Coupling system of removable compartment for appliances

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9863078-B2
Application number	US-201414786666-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2014
Priority date	Oct 24, 2013
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

The present invention relates to a coupling system intended more specifically to the fitting and attaching of additional and removable internal baskets defining isolated washing rooms in clothes washing machines. Such a system is intended more particularly to clothes washing machines ( 1 ) comprising a cabinet ( 2 ) within which it is located a fixed tank ( 3 ) with which cooperate a washing basket ( 4 ), a balancing device ( 5 ), a removable washing compartment ( 6 ) and an stirrer element ( 7 ), characterized by the fact that the balancing device ( 5 ) comprises at least one surface comprising a plurality of coupling members ( 51 ) and the removable washing compartment ( 6 ) cooperates with the balancing device ( 5 ), wherein said removable washing compartment ( 6 ) comprises at least one surface comprising a plurality of coupling elements ( 61 ) cooperating with the elements coupling ( 51 ) of the balancing device ( 5 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A washing machine comprising:
a cabinet inside which is located a tank which cooperates with a washing basket,
a balancing device mounted to an upper edge of the washing basket,
a removable washing compartment configured to be mounted on the balancing device,
wherein:
the balancing device includes one of a plurality of convex protrusions or a plurality of concave grooves on an inner side surface, and the removable washing compartment includes the other of the plurality of convex protrusions or plurality of concave grooves on an outer side surface, and
when the removable washing compartment is mounted on the balancing device, the plurality of convex protrusions nest plurality of concave grooves such that the surface of the convex protrusions contacts the surface of the concave grooves.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of convex protrusions are positioned on the balancing device.

3. The washing machine of claim 2 wherein the convex protrusions are positioned about the inner circumference of the balancing device.

4. The washing machine of claim 3 wherein a height of the convex protrusions is about the same height as the height of the balancing device.

5. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of concave grooves are positioned on the removable washing compartment.

6. The washing machine of claim 5 wherein the concave grooves are positioned about the circumference of the removable washing compartment.

7. The washing machine of claim 6 wherein a height of the concave grooves is about the same height as the height of the removable washing compartment.

8. The washing machine of claim 1 further comprising a stirrer element positioned beneath the removable washing compartment.

9. The washing machine of claim 8 , wherein when the removable washing compartment is mounted on the balancing device, the stirrer element does not contact the removable washing compartment.

10. The washing machine of claim 9 , wherein the removable washing compartment is provided with a flat lower edge which is configured to be positioned over a flat upper edge of the balancing device.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Sa

Inventors

• Ramasco Bruno T
• Manzi Guilherme Henrique

Classifications

• D06F1/12

  Racks or other rigid open containers of skeleton or like apertured construction supporting clothes in washing receptacles · CPC title

• D06F37/12

  adapted for rotation or oscillation about a vertical axis · CPC title

• D06F95/002

  Baskets or bags specially adapted for holding or transporting laundry; Supports therefor · CPC title

• D06F37/16 Primary

  Partitions · CPC title

• D06F37/245 Primary

  Damping vibrations by displacing, supplying or ejecting a material, e.g. liquid, into or from counterbalancing pockets · CPC title