U.S. patent application number 12/224726 was filed with the patent office on 2009-03-12 for household appliance with a lye container.
This patent application is currently assigned to BSH Bosh und Siemens Hausgerate GmbH. Invention is credited to Frank Emmerich, Georg Gramm, Wilfried Wildung.
Application Number | 20090064730 12/224726 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38116998 |
Filed Date | 2009-03-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090064730 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Emmerich; Frank ; et
al. |
March 12, 2009 |
Household Appliance with a lye Container
Abstract
A household appliance having a detergent container at least
partially formed from plastic defining a plastic area and further
including at least one ballast weight having a plastic body
attached to the detergent container, wherein a mechanical
connection of the plastic body of the ballast weight to the plastic
area of the detergent container is formed using a plastic welding
process. The household appliance includes at least one raised
connecting element formed on at least one of the plastic body of
the ballast weight and the plastic area of the detergent container,
configured for contact with a contact surface of at least one of
the plastic body to be connected and the plastic area to be
connected, wherein the at least one raised connecting element is
configured for bonded connection to the contact surface using a
plastic welding process.
Inventors: |
Emmerich; Frank; (Berlin,
DE) ; Gramm; Georg; (Berlin, DE) ; Wildung;
Wilfried; (Berlin, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BSH HOME APPLIANCES CORPORATION;INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEPARTMENT
100 BOSCH BOULEVARD
NEW BERN
NC
28562
US
|
Assignee: |
BSH Bosh und Siemens Hausgerate
GmbH
Munchen
DE
|
Family ID: |
38116998 |
Appl. No.: |
12/224726 |
Filed: |
February 20, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
February 20, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2007/051582 |
371 Date: |
September 3, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
68/207 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29C 66/30223 20130101;
B29C 66/73921 20130101; B29K 2995/004 20130101; B29C 66/114
20130101; D06F 37/265 20130101; B29L 2031/7406 20130101; B29K
2101/12 20130101; B29C 66/3022 20130101; B29C 66/73772 20130101;
B29K 2995/0039 20130101; B29C 65/06 20130101; B29C 66/73774
20130101; B29C 65/20 20130101; B29L 2031/286 20130101; B29C 66/112
20130101; B29C 66/532 20130101; B29C 66/30223 20130101; B29C 65/00
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
68/207 |
International
Class: |
D06F 39/08 20060101
D06F039/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 7, 2006 |
DE |
10 2006 010 518.4 |
Mar 8, 2006 |
DE |
10 2006 010 788.8 |
Claims
1-14. (canceled)
15. A household appliance having a detergent container at least
partially formed from plastic defining a plastic area and further
including at least one ballast weight having a plastic body
attached to the detergent container, wherein a mechanical
connection of the plastic body of the ballast weight to the plastic
area of the detergent container is formed using a plastic welding
process, the household appliance comprising at least one raised
connecting element formed on at least one of the plastic body of
the ballast weight and the plastic area of the detergent container,
configured for contact with a contact surface of at least one of
the plastic body to be connected and the plastic area to be
connected, wherein the at least one raised connecting element is
configured for bonded connection to the contact surface using a
plastic welding process.
16. The household appliance according to claim 15 wherein the
plastic body of the ballast weight is embedded in a second
solid.
17. The household appliance according to claim 16 wherein the
second solid is formed as a concrete body formed from at least one
of concrete and a concrete compound.
18. The household appliance according to claim 17 wherein the
plastic body of the ballast weight is present as a distributed
mixture in the concrete compound.
19. The household appliance according to claim 17 wherein the
plastic body of the ballast weight partially extends into the
concrete body, in particular completely intersperses the concrete
body.
20. The household appliance according to claim 15 wherein the
connecting element is in a ribbed form.
21. The household appliance according to claim 15 wherein the
plastic body of the ballast weight is formed as at least one of a
hook and a comb.
22. The household appliance according to claim 15 wherein the
connecting element is formed on the detergent container and
configured for connection to an essentially uniform contact surface
of the plastic body of the ballast weight.
23. The household appliance according to claim 15 wherein a
plurality of raised and preferably similarly oriented connecting
elements is formed on at least one of the plastic body of the
ballast weight and the plastic area of the detergent container.
24. The household appliance according to claim 15 wherein the
ballast weight has at least two separate plastic bodies connected
with at least one of a connecting stud and reinforced wire.
25. The household appliance according to claim 24 wherein the
connecting stud is formed from plastic.
26. The household appliance according to claim 15 wherein the
ballast weight is formed as at least one of a general cuboid, an
annular form and a ring segment.
27. The household appliance according to claim 15 wherein the
raised connecting element is integrated in at least one of the
plastic area and the plastic body.
28. The household appliance according to claim 15 wherein the
appliance is formed as at least one of a dishwasher, a washing
machine and a combined washer/dryer.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a household appliance, having a lye
container, which at least in part is embodied in plastic, and
having at least one ballast weight with at least one plastic body,
which is attached to the lye container, where the mechanical
connection of the plastic body of the ballast weight to a plastic
area of the lye container is created by means of a plastic welding
process.
[0002] Besides the attachment of ballast weights by means of
friction and/or form fit using screws or a tension band, fixing by
means of a plastic welding process is also known. DE 693 07 668 T2
thus discloses a washing machine or a combined washer/dryer, in
which at least one ballast weight is attached to a lye container
made of plastic. The ballast weight has a hollow plastic container
which can be filled with water as the ballast material. The plastic
container has a plastic outrigger element, which fits together
precisely and thus in a form-fit manner with a corresponding
plastic outrigger element on the lye container. The plastic
container is arranged on the lye container in such a way that the
two plastic outrigger elements are connected in a form-fit manner,
where the pairs of matching outrigger elements are permanently
connected to each other after joining by plastic welding of the
plastic material. In addition to this DE 693 07 668 T2 also
mentions the prior art whereby concrete blocks completely
surrounded by a plastic covering are employed as ballast weights.
Connection of this plastic covering to a lye container by means of
a plastic welding process is also known from this. The fixing of
the ballast weights to a lye container in the case of known
household appliances requires a relatively high degree of effort.
In all cases a form fit between the elements must first be
established.
[0003] The object of the present invention is thus to create a
household appliance of the kind specified at the outset, in which a
connection between a ballast weight and a lye container can be
embodied with little effort and a high degree of security. This
object is achieved by a household appliance having the features as
characterized in claim 1.
[0004] In a household appliance according to the invention, at
least one raised connecting element is embodied on the plastic body
of the ballast weight and/or on the plastic area of the lye
container, which can come into contact with a contact surface of
the plastic area or the plastic body to be connected, where the
raised connecting elements can be connected in a bonded manner with
the contact surface by means of a plastic welding process.
[0005] The household appliance comprises at least one ballast
weight, where the ballast weight has at least one plastic body. The
ballast weight is attached to the lye container, where the
mechanical connection between the plastic body of the ballast
weight and a plastic area of the lye container is effected by means
of a plastic welding process.
[0006] In the case of a dishwasher as the household appliance,
instead of being attached to a lye container the ballast weight can
also be attached to a plastic housing section in the same manner.
An essential idea of the invention is specifically that at least
one raised connecting element is embodied on the plastic body of
the ballast weight or the plastic area, to which the ballast weight
is to be attached, which is brought into contact with the contact
surface of the plastic area to be connected, and the raised
connecting element can subsequently be connected in a bonded manner
to the contact surface by means of the plastic welding process, in
order to create the mechanical connection between the plastic
areas.
[0007] The mechanical connection between the ballast weight and the
lye container can thus be embodied with little effort, but
nonetheless in a secure manner. Prior form fit joining of the
ballast weight to the lye container is no longer required. The
raised connecting element here extends in the direction of the
contact surface of the plastic area with which the connecting
element is to be connected in a bonded manner, thus enabling simple
execution of the connection by means of a plastic welding
process.
[0008] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are indicated in
the subclaims, and can be combined individually or in any
combination with each other or with the invention according to
claim 1.
[0009] In an advantageous manner the ballast weight is embodied by
at least two solids, with one material being the plastic body, and
at least one further part of the body made of a solid material
being connected with the plastic body. The second solid is
preferably concrete or a concrete compound. An appropriate heavy
ballast weight can thus be created which is especially suitable as
a counterweight. The second solid can, however, also be gray cast
iron or cast steel.
[0010] Such ballast weights attached to a lye container serve, in
the case of a washing machine, to counterbalance this lye
container, that is to increase its inertia and consequently to
limit the oscillations generated in the lye container during a spin
phase. This is then particularly advantageous if a drum of the
washing machine is filled with items of laundry, and driven at a
relatively high rotational speed. The aforementioned oscillations
are brought about by conditions arising as a result of the uneven
distribution of laundry items over the cylindrical wall of the
drum.
[0011] In the case of a dishwasher, the ballast weight can,
however, also be attached to a rear housing section embodied in
plastic. Here, the ballast weight serves to offset at the rear the
weight of the front-opening door of the dishwasher, so that the
dishwasher does not tip forwards when the door is open.
[0012] Advantageously, the plastic body of the ballast weight
extends in part into the second solid. In particular, provision can
be made for the second material to be completely interspersed by
the plastic body of the ballast weight. In this way dual-material
ballast weights can be created, which can be embodied in a large
number of different ways. In particular variable shapes of these
two materials can here be implemented, which can be optimized with
respect to the arrangement of the ballast weight on the lye
container or on the housing section and in the household
appliance.
[0013] Advantageously, the raised connecting elements are embodied
in the manner of ribs. The connecting elements can, however, be
embodied in any other shape which results in a raised structure of
the connecting elements compared with the remainder of the plastic
area. The connecting elements can, for example, be embodied in the
form of pins, spikes or cones. Here too, an optimized shape can be
selected depending on the situation and with respect to the
requirements of the ballast weight (space requirements, strength,
etc.).
[0014] Provision can be made for the plastic body of the ballast
weight to be embodied in the form of a hook or a comb. On the one
hand the connection of the plastic body to the second material of
the ballast weight can thereby be improved and on the other the
best possible mechanical connection with the plastic area of the
lye container with respect to strength can be achieved.
[0015] Provision can be made for the connecting element or
connecting elements to be embodied on the lye container, and for
connection to the plastic body of the ballast weight to be
contactable with an essentially uniform contact surface of the
plastic body of the ballast weight. Equally, however, provision can
also be made for the connecting elements to be embodied on the
ballast weight, and to be contactable with an essentially uniform
contact surface of the plastic area of the lye container.
[0016] Advantageously, a multiplicity of raised and preferably
similarly oriented connecting elements is embodied on the plastic
area or on the plastic body. It is also possible here to embody
connecting elements on the contact surfaces of the parts to be
connected with each other, and to weld these together. According to
a further development of the invention, by means of multiplicity of
connecting elements a number of contact areas can be created with
the plastic area to be connected, by which the strength of the
mechanical connection can be improved.
[0017] Provision can be made for the ballast weight to have at
least two separate plastic bodies which are connected with a
connecting stud. The connecting stud is preferably embodied in
plastic. Provision can, however, also be made for the arrangement
of a reinforced wire for the connection of at least two plastic
bodies. The connection between at least two separate plastic bodies
of the ballast weight can thereby be embodied in many different
ways.
[0018] Provision can be made for the connecting stud and/or the
reinforced wire to be surrounded, at least in part, by the second
material of the ballast weight. This can, for example, be cast in
the second material. A permanent connection between the materials
can thereby be created, and a positionally stable arrangement at
least of the connecting studs can be guaranteed.
[0019] The ballast weight can be embodied in cuboid or annular
form. The form of the ballast weight is, however, not restricted
thereby and can also be embodied in many other ways.
[0020] The connecting element is preferably integrated into the
assigned plastic body. The plastic body and the connecting elements
can thereby be manufactured in one piece. A single body can for
example be manufactured here by means of injection molding.
[0021] The household appliance is advantageously embodied as a
dishwasher, as a washing machine or as a combined washer/dryer.
[0022] The invention is described below in greater detail on the
basis of exemplary embodiments shown in diagrammatic form.
Where:
[0023] FIG. 1 shows part of the frontal aspect of a lye container,
to which is to be attached a ballast weight with a plastic body
with its own connecting elements;
[0024] FIG. 2 shows part of the frontal aspect of a lye container
with connecting elements, to which a ballast weight with a
smooth-surfaced plastic body is to be attached;
[0025] FIG. 3 to FIG. 7 show a number of different embodiments of a
ballast weight according to the invention,
[0026] FIG. 8 shows a view of contact surfaces of a ballast weight
embodied in the shape of a crescent.
[0027] FIG. 9 shows a ballast weight with connecting elements which
is to be attached to the mantle surface of a lye containers,
[0028] and FIG. 10 shows a ballast weight with a smooth contact
surface, which is to be attached to a mantle surface of a lye
container structured by means of connecting elements.
[0029] The section shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 shows part of a
lye container 1 of a washing machine (not shown), to the front wall
of which 11a ballast weight 2 is to be attached. The contact
surface 11a is provided for this purpose.
[0030] Besides the ballast weights shown here, such ballast weights
could also be used, in which the plastic body takes the form of a
plastic mass distributed in a concrete mixture. Amorphous and
part-crystalline thermoplastic either with or without aggregates
may, for example, be considered for this purpose. This can moreover
also apply at least to the contact surface(s) of the lye container
1.
[0031] In the exemplary embodiments, the ballast weight 2 is
embodied as two different parts made of solid materials. The
ballast weight 2 here has a plastic body 21, which is embedded in a
second body, the ballast body 22, which is made of concrete.
Plastic body 21 and ballast body 22 are connected to each other in
a form-fitted and force-fitted manner. In FIG. 1 the ballast weight
2 is embodied as a cuboid.
[0032] According to FIG. 1, the plastic body 21 is embodied in a
comb-like form on its side facing the contact surface 11a of the
lye container 1, and thus has three raised connecting elements 21a,
21b and 21c. These connecting elements 21a to 21c protrude from the
plastic body 21 and essentially extend in the same direction. In
the exemplary embodiment, these raised connecting elements 21a to
21c are embodied as ribs.
[0033] In addition the plastic body 21 has cross-sectionally
longitudinal extensions 21d and 21e, which extend in the direction
of the ballast body 22, and are completely surrounded by the
concrete of the ballast body 22.
[0034] For connection of the ballast weights 2 to the front wall 11
of the lye container 1, the raised connecting elements 21a to 21c
of the ballast weight 2 are arranged on the contact surface 11a.
This gives rise to a mechanical contact between the contact surface
11a and these three connecting elements 21a to 21c. By means of a
plastic welding process, for example vibration welding or mirror
welding, a molten mass connection between the plastic body 21 of
the ballast weight 2 and the front wall 11 of the lye container 1
is created. A bonded connection with the contact surface 11a is
here established through melting of the raised connecting elements
21a to 21c. The raised connecting elements 21a to 21c here serve as
the material supply for melt material, which after establishment of
the connection becomes part of this connection.
[0035] According to the exemplary embodiments, the mechanical
connection then established between the ballast weight 2 and the
lye container 1 is created in such a way that in the event of
heating, in particular of the plastics in the lye container 1 and
the ballast weight 2, this connection cannot loosen. To this end,
the contact surface 11a on the lye container 1 is matched to the
corresponding connection surface of the plastic body 21 of the
ballast weight 2, and in particular to the connection surfaces of
the raised connecting elements 21a to 21c. The size of the
connection surfaces between the plastic body 21, in particular its
raised connecting elements 21a and 21c, and the contact surface 11a
of the lye container 1, can be chosen according to the forces to be
anticipated.
[0036] In addition, the form and force fit connection between the
plastic body 21 and the concrete body 22 can withstand heat caused
by the heating-up of the lye and any operating forces generated
during the spinning of a drum of the washing machine.
[0037] FIG. 2 shows a second general embodiment of the ballast
weight 2 and of the lye container 1. In contrast to the example
shown in FIG. 1, no raised connecting elements are here embodied on
the plastic body 21. Here, only a contact surface 21f is embodied
on the ballast weight 2, which faces towards the front wall 11 of
the lye container 1. The connection between the plastic body 21 and
the concrete body 22 is embodied in a similar manner as shown in
FIG. 1.
[0038] Here the contact surface of the front wall 11 of the lye
containers 1 has raised connecting elements 11b and 11c. The number
of these has been selected solely by way of example, and can
preferably vary upwards. The connecting elements 11b and 11c extend
in one piece from the front wall 11. To prepare the connection, the
contact surface 21f of the plastic body 21 of the ballast weights 2
is brought into contact with the raised connecting elements 11b and
11c. A plastic welding process is then used to create the bonded
connection.
[0039] The sectional view in FIG. 3 of a further exemplary
embodiment of a ballast weight 2 shows the concrete body 22
partially encased by the plastic body 21. Here, the contact surface
21f extends over the entire width of the concrete body 22. The
extremities 21d and 21e here extend from the side into the interior
of the concrete body 22, and are surrounded by its concrete
material. Otherwise than shown here, the concrete body 22 can be
entirely encased in the plastic body 21.
[0040] In cross section, the ballast weights according to FIG. 3 to
7 are broadly trapezoidal in form, but likewise have a longer
extension vertically relative to the level of the diagram. The
ballast weights 2 in FIGS. 2 and 3 have the advantage that their
contact surfaces 21f are embodied in completely smooth form and can
thus be freed of concrete residues in a simple manner. Additionally
in the case of an embodiment of this kind, in which a flat area 21f
is embodied on the ballast weight 2 and the raised connecting
elements 11b and 11c on the washing liquor container 1, connection
by means of vibration welding is advantageous.
[0041] The exemplary embodiment of a ballast weight 2 according to
FIG. 4 has two plastic bodies 21, which partially penetrate into
the concrete body 22. The two plastic bodies 21 are T-shaped in
cross section (reversed T) and are connected with a connecting stud
23, which is a one-piece element of the plastic body 21. The
connecting stud 23 is here completely surrounded by the concrete
material of the concrete body 22. Parts of the plastic body 21,
specifically the cross-pieces of the T, extend outwards from the
concrete body 22. On these are embodied contact surfaces 21f, which
are connected with raised connecting elements 11b and 11c to the
lye container 1 according to FIG. 2.
[0042] As in FIG. 4, the ballast weights 2 in FIG. 5 are provided
with plastic bodies 21, which penetrate the concrete body 22.
Instead of the connecting stud 23 in FIG. 4, however, the plastic
bodies 21 within the concrete body 22 are connected to each other
by means of a reinforced wire 3. The reinforced wire 3 can however
also be provided in addition to the connecting stud 23, in order to
secure the connection of the two plastic bodies 21. A multiplicity
of connecting studs 23 and/or a multiplicity of reinforced wires 3
can also be provided for. The reinforced wire 3 or multiplicity
thereof primarily serve, however, to stabilize the concrete body,
and can be used in the manner shown to anchor the plastic body or
bodies 21 in the concrete, and if applicable as a means of
connecting them to each other.
[0043] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment varying in principle from the
previous embodiment of the ballast weight 2, the plastic body 21 of
which is embodied in a pipe-like form and completely intersperses
the concrete body 22. Here too, however, contact surfaces 21f are
embodied, which serve to provide the connection with raised
connecting elements on the lye container 1. The pipe-shaped plastic
body 21 has at both ends flanges 24, which closely abut the broad
exterior surfaces of the concrete body 22.
[0044] The ballast weight 2 according to FIG. 7 has two essentially
strip-like plastic bodies 21 of rectangular cross section. They are
likewise connected to the concrete body 22 in such a way that they
partially penetrate the concrete body. In a similar manner to a
connecting stud 23 according to FIG. 4, however, the two plastic
body strips 21 are connected to each other via a curved connecting
stud 25. Connecting stud 25 penetrates the concrete body 22 only
partially, so that it is connected to it by means of form fit and
force fit. Connecting elements 21a embodied on the outer strip
edges of the plastic body 21 serve to create a connection with a
flat-faced area, for example the contact surface 11a in FIG. 1 of
the lye container 1. In addition, however, further connecting
elements can also be embodied on the exterior of the connecting
stud 25.
[0045] FIG. 8 shows a ballast weight 2, viewed across its large
surface, thus here the contact surfaces facing the front wall of
the lye container 1. The curved embodiment of the ballast weight 2
follows the shape of the contact surface 11a on the front wall of
the lye container 1, which extends in a ring around a loading
aperture (not shown) of the lye container's front wall 11. Based on
this view, different shapes of contact surface are shown on the
plastic body 21. Circular, rectangular and annular surfaces are
shown, which are indented from the lateral edge of the ballast
weight 2, as well as a contact surface which extends across the
entire width of the ballast weight 2, representative of the fact
that a practically unlimited number of embodiments is possible.
[0046] Each of these contact surfaces of the plastic body 21 can
have at least one raised connecting element 21a (not shown).
Provision can also be made, however, for at least one of these
plastic bodies 21 to have a flat-faced area 21f (not shown) which
can be connected in a bonded manner with at least one raised
connecting element of the lye container.
[0047] Finally, FIGS. 9 and 10 show a cross-sectional view of
ballast weights 32 shaped in such a way that their contact surface
31 to the lye container 1 they follow the curve of the mantle
surface 12 of the lye container 1. Here, as in the remaining
examples, the contact surfaces 31 can be embodied on plastic bodies
of the ballast weights 32; accordingly no detailed representation
of the embodiment is provided here. In a similar manner to that
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the contact surfaces 31 of the ballast
weight 32 and/or the contact surfaces on the lye container mantle
12 can be provided with connecting elements 33 or 13, in order to
be equipped for connection through the use of a plastic welding
process, in preparation for which the ballast weights are pressed
onto the contact surface on the lye container mantle 12 in the
direction of the arrow.
[0048] As a result of the various forms of embodiment of the
ballast weight 2, a very wide variety of shapes can thus be created
which are embodied from two solids. Besides low-cost concrete, only
relatively simple plastic parts are required, which can be inserted
into the mold during manufacture of the concrete parts. A simple
embodiment of the entire ballast weight 2 can thereby be realized,
even if the respective shapes of the concrete body 22 and the
plastic body 21 are embodied in more complex form. Cost-effective
realization of the ballast weight 2 can be guaranteed through the
choice of material.
[0049] A rapid and secure connection can be created by means of the
plastic welding process, whereby the welded connections can be
produced fully automatically in a simple welding plant without
further additives. The welded connections can be realizable for
attaching a ballast weight to a front wall or to a mantle or to a
base of the lye container. In addition the welded connections are
suitable for oscillating systems with high spin speeds, because
load forces are directed into the components concerned over a wide
area, so that the tension in the mechanical connection is very
small.
* * * * *