Laundry machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9617677-B2
Application number	US-201314650134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2013
Priority date	Dec 6, 2012
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A laundry machine may include a casing ( 2 ) with a panel ( 3 ) having a laundry loading/unloading opening ( 4 ), a door ( 5 ) hinged to the casing ( 2 ) for opening/closing the laundry loading/unloading opening ( 4 ), a hinge ( 6 ) adapted to pivotably support the door ( 5 ) to the casing ( 2 ), and one or more apertures ( 7 ) in the door frame ( 8 ) on the hinge side allowing the rotation of the door ( 5 ) with respect to the hinge ( 6 ) when opening/closing. The laundry machine ( 1 ) may further include at least one closure element ( 9 ) for at least partially closing the one or more apertures ( 7 ) when the door ( 5 ) is in a closed position in which it closes the loading/unloading opening ( 4 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A laundry machine comprising:
a casing with a panel having a laundry loading/unloading opening;
a door hinged to the casing, the door configured to open or close the laundry loading/unloading opening;
a hinge adapted to pivotably support the door to the casing;
one or more apertures in a door frame on a hinge side, wherein the one or more apertures are configured to allow a rotation of the door with respect to the hinge when opening or closing the door; and
at least one closure element configured to at least partially close the one or more apertures when the door is in a closed position, the closed position closing the loading/unloading opening,
wherein the at least one closure element remains stationary during the rotation of the door,
wherein the one or more apertures allow passage of at least a portion of the hinge therein during the rotation of the door so as to be at least partially closed by the at least one closure element as the door rotates to the closed position,
wherein the hinge comprises a hinge base element and one or more arms connected to the hinge base element, the one or more arms being configured to pass through the one or more apertures when opening or closing the door, and
wherein the at least one closure element is attached to the one or more arms.

2. The laundry machine according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one closure element comprises a single piece construction with the hinge.

3. The laundry machine according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one closure element is welded or shrunk to the hinge.

4. A laundry machine comprising:
a casing with a panel having a laundry loading/unloading opening;
a door hinged to the casing, the door configured to open or close the laundry loading/unloading opening;
a hinge adapted to pivotably support the door to the casing;
one or more apertures in a door frame on a hinge side, wherein the door frame is configured to allow a rotation of the door with respect to the hinge when opening or closing the door; and
at least one closure element configured to at least partially close the one or more apertures when the door is in a closed position, the closed position closing the loading/unloading opening,
wherein the at least one closure element comprises one or more flap or wing elements associated with the door and wherein the at least one closure element is at least partially movable with respect to the one or more apertures,
wherein the one or more flap or wing elements comprise a resilient material or at least a resilient portion, allowing the one or more flap or wing elements to be flexed, and
wherein the hinge comprises one or more engaging regions shaped and positioned such that, during the rotation of the door, the closure elements engage the one or more engaging regions and guide a resilient deformation of the closure elements during the rotation of the door.

5. A laundry machine comprising:
a casing with a panel having a laundry loading/unloading opening;
a door hinged to the casing, the door configured to open or close the laundry loading/unloading opening;
a hinge adapted to pivotably support the door to the casing;
one or more apertures in a door frame on a hinge side, wherein the door frame is configured to allow a rotation of the door with respect to the hinge when opening or closing the door; and
at least one closure element configured to at least partially close the one or more apertures when the door is in a closed position, the closed position closing the loading/unloading opening,
wherein the at least one closure element comprises one or more flap or wing elements associated with the door and wherein the at least one closure element is at least partially movable with respect to the one or more apertures,
wherein the flap or wing elements are pivotably associated to the door to at least partially close the one or more apertures when the door is in the closed position, and
wherein the door comprises one or more elastic elements associated to the one or more flap or wing elements, the one or more elastic elements being configured to bias the one or more flap or wing elements towards a position in which the one or more flap or wing elements at least partially close the one or more apertures.

Assignees

• Electrolux Appliances AB

Inventors

• Buso Danny
• De Paoli Stefano
• Swaminathan Iyer

Classifications

• D06F39/14 Primary

  Doors or covers; Securing means therefor · CPC title