Constructive arrangement applied to the agitator of a laundry washing machine

Abstract

A laundry washing machine agitator having a translucent area which facilitates visualization of the inner part of the agitator.

Claims

1. An agitator for a laundry washing machine of the type comprising a washing basket loaded through an upper end thereof, the agitator being configured to be placed inside the washing basket and comprising: an elongated body which comprises a plurality of inlet orifices configured to receive a flow of washing liquid; at least two vanes provided along a length of the elongated body; and at least one opening along the length of the elongated body, the at least one opening being positioned between the at least two vanes and covered and closed by a transparent cover.

2. The agitator according to claim 1, wherein the at least one opening comprises a plurality of openings.

3. The agitator according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of openings are placed around a circumference of the elongated body.

4. An agitator according to claim 1, wherein the transparent cover comprises a geometric shape that fits into a corresponding geometrically shaped region of the elongated body of the agitator.

5. The agitator according to claim 1, wherein the elongated body of the agitator comprises an engaging area configured to receive the transparent cover.

6. The agitator according to claim 5, wherein the transparent cover comprises engaging projections which are compatible with the engaging area of the elongated body.

7. An agitator for a top-loading laundry washing machine, the agitator comprising: an elongated body having an exterior surface and an interior chamber configured to receive a filter therein; a plurality of inlet orifices passing through the exterior surface to the interior chamber and configured to pass respective flows of washing liquid therethrough; one or more viewing openings through the exterior surface to the interior chamber adjacent a location of the filter when the filter is placed within the interior chamber of the elongated body of the agitator; and one or more transparent covers positioned over and closing the one or more viewing openings to provide a view of the filter when the filter is placed within the interior chamber of the elongated body of the agitator.

8. The agitator of claim 7, wherein the one or more viewing openings comprises a plurality of viewing openings.

9. The agitator of claim 8, wherein the plurality of viewing openings are located around the elongated body.

10. The agitator of claim 7, wherein the elongated body comprises one or more engaging areas configured to receive the one or more transparent covers.

11. The agitator of claim 10, wherein the one or more transparent covers comprise projections configured to engage the one or more engaging areas.

12. The agitator of claim 7, wherein the elongated body comprises a cylindrical body, and the one or more transparent covers extend around and match the shape of at least a portion of the cylindrical body.

13. The agitator of claim 12, wherein the agitator further comprises radial vanes extending from the cylindrical body, and the one or more transparent covers are located between an adjacent pair of radial vanes.

14. A laundry washing machine comprising: a washing basket having an open end for loading laundry therethrough; and an agitator comprising: an elongated body having an exterior surface and an interior chamber configured to receive a filter therein; a plurality of inlet orifices passing through the exterior surface to the interior chamber and configured to pass respective flows of washing liquid therethrough; one or more viewing openings through the exterior surface to the interior chamber adjacent a location of the filter when the filter is placed within the interior chamber of the elongated body of the agitator; and one or more transparent covers positioned over and closing the one or more viewing openings to provide a view of the filter when the filter is placed within the interior chamber of the elongated body of the agitator.

15. The laundry washing machine of claim 14, wherein the open end faces upwards when the washing machine is configured for use.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS

(1) The objects, technical effects and advantages of this utility model will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description which refers to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a way of constructing the object of this utility model. These Figures are not intended to limit the intended protection, on the contrary, it is intended merely to exemplify a way of realizing the new constructive arrangement thus disclosed.

(2) FIG. 1 shows an upper opening in a laundry washing machine with an agitator placed inside the machine.

(3) FIG. 2 shows an agitator comprising an elongated body.

(4) FIG. 3 shows an elongated body of a laundry washing machine agitator provided with translucent areas in an exploded view.

DESCRIPTION OF THE UTILITY MODEL

(5) Again, it should be pointed out that the constructive arrangement which will be described below for the laundry washing machine agitator, object of this utility model, will be described in accordance with a particular embodiment, but not a limiting embodiment, since its embodiment may be carried out in different ways and variations and according to the application desired by the person skilled in the art.

(6) To achieve the proposed objects, this utility model discloses a constructive arrangement applied to a laundry washing machine agitator 10. This utility model is especially applied in a laundry washing machine 100 which comprises a washing basket which is loaded from the top and which has the agitator 10, which is placed inside the washing basket. The agitator 10 is defined by an elongated body 20 and comprises at least one translucent area 22.

(7) FIG. 1 shows a top view of a laundry washing machine 100 comprising a washing basket and an agitator 10 placed inside the washing basket. As may be noted, the laundry washing machine 10 is of the type that loads from the top.

(8) FIG. 2 shows a view in perspective of the agitator 10 according to this utility model. It is possible to note the arrangement of openings 22 along the body of the agitator 20 and a lint filter 28 placed within the body of agitator 20. FIG. 2 also shows outlet holes 28 for the flow of washing liquid.

(9) As can be seen in FIG. 3, the elongated body 20 of the agitator 10 comprises three inspection openings 22, said inspection openings 22 being placed along the elongated body 20 of the agitator 10.

(10) As already described above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that if only one inspection opening 22 is used, it should be placed close to the filtering area of the lint filter 28.

(11) FIG. 3 also makes it clear that the elongated body 20 of the agitator 10 has an upper opening 26 for insertion and removal of the lint filter 28.

(12) As can be seen in FIG. 3, the agitator 10 of this invention has an elongated body 20 and inspection openings 22 along the length of the elongated body 20 and covered by a transparent layer 25.

(13) Particularly, it is also possible to note in FIG. 3 that the inspection openings 22 which assist the user in checking the saturation and level of dirt trapped in the filtration element have a transparent cover 25 which prevents a flow of washing liquid from occurring through the inspection openings 22. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the elongated body 20 may, for example, be fabricated from fully translucent material, or only with the inspection openings 22 in translucent material (by thermoplastic injection of different materials, over injection or equivalent manufacturing processes). Translucent material means any material that allows the passage of light and/or the transparency of a surface, so that it can be viewed through it.

(14) Still, a supplementary element of optional use which can be used with the constructive arrangement proposed by this utility model, are engaging projections 23B placed in the transparent cover 25, wherein said engaging projections 23B are compatible with areas of engaging portions 23 of the elongated body 20. The transparent cover 25 may also be associated with the openings 22 of the elongated body 20 of the agitator 10 by other means. Non-limiting examples include welding processes, such as, for example, ultrasonic welding, bonding or injection.

(15) Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the engaging projections 23B and the engaging areas 23 placed on the transparent cover 25 and the elongated body 20, respectively, have the function of associating said transparent cover 25 with the elongated body 20 of the agitator 10 in a removable manner. This facilitates a possible cleaning or exchange of the transparent cover 25, for example in the event of any cracking, blackening or breakage thereof.

(16) This descriptive report, as well as the appended Figure, has the sole purpose of describing in detail the new provision introduced in the object of this utility model, so that the intended scope of protection should not be limited by description or drawings and the teachings herein will be appreciated and may construct variations which are within the scope of the appended Claims.