Classifications

• • 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 
  • D06F39/02—Devices for adding soap or other washing agents

Definitions

• the invention relates to a detergent dispenser for a washing machine and a washing
• EP 1 449 951 B2 discloses a washing machine having a detergent dispenser.
• the detergent dispenser comprises a dispenser housing and an extractable drawer arranged in the5 housing.
• the drawer comprises slidebars adapted to slide along inner rails of the housing to slide the drawer in and out of the housing. Two lateral slidebars guide the drawer horizontally and two additional slidebars support and guide the drawer vertically. 0 It is an object of the invention to provide a detergent dispenser and a washing machine having a detergent dispenser which is easy to manufacture and reliable in use.
• a detergent dispenser comprises a dispenser housing, an extractable drawer arranged in the dispenser housing and a guiding arrangement provided between the drawer and the housing for slidably guiding the drawer in the housing along a pull- out/push-in (inserting/withdrawal) direction.
• the guiding arrangement comprises at least o one drawer guiding device and at least one housing guiding device adapted to engage with each other, wherein the at least one housing guiding device at least partially surrounds the drawer guiding device or vice versa.
• the at least one drawer guiding device partially surrounds the housing guiding device.
• the guiding arrangement comprises at least one guiding device pair, wherein one of the (housing or drawer) guiding devices 5 partially surrounds, encompasses or grips around the other (drawer or housing) guiding device.
• the drawer (or housing) guiding device may be a protruding device or element which is partially surrounded by the housing (or drawer) guiding device.
• the at least one drawer guiding device and the at least one housing guiding device (the at least one guiding device pair) are engaged such that a surface portion of the at least one drawer guiding device is contacting a surface portion of the corresponding one of the at 5 least one housing guiding device and both surface portions are adapted to slide along each other.
• no bearing for example no ball or roller bearing
• no auxiliary or additional element inserted between the mating guiding devices (except the below mentioned friction-reducing layer or coating).
• the partially surrounded (housing or drawer) guiding device in combination with the contacting surface portions results in0 'smooth' and safe mating of the guiding devices.
• the cross-section of the at least partially surrounded (drawer or housing) guiding device and the mating cross-section of the at least partially surrounding (housing or drawer) guiding device is selected from a partially circular cross-section, or a5 partially ellipse cross-section. As one guiding device partially surrounds the other, a
• the surface portion of the at least one drawer guiding device, the surface portion of the at least one housing guiding device or both surface portions are formed by Teflon or a plastic material having a low coefficient of friction.
• Teflon or a plastic material having a low coefficient of friction.
• portions are formed by Teflon using one or more of: (i) a Teflon surface coating, (ii) a bi- injection forming by providing a plastic material for the bulk of the at least one drawer and/or housing guiding device and a Teflon material for the surface portion, or (iii) forming the at least one drawer and/or housing guiding device by Teflon material. All embodiments provide an easy and comfortable inserting/withdrawing of the drawer as described above.
• the sliding direction is linear such that the at least one drawer guiding device is adapted to move along a linear direction with respect to the housing, and wherein the at least one drawer guiding device and the at least one housing guiding device are engaged such that they provide a mutual form fit acting in a direction perpendicular to the linear direction.
• the at least one guiding device pair is engaged with each other, holds on to each other or is fixed to each other such that they cannot be separated perpendicular to the (linear) guiding axis or inserting/withdrawal direction.
• a one-sided guiding arrangement of the drawer is possible, i.e. one or more drawer/housing guiding device pair(s) may be provided on one side of the drawer.
• one ore more drawer/housing guiding device pair(s) as described above may be provided between a bottom portion of the drawer and the housing.
• a guiding arrangement may be provided between the base of the drawer and the housing.
• the partially circular cross section is at least 300°, 250°, 200°, 190° of a full circle or of a full ellipse, such that the respective surrounded guiding device is reliably encompassed and a reliable hold structure is provided.
• the guiding arrangement comprises at least two drawer guiding devices arranged on opposing sides of the drawer and at least two corresponding housing guiding devices arranged at the housing.
• the guiding arrangement comprises at least two drawer guiding devices arranged on one side of the drawer and at least two corresponding housing guiding devices. I.e. only two lateral drawer/housing guiding device pairs may be provided on one side of the detergent dispenser. Alternatively two lateral housing/drawer guiding device pairs may be provided on each side of the detergent dispenser, e.g. four drawer/housing guiding device pairs.
• the at least one drawer guiding device is formed in one-piece with the drawer or alternatively the at least one housing guiding device is formed in one piece with the housing.
• the material of the respective guiding device and the drawer/housing are the same, such that they may be manufactured in one step, e.g. by injection molding.
• both guiding devices may be provided in one-piece with the drawer or housing, the other guiding device may be attached or fixed to the housing or drawer in a separate step.
• both guiding devices i.e. the at least one drawer guiding device and the at least one housing guiding device, are formed in one-piece with the drawer and housing, respectively.
• the at least one drawer guiding device is fixed to the drawer or the at least one housing guiding device is fixed to the housing.
• the material of the drawer/housing and the respective guiding device may be different, e.g. the material of the housing/drawer and guiding device(s) may be adapted individually to the specific requirements of the detergent dispenser.
• the material of the guiding devices may have a low friction coefficient and the drawer material may be resilient against detergent or other chemicals.
• the at least one drawer guiding device is fixed to the drawer and the at least one housing guiding device is fixed to the housing.
• a clearance is provided between a front edge of the partially surrounded guiding device and (the rear side of) a front panel of the drawer or a front opening of the housing when the drawer is fully inserted in the housing.
• some of the detergent may fall on the exposed guiding device (e.g. of the drawer).
• the detergent on the exposed guiding device is pushed along the guiding device until it falls off at its end
• the guiding arrangement is not biased, in particular not biased in vertical direction. I.e. (sidewise or lateral) contact pressure, e.g. due to spring-biased guiding devices, is prevented. Thus less strain is exerted on the drawer/housing and less abrasion on the guiding devices.
• the dispenser housing and/or the extractable drawer is formed as a single -piece or monolithic component.
• a single-injection molded component Preferably in form of a single-injection molded component, wherein in case of surface coating with reduced friction preferably co- injection is used.
• the dispenser housing and/or the extractable drawer are formed from two or three shell elements which are connected together to form a combined component.
• a washing machine having a detergent dispenser according to any of the above and below described embodiments.
• Fig. la a perspective view of the washing machine with a partially pulled-out detergent drawer
• Fig. 1 a perspective side view of a detergent dispenser of the washing machine shown in Fig. la with the detergent drawer of Fig. la partially pulled-out of the housing of the detergent dispenser,
• Fig. 2 a perspective side view of the housing of the detergent dispenser shown in Fig.
• Fig. 3 a perspective side view of the drawer of the detergent dispenser of Fig. 1
• Fig. 4 a sectional front view of the detergent dispenser of Fig. 1
• Fig. 4a-c details of a guiding arrangement of Fig. 4
• Fig. 5 a top view of the detergent dispenser of Fig. 1.
• FIG. la An exemplary washing machine 1 is shown in Fig. la in perspective view.
• the washing machine 1 has an outer housing or cabinet 30.
• a loading opening 34 is arranged at the front side of the cabinet 30 for loading/unloading laundry into/out of a drum when a front door 32 of the machine is opened.
• a control panel 36 is arranged at the upper front side of the cabinet having program control elements for receiving a user selection for the washing program and for indicating to the user the selected program and/or current program states of the machine.
• an exemplary detergent dispenser 2 is arranged at the upper left front side which receives and temporarily stores washing agents filled in by the user.
• Fig. la shows the detergent dispenser 2 opened such that a detergent drawer 6 is partially extracted from a housing 4 (see Fig.
• FIG. 1 shows a perspective side view of the detergent dispenser 2 for the washing machine shown in Fig. 1 a.
• the detergent dispenser 2 comprises the housing 4 and the drawer 6 which - as shown in Figs, la and 1 - is partially extracted or pulled-out from the housing 4 along a push/pull direction A.
• Three detergent compartments 18a-c are provided in the drawer 6, e.g. adapted to receive a detergent and softener for a washing operation.
• a guiding arrangement is provided between the drawer 6 and the housing 4 to slidably support the drawer 6 in the housing 4 (for sliding the drawer 6 in and out relative to the housing 4).
• the guiding arrangement comprises a drawer guiding device 8a, 8b on each side of the drawer and a corresponding housing guiding device 10a, 10b at the housing 4. I.e. one pair of lateral guiding devices 8a, 10a and 8b, 10b is provided on each side of the detergent dispenser 2 (Fig. 5).
• the drawer guiding devices 8a-b are protruding from the drawer body and are shaped in form of a cylinder having an axis parallel to direction A.
• the housing guiding devices lOa-b are formed in form of a hollow partial-cylinder which is adapted to at least partially surround or encompass the respective drawer guiding device 8a-b.
• Figs. 2 and 3 show perspective side views of the housing 4 and the drawer 6.
• the drawer 6 is inserted into the housing 4 via the housing opening 16.
• the drawer guiding devices 8a-b do not extend along the complete length of the drawer 6.
• a clearance or gap 20a-b (Fig. 5) is provided between a front 22 of the drawer
• the dispenser or drawer housing 4 is formed of two parts. This is a body shell 4a which - besides the liquid openings - is open to the front side to receive the drawer 6 and is open at the top side. The open top side is covered by a substantially flat cover shell 4b which prevents leakage of washing detergents and water to the outside of the housing 4.
• the housing may be formed of a single-piece or monolithic body formed for example by blow molting.
• the drawer is formed of two shell elements, which are a drawer base body 6a (shown in Figs.
• a handle panel 6b which is mounted to the basic body at the drawer front 22.
• the handle panel 6b is shown in Fig. la and is removed for illustrative purposes in Figs. 1 and 3.
• Fig. 1 shows the detergent dispenser 2 in a partially extracted position (the normal filling 5 position) when detergent is filled into at least one of the compartments 18a-c. It may occur that some detergent is spilled, such that it settles on the (protruding) drawer guiding device 8a-b.
• the spilled detergent is pushed along the drawer guiding device 8a-b and wiped away into and downward through the clearance 20a-b. According to the shown embodiment the spilled detergent (or any other debris) is o removed from the guiding device 8a-b by simply sliding the drawer 6 into the housing 4.
• Fig. 4 shows a sectional front view of the detergent dispenser 2 of Fig. 1.
• Figs. 4a-c show 5 details of the guiding arrangement of the detergent dispenser 2, in particular the
• the drawer guiding device 8a comprises a circular or substantially circular cross-section with a guiding surface 12a which may comprise Teflon or other low-friction coating to minimize friction during inserting (pushing)/withdrawing (pulling).
• the housing guiding device 10a comprises a o corresponding circular guiding surface 14a which is adapted to receive the drawer guiding device 8a as shown in Fig. 4c.
• the drawer guiding devices 8a-b are formed in one-piece with the drawer 6 and the housing guiding devices lOa-b are formed in one-piece with the housing 5 4, preferably by injection molding.
• the drawer/housing guiding devices 8a, 10a are fitted or mate to each other such that a minimum gap or no gap is provided between the respective guiding surfaces 12a, 14a.
• the guiding arrangement is free or substantially free of play.0
• the housing guiding device 10a surrounds about 250° of (the circular cross-section of) the drawer guiding device 8a, in particular surrounds more than 180° of the drawer guiding device 8a.
• the guiding arrangement provides a form-fit in horizontal direction, i.e. perpendicular to slide-in/slide-out direction A.
• Fig. 5 shows a top view of the detergent dispenser 2 of Fig. 1 with a partially withdrawn drawer 6.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Detail Structures Of Washing Machines And Dryers (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (5)

Citations (9)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 2013
  • 2013-02-11 EP EP13154815.8A patent/EP2765233A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2014
  • 2014-02-05 US US14/766,286 patent/US20150376827A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2014-02-05 AU AU2014214033A patent/AU2014214033A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2014-02-05 WO PCT/EP2014/052220 patent/WO2014122162A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (9)

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