a user needs to bend and squat down, and thus it is much inconvenient for use and
is particularly difficult for operations of special populations, such as the aged.
SUMMARY
[0003] The present disclosure seeks to solve at least one of the problems existing in the
related art to at least some extent.
[0004] Thus, embodiments of the present disclosure provides a front-loading washing machine,
the front-loading washing machine is easy to be used.
[0005] The front-loading washing machine according to embodiments of the present disclosure
includes: a cabinet having a front panel, in which the front panel is provided with
an opening; a tub having an access port for loading and unloading laundry, in which
the tub is disposed in the cabinet and configured in such a manner that the access
port is capable of being moved up and down in the opening; a rotatable drum disposed
in the tub; a door unit mounted to the tub and configured to cover the access port;
and a driving mechanism provided in the cabinet, coupled with the tub and configured
to drive the tub to rotate.
[0006] In the front-loading washing machine according to embodiments of the present disclosure,
by providing the driving mechanism to drive the tub to move up and down in the opening,
so as to change a position of the access port, it is convenient for a user to load
and unload the laundry. Moreover, the front-loading washing machine further has advantages
of an easy usage, a low laundry abrasion and a less water cost.
[0007] In addition, the front-loading washing machine according to embodiments of the present
disclosure may further include following additional features.
[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the driving mechanism is configured
to drive the access port to move up and down between a washing position and a non-washing
position in the opening.
[0009] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the access port is located
at the non-washing position, the access port is driven to move close to an upper edge
of the front panel, and when the access port located is at the washing position, the
access port is driven to move close to an lower edge of the front panel.
[0010] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the driving mechanism is configured
to drive the access port to move upwards to close to an upper edge of the front panel
and move downwards to close to a lower edge of the front panel.
[0011] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a motion range of the access
port in the opening is configured in such a manner that an angle between a central
axis of the access port and a horizontal plane ranges from 0° to 90°.
[0012] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the driving mechanism includes
a longitudinal pushrod disposed at a front side of the tub, a transverse shaft disposed
at a rear side of and coupled to the tub, and a support frame disposed in the cabinet
and having a hole, in which the transverse shaft is configured to rotate in the hole
of the support frame.
[0013] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the front-loading washing machine
further includes a flexible folded cover, connected with the front panel and the door
unit and configured to cover clearance gap between the door unit and an edge of the
opening.
[0014] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the flexible folded cover has
an annular shape and includes at least one annular folded portion extending along
a circumferential direction of the flexible folded cover, an inner circumferential
edge of the flexible folded cover is fixed with the door unit and an outer circumferential
edge thereof is fixed with the front panel.
[0015] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the inner circumferential edge
of the flexible folded cover is matched with an outer circumferential edge of the
door unit in shape, and the outer circumferential edge of the flexible folded cover
is matched with an inner circumferential edge of the opening in shape.
[0016] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the door unit includes a door
base and a door body hinged to the door base, and the inner circumferential edge of
the flexible folded cover is fixed with the door base.
[0017] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the inner circumferential edge
of the flexible folded cover is fixed with the door base by a clamp.
[0018] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the outer circumferential edge
of the flexible folded cover is fixed to the front panel by a fixing ring mounted
on an inner surface of the front panel.
[0019] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the flexible folded cover is
configured as a rubber part.
[0020] The additional aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will
be given in the following descriptions, parts of which will become apparent from the
following descriptions or known through the practice of the present disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] These and other aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will
become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following descriptions made
with reference to the drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a partial schematic view of a front-loading washing machine according to
embodiments of the present disclosure;
Fig. 2 is a partial schematic view of a front-loading washing machine according to
embodiments of the present disclosure, in which a door unit, a front panel, a flexible
folded cover and a tub are assembled together;
Fig. 3 is a partially exploded view of a front-loading washing machine according to
embodiments of the present disclosure;
Fig. 4 is a front view of a front-loading washing machine according to embodiments
of the present disclosure;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a front-loading washing machine according to embodiments
of the present disclosure, in which the front-loading washing machine is in a non-washing
state; and
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a front-loading washing machine according to embodiments
of the present disclosure, in which the front-loading washing machine is in a washing
state.
Reference numerals:
[0022]
front-loading washing machine 1;
cabinet 10; front panel 11; opening 111; upper edge 112; lower edge 113; flexible
folded cover 12; inner circumferential edge 121; outer circumferential edge 122; through
hole 123; positioning flange 124;
tub 20; access port 21; drum 30;
door unit 40; door hinge 41; door base 42; door body 43; fixing ring 44;
driving mechanism 50; longitudinal pushrod 51; transverse shaft 52; support frame
53; hole 531.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] Reference will be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments
described herein with reference to drawings are explanatory, illustrative, and used
to generally understand the present disclosure. The embodiments shall not be construed
to limit the present disclosure. The same or similar elements and the elements having
same or similar functions are denoted by like reference numerals throughout the descriptions.
[0024] A front-loading washing machine 100 will be described with reference to accompanying
drawings in the following.
[0025] As shown in Figs. 1-6, the front-loading washing machine 100 according to embodiments
of the present disclosure includes a cabinet 10, a tub 20, a rotatable drum 30, a
door unit 40 and a driving mechanism 50.
[0026] The cabinet 10 includes a front panel 11, and an opening 111 is formed in the front
panel 11. The tub 20 has an access port 21 for loading and unloading laundry, and
the tub 20 is disposed in the cabinet 10 and configured in such a manner that the
access port 21 is capable of being moved up and down in the opening 111 (an up-and-down
direction is shown in Figs. 2-4). The drum 30 is disposed in the tub 20. The door
unit 40 is mounted to the tub 20 and configured to cover the access port 21. The driving
mechanism 50 is provided in the cabinet 10, coupled to the tub 20, and further used
to drive the tub 20 to move.
[0027] In the front-loading washing machine 100 according to embodiments of the present
disclosure, the tub 200 is configured in such a manner that the access port 21 is
capable of being moved up and down in the opening 111, and thus the front-loading
washing machine 100 can move the access port 21 to a position suitable for a user
to load and unload laundry when the user needs to load or unload the laundry, compared
with a front-loading washing machine having the access port disposed in a front surface
thereof in the related art. In this way, when loading or unloading laundry through
the access port 21, the user does not need to squat down or bend, and thus the front-loading
washing machine 1 according to embodiments of the present disclosure has high practicability,
especially for the user inconvenient to bend or squat down.
[0028] Moreover, since the access port 21 can be moved up and down in the opening 111, the
access port 21 may be moved to a position suitable for washing laundry after the laundry
has been loaded. For example, the access port 21 may be moved downwards. In this way,
when washing laundry, the drum may roll to tumble the laundry up and down so as to
achieve the washing of laundry, thus reducing abrasion of the laundry during washing
thereof. Moreover, because the laundry needs not to be completely immersed in water
when being washed, but only a small amount of water is needed to accomplish the washing
thereof, a corresponding water cost is reduced, which is more environmentally friendly.
[0029] In addition, by disposing the driving mechanism 50, the tub 20 may be driven by using
the driving mechanism 50. In this way, when the user needs to adjust a position of
the access port 21, the driving mechanism 50 may be used to drive the tub 20 so as
to adjust the position of the access port 21. Thereby, the user can adjust the position
of the tub 20 with less effort, so that it is convenient for the user to adjust the
position of the access port 21, thus further improving using convenience of the front-loading
washing machine 1.
[0030] That is to say, by providing the tub 20 configured in such a manner that the access
port 21 is capable of being moved up and down in the opening 111 and providing the
driving mechanism 50 configured to drive the tub 20 to move, the front-loading washing
machine 1 can achieve a desired effect of an ordinary front-loading washing machine
when washing the laundry, and the access port 21 can be adjusted to the position suitable
for loading and unloading laundry when the laundry needs to be loaded or unloaded
or additional laundry needs to be loaded during the washing, so that a problem that
it is inconvenient to load and unload laundry for the traditional front-loading washing
machine in the related art is overcome.
[0031] Therefore, with the front-loading washing machine 100 according to embodiments of
the present disclosure, by providing the drive mechanism 50 to dive the tub 20 to
move up and down in the opening 111 so as to change the position of the access port
21, it is convenient for the user to load and unload laundry. Furthermore, the front-loading
washing machine 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure has advantages
of the convenient use, the low laundry abrasion and the reduced water cost.
[0032] The front-loading washing machine 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure
will be described with reference to accompanying drawings in the following.
[0033] In some specific embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figs. 1-6, the
front-loading washing machine 100 according to embodiments of the present disclosure
includes a cabinet 10, a tub 20, a rotatable drum 30, a door unit 40 and a driving
mechanism 50.
[0034] The driving mechanism 50 drives the access port 21 to move up and down between a
washing position and a non-washing position in the opening 111. In this way, when
the laundry needs washing, the driving mechanism 50 may be used to drive the tub 20,
so that the access port 21 can be moved to the washing position, thus facilitating
washing the laundry. When the laundry does not need washing, the driving mechanism
50 may be used to drive the tub 20, so that the access port 21 can be moved to the
non-washing position, thus facilitating loading and unloading the laundry by the user.
[0035] Specifically, as shown in Figs. 1-3, when the access port 21 is located at the non-washing
position (as shown in Fig. 5), the access port 21 is driven to move close to an upper
edge 112 of the front panel 11. When the access port 21 is located at the washing
position (as shown in Fig. 6), the access port 21 is driven to move close to a lower
edge 113 of the front panel 11. Thereby, when the user needs to load or unload the
laundry, the access port 21 may be moved close to the upper edge 112 of the front
panel 11, to facilitate loading and unloading laundry from top by the user, when the
user needs to wash laundry, the access port 21 may be moved close to the lower edge
113 of the front panel 11, to facilitate washing laundry through the rolling of the
drum 30.
[0036] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, the front panel 11 may be inclined backwards from
bottom to top. Thereby, it may be further convenient for the user to load and unload
laundry when the access port 21 is moved to the non-washing position.
[0037] Advantageously, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the driving mechanism 50 is configured
to drive the access port 21 to move upwards to close to the upper edge 112 of the
front panel 11 and to move downwards to close to the lower edge 113 of the front panel
11. In this way, when the laundry needs to be loaded or unloaded, the driving mechanism
50 may be operated, so that the access port 21 can be moved upwards to close to the
upper edge 112 of the front panel 11, thereby facilitating loading or unloading the
laundry; and when the laundry needs to be washed, the driving mechanism 50 may be
operated, so that the access port 21 can be moved downwards to close to the lower
edge 113 of the front panel 11, thereby facilitating washing the laundry by the rolling
of the drum 30.
[0038] Optionally, a motion range of the access port 21 in the opening 111 is configured
in such a manner that an included angle between a central axis of the access port
21and a horizontal plane ranges from 0° to 90°. In other words, the access port 21
may be moved between a horizontal position and a vertical position of the central
axis thereof. Specifically, when the access port 21 is located at the non-washing
position suitable for loading and unloading laundry, the central axis of the access
port 21 may be oriented in a vertical direction; and when the access port 21 is located
at the washing position suitable for washing laundry, the central axis of the access
port 21 may be oriented in a horizontal direction. Thereby, it is convenient for the
user to load and unload the laundry through the access port 21 from top, and also
to wash the laundry by the rolling of the drum.
[0039] It can be understood by those skilled in the art that, the motion range of the access
port 21 may be adjusted according to the actual conditions. For example, when the
access port 21 is located at the non-washing position (as shown in Fig. 2), the central
axis of the access port 21 may be inclined forwards from bottom to top, and thus it
is convenient for the user to load and unload the laundry as well. When the access
port 21 is located at the washing position (as shown in Fig. 4), the central axis
of the access port 21 may be oriented at a predetermined angle with respect to the
horizontal direction, in condition of ensuring the laundry in the drum to be washed
in a rolling manner.
[0040] The front-loading washing machine 100 according to a specific example of the present
disclosure is shown in Figs. 1-4. As shown in Figs. 1-5, the driving mechanism 50
includes a longitudinal pushrod 51 disposed at a front side of the tub 20, a transverse
shaft 52 disposed at a rear side of and coupled to the tub 20, and a support frame
53 disposed in the cabinet 10 and having a hole 531, in which the transverse shaft
52 may rotate in the hole 531 of the support frame 53. In this way, the tub 20 may
be disposed rotatably to the support frame 53 by the transverse shaft 52, so that
the access port 21 can be moved up and down in the opening 111; moreover, the tub
20 may be driven to move by the longitudinal pushrod 51, so as to achieve a position
adjustment of the access port 21.
[0041] It could be understood that, a clearance fit between an outer circumferential surface
of the tub 20 and the opening 111 is needed, so that the tub 20 can move up and down
in the opening 111, and thus a position adjustment of the access port 21 in the up-and-down
direction can be achieved. But, when the tub 20 moves up and down in the opening 111
or during the washing of the laundry, the tub 20 collides with the front panel 11
due to the clearance fit between the tub 20 and the front panel 11, thus bringing
about an unpleasant sound. In addition, a fitting clearance between the tub 20 and
the front panel 11 may influence an overall appearance of the front-loading washing
machine 100, and also dust or some other objects may fall into the machine through
the fitting clearance, thus affecting a normal operation of the front-loading washing
machine 100. Furthermore, children may extend their hands into the fitting clearance,
thus bringing about some potential security hazards.
[0042] Thus, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the front-loading washing machine
100 may further include a flexible folded cover 12, and the flexible folded cover
12 is connected with the front panel 11 and the door unit 40 and configured to cover
a gap between the door unit 40 and an edge of the opening 111. As shown in Fig. 2,
the flexible folded cover 12 is disposed between the door unit 40 and the front panel
11, and an outer circumferential edge 122 of the flexible folded cover 12 is jointed
with an inner circumferential wall of the opening 111. A through hole 123 is formed
in the middle of the flexible folded cover 12, and the outer circumferential surface
of the tub 20 is fitted with an inner circumferential wall of the through hole 123.
In this way, when the tub 20 moves up and down, the tub 20 touches and is fitted with
the flexible folded cover 12 directly. That is, when the tub 20 moves upwards, the
tub 20 presses an upper part of the flexible folded cover 12 to make the upper part
contract slowly, and a lower part of the flexible folded cover 12 gradually spreads
out; when the tub 20 moves downwards, the tub 20 presses the lower part of the flexible
folded cover 12 to makes the lower part contract slowly, and the upper part of the
flexible folded cover 12 gradually spreads out.
[0043] Thus, in the front-loading washing machine 100 according to embodiments of the present
disclosure, by providing the flexible folded cover 12 between the front panel 11 and
the door unit 40, a seamless connection between the tub 20 and the front panel 11
is obtained, so as to prevent the tub 20 from directly touching the front panel 11
while the tub 20 is moving up and down, thus reducing the unpleasant sound generated
during an operation of the front-loading washing machine 100 and improving the security
and the appearance quality of the front-loading washing machine 100.
[0044] In some examples of the present disclosure, the flexible folded cover 12 has an annular
shape and includes at least one annular folded portion extending along a circumferential
direction of the flexible folded cover 12. An inner circumferential edge 121 of the
flexible folded cover 12 is fixed with the door unit 40, and an outer circumferential
edge 122 thereof is fixed with the front panel 11. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a radial
dimension of the outer circumferential edge 122 of the flexible folded cover 12 is
larger than a radial dimension of the inner circumferential edge 121 thereof. The
inner circumferential edge 121 extends out from a front surface of the outer circumferential
edge 122 so as to form a stepped structure. It should be noted that, "inner" and "outer"
are defined in terms of a center of the flexible folded cover 12, in which "inner"
means being close to the center of the flexible folded cover 12 and "outer" means
being away from the center of the flexible folded cover 12.
[0045] Furthermore, the inner circumferential edge 121 of the flexible folded cover 12 is
matched with an outer circumferential edge of the door unit 40 in shape, and the outer
circumferential edge 122 of the flexible folded cover 12 is matched with an inner
circumferential edge of the opening 111 in shape. Thus, the flexible folded cover
12 can be closely fitted with the door unit 40 and the opening 111 of the front panel
11 respectively, and it is ensured that the flexible folded cover 12 and the door
unit 40 can move up and down along with the tub 20 synchronously.
[0046] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Fig. 2, the door unit
40 may include a door base 42 and a door body 43 hinged to the door base 42, and the
inner circumferential edge 121 of the flexible folded cover 12 is fixed with the door
base 42. As shown in Fig. 3, a door hinge 41 is provided between the door base 42
and the door body 43, and the door body 43 may rotate about a central shaft of the
door hinge 41. The inner circumferential edge 121 of the flexible folded cover 12
is fixed with the door base 42 by a clamp.
[0047] Furthermore, the outer circumferential edge 122 of the flexible folded cover 12 is
fixed to the front panel 11 by a fixing ring 44 mounted on an inner surface of the
front panel 11. The flexible folded cover 12 may be configured a rubber part. The
rubber part has a relatively good elastic deformation capability. As shown in Fig.
3, a positioning flange 124 is provided at a rear end surface of the outer circumferential
edge 122 of the flexible folded cover 12, and the positioning flange 124 is configured
to be fitted with the fixing ring 44, so as to fix the flexible folded cover 12 to
the front panel 11.
[0048] Other components and operations of the front-loading washing machine 100 according
to embodiments of the present disclosure are known to those skilled in the related
art, and thus will not be described in detail herein.
[0049] In the specification, it is to be understood that terms such as "central," "longitudinal,"
"lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left,"
"right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise,"
and "counterclockwise" should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described
or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience
of description and do not require that the present disclosure be constructed or operated
in a particular orientation.
[0050] In addition, terms such as "first" and "second" are used herein for purposes of description
and are not intended to indicate or imply relative importance or significance or to
imply the number of indicated technical features. Thus, the feature defined with "first"
and "second" may comprise one or more of this feature. In the description of the present
disclosure, "a plurality of" means two or more than two, unless specified otherwise.
[0051] In the present disclosure, unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms "mounted,"
"connected," "coupled," "fixed" and the like are used broadly, and may be, for example,
fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; may also be mechanical
or electrical connections; may also be direct connections or indirect connections
via intervening structures; may also be inner communications of two elements, which
can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations.
[0052] In the present disclosure, unless specified or limited otherwise, a structure in
which a first feature is "on" or "below" a second feature may include an embodiment
in which the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, and may also
include an embodiment in which the first feature and the second feature are not in
direct contact with each other, but are contacted via an additional feature formed
therebetween. Furthermore, a first feature "on," "above," or "on top of" a second
feature may include an embodiment in which the first feature is right or obliquely
"on," "above," or "on top of" the second feature, or just means that the first feature
is at a height higher than that of the second feature; while a first feature "below,"
"under," or "on bottom of" a second feature may include an embodiment in which the
first feature is right or obliquely "below," "under," or "on bottom of" the second
feature, or just means that the first feature is at a height lower than that of the
second feature.
[0053] Reference throughout this specification to "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "one
embodiment", "another example," "an example," "a specific example," or "some examples,"
means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described
in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment
or example of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases such as
"in some embodiments," "in one embodiment", "in an embodiment", "in another example,"
"in an example," "in a specific example," or "in some examples," in various places
throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment
or example of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the particular features, structures,
materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more
embodiments or examples.
[0054] Although explanatory embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated
by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments cannot be construed to limit
the present disclosure, and changes, alternatives, and modifications can be made in
the embodiments without departing from spirit, principles and scope of the present
disclosure.
1. A front-loading washing machine (100), comprising:
a cabinet (10) having a front panel (11), wherein the front panel (11) is provided
with an opening (111);
a tub (20) having an access port (21) for loading and unloading laundry, wherein the
tub (20) is disposed in the cabinet (10) and configured in such a manner that the
access port (21) is capable of being moved up and down in the opening (111);
a rotatable drum (30) disposed in the tub (20);
a door unit (40) mounted to the tub (20) and configured to cover the access port (21);
and
a driving mechanism (50) provided in the cabinet (10), coupled with the tub (20) and
configured to drive the tub (20) to rotate.
2. The front-loading washing machine (100) according to claim 1, wherein the driving
mechanism (50) is configured to drive the access port (21) to move up and down between
a washing position and a non-washing position in the opening (111).
3. The front-loading washing machine (100) according to claim 2, wherein when the access
port (21) is located at the non-washing position, the access port (21) is driven to
move close to an upper edge (112) of the front panel (11), and when the access port
(21) is located at the washing position, the access port (21) is driven to move close
to a lower edge (113) of the front panel (11).
4. The front-loading washing machine (100) according to claim 1, wherein the driving
mechanism (50) is configured to drive the access port (21) to move upwards to close
to an upper edge (112) of the front panel (11) and move downwards to close to a lower
edge (113) of the front panel (11).
5. The front-loading washing machine (100) according to claim 1, wherein a motion range
of the access port (21) in the opening (111) is configured in such a manner that an
included angle between a central axis of the access port (21) and a horizontal plane
ranges from 0° to 90°.
6. The front-loading washing machine (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the driving
mechanism (50) includes:
a longitudinal pushrod (51) disposed at a front side of the tub (20);
a transverse shaft (52) disposed at a rear side of the tub (20) and coupled to the
tub (20); and
a support frame (53) disposed in the cabinet (10) and having a hole (531), wherein
the transverse shaft (52) is configured to rotate in the hole of the support frame
(53).
7. The front-loading washing machine (100) according to claim 1, further comprising a
flexible folded cover (12), connected with the front panel (11) and the door unit
(40) and configured to cover a gap between the door unit (40) and an edge of the opening
(111).
8. The front-loading washing machine (100) according to claim 7, wherein the flexible
folded cover (12) has an annular shape and comprises at least one annular folded portion
extending along a circumferential direction of the flexible folded cover (12), an
inner circumferential edge (121) of the flexible folded cover (12) is fixed with the
door unit (40) and an outer circumferential edge (122) thereof is fixed with the front
panel (11).
9. The front-loading washing machine (100) according to claim 8, wherein the inner circumferential
edge (121) of the flexible folded cover (12) is matched with an outer circumferential
edge (122) of the door unit (40) in shape, and the outer circumferential edge (122)
of the flexible folded cover (12) is matched with an inner circumferential edge (121)
of the opening (111) in shape.
10. The front-loading washing machine (100) according to claim 8, wherein the door unit
(40) comprises a door base (42) and a door body (43) hinged to the door base (42),
and the inner circumferential edge (121) of the flexible folded cover (12) is fixed
with the door base (42).
11. The front-loading washing machine (100) according to claim 10, wherein the inner circumferential
edge (121) of the flexible folded cover (12) is fixed with the door base (42) by a
clamp.
12. The front-loading washing machine (100) according to claim 8, wherein the outer circumferential
edge (122) of the flexible folded cover (12) is fixed to the front panel (11) by a
fixing ring (44) mounted on an inner surface of the front panel (11).
13. The front-loading washing machine (100) according to any one of claims 7-12, wherein
the flexible folded cover (12) is configured as a rubber part.