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(11) | EP 0 133 302 B1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
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| (54) |
Drum for a laundry washing machine of the top-loading type Trommel für eine obenbeschickbare Waschmaschine Tambour pour machine à laver le linge à chargement par le dessus |
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| Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). |
[0001] The invention relates to a washing drum, particularly, for a laundry washing machine of the top-loading type according to the introductory part of Claim 1.
[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. Hingedly connected to two opposite rims of this opening is a pair of door flaps by means of respective springs biassing them outwards. From the opened 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. Such a washing drum is known from DE-A-1 22 37 410. In this known washing drum the hooks have to be sufficiently rigid to take up the centrifugal forces caused by the door flaps during rotation. In the event that the spring which biases the door flaps into their closed position becomes weak or is locked for any reason, the door flaps may open during operation of the machine and cause serious damage. DE-A-1 24 00 836 describes a similar washing drum wherein at the ends of the hooks there are provided cylindrical rollers which are to urge one of the door flaps against the other in the closed position. The hooks bearing these rollers necess- sarily also have to be of rigid material in order to take up the centrifugal forces during rotation. Since the diameter of these rollers has to be made sufficiently smaller than the widths of the openings in the other door flap which receives the hooks in order to provide for easy insertion of the hooks into these openings, this construction also suffers from the disadvantage that the door flaps may inadvertantly open during rotation in the event that the spring biasing the door flaps in their closed position has become weak.
[0003] DE-A-3 050 561 shows another type of washing drum with a single hook on one door flap for engagement in an opening in the other door flap. The hook itself is a rigid but hingedly connected to its door flap and biased by a spring. The door flap itself is biased by an additional spring in itgs closing position. The other door flap has a width larger than the laundry opening of the drum body so that it abuts against the drum body in the closed position of the two door flaps. This construction, however, is rather expensive to manufacture and because of the additional weight added to larger door flap causes unbalanced centrifugal forces.
[0004] The invention as claimed is intended to provide a remedy. The additional elastic engagement elements on the hooks provide for easy closing of the door flaps and for an additional security means against inadvertant opening of the door flaps during rotation in a simple mechanical construction. Furthermore, the catch means for additional locking the door flaps provide for a further security against inadvertent opening. The stopper elements against which one of the door flaps abuts provides for the possibility to manufacture both door flaps of about equal size so that no additional means have to be provided for balancing the drum with respect to centrifugal forces. The invention is described in detail below with reference to drawings which illustrate one specific embodiment, in which
Figure 1 shows a partial perspective view of a washing drum according to the invention, with the door flaps raised to a partially open position, and
Figure 2 shows a partial longitudinally sectioned view of the drum of Figure 1 with the door flaps disengaged from one another.
[0005] Shown in Figures 1 and 2 respectively is a part of a washing drum for a laundry washing machine of the top loading type. The drum has a peripheral wall 3 formed with perforations 4, and two lateral end walls 23 secured to peripheral wall 3. Peripheral wall 3 is formed with at least one opening 5 of a preferably rectangular shape for permitting the laundry to be introduced into and removed from the drum.
[0006] Hingedly mounted on opposite transverse rims 6 and 7 of opening 5 is a pair of door flaps 8 and 9, 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 body in the closed position.
[0007] Adjacent the point where the door flaps 8 and 9 are hingedly mounted there is provided at least one torsion spring 10 and 11, adapted to bias the respective door flap upwards to its open position.
[0008] The door flaps are formed with perforations for the passage of the washing 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.
[0009] 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.
[0010] 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 (Figure 1).
[0011] 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 position of the two door flaps 8 and 9.
[0012] 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 its closed position to seat thereon.
[0013] 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 18 of door flap 9 so as to prevent the door flaps from opening accidentally.
[0014] 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 might get caught. As a result, the laundry is substantially prevented from being damaged.
[0015] 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.
[0016] 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.
1. A washing drum, particularly for a laundry washing machine of the top-loading type,
having a peripheral wall (3) formed with a laundry opening (5) for the passage of
the laundry, said laundry passage (5) being provided with two oppositely disposed
door flaps (8, 9) adapted to partially overlap one another and hingedly mounted on
opposite rims (6, 7) of said laundry opening (5), the door flaps (8, 9) having springs
(10, 11) adapted to bias them towards their open position, the width of said door
flaps (8, 9) being smaller than that of the laundry opening (5), the door flaps (8,
9), being provided respectively with hooks (12) and engagement openings (13) cooperating
with one another, characterized in that, separated catch means (15, 16, 18) for locking
the door flaps (8, 9) in their closed position are provided, in that the hooks (12)
of the door flap (8) are further provided with elastic engagement elements (19) adapted
to be engaged, together with the hooks, with and disengaged from the corresponding
engagement openings (13) of the other door flap (9), and the door flap (9) being adapted
to abut against corresponding stopper elements (25) being formed along the lateral
rims (24) of the laundry opening (5) and projecting into the laundry opening (5).
2. A washing drum according to Claim 1, characterized in that each of the elastic
engagement elements (19) is formed as a blade member (19) located adjacent the respective
hook (12) and secured to the door flap (8) together therewith, the free end portion
of each blade member (19) being arcuately bent so as to form a convolute rim portion
(20) received in a corresponding recess (21) of the hook (12).
1. Waschtrommel, insbesondere für eine Waschmaschine der von oben zu beschickenden
Art, mit einer Umfangswand (3), die mit einer Wäscheöffnung (5) für den Durchgang
der Wäsche versehen ist, welcher Wäschedurchgang (5) mit zwei gegenüberliegend angeordneten
Türklappen (8, 9) versehen ist, die dazu eingerichtet sind, einander teilweise zu
überlappen, und die an gegenübliegenden Rändern (6, 7) der Wäscheöffnung (5) gelenkig
angebracht sind, welche Türklappen (8, 9) Federn (10, 11) haben, die dazu eingerichtet
sind, sie in ihre geöffnete Stellung vorzuspannen, wobei die Breite der Türklappen
(8, 9) kleiner als die der Wäscheöffnung (5) ist, welche Türklappen (8, 9) mit Haken
(12) bzw. Eingriffsöffnungen (13) versehen sind, die miteinander zusammenwirken, dadurch
gekennzeichnet, daß gesonderte Sperreinrichtungen (15, 16, 18) zum Verriegeln der
Türklappen (8, 9) in ihrer geschlossenen Stellung vorgesehen sind, daß die Haken (12)
der Türklappe (8) weiterhin mit elastischen Eingriffselementen (19) versehen sind,
die dazu eingerichtet sind, zusammen mit den Haken mit den entsprechenden Eingriffsöffnungen
(13) der anderen Türklappe (9) in Eingriff gebracht und davon gelöst zu werden, und
daß die Türklappe (9) dazu eingerichtet ist, gegen entsprechende Anschlagelemente
(25) anzustoßen, die längs der seitlichen Ränder (24) der Wäscheöffnung (5) ausgebildet
sind und in die Wäscheöffnung (5) vorstehen.
2. Waschtrommel nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß jedes der elastischen
Eingriffselemente (19) als ein Leistenelement (19) ausgebildet ist, das benachbart
dem entsprechenden Haken (12) angeordnet ist und an der Türklappe (8) zusammen damit
befestigt ist, wobei der freie Endabschnitt eines jeden Leistenelements (19) gebogen
ist, um einen eingerollten Randabschnitt (20) zu bilden, der in einer entsprechenden
Ausnehmung (21) des Hakens (12) aufgenommen wird.
1. Tambour de lavage, particulièrement pour une machine à laver le linge à chargement
par le dessus, ayant une paroi périphérique (3) formée d'une ouverture à linge (5)
pour le passage du linge, ledit passage de linge (5) étant muni de deux volets de
porte (8, 9) disposés de façon opposée, adaptés pour se recouvrir partiellement l'un
l'autre et montés de façon articulée sur des bords opposés (6, 7) de ladite ouverture
à linge (5), les volets de porte (8, 9) ayant des ressorts (10, 11) adaptés pour les
solliciter vers leur position d'ouverture, la largeur desdits volets de porte (8,
9) étant plus petite que celle de l'ouverture à linge (5), les volts de porte (8,
9) étant munis respectivement de crochets (12) et d'ouvertures d'emboîtement (13)
coopérant mutuellement, caractérisé en ce qu'il est prévu des moyens de loquet séparés
(15, 16, 18) pour verrouiller les volets de porte (8, 9) dans leur position de fermeture,
en ce que les crochets (12) du volet de porte (8) sont, en plus, munis d'éléments
d'emboîtement élastiques (19) adaptés pour être emboîtés, conjointement avec les crochets,
avec les ouvertures d'emboîtement correspondantes (13) de l'autre volet de porte (9)
et dégagés desdites ouvertures d'emboîtement, et le volet de porte (9) étant adapté
pour buter contre des éléments d'arrêt correspondants (25) qui sont formés le long
des bords latéraux (24) de l'ouverture à linge (5) et faisant saillie à l'intérieur
de l'ouverture à linge (5).
2. Tambour de lavage selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que chacun des éléments
d'emboîtement élastiques (19) est formé comme une lame (19) située à côté du crochet
respectif (12) et est fixée acec lui au volet de porte (8), la partie d'extrémité
libre de chaque lame (19) étant courbée en forme d'arc de façon à former une partie
de bord roulé (20) reçue dans un évidement correspondant (21) du crochet (12).