Device for fixing a window to a washing machine door

Abstract: Union system between the frame and the crystal of washing machine doors destined for its use in the union between between the door frame of the automatic washing machines and the crystal of the same one, that has a general truncated cone shape and with a perimetric projecting to the external part, with regard to its bigger base that is open for its union to the frame, so that the extemal prolongation (3) of the extemal open base of the cristal, remains placed in relationship to an inlet of the frame (5), having some means of interlocked fixing between both bodies and the support means of the crystal (2) in the frame (5).

Description: The following invention relates, as stated in the title of this patent specification, to a system of bonding together the frame and the viewing glass of washing machine doors intended to be used for the known hinged doors of washing machines, having a frame in the form of a circular collar to which the viewing glass is fastened, forming a cavity with respect to the outside while on the external face of the frame/viewing glass unit a decorative ring is arranged so that the bond between frame and viewing glass can be realised by means of an adhesive, thus obtaining a rigid bond supported by several projections on the frame itself and achieving a close fit that facilitates handling as soon as the assembly is completed. By means of the system proposed for establishing a bond between frame and viewing glass of a washing machine, a perfect fit is achieved around the entire circumference of the viewing glass so that by achieving a perfectly rigid assembly, the characteristics of the door are improved, mainly as regards closing it. In addition to fitting the frame itself with a series of preferably three projections spaced at 120° so as to cause the viewing glass to be perfectly inserted by mere pressure during assembly, the frame/viewing glass assembly can be handled once the two items are installed since said projections hold the viewing glass by preventing any movement of it, so that the fixation by means of adhesive can be finished without any problems and there is no waiting time even if the frame/viewing glass assembly has to be manipulated. FIELD OF APPLICATION As indicated, the bonding system described in this patent specification is destined, by its application, to join the frame of door units with the viewing glasses for those door types that are hinged on to the machine frame, while the outside of the frame will be sealed by the corresponding decorative ring that maintains the attractive appearance of the assembly. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventionally, the door units of numerous types of automatic washing machine consist of a frame linked in a pivoting manner to the frame of the machine; the viewing glass of the door is fastened on to it, while the frame is enclosed externally by a corresponding decorative ring. Thus, the frame has the shape of a circular collar; relating to its internal face as regards the fastening, there are some small L-shaped projections supporting the viewing glass, while opposite these fastening means a small lug is installed to be fastened by means of a corresponding screw on to the frame and to press down the viewing glass, thus realising the bond between the two parts. For this purpose, the viewing glass, generally having a truncated and tapering shape, its concave side turned outside, is provided with a peripheral projection for its fastening, so that a worker will arrange the projection of the viewing glass between the L-shaped projections of the frame; as soon as the viewing glass fits perfectly, the fastening lug will be placed. Finally, the outside face of the frame will be covered by the corresponding ornamental ring, so that the performance of all those processing steps requires the use of a substantial number of operators, which increases the final cost of the product. Moreover, since the bond between frame and viewing glass is mechanical, even if sufficiently watertight, the operation of the door - mostly while it is being closed - is not entirely satisfactory due to the inertial effects produced by the fact that the parts do not fit perfectly. A window for washing machines is described in GB 2 118 580 A comprising a viewing glass with a circumferential edge which projects outwardly and with an annular support of plastics material for the viewing glass. The support comprises two complementary rings which nest together and have two flanges or opposing end portions towars the centre between which the circumferential edge of the viewing glass is secured after the two rings have been joined together. It is a disadvantage of the assembly concept that two separate parts are necessary in order to establish a ring which is suitable to hold a viewing glass in position and that a certain force must be applied on those separate ring parts to establish a positive lasting joint. In DE 36 03 211 A1 a viewing glass of a washing machine is described having a frame made of two parts which are being connected positively during the assembly procedure of the viewing glass and the frame. In order to fix firmly the viewing glass to the frame a circumferential edge is being transformed under heat treatment to establish a positive joint connection of the frame and the viewing glass. It is a disadvantage of the viewing glass according to DE 36 03 211 A1 that two parts and a certain heat treatment is necessary in order to achieve a lasting joint of the viewing glass and the frame parts. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This patent specification describes a system of bonding frame and viewing glass of washing machine doors by means of which a rigid bond is obtained for the door frame, hinged on to the washing machine frame, and the viewing glass centred into the door, so that the glass part has a generally truncated and tapering shape and is provided with respect to its larger face with an extension towards the outside so that said external extension of the viewing glass rests on a recess of the frame comprising means of rigid fastening for the two parts as well as means of holding the viewing glass within the frame, the decorative ring subsequently sealing the frame on its outside face. The rigid bond between the frame of the door unit and its viewing glass is constituted by a projection of the peripheral extension of the viewing glass which, being installed in the frame, is placed against a gap with a section similar to the frame itself. The rigid bond between viewing glass and door frame unit is realised by an adhesive inserted by hand or automatically into the gap of the frame into which the straight peripheral projection of said extension fits, on the outside of the larger face of the viewing glass. On the other hand, in order to facilitate the positioning of the viewing glass while it is being installed within the frame of the door unit, the frame itself comprises on the side of the recess in which the peripheral extension on the outside of the viewing glass rests, a series of projections preferably numbering three and arranged at 120° from each other which maintain the viewing glass in its installation and working positions and allow handling of the door unit without waiting for the adhesive to dry. To complete the description which is to follow and so as to facilitate comprehension of the characteristics of the invention, this abstract is complemented by a drawing the only figure on which shows, by way of illustration but not of limitation, the most characteristic details of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Figure 1 shows a view of the washing machine door sectioned along one of its diameters and the peripheral extension surrounding the viewing glass has a projection fitted into a gap of similar shape within the body of the frame with respect to which a rigid bond is achieved by means of an adhesive deposited there, as well as one of the projections permitting the viewing glass to be held in its normal position, and the decorative ring. DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A look at the figure commented upon shows, in accordance with the numbers used, that viewing glass 2, having a generally truncated and tapering shape, of door 1 has, relative to its larger face on the outside a peripheral extension 3 towards the exterior on which there is, relative to its outside face, a small projection 4 while extension 3 of viewing glass 2 remains placed relative to an inside recess of frame 5. Likewise, frame 5 has, relative to the backing surface of peripheral extension 3, a gap 6 corresponding to the projection 4 of extension 3 so that the bond between both is realised when a bead of adhesive 7 is deposited, by hand or automatically, within said gap 6. Moreover, on the side of the internal recess of frame 5 in which peripheral extension 3 of viewing glass 2 is positioned, the frame has several, preferably three, projections 8 spaced at 120° which allow viewing glass 2 itself to be held by frame 5 so that viewing glass 2 can be inserted by means of a little pressure. With this arrangement, as soon as viewing glass 2 is installed in frame 5 to be fastened by adhesive 7 deposited previously in gap 6, the assembly can be handled immediately without creating any defects of fastening since viewing glass 2 is held by projections 8 of the frame itself so that no displacement whatsoever will occur and the adhesive can perfectly fulfil its task of creating a rigid bond. This characteristic is highly important since the industry for which this bonding system is destined requires the daily production of great numbers of door assemblies, so that the elimination of the time to wait for the adhesive to dry presents a huge advantage for its industrial application. Moreover, because of this there is no need to include means to position the frame/viewing glass assembly for continuing its industrial processing while the adhesive is drying, so that neither said means nor stopping the assembly line during said drying time will be necessary, all of which leads to a final cost reduction of the product that does not entail any additional investment whatsoever. Thus, once viewing glass 2 is installed in frame 5 subsequent to the prior introduction of adhesive 7 in gap 6 to achieve a rigid bond, the frame/viewing glass assembly can be handled without any problem since a perfect bond between the two parts will have been achieved. Finally, subsequent to the installation of viewing glass 2 in frame 5, decorative ring 9 will be fitted to complete the assembly of door 1 used for automatic washing machines, the assembly being realised easily and rapidly with a minimum of labour and resulting in a completely reliable and very efficient system.

Claims: BONDING SYSTEM FOR A FRAME (5) AND A VIEWING GLASS (2) OF WASHING MACHINE DOORS (1) to be used to bond the door frame (5) of an automatic washing machine and its viewing glass (2) having a truncated and tapering shape, with a peripheral projection towards the outside along its larger face, characterized in that outside extension (3) on the open outside face of the viewing glass (2) stays positioned with respect to a recess of the frame (5) forming a gap (6) in which a similar section shaped projection (4) of the viewing glass (2) is placed for rigidly fastening both parts as well as holding means (8) for the viewing glass (2) and the frame (5). BONDING SYSTEM FOR A FRAME AND A VIEWING GLASS OF WASHING MACHINE DOORS in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the rigid fastening of the viewing glass (2) on the frame (5) is realised by means of adhesive (7) deposited by hand or automatically within the gap (6) of the frame (5). BONDING SYSTEM FOR A FRAME AND A VIEWING GLASS OF WASHING MACHINE DOORS in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the holding means of the viewing glass (2) with respect to the frame (5) are constituted by a number of projections (8) on the lateral face of the recess in which peripheral extension (3) of the viewing glass (2) is held, which projections maintain the viewing glass (2) in its processing position.

Inventors: CAUDEVILLA DE SOLA ANGEL, CAUDEVILLA DE SOLA, ANGEL
Applicants: BSH BALAY SA, BSH BALAY, S.A.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: D06F37
IPC codes: D06F39, D06F37