Household appliance with illuminating device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a household appliance, in particular to a front-loading household washing machine comprising an illuminating device for illuminating the interior of the washing machine drum. The illuminating device (15) for illuminating the interior of the washing machine drum is, in the area of the clearance between a ring-shaped inner plate (7) and a ring-shaped outer plate (8) axially spaced in the direction of a door (6), arranged inside a protrusion (13), which is provided for at a radial inclination (7') of the inner edge (7") of the first ring-shaped inner plate (7) that at the side of the door (6) closes a washing tub (2).

Description

HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE WITH ILLUMINATING DEVICE

[0001] The present invention relates to a household appliance, in particular to a frontloading household washing machine comprising an illuminating device for illuminating the interior of the washing machine drum.

[0002] The washing machine with an electrical illuminant for illuminating the interior of the washing machine is disclosed in patent No. SI 25892 A. Said solution provides a hinge of the washing machine door comprising a groove in at least one of its arms, which is formed to house an illuminant, which serves to at least partially illuminate the interior of a drum. The issue with the known solution is that only a portion of the drum receives direct illumination from a light beam, while the remaining area of the drum is illuminated by light beams reflecting and diffusing off the curved inner surface of the drum, which makes this method of illumination suboptimal.

[0003] The object of the present invention is to create a household appliance, in particular a front-loading household washing machine, wherein the entire drum or at least the majority of it receives direct illumination from a light beam, thus ensuring adequate illumination of the entire drum interior, irrespective of the configuration and kinematics of the washing machine door.

[0004] The object according to the present invention is accomplished by the characteristics set forth in the characterising portion of claim 1. The details of the invention are disclosed in the corresponding sub-claims.

[0005] The invention is further described in detail by way of a non-limiting embodiment and with a reference to the accompanying drawings whereFig. 1 shows a washing machine according to the invention in a three-dimensional view,Fig. 2 shows detail II of the washing machine of Fig. 1 in a longitudinal cross-section,Fig. 3 shows an illuminating device in an illustrative three-dimensional view.

[0006] A household appliance according to the invention, in this specific embodiment is a washing machine, which is loaded from the front, user-facing side, comprising a body 1 within which a washing tub 2 is arranged that contains a rotatably placed washing machine drum 3 rotated by a non-displayed drive. The said washing tub 2 is, together with the washing machine drum 3, arranged inside the body 1 in an oscillating manner, wherein the washing machine drum 3 rotates predominantly around a horizontal axis. The front, userfacing wall 4 of the body 1 is shaped with a recess 5 for the insertion of the laundry to be washed into the washing machine drum 3. The washing tub 2, and hence the washing machine drum 3, can be closed by means of a door 6, which is by means of at least one hinge 6’ coupled with the assembly of the washing tub 2 and washing machine drum 3.

[0007] The said washing tub 2 is closed, at the side of the door 6, by means of a first ringshaped inner plate 7 and axially spaced therefrom towards the door 6 by means of a second ring-shaped outer plate 8. The clearance between the washing tub 2 and the ring-shaped outer plate 8 is sealed by a ring-shaped seal 9 secured in position at the outer edge of the ring-shaped inner plate 7, which is arranged between the washing tub 2 and the ring-shaped outer plate 8. The washing tub 2 and the ring-shaped plates 7, 8 are interconnected by means of a form- and force-locking joint by at least one circumferentially arranged fastening means 10.

[0008] Furthermore, between the ring-shaped outer plate 8 and wall 4 of the body 1, a ringshaped protective plate 11 is provided, positioned in immediate vicinity to the ring-shaped seal 12 of the washing machine. The said seal 12 is arranged and secured in position in the corresponding recess in the wall 4. All the said ring-shaped elements, i.e. the ring-shaped inner plate 7, the ring-shaped outer plate 8, the ring-shaped seal 9 and the ring-shaped protective plate 11, are arranged in such a way that their respective recesses are at least approximately aligned with the recess 5 for the insertion of the laundry to be washed. It is further provided that the ring-shaped inner plate 7, the ring-shaped outer plate 8 and the ring-shaped protective plate 11 are arranged in such a way that their respective inner edgesare immediately adjacent to one another.

[0009] The ring-shaped inner plate 7 is, in the area of its inner edge 7” which lies at the side of the recess 5 for the insertion of the laundry to be washed or at the side of the door 6, at least partly formed with a radial inclination of 7’. The said inclination 7’ runs axially from said recess 5 into the interior of the washing machine drum 3 and radially outwards towards the outer edge of the washing machine drum 3.

[0010] The said radial inclination 7' is, in the area of the inner edge 7”, preferably in the area above the rotating axis of the washing machine drum 3, formed with a protrusion 13 comprising a through hole 14. The said protrusion 13 further extends in a direction approximately radially outwards from the inner edge 7", wherein the said through hole 14 is provided for accommodating the illuminating device 15.

[0011] The said illuminating device 15 comprises a casing 16 in which an illumination means 17 is arranged and which is sealed by a translucent plate 18. The said illumination means 17 is preferably chosen as an LED. The said casing 16, together with the inserted illumination means 17 and translucent plate 18, is arranged in the clearance between the ring-shaped inner plate 7 and the ring-shaped outer plate 8 and is securely sealed to the ring-shaped inner plate 7.

[0012] The said casing 16 is closed on the inside of the ring-shaped inner plate 7, i.e. the side facing the area intended to receive the laundry to be washed, by a transparent cover 19. Between the ring-shaped inner plate 7 and transparent cover 19, a sealing means 20 is arranged to prevent the ingress of washing water and / or washing means and other unwanted particles into the casing 16 or the illuminating device 15. The transparent cover 19 is connected to the casing 16 by commonly known means, for example by means of a screw means 16' in the said area of the clearance.

[0013] The outer surface 21 of the said transparent cover 19 is, on its outer side facing away from the ring-shaped inner plate 7 or sealing means 20, concavely shaped so as to follow at least approximately the radial curvature of the ring-shaped inner plate 7. This prevents thepossibility of laundry obstruction within the washing machine drum 3 or potential damage to the laundry during the washing cycle.

[0014] The said illuminating device 15 or illumination means 17 is controlled by means of a user interface on the control panel of the household appliance. The illuminating device 15 according to the invention allows the interior of the washing machine drum 3 to be illuminated even when the door 6 is closed. Due to the inclined position of the illuminating device 15, the interior of the washing machine drum 3 is fully illuminated, wherein allowing the light beam from the illumination means 17 to reach virtually all parts inside the washing machine drum 3 without obstruction.

Claims

Claims1. A household appliance, in particular a front-loading household washing machine, comprising a washing tub arranged inside a body that contains a rotatably placed washing machine drum, wherein the washing machine drum rotates predominantly around a horizontal axis and wherein the front, user-facing wall of the body is shaped with a recess for the insertion of the laundry to be washed into the washing machine drum, wherein the washing tub and thus also the washing machine drum can be closed by means of a door, which is coupled to the assembly of the washing tub and washing machine drum by means of at least one hinge, and an illuminating device for illuminating the interior of the washing machine drum, characterized in that an illuminating device (15) for illuminating the interior of a washing machine drum (3) is arranged in the area of the clearance between a ring-shaped inner plate (7) of a washing tub (2) and a ring-shaped outer plate (8) of the washing tub (2) axially spaced in the direction of a door (6).

2. The household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the illuminating device (15) for illuminating the interior of the washing drum (3) is arranged inside a protrusion (13) provided at a radial inclination (7’) of an inner edge (7”) of the first ringshaped inner plate (7) which, at the side of the door (6), encloses the washing tub (2).

3. The household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the illuminating device (15) comprises, in the area of the clearance between the ring-shaped inner plate (7) and the ring-shaped outer plate (8), a casing (16) in which an illumination means (17) is arranged, which is sealed by a transparent plate (18), wherein the casing (16) is, on the inner side of the ring-shaped inner panel (7), i.e. on the side facing the area intended to receive the laundry to be washed, sealed by a transparent cover (19), wherein between the ring-shaped inner plate (7) and the transparent cover (19), a sealing means (20) is arranged to prevent the ingress of washing water and / or washing means and other unwanted particles into the illuminating device (15).

4. The household appliance according to claim 2, characterized in that the saidinclination (7’) runs axially from a recess (5) into the interior of the washing machine drum (3) and radially outwards towards the outer edge of the washing machine drum (3).

5. The household appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that the transparent cover (19) comprises on its outer surface, which faces away from the ring-shaped inner plate (7) or sealing means (20), a concavely shaped outer plate (21) in such a way that it follows at least approximately the radial curvature of the ring-shaped inner plate (7).

6. The household appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that the illumination means (17) is an LED.

Images