Abstract
A weight device (10) for increasing stability of a washing drum (110) of a washing machine (100), includes a weight body (20) with a mounting interface (22) to be mounted at a counter-mounting-interface (122) of the washing machine (100), in particular a washing tub (160) of the washing machine (100), in a position at least partly surrounding an access opening (130) of the washing machine (100) providing access to the washing drum (110), characterised in that at least one fluid channel (30) is formed inside of the weight body (20) having a channel inlet (32) for fluid communication with a fluid source (140) of the washing machine (100) and a channel outlet (34) for fluid communication with a fluid drainage (150) of the washing machine (100).
Claims
1. A weight device for increasing stability of a washing drum of a washing machine, the weight device comprising: a weight body with a mounting interface configured to be mounted at a counter-mounting-interface of the washing machine in a position at least partly surrounding an access opening of the washing machine providing access to the washing drum, wherein at least one fluid channel is formed inside of the weight body having a channel inlet for fluid communication with a fluid source of the washing machine and a channel outlet for fluid communication with a fluid drainage of the washing machine.
2. The weight device of claim 1, wherein the fluid channel is at least partly formed by a fluid tube.
3. The weight device of claim 2, wherein the fluid tube includes a positioning rib on an outer surface of the fluid tube, the positioning rib being configured to engage the weight body.
4. The weight device of claim 3, wherein the positioning rib extends transverse to a fluid axis of the fluid tube.
5. The weight device of claim 2, wherein the channel inlet extends beyond the weight body to provide an inlet connection.
6. The weight device of claim 2, wherein the channel outlet extends beyond the weight body to provide an outlet connection.
7. The weight device of claim 5, wherein the inlet connection is formed by the fluid tube.
8. The weight device of claim 6, wherein the outlet connection is formed by the fluid tube.
9. The weight device of claim 5, wherein the inlet connection includes a sealing member configured to aid in providing a fluid sealed connection to the fluid source.
10. The weight device of claim 6, wherein the outlet connection includes a sealing member configured to aid in providing a fluid sealed connection to the fluid drainage.
11. The weight device of claim 1, wherein the weight body includes a sealing surface that surrounds the channel inlet and/or the channel outlet.
12. The weight device of claim 1, wherein the channel inlet and/or the channel outlet is connected to a flexible connecting tube.
13. The weight device of claim 1, wherein the channel inlet is positioned relatively above the channel outlet.
14. The weight device of claim 1, wherein the counter-mounting-interface of the washing machine is on a washing tub of the washing machine.
15. A method for making a weight device for use in increasing stability of a washing drum of a washing machine, the method comprising: forming a weight body with an internal free space forming a fluid channel, the weight body being formed with a mounting interface configured to be mounted at a counter-mounting-interface of the washing machine in a position at least partly surrounding an access opening of the washing machine providing access to the washing drum, the fluid channel having a channel inlet for fluid communication with a fluid source of the washing machine and a channel outlet for fluid communication with a fluid drainage of the washing machine.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the weight body is formed using (i) a 3D printing machine, (ii) a casting process, or (iii) a combination thereof.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the weight body is formed around a fluid tube providing the fluid channel.
18. The method claim 17, wherein the fluid tube is temporally filled with an incompressible medium during at least a portion of the forming of the weight body.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] The present invention is described in further detail with respect to the accompanying drawings. Those shows schematically:
[0030] FIG. 1 is a mounting situation of an inventive weight device;
[0031] FIG. 2 is one square section of an inventive weight device;
[0032] FIG. 3 is a further embodiment of a square section of an inventive weight device;
[0033] FIG. 4 is a further embodiment of a square section of an embodiment of the inventive weight device;
[0034] FIG. 5 is a further embodiment of a square section of an embodiment of an inventive weight device;
[0035] FIG. 6 is a first step of an inventive production method;
[0036] FIG. 7 is a next stop of an inventive production method;
[0037] FIG. 8 is an embodiment of an inventive weight device in mounted position;
[0038] FIG. 9 is the embodiment of FIG. 8 in a square section;
[0039] FIG. 10 is one embodiment of a fluid tube;
[0040] FIG. 11 is a further mounting situation of an inventive weight device; and
[0041] FIG. 12 is a further mounting situation of an inventive weight device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0042] FIG. 1 shows a washing machine 100 in a schematic way. It provides a washing drum 110 which can be rotated with high speed the washing drum Is located inside of a washing tub 160. During washing process such high-speed rotation of the washing drum 110 leads to an extraction of water out of the washing drum 110. That extracted water can be taken up by the fluid source 140 (which is not schematically depicted in FIG. 1). To now guide that water from the fluid source 140 to a fluid drainage 150 it needs to be led through an area which interferes and conflicts with the need to place a weight device 10. The weight device 10 is here surrounding the access opening 130 of the washing machine 100 and is sealed by a seal 170. It is mounted with a mounting interface 22 with its weight body 20 at a counter mounting interface 122 of the washing tub 160. As it can be seen in FIG. 1 now the fluid coming from the fluid source 140 needs to be guided to the fluid drainage 150 through a position where now the weight body 20 of the weight device 10 is located. While in present commonly known solutions now the weight body 20 has been separated at that position to provide room for extending a fluid tube the inventive weight body 20 can now extend throughout that space.
[0043] FIG. 2 shows the part that is in conflict with the need to provide a fluid communication of FIG. 1. The weight body 20 of the weight device 10 is for example made out of concrete material. Inside of the weight body 20 a fluid channel 30 is provided having a channel inlet 32 and a fluid outlet 34. In this specific embodiment the whole fluid channel 30 extends along a fluid axis FA.
[0044] FIG. 3 is a further embodiment of the weight device 10. It is now comprising a fluid tube 40 forming the fluid channel 30. In both embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3 now a fluid communication is provided through the weight body 20 of the weight device 10. Thereby, the fluid communication is enabled in a position where a weight device 10 as well as fluid communication is necessary. A separation of the weight body 20 can be avoided by providing and integrating the fluid communication functionality into the weight device 10 and the weight body 20.
[0045] FIG. 4 is an embodiment of an inventive weight device 10 based on FIG. 3. Here the fluid tube 40 extends beyond the surfaces of the weight body 20 along the fluid axis FA. At that extension an inlet connection 42 as well as outlet connection 44 is provided. For provision of a connection to the fluid communication to a fluid source 140 as well as a fluid drainage 150 here the weight body 20 provides sealing surfaces 24 surrounding the inlet connection 42 as well as the outlet connection 44.
[0046] In FIG. 5 a separate way of sealing is provided. Here a ring type sealing means 50 is provided and located at the end of the inlet connection 42 and the outlet connection 44. By overlapping at least partly a fluid communication line to this fluid drainage 150 and/or the fluid source 140 a sealing functionality is provided by the integration of the sealing means 50. Furthermore, FIG. 5 shows the use of positioning ribs 46. They extend transverse through the fluid axis FA and are surrounding the fluid tube 40 at least once. FIG. 5 shows four of those positioning ribs 46. If any forces created along the fluid axis FA those positioning ribs 46 now ensure a safe position and avoid any undesired retraction of the fluid tube 30 out of the weight body 20. Those positioning rips can also be called anti-retraction ribs.
[0047] FIGS. 6 and 7 show a potential production method for producing an inventive weight device 10. In a mould 200 the tube 40 is located. It is positioned in the desired position inside of a cavity of the mould 200. It is hold by the interaction of the inlet connection 42 and the outlet connection 44 with the mould 200. Now the material of the weight body 20 is forced through the mould inlet 210 into the cavity of the mould 200. As soon as the hardening procedure, for example a concrete curing, has been finalized the mould 200 can be opened along the separation lines and according to FIG. 7 a weight device 10 can be extracted out of the mould being similar to the weight devices depicted in FIG. 4.
[0048] FIGS. 8 and 9 show a further embodiment of an inventive weight device 10. This one is already mounted at a part of the washing machine 100 (not depicted). Here the mounting interface 22 provides four positions and four bolts to be mounted at the washing tub 160 (not shown in FIG. 8). It is further depicted in FIG. 8 that a flexible and separate connecting tube 60 provides a liquid connection around a 90-degree bend In particular the tube 60 is fully flexible and can be bend in any desired orientation. FIG. 9 shows that the fluid tube 40 is completely integrated into the weight body 20 of the weight device 10. It is sealingly connected to the separate flexible connecting tube 60.
[0049] In FIG. 10 the fluid tube 40 of FIGS. 8 and 9 is separately depicted. It is provided with sealing means 50 which are integrated part of the body of the fluid tube 40 thereby forming the outer surface of the inlet connection 42 and the outlet connection 44.
[0050] FIG. 11 shows a solution similar to FIG. 1. However, is this embodiment, the fluid source is depicted below the washing drum 110 inside of the washing tub 160. FIG. 12 shows a solution with different fluid flow direction. In this embodiment, the fluid is for example a cleaning water from a fluid source 140 providing the cleaning water and feeding the water with added detergents, cleaning agents or softeners, into the washing tub 160. In such an embodiment, the fluid source 140 is outside of the washing drum 110 and/or the washing tub 160 and the fluid drainage 150 is receiving the fluid inside of the washing tub 160 and/or the washing drum 110.
[0051] It is to be understood that the aforesaid description of embodiments describes the present invention only by the way of examples and is not limiting the scope of the present invention.
Reference Signs
[0052] 10 weight device [0053] 20 weight body [0054] 22 mounting interface [0055] 24 sealing surface [0056] 30 fluid channel [0057] 32 channel inlet [0058] 34 channel outlet [0059] 40 fluid tube [0060] 42 inlet connection [0061] 44 outlet connection [0062] 46 positioning rib [0063] 50 sealing means [0064] 60 connecting tube [0065] 100 washing machine [0066] 110 washing drum [0067] 122 counter-mounting-interface [0068] 130 access opening [0069] 140 fluid source [0070] 150 fluid drainage [0071] 160 washing tub [0072] 170 seal [0073] 200 mould [0074] 210 mould inlet [0075] FA fluid axis
