IMPROVED REVERSIBLE DOOR FOR HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a household appliance, in particular a water conducting household appliance such as a domestic washer or dryer in which a swing direction of the pivotable door can be reversed for either left-hand swing or right-hand swing by a customer itself. The present disclosure also relates to technique for reversing a swing direction of the pivotable door.

[0002] It is common practice in the field of water conducting household appliances to provide, for example, a domestic washer/dryer with a reversible hinge assembly that allows a customer to selectively and releasably mount the pivotable door to a main body of the appliance for either left-hand swing or right-hand swing. When a customer purchases such a household appliance, the swing direction of the pivotable door thereof may not always conform to the customer's laundry room. Nevertheless, the customer may change, by virtue of the reversible hinge assembly, the swing direction of the door prior to installing the household appliance at its designated location such that the door opens and closes in conformity with the surrounding articles. Thereby, the user can unimpededly load/unload the laundry drum of the washer/dryer.

[0003] The pivotable door of a conventional washer/dryer is usually rotationally asymmetric with respect to an axis passing through the center of the opening of the laundry drum. Therefore, when reversing a swing direction of the pivotable door, a relative position of the pivotable door with respect to the main body must be kept unchanged. Several techniques have been devised for reversing a swing direction of a pivotable door. In a commonly known technique, the hinge assembly is rendered transferrable from one side of the door/opening to a diametrically opposite side of the door/opening. According to this technique a user with ordinary skill first demounts the hinge assembly from the door and the main body, and remounts the hinge assembly to a diametrically opposing position on the door and the main body.

[0004] US 2010/0295428 A1 discloses an electric household appliance, in particular a laundry washing/drying machine which has a reversible door.

[0005] CN101812795 discloses a clothing treatment device with door components.

[0006] US2011023316 A1 discloses a household appliance includes a housing having an opening for accessing an interior of the housing, a tub disposed inside the housing and having a rotating drum therein for receiving laundry through the opening, and a door assembly having a see-through portion for viewing into the tub and being pivotably coupled to the housing and movable between an open position and a closed position.

[0007] US2012119630 (A1) discloses a door with a window for an appliance, such as a clothes dryer, and a method for assembling such a door in the appliance are provided.

[0008] WO2013088940 (A1) discloses a washing machine which is configured so that the efficiency of removal of stains on laundry is improved by simple improvement of a door for opening and closing a laundry insertion opening.

[0009] EP2796608 (A2) discloses a door assembly having an improved configuration to easily change an opening/closing direction of a door.

[0010] When a pivotable door already opens and closes in conformity with the customer's laundry room, then the customer does not need to change the swing direction of the pivotable door. However, when the customer eventually needs to change the swing direction of the pivotable door in consequence of relocation or the like, then he/she must first demount the hinge assembly, reposition the hinge assembly to a diametrically opposing position, and remount the hinge assembly. When performing these assembly steps, there is a risk that the user deforms the sensitive elements of the hinge assembly and the pivotable door which cooperate with each other. Therefore, such cooperating elements must be robust and fail safe. However, such a hinge assembly increases the costs.

[0011] An objective of the present invention is to provide a household appliance having a pivotable door which overcomes the aforementioned problems of the prior art. Another objective of the present disclosure is to provide a technique which enables a quick and secure reversal of the swing direction of the pivotable door.

[0012] These objectives have been achieved by the household appliance according to the present invention as defined in claim 1. Further achievements have been attained by the subject-matters respectively defined in the dependent claims.

[0013] The pivotable door comprises an inner-door assembly and an outer-door assembly. The inner-door assembly leak-tightly closes the opening and is rotationally asymmetric with respect to an axis passing through a center of the opening. The outer-door assembly has a hinge assembly and a lock assembly. The hinge assembly and the lock assembly are both non-releasably fastened to the outer-door assembly. The inner-door assembly and the outer-door assembly are respectively provided with a first fastening means and a second fastening means which releasably engage with each other.

[0014] In an embodiment, the hinge assembly and the lock assembly are both fastened to the outer-door assembly by non-releasable rivets.

[0015] In another embodiment, the first fastening means and the second fastening means include through-holes and threaded-holes respectively which are suitable for screwing the inner-door assembly and the outer-door assembly together.

[0016] In the present invention, the rotationally asymmetric elements whose relative position with respect to the main body cannot be changed during the reversal operation have been provided as part of the inner-door assembly whereas the elements which need to be rotated during the reversal operation have been provided as part of the outer-door assembly. Thereby, the number of steps and the labor involved in the reversal of the pivotable door have been substantially reduced and simplified. Thus, even a person with ordinary skill can quickly reverse the swing direction of the pivotable door. In the present invention by virtue of the inner-door assembly and the outer-door assembly, a swing direction of the pivotable door can be reversed without demounting the hinge assembly from the outer-door assembly. Thereby, the sensitive elements of the hinge assembly and the outer-door assembly which cooperate with each other can be protected from deformations. Also by virtue of the non-releasable engagement between the hinge assembly and the outer-door assembly, the customer has been prevented from erroneously demounting the hinge assembly from the outer-door assembly.

[0017] Additional advantages of the household appliance of the present invention will become apparent with the detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 - is a schematic perspective rear view of a pivotable door prior to mounting it to a main body of a household appliance;

Figure 2 - is a schematic perspective rear view of an inner-door assembly of the pivotable door shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 3 - is a schematic perspective rear view of an outer-door assembly of the pivotable door shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 4 - a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, 1, m, n, p, q, r, s are schematic views which illustrate assembly steps of a method for reversing a swing direction of a pivotable door according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] The reference signs appearing on the drawings relate to the following technical features.

1.

Pivotable door

2.

Household appliance

3.

Main body

4.

Laundry drum

5.

Opening

6a.

Mounting seat

6b.

Mounting seat

7.

Hinge assembly

8a.

Inner-door assembly

8b.

Outer-door assembly

9.

Lock assembly

10a.

First fastening means

10b.

Second fastening means

11a.

Through-hole

11b.

Threaded-hole

12.

Screw

13.

Transparent element

14.

Lower portion

15.

Decorative element

16.

Protrusion

17.

Upper portion

18.

Non-releasable rivets

[0019] The pivotable door (1) is suitable for use in a household appliance (2), in particular a dryer (Fig. 4).

[0020] The household appliance (2) comprises a main body (3), a laundry drum (4) for receiving clothes to be dried, an opening (5) for loading/unloading the laundry drum (4), wherein the opening (5) is formed on a front side of the main body (3) and a pair of mounting seats (6a, 6b) for selectively and releasably mounting a hinge assembly (7) of the pivotable door (1) for either left-hand swing or right-hand swing respectively, wherein the mounting seats (6a, 6b) are arranged around the opening (5) so as to diametrically oppose each other. The household appliance (2) also comprises a pivotable door (1) (Fig. 4).

[0021] The pivotable door (1) comprises an inner-door assembly (8a) and an outer-door assembly (8b). The inner-door assembly (8a) leak-tightly closes the opening (5). The inner-door assembly (8a) is rotationally asymmetric with respect to an axis passing through a center of the opening (5). The outer-door assembly (8b) has a hinge assembly (7) and a lock assembly (9). The hinge assembly (7) and the lock assembly (9) are both non-releasably fastened to the outer-door assembly (8b).

[0022] The inner-door assembly (8a) has a first fastening means (10a) for releasably engaging the inner-door assembly (8a) to the outer-door assembly (8b) via a corresponding second fastening means (10b) of the outer-door assembly (8b) (Figs. 1 to 4).

[0023] In an embodiment, the hinge assembly (7) and the lock assembly (9) are both non-releasably fastened to the outer-door assembly (8b) by utilizing non-releasable rivets (Figs. 1 to 4).

[0024] In another embodiment, the first fastening means (10a) includes through-holes (11a) for receiving screws (12). In this embodiment, the second fastening means (10b) includes threaded-holes (11b) for threadably engaging with the screws (12) which are inserted through said through-holes (11a) (Figs. 1 to 4).

[0025] In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the first fastening means (10a) and the second fastening means (10b) include corresponding snap fit portions which releasably engage.

[0026] In another embodiment, the inner-door assembly (8a) comprises a transparent element (13) to allow a user view inside the laundry drum (3). The transparent element (13) has a substantially flat lower portion (14) which renders the inner-door assembly (8a) become rotationally asymmetric with respect to the axis passing through the center of the opening (5). In this embodiment, the inner-door assembly (8a) also comprises a decorative panel (15) which surrounds the transparent element (13). The decorative element (15) is partly exposed to a front side of the household appliance (2) (Figs. 1, 2 and 4). In this embodiment, the inner-door assembly (8a) also includes a sealing element (not shown) which leak-tightly seals the opening (5) when the door (1) is in a closed state. In a version of this embodiment, the transparent element (13) is made of glass. In another version of this embodiment, the elements of the inner-door assembly have been connected by hot driven rivets.

[0027] In another embodiment, the inner-door assembly (8a) includes a protrusion (16) which activates a micro switch (not shown) of the household appliance (2) when the door (1) is in a closed state. The micro switch is arranged above the opening (5). In this embodiment, the protrusion (16) is centered midway on an upper portion (17) of the inner-door assembly (8a) so as to oppose the micro switch regardless whether the door (1) is mounted so as to open/close by left-hand swing or right-hand swing (Figs. 1,2, and 4).

[0028] In the household appliance (2) of the present invention, the hinge assembly (7) of the pivotable door (1) is mounted via either one of the mounting seats (6a, 6b) to the main body (3) to pivotally open/close the opening (5) (Fig. 4).

[0029] The present disclosure also provides a method of reversing a swing direction of a pivotable door (1) of the household appliance (2). First, the pivotable door is opened (Fig. 4a). Then, the hinge assembly (7) of the pivotable door (1) is demounted from its current mounting seat (6a, 6b) on the main body (3) (Figs. 4b-4c). Then, the pivotable door (1) is gently placed on a flat surface (4d). Then, the inner-door assembly (8a) is disengaged from the outer-door assembly (8b) by mutually releasing the first fastening means (10a) and the second fastening means (10b) (Figs. 4e- 4f). Then, the pivotable door (1) is turned upside down without physically separating the inner-door assembly (8a) and the outer-door assembly (8b) (Figs. 4g-4h). Then, the outer-door assembly (8b) is upwardly lifted away from the inner-door assembly (8a) (Fig. 4i). Then, the outer-door assembly (8b) is rotated 180° relative to the inner-door assembly (8a) (Fig. j). Then, the pivotable door (1) is turned upside down (Figs. 4k-41). Then, the inner-door assembly (8a) is releasably engaged with the outer-door assembly (8b) via the first fastening means (10a) and the second fastening means (10b) (Fig. 4m-4n). Then, the hinge assembly (7) of the pivotable door (1) is remounted to the other mounting seat (6a, 6b) of the main body (3) (Fig. 4p - 4r). Thereby, the swing direction of the pivotable door (1) has been reversed (Fig. 4s).

[0030] In the present disclosure by virtue of the compositions of the inner-door assembly (8a) and the outer-door assembly (8b) the steps involved in the reversal of the pivotable door (1) have been substantially simplified so that even a customer with ordinary skill can quickly reverse the swing direction of the pivotable door (1). By virtue of the non-releasable engagement between the hinge assembly (7) and the outer-door assembly (8b), the customer has been prevented from erroneously demounting the hinge assembly (7) from the outer-door assembly (8b). Thereby, the sensitive elements of the hinge assembly (7) and the outer-door assembly (8b) which cooperate with each other have been protected from deformations.

Claims

1. A household appliance (2), in particular a dryer, comprising a main body (3), a laundry drum (4) for receiving clothes to be dried, an opening (5) for loading/unloading the laundry drum (4), wherein the opening (5) is formed on a front side of the main body (3) and a pair of mounting seats (6a, 6b) for selectively and releasably mounting a hinge assembly (7) of a pivotable door (1) for either left-hand swing or right-hand swing respectively, wherein the mounting seats (6a, 6b) are arranged around the opening (5) so as to diametrically oppose each other,

the pivotable door (1) comprising

- an inner-door assembly (8a) for leak-tightly closing the opening (5), wherein the inner-door assembly (8a) is rotationally asymmetric with respect to an axis passing through a center of the opening (5),

- an outer-door assembly (8b) which has a hinge assembly (7) and a lock assembly (9),

wherein the inner-door assembly (8a) has a first fastening means (10a) for releasably engaging the inner-door assembly (8a) to the outer-door assembly (8b) via a corresponding second fastening means (10b) of the outer-door assembly (8b),

the hinge assembly (7) and the lock assembly (9) are both non-releasably fastened to the outer-door assembly (8b)

characterized in that

the inner-door assembly (8a) comprising a protrusion (16) configured to activate a micro switch of the household appliance (2) which is arranged above the opening (5), wherein the protrusion (16) is centered midway on an upper portion (17) of the inner-door assembly (8a) so as to oppose the micro switch regardless whether the door (1) is mounted so as to open/close by left-hand swing or right-hand swing.

2. The household appliance (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first fastening means (10a) includes through-holes (11a) for receiving screws (12), and the second fastening means (10b) includes threaded-holes (11b) for threadably engaging with the screws (12) which are inserted through said through-holes (11a).

3. The household appliance (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the inner-door assembly (8a) comprising

- a transparent element (13) to allow a user view inside the laundry drum (3), wherein the transparent element (13) has a substantially flat lower portion (14) which renders the inner-door assembly (8a) become rotationally asymmetric with respect to the axis passing through the center of the opening (5),

- a decorative element (15) which surrounds the transparent element (13), wherein the decorative element (15) is partly exposed to a front side of the household appliance (2) and

- a sealing element for leak-tightly sealing the opening (5) when the door (1) is in a closed state.

4. A household appliance (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that
the hinge assembly (7) of the pivotable door (1) is mounted via either one of the mounting seats (6a, 6b) to the main body (3) to pivotally open/close the opening (5).

Ansprüche

1. Ein Haushaltsgerät (2), insbesondere ein Trockner, umfasst einen Hauptkörper (3), eine Wäschetrommel (4) für die Platzierung von zu trocknender Wäsche, eine Öffnung (5) zum Beladen/Entladen der Wäschetrommel (4), wobei die Öffnung (5) an einer Vorderseite des Hauptkörpers (3) ausgebildet ist und ein Paar Montagesitze (6a, 6b) zum wahlweisen und lösbaren Montieren einer Scharnieranordnung (7) an einer schwenkbaren Tür (1) für entweder Linksschwenkung oder Rechtsschwenkung, wobei die Montageaufnahmen (6a, 6b) um die Öffnung (5) herum so angeordnet sind, dass sie einander diametral gegenüberliegen; die schwenkbare Tür (1) umfasst

- eine Innentüranordnung (8a) zum dichten Verschließen der Öffnung (5), wobei die Innentüranordnung (8a) in Bezug auf eine Achse, die durch eine Mitte der Öffnung (5) verläuft, rotationsasymmetrisch ist,

- eine Außentüranordnung (8b), die eine Scharnieranordnung (7) und eine Schlossanordnung (9) aufweist,

wobei die Innentüranordnung (8a) ein erstes Befestigungsmittel (10a) zum lösbaren Eingriff der Innentüranordnung (8a) mit der Außentüranordnung (8b) aufweist, über ein entsprechendes zweites Befestigungsmittel (10b) der Türaußenbaugruppe (8b), wobei die Scharnieranordnung (7) und die Schlossanordnung (9) beide unlösbar an der Außentüranordnung (8b) befestigt sind,

gekennzeichnet ist es dadurch,

dass die Innentüranordnung (8a) einen Vorsprung (16) umfasst, der konfiguriert ist, um einen Mikroschalter des Haushaltsgeräts (2) zu aktivieren, der über der Öffnung (5) angeordnet ist, wobei der Vorsprung (16) in der Mitte auf einem oberen Abschnitt (17) der Innentüranordnung (8a) zentriert ist, um dem Mikroschalter gegenüberzustehen, unabhängig davon, ob die Tür (1) so montiert ist, dass sie nach links oder links schwenkbar geöffnet/geschlossen wird.

2. Ein Haushaltsgerät (2), wie in Anspruch 1 aufgeführt, ist dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das erste Befestigungsmittel (10a) Durchgangslöcher (11a) zum Aufnehmen von Schrauben (12) enthält und das zweite Befestigungsmittel (10b) Gewindelöcher (11b) zum Gewindeeingriff mit den Schrauben (12) enthält, die durch die Durchgangslöcher (11a) eingeführt werden.

3. Ein Haushaltsgerät (2), wie in Anspruch 1 oder 2 aufgeführt, ist dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Innentüranordnung (8a) folgendes umfasst:

- ein transparentes Element (13), um einen Benutzereinblick in die Wäschetrommel (4) zu ermöglichen, wobei das transparente Element (13) einen wesentlich flachen unteren Abschnitt (14) aufweist, der bewirkt, dass die Innentüranordnung (8a) in Bezug auf die durch die Mitte der Öffnung (5) verlaufende Achse rotationsasymmetrisch wird,

- ein Dekorationselement (15), das das transparente Element (13) umgibt, wobei das Dekorationselement (15) teilweise einer Vorderseite des Haushaltsgeräts (2) ausgesetzt ist, und

- ein Dichtungselement zum dichten Verschließen der Öffnung (5) im geschlossenen Zustand der Tür (1).

4. Ein Haushaltsgerät (2), wie in den Ansprüchen 1 bis 3 aufgeführt, ist dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Scharnieranordnung (7) der schwenkbaren Tür (1) über einen der Montagesitze (6a, 6b) an dem Hauptkörper (3) montiert ist, um die Öffnung (5) schwenkbar zu öffnen/schließen.

Revendications

1. Un appareil électroménager (2), en particulier un sèche-linge, comprenant un corps principal (3), un tambour à linge (4) destiné à recevoir les vêtements à sécher, une ouverture (5) pour charger/décharger le tambour à linge (4), l'ouverture (5) étant constitué sur un côté avant du corps principal (3) et une paire de sièges de montage (6a, 6b) pour monter de manière sélective et amovible un assemblage d'articulation (7) d'une porte pivotante (1) basculant respectivement vers la gauche ou vers la droite, les sièges de montage (6a, 6b) étant disposés autour de l'ouverture (5) de manière à s'opposer diamétralement l'un envers l'autre,

la porte pivotante (1) comprenant

- un ensemble de porte intérieure (8a) pour assurer une fermeture étanche de l'ouverture (5), l'ensemble de porte intérieure (8a) étant asymétrique à la rotation par rapport à un axe passant par le centre de l'ouverture (5),

- un ensemble de porte extérieure (8b) qui a un assemblage d'articulation (7) et un ensemble de verrouillage (9),

dans laquelle l'ensemble de porte intérieure (8a) a un premier dispositif de fixation (10a) pour engager l'ensemble de porte intérieure (8a) de manière amovible à l'ensemble de porte extérieure (8b) grâce à un deuxième dispositif de fixation correspondant (10b) de l'ensemble de porte extérieure (8b),

l'assemblage d'articulation (7) et l'ensemble de verrouillage (9) sont tous deux fixés de manière non amovible à l'ensemble de porte extérieure (8b)

caractérisé en ce que

l'ensemble de porte intérieure (8a) comprend une saillie (16) configurée pour activer un micro-interrupteur de l'appareil électroménager (2) qui est disposé au-dessus de l'ouverture (5), la saillie (16) étant centrée à mi-chemin sur une partie supérieure (17) de l'ensemble de porte intérieure (8a) de manière à s'opposer au micro-interrupteur indépendamment du fait que la porte (1) soit montée de manière à s'ouvrir/se fermer par basculement vers la gauche ou vers la droite.

2. Un appareil électroménager (2) selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que le premier dispositif de fixation (10a) comprend des trous débouchants (11a) destinés à recevoir des vis (12), et le deuxième dispositif de fixation (10b) comprend des trous filetés (11b) destinés à s'engager par filetage avec les vis (12) qui sont insérées à travers lesdits trous débouchants (11a).

3. Un appareil électroménager (2) selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé par l'ensemble de porte intérieure (8a) comprenant

- un élément transparent (13) pour permettre à l'utilisateur de voir à l'intérieur du tambour à linge (3), l'élément transparent (13) ayant une partie inférieure sensiblement plate (14) qui rend l'ensemble de porte intérieure (8a) asymétrique à la rotation par rapport à l'axe passant par le centre de l'ouverture (5),

- un élément décoratif (15) qui entoure l'élément transparent (13), l'élément décoratif (15) étant partiellement exposé à un côté avant de l'appareil électroménager (2) et

- un élément d'étanchéité pour fermer hermétiquement l'ouverture (5) lorsque la porte (1) est en position fermée.

4. Un appareil électroménager (2) selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 3, caractérisé en ce que
l'assemblage d'articulation (7) de la porte pivotante (1) est monté via l'un ou l'autre siège de montage (6a, 6b) sur le corps principal (3) pour ouvrir/fermer l'ouverture (5) de manière pivotante.

Drawing