Laundry machine with lighting apparatus for drum lighting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9150995-B2
Application number	US-201214365766-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2012
Priority date	Dec 16, 2011
Publication date	Oct 6, 2015
Grant date	Oct 6, 2015

Abstract

A laundry machine ( 100 ) is proposed. The laundry machine includes a drum ( 115 ) for housing the laundry to be treated, an encasing portion ( 105,120 ) for encasing the drum ( 115 ), and a lighting apparatus ( 245 ) for illuminating the inside of the drum ( 115 ). The lighting apparatus ( 245 ) includes one or more lighting devices ( 250 ) associated to the drum ( 115 ), and a power feeding assembly for power supplying said one or more lighting device ( 250 ). In the solution according to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the power feeding assembly includes an electro-magnetic apparatus ( 265 ) arranged for power supplying, at least partially contactless, said one or more lighting devices ( 250 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A laundry machine comprising:
a drum for housing laundry to be treated;
an encasing portion for encasing the drum; and
a lighting apparatus for illuminating an inside of the drum, the lighting apparatus comprising:
one or more lighting devices associated to the drum; and
a power feeding assembly for power supplying said one or more lighting devices, wherein
the power feeding assembly comprises an electromagnetic apparatus arranged for power supplying, at least partially contactless, said one or more lighting devices.

2. The laundry machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the drum is configured for rotating with respect to the encasing portion,
the electromagnetic apparatus is configured for at least partially contactless transferring an electric power coming from a power source of the machine by electromagnetic coupling between at least one transmitting device associated to said encasing portion and at least one receiving device associated to said drum, and
each lighting device is being energized according to said contactless, electromagnetically transferred electric power.

3. The laundry machine according to claim 2 , wherein the
electromagnetic apparatus comprises:
said at least one transmitting device associated with the encasing portion, the at least one transmitting device being electrically connected to the power source of the machine; and
said at least one receiving device associated with the drum, each one of the at least one receiving device being connected to a corresponding lighting device, and
wherein
the at least one transmitting device is configured for electromagnetically transmitting a first electric power from the power source, and the at least one receiving device is configured for contactless receiving a second electric power corresponding to said electromagnetically transmitted first electric power, each lighting device being energized according to said second electric power.

4. The laundry machine according to claim 3 , wherein at least one transmitting device comprises at least one transmitting coil element for electromagnetically transmitting the first electric power, and the at least one receiving device comprises at least one receiving coil element for contactless receiving the second electric power when the at least one transmitting coil element and the at least one receiving device are in an electromagnetic coupling condition for which an electromagnetic field corresponding to the transmitting first electric power is at least partly intercepted by the at least one receiving coil element.

5. The laundry machine according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one receiving device further comprises electronic conversion circuitry electrically coupled to the corresponding at least one receiving coil element for receiving the second electric power therefrom, said electronic conversion circuitry being configured to convert the second electric power into an operative electric power to be provided to the at least one lighting device for energization thereof.

6. The laundry machine according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one receiving device further comprises at least one power accumulation element electrically coupled with the electronic conversion circuitry for accumulating the operative electric power to be provided to the each lighting device.

7. The laundry machine according to claim 1 , wherein the laundry machine further comprises at least one drum lifter extending from an inner surface of the drum towards the inside of the drum for turning over and tumbling laundry during operation of the laundry machine, and each lighting device is associated with a corresponding one of the at least one drum lifter.

8. The laundry machine according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one drum lifter is fixed to the inner surface of the drum, and is provided with an exposed surface substantially opposite the inner surface of the drum and directed towards the inside of the drum, and each lighting device is fixed internally to said lifter.

9. The laundry machine according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one drum lifter is at least partially made of at least one of transparent material, and an opaque material that comprises one or more holes or openings for passage of light therethrough.

10. The laundry machine according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one drum lifter is fixed to the inner surface of the drum, and is provided with an exposed surface substantially opposite the inner surface of the drum and directed towards the inside of the drum, and each lighting device is fixed to said exposed surface or to a corresponding recess of the exposed surface of a respective drum lifter.

11. The laundry machine according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one drum lifter comprises at least one covering element for covering a corresponding lighting device and preventing the laundry to come in contact with the lighting device during operation of the machine.

12. The laundry machine according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one covering element and/or the at least one drum lifter is at least partially made of at least one of transparent material and is made of an opaque material that comprises one or more holes for passage of light therethrough.

13. The laundry machine according to claim 1 , wherein at least one lighting device comprises at least one incandescent lamps, electroluminescent lamps, LEDs, and gas discharge lamps.

14. A method for illuminating an inside of a drum laundry machine, comprising:
a drum for housing laundry to be treated;
an encasing portion for encasing the drum; and
a lighting apparatus for illuminating the inside of the drum, the lighting apparatus comprising:
one or more lighting devices associated to the drum, and
a power feeding assembly for power supplying each lighting device,

wherein the method comprises:
providing the power feeding assembly with an electromagnetic apparatus for power supplying each lighting device at least partially contactless.

Assignees

• Electrolux Home Prod Corp

Inventors

• Ius Nicola
• Cerrato Walter

Classifications

• H05B47/10

  Controlling the light source · CPC title

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• D06F58/04

  Details  (controlling or regulating devices D06F34/00) · CPC title

• D06F37/26

  Casings; Tubs · CPC title

• F21V33/0044

  Household appliances, e.g. washing machines or vacuum cleaners · CPC title