Laundry washing machine

Abstract: This invention relates to a gasket for a laundry washing machine door having a central opening provided with a glass (13) or the like. The gasket (15) comprising two mainly U-shaped parts (15a,15b) interconnected to one another, a first part (15a) surrounding the edge of the door that borders on the opening and a second part (15b) surrounding the edge of the glass (13). The second part has a tab (16) extending mainly perpendicular to the waist of the second part (15b) for abutting the door glass (13). The area between the waist and the tab supports a flange (17) extending towards an outer drum (18) of the laundry washing machine. The flange is at its outer portion is provided with a sideways extending lip (20), as seen in the length direction of the flange (17), which when the door is closed will seal against the drum (18).

Description: This invention relates to a laundry washing machine comprising a gasket for a door having a central opening provided with a glass or the like, the gasket comprising two mainly U-shaped parts interconnected to one another, a first part surrounding the edge of the door that borders on the opening and a second part surrounding the edge of the glass and having a tab extending mainly perpendicular to a leg of the second U-shaped part for abutting the door glass and that the area between the leg and the tab supports a flange extending towards an outer drum of the laundry washing machine when the door is in a closing position. A gasket of the type mentioned above is previously known, see JP-04114693A and is used for front loaded laundry washing machines in order to seal the abutting area between the door and the outer drum of the laundry washing machine which drum during the washing procedure contains the washing liquid. A disadvantage of the gaskets previously known is that it is hard to close the door because a high gasket pressure is needed in order to achieve the necessary sealing effect and moreover the gasket has a tendency to become deformed when being acted on such that there becomes an opening between the glass and the tab of the gasket which means that there is a risk for leakage. A further disadvantage of the known arrangement is that there is a risk that dirt particles stick between the gasket and the outer drum when the door is closed which also means that leakage of cleaning liquid might occur. The purpose of this invention is to achieve a gasket for which the drawbacks mentioned above are eliminated and which has a less gasketpressure which means that the door is easier to close at the same time as the sealing function of the door is safeguarded. This is achieved by means of a device having the characteristics mentioned in the claims. An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which in a section shows a part of a laundry washing machine having a door and a gasket according to the invention the door being shown in a position immediately before being closed. The door 10 shown in the figure comprises an outer door part 11 preferably from sheet metal or aluminium having an inner flange 12 surrounding a central opening. The opening is covered by a glass 13 or some other kind of transparent material. The glass has a flange 14 that is arranged in parallell with the flange 12 of the outer door part the two flanges being surrounded by a gasket 15 comprising two U-shaped interconnected parts 15a and 15b such that the gasket forms a mainly Z-shaped structure forming a sealing between the door part 11 and the glass 13. The gasket that is manufactured from rubber or plastic, for instance EPDM, comprises a tab 16 of one leg of the U-shaped part 15b the tab 16 abutting the glass of the door and extending mainly perpendicular to lastmentioned leg. The thickness of the tab 16 decreases towards the outer end of the tab. The area between the leg of the U-shaped part 15b and the tab 16 supports a flange 17 extending mainly 45° to the length direction L of the leg and whose imagined extension line when the door is closed meets a gasket abutting surface 19 of the outer drum 18 of the laundry washing machine at an acute angle α. The flange 17 is at its outer part provided with sideways extending lip 20, as seen in the length direction of the flange, the lip preferably having a thickness that is less or similar to the thickness of the flange 17. The gasket works in the following way. When the door of the laundry washing machine is closed i.e. when it is moved in the direction denoted A in the figure the lip 20 will get in touch with the drum 18. Continued pressing forces on the door means that the lip 20 withhout greater resistance will be folded towards the flange 17 and seal against the drum at the same time as a moment is created on the flange 17 this moment pressing the tab 16 against the glass. By this arrangemant the tab 16 will always abut the glass 13 such that leakage can not occur between the glass and the tab. The arrangement also means that the sealing surface becomes self cleaning and hence less sensible that dirt particles stick to the surface and causes leakage since the gasket is rubbed against the drum each time the door is opened and closed.

Claims: Laundry washing machine comprising a gasket for a door having a central opening provided with a glass (13) or the like, the gasket (15) comprising two mainly U-shaped parts (15a,15b) interconnected to one another, a first part (15a) surrounding the edge ofthe door that borders on the opening and a second part (15b) surrounding the edge of the glass (13) and having a tab (16) extending mainly perpendicular to a leg of the second U-shaped part (15b) for abutting the door glass (13) and that the area between the leg and the tab supports a flange (17) extending towards an outer drum (18) of the laundry washing machine when the door is in a closing position, characterized in that the flange at its outer end is provided with a sideways extending lip (20), as seen in the length direction of the flange (17), which when the door is closed will seal against the drum (18). Washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the lip, when not being loaded, extends mainly 90° with respect to the length direction of the flange (17). Washing machine to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the flange (17) extends mainly 45 ° with respect to said leg. Washing machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the thickness of the lip (20) is less than or equel to the thickness of the flange (17). Washing machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flange (17) is arranged such that its imagined extension line, as seen towards the drum (18), when the door is closed meets an abutting surface (19) of the drum (18) for the lip (20) at an acute angle (α). Washing machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is manufactured in one piece and consist of rubber or plastic material.

Inventors: AUGUSTSSON BENGT, AUGUSTSSON, BENGT
Applicants: ELECTROLUX AB, AKTIEBOLAGET ELECTROLUX
Application year: 2000
Main classification: D06F37
IPC codes: D06F39, D06F37