Patent ID: 7712338

Claim:
An electric washing machine comprising: a housing; a cover member defining a front wall of the housing and having an access opening through which laundry is loaded and unloaded into and out of the housing; a laundry containing tub disposed in the housing and having a tub opening provided in association with the access opening so that the laundry is loaded therein through the access opening and the tub opening to be contained therein; a door which opens and closes the access opening and the tub opening; and a packing which covers a peripheral edge of the tub opening and is brought into intimate contact with the door for sealing a gap defined between the door and the peripheral edge of the tub opening when the door is closed, the packing being opposed to the access opening with a space defined between a lower edge portion of the access opening and the packing wherein the packing has a shutter portion which cover the space when the door is opened, and uncovers the space when the door is closed.