Patent Application
20210172107
The present invention relates to the field of laundry treatment appliances (hereinafter, concisely, “laundry appliances”), and particularly to laundry appliances for treating, e.g. washing, items (such as linen, clothes, garments, shoes, and the like), such as laundry washing machines and laundry washing machines also implementing laundry drying functions (also referred to as washers/dryers).
In order to perform washing cycles (e.g., comprising washing, rinsing and draining phases) on laundry located in the laundry treatment chamber of a laundry appliance, water and laundry treatment agents (such as liquid and powder treatment agents) should be fed into the laundry treatment chamber in a controlled way during the various phases of the washing cycles.
For this reason, a laundry appliance typically comprises a drawer having drawer compartments for containing one or more of said laundry treatment agents. The laundry is configured to deliver selected amounts of such laundry treatment agents contained in the drawer compartments into the laundry treatment chamber, mixed with proper amounts of water.
In addition to, or in the place of drawer compartments adapted to contain a single dose of a respective laundry treatment agent for performing a single washing cycle (hereinafter referred to as single-dose compartments), in an increasingly common type of laundry appliance, the drawer comprises one or more compartments each one adapted to contain multiple doses of a respective treatment agent for performing multiple washing cycles (hereinafter referred to as multi-dose compartments). Just as an example, in case of two multi-dose compartments, a multi-dose compartment may be arranged to contain multiple doses of a liquid washing detergent, whereas the other multi-dose compartment may be arranged to contain multiple doses of a liquid softener. In this class of laundry appliance, the laundry appliance may implement an auto-dosing functionality in which, at each washing cycle (and when the auto-dosing functionality is enabled), a predetermined amount of treatment agent is automatically taken (e.g., by means of a pumping apparatus) from the multi-dose compartment(s) and dispensed to the laundry treatment chamber through proper channels together with water supplied by a water distribution system of the laundry appliance.
It is known to equip drawers for laundry appliances with drawer top covers (hereinafter, simply “top covers”) adapted to cover at least partially the compartments for the laundry treatment agents. Preferably, the top cover is arranged to cover at least partially the multi-dose compartments, however, the top cover may be also arranged to cover at least partially the single-dose compartments.
The top cover is advantageously provided for protecting the laundry treatment agent stored in the compartments from dirt or foreign objects coming from outside, as well as for avoiding (or at least reducing) evaporation of the stored laundry treatment agent. Moreover, the top cover may advantageously allow to avoid undesired laundry treatment agent spilling.
If the drawer is not accurately cleaned from time to time, laundry washing agent residuals and/or stagnant water may cause washing agent delivery devices to clog and/or bad smelling to generate. For this purpose, the top cover is usually coupled to the drawer in a releasable way, so that it can be disengaged entirely from the drawer for uncovering the laundry treatment agent compartments and easing the cleaning operations thereof.
In order to allow a releasable coupling between the drawer and the top cover, it is known to provide a releasable coupling system which can be manually operated by the user.
For example, known coupling systems comprise a plurality of snap-fit elements located at borders of the top cover and adapted to engage the drawer in a releasable way, or a plurality of pins or screws adapted to be releasably fitted into corresponding seats located at the drawer by passing through holes located at borders of the top cover.
Applicant has realized that the known releasable coupling systems for the releasable coupling between the drawer and the top cover are not efficient, because they are affected by drawbacks.
Indeed, the known solutions force a user who is trying to detach the top cover from the drawer to perform a series of inconvenient operations which require a not negligible amount of time.
Making reference to the known coupling systems comprising a plurality of snap-fit elements located at borders of the top cover, the user is compelled to interact with all the snap-fit elements because in order to free the top cover, all the snap-fit elements should be disengaged: this operation is quite long and uncomfortable, because the snap-fit nature of this elements usually requires to disengage all the elements at the same time. This operation is particularly cumbersome since the snap-fit elements are usually small and provided with very small grip portions, generally too small for allowing a user to easily and comfortably interact with more than one of them at the same time. Moreover, the difficulty of this operation usually causes the user to succeed in actually opening all the snap-fit elements only after having performed a series of different attempts. This may cause in turn the snap-fit elements to wear down, and, in the worst cases, to break.
Even in the case of the known coupling systems comprising pins or screws, the operations required to disengage the top cover from the drawer are cumbersome and require a not negligible amount of time. The user is indeed forced to pull out the pins or screws from the corresponding seats, which is a long process requiring additional tools (such as a screwdriver). Moreover, coupling systems of this kind are not capable of providing a sealing effect (between the top cover and the drawer) sufficient to avoid undesired spilling of laundry treatment agent.
In view of the above, in order to avoid the abovementioned drawbacks, Applicant has devised a system for coupling the top cover to the drawer in a releasable way which is efficient, handy and durable, and which at the same time does not require long and cumbersome operations to be carried out by the user when trying to detach the top cover from the drawer.
Applicant has found that by providing a coupling system comprising two different (from the mechanical and functional point of view) kinds of coupling members, for which a first kind is allowed to switch from a disengaged condition to an engaged condition when the second kind is still in the disengaged condition, and the first kind is prevented to switch from the disengaged condition to the engaged condition when the second kind is already in the engaged condition, the drawbacks affecting the known solutions could be efficiently overcome.
One or more aspects of the present invention are set out in the independent claims, with advantageous features of the same invention that are indicated in the dependent claims.
An aspect of the present invention relates to a laundry appliance.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the laundry appliance comprises a cabinet accommodating a laundry treatment chamber and a drawer configured to slide with respect to the cabinet along a sliding direction.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the drawer comprises at least one compartment for containing laundry treatment agent to be selectively provided to the laundry treatment chamber.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, said at least one compartment is provided with a top opening for the loading of the laundry treatment agent from above.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the drawer further comprises a top cover adapted to cover at least partially the top opening of the at least one compartment.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the top cover comprises at least one first coupling member and at least one second coupling member.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, each one of said at least one first coupling member and at least one second coupling member is adapted to be switched between an engaged condition in which it engages the drawer and a disengaged condition in which it is disengaged from the drawer, so that the top cover is firmly coupled to the drawer when both the at least one first coupling member and the at least one second coupling member are in the engaged condition.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first and second coupling members are configured to:
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one second coupling member is configured such that, when the at least one first coupling member is in the disengaged condition, and at the same time the at least one second coupling member is in the engaged condition, the top cover is allowed to be moved with respect to the drawer with the at least one second coupling member acting as a fulcrum.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, said at least one first coupling member comprises a respective snap-fitting portion adapted to engage a respective drawer portion in the engaged condition.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, said at least one first coupling member comprises a release portion operable by a user to switch the at least one first coupling member the disengaged condition by releasing the snap-fitting portion from the corresponding drawer portion.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, said at least one second coupling member comprises a respective cantilevered element.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the drawer further comprises at least one slit adapted to receive the cantilevered element of a respective second coupling member when said second coupling member is in the engaged condition.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the drawer further comprises at least one cantilevered element.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one second coupling member comprises a respective slit adapted to receive a respective cantilevered element when the second coupling member is in the engaged condition.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, said slit is shaped in such a way that, when the at least one first coupling member is in the disengaged condition and at the same time the at least one second coupling member is in the engaged condition, a slit/cantilevered element mechanical play is left to allow a rotation of the top cover with respect to the drawer.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one first coupling member and the at least one second coupling member are located on opposite ends of the top cover.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the drawer comprises a drawer rear portion and an opposite drawer front portion.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the drawer is configured to slide with respect to the cabinet along the sliding direction between:
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a selected one between the at least one first coupling member and the at least one second coupling member is located at a rear end of the top cover located at the rear portion of the drawer when the top cover is coupled to the drawer.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the drawer is in the retracted position, the drawer front portion is substantially flush with a cabinet front.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one first coupling member is located at said rear end of the top cover.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one second coupling member is located at a front end of the top cover opposite to the rear end.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the drawer comprises, from the drawer front portion and along the sliding direction:
According to an embodiment of the present invention, said at least one first coupling member is arranged to engage a portion of a wall between the at least one compartment and the at least one channel when said at least one first coupling member is in the engaged condition.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the drawer comprises between the handle and the at least one compartment adapted to contain multiple doses of the laundry treatment agent, at least one further compartment adapted to contain a single dose of the laundry treatment agent.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the top cover comprises one or more access apertures, in fluid communication with a respective one of the at least one compartment for allowing the laundry treatment agent to be loaded therein when the top cover is coupled to the drawer.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the top cover further comprises at least one wall member surrounding from below a respective one access apertures and downwardly extending from the top cover into the respective compartment when the top cover is coupled to the drawer.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, borders of said at least one compartment comprise seats adapted to receive borders of the top cover when the top cover is coupled to the drawer.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the top cover comprises at least one breaking wall member comprising a wall which downwardly extends from the top cover into one of the at least one compartment when the top cover is coupled to the drawer for breaking waves forming in the laundry treatment agent contained in said at least one compartment when the drawer is moved along the sliding direction.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises providing a drawer configured to slide with respect to a cabinet of a laundry appliance, the drawer comprising at least one compartment for containing laundry treatment agent to be selectively provided to a laundry treatment chamber of the laundry appliance, said at least one compartment being provided with a top opening for the loading of the laundry treatment chamber from above.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises providing a top cover adapted to cover at least partially the top opening of the at least one compartment, the top cover comprising at least one first coupling member and at least one second coupling member each one of said at least one first coupling member and at least one second coupling member being adapted to be switched between an engaged condition in which it engages the drawer and a disengaged condition in which is disengaged from the drawer, so that the top cover is coupled to the drawer when both the at least one first coupling member and the at least one second coupling member are in the engaged condition.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first and second coupling members are configured to:
a) prevent the second coupling member to switch from the disengaged condition to the engaged condition when the first coupling member is in the engaged condition;
b) allow the second coupling member to switch from the disengaged condition to the engaged condition when the first coupling member is in the disengaged condition.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises having the at least one second coupling member be in the engaged condition and the at least one first coupling member be in the disengaged condition; then,
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises:
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be made apparent by the following description of some exemplary and non-limitative embodiments thereof; for its better intelligibility, the following description should be read making reference to the attached drawings, wherein:
With reference to the drawings, sharing the same reference system identified by the three orthogonal directions x, y and z,
The laundry appliance 100 comprises a (e.g., parallepiped-shaped) cabinet 105, which preferably accommodates a laundry treatment chamber (i.e., a laundry washing chamber in the example herein considered of a washing machine) for performing a laundry treatment cycle on items housed therein (i.e., a washing cycle on a laundry load in the example herein considered of a washing machine).
The laundry treatment chamber (also simply referred to as treatment chamber) preferably comprises a washing tub (not shown) and, within it, a (e.g., rotatable) washing basket or drum (not shown) adapted to contain the laundry load to be washed. A cabinet front has a loading opening providing an access to the drum for loading/unloading the laundry load, a door 110 (shown in a closed position in
Although not shown, the laundry appliance 100 also comprises, enclosed in the cabinet 105, electrical/electronic/mechanical/hydraulic components for the operation of the laundry appliance 100 (such as for example motor, electromechanical valves, pumps and impellers of the hydraulic apparatus, one or more heating elements for heating water/treatment agents/air).
The laundry appliance 100 is advantageously equipped with a laundry appliance control system (not visible in
The laundry appliance 100 further comprises a storage drawer 115 (briefly, or, concisely, drawer) for containing one or more laundry treatment agents (or, concisely, treatment agents), such as liquid and powder treatment agents including, but not limited to, washing detergents, rinsing detergents, bleaches and softeners. The cabinet 105 comprises a drawer seat 120 (preferably provided on a top part of a cabinet front) for housing the drawer 115, the drawer being advantageously adapted to slide within the drawer seat 120, along a longitudinal or sliding direction, between an extracted position (shown in
As already mentioned in the introduction, by retracted position of the drawer 115 it is intended a position in which the drawer 115 is (fully) retracted inside the drawer seat 120 (as in the situation illustrated in
Preferably, the laundry appliance 100 further comprises a user interface 125, the user interface 125 being preferably provided on the top part of the cabinet front, more preferably next to the drawer seat 120 along direction y.
Preferably, although not necessarily, the user interface 125 comprises a display unit, not shown, for visually displaying one or more pieces of information; the display unit may for example be a light emitting polymer display (LPD), a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, or an organic light-emitting diode display.
The user interface 125 preferably comprises one or more control elements (e.g., selection buttons and/or knobs) for allowing the user to select a washing cycle and to control one or more operating parameters of the selected washing cycle (including, but not limited to, temperature, laundry load dirt level, spin speed, start time delay, drawer compartment selection, treatment agent selection).
Additionally, as herein exemplary assumed, or alternatively, the user interface 125 preferably comprises one or more status indicators for indicating to the user a status of the laundry appliance 100; the status indicators may be configured to indicate a status of one or more components of the laundry appliances 100 and/or a status of the washing cycle (including, but not limited to, information about a residual time to the end of the ongoing washing cycle, and/or information about a current phase of the ongoing washing cycle, and/or selected parameters for the ongoing washing cycle, and/or selected drawer compartment, and/or selected treatment agent).
With reference now also to
The drawer 115 preferably comprises a drawer handle 205 allowing the user to slidably move the drawer 115 between the extracted position and the retracted position when it is fitted in the drawer seat 120, and a drawer body 210 to which the drawer handle 205 is adapted to be mounted or coupled or connected (for example, in a removable or reversible way). When the laundry appliance 100 is installed and the drawer 115 is fitted in the drawer seat 120, the drawer handle 205 preferably identifies, along direction x, a drawer front (which advantageously forms part of the cabinet front when the drawer 115 is in the retracted position).
The drawer 115 preferably comprises, along direction x (from the drawer front backwards):
As visible in the figures, the pump actuation parts 225(1), 225(2) are advantageously housed in a corresponding pump housing 228 on the rear portion of the drawer 115 (rear with respect to the drawer front along direction x).
When the drawer 115 is in the retracted position, the pump actuation parts 225(1), 225(2) are adapted to mechanically couple with one or more electrically-operated pump driving parts (preferably provided in the drawer seat 120) of the pumping system, upon said mechanical coupling the electrically-operated pump driving parts allowing driving of the pump actuation parts 225(1), 225(2), such as rotating the peristaltic rotor thereof.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention herein considered and illustrated, the drawer 115 also comprises one or more (two, in the example at issue) drawer compartments 230(1), 230(2) each one adapted to contain a single dose of a respective treatment agent for performing a single washing cycle, hereinafter referred to as mono-dose compartments 230(1), 230(2); just as an example, the mono-dose compartment 230(1) may be arranged to contain a single dose of a powder or liquid washing detergent, whereas the mono-dose compartment 230(2) may be arranged to contain a single dose of a powder or liquid or pearl softener. Each mono-dose compartment 230(1), 230(2) is provided with a top opening for the loading of laundry treatment agent from above.
Preferably, the mono-dose compartments 230(1), 230(2) are, along direction x, between the handle 205 and the multi-dose compartments 220(1), 220(2). More preferably, the mono-dose compartments 230(1), 230(2) are formed in a region of the drawer body 210 that, when the drawer handle 205 is mounted on the drawer body 210, is proximal to the drawer handle 205 (hereinafter referred to as front region of the drawer body 210), whereas the multi-dose compartments 220(1), 220(2) are formed in a region of the drawer body 210 (hereinafter referred to as rear region of the drawer body 210) that, along direction x, is rearward with respect to the front region of the drawer body 210.
The already mentioned water distribution system may advantageously comprise a water duct system forming a top 255 of the drawer seat 120 (see
As mentioned above, the pump actuation part 225(1), 225(2) of the pumping system is adapted to mechanically couple, in the retracted position of the drawer 115, with respective one or more electrically-operated pump driving parts (for example, with a respective electrically-operated pump driving part) of the pumping system provided in the drawer seat 120 for allowing driving of the pump actuation part 225(1), 225(2).
Each electrically-operated pump driving part may for example comprise a pump electric motor 245(1), 245(2) (the electric motor 245(1) being visible in
The pump housing 228 comprises on a rear face 228(R) substantially parallel to directions y and z and which in operation faces the rear portion of the drawer seat 120 (i.e., where the electric motors 245(1), 245(2) are located) openings 228(O1), 228(O2) through which the output shafts 245(S1), 245(S2) of the electric motors 245(1), 245(2) are able to pass for being coupled with the pump actuation parts 225(1), 225(2) (particularly, with the seats 225(S1), 225(S2) thereof).
The electric motors 245(1), 245(2) are advantageously enclosed in a motor shell 250, preferably fixed on the drawer seat 120 (and, hence, separate from drawer body 210) and facing the rear portion of the drawer 115. The motor shell 250 has a front face 250(F) that faces in operation the rear face 228(R) of the pump housing 228. The front face 250(F) of the motor shell 250 is preferably provided with openings 250(O1), 250(O2) through which the output shafts 245(S1), 245(S2) of the electric motors 245(1), 245(2) project: in this way, when the drawer 115 is moved to the retracted position (i.e., towards the motor shell 250), the output shafts 245(S1), 245(S2) of the electric motors 245(1), 245(2) engage the pump actuation parts 225(1), 225(2), thus allowing mechanical coupling therebetween.
Returning back to
Even more preferably, the top cover 210(C) comprises one or more access apertures, not shown, each one for accessing a respective multi-dose compartment 220(1), 220(2) for allowing the loading of treatment agent therein; in the example at issue in which the drawer body 210 comprises two multi-dose compartments 220(1), 220(2), two access apertures are provided in the top cover 210(C).
Preferably, one or more access components may be provided for selectively covering and uncovering the access apertures thereby respectively preventing and allowing access to the respective multi-dose compartments 220(1), 220(2) (in the exemplary considered embodiment, no access components are provided for selectively covering and uncovering the mono-dose compartments 230(1), 230(2), however this should not be construed as a limitation). As visible in
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the top cover 210(C) is preferably configured to be releasably coupled to the drawer 115 (particularly, to the drawer body 210) by means of a coupling system. In order to describe in detail said coupling system according to an embodiment of the invention, reference will be now made to
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the coupling system preferably provides for having coupling members located on the top cover 210(C). Each coupling member is adapted to be switched between an engaged condition in which it engages the drawer 115 (particularly, the drawer body 210) and a disengaged condition in which it is disengaged from the drawer 115.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the coupling system preferably comprises two different kinds of coupling members, hereinafter referred to as first coupling members (identified in the figures with reference 310) and second coupling members (identified in the figures with reference 320). In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the figures and which will be described in detail in the following of the description, the coupling system comprises a single first coupling member 310 and two second coupling members 320. However, similar considerations apply in case the coupling system comprises a different number of first coupling members 310 and second coupling members 320 as long as at least one first coupling members 310 and at least one second coupling members 320 are both provided.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the top cover 210(C) is coupled to the drawer 115 when both the first coupling member(s) 310 and the second coupling member(s) 320 are in the engaged condition.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first and second coupling members 310, 320 are configured to:
This peculiar configuration capable of preventing/allowing the second coupling members 320 to switch into the engaged condition according to an embodiment of the present invention is advantageously obtained by exploiting differences in mechanical and functional features between the first coupling member(s) 310 and the second coupling member(s) 320.
More in detail, according to an embodiment of the present invention, each first coupling member 310 comprises a respective snap-fitting portion 310(S) and a respective release portion 310(R) (see
According to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in the figures, the snap-fitting portion 310(S) preferably is a substantially u-shaped resilient member comprising a protruding tooth adapted to engage a corresponding portion of the wall located between the multi-dose compartments 220(1), 220(2) and the channels 215(1), 215(2).
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the release portion 310(R) preferably comprises a grip member preferably configured to protrude upwardly (along direction z) from the top cover 210(C) when the top cover 210(C) is coupled to the drawer 115 (see for example
According to an embodiment of the invention of the present invention, each second coupling member 320 preferably comprises a respective cantilevered element configured to be received in a corresponding slit 330 (see for example
In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the figures, wherein two second coupling members 320 are provided, two corresponding slits 330 are located on a wall located between the multi-dose compartments 220(1), 220(2) and the mono-dose compartments 230(1), 230(2).
According to a different embodiment of the invention (not illustrated), the second coupling members 320 comprise slits adapted to receive corresponding cantilevered elements located on the drawer 115, for example cantilevered elements protruding from the wall located between the multi-dose compartments 220(1), 220(2) and the mono-dose compartments 230(1), 230(2).
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first and second coupling members 310, 320 are preferably located on opposite ends of the top cover 210(C), respectively. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the figures, the first coupling member 310 is preferably located at a rear end of the top cover 210(C) which is configured to be located at the rear portion of the drawer 115 when the top cover 210(C) is coupled to the drawer 115 (so that the snap-fitting portion 310(S) of the first coupling member 310 is able to engage a portion of the wall preferably located between the multi-dose compartments 220(1), 220(2) and the channels 215(1), 215(2)). In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the figures, the second coupling members 320 are located at a front end of the top cover 210(C) opposite to the rear end (so that the cantilevered elements of the second coupling members 320 are able to be received in the slits 330 preferably located on the wall between the multi-dose compartments 220(1), 220(2) and the mono-dose compartments 230(1), 230(2)). This configuration is particularly advantageous since in order to being able to reach the (release portion 310(R) of the) first coupling member 310, an user is forced to entirely detach the drawer 115 from the drawer seat 120, avoiding thus that a partially decoupled top cover 210(C) get stuck within the drawer seat 120. In any case, the concepts of the present invention can be also applied in case the positions of the first and second coupling members 310, 320 are switched, and/or if at least one first and/or second coupling member 310 is provided at lateral sides of the top cover 210(C) (i.e., at the sides thereof which substantially extend along direction x).
According to an embodiment of the present invention, in order to couple the top cover 210(C) to the drawer 115, the second coupling members 320 preferably have to be switched to the engaged condition (i.e., the cantilevered elements thereof have to be inserted inside the corresponding slits 330) while the first coupling member 310 is still in the disengaged condition (i.e., with the snap-fitting portion 310(S) that it is still disengaged from any portion of the drawer 115). Indeed, as already mentioned above, the only way to allow the top cover 210(C) to enter into/exit from the slits 330 is to move the top cover 210(C) along a direction substantially parallel to direction x; if the if the first coupling member 310 was switched to the engaged condition (i.e., by having the snap-fitting portion 310(S) which is engaging a portion of the drawer 115) before the second coupling members 320 is switched to the engaged condition, this movement along a direction parallel to direction x would not possible, because the top cover 210(C) would be already bound to the drawer 115 on the other side through the first coupling member 310.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second coupling members 320 are preferably configured such that, when they are in the engaged condition (i.e., when the cantilevered elements thereof are inserted inside the corresponding slits 330), and at the same time the first coupling member 310 is in the disengaged condition (i.e., with the snap-fitting portion 310(S) that it is disengaged from any portion of the drawer 115), the top cover 210(C) is allowed to be moved with respect to the drawer 115 with the second coupling members 320 acting as a fulcrum.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, this is obtained by having the slits 330 shaped in such a way that, when the second coupling members 320 are in the engaged condition (i.e., when the cantilevered elements thereof are inserted inside the slits 330), a slit/cantilevered element mechanical play is left to allow a rotation of the top cover 210(C) with respect to the drawer 115 while the first coupling member 310 is in the disengaged condition.
Compared to the known solutions, the coupling system according to the embodiments of the present invention described above is handy and does not require long and cumbersome operations to be carried out by the user when trying to couple/decouple the top cover 210(C) to/from the drawer 115.
Indeed, in order to couple the top cover 210(C) to the drawer 115 starting from a situation in which both the first and second coupling members 310, 320 are in the disengaged condition, it is sufficient to perform the following sequence of operations:
In order to decouple the top cover 210(C) from the drawer 115, i.e., starting from the situation in which both the first and second coupling members 310, 320 are in the engaged condition, it is sufficient to perform the following sequence of operations:
Since these operations are very intuitive and easy to be carried out, they can be carried out quite quickly, usually accomplishing the desired decoupling or coupling at the first attempt, reducing thus the wear the first and second coupling members 310, 320 are subjected to.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the borders of the multi-dose compartments 220(1), 220(2) advantageously comprises seats or recesses 340 (see for example
According to an embodiment of the invention, the top cover 210(C) preferably comprises wall members 360 (Only one visible in
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the top cover 210(C) is preferably provided with a wave breaking system which is configured to break waves which can be formed at the surface of the laundry treatment agent contained in at least one of the multi-dose compartments 220(1), 220(2) when the drawer 115 is moved along the sliding direction between the extracted and retracted positions because of the accelerations the drawer 115 is subjected to during such movements. For this purpose, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the top cover 210(C) further comprises at least one breaking wall member 370 comprising a wall which downwardly extends from the (inner side of the) top cover 210(C) into one of the multi-dose compartments 220(1), 220(2) when the top cover 210(C) is coupled to the drawer 115.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the wave breaking system preferably comprises two wave breaking wall members 370 (Only one visible in
According to an embodiment of the present invention, each one of the wave breaking wall members 370 preferably exhibits at least one breaking surface which is arranged to oppose itself against the propagation direction of waves which could be formed at the surface of the laundry treatment agent contained in the multi-dose compartments 220(1), 220(2) when the drawer 115 is moved between the extracted position and the retracted position. For example, according to an embodiment of the invention, such breaking surface may extend substantially perpendicularly to the sliding direction.
In the same way, each one of the wave breaking wall members 370 preferably defines a free area between said wave breaking wall member 370 and one of the walls of the multi-dose compartments 220(1), 220(2) around the periphery of the wave breaking wall member 370. In this way, a gap is left for allowing the laundry treatment agent contained in the multi-dose compartments 220(1), 220(2) to flow past and around the wave breaking wall members 370. In the considered example, the wave breaking wall members 370 have such a length that they do not reach the bottom wall of the multi-dose compartments 220(1), 220(2) and such a width that they do not reach lateral walls of the multi-dose compartment multi-dose compartments 220(1), 220(2).
Naturally, similar considerations apply in case the number, shape, and the position of the wave breaking wall members is different.
It has to be appreciated that also the wall members 360 surrounding from below the access apertures of the top cover 210(C) can be used as wave breaking wall members, since, like the wave breaking wall members 370, they exhibit at least one breaking surface arranged to oppose itself against the propagation direction of waves which could be formed at the surface of the laundry treatment agent.
Naturally, in order to satisfy local and specific requirements, a person skilled in the art may apply to the invention described above many logical and/or physical modifications and alterations. More specifically, although the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it should be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details as well as other embodiments are possible. In particular, different embodiments of the invention may even be practiced without the specific details (such as the numeric examples) set forth in the preceding description for providing a more thorough understanding thereof; on the contrary, well known features may have been omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the description with unnecessary particulars.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18191675.0 | Aug 2018 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2019/072610 | 8/23/2019 | WO | 00 |
