Machine for washing or drying laundry

Abstract

A machine for washing or drying laundry, having a stationary part, a tub, a drum rotatably accommodated in the tub, and a drive motor. The drive motor comprises a stator or housing component connected to the machine, a rotor having a rotor shaft connected with the drum, and bearings arranged in the stator or a housing component, and the rotor shaft is rotatably mounted by the bearings. One or more spring or damping elements connects the stator or housing component to the stationary part.

Claims

1. A machine for washing or drying laundry, comprising: a machine housing; a tub disposed within the machine housing; a drum rotatably mounted within the tub; a motor having a motor housing defining an interior and an exterior, a stator and a rotor disposed within the interior and molded lugs disposed on the exterior of the motor housing, with the molded lugs extending outward from the exterior; a bellows connecting the tub to the motor housing and configured to establish a water-tight connection between the tub and the motor; and a spring-damper system including: a spring element supported by the machine housing and coupled with a first set of at least two of the molded lugs disposed on the exterior of the motor housing; and a support element supported by the machine housing and coupled with a second set of at least two of the molded lugs disposed on the exterior of the motor housing; wherein the spring-damper system is configured such that the motor is supported by the machine housing.

2. The machine of claim 1 wherein the motor housing includes at least a first motor housing and a second motor housing.

3. The machine of claim 2 wherein the first motor housing is positioned to face the drum and the second motor housing is positioned to face the machine housing.

4. The machine of claim 3 wherein the bellows connects to the first motor housing.

5. The machine of claim 4 wherein the first motor housing includes a radial surface and the bellows connects to the radial surface of the first motor housing.

6. The machine of claim 1 wherein the spring-damper system only directly supports the motor.

7. The machine of claim 1 wherein the motor housing includes a first set of at least two adjacent molded lugs and a second set of at least two adjacent molded lugs, wherein the first set of at least two adjacent molded lugs is different than the second set of at least two adjacent molded lugs.

8. The machine of claim 7 wherein the first set of at least two adjacent molded lugs are coupled with spring elements.

9. The machine of claim 8 wherein the second set of at least two adjacent molded lugs are coupled with support elements.

10. The machine of claim 9 wherein the first set of at least two adjacent molded lugs are positioned horizontally above the second set of at least two adjacent molded lugs.

11. The machine of claim 1 wherein the spring element is a tension spring element.

12. The machine of claim 1 wherein the motor is rotatably connected with the drum.

13. The machine of claim 12 wherein the bellows is not configured to accept support forces from the motor, tub, or drum.

14. The machine of claim 12 wherein the bellows is expandable and is configured to compensate relative movements between the motor and the tub by way of expansion.

15. The machine of claim 1 wherein the spring-damper system is configured to dampen forces acting on the motor.

16. The machine of claim 1 wherein the spring-damper system is configured to dampen forces acting on the tub.

17. The machine of claim 1 wherein the motor housing includes bearings configured to support a rotor shaft.

18. The machine of claim 17 wherein the rotor shaft is not mounted to the tub.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Additional advantages and appropriate embodiments are to be taken from the additional claims, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a section view from a machine for washing or drying according to prior art, with a drum that is mounted rotatably in a tub and that is driven by an electric drive motor whose rotor shaft is exclusively rotatably accommodated in bearings of the drive motor,

(3) FIG. 2 is an embodiment variant of the machine according to prior art,

(4) FIG. 3 is a section view of the washing machine according to the invention in which the direct drive motor is supported on a machine housing that accommodates the tub including drum,

(5) FIG. 4 is a frontal view of the machine according to FIG. 3.

(6) In the Figures, identical components are provided with the same reference sign.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(7) The machine depicted in the exemplary embodiments is, for example, a washing machine, a laundry dryer or a combination of washing machine and dryer (washer-dryer).

(8) Depicted in the prior art embodiment according to FIG. 1 is a machine 1 with a tub 2 that is arranged in a fixed manner with respect to the housing, and a drum 3, as well as an electric drive motor 4. The drum 3 is accommodated in the tub 2 and mounted rotatably in the tub. The mounting of the drum 3 takes place via a bearing shaft 5 via which the drum 3 is accommodated rotatably directly at the tub 2, as well as opposite the bearing shaft 5 via a rotor shaft 6 of the electric drive motor 4.

(9) The electric drive motor 4 is an electronically commutated, permanently excited synchronous motor with a stator 7 that is designed as a stator ring and bears multiple coils 8 that can be fed with current and are distributed over the circumference, as well as a rotor 9 on whose circumference permanent magnets 10 are arranged. The permanent magnets 10 are situated radially outward from the associated coils 8 on the stator 7 and encompass the coils 8. Furthermore belonging to the drive motor 4 are two housing components 11 and 12, of which the housing component 11 bears the stator 7 which is designed as a ring and located on the side facing the drum 3. The two housing components 11 and 12 are respectively designed in the shape of a disc and have, in the manner of a pot, an axially projecting edge region at their periphery, wherein the free faces of the edge region of the housing components 11, 12 face one another and are connected with one another in this region. If applicable, the faces of the edge may positively engage in one another.

(10) In the prior art embodiment according to FIG. 1, pins 13 that are fashioned in one piece with the tub 2 or are arranged on the tub 2 and project from the tub axially protrude into associated recesses that are introduced into the edge region of the housing components 11 and 12.

(11) Belonging to the rotor 9 of the electric drive motor 4 is the rotor shaft 6, which is rotatably accommodated in two bearings 14 and 15, which are located in the housing components 11 and 12. Into each housing component 11 and 12, a central hub 16, 17 is introduced that is the support for the bearing 14 or 15. The rotor shaft 6 of the rotor 9 is rotatably accommodated exclusively in the two bearings 14 and 15.

(12) The rotor shaft 6 projects through a cutout in a side wall of the tub 2 and is connected with the drum 3 so as to be rotationally fixed. When feeding current to the drive motor 4, the drum 3 also rotates accordingly in the tub 2.

(13) The stator 7, including the housing component 11 in which the stator 7 of the drive motor is accommodated, is situated on the side adjacent to the drum 3 or the tub 2. In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, the support of the housing components 11 and 12 of the drive motor 4 takes place exclusively at the tub 2. Support elements, in particular damping or spring elements, may be located between the drive motor 4 and the tub 2, likewise between a machine housing accommodating the tub 2 and the drive motor 4.

(14) The exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 2 largely corresponds to that of FIG. 1, but with the difference that the two housing components 11 and 12 of the drive motor 4 are connected with one another in their outlying edge region via axially introduced fastening pins 18. The housing component 11 of the drive motor is connected via one or more connection elements 19 with the side wall of the tub 2.

(15) The above known solutions have the disadvantage of transmitting high forces due to an unbalanced load in the drum to the tub and the housing of the washing machine.

(16) According to the invention shown in two different views (FIG. 3 and FIG. 4) a machine 1 is shown with a tub 2 for accommodating a rotatably mounted drum 3, and with a machine housing 20 in which the tub 2 including the drum 3 and the electric drive motor 4 are accommodated. The support of the electric drive motor 4 takes place directly at the accommodating machine housing 20, in contrast to which no support of the drive motor 4 takes place at the tub 2. The two housing components 11 and 12 of the drive motor 4 are supported via a spring element 21 as well as via a support element 22 on the machine housing 20.

(17) A connection between the stator-side housing component 11, which faces the tub 2 directly, and the tub 2 exists via a bellows 23, which does not, however, accept support forces but merely establishes an in particular water-tight connection between tub 2 and drive motor 4. The bellows 23 is able to compensate via expansion for vibrations which originate from the drive motor 4 or the drum 3.

(18) As can be seen in FIG. 4, on the stator-side housing components 11, 12 are molded lugs 24, to which both the spring elements 21 and the support elements 22 are attached.

(19) The spring elements 21, as well as possibly also the support elements 22, together form a spring-damper system for supporting and mounting the drive motor 4 on the machine housing 20.