WASHING DRUM FOR A LAUNDRY WASHING MACHINE OF THE TOP-LOADING TYPE

Abstract: A wshing drum for a laundry washing machine of the toploading type is provided with door flaps (12, 13) adapted to partially overlap one another and resiliently hinged to opposite edges of an opening (9) of the drum. The door flaps are provided with hooks (16) and openings (17), respectively, adapted to engage one another in the closed position. Resiliently hinged to one of the door flaps is an additional web member (24) formed with arcuate portions (26) adapted to engage the hooks (16) of the other door flap. In the closed porition, the door flaps are laterally seated on an inner edge portion (19) of a profile member (21) secured to each longitudinal edge of the drum opening (9).

Description: Washing Drum for a Laundry Washing Machine of the Top-Loading Type Description The present invention relates to a washing drum for a laundry washing machine of the top-loading type, and in particular to a locking device for the door flaps of a washing drum of this type adapted to prevent accidental opening thereof during rotation of the drum. Conventional laundry washing machines of the top-loading type are provided with a washing drum mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and having its peripheral wall formed with an opening for the introduction and extraction of the laundry. Hingedly connected to opposite edges of the opening is a pair of door flaps biased towards a raised position away from said openings by respective springs. From said raised position, in which the opening is accessible for introducing or extracting the laundry, the door flaps can be displaced to a lowered position, in which they are brought into engagement with one another by means of suitable closure or locking elements, so as to close the opening for rotation of the drum. The door flaps are designed so as to ensure reliable engagement with each other during rotation of the drum, particularly during the high-speed rotation or centrifuging phase. If during the latter phase the door flaps would accidentally open; the drum itself, the housing and/or the internal components of the machine would be heavily damaged. In a known design of laundry washing machines, the washing drum has a pair of door flaps which are hinged and springbiased as described above, the width of said door flaps being greater than that of the drum opening, so that in the closed state of the door flaps, the longitudinal edges thereof are seated on the longitudinal edges of the drum opening. As a result, the door flaps are prevented from being displaced towards the interior of the drum into contact with the laundry, so that the latter is protected from damage. During high-speed rotation of the drum, however, the door flaps are subjected to centrifugal forces tending to raise them from their seated position on the edges of the drum opening. As a result, a gap is formed between the lateral edges of the door flaps and the drum opening. During rotation of the drum, the laundry contained therein may penetrate into this gap, resulting in possible damage. In addition, the lockign and closure means of the door flaps of a washing drum of this type are of rather complicated construction, including handles, bolts, and transverse shafts, necessary for ensuring safe interengagement of the closure means of the door flaps during operation of the machine while being cumbersome to operate. The present invention has for an object the provision of a washing drum the door flaps of which are provided with interdependently operable closure and locking means of a simplified construction and reliable function so as to avoid any danger of damage to the laundry or to the washing machine itself. These and other objects are attained according to the invention by a washing drum, particularly for a laundry washing machine of the top-loading type, having a peripheral wall formed with an opening for the passage of laundry, said opening being provided with two door flaps disposed opposite one another and adapted to partially overlap each other, said door flaps being hinged to opposite edges of said opening with the aid of springs so as to be biased thereby towards the open position. This washing drum is characterized according to the invention in that the opening is provided with profile members having longitudinal edges recessed with respect to the peripheral surface of the drum for engagement by said door flaps in the closed position thereof, and in that said door flaps are provided with closure elements in the form of a simple hook-and-opening arrangement, and with resilient hook-type locking means, said closure elements and said locking means being adapted to cooperate with each other. The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more clearly evident from the following description of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: fig. 1 shows a partial perspective view of a washing drum according to the invention with the door flaps raised to a half opened position, fig. 2 shows a partial longitudinal section of the drum of fig. 1 with the door flaps in the lowered closure position, figs. 3, 4 and 5 show cross-sectional views of a detail of a washign drum in three different embodiments of the invention, and fig. 6 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the upper portion of a laundry washing machine of the top loading type equipped with a washing drum according to the invention. With reference to figs. 1 and 2 there is shown a portion of a washing drum according to the invention, adapted to be mounted in a laundry washing machine of the top-loading type for rotation about a horizontal axis. The drum has a peripheral wall 7 formed with openings 8, and a pair of not shown end walls joined to the peripheral wall in a per se known manner. Peripheral wall 7 is formed with at least one opening 9 of preferably rectangular shape for the introduction and extraction of laundry. Hingedly connected to opposite transverse edges 10 and 11 of opening 9 is a pair of door flaps 12 and 13, respectively, adapted to partially overlap one another in the closed state. Dorr flaps 12 and 13 are of arcuate shape over their full width, so that they do not project beyond the circular periphery of the drum when in the closed state. Adjacent to their hinged connection points, door flaps 12 and 13 are provided with at least one torsion spring 14 and 15, respectively, effective to bias the respective door flap upwards to its open position. The door flaps are formed with perforations for the passage of water or washing liquid and provided with hooks 16 and openings 17, respectively, adapted to be engaged with one another as the door flaps are moved downwards to their closed position. In order to avoid that in the closed position the door flaps project inwards of the drum so as to come into contact with the laundry therein, with the danger of damage thereto, the door flaps are dimensioned so as to seat on the periphery of the opening. With reference to figs. 3, 4 and 5, there are shown three embodiments of an arrangement for the seating of the door flaps on the edge of the drum opening. In the embodiment of fig. 3, door flap 12, only part of which is shown in crosssection, is of a smaller width than drum opening 9. In this case, door flap 12 is formed with two upstanding flat longitudinal rims 18 adapted to seat of respective longitudinal edges 19 of the drum opening. Each edge 19 is formed as part of a respective profile member 21 secured to the lateral edges of the opening, and is inwards recessed with respect to the peripheral surface 22 of the drum. In the closed state, door flap 12 remains firmly seated on lateral edges 19, rotation of the drum causing it to be raised only a small distance thereabove, so that no gap is formed into which the laundry might penetrate. As a result, the danger of the laundry being damaged is avoided. In the fig. 4 embodiment, door flap 12 is formed with two depending flat longitudinal edges adapted to seat on ccmplimentary upstanding edge portions 19 of profile members 21. As in the preceding case, there are no gaps formed between door flap 12 and profile members 21, resulting in the above discussed advantages. In the embodiment of fig. 5, finally, door flap 12 is of a smaller width than opening 9 at the level of profile member 21. In this case, the upstanding longitudinal rim 18 of door flap 12 is bent twofold so as to form a shoulder adapted to seat on the respective edge portions 19 of profile members 21. In this manner the same advantages are achieved as in the preceding embodiments. Referring again to figs. 1 and 2, hooks 16 of door flap 12 are each formed with a slightly curved portion 23 adapted to enter a respective opening 17 of the other door flap 13 without however being rigidly retained therein. For ensuring an efficient and reliable interengagement of door flaps 12 and 13 in their closed position, the invention provides locking means substantially in the form of a rigid web member 24 hingedly connected to the free transverse edge of door flap 13, i.e. the door flap formed with openings 17, at least one torsion spring 25 being provided for biasing the web member towards a lowered position in the direction of arrow A in fig. 2. The other end portion of web member 24 is bent downwards so as to form two arcuate hook-shaped portions 26 adapted to engage curved portions 23 of hooks 16, and is additionally formed with an elongate lug 27 functioning as a handle. As the door flaps are displaced downwards to their closed position, curved portions 23 of hooks 16 are engaged with openings 17, and the rims of the door flaps are seated on the longitudinal edge portions 19 of opening 9. In this position, curved portions 23 are engaged with arcuate portions 26 of web memebr 24, so as to prevent the door flaps from accidentally opening during the rotation of the drum. For opening the door flaps, handel 27 is gripped to lift web member 24 against the action of spring 25, so as to release portions 23 and 26 from their engagement with each other, whereupon the door flaps are raised to their open position by the action of the associated springs 14 and 15. According to the invention, web member 24 is formed with an upwards bent portion 28 at a position opposite to that of handle 27. Portions 23 and 28 projecting from door flaps 12 and 13, respectively, are effective to prevent the drum from being rotated in case of accidental opening of the door flaps as a result for instance of their not having been properly closed. Opening of the door flaps would otherwise result in damage to the drum and other internal components of the machine. As shown in fig. 6, an upper opening 29 of the machine giving access to the drum is formed with opposite inner edges 30 and 31 adapted to be engaged by the above described portions 23 and 28, respectively, on rotation of the drum in one or the other direction. The thus formed safety device is of simple construction and permits the door flaps of the drum to be reliably engaged with each other in the closed position. The described safety device is also effective to prevent the drum from being rotated in the case of accidental opening of the door flaps without the provision of additional hooks or other engagement means on the door flaps as customarily employed in conventional washing machines. Thanks to the interengagement of the door flaps by means of a hook-and-opening system and to the seating of the door flaps on the edge portions of the drum opening in the closed position, the invention ensures proper alignment of the door flaps with respect to one another in the closed condition without the door flaps having to be pushed inwards of the drum into contact with the laundry. On the other hand, the described provisions are effective to avoid the formation of gaps between the door flaps and the opening, into which the laundry might penetrate. As a result, any danger of the laundry being damaged is effectively avoided.

Claims: Washing Drum for a Laundry Washing Machine of the Top-Loading Type Patent Claims 1. A washing drum, particularly for a laundry washing machine of the top-loading type, having a peripheral wall formed with an opening for the -passage of laundry, said opening being provided with two door flaps disposed oppos ite one another and adapted to partailly overlap each other, said door flaps being hinged to opposite edges of said opening with the aid of springs so as to be biased thereby towards the open position, characterized in that sadi opening (9) is provided with profile members (21) having longitudinal edges (19) recessed with respect to the peripheral surface of said drum for engagement by said door flaps (12, 13) in the closed position thereof, and in that said door flaps (12, 13) are provided with closure elements in the form of a simple hook and opening arrangement (23 and 17, respectively) and with resilient hook-type locking means (26), said closure elements and said locking means being adapted to cooperate with each other. 2. A washing drum according to claim 1, characterized in that said locking means comprise a rigid web element (24) formed with a handle (27), said web element (2#) being hinged to the free edge of one (13) of said door flaps with the aid of at least one torsion spring (25) and having its free end formed with hooks (26) biased by the action of said torsion spring (25) into engagement with the corresponding hooks (16) of said closure elements (23, 17) located on the other door flap (12), said web element (24) being further provided with at least one additional hook (28) aligned in an opposite position with respect to that of said handle (27). 3. A washing drum according to claim 2, characterized in that said hooks (16) and said additional hook (28) of said door flaps (12, 13) are adapted to cooperate with respective internal edges (30, 31) of a top opening (29) of the machine depending on the direction of rotation of said drum. 4. Awashing drum according to the preceding claims, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings and for the stated purposes.

Inventors: PIAI, DINO, REGAZZO, OLINDO
Applicants: INDUSTRIE ZANUSSI S.P.A.
Application year: 1984
Main classification: D06F37
IPC codes: D06F37