U.S. patent application number 10/362280 was filed with the patent office on 2003-09-18 for laundry appliance.
Invention is credited to Fitton, Nicholas Gerald, Roberts, Iain.
Application Number | 20030172689 10/362280 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 9899620 |
Filed Date | 2003-09-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030172689 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fitton, Nicholas Gerald ; et
al. |
September 18, 2003 |
Laundry appliance
Abstract
A laundry appliance (10) comprises an outer casing (14) and a
container (34) mounted inside the outer to permit movement of the
container (34) in use. The container (34) has a door (42) for
closing the opening in the container which moves with the container
(34) during use of the applicance. A seal (80) is located between
the outer casing (14) and the container (34). The seal (80) extends
radially inwardly from the lip (85) of the opening in the outer
casing (14) and lies against the front surface or the container
(34). The seal has a rigid portion (81) with a channel (83) for
receiving the lip (85) of the container and a flexible portion
(82).
Inventors: |
Fitton, Nicholas Gerald;
(Old Town, GB) ; Roberts, Iain; (Chicago,
IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MORRISON & FOERSTER LLP
1650 TYSONS BOULEVARD
SUITE 300
MCLEAN
VA
22102
US
|
Family ID: |
9899620 |
Appl. No.: |
10/362280 |
Filed: |
February 25, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
August 20, 2001 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB01/03716 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
68/12.26 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F 39/14 20130101;
D06F 37/266 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
68/12.26 |
International
Class: |
D06F 033/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 16, 2000 |
GB |
0022803.1 |
Claims
1. A laundry appliance comprising an outer casing, a container
mounted inside the outer casing and spaced from the outer casing to
permit movement of the container in use, the outer casing and
container each having an opening to allow the introduction of
laundry into the container, a door for closing the opening in the
container which is movable with the container when the appliance is
in use and a seal located in the space between the outer casing and
the container, the seal extending from the lip of the opening in
the outer casing.
2. An appliance according to claim 1 wherein the seal extends
radially inwardly from the lip of the opening in the outer
casing.
3. An appliance according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the seal lies
against the container.
4. An appliance according to claim 3 wherein the seal is
resiliently biased so that it lies against the container.
5. An appliance according to any one of the preceding claims
wherein the seal is flexible.
6. An appliance according to claim 5 wherein the seal comprises a
first portion which connects to the lip of the outer casing which
is formed of a rigid material and a second portion which extends
towards the container which is formed of a more flexible
material.
7. An appliance according to claim 5 or 6 wherein the portion of
the seal nearest to the container is formed of a material which is
more rigid than the flexible portion of the seal.
8. An appliance according to any one of the preceding claims
wherein the seal lies flush with the lip of the opening in the
outer casing.
9. An appliance according to any one of the preceding claims
wherein the seal comprises a part for connecting to the lip of the
opening in the outer casing.
10. An appliance according to claim 9 wherein the seal has a
channel for receiving the lip of the opening in the outer
casing.
11. An appliance according to any one of the preceding claims
wherein the seal comprises a part for connecting to the
container.
12. An appliance according to any one of the preceding claims
comprising a further door for closing the opening in the outer
casing.
13. An appliance according to any one of the preceding claims in
the form of a washing machine.
14. A laundry appliance substantially as described herein with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a laundry appliance such as a
washing machine, a washer-dryer or a tumble dryer.
[0002] A washing machine generally consists of an outer casing in
which is mounted a water-tight interior container, often called a
tub. A perforated drum is commonly mounted inside the container in
a manner which allows the drum to rotate with respect to the
container. During operation, washing liquid is contained within the
container and the laundry to be washed is located within the
perforated drum. The laundry is agitated, either by slow rotation
of the drum or by the operation of an agitator located within the
drum. When the laundry has been washed, some washing liquid is
drained from the interior container and further washing liquid is
extracted from the laundry by fast rotation of the drum within the
interior container to spin washing liquid therefrom. Extraction of
rinse water is achieved in a similar manner. The imbalance of the
drum caused by the inevitably uneven distribution of the laundry
causes some vibration of the interior container within the outer
casing when the drum is rotated at fast speeds. In order to avoid
this vibration being transmitted to the outer casing of the washing
machine, the interior container is mounted within the outer casing
so as to allow a limited amount of movement between the container
and outer casing. It is common, in this respect, to mount the
interior container in the outer casing by way of tension springs
which dampen the movements of the interior container and urge it to
return to its equilibrium position.
[0003] The fact that the interior container is allowed to move with
respect to the outer container causes difficulties with respect to
the sealing of the washing machine in the area of the door,
particularly in the case of front-loading washing machines. In most
cases, the door is mounted on the outer casing and is arranged so
as to seal the outer casing when the door is in a closed position.
In the case of front-loading washing machines, the, door will also
normally be dished in shape so as to project inwardly towards the
interior container. A large flexible bellows seal is provided
between the interior container and either the door or the rim of
the opening so as to prevent washing liquid from escaping from the
interior container. In the case of top-loading washing machines,
the door need not be shaped so as to project towards the interior
container, although the flexible seal may extend between the upper
end thereof and the outer casing or the door. The flexible seal is
normally designed with sufficient flexibility to allow the movement
of the interior container to be accommodated without causing
excessive stresses or damage to the remainder of the machine.
[0004] The known arrangements outlined above have a common
disadvantage in that the flexible seal on which the sealing of the
interior container depends is prone to wear or damage. This is
because, by necessity, it surrounds and projects, in an unsupported
manner, into the opening through which laundry is passed in order
to introduce it to the interior of the drum. It is common to use
considerable force to pass the laundry through the available
opening and this can distort, dislodge or damage the seal. If
fastenings such as zips and/or buttons are present in the laundry,
the damage to the seal can be considerable. Another disadvantage of
the known front-loading arrangements is that, because the seal must
be flexible in order to accommodate the movements of the interior
container, there is a possibility of small articles of laundry
becoming lodged in a fold or crevice of the seal which can lead to
the article not being properly washed or being damaged.
[0005] It is known for some front-loading washing machines to have
a door mounted on the container itself. The door seals the
container when it is closed. As with conventional machines, the
container is located inside an outer casing in a manner which
allows limited movement between the container and the outer casing
but the need for a large bellows seal between the container and the
outer casing is avoided. An opening in the outer casing is aligned
with container door so as to allow access to the drum, and a front
panel is hingedly fixed to the outer casing to cover the opening. A
form of rubber seal is provided in the space between the container
and the outer casing, the seal being positioned some distance
radially outwardly from the opening in the casing to provide
cushioning between the container and outer casing. In this type of
machine there is a risk that objects can fall or become caught
between the outer casing and the container.
[0006] The present invention seeks to provide a laundry appliance
which is more convenient to use.
[0007] Accordingly, the present invention provides a laundry
appliance comprising an outer casing, a container mounted inside
the outer casing and spaced from the outer casing to permit
movement of the container in use, the outer casing and container
each having an opening to allow the introduction of laundry into
the container, a door for closing the opening in the container
which is movable with the container when the appliance is in use
and a seal located in the space between the outer casing and the
container, the seal extending from the lip of the opening in the
outer casing.
[0008] By providing a seal which extends from the lip of the outer
casing, the gap between the outer casing and the container is
safely guarded. Thus a user cannot trap their hand and an object
cannot fall or become trapped between the outer casing and the
container.
[0009] Preferably the seal extends radially inwardly from the lip
of the outer casing. With this orientation, the seal always guards
the gap between the container and outer casing, even as the
container moves with respect to the outer casing.
[0010] Preferably the seal lies against the container to further
minimise the risk of a user trapping their hand or an object
falling between the outer casing and the container. The seal can be
resiliently biased so that it lies against the container.
[0011] Preferably the seal is sufficiently flexible so as to not
unduly restrain the container when the container moves with respect
to the outer casing.
[0012] Preferably the seal lies flush with the lip of the opening
in the outer casing.
[0013] Preferably the seal comprises a part for connecting to the
lip of the opening in the outer casing. This can take the form of a
channel for receiving the lip of the opening in the outer
casing.
[0014] An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way
of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a washing machine according
to the invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a side view of the washing machine of FIG. 1
showing, schematically, the interior components of the machine;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a front view of the washing machine of FIG. 1 with
the outer door open to show the inner container;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a front view of just the seal which fits between
the outer casing and container;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a cross-section through the front machine of FIG.
3; and
[0020] FIG. 6 shows, in more detail, part of the cross-section of
FIG. 5;
[0021] FIG. 7 shows the same cross-section as FIG. 6 with an
alternative embodiment of the seal; and,
[0022] FIG. 8 shows the same cross-section as FIG. 6 with a
modified seal.
[0023] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a laundry appliance in the form of a
washing machine 10. The washing machine 10 has an outer casing 12
comprising a front panel 14, side panels 16 and a cover 18. The
outer casing 12 can be dimensioned so as to fit within a standard
appliance space as is commonly provided in European kitchens and
utility rooms. However, the dimensions of the washing machine 10 do
not form part of the present invention and can be varied to suit
requirements.
[0024] The front panel 14 includes a control panel 20 in which are
housed various control buttons or other means for appropriate
operation of the washing machine 10. The front panel 14 also
includes a soap tray drawer 22 by means of which access to a soap
tray for receiving detergent can be gained. Also positioned in the
front panel 14 is a coin trap 24 which can be used to provide
access to a cavity for collecting large foreign objects
inadvertently introduced to the washing machine 10. It will be
appreciated that the design, operation and relative positioning of
the control panel 20, the soap tray drawer 22 and the coin trap 24
are immaterial to the present invention and variations to these
particular features are intended to be encompassed within the
invention.
[0025] Mounted on the front panel 14 of the outer casing 12 is a
first door 26. The door 26 is supported on one side thereof by way
of a hinge 28. Located on the door 26 on the side thereof remote
from the hinge 28 is a handle 30 which co-operates with a latch 32
(FIG. 3) mounted on the front panel 14.
[0026] An interior container or tub 34 is mounted inside the outer
casing 12 by way of tension springs and dampers 36. This method of
mounting a tub 34 inside a washing machine 10 is known. A
cylindrical drum 38 is mounted inside the tub 34, also in a known
manner, with a motor 40 being provided so as to cause the drum 38
to rotate about its own longitudinal axis. Perforations are
provided in the drum 38 so as to allow washing liquid and/or rinse
water contained within the tub 34 to pass through the perforations
and into the interior of the drum 38.
[0027] A second door 42 is provided on the tub 34 on the face
thereof closest to and generally parallel with the front panel 14
of the outer casing 12. The door 42, like the door 26, is supported
by and pivotable about a hinge 44 (see FIG. 3). A handle 46 is also
provided on the door 42 on the side remote from the hinge 44. The
handle 46 cooperates with a latch mounted on the tub 34.
[0028] In order to perform as a washing machine, means (not shown)
are provided for introducing water to the tub 34 and also for
draining water from the tub 34 and pumping it to a water outlet.
These features are well known in the art and, for this reason, are
not shown in the Figures nor described any further here.
[0029] The washing machine 10 also includes control means for
causing the washing machine 10 to perform appropriate washing
cycles. A typical washing cycle will include the introduction of
water and detergent to the interior of the tub 34 to produce a
washing liquid, the heating of the washing liquid to a required
temperature, the rotation of the drum 38 about its axis within the
tub 34 to agitate laundry contained within the drum 38, the
draining of the washing liquid from the tub 34, a series of rinse
cycles involving the introduction of rinse water to the interior of
the tub 34 and its extraction from the tub 34 by draining and slow
spinning of the drum 38, and spinning of the laundry by fast
rotation of the drum 38 about its axis. Further discussion of the
washing cycles will not be given here. The control means 50
provided to operate the washing machine 10 are also operatively
connected to the latch 32 and the latch 48 as will be described in
more detail below.
[0030] FIG. 3 shows the washing machine 10 in a first configuration
in which the outer door 26 is open and the inner door 42 is closed.
The outer door 26 comprises a generally circular panel 52 which is
supported on one side by the hinge 28. The hinge 28 is located on
the front panel 14 adjacent one of the side panels 16. Locating the
hinge so close to the side panel 16 allows the circular panel 52 to
have as large a diameter as possible. The circular panel 52
supports the handle 30 on the side thereof remote from the hinge
28.
[0031] The circular panel 52 is made from a transparent material.
In the embodiment shown, the material used is polycarbonate
although other transparent materials may be used. This allows the
door 42 to be visible through the door 26. The position of the door
42 is shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3.
[0032] The door 26 is dimensioned and arranged so as to be able to
close an opening 54 in the front panel 14. The circular panel 54
carries a lip 56 which projects through the opening 54 into the
interior of the outer casing past the front panel 14 when the door
26 is in the closed position. A seal 58 is located on the rim of
the circular panel 52 radially outwardly of the lip 56 so that,
when the door 26 is in the closed position, the seal 58 is
compressed between the circular panel 52 and the rim of the opening
54 in the front panel 14. Thus, when the door 26 is closed, the
outer casing 12 is firmly and sealingly closed in the area of the
opening 54.
[0033] The opening 54 in the front panel 14 is sufficiently large
that the inner door 42 can pass therethrough when the door 26 is
open. The door 42 is supported on the tub 34 by way of the hinge
44. The hinge 44 is located at a greater distance from the side
panel 16 than the hinge 28 when the tub 34 is in its equilibrium
position. This ensures that the door 42 is able to pass through the
aperture 54 when the door 42 is rotated about the hinge 44.
[0034] The door 42 comprises an annular rim portion 60 which is
supported at one side thereof by the hinge 44. The handle 46 is
located on the rim portion 60 on the side thereof remote from the
hinge 44. The rim portion 60 surrounds and supports a dish-shaped
portion 62 which is manufactured from a transparent material such
as glass or Pyrex.TM.. Other transparent materials may also be
used. When the door 42 is in the closed position, the dish-shaped
portion 62 projects into the interior of the tub 34.
[0035] The door 42 is located and dimensioned so that it closes an
opening 64 located in the portion of the tub 34 adjacent the front
panel 14 of the outer casing 12. The opening 64 is circular and has
a diameter which is smaller than that of the opening 54. A seal 66
is positioned around the rim of the opening 64 on the outer face of
the tub 34 in such a position that, when the door 42 is closed, the
rim portion 60 is pressed against the seal 66. In this manner, the
tub 34 is sealed in a watertight manner when the door 42 is in the
closed position.
[0036] Each of the handles 30, 46 co-operates with the respective
latch 32, 48 in a known manner. In the closed position, each latch
32, 48 is operable so as to hold the respective door 26, 42 in a
closed position until the respective handle 30, 46 is operated. In
this way, each door 26, 42 is maintained in a position in which the
respective seal 58, 66 remains under compression and therefore
operative so as to form a seal against any leakage of water.
[0037] The provision of two separate doors, a first door 26 mounted
on the outer casing 12 and a second door 42 mounted on the tub 34,
means that there is no need for a large flexible seal to be
provided between the tub 34 and the door 26 mounted on the outer
casing 12. The door 42 which closes the tub 34 is mounted directly
thereon and therefore the seal 66 which ensures a watertight
closure of the tub 34 is not vulnerable to wear and/or damage as a
result of laundry being introduced to the interior of the tub 34
through the opening 64. The seal 66 can be made small and compact
with adequate support being provided thereto. Furthermore, the seal
58 provided between the front panel 14 and the door 26 is also
fully supported and therefore less vulnerable to damage and wear,
although it is recognised that this seal 58 is less critical to the
operation of the washing machine 10.
[0038] When the washing machine 10 is in operation, both doors 26,
42 are closed. However, the interior of the tub 34 can still be
viewed by the user of the washing machine 10 by virtue of the fact
that both doors 26, 42 are transparent. The user is therefore able
to view the interior of the washing machine 10 so as to be able to
judge the stage of the cycle reached by the washing machine 10 at
any particular time.
[0039] FIGS. 3-6 show a seal 80 which is positioned between the
front panel 14 and the tub 34. The seal 80 serves the purpose of
guarding the region between the tub 34 and the front panel 14. The
tub 34 and front panel 14 must be spaced so as to allow for
movement of the tub 34 during use of the machine. The seal 80
prevents a user from trapping their hand between the tub 34 and the
front panel 14.
[0040] FIG. 4 shows just the seal itself. The seal 80 comprises a
first portion 81 for connecting to the front panel 14 and a second
portion 82 which is more flexible. The first portion 81 is the
radially outermost portion of the seal and is formed of a material
which is sufficiently rigid to grasp the lip 85 of the opening in
the front panel 14, such as polypropylene. A circular channel 83 is
formed within rigid portion 81 and extends around the entire seal.
The second portion 82 of the seal 80 is the radially innermost
portion of the seal and is formed of a more flexible material such
as a thermoplastic elastomer. The properties of the second material
are that it should be (i) sufficiently rigid so as to retain a
shape which fits against the tub assembly, (ii) sufficiently robust
to endure rubbing contact with the tub assembly, and (iii)
sufficiently flexible to flex when the tub assembly moves towards
the front panel. If the seal is too rigid, it has been found to
unnecessarily restrain the natural movement of the tub assembly.
The first and second portions 81, 82 are moulded to one another to
form a single finished part. The moulding can be achieved by a
twin-shot moulding method, with the flexible portion 82 of the seal
being moulded over the more rigid portion 81. The radius of the
innermost part of the seal 80 increases in the regions 88, 89 to
accommodate the hinge 44 and door catch and handle 46 of the inner
door 42. Thus, the operation of the catch and hinge is unaffected
by the presence of the seal 80. In the region of these parts, the
seal still lies flush with the tub 34. As a less desirable
alternative, the seal 80 could simply be cut in the regions 88,
89.
[0041] FIG. 5 is a cross-section along line A-A' of FIG. 3, with
the inner door 42 removed for clarity. FIG. 6 shows the region C of
FIG. 5 in more detail. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the rigid portion
81 of the seal 80 fits to the lip 85 of the front panel 14,
gripping both sides of the lip 85. The seal 80 extends radially
inwardly from the lip of the panel. In cross-section the seal 80
has a concave profile and ends in a rounded lip 92. The rounded lip
92 helps to retain the shape of the seal. The lip 92 of the seal
substantially lies flush with the front surface 90 of the tub 34.
With this arrangement, the seal 80 always guards the gap between
the panel and tub assembly, even when the width of the gap changes
as the machine is in use. The movement of the tub 34 is shown by
arrowed line 100 in FIG. 6 and the corresponding movement of the
seal is shown by arrowed line 110. It can be seen that as the tub
34 moves the flexible part 82 of the seal 80 will both flex and
slide along face 90 of the tub 34. In order to gain access to the
region between the front panel 14 and tub 34 a user would need to
prise up the innermost lip 92 of the seal. This would be very
difficult in view of the rigidity and resilience of the seal 80.
The inner surface 93 of the seal 80, which is exposed to a user,
substantially lies flush with the lip 85 of the front panel 14.
This flush fitting allows easy cleaning of this part of the machine
and also improves the visual appearance of the machine. While the
above arrangement, in which the resiliently flexible portion 82
lies against the front face 90 of the tub 34, has been found to
work well, it would also be possible to secure the innermost edge
of the seal to the tub. FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment in
which the innermost lip 92' of the seal extends axially towards the
tub 34 so as to be received and secured in a channel 120 formed on
the front face 90 of the tub 34. This type of seal could be
installed by firstly pressing lip 92' of the seal 80 into channel
120 on the tub 34 and then fitting lip 85 of the fascia into
channel 83 at the other end of the seal 80. Other ways of securing
the seal 80 to the tub 34 will be apparent to a skilled reader.
[0042] FIG. 6 shows the manner in which the seal 80 fits to the
front panel 14. A circular channel 83 is formed within rigid
portion 81 and extends around the entire seal. The channel 83 has a
profile which matches that of the lip 85 of the front panel 14. The
width of the channel 83 narrows towards the entry point to the
channel 83 so that the enlarged lip 85 of the front panel, once
pressed into the channel 83, remains firmly held in the channel 83.
In an alternative embodiment, the channel for receiving the lip of
the front panel 14 need not extend entirely around the
circumference of the seal. The seal 80 can be secured to the front
panel 14 in ways other than by using the channel 83. Alternative
ways of achieving a press-fit fixing could be used, and other types
of mechanical fixing are possible. For example, seal 80 could be
bonded to the panel 14 in the region of the lip 85.
[0043] FIG. 8 shows a further modification to the seal 80. The
radially innermost portion of the seal 80 carries a reinforcing
part 130. The reinforcing part 130 prevents the flexible portion 82
of the seal from buckling under extreme movements of the tub 34,
lengthens the life of the seal by providing a longer lasting
surface in the region where most wear occurs and prevents minimises
marking of the tub surface which can occur with a more flexible
material. Reinforcing part 130 can be moulded over the flexible
portion 82.
[0044] As has previously been explained, the control means 50 of
the washing machine are operatively connected to the latch 32 and
to the latch 48. By appropriate programming, the control means 50
can be configured so as to allow each door 26,42 to be opened only
at specific stages of the washing cycle being carried out by the
washing machine 10. For example, and as is well known, it is
undesirable for the door 42 closing the tub 34 to be openable when
there is sufficient washing liquid or rinse water in the tub 34 to
cause spillage if the door 42 were to be opened. Therefore, sensors
are provided which determine the level of any liquid contained
within the tub 34 and, when the liquid level is at least as high as
the bottom of the opening 64 in the tub 34, the door 42 cannot be
opened. Also, the door 26 should not be openable at any time when
the tub 34 is likely to be moving with respect to the outer casing
12. This is most likely to occur during portions of the washing
cycle when the drum 38 is spinning at high speed within the tub 34.
Therefore, the control means 50 are programmed in such a manner as
to prevent the latch 32 from releasing the door 26 at any time when
the drum 38 is rotating. Since the amount of movement between the
tub 34 and the outer casing 12 is increased as the speed of
rotation of the drum 38 increases, it is also possible to arrange
for the control means 50 to prevent opening of the door 26 under
spinning conditions, i.e. when the drum 38 is rotating at speeds of
800 rpm or more.
[0045] It will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to
the precise details of the embodiment described above. The doors
26, 42 and openings 54, 64 can be arranged so as to be any
convenient shape. They do not have to be circular. Furthermore,
although the doors 26, 42 are here shown as being substantially
wholly transparent, it is possible for the advantage of the
invention to be achieved by providing a transparent portion on each
door, with the transparent portions being aligned so as to allow
the interior of the tub 34 to be viewed by a user. It is also
possible for the material from which the doors 26, 42 are made to
be coloured or tinted, although it is preferred that the doors 26,
42 are colourless.
* * * * *