The present invention relates to an electric household appliance.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a rotary-drum laundry washing machine or drier, to which the following description refers purely by way of example.
As is known, rotary-drum washing machines and driers normally comprise a substantially parallelepiped-shaped outer box casing with a normally circular front loading and unloading opening for access to the inside of the machine; and a door hinged to the outer box casing, close to the peripheral edge of the opening, to rotate about a vertical axis to and from a closed position, in which the body of the door rests against the front face of the box casing to fluidtight seal the opening in the front face.
Unfortunately, in currently marketed washing machines and driers, the position of the hinge connecting the door to the outer box casing, and hence the position of the axis of rotation of the door with respect to the opening in the front face of the appliance, is decided at the appliance design and/or assembly stage, thus limiting the extent to which the appliance can be adapted to the confines of the place in which it is used, and so creating numerous problems for the user operating the appliance daily.
Such is the case, for example, of a washing machine, in which the door hinge is located to the right of the loading and unloading opening, and which is installed in a highly confined and/or overfurnished space preventing the door from being fully opened; whereas the problem would not exist if the door hinge were located to the left of the loading and unloading opening of the appliance.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric household appliance designed to adapt better to the confines of the place in which it is used.
According to the present invention, there is provided an electric household appliance as claimed in claim 1 and preferably, though not necessarily, in any one of the claims depending directly or indirectly on claim 1.
A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Number 1 in
More specifically, door 4 is connected to box casing 2 by a hinge 5 having two axes of rotation, and which comprises a first anchoring plate 6 fixed firmly, but in easily removable manner, to the body of door 4; a second anchoring plate 7 fixed firmly, but in easily removable manner, to box casing 2, close to the peripheral edge 3a of opening 3; and, finally, a rigid, substantially U-shaped connecting rod 8, the two ends 8a and 8b of which pivot in freely rotating manner on anchoring plates 6 and 7 respectively, so as to rotate, with respect to the two anchoring plates 6 and 7, about two parallel axes of rotation A and B, which are both located outside box casing 2, at a predetermined distance from front face 2a, and are preferably, though not necessarily, vertical.
In the example shown, connecting rod 8 is fitted to anchoring plate 7 to rotate, about axis A, between a first operating position, in which it sets door 4 to the closed position, and a second operating position (
Unlike known hinges, anchoring plate 7 is designed to be fixable to box casing 2 selectively and alternatively in two different positions located on box casing 2, close to peripheral edge 3a of front opening 3, and on opposite sides of opening 3 of appliance 1; while connecting rod 8 is reversible and designed to fit to anchoring plate 7 firmly, but in easily removable manner, so anchoring plate 7 can be separated temporarily from the rest of hinge 5.
In other words, connecting rod 8 is designed so that door 4 can rotate to and from the closed position regardless of the position of anchoring plate 7 on box casing 2.
With reference to
Front face 2a of box casing 2, on the other hand, has a rigid circular rim 11 surrounding loading and unloading opening of the appliance, and the contour of which flares to accommodate rim 9 of door 4.
As regards hinge 5 of door 4, anchoring plate 6 is designed to fit inside a seat formed in rim 9, and is anchored, inside the seat, to the body of rim 9 firmly, but in easily removable manner, by means of known through screws (not shown); and anchoring plate 7 is designed to fit selectively and alternatively inside two different seats formed in rim 11, on opposite sides of loading and unloading opening 3 of the appliance, and is anchored, inside the seat, to the body of rim firmly, but in easily removable manner, by means of known through screws (not shown).
In the example shown, the two seats for housing anchoring plate 7 are formed in rim 11 diametrically opposite each other and on opposite sides of the vertical centre plane of opening 3; and anchoring plate 7 can be fitted inside either of the seats by rotating anchoring plate 7 about a horizontal axis locally perpendicular to the plane of opening 3.
With reference to
More specifically, in the example shown, anchoring plate 7 has two projecting appendixes 12, which project, parallel to and facing each other, from the main body of the anchoring plate; and the axis of rotation A of connecting rod 8 intersects the distal ends of both projecting appendixes 12 of the anchoring plate, at a predetermined distance from front face 2a of box casing 2.
With reference to
The two arms 15 forming end 8a of connecting rod 8 extend from central portion 14 to axis of rotation B of connecting rod 8, and are fixed to anchoring plate 6 in freely rotating manner by a through pin 17 coaxial with axis B, so that the whole of connecting rod 8 can rotate in cantilevered manner about axis B with respect to anchoring plate 6.
The two arms 16 forming end 8b of connecting rod 8 extend from central portion 14 to axis of rotation A of connecting rod 8, and are so spaced apart that each arm 16 is aligned with a respective projecting appendix 12 of anchoring plate 7, and can therefore selectively and alternatively engage in freely rotating manner either one of the two pins 13′ and 13″ projecting from the distal end of the relative projecting appendix 12, so that, in either case, the whole of connecting rod 8 can rotate freely about axis A with respect to anchoring plate 7.
More specifically, the distal end of each arm 16 of connecting rod 8 has a transverse through hole 16a coaxial with axis A and complementary in section to pins 13′ and 13″, so as to fit in freely rotating manner on either of pins 13′, 13″projecting from the distal end of projecting appendix 12.
Being reversible, connecting rod 8 can be fixed irremovably and in rotary manner to anchoring plate 6.
With reference to
Preferably, though not necessarily, elastic member 18 exerts such force on connecting rod 8 as to push connecting rod 8 into, and keep it in, the second operating position (
In the example shown, elastic member 18 comprises a lever or trigger 19 which has one end fixed in freely rotating manner to anchoring plate 7, so as to rotate in cantilevered manner about an axis of rotation locally parallel to axis A while remaining in a plane perpendicular to axis A, and a helical spring 20 which is fitted to the supporting pin of lever or trigger 19 to hold lever or trigger 19 on the facing central portion 14 of connecting rod 8, and at the same time exert elastic force on connecting 8 to rotate it about axis A into the second operating position (
Operation of electric household appliance 1 as a whole will be clear from the foregoing description, with no further explanation required.
As regards hinge 5 of door 4, on the other hand, this has a reversible structure, so it can be fitted to box casing 2 of the machine, on opposite sides of loading and unloading opening 3.
With reference to
With reference to
In other words, anchoring plate 6 is also designed be fixable firmly, but in easily removable manner, to the body of door 4 selectively and alternatively in two distinct positions on opposite sides of the body of door 4. This feature allows hinge 5 to be moved from one side to the other of opening 3 without rotating the door 4 body 180° about a horizontal axis through the centre of opening 3 of appliance 1.
The advantages of the design of hinge 5 of door 4 are obvious: the washing machine 1 or other electric household appliance allows the user to choose the opening mode of door 4 according to the confines of the place in which it is used.
Moreover, anchoring plate 7 can be transferred from one side to the other of rim 11 of box casing 2 extremely easily by the user simply manually unscrewing the screws securing anchoring plate 7 to box casing 2.
Clearly, changes may be made to the washing machine 1 or other electric household appliance as described herein without, however, departing from the scope of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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07150491 | Dec 2007 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2008/010707 | 12/16/2008 | WO | 00 | 8/12/2010 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2009/083135 | 7/9/2009 | WO | A |
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20100295428 A1 | Nov 2010 | US |