U.S. patent application number 10/175292 was filed with the patent office on 2004-11-11 for washington machine for household use with two compartments.
Invention is credited to Fumagalli, Silvano.
Application Number | 20040221624 10/175292 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33415317 |
Filed Date | 2004-11-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040221624 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fumagalli, Silvano |
November 11, 2004 |
Washington machine for household use with two compartments
Abstract
A household use washing machine is described comprising a
washing tub (4) mounted inside a cabinet (1), a drum (8) containing
the laundry to be washed that is mounted inside said washing tub
(4). The washing machine comprises a top compartment (2) and a
bottom compartment (3). The top compartment (2) is suitable to
contain the washing tub (4) and the bottom compartment (3) is
openable from the outside. The bottom compartment (3) provides to
raise the washing tub (4) in such a way so as to facilitate the
loading and the unloading of laundry from the drum (8).
Inventors: |
Fumagalli, Silvano; (Monza,
IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JACOBSON HOLMAN PLLC
400 SEVENTH STREET N.W.
SUITE 600
WASHINGTON
DC
20004
US
|
Family ID: |
33415317 |
Appl. No.: |
10/175292 |
Filed: |
June 20, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
68/17R ; 370/350;
68/210; 68/23.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F 39/12 20130101;
D06F 95/002 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
068/017.00R ;
068/210; 068/023.2; 370/350 |
International
Class: |
D06F 037/20; D06F
039/02; D06F 039/00 |
Claims
1. Household use washing machine comprising a washing tub mounted
inside a cabinet, a drum containing the laundry to be washed
mounted inside said washing tub, wherein it comprises a top
compartment and a bottom compartment, said top compartment being
suitable to contain said washing tub and said bottom compartment
being openable from the outside, said bottom compartment providing
to raise said washing tub in such a way so as to facilitate the
loading and the unloading of laundry from the drum.
2. Washing machine according to claim 1, wherein said cabinet has a
height of approximately 120 cm.
3. Washing machine according to claim 1, wherein said bottom
compartment comprises a container suitable to contain laundry or
various tools.
4. Washing machine according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a
system of counter-weights in order to balance said washing machine
during its operation, said counter-weights being positioned under
said washing tub.
5. Washing machine according to claim 1, wherein said washing tub
is at a horizontal axis (A).
6. Washing machine according to claim 1, wherein said washing tub
is at an inclined axis (B).
7. Washing machine according to claim 1, wherein said drum is
closed by a window, said window being provided with a fixed or
removable detergent dispenser.
8. Household use washing machine comprising a washing tub mounted
inside a cabinet, a drum containing the laundry to be washed
mounted inside said washing tub, said washing machine comprising a
top compartment and a bottom compartment, said top compartment
being suitable to contain said washing tub and said bottom
compartment being openable from the outside, said bottom
compartment providing to raise said washing tub in such a way so as
to facilitate the loading and the unloading of laundry from the
drum, wherein shock-absorbers are provided which connect a bottom
part of said washing tub with the bottom of the cabinet and a
system of counter-weights positioned under said washing tub in
order to balance said washing machine during its operation, and in
that said bottom compartment is comprised between the
shock-absorbers and it has a width smaller than the cabinet.
9. Washing machine according to claim 8, wherein said cabinet has a
height of approximately 120 cm.
10. Washing machine according to claim 8, wherein said bottom
compartment comprises a container suitable to contain laundry or
various tools.
11. Washing machine according to claim 8, wherein said washing tub
is at a horizontal axis.
12. Washing machine according to claim 8, wherein said washing tub
is at an inclined axis.
13. Washing machine according to claim 8, wherein said drum is
closed by a window, said window being provided with a fixed or
removable detergent dispenser.
Description
[0001] The present invention refers to a washing machine with two
compartments, in particular to a front load washing machine for
household use.
[0002] It is generally known that in modern front load
washing-machines a drum suitable to contain the laundry to be
washed is situated in a central position of the washing machine and
it has an opening on the front of the machine. Such drum is
revolvingly mounted into a container, called washing tub, that is
destined to contain the washing water and equipped for the
anchorage of suspension organs that allow it to remain suspended
inside a cabinet containing the washing machine.
[0003] The loading of the drum forces an operator to continuous and
sudden bending over for the positioning of the laundry to be washed
inside the drum situated in a low position as regards the normal
aptitudes of the operator.
[0004] In order to facilitate the loading of the laundry to be
washed top load washing machines have been realised, that is in
which the washing drum is provided with an opening on its top
instead of the normal front opening.
[0005] In other cases washing machines have been realised in which
the washing tub containing the drum is inclined at a certain angle
as regards a horizontal axis in order to facilitate the loading of
laundry to be washed.
[0006] In view of the state of the art herein described, scope of
the present invention it is to realise a washing machine that
allows an easier loading of the laundry to be washed.
[0007] According to the present invention, such scope is attained
by means of a washing machine for household use comprising a
washing tub mounted inside a cabinet, a drum containing the laundry
to be washed mounted inside said washing tub, wherein it comprises
a top compartment and a bottom compartment, said top compartment
being suitable to contain said washing tub and said bottom
compartment being openable from the outside, said bottom
compartment providing to raise said washing tub in a such way so as
to facilitate the loading and the unloading of the laundry from the
drum.
[0008] Owing to the present invention it is possible to realise a
washing machine that owing to a height greater than the known
washing machines makes the operation of loading and unloading of
the laundry to be washed easier.
[0009] The characteristics and the advantages of the present
invention will become evident from the following detailed
description of an embodiment thereof, that is illustrated as a
non-limiting example in the enclosed drawings, in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a washing machine
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned schematic front view of the
washing machine in FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a washing machine
according to a variation of the embodiment of the present
invention;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a partially sectioned schematic front view of the
washing machine in FIG. 3.
[0014] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 a front load washing machine
is shown that is provided with a cabinet 1 comprising two
compartments: one top compartment 2 and one bottom compartment 3.
In the top compartment 2 a washing tub 4 is housed that is
suspended inside the cabinet 1 by means of organs of suspension 5
comprising suspension springs 6 and shock-absorbers 7. The
suspension springs 6 connect the washing tub 4 to the top of the
cabinet 1 while the shock-absorbers 7 connect the bottom part of
the tub 4 with the bottom of the cabinet 1 and they are fastened to
vertical projections 10 of the bottom of the cabinet 1. The pairs
of springs 6 and shock-absorbers 7 are inclined in such a way that
the distance between either the two springs 6 or the two
shock-absorbers 7 is greater in the points in which they are
connected with the top or the bottom (precisely to the projections
10) of the cabinet 1 as compared with the distance in the points in
which they are connected with the tub 4. The washing tub 4
comprises a cylindrical drum 8 coaxial to it and destined to
contain the laundry to be washed; said drum 8 is supported by the
cabinet 1 in a revolving way around a horizontal axis A inside the
washing tub 4. Drum 8 is closed by a window 9 that is hinged to the
cabinet 1 of the washing machine; said window 9 is preferably
provided with a fixed or removable detergent dispenser 50.
[0015] The bottom compartment 3 comprised between the
shock-absorbers 7 is openable from the outside, and it households a
trolley 11 that is sliding on lateral guides 12 and containing a
container 13 suitable to contain the laundry to be washed or used
as tools holder. Such container 13 has such dimensions that once it
is extracted from the trolley 11, it can be placed on upper part
130 of same trolley 11 opened so as to facilitate the loading or
unloading of the laundry.
[0016] The presence of the compartment 3 in the cabinet 1
determines a greater height of the washing machine shown in the
annexed figures as compared with the known washing machines; in
fact if the height of the known washing machines is around 80 cm,
the washing machine according to the present invention has a height
of approximately 120 cm. This allows an easier loading and
unloading of the laundry from the drum 8 since the continuous
bending over on behalf of a operator can be prevented.
[0017] The positioning of counter-weights 14, 15 is realised in
such a way that the barycentre axis of the washing tub 4 is
maintained inside the vertical projection of the same tub during
the operation of the washing machine, especially during the
centrifugal stage. For such reason the positioning of the
counter-weights is done under the washing tub 4 in a way
symmetrical to the barycentre axis. By taking advantage also of the
weight of a motor 16 serving for the rotation of drum 8, the
positioning of the counter-weights can preferably be carried out by
subdividing the load into three units; two equal units 14 are
arranged on the back as regards the washing tub 4 and they are
positioned at the sides of the motor 16; a unit 15 is arranged on
the front as regards the washing tub 4 and it is facing the units
14 and the motor 16. If for instance it is necessary to utilise a
total counter-weight of approximately 34 kg, an optimal subdivision
of the load is obtained by using the unit 14 of approximately 4 kg
and a unit 15 of 20 kg, by taking advantage of the fact that the
weight of motor 16 is of approximately 6 kg.
[0018] In the washing machine shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the filtering
element 17 is arranged in a higher position as compared with the
known washing machines; this allows an easier operation of cleaning
or of substitution of the filtering cartridge and it allows to
contain the volume of inert water.
[0019] In FIGS. 3 and 4 a washing machine according to a variation
of the aforementioned embodiment is shown. The washing machine of
such variation shows, in a different way, a washing tub 4 with axis
B inclined by 8.degree. or 12.degree. as regards the horizontal
axis A (the inclination is measured in counter-clockwise
direction), with a different positioning of the counter-weights and
a different positioning of the suspension organs of the washing
tub.
[0020] Such washing tub 4 is provided both at its top as well as at
its bottom with pairs of shock-absorbers 18 that are suitable to
keep it suspended inside the cabinet 1 and to limit its
oscillations during the operation of the washing machine. The
shock-absorbers are mounted onto the tub 4 in points belonging to a
vertical plane perpendicular to the horizontal axis A and passing
through the theoretical barycentre of the tub 4 and of the drum 8.
The pairs of top and bottom shock-absorbers 18 are inclined in such
a way that the distance between the two is greater in the points in
which they are connected with the bottom (precisely with the
projections 10) or with the top of cabinet 1 as compared with the
distance in the points in which they are connected with the tub
4.
[0021] The positioning of the counter-weights 24, 25 is realised in
such a way that the barycentre axis of the washing tub 4 is
maintained inside the vertical projection of the same tub during
the operation of the washing machine, especially during the
centrifugal stage. For such reason the positioning of the
counter-weights is done under the washing tub 4 in symmetrical way
to the barycentre axis. By taking advantage also of the weight of a
motor 26 suitable to the rotation of the drum 8, the positioning of
the counter-weights can preferably be done by subdividing the load
into three units, as already mentioned for the washing machine with
horizontal axis tub, but with a different loads distribution. Two
equal units 24 are arranged on the back of the washing tub 4 and
they are arranged at the sides of the motor 26; a unit 25 is
arranged on the front as regards the washing tub 4 and it is facing
the units 24 and the motor 26. If as an example it is necessary to
use a total counter-weight of approximately 34 kg, an optimal
subdivision of such load is obtained by using the unit 24 of
approximately 8 kg and a unit 25 of 12 kg by taking advantage of
the fact that the weight of the motor 26 is of approximately 6
kg.
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