Door for a laundry treatment appliance and laundry treatment appliance

Abstract

Door for a laundry treatment device and laundry treatment device The invention relates to a door (5) for a front-loading laundry treatment device (1) with the following features: - a housing (2) with an access opening (28) and a pivotally mounted door (5) for closing the access opening (28) as required; - a drum (3) mounted inside the housing (2) for receiving the laundry to be treated, wherein the drum (3) comprises a loading opening (38) which is substantially aligned with the housing-side access opening (28) in order to reach the interior of the drum (3) when the door (5) is open, wherein the door (5) comprises the following: - a support frame (51); - a filling element (53) curved towards the interior of the drum, preferably transparent; - an outer, plate-shaped cover element (52), wherein the cover element (52) is designed as a circular plate that is at least partially transparent.The door is characterized by the fact that the cover element (52) is provided with a visible structure (520), the structure (520) being formed from a multitude of geometric symbols (531, 532, 533, 534, 535) with web-shaped spacer surfaces between the symbols (531, 532, 533, 534, 535).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a door (5) for a laundry treatment device with the following features: A housing with an access opening and a pivotally mounted door for closing the access opening as needed; a drum mounted inside the housing for receiving the laundry to be treated, the drum comprising a loading opening which is substantially aligned with the housing-side access opening in order to reach the interior of the drum when the door is open, the door comprising: a support frame; a filling element curved towards the interior of the drum, preferably transparent; an outer, plate-shaped cover element, wherein the cover element is designed as a circular plate that is at least partially transparent.

[0002] EP 1 762 650 A1 discloses a door for a front-loading laundry treatment appliance. The door, hinged at the access opening in the housing, is of multi-part construction and comprises a frame, an inwardly curved insert, and a cover element that closes the recess of the insert on the outside.

[0003] The invention is based on the objective of providing an improved door for a laundry treatment machine, in particular for a front-loading laundry treatment machine.

[0004] According to the invention, this problem is solved, among other things, by a door having the features of claim 1 and a laundry treatment device according to claim 19. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are described in the respective dependent claims.

[0005] The approach presented here creates a simple, ergonomically designed, and high-quality door for a laundry treatment machine. For this purpose, the door, and in particular the cover element, is given a visible structure. The door is characterized by a structure on or within the cover element, formed from a multitude of geometric symbols with rib-like spaces between them.

[0006] The support frame is designed as a stable ring, with the opening surrounding the ring containing the filling element. The support frame is connected to the front wall by means of a hinge to allow the door to pivot. Opposite the hinge, a locking element is attached to the support frame, which is held in place by a locking mechanism on the housing side when the door is closed. The locking mechanism is preferably a pull-tab lock. The filling element can be designed as a transparent viewing window for a porthole door. In a dryer, the filling element can be designed as an opaque or transparent molded plastic part. The filling element serves to guide laundry items moving around inside the drum from the inner surface of the door into the interior of the drum. The cover element can be designed as a disc, preferably made of glass, and is mounted on the support frame.Preferably, an intermediate ring can be installed between the support frame and the cover plate, the outer contour of which preferably completely covers the frame. The intermediate ring and the cover plate are thus sandwiched together on the support frame. The circumferential edge of the intermediate ring is exposed and visible from the outside. The particular advantage is that this design allows for the simple creation of a flat and stable door. The structure applied to the cover element affects the view into the door. With a transparent filler, the structure can cause blurring, so that the inner surface of the drum or the seemingly uneven laundry items are no longer clearly visible.

[0007] Preferably, the door is designed such that the circumferential edge or the circumferential outer edge of the cover element and the intermediate ring, if present, is exposed on its entire circumference. The flat components can be manufactured easily because they do not require any significant forming processes.

[0008] In an advantageous embodiment, the geometric symbols are designed as circular areas, polygonal areas, preferably rectangular areas or curved rectangular areas, serpentine stripes, zigzag stripes, rectangular areas or curved or bent rectangular areas, or circular rings, rectangular rings, or curved or bent rectangular rings. The rectangles can have rounded corners or a completely rounded narrow side. This also applies to the curved rectangular areas or curved rectangular rings. The polygonal or rectangular symbols can also be designed with curved sides.

[0009] In a practical design, the characters are arranged along projection lines extending radially from the center (C) to the outer edge of the plate, with the character near the center being smaller than the outer character. This creates a structure that appears homogeneous and thus offers a calm visual appearance.

[0010] In an advantageous further development, the design and arrangement of the characters to create the structure are such that the distance along the radial projection line between two adjacent characters, measured from the center of one character to the center of the other, is equal or at least nearly equal, and the characters are designed as rectangles or curved rectangles. This results in the characters becoming progressively smaller towards the center. The view through to the center is maintained.

[0011] In a further, generally practical embodiment, the characters are designed and arranged in such a way that the projection lines extend outwards in a star shape from the center, with the characters having the same length in the longitudinal direction of the projection line and different widths in the transverse direction to the projection line, the characters being narrower near the center than the characters further away from the center.

[0012] In a generally advantageous embodiment, the characters on the cover element are arranged and shaped such that the ridge-like spacers between the characters on a first radial projection line and the characters on a second, immediately adjacent radial projection line each have the same width and form a straight, continuous ridge. Thus, the ridges, i.e., the areas free of characters, extend in a star-shaped pattern from the center of the cover element to the outer edge.

[0013] In an alternative or combined configuration, the characters are arranged along projection lines that extend concentrically and circularly around the center of the cover element, which is designed as a plate. The characters on an inner concentric projection line, close to the center, are smaller than those on an outer concentric projection line. This structure, consisting of multiple ring-shaped characters, offers a view through it with a minimal Fresnel lens effect.

[0014] In an advantageous further development, the structure is designed such that the distance along the concentric projection line between two adjacent characters, measured from the center of one character to the center of the other, is equal or at least nearly equal, and the characters are preferably designed as circles. This further improves the optical impression when looking through the screen.

[0015] In a further development of the design with circularly and concentrically arranged projection lines, the structure on the cover element is designed and applied in such a way that the number of characters on the respective concentric projection lines is different, with the number on the outer concentric projection lines being higher than the number on a projection line arranged further towards the center.

[0016] In a practical further development of the design with circularly and concentrically arranged projection lines, the structure on the cover element is designed and applied in such a way that the web-shaped spacer areas between the characters along a single concentric projection line have the same width.

[0017] In a further development of the design with circularly and concentrically arranged projection lines, the structure on the cover element is designed and applied in such a way that the rib-shaped spacer surfaces between the characters of each two adjacent concentric projection lines form a continuous, ring-shaped rib that is free of characters.

[0018] In a generally suitable embodiment, the symbols have a size on the narrow side or diameter with a length in the range of 0.2 mm to 5 mm and on the wide side with a length of over 0.4 mm, preferably up to 10 mm. The webs preferably have a width in the range of 0.3 mm to 5 mm, more preferably 0.5 mm to 2 mm.

[0019] In a generally practical design, the characters are opaque and of one color, preferably black or dark gray. Alternatively, the structure is reversed, meaning that the bridges are colored, preferably black or dark gray, and the characters are transparent.

[0020] In a generally advantageous embodiment, the structure is designed such that an inner circle with a diameter of 4 cm to 15 cm is free of any markings and preferably transparent. This provides a direct view through a limited area exclusively in the center of the door or cover plate, provided that the cover plate and the infill element are transparent.

[0021] In a generally suitable design, the geometric symbols forming the structure are applied or incorporated into the inside of the plate, preferably by printing, molding, milling, etching, or laser engraving. The irregularities caused by the structure are inaccessible to the user; the outside of the cover element can be smooth or have a uniform roughness. When printing, the symbols can also be baked onto the plate after application to improve durability. For all designs, it is advantageous to manufacture the cover plate from glass, particularly flat glass.

[0022] In a generally suitable embodiment, the cover element is plate-shaped and has a thickness in the range of 2 mm to 10 mm, preferably 3 mm to 6 mm. The thickness is preferably uniform throughout the entire plate-shaped cover element.

[0023] In a generally suitable design, the door is circular or nearly circular and has an outer diameter ranging from 30 cm to 65 cm, preferably from 35 cm to 50 cm. An oval or a circle with a flattened edge on one side is considered nearly circular. Furthermore, a polygon with more than four corners or rounded corners can also be considered nearly circular. Preferably, the structure is applied to the entire front surface of the cover plate, although designs with an unstructured outer edge, for example, a border of 0.5 cm to 5 cm around the perimeter, are also possible.

[0024] The invention further relates to a laundry treatment device which is a front-loading dryer, a front-loading washer-dryer or a front-loading washing machine, with the following features: A housing with an access opening and a pivotally mounted door for closing the access opening as required; a drum mounted inside the housing for receiving the laundry to be treated, wherein the drum includes a loading opening which is substantially aligned with the housing-side access opening in order to reach the interior of the drum when the door is open, wherein the housing is 55 cm to 65 cm wide, 55 cm to 70 cm deep and 85 cm to 95 cm high and the door is designed as described above.

[0025] Overall, all position and direction specifications refer to the device's standard operating position.

[0026] An embodiment of the invention is shown partially schematically in the drawings and is described in more detail below. The drawings show... Fig. 1: a schematic representation of the laundry treatment unit with heat pump; Fig. 2: the laundry treatment unit partially opened in a perspective front view; Figs. 3 and 4: the laundry treatment unit in a perspective front view with door; Fig. 5: the door in an exploded view; Fig. 6: the door in a frontal view; and Figs. 7 and 8: various structures on the cover plate.

[0027] Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows the laundry treatment device 1 according to the invention in a schematic sectional view. The device 1 is a washer-dryer 1 with a housing 2 and the components arranged therein for carrying out treatment programs. The component with the tub 4 and the drum 3 rotatably mounted therein is visible. The interior of the drum 3 is accessible for loading and unloading via the tubular bellows 6 located at the front. The bellows 6 seals the tub 4 against the door 5 located on the front wall. An inlet line 41 and an inlet valve 42 are provided for supplying the wash water to the tub 4 and the drum 3, respectively, during a wash cycle. The water is conveyed via the inlet line 41 to the detergent dispenser 43, where it is mixed with the water flowing through the dispenser to feed the detergent stored there into the tub 4.The detergent dispenser 43 is connected to the washing tub 4 via the inlet pipe 44. The drain device 60 comprises a pump 61 and a drain line 62, with the pump 61 being activated as needed, for example, during an automatic wash cycle. The control unit 90 is configured and programmed to activate and deactivate the actuators, namely the motor 70 for rotating the drum, the inlet valve 42, and the pump 61, in order to execute a treatment program.

[0028] The washer-dryer 1 further comprises a heat pump module 13, which is installed in the housing 2 above the tub 4 and serves to generate a process airflow PL. The module 13 comprises a refrigerant circuit in which refrigerant is circulated in a piping system with an evaporator 15, a compressor 14 ( Fig. 2 ) for compressing the refrigerant, a condenser 16 and an expansion valve (not shown), wherein the heat exchanger includes the evaporator 15 and the heater the condenser 16 of the heat pump 13. The module 13 comprises a housing 17 ( Fig. 2 ), in which a channel section 8 is incorporated and in which the evaporator 15 and the condenser 16 are located. The evaporator 15 and the condenser 16 are arranged in the channel section 8 such that the moist process air PL from the outlet 47 of the tub 4 is guided through the pipe 96 to the channel 8 and first flows through the evaporator 15 in the channel 8 so that it is dehumidified by cooling and subsequent condensation. It then flows through the downstream condenser 16, which acts as a heater and heats the process air PL so that the heated process air PL is admitted through the air inlet 46 into the tub 4 and through openings 32 in the rear wall 31 of the drum 3 and thus supplied to the textiles 10 to be treated. Any condensate that forms is collected in the drip tray 81 and conveyed to the drain 60, 62 via the condensate line 82.The outlet 47 of the lye container 4 is preferably arranged in the area of ​​the loading opening on the front end wall of the lye container 4 or in the tunnel-like passage area of ​​the loading opening. The outlet 47, which forms the inlet to the heat pump module 13, is connected to the heat pump unit 13, in particular to the channel section 8, by means of the line 96.

[0029] The functional module 13, located above the washing tub 4, further comprises the blower 9, which is driven by the motor 91. The blower 9 includes a flow housing 93, inside of which the fan wheel 92 is located. The housing 93 is flat and has a diameter at least four times larger than its axial length. The fan 9 is positioned above the washing tub 4 in the device housing 2 such that part of the fan housing 93 extends into the gap between the rear wall 48 of the washing tub and the rear wall 21 of the housing. The blower can preferably be designed as a radial fan, preferably with curved blades, so that it generates a higher volume flow in one preferred direction than in the opposite direction of rotation.

[0030] Overall, all directional and positional information refers to the operating position of the treatment device 1.

[0031] Fig. 2 Figure 1 shows the washer-dryer 1 with its housing 2 partially open. The front panel 22 includes the loading opening, which is closed by means of the door 23. The tub 4 is suspended or supported inside the housing 2 so as to allow for oscillation. Inside the tub 4, the drum 3 (shown with dashed lines) is rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis 33. The unit 13 for generating the process air PL is located above the tub 4 and completely inside the housing 2. The unit 13 is attached to the housing 2 so that it does not oscillate with the tub 4 when the latter vibrates due to imbalance in the rotating drum 3. The unit 13 includes a housing 17, which serves to position and preferably fix the compressor 14, the heat exchangers 15, 16, the lines 18, and the throttle 18a. In the situation shown, housing 17 is closed and in working order.The housing 17 encompasses, in its approximately central area, the duct section 8, which houses the heat exchangers 15 and 16. Downstream of the duct section 8, a box-shaped deflector pipe 83 is provided to redirect the laterally flowing process airflow towards the blower 9. The blower 9 is connected to the circular outlet 83b of the deflector pipe 83 and is located behind the housing 17 of the unit 13. It can be seen that the flat blower outlet 94 points downwards and is connected to the rear air duct 95, which in turn opens into the air inlet 46 in or on the caustic soda tank 4. The blower housing 93 extends at least with its lower area and the outlet 94 into the space between the rear end wall 48 of the tub 4 and the rear wall 21 of the equipment housing 2. In the situation shown, the front loading opening is closed by means of the door 5.

[0032] Fig. 3 Figure 1 shows a partial perspective view of the device 1. The housing 2 is constructed as a cuboid from sheet metal plates. The front panel 22 is fitted with the door 5. In the depicted situation, the door 5 is closed. It can also be seen that the door 5 is provided on its outer surface with a plate-shaped cover element 52. The cover element 52 can be a glass pane, a plexiglass pane, or an opaque plate. It can also be seen that a projection 59 from an intermediate ring 54 projects radially beyond the plate 52. The projecting area extends circumferentially at an angle of approximately 90°. The height of the projection 59 is approximately 5 mm to 10 mm and is approximately constant. The front surface of the plate 52 is flat. The door 5 is coupled to the front panel 22 by a hinge 26. The hinge 26 is attached to the support frame 51 ( Fig. 4 , 5 ) attached to door 5.

[0033] Fig. 4 Figure 1 shows the appliance 1 in an overall view with the door 5 open. The access opening 28 in the housing wall 22 and the loading opening 38 of the drum 3 located inside the housing 2 are visible. Fig. 1 The door 5 comprises the annular support frame 51, the central opening of which is provided with the filler element 53. The filler element 53 has a curvature towards the interior of the drum 3, which is in the shape of a truncated cone, preferably with an additional chamfer on its upper side. The cover plate 52 is attached to the outside of the support frame 51. In the view of the edge of the door 5, it can be seen that the intermediate ring 54 is arranged between the support frame 51 and the cover plate 52. This can be described as a sandwich construction. The support frame 53 is preferably bonded to the intermediate ring 54 and the cover plate 52. The locking element 27 is attached to or in the housing 2, 22, so that it interacts with the locking element 57, which is attached to the inside of the support frame 51 of the door 5, or holds it when it engages the locking element 57.

[0034] Fig. 5 Figure 5 shows an exploded view of door 5. The annular support frame 51 forms the load-bearing base. The filler element 53 is attached to this frame and is arranged or fastened in the opening surrounding the ring 51. The intermediate ring 54 with the radial projection or bulge 59 is arranged on the outside of the support frame 51. The cover plate 52 is arranged on the intermediate ring 54. The cover plate 52 is flat.

[0035] In all the examples shown, the door 5 has a rounded shape. The radii of the cover plate 52 and the intermediate ring 54 are the same. Only the projection or bulge 59 on the intermediate ring has a radius 5 mm to 10 mm larger and extends beyond the cover plate 52. The projecting area 59 serves as a handle for operating the door 5. Preferably, the intermediate ring 54 with the bulge 59 is a different color than the cover plate 52.

[0036] Fig. 6 The front view shows door 5. The view is directed straight on the cover plate 52. The cover plate 52 is made of a flat and transparent glass pane. The area 520, which features a structure made up of a variety of geometric symbols 530 ( Fig. 7 ) is provided. Area 521 is free of geometric symbols, i.e., unstructured or smooth, and thus offers an unobstructed view into the interior of drum 3 ( Fig. 1 , Fig. 2 ).

[0037] Fig. 7 Figure 520 shows an embodiment of structure 520, in which the geometric symbols 530 are arranged on circular, concentrically arranged projection lines 541, 542, 543. The structure is represented schematically here, consisting of a multitude of geometric symbols. The projection lines serve to describe the spatial arrangement of the geometric symbols. These lines are not visible.

[0038] Projection lines 541, 542, and 543 are arranged concentrically around the central point C. A multitude of geometric symbols 530 are placed on each of these lines. On projection line 541, located near the center, are symbols 531 with a first, small diameter. On projection line 542, located further out, are symbols 532 with a second, larger diameter. On projection line 543, located even further out, are symbols 533 with a third, larger diameter than the previous symbols 532. In this example, the symbols are designed as opaque, preferably dark, solid circles. The symbols can also be rectangles, polygons, or asymmetrical shapes.

[0039] Fig 8Figure 1 shows another embodiment for the arrangement of the characters on the cover plate 52. These characters 534 and 535 are arranged along straight projection lines 544. All projection lines 544 extend radially from the center C towards the outer edge 529 of the cover plate 52 or the structured area 520. It is also schematically shown that the character 534, located near the center, is shorter than the character 535, which is located further out. However, the width of all characters 534 and 535 is the same. The radial spacing between all characters 534 and 535 is also the same. It can also be seen that the spaces between the characters in the circumferential direction U form continuous webs 551, which also have a radial extension and are free of characters.

[0040] Furthermore, in the example shown, a limited area 521 around the center C is free of characters, i.e., smooth or transparent.

[0041] Overall, all directional and positional information refers to the operational installation position of the laundry treatment device 1.

Claims

1. Door (5) for a front-loading laundry treatment device (1) with the following features: - a housing (2) with an access opening (28) and a pivotally mounted door (5) for closing the access opening (28) as required; - a drum (3) mounted inside the housing (2) for receiving the laundry to be treated, wherein the drum (3) comprises a loading opening (38) which is substantially aligned with the housing-side access opening (28) in order to access the interior of the drum (3) when the door (5) is open, wherein the door (5) comprises the following: - a support frame (51); - a filling element (53) curved towards the interior of the drum, preferably transparent; - an outer, plate-shaped cover element (52), wherein the cover element (52) is designed as a circular plate that is at least partially transparent. characterized by thatthe cover element (52) is provided with a visible structure (520), wherein the structure (520) is formed from a plurality of geometric symbols (531, 532, 533, 534, 535) with rib-shaped spacer surfaces between the symbols (531, 532, 533, 534, 535).

2. Door (5) according to claim 1, wherein the geometric symbols (531, 532, 533, 534, 535) are formed as circular areas, polygonal areas, preferably rectangular areas or curved rectangular areas, serpentine stripes, zigzag stripes or corresponding outlines.

3. Door (5) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the characters ((531, 532, 533, 534, 535)) are arranged along projection lines (541, 542, 543, 544) which extend radially from the center (C) to the outer edge (529) of the plate (52), wherein the characters (531) near the center (C) are smaller than the outer characters (532, 533, 534, 535).

4. Door (5) according to claim 3, wherein the distance along the radial projection line (544) between two adjacent characters (534, 535), measured from character center to character center, is equal or at least nearly equal and the characters (534, 535) are formed as rectangles or curved rectangles.

5. Door (5) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the projection lines (544) extend outwards in a star shape from the center (C), wherein the characters (534, 535) have the same width in the longitudinal direction of the projection line and different lengths in the transverse direction to the projection line (544), wherein the characters (534) are narrower near the center (C) than the characters (535) further away from the center (C).

6. Door (5) according to one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the web-shaped spacer surfaces between the characters (534, 535) along each a single radial projection line (544) have the same width.

7. Door (5) according to one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the web-shaped spacer surfaces between the characters (534, 535) on a first radial projection line to the characters on a second, immediately adjacent radial projection line each have the same width and form a straight, continuous web (551).

8. Door (5) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the characters (531, 532, 533) are arranged along projection lines (541, 542, 543) which extend concentrically and circularly around the center (C) of the plate (529), wherein the characters (531) on an inner concentric projection line (541) close to the center (C) are smaller than the characters (532, 533) arranged on an outer concentric projection line (542, 543).

9. Door (5) according to claim 8, wherein the distance along the concentric projection line between two adjacent characters, measured from character center to character center, is equal or at least nearly equal and the characters (531, 532, 533) are preferably formed as circles.

10. Door (5) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the number of characters (531, 532, 533) on the respective concentric projection lines (541, 542, 543) is different, wherein the number on the outer concentric projection lines (543) is higher than the number on a projection line (541, 542) arranged further towards the center.

11. Door (5) according to one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the web-shaped spacer surfaces between the characters (531) along each of a single concentric projection line (541) have the same width.

12. Door (5) according to one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the web-shaped spacer surfaces between the characters (531) of each two adjacent concentric (541) projection lines form a continuous, annular web that is free of characters.

13. Door (5) according to one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the elements (531, 532, 533, 534, 535) have a size, a length on the narrow side or in the diameter in the range of 0.2 mm to 5 mm and a length on the wide side of 0.5 mm, preferably up to 10 mm, wherein the webs (551) preferably have a width in the range of 0.5 mm to 5 mm, preferably 0.3 mm to 2 mm.

14. Door (5) according to one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the characters (531, 532, 533, 534, 535) are opaque in a color, preferably black or dark grey, or the structure is inverted in that the webs (551) are colored, preferably black or dark grey, and the characters (531, 532, 533, 534, 535) are transparent.

15. Door (5) according to one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the structure (520) is designed such that an inner circle (521) with a diameter in the range of 4 cm to 15 cm is free of markings, preferably transparent.

16. Door (5) according to one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the geometric symbols (531, 532, 533, 534, 535) to form the structure (521) are applied or incorporated on the inside of the cover element (52), preferably by printing, molding, milling, etching or lasering.

17. Door (5) according to one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the cover element (52) is plate-shaped and has a thickness in the range of 2 mm to 10 mm, preferably 3 mm to 6 mm.

18. Door (5) according to one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the door (5) is circular or substantially circular and has an outer diameter of a value in the range of 30 cm to 65 cm, preferably 35 cm to 50 cm, wherein the cover plate (52) is preferably flat or convex.

19. Laundry treatment appliance (1) which is a front-loading dryer, a front-loading washer-dryer (1) or a front-loading washing machine, comprising the following features: - a housing (2) with an access opening (28) and a pivotally mounted door (5) for closing the access opening (28) as required; - a drum (3) mounted inside the housing (2) for receiving the laundry to be treated, wherein the drum (3) comprises a loading opening (38) which is substantially aligned with the housing-side access opening (28) in order to access the interior of the drum (3) when the door (5) is open, wherein the housing is 55 cm to 65 cm wide, 55 cm to 70 cm deep and 85 cm to 95 cm high and the door (5) is configured according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

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