Coupling system of removable compartment for appliances

Abstract

The present invention relates to a coupling system for fitting and attaching of a removable internal basket for a washing machine. The washing machine comprises a removable washing compartment configured to be mounted in the washing machine. The washing machine includes at least one convex protrusion or at least one concave groove across a portion of an inner side surface, and the removable washing compartment includes the other of at least one convex protrusion or at least one concave groove across a portion of an outer side surface. The balancing device includes a smooth surface portion across a portion of the inner side wall and the removable washing compartment includes a complimentary smooth surface portion across a portion of an outer side surface. When the removable washing compartment is mounted in the washing machine, the smooth surface portion on the inner side wall aligns with the smooth surface portion on the outer surface of the removable washing compartment and the at least one convex protrusion nests with the at least one concave groove such that the surface of the convex protrusion contacts the surface of the concave groove.

Claims

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 at least one arc shaped convex protrusion or at least one arc shaped concave groove across a portion of an inner side surface, and the removable washing compartment includes the other of at least one arc shaped convex protrusion or at least one arc shaped concave groove across a portion of an outer side surface, and wherein the balancing device includes a smooth surface portion across a portion of the inner side surface and the removable washing compartment includes a complimentary smooth surface portion across a portion of an outer side surface, and wherein when the removable washing compartment is mounted on the balancing device, the smooth surface portion on the inner side surface aligns with the smooth surface portion on the outer surface of the removable washing compartment and wherein the at least one arc shaped convex protrusion and the at least one arc shaped concave groove are complementary arch shapes such that the at least one arc shaped convex protrusion nests with the at least one arc shaped concave groove such that the arced surface of the convex protrusion contacts the arced surface of the concave groove.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 wherein the removable washing compartment further comprises at least one handle.

3. The washing machine of claim 2 wherein the at least one handle is located on an upper perimeter of the wash compartment.

4. The washing machine of claim 3 wherein the smooth portion on the removable wash compartment extends at least around the portion of the wash compartment beneath the at least one handle.

5. The washing machine of claim 3 wherein the smooth portion on the removable wash compartment is adjacent the at least one convex protrusion or at least one concave groove.

6. The washing machine of claim 3 wherein the at least one handle comprises two handles spaced equidistant around the upper perimeter of the wash compartment.

7. The washing machine of claim 6 wherein the smooth portion comprises two smooth portions positioned below the two handles.

8. The washing machine of claim 1 wherein the at least one convex protrusion is positioned about the inner circumference of the balancing device.

9. The washing machine of claim 8 wherein the smooth portion on the inner side surface is on the balancing device.

10. The washing machine of claim 8 wherein a height of the convex protrusions is about the same height as the height of the balancing device.

11. The washing machine of claim 1 wherein the at least one concave groove is positioned on the removable washing compartment.

12. The washing machine of claim 11 wherein the at least one concave groove is positioned about at least a portion of the circumference of the removable washing compartment.

13. The washing machine of claim 11 wherein a height of the concave grooves is about the same height as the height of the removable washing compartment.

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

15. The washing machine of claim 14, wherein when the removable washing compartment is mounted on the balancing device, the stirrer element does not contact the removable washing compartment.

16. The washing machine of claim 1, 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.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be described in details based on the figures shown below, in which:

(2) FIG. 1.1 shows, in anterior-superior perspective, the removable inner compartment of a preferred embodiment of the coupling system object of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 1.2 shows an anterior-inferior perspective view of the compartment illustrated in FIG. 1.1;

(4) FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectioned perspective view of the compartment illustrated in FIGS. 1.1 and 1.2;

(5) FIG. 3 shows a sectioned perspective view of a clothes washing machine, enabling to view the hydro-balancer ring according to a preferred embodiment of the system object of the present invention;

(6) FIG. 4 shows the machine shown in FIG. 3 with the removable inner compartment appropriately coupled to the hydro-balancer ring; and

(7) FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the washing machine illustrated in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) The object of the present invention will be described and explained in more details based on the accompanying drawings, which have merely exemplary and non-limiting character, since adaptations and modifications may be made without thereby escaping from the scope of protection claimed.

(9) The present invention relates to a coupling system of compartments intended to the use in clothes washing machine 1 and more specifically in clothes washing machines of vertical axis/stirrer 7 with access cover located on the upper surface thereof. So basically such appliances comprising a cabinet 2 inside which it is located a generally cylindrical fixed tank 3 which stores the water during the soaking and washing process of the load of clothes to be processed, wherein at the center of the fixed tank 3 it is located the stirrer element 7 internally containing, the rotor axis of the appliance motor (not shown).

(10) In an inner and concentric manner relative to the fixed tank 3, it is coupled a washing basket 4, in the top edge thereof it is usually located a balancing device 5 that is usually presented in the form of a ring containing a particular amount of fluid therein to assist in the balancing of the device during operationespecially to avoid any undue eventual displacement of the appliance during the centrifugation step.

(11) The system object of the present invention also provides for the use of a removable washing compartment 6 which, once coupled inside the washing basket 5, generates an additional and independent washing region from that defined by the basket 5, so that there isn't any type of fluid contact between the two roomswhich enables the simultaneous washing of clothes loads with distinct characteristics that, when there is a unique washing room, could not be processed together under the risk of damaging less favored parts (for example, delicate or white/light colored clothes which, if washed together with colored clothes, acquire irremovable stains).

(12) Considering that the removable washing compartment can be used or not during the processing of a washing load, it is necessary that such a compartment may be easily positioned or removed from the inside of the machine, without that such procedures entail damaging risks to the components of the appliance or risk of occurring fluid contact between the washing zones.

(13) Therefore, the coupling system of removable compartment object of the present invention provides for means to ensure the proper positioning and sealing of the removable washing compartment 6 with the balancing device 5 without demanding, therefore, the need to use additional elements as, for example, flanges, sealing elements or any fastening elements.

(14) Thus, the coupling system of the present invention is characterized by the fact that the balancing device 5 has at least one surfacepreferably its inner perimeter surfacecomprising a plurality of coupling elements 51 which, in a preferred embodiment of the invention and illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5, is defined by equally spaced convex protrusions.

(15) In turn, the removable washing compartment 6, which will be coupled to the balancing device 5, contains at least one surfacepreferably its outer surface as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5comprising a plurality of coupling elements 61 preferably defined by concave channels distributed by the surface thereof with the same distance of the coupling elements 51 of the balancing device 5, so that by positioning the removable washing compartment 6 inside the balancing device 5, the channels are automatically coupled to the convex protrusions existing therein, ensuring the proper positioning and attachment between the parts.

(16) It is noteworthy that to assist in the correct positioning between parts 5 and 6 and to ensure the fluid seal between the compartments generated by them, the removable washing compartment 6 will be preferably provided with a flat upper edge 62 which will accommodate over the upper edge 52 of the balancing device 5.

(17) It is also important to explain that in the preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying Figures, the balancing device 5 has male type fitting elements while the removable washing compartment 6 has female type fitting elements; however those skilled in the art will certainly understand that balancing device 5 may contain female type elements and the removable washing compartment 6 contains male type fitting elements without departing from the scope of protection claimed here.

(18) Furthermore, it should be informed that, similarly, the cooperation between the coupling elements 51 of the balancing device 5 and the coupling elements 61 of the removable washing compartment 6 can be made by simply coupling, interference or pressure fitting (snap-fit type), or even with the aid of auxiliary fastening elements such as, for example, butterfly type fasteners or the like.

(19) It is noted, therefore, that the coupling system of removable compartment to appliances object of the present invention solves the drawbacks of the current prior art, since they reveal a fitting way which does not interfere with the functioning of the stirrer element 7, does not depend on installation/use of sealing elements (such as flanges, for example), and can be easily removed and coupled by any user, without requiring any kind of technique, knowledge or special procedure to be performed.

(20) Furthermore, it provides constructive advantages, since it does not require substantial changes in the manufacturing processes besides not requiring specific hand labor for installation of sealing means that, until then, are used in similar known systems, thus resulting in significant savings in time and manufacturing cost.

(21) It is also important to highlight that the above description is for the sole purpose of describing in exemplary way some preferred embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, it is evident that the skilled in the art understand that many constructive modifications, variations and combinations of the elements performing the same function substantially in the same way to achieve the same results, are still within the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.