EP0050066B1 - Narrow laundry washing machine that can be built in - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to narrow and built-in washing machines, the new combination of these two important characteristics being possible thanks to a particular arrangement of the carcass of the machine and all the means necessary for its operation.

Up to now, built-in machines are known, that is to say whose height (not including the standard worktop at 3 cm under which they are fitted) is slightly less than 82 cm and whose depth is less than 60 cm, of the order of 57 cm for example. Thus the machine can be slid under the worktop and is then perfectly equivalent to a standard kitchen element whose height is 85 cm and the depth of about 57 cm, the depth of the furniture being less than that of the countertops. work so as to be slightly behind.

Such built-in machines are always front-loading machines, that is to say machines whose washing drum has its axis of rotation perpendicular to the front wall of the machine, the laundry being loaded by a door. front giving access to an opening of the drum made in the front circular flange of the drum.

This arrangement of the drum, which rotates parallel to the front wall of the machine, inevitably leads to a fairly large width of the machine since the diameter of the drum, on which this width depends, is itself quite large.

The usual dimensions of these built-in machines are thus, generally, not including the worktop: height H = 82 cm, depth P = 57 cm and width L = 60 cm (see for example FR-A-2.218.419 and 2.218. 422).

These dimensions allow, of course, to obtain perfectly built-in machines and assimilated to kitchen elements now standardized; however, they have a drawback, it is that the size of the machine is important since its width is 60 cm.

The problem of the size of household appliances and a problem known for a long time by manufacturers who have sought to reduce the width of washing machines by making top-loading machines, this technique making it possible to obtain narrow machines , for example of the order of 40 or 45 cm. Such a width L = 40 or 45 cm is of course very interesting and makes it possible to facilitate the equipment of small kitchens in particular.

In top-loading machines, the drum is positioned 90 ° from what it is in front-loading machines, i.e. its axis of rotation is parallel to the front wall of the machine and that it turns perpendicular to this wall. It is quite clear that this technique makes it possible to reduce the width L of the machine since the thickness e of the drum on which this width L depends, that is to say the thickness of its cylindrical shell, is much less than its diameter .

On the other hand, if these top-loading machines (by a door opening in the drum shell) solve a problem of space requirement in width interesting for small kitchens for example, they prohibit, until now, the integral installation of the kitchens they equip.

Indeed, in front loading machines, the small thickness e of the drum, compared to the depth P (of the order of 57 cm) of the machine, leaves available a volume large enough to accommodate without problem, between the carcass of the machine and the tank in which the drum rotates, all the means necessary for the operation of the machine (tank support means, motor, water circuits, control means such as programmer, boxes for detergents, rinses , softening etc ...).

On the contrary, in narrow top-loading machines, the volume required to accommodate all of these means requires a depth P of the machine and / or a height H greater than that of machines with front loading. As a result, none of these narrow machines can be built into the standard dimensions. This is clearly shown in the manufacturers' catalogs where only front-loading machines are presented as built-in machines.

The present invention relates to a washing machine which, while being narrow, that is to say while retaining the technique of top-loading machines, and of course, having a drum and therefore a tank of dimensions standard, is built-in, that is to say at a height HS 82 cm and a depth P less than 60 cm, and for example of the order of 57 cm.

• - sa hauteur totale H est inférieure ou égale à 82 cm de manière à être encastrable sous un plan de travail normalisé à 85 cm et d'épaisseur 3 cm;
• - sa profondeur totale P est inférieure à 60 cm de manière à ne pas dépasser d'un plan de travail normalisé à 60 cm de profondeur et à être alignée avec la face avant des meubles l'entourant;
• - son tableau de bord est situé en haut de sa face frontale sans dépasser des dimensions du plan de travail;
• - la cuve, dans laquelle se trouve le tambour, épouse la forme de ce dernier, ce qui permet d'obtenir entre la carcasse et la cuve, aux parties supérieures frontale et arrière de la machine, des espaces dans lesquels sont logés les organes de commande associés au tableau de bord, et les boîtes à produits.

A machine according to the invention, which goes against the two current lines, wide built-in machines and narrow non-built-in machines, is characterized in that:

• - its total height H is less than or equal to 82 cm so as to be built-in under a work surface standardized to 85 cm and 3 cm thick;
• - its total depth P is less than 60 cm so as not to exceed a work surface standardized to 60 cm deep and to be aligned with the front face of the furniture surrounding it;
• - its dashboard is located at the top of its front face without exceeding the dimensions of the worktop;
• - the tank, in which the drum is located, follows the shape of the latter, which makes it possible to obtain between the carcass and the tank, at the upper front and rear parts of the machine, spaces in which the control members associated with the dashboard are housed, and the product boxes.

• les figures 1 et 2, des vues schématiques, respectivement en coupe et de face d'une machine selon l'invention, encastrée sous un plan de travail normalisé;
• la figure 3, une vue éclatée des principales parties constituant le chassis et l'habillage d'une machine selon l'invention;
• la figure 4, une vue schématique, en coupe d'une machine selon l'invention dans une version à »cuve suspendues;
• la figure 5, une vue montrant comment peut être avantageusement réalisé l'habillage frontal d'une machine selon l'invention.

Other objects, characteristics and results of the invention will emerge from the following description given by way of nonlimiting example (and illustrated by the appended figures which represent:

• Figures 1 and 2, schematic views, respectively in section and front view of a machine according to the invention, embedded under a standardized work plan;
• Figure 3, an exploded view of the main parts constituting the frame and the covering of a machine according to the invention;
• Figure 4, a schematic sectional view of a machine according to the invention in a »suspended tank version;
• FIG. 5, a view showing how the front covering of a machine according to the invention can be advantageously produced.

Figures 1 and 2 show schematically in section from the side, and from the front, a narrow washing machine with top loading and built-in according to the present invention.

These figures show the work plan 1 under which the machine must be slid. This worktop, the upper surface of which is, according to the standards currently in force, 85 cm from the floor 2, has a thickness also standardized of 3 cm. The remaining space between the floor and this work surface is therefore approximately 82 cm. Furthermore, its standardized depth is 60 cm.

The invention proposes, thanks to arrangements which will be better explained with the aid of the following figures, to produce a narrow machine, that is to say one whose width L (see FIG. 2) is very much less than the dimensions. current of 60 cm, and is for example of the order of 40 to 45 cm. As has already been said, the invention relates to a machine whose height H is less than 82 cm and whose depth P is significantly less than 60 cm and for example of the order of 57 cm. Thus on the one hand the machine can be easily slid under the worktop 1; on the other hand the machine does not protrude beyond the work surface 1 despite any piping that may be on the wall behind the machine.

We see in Figure I in particular the carcass 3 of the machine which will be better explained with the help of Figure 3, carcass which encloses and supports almost all of the organs necessary for the operation of the machine, and in particular the tank and its drum . This carcass 3 is closed at its upper part by a top 4 on which the cover 40 of the machine pivots which gives access to the tank (not visible in FIG. 1). It is closed at its front part on the one hand by a panel 5 and on the other hand by the dashboard 6 on which the machine control buttons are arranged. The lower part of the front of this carcass is finally closed by a plinth 7 traditionally slightly set back relative to the front of the covering panel 5. Finally, the whole of this carcass is provided with adjustable feet 8 which allow exactly adapt the height of the machine to the space available under the worktop 1. A product diagram intended to receive one or the other of the products necessary for washing clothes is very schematically shown in 9.

It is clear that to provide access to the cover 40 of the machine for loading and unloading the laundry, the worktop 1 must be provided with a pivoting or removable plate 10. This plate can either be a part directly cut in the work plan, either be a flat rest or even a cutting board, any utensil that can be useful in a kitchen.

Figure 3 schematically illustrates in an exploded view how is formed around the carcass 3, the chassis of a washing machine according to the invention, while Figure 4 illustrates an embodiment of the tank suspended by springs.

According to the invention, the carcass 3 of the machine consists of a stamped sheet metal and folded into a U, open towards the front part of the machine. This sheet advantageously comprises on its edges folded parts ensuring its mechanical solidity, while it comprises at its rear part a stamped 11 intended to house the most prominent part of the drum and its tank, while the lateral and lower parts less thick, for example, allow the machine's water supply and drain hose to lodge. This carcass 3 receives at its lower part of the cross members 12 and 13 serving in particular as a support for the casters and the adjustable feet, and at its upper part a cross member 14 arranged at the front and gussets 15 arranged at the rear.

The chassis thus formed forms a rigid structure assembled for example by welding and capable of supporting all of the components necessary for the operation of the machine, and in particular the suspended assembly constituted by the tank, its drum and the drive motor as will see it in figure 4.

The front part of this carcass 3 is closed at the front by a covering panel 5 surmounted by the dashboard 6; the bottom of this front face is closed by the plinth 7 slightly set back relative to the whole of the facade.

FIG. 4 illustrates, in a variant with a suspended tank, how a particular arrangement of the tank and its means of attachment to the carcass 3 makes it possible to accommodate in the reduced space of this built-in machine all the components necessary for its operation.

In the embodiment illustrated in this figure, the “suspended” assembly is constituted by a tank 20 in which a drum 21 driven by a motor rotates 22. The “suspended” assembly is here effectively suspended from the carcass 3 by springs, two of which are visible at 23 and 24 in this figure.

The technique of tanks suspended by springs is well known in itself; damping is also necessary which is achieved by conventional dampers, not shown here so as not to weigh down the figures.

On the other hand, in the example of machine described here, the method of fixing the springs is new and original and contributes to allowing the realization of a built-in machine according to the invention.

Indeed, while the two springs such as 23 arranged at the rear of the machine are, quite conventionally, mounted between the upper part of the rear face of the carcass 3, here in the holes 25 made in the gussets 15 (FIG. 3), and the upper part of the tank 20, the two front springs are mounted in a new way, towards the lower part of the tank.

This original arrangement of the two front suspension springs, between the front edges of the carcass 3 and the bottom of the tank 20 ensure effective suspension while freeing up space at the upper front part of the machine. This free space is used to accommodate the control members 25 associated with the dashboard 6.

In an exemplary embodiment, the two front springs 24 can be hung between fixing pieces 26 fixed to the bottom of the tank 20 and wings 27 cut in the flanges 28 of the front part of the carcass 3 (FIG. 3) and folded forward. This attachment to wings 27 perpendicular to the front wall of the machine, and in particular to the rim 28, gives better rigidity to the assembly.

It clearly appears in FIG. 4 in particular, that this arrangement of the tank and of its members for fixing to the carcass (here the four springs such as 23 and 24) leaves available the interior of the carcass 3 at the upper part of the front of the machine, a space large enough to accommodate the control members 25 which must be associated with the dashboard 6.

A particularly advantageous arrangement consists, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 4, of placing at the front of the machine behind its dashboard 6, all of the control members necessary for its operation and having to be associated with its dashboard, while the boxes to products are arranged at the rear of the machine above the tank 20. Such a product box 29 has been schematically shown. It has an access not visible in the figure when the door 5 of the machine is open; it pours the product which it contains into the tank 20 at the time chosen by the programming members. The box 29 symbolized in FIG. 4 has a somewhat particular shape; it corresponds in fact to a powder box patented by the Applicant Company on April 14, 1980 in French patent application No. 80/08275. This particularly advantageous box shape in the context of this narrow, built-in machine is, of course, not the only one possible.

It is clear that the upper rear part of the machine may include one or more product boxes; it is also clear that it is still possible in particular thanks to the low position of the springs 24 to have product boxes on the upper front part of the tank 20, since all the space is left available there.

FIG. 5 schematically represents how the various trim parts (dashboard 6, panel 5, plinth 7) can be easily mounted on the carcass 3 of the machine. The front panel 5 includes, for example, lights 30 which are positioned on pins 31 protruding from the front edges 28 of the carcass 3.

The locking of this panel 5 is carried out by screws 32 penetrating into openings 33 made at the base of the panel 5 and into holes 34 made at the base of the flanges 28 of the carcass 3 of the machine. These screws 32 serve simultaneously to fix the plinths 7 which cover the bottom of the machine.

The embodiment with a tank "suspended" by four springs such as 23 and 24, the two front springs of which are offset towards the bottom of the machine compared to what they were in the prior art, is not the only possible embodiment of a narrow, built-in machine according to the invention. Indeed, the invention generally consists in having provided an arrangement and an interior arrangement to the carcass 3 such that the total dimensions of the machine never exceed a total height of 82 cm and a total depth of around 57 cm, while maintaining a small width, and in particular much less than 60 cm.

Claims (8)

1. Narrowly built machine for washing linen pieces, adapted to be loaded from above, characterized in that:

- its total height is 82 cm or less in order to be built-in under a standard working surface (1) having a height of 85 cm and a thickness of 3 cm;

- its total depth P is less than 60 cm for avoiding it from protruding beyond the 60 cm depth of a standard work surface (1) and for aligning it with the front face of adjacent pieces of furniture;

- its control board (6) is located at the top part of the machine without exceeding the dimensions of the working surface;

- the vat (20) containing the drum (21) is shaped in conformity with the latter, thereby allowing spaces to be defined between the housing (3) and the vat (20) in the upper front and rear parts of the machine, while the control units (25) associated with the control board (6), as well as the product containers (9, 29) are placed in said spaces.

2. Machine according to the claim 1, characterized in that the vat (20) is a vat suspended in the housing (3) of the machine by springs mounted between the housing and the vat in the front and the rear parts of the machine, the rear springs (23) being fixed between the top of the housing (3) and the top of the vat, while the front springs (24) maintain the vat (20) at its lower part, thus leaving a free space at the top part of the housing (3).

3. Machine according any of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the space situated above the vat at the frontal part of the machine is at least partly occupied by the control means (25) connected to the control board (6), whereas the space situated above the vat at the rear part of the machine is occupied by the product containers (9,29).

4. Machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the space situated below the vat at the front part of the machine comprises also at least one product container.

5. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (3) is a U-shaped housing open at the front part of the machine, in that the door (40) allowing access to the vat (20) and the drum (21) is affixed to a top member (4) closing the top part of the housing (3) and in that the front part of the housing (3) is closed, from top to bottom, by the control board (6), a covering plate (5) and a skirting board (7).

6. Machine according to claim 5, characterized by that the U-shaped housing (3) is completed by lower front cross-pieces (12 and 13) and an upper front cross-piece (14), and by corner plates (15) fixed on its upper rear part.

7. Machine according to claims 2 to 6, characterized by that the rear springs (23) suspending the vat (20) are hooked at their upper ends into openings (25) provided in the corner plates (15).

8. Machine according to the claim 6, characterized in that the front springs (24) suspending the vat (20) are hooked at their upper ends into openings provided in flanges (27) extending perpendicularly to the front face of the housing (3).

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