Front-loading laundry appliance such as a washing machine, a laundry dryer or a washer-dryer machine

A front-loading laundry appliance includes a housing having a substantially circular housing opening closable by a door and a drum rotatably mounted in the housing. The front end of the drum has a substantially circular drum opening for introducing or removing laundry. The drum has an at least approximately horizontal axis of rotation lying lower than a central axis of the housing opening. The housing opening has a first diameter and the drum opening has a second diameter, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter.

Priority is claimed to German patent application DE 10 2005 015 551.0, filed Apr. 4, 2005, the entire subject matter of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

The present invention relates to a front-loading laundry appliance, such as a washing machine, a laundry dryer, or a washer-dryer machine, including a housing, a substantially circular housing opening which is closable by a door, a suds container resiliently mounted in the housing, a drum horizontally rotating in said suds container and having a substantially circular drum opening for introducing or removing laundry, and further including a bellows seal for providing a tubular connection between the housing opening and the drum opening, the central axis of the housing opening being higher than the central axis of the drum opening.

BACKGROUND

In known laundry appliances having a front-loading opening, the housing opening is in alignment with the drum opening. In order to make loading easier, some manufacturers have been offering laundry appliances having an enlarged loading opening (also referred to as porthole) for some time. However, there are certain limits to the drum opening to ensure that not too many laundry items travel from the turning drum toward the porthole or bellows and remain there during the movement of the laundry. This risk is particularly high if the ring remaining between the drum opening and the outer drum wall is too narrow.

An example of an approach to improving accessibility is known from European Patent EP 1 285 986 B1. There, the central axis of the housing opening is spaced from and above the central axis of the drum opening. This design approach may, in fact, provide an improvement as far as a better view into the drum is concerned, but the accessibility of the drum through the relatively narrow loading opening is still in need of improvement. According to another approach described in that patent, the assembly is arranged such that it is slightly inclined, whereby the drum opening faces slightly upward. This approach is not entirely satisfactory either, because the visibility is enhanced only in the direction toward the drum end located opposite. The view into the front portion of the drum is not enhanced.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,256,823 B1 also describes a front-loading washing machine, in which the housing opening is spaced from and above the drum opening. In order to prevent laundry items from getting between the door glass and the bellows seal, the lower region of the bellows seal has a plurality of ribs formed thereon or attached thereto one behind the other, as viewed in the axial direction. However, the ribs make it more difficult for the laundry to slide along the bellows seal when loading or unloading the drum.

German Utility Model DE 200 16 977 U1 describes an elliptical housing opening which improves both access and view into the interior of the drum. However, this approach can be used only if the esthetic appearance of the design allows for it. The door requires a very high degree of dimensional accuracy with respect to shape and alignment during assembly, because slight differences in position could impair the tightness. The attachment of the bellows seal to the front wall also requires very accurate alignment, because a slight rotation would make the intended fit impossible.

It is known from German Patent Application DE 40 30 290 A1 to enlarge the housing opening of a laundry dryer. However, there, the enlarged housing opening, which is located near the deepest point of the inner surface of the drum, was found to negatively affect the loading and unloading operations. During these operations, it may occur that individual laundry items fall out of the drum.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a laundry appliance in which access to the interior of the drum during loading and unloading is improved in a simple manner.

The present invention provides a front-loading laundry appliance, such as a washing machine, a laundry dryer, or a washer-dryer machine. The appliance includes a housing and a substantially circular housing opening which is closable by a door. A drum is rotatably mounted in the housing and has an at least approximately horizontal axis of rotation. The drum has formed in its front end a substantially circular drum opening for introducing or removing laundry, the central axis of the housing opening being higher than the axis of rotation of the drum. The housing opening has a first diameter and the drum opening has a second diameter, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter.

One advantage that can be achieved with the present invention is that it enables the user to fill and unload laundry into and from the drum while in a comfortable position. Another advantage is that an enhanced view into the drum makes it much easier to search for hidden laundry items.

In a front-loading laundry appliance, such as a washing machine, a laundry dryer, or a washer-dryer machine, including a housing in which is rotatably mounted a drum having an at least approximately horizontal axis of rotation, this is achieved by the housing having a substantially circular housing opening which is closable by a door and which is spaced parallel from and above the also circular drum opening disposed about the axis of rotation at the front of the drum. Because the housing opening has a first diameter and the drum opening has a second diameter, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter, an operator can easily reach into the interior of the drum with both hands simultaneously, for example, to remove laundry items from the drum after washing is completed.

In an embodiment providing an advantageous visual appearance, the central axis of the housing opening is parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum, i.e., to the central axis of the drum opening.

In another advantageous embodiment, the central axis is located at a higher position selected such that the lower edge of the housing opening is substantially in horizontal alignment with the lower edge of the drum opening. Because of this, the upper edge of the housing opening is noticeably higher than the upper edge of the drum opening. This allows the laundry items to be removed from the interior of the drum very easily because they do not need to be lifted higher than beyond the rim of the end wall of the drum. The same applies to the clear opening left in washing machines or washer-dryer machines which use a bellows seal having circumferential sealing lips which reduce the size of the opening.

In one suitable embodiment, the diameter of the housing opening is greater by a factor of 1.05 to 1.3 than the diameter of the drum opening. For a given drum opening having a diameter of about 30 cm, the resulting diameter of the door opening is about 32 cm. This provides good access to the interior of the drum as well as an appealing appearance.

In another suitable embodiment, the housing opening is inclined with respect to the vertical. This makes it possible to meet visual design requirements, while improving access and view into the interior of the drum. Inclination angles ranging between 5 and 10 degrees have proven advantageous with regard to the depth of the appliance.

In washing machines and washer-dryer machines, the housing opening is usually connected to the opening of the suds container by a bellows seal. The interior of the drum is accessible from the housing opening through the bellows seal.

In a suitable embodiment, the bellows seal has a plane tubular connecting portion between the housing opening and the drum opening. This connecting portion substantially provides a smooth transition from the larger housing opening to the smaller drum opening located below and parallel thereto. For this reason, the plane tubular connecting portion has the basic geometric shape of an inclined truncated cone.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The side view ofFIG. 1shows a front-loading laundry appliance2having a housing3and a drum7. Laundry appliance2shown here is a washing machine or a washer-dryer machine, but the following explanations also apply to a laundry dryer (not shown) which, unlike a washing machine2or a washer-dryer machine2, has no bellows seal18and no suds container16. Housing3includes a front wall4having a housing opening6that makes it possible to reach into the interior of drum7through drum opening9. This is necessary in order to load drum7with laundry items or to remove laundry items from drum7. The drum has a horizontal axis of rotation11. Central axis10of housing opening6is also horizontal, but located at a higher position in axially parallel relationship therewith. Diameter dg of housing opening6is greater than diameter dt of drum opening9. In the embodiment shown, since central axis10of the housing opening is higher than the axis of rotation11of the drum, the resulting loading and unloading direction is oriented upward. The upwardly widening housing opening6allows an operator to look into drum7at an increased angle22, thus providing a view of nearly the whole bottom area23of the outer drum wall along its depth dimension.

FIG. 1further shows the transition between upper edge14of drum opening9and upper edge12of housing opening6, which is illustrated by transition line20. The transition between lower edge15of drum opening9and lower edge13of housing opening6is shown by transition line21. Lower transition line21is nearly horizontal or only slightly inclined, which illustrates that lower edge13of housing opening6is only slightly higher than lower edge15of drum opening9. In an embodiment not shown, it is also possible for lower edge13of the housing opening to be in alignment with the lower edge15of the drum opening. In both embodiments, the laundry items need not be lifted, or need to be lifted only slightly, when removing them from the interior of drum7.

Upper transition line20illustrates that upper edge12of housing opening6is located clearly above upper edge14of drum opening9. Thus, the view from above and from a distance that is convenient for the operator is prevented from being obstructed or impaired.

In an embodiment, it is possible for the axis of rotation11of the drum to be inclined with respect to the horizontal. For further embodiments, central axis10of housing opening6may be parallel to the horizontal, or also inclined, or be parallel to an inclined axis of rotation11of drum7.

The front view ofFIG. 2illustrates the axially parallel arrangement of drum7and drum opening9with respect to housing opening6. Door5is substantially circular in shape, which provides an advantageous visual appearance.

FIG. 3illustrates that diameter dg of housing opening6is greater than diameter dt of drum opening9, and that the two openings are substantially aligned with each other, as viewed from above. Because of the larger housing opening6, an operator can easily reach into the interior of drum7with both hands, which makes it easier to remove laundry items from the interior of drum7. This is also achieved by the fact that the projected transition of diameter dt of drum opening9to diameter dg of the housing opening forms an angle w. A particular advantage here is that there is no need to increase the size of drum opening9. Thus, the ring that remains at front end8of the drum and whose width is essentially given by the difference between drum diameter dm and diameter dt of drum opening9is sized to have a width that very reliably prevents laundry items from leaving the interior of drum7during the washing operation.

For laundry appliances2with a capacity of 5 to 6 kg of laundry, which are presently widely used in domestic applications, it is advantageous that diameter dg of housing opening6be greater by a factor of 1.05 to 1.3 than the diameter of drum opening9. Given a diameter dt of about 30 cm for drum opening9, the resulting diameter dg of housing opening6is about 31.5 to 39 cm.

A specific embodiment for a washing machine2or a washer-dryer machine2can be seen inFIG. 1. For a washing machine2or a washer-dryer machine2, drum7is rotatably mounted within a suds container16. In this example, suds container16is oriented substantially horizontally in the axial direction. Axis of rotation11of drum7is also oriented substantially horizontally. In a front-loading washing machine2or washer-dryer machine2, it is common to place a bellows seal18between housing opening6and suds container opening17. In this embodiment, drum opening9is placed on the axis of suds container opening17. Diameter dt of drum opening9is smaller than the diameter of suds container opening17. Bellows seal18is shaped to provide a transition between housing opening6and drum opening9. In this embodiment, bellows seal18has a tubular connecting portion19having substantially the shape of an inclined truncated cone. The base of the inclined truncated cone is formed by the area of circular housing opening6. The area of the small end of the truncated cone is formed by the area of circular drum opening9. In a laundry dryer not having a bellows seal, the projected transition of a connection between the periphery of housing opening6and the periphery of drum opening9produces the shape of an inclined truncated cone.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

2laundry appliance: washing machine or washer-dryer machine3housing4front wall5door6housing opening7drum8drum end9drum opening10central axis of the housing opening11central axis of the drum opening, axis of rotation of the drum12upper edge of the housing opening13lower edge of the housing opening14upper edge of the drum opening15lower edge of the drum opening16suds container17suds container opening18bellows seal19tubular connecting portion20upper transition line21lower transition line22viewing angle23visible area