EP2031121B1 - Washing Machine - Google Patents
Washing Machine Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP2031121B1 EP2031121B1 EP08160729A EP08160729A EP2031121B1 EP 2031121 B1 EP2031121 B1 EP 2031121B1 EP 08160729 A EP08160729 A EP 08160729A EP 08160729 A EP08160729 A EP 08160729A EP 2031121 B1 EP2031121 B1 EP 2031121B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- speaker
- washing machine
- front panel
- opening
- case
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Not-in-force
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Classifications
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- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F34/00—Details of control systems for washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
- D06F34/28—Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress
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- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F2101/00—User input for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
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- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F2105/00—Systems or parameters controlled or affected by the control systems of washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
- D06F2105/58—Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
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- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F2105/00—Systems or parameters controlled or affected by the control systems of washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
- D06F2105/58—Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
- D06F2105/60—Audible signals
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- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F39/00—Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00
- D06F39/12—Casings; Tubs
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a washing machine announcing an operational guide or a warning to a user with voice.
- a washing machine that is capable of announcing an operation guide or a warning to a user with voice has been proposed years ago e.g. as known from JP-A-2001 293 284 .
- This kind of conventional washing machine includes a speaker in a side-panel compartment which is formed of a side panel mounted to and covering a lateral face of a laundry loading inlet formed on a top plate of the washing machine.
- the top plate covers the top section of an external frame of the washing machine.
- Fig. 6 shows a partially cut-away perspective view of a conventional washing machine disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002 - 11274 .
- Top plate 9 having lid 20 is mounted to external frame 1 at the top of the washing machine.
- Top plate 9 includes operating section 11 at front and resonating box 35 rigidly mounted in side-panel compartment 37 at the left side.
- Resonating box 35 includes a speaker therein.
- Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of the top plate with the side panel decomposed for illustrating how the speaker is mounted in the side panel.
- Resonating box 35 having a speaker built therein is mounted to a top face of left lateral face 5 of top plate 9 such that resonating box 35 can be accommodated in side-panel compartment 37.
- Brim 35e of resonating box 35 is screwed down to a mounting seat of top plate 9, whereby box 35 is mounted to top plate 9.
- Fig. 8 shows a perspective view enlarging the side panel of the conventional washing machine.
- a vertical lateral face of side panel 36 has a hook engaging hole 36a to which a draining hose is hooked.
- Grille 35a of resonating box 35 is placed as close as possible to hook engaging hole 36a in order to produce a greater sound of the voice from speaker 25.
- Fig. 9 shows an exploded perspective view of the speaker and the resonating box of the conventional washing machine.
- Box 35 includes a grille at front so that the grille confronts a diaphragm of the speaker, and is formed of front enclosure 35b open back and rear enclosure 35d open front.
- Rear enclosure 35d includes speaker retainer 35c standing inward on its rear wall.
- Speaker 25 is built in resonating box 35 as shown in Fig. 9 , and placed inside side-panel box 37 as shown in Fig. 7 .
- Box 37 is formed inside side-panel 36 which is mounted such that it covers a lateral face of laundry loading inlet 5a formed on top plate 9.
- speaker 25 is protected from humidity and water by resonating box 35, and yet, sounds the voice efficiently through hook-engaging hole 36a, formed on side-panel 36, to the outside of the washing machine.
- the voice announcing mechanism discussed above of the conventional washing machine needs to place hook-engaging hole 36a and grille 35a on a line as straight as possible, and also as close as possible to each other, or to enlarge the size of hook-engaging hole 36a in order to sound the voice to the outside as efficiently as possible.
- a user cleans off the exterior of the washing machine with a wet towel, water sometimes enters into the interior of the washing machine through hook-engaging hole 36a.
- a placement of speaker grille 35a and hook-engaging hole 36a on a line more alike the straight line and the placement thereof closer to each other will incur grater adverse effect to the electronic component, i.e. speaker 25, in terms of water-proof and humidity-proof characteristics.
- the structure discussed above thus makes the reliability of the conventional washing machine yet insufficient.
- Such a small hole as the hook-engaging hole tempts a user to insert his/her finger or a small stick thereto, which sometimes damages speaker 25 through grille 35a.
- a washing machine of the present invention comprises the following elements:
- the speaker and its diaphragm are covered with the case, whose sectional view shows like a letter "L", and the speaker mounting case, so that the speaker and its diaphragm never touch water directly.
- the structure also allows the diaphragm (cone paper), which sounds a voice, not to face directly toward the outside of the washing machine, so that the diaphragm never invites damages from the outside.
- the speaker can be free from adversary effects to the humidity proof or the water proof characteristics, so that a reliable washing machine free from damages from the outside is obtainable.
- Fig. 1 shows an external perspective view of a washing machine in accordance with this embodiment of the present invention.
- Top plate 5 is mounted to a top section of external frame 1 of a washing machine, and lid 4 is mounted at the front of the washing machine.
- Front panel 2 where operating switches and a display for indicating an operating status are disposed, is placed on the upper front of external frame 1.
- Water supplying hose 3 for supplying the water to the washing machine is mounted to the washing machine behind the top plate 5.
- Hose 3 is coupled to a faucet provided to, e.g. wall 33 of the house.
- a user of the washing machine loads/unloads the laundry through lid 4 into/from the washing machine, and inputs an operating signal to controller 13 through front panel 2, then monitors the operating status and the set conditions of the washing machine on front panel 2. At this time, the washing machine notifies the user of the operating guidance and remarks with voice, so that fewer errors in operation can be expected and the washing machine becomes more user-friendly.
- FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the washing machine in parts viewed from the front and a detailed drawing of a particular part.
- Front panel 2 placed at the front of top plate 5 includes speaker 25 to which audio signals are supplied from controller 13. Speaker 25 sounds voices forward of the washing machine through small openings 9 formed on front panel 2.
- Speaker mounting case 27 to which speaker 25 is mounted is rigidly mounted to case 30 behind speaker 25, i.e. from the top of the detailed drawing in Fig. 2 .
- Case 30 shows like letter "L” in its sectional view, and is screwed down (with screws 7) inside front panel 2 with its lateral opening 32 confronting small openings 9 of front panel 2.
- Fig. 3 shows a block diagram of a control circuit of the washing machine in accordance with this embodiment.
- Controller 13 of the control circuit is mainly formed of microprocessor 14 incorporating a peripheral circuit such as a memory and input/output circuits.
- Controller 13 senses an input supplied from input device 15 such as input switch 15a, and transmits the input to load controller 16 as well as displays the input status and the progress of washing steps on display device 17.
- Load controller 16 controls a series of washing steps such as washing, rinsing, dehydrating and so on, and also controls the power to be fed into driving device 18 such as motor 18a according to signals supplied from controller 13.
- Voice announcing device 19 reads voice data stored in voice ROM 21 built in microprocessor 14 of controller 13, and takes out the voice data, having undergone D/A converter 22, as analog signals, which then undergoes low-pass filter (LPF) 23 for shaping the waveform. The signals then are input to amplifier (AMP) 24, and then converted into a sound wave by speaker 25.
- LPF low-pass filter
- the voice announcement includes a guide of washing steps, advice on operation, notifying a user of an abnormality and so on, in order to make the washing machine more convenient for the user.
- Fig. 4 shows a sectional view of the front panel in parts for illustrating a method of mounting the speaker to the washing machine.
- the method of mounting speaker 25 to the washing machine is demonstrated hereinafter.
- case 30 includes top opening 31 placed upper right, and lateral opening 32 placed on the left side, and its sectional view shows like a letter "L".
- This case 30 allows speaker 25 to be placed at top opening 31 such that diaphragm 26 (cone paper) orients toward lower-left.
- Speaker mounting case 27 covers speaker 25 from the upper right, and is screwed down around top opening 31 with screws 10.
- FIG. 5 shows a sectional view in parts of the speaker to detail its mounted state to the washing machine in accordance with this embodiment.
- Case 27 shows like a letter "U", and is placed such that its opening, i.e. the top of letter "U", orients toward lower-left.
- Speaker 25 is mounted to the opening such that its diaphragm 26 (cone paper) orients downward.
- Case 27 is molded of, e.g. resin, and unitarily molded with stopper 29 shaped like a letter "L” at its perimeter.
- An outer perimeter of speaker 25 is mounted to this "L” shaped stopper 29.
- Another outer perimeter of speaker 25 is mounted to elastic projection 28 shaped like a letter “L” and formed oppositely to stopper 29 about 180 degrees. The elasticity of projection 28 is used for mounting this another outer perimeter of speaker 25 to projection 28.
- speaker 25 is fixed with screws 10 to case 27 from the outside of top opening 31 as shown in Fig. 4 .
- Speaker 25 is thus held approx. at right angles with respect to front panel 2 as shown in Fig. 4 .
- diaphragm 26 slants to approx. 90 degrees with respect to case 30 showing a letter "L" in its sectional view.
- Cover 8 is sandwiched between perimeter 32a of lateral opening 32 and cylindrical rib 2a so that cover 8 can be mounted to lateral opening 32 of case 30.
- Cover 8 includes multiple slits 8a, and rib 2a is unitarily molded with front panel 2 at inside panel 2 and around small opening 9.
- outer wall 8b of cover 8 is made cylindrical so that outer wall 8b can be inserted inside cylindrical rib 2a of front panel 2. Then lateral opening 32 as a grille, small openings 9 of front panel 2, and slits 8a of cover 8 (referred to as slit cover 8) are arranged so that they can be placed on one plane. Thus, a voice is not prevented and orients forward of the washing machine.
- Slit cover 8 includes cut-away section 40 at its lower end. To be more specific, cut-away section 40 is placed corresponding to air-space 41 formed between cylindrical rib 2a and perimeter 32a of lateral opening 32, so that air-space 41 can drain the water entered through small openings 9.
- protective sheet 39 is placed such that the outer wall of cover 8 and perimeter 32a of lateral opening 32 sandwich sheet 39 for preventing the water from entering into case 30.
- Protective sheet 39 is formed by providing, e.g. felt material, with a water-proof process or a water repellent process, so that the air can run through sheet 39 with no resistance, but a drop of water cannot run through.
- speaker 25 sounds audio from its diaphragm 26 (cone paper), and the audio is resonated and thus becomes loud during its travel along the inside of case 30 as indicated by arrow mark A before it is transmitted outside the washing machine.
- speaker 25 is mounted to top opening 31 located at the upper right of case 30, diaphragm 26 slants to 90 degrees with respect to lateral opening 32 and is placed upward of lateral opening 32.
- Lateral opening 32 is covered with cover 8 including slits 8a which prevents external foreign substances from entering through opening 32. Therefore even if water or something sharp enters through small openings 9 formed on front panel 2, they can least approach to speaker 25.
- Front panel 2 having small openings 9 functioning as a speaker grille is placed at the front of the washing machine.
- the size of opening 9 is reduced; however, the number of openings 9 is increased in response to a sound volume necessary for users, so that it is difficult to insert a finger or a sharp stick into openings 9.
- the presence of slit cover 8 can prevent powder such as detergent from entering into case 30.
- the washing machine in accordance with this embodiment includes diaphragm 26 which is placed not to face the outside directly, so that speaker 25 is free from the worry about being damaged from the outside. Placement of speaker 25 at the front of the washing machine allows obtaining a necessary sound pressure with ease at the front regardless of the surrounding environment of the washing machine installed, so that a smaller speaker can be used.
- case 30 showing a letter "L" in its sectional view provides an air space between lateral opening 32 and cover 8 having slits 8a (slit cover 8) for placing protective sheet 39 in the air space.
- Protective sheet 39 positively receives the water or detergent entering through small openings 9 formed on front panel 2, so that the water or detergent can be prevented utterly from entering into case 30.
- speaker 25 does not need a water-proof structure, and since protective sheet 39 employs a special sheet that allows the air to pass through with no resistance but blocks liquid to pass through, so that a voice announcement free from the reduction in sound pressure can be achieved.
- Lateral opening 32 provided to case 30 and cut-away section 40 provided to the lower end of cover 8 having slits 8a allow the liquid which has entered through small openings 9 formed on front panel 2 to flow out smoothly.
- the liquid entering thus cannot muffle or damp the voice of announcement, and the electric members including the speaker invite no degradation in insulation. As a result, a stable voice announcement can be expected.
- Cylindrical rib 2a is unitarily molded with front panel 2 around small openings 9 and inside front panel 2, and slit cover 8 has outer wall 8b shaped like a cylinder so that outer wall 8b can be inserted inside rib 2a.
- This structure allows front panel 2 to be airtight, so that the voice travels inside case 30 cannot leak out. The voice can be sounded through small openings 9 formed on front panel 2, so that even a small speaker can serve sufficiently for this application.
- the voice announcing structure of the washing machine of the present invention places the speaker at front as near as possible to a user so that the user can hear the announcement with ease.
- the structure allows prohibiting the water or foreign matters entering from the outside of the washing machine from reaching to the speaker, and a downsized speaker can maintain a sufficient sound pressure for the voice announcement.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Textile Engineering (AREA)
- Detail Structures Of Washing Machines And Dryers (AREA)
- Main Body Construction Of Washing Machines And Laundry Dryers (AREA)
- Centrifugal Separators (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to a washing machine announcing an operational guide or a warning to a user with voice.
- A washing machine that is capable of announcing an operation guide or a warning to a user with voice has been proposed years ago e.g. as known from
JP-A-2001 293 284 Fig. 6 - Fig. 9 . -
Fig. 6 shows a partially cut-away perspective view of a conventional washing machine disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No.2002 - 11274 Top plate 9 havinglid 20 is mounted toexternal frame 1 at the top of the washing machine.Top plate 9 includesoperating section 11 at front andresonating box 35 rigidly mounted in side-panel compartment 37 at the left side. Resonatingbox 35 includes a speaker therein. -
Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of the top plate with the side panel decomposed for illustrating how the speaker is mounted in the side panel. Resonatingbox 35 having a speaker built therein is mounted to a top face of leftlateral face 5 oftop plate 9 such thatresonating box 35 can be accommodated in side-panel compartment 37.Brim 35e ofresonating box 35 is screwed down to a mounting seat oftop plate 9, wherebybox 35 is mounted totop plate 9. -
Fig. 8 shows a perspective view enlarging the side panel of the conventional washing machine. A vertical lateral face ofside panel 36 has ahook engaging hole 36a to which a draining hose is hooked.Grille 35a ofresonating box 35 is placed as close as possible to hook engaginghole 36a in order to produce a greater sound of the voice fromspeaker 25. -
Fig. 9 shows an exploded perspective view of the speaker and the resonating box of the conventional washing machine.Box 35 includes a grille at front so that the grille confronts a diaphragm of the speaker, and is formed offront enclosure 35b open back andrear enclosure 35d open front.Rear enclosure 35d includesspeaker retainer 35c standing inward on its rear wall. -
Speaker 25 is built inresonating box 35 as shown inFig. 9 , and placed inside side-panel box 37 as shown inFig. 7 .Box 37 is formed inside side-panel 36 which is mounted such that it covers a lateral face oflaundry loading inlet 5a formed ontop plate 9. - As discussed above,
speaker 25 is protected from humidity and water byresonating box 35, and yet, sounds the voice efficiently through hook-engaging hole 36a, formed on side-panel 36, to the outside of the washing machine. - However, the voice announcing mechanism discussed above of the conventional washing machine needs to place hook-engaging
hole 36a and grille 35a on a line as straight as possible, and also as close as possible to each other, or to enlarge the size of hook-engaginghole 36a in order to sound the voice to the outside as efficiently as possible. On the other hand, when a user cleans off the exterior of the washing machine with a wet towel, water sometimes enters into the interior of the washing machine through hook-engaging hole 36a. In such a case, a placement ofspeaker grille 35a and hook-engaginghole 36a on a line more alike the straight line and the placement thereof closer to each other will incur grater adverse effect to the electronic component, i.e.speaker 25, in terms of water-proof and humidity-proof characteristics. The structure discussed above thus makes the reliability of the conventional washing machine yet insufficient. - Such a small hole as the hook-engaging hole tempts a user to insert his/her finger or a small stick thereto, which sometimes damages
speaker 25 throughgrille 35a. - A washing machine of the present invention comprises the following elements:
- a controller for controlling at least the steps of washing, rinsing, and dehydrating;
- a speaker to which an audio signal is supplied from the controller;
- an external frame of the washing machine;
- a front panel disposed at the front of the external frame and including a small opening; and
- a top plate for covering a top section of the external frame.
- According to the foregoing structure, the speaker and its diaphragm are covered with the case, whose sectional view shows like a letter "L", and the speaker mounting case, so that the speaker and its diaphragm never touch water directly. The structure also allows the diaphragm (cone paper), which sounds a voice, not to face directly toward the outside of the washing machine, so that the diaphragm never invites damages from the outside. As a result, the speaker can be free from adversary effects to the humidity proof or the water proof characteristics, so that a reliable washing machine free from damages from the outside is obtainable.
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Fig. 1 shows an external perspective view of a washing machine in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. -
Fig. 2 shows an external perspective view of the washing machine in parts viewed from the front and a detailed drawing of a particular part. -
Fig. 3 shows a block diagram of a control circuit of the washing machine. -
Fig. 4 shows a sectional view of a front panel in parts for illustrating a method of mounting a speaker to the washing machine. -
Fig. 5 shows a sectional view illustrating a part of the speaker to detail its mounted state to the washing machine. -
Fig. 6 shows a perspective view partially cut-away of a conventional washing machine. -
Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of a top plate whose side panel is discomposed for illustrating how a speaker is mounted to the conventional washing machine. -
Fig. 8 shows a perspective view enlarging the side panel of the conventional washing machine. -
Fig. 9 shows an exploded perspective view of a speaker and a resonating box of the conventional washing machine. - An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is demonstrated hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar elements to those of the conventional product discussed hereinbefore have the same reference marks, and the detailed descriptions thereof are omitted here. The present invention is not limited to this exemplary embodiment.
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Fig. 1 shows an external perspective view of a washing machine in accordance with this embodiment of the present invention.Top plate 5 is mounted to a top section ofexternal frame 1 of a washing machine, andlid 4 is mounted at the front of the washing machine.Front panel 2, where operating switches and a display for indicating an operating status are disposed, is placed on the upper front ofexternal frame 1.Water supplying hose 3 for supplying the water to the washing machine is mounted to the washing machine behind thetop plate 5.Hose 3 is coupled to a faucet provided to,e.g. wall 33 of the house. - A user of the washing machine loads/unloads the laundry through
lid 4 into/from the washing machine, and inputs an operating signal to controller 13 throughfront panel 2, then monitors the operating status and the set conditions of the washing machine onfront panel 2. At this time, the washing machine notifies the user of the operating guidance and remarks with voice, so that fewer errors in operation can be expected and the washing machine becomes more user-friendly. -
Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the washing machine in parts viewed from the front and a detailed drawing of a particular part.Front panel 2 placed at the front oftop plate 5 includesspeaker 25 to which audio signals are supplied fromcontroller 13.Speaker 25 sounds voices forward of the washing machine throughsmall openings 9 formed onfront panel 2. - The planar disposition of
speaker 25 and others is this:Speaker mounting case 27 to whichspeaker 25 is mounted is rigidly mounted tocase 30 behindspeaker 25, i.e. from the top of the detailed drawing inFig. 2 .Case 30 shows like letter "L" in its sectional view, and is screwed down (with screws 7) insidefront panel 2 with itslateral opening 32 confrontingsmall openings 9 offront panel 2. -
Fig. 3 shows a block diagram of a control circuit of the washing machine in accordance with this embodiment.Controller 13 of the control circuit is mainly formed ofmicroprocessor 14 incorporating a peripheral circuit such as a memory and input/output circuits.Controller 13 senses an input supplied frominput device 15 such asinput switch 15a, and transmits the input to loadcontroller 16 as well as displays the input status and the progress of washing steps ondisplay device 17.Load controller 16 controls a series of washing steps such as washing, rinsing, dehydrating and so on, and also controls the power to be fed into drivingdevice 18 such asmotor 18a according to signals supplied fromcontroller 13. -
Voice announcing device 19 reads voice data stored invoice ROM 21 built inmicroprocessor 14 ofcontroller 13, and takes out the voice data, having undergone D/A converter 22, as analog signals, which then undergoes low-pass filter (LPF) 23 for shaping the waveform. The signals then are input to amplifier (AMP) 24, and then converted into a sound wave byspeaker 25. - The voice announcement includes a guide of washing steps, advice on operation, notifying a user of an abnormality and so on, in order to make the washing machine more convenient for the user.
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Fig. 4 shows a sectional view of the front panel in parts for illustrating a method of mounting the speaker to the washing machine. The method of mountingspeaker 25 to the washing machine is demonstrated hereinafter. InFig. 4 ,case 30 includestop opening 31 placed upper right, andlateral opening 32 placed on the left side, and its sectional view shows like a letter "L". Thiscase 30 allowsspeaker 25 to be placed attop opening 31 such that diaphragm 26 (cone paper) orients toward lower-left.Speaker mounting case 27covers speaker 25 from the upper right, and is screwed down aroundtop opening 31 withscrews 10. - Next, mounting of
speaker 25 tospeaker mounting case 27 is described hereinafter.Fig. 5 shows a sectional view in parts of the speaker to detail its mounted state to the washing machine in accordance with this embodiment.Case 27 shows like a letter "U", and is placed such that its opening, i.e. the top of letter "U", orients toward lower-left.Speaker 25 is mounted to the opening such that its diaphragm 26 (cone paper) orients downward.Case 27 is molded of, e.g. resin, and unitarily molded withstopper 29 shaped like a letter "L" at its perimeter. An outer perimeter ofspeaker 25 is mounted to this "L" shapedstopper 29. Another outer perimeter ofspeaker 25 is mounted toelastic projection 28 shaped like a letter "L" and formed oppositely tostopper 29 about 180 degrees. The elasticity ofprojection 28 is used for mounting this another outer perimeter ofspeaker 25 toprojection 28. - The mechanism discussed above allows mounting
speaker 25 tocase 27, and thenspeaker 25 is fixed withscrews 10 tocase 27 from the outside oftop opening 31 as shown inFig. 4 .Speaker 25 is thus held approx. at right angles with respect tofront panel 2 as shown inFig. 4 . As a result,diaphragm 26 slants to approx. 90 degrees with respect tocase 30 showing a letter "L" in its sectional view. -
Cover 8 is sandwiched betweenperimeter 32a oflateral opening 32 andcylindrical rib 2a so thatcover 8 can be mounted tolateral opening 32 ofcase 30.Cover 8 includesmultiple slits 8a, andrib 2a is unitarily molded withfront panel 2 atinside panel 2 and aroundsmall opening 9. - In order to simplify the mounting of
cover 8 and ensure the mounting position forcover 8,outer wall 8b ofcover 8 is made cylindrical so thatouter wall 8b can be inserted insidecylindrical rib 2a offront panel 2. Thenlateral opening 32 as a grille,small openings 9 offront panel 2, and slits 8a of cover 8 (referred to as slit cover 8) are arranged so that they can be placed on one plane. Thus, a voice is not prevented and orients forward of the washing machine. -
Slit cover 8 includes cut-awaysection 40 at its lower end. To be more specific, cut-awaysection 40 is placed corresponding to air-space 41 formed betweencylindrical rib 2a andperimeter 32a oflateral opening 32, so that air-space 41 can drain the water entered throughsmall openings 9. - Between
case 30 andcover 8 includingslits 8a,protective sheet 39 is placed such that the outer wall ofcover 8 andperimeter 32a oflateral opening 32sandwich sheet 39 for preventing the water from entering intocase 30.Protective sheet 39 is formed by providing, e.g. felt material, with a water-proof process or a water repellent process, so that the air can run throughsheet 39 with no resistance, but a drop of water cannot run through. - Operation of the washing machine having the structure discussed above is demonstrated hereinafter. As shown in
Fig. 4 ,speaker 25 sounds audio from its diaphragm 26 (cone paper), and the audio is resonated and thus becomes loud during its travel along the inside ofcase 30 as indicated by arrow mark A before it is transmitted outside the washing machine. - Since
speaker 25 is mounted totop opening 31 located at the upper right ofcase 30,diaphragm 26 slants to 90 degrees with respect tolateral opening 32 and is placed upward oflateral opening 32.Lateral opening 32 is covered withcover 8 includingslits 8a which prevents external foreign substances from entering throughopening 32. Therefore even if water or something sharp enters throughsmall openings 9 formed onfront panel 2, they can least approach tospeaker 25. -
Front panel 2 havingsmall openings 9 functioning as a speaker grille is placed at the front of the washing machine. The size ofopening 9 is reduced; however, the number ofopenings 9 is increased in response to a sound volume necessary for users, so that it is difficult to insert a finger or a sharp stick intoopenings 9. On top of that, the presence ofslit cover 8 can prevent powder such as detergent from entering intocase 30. - As discussed above, the washing machine in accordance with this embodiment includes
diaphragm 26 which is placed not to face the outside directly, so thatspeaker 25 is free from the worry about being damaged from the outside. Placement ofspeaker 25 at the front of the washing machine allows obtaining a necessary sound pressure with ease at the front regardless of the surrounding environment of the washing machine installed, so that a smaller speaker can be used. - On top of that,
case 30 showing a letter "L" in its sectional view provides an air space betweenlateral opening 32 andcover 8 havingslits 8a (slit cover 8) for placingprotective sheet 39 in the air space.Protective sheet 39 positively receives the water or detergent entering throughsmall openings 9 formed onfront panel 2, so that the water or detergent can be prevented utterly from entering intocase 30. As a result,speaker 25 does not need a water-proof structure, and sinceprotective sheet 39 employs a special sheet that allows the air to pass through with no resistance but blocks liquid to pass through, so that a voice announcement free from the reduction in sound pressure can be achieved. -
Lateral opening 32 provided tocase 30 and cut-awaysection 40 provided to the lower end ofcover 8 havingslits 8a allow the liquid which has entered throughsmall openings 9 formed onfront panel 2 to flow out smoothly. The liquid entering thus cannot muffle or damp the voice of announcement, and the electric members including the speaker invite no degradation in insulation. As a result, a stable voice announcement can be expected. -
Cylindrical rib 2a is unitarily molded withfront panel 2 aroundsmall openings 9 and insidefront panel 2, and slitcover 8 hasouter wall 8b shaped like a cylinder so thatouter wall 8b can be inserted insiderib 2a. This structure allowsfront panel 2 to be airtight, so that the voice travels insidecase 30 cannot leak out. The voice can be sounded throughsmall openings 9 formed onfront panel 2, so that even a small speaker can serve sufficiently for this application. - The voice announcing structure of the washing machine of the present invention places the speaker at front as near as possible to a user so that the user can hear the announcement with ease. The structure allows prohibiting the water or foreign matters entering from the outside of the washing machine from reaching to the speaker, and a downsized speaker can maintain a sufficient sound pressure for the voice announcement.
Claims (4)
- A washing machine comprising:a controller for controlling at least steps of washing, rinsing, and dehydrating;a speaker (25) for receiving an audio signal supplied from the controller and sounding a voice;an external frame (1) of the washing machine;a front panel 2 disposed in the external frame at its front and having a small opening (9); anda top plate (5) for covering a top section of the external frame,characterised in that the front panel (2) includes thereinside:a case (30), whose sectional view shows like a letter "L", having a top opening (3) and a lateral opening (32) on both ends;a diaphragm (26) of the speaker mounted to the top opening (3) such that the diaphragm orients downward;a speaker mounting case (27) for covering the speaker;a slit cover (8) held between the lateral opening 32 and the front panel (2),wherein the lateral opening (32) is placed directing toward the small opening (9).
- The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the case, whose sectional view shows like a letter "L", includes an air space between the lateral opening (32) and the slit cover (8), and a protective sheet (39) is disposed in the air space for preventing water from entering.
- The washing machine as defined in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the slit cover (8) includes a cut-away section at its lower end for draining water entering through the small opening (9).
- The washing machine as defined in claim 1 or claim 2 further including a cylindrical rib (2a) disposed inside the front panel (2) and around the small opening, wherein an outer wall of the slit cover (8) is inserted inside the rib.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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JP2007227744A JP4483913B2 (en) | 2007-09-03 | 2007-09-03 | Washing machine |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP2031121A1 EP2031121A1 (en) | 2009-03-04 |
EP2031121B1 true EP2031121B1 (en) | 2009-12-23 |
Family
ID=40083720
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP08160729A Not-in-force EP2031121B1 (en) | 2007-09-03 | 2008-07-18 | Washing Machine |
Country Status (6)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP2031121B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP4483913B2 (en) |
CN (2) | CN101381950B (en) |
AT (1) | ATE453008T1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE602008000442D1 (en) |
TW (1) | TW200934914A (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE202014005929U1 (en) | 2014-07-21 | 2014-08-07 | BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH | Speaker housing and household appliance with such a speaker housing |
Families Citing this family (13)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
KR101555586B1 (en) * | 2009-04-10 | 2015-09-24 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Home appliance |
KR20100120047A (en) * | 2009-05-04 | 2010-11-12 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Detergent for washing machine |
KR101880082B1 (en) * | 2012-03-27 | 2018-07-20 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Washing machine |
JP6074616B2 (en) * | 2012-09-13 | 2017-02-08 | パナソニックIpマネジメント株式会社 | Washing machine |
KR102175295B1 (en) | 2014-01-09 | 2020-11-06 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | A home appliance and a controlling method thereof |
JP6685207B2 (en) * | 2016-09-02 | 2020-04-22 | 三菱電機株式会社 | dishwasher |
KR102418952B1 (en) * | 2017-08-31 | 2022-07-08 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Home appliance having voice recognizing function |
JP2019051072A (en) * | 2017-09-15 | 2019-04-04 | 株式会社Fuji | Stocker and sound unit |
US11118295B2 (en) | 2017-11-16 | 2021-09-14 | Whirlpool Corporation | Laundry treating appliance having a user interface within a door assembly |
WO2019135661A1 (en) * | 2018-01-08 | 2019-07-11 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Laundry treatment machine |
WO2020045902A1 (en) * | 2018-08-27 | 2020-03-05 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Clothing processing apparatus |
CN111676659A (en) * | 2020-05-20 | 2020-09-18 | 青岛海尔滚筒洗衣机有限公司 | Washing machine |
CN114438729A (en) * | 2022-01-26 | 2022-05-06 | 长虹美菱股份有限公司 | Washing machine with voice function |
Family Cites Families (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPS5957700A (en) * | 1982-09-27 | 1984-04-03 | 松下電器産業株式会社 | Speaker attaching apparatus of washer |
JP2001293284A (en) * | 2000-04-13 | 2001-10-23 | Hitachi Ltd | Washing machine |
JP2002011274A (en) | 2000-06-28 | 2002-01-15 | Hitachi Ltd | Electric washing machine |
KR101203564B1 (en) * | 2005-11-02 | 2012-11-21 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Process of treating water leakage in drum washer |
DE102006001251A1 (en) * | 2006-01-10 | 2007-07-12 | BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH | Double arrangement of household appliances |
-
2007
- 2007-09-03 JP JP2007227744A patent/JP4483913B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2008
- 2008-06-20 TW TW097123083A patent/TW200934914A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2008-07-18 EP EP08160729A patent/EP2031121B1/en not_active Not-in-force
- 2008-07-18 AT AT08160729T patent/ATE453008T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2008-07-18 DE DE602008000442T patent/DE602008000442D1/en active Active
- 2008-07-31 CN CN2008101451188A patent/CN101381950B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2008-07-31 CN CNU2008201308734U patent/CN201236287Y/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE202014005929U1 (en) | 2014-07-21 | 2014-08-07 | BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH | Speaker housing and household appliance with such a speaker housing |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP2009056215A (en) | 2009-03-19 |
DE602008000442D1 (en) | 2010-02-04 |
CN101381950B (en) | 2011-02-16 |
ATE453008T1 (en) | 2010-01-15 |
CN201236287Y (en) | 2009-05-13 |
EP2031121A1 (en) | 2009-03-04 |
TWI362440B (en) | 2012-04-21 |
JP4483913B2 (en) | 2010-06-16 |
TW200934914A (en) | 2009-08-16 |
CN101381950A (en) | 2009-03-11 |
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