WO2013171091A1

WO2013171091A1 - Laundry treatment machine

Info

Publication number: WO2013171091A1
Application number: PCT/EP2013/059448
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rainer Ediger; Martin Korte; Thomas Nawrot
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2012-05-14
Filing date: 2013-05-07
Publication date: 2013-11-21
Also published as: EP2850239B1; RU2014146259A; CN104321482B; EP2850239A1; CN104321482A; DE102012207977A1; RU2597293C2; PL2850239T3

Abstract

A laundry treatment machine 1 has a laundry drum 3 which is rotatably mounted about a drum axis 3a in a housing 2. An annular foam material seal 11, 14 is arranged between a circumferential part of the laundry drum 3, which rotates during operation of the laundry treatment machine 1, and a stationary surface of a component of the housing 2, the foam material seal being secured to the surface of the component and being sealingly guided on the laundry drum 3. In order to reduce friction between the foam material seal 11, 14 and the laundry drum 3, the foam material seal 11, 14 should be produced from open-cell foam and be arranged over a slide surface 16 on an abutment surface of the circumferential part of the laundry drum 3. Furthermore the annular foam material seal 11, 14 should be provided with an air and/or water proof coating 21, 22 on at least one of its annular front surfaces 19, 20.

Description

Laundry appliance

The invention relates to a laundry treatment machine with a laundry drum, which is rotatably mounted in a housing about a drum axis, wherein between a peripheral part of the laundry drum rotating laundry drum and a fixed surface of a component of the housing, an annular foam gasket is arranged on the surface of the Part fixed and sealingly guided on the laundry drum.

Laundry treatment machines are generally known as washing machines, as machines for the professional cleaning of textiles or as tumble dryers. The laundry drum of such laundry machines designed as washing machines can have an end-side charging opening and in this case is mounted on its end remote from the charging opening via a shaft journal in the housing of the laundry treatment machine. In addition, however, types of washing machines are known in which the laundry drum rotates about a substantially vertically extending drum axis, wherein the laundry drum is charged from above. However, washing machines which can be loaded from above with laundry items can also have a laundry drum mounted above a horizontal drum axis, which can then be opened and re-closed for loading with laundry items on its outer jacket.

In addition, laundry treatment machines are designed as a tumble dryer, in which the laundry drum heated process air is supplied. This may optionally be an exhaust air dryer or a condensation dryer. Modern condensation dryers are usually operated with a heat pump. In tumble dryers, the laundry drum is usually arranged in the housing in such a way that it rotates about a horizontally extending drum axis and has a front-side charging opening. Such a laundry drum of a clothes dryer is usually guided at its rear end wall by means of a hinge bearing on the housing and also stored at its front end using a bearing plate by means of rollers in the housing. A laundry treatment machine of the type described above is known from EP 2 072 657 A1. It is designed as a laundry dryer laundry treatment machine, in which a bearing plate is provided with a groove for receiving a drum seal. The groove bottom of this groove should be provided with a wedge-shaped toothing, said toothing should prevent co-rotation of the seal. It is intended to make this seal either foam or a combination of foam and felt.

From DE 195 03 367 C2 also known as a laundry dryer laundry treatment machine known in which a channel for the process air of the dryer is connected via provided in the front-side rear wall of the laundry drum openings with the interior of the laundry drum. The heated process air then flows through the interior of the laundry drum and thereby absorbs the moisture of the items of laundry present in the laundry drum, whereupon the process air leaves again in the region of a door closing a loading opening of the laundry drum via a channel provided in this area. At least in the region of the feed line of the process air into the laundry drum, a sealing ring should be provided between a bottom wall of the laundry drum and a cup-shaped flange connected to the housing, which radially surrounds the region of the feed line of the process air into the laundry drum. According to one embodiment, this sealing ring should be formed as a profile ring on which an elastic lip is provided. Both the main body of the profile ring and the elastic lip should be made of rubber. Alternatively, it is also provided to produce a corresponding sealing ring for the supply of process air from a nitrile rubber material and a felt strip attached thereto. The felt strip should lie sealingly against a bead of the laundry drum.

Furthermore, from DE 10 2005 009 230 B4 known as a tumble dryer for commercial use laundry treatment machine is known in which the laundry drum is mounted on the drum shell mounted races on so-called rollers. The laundry drum is at one end face with a Feed opening and provided at the opposite end with a removal opening. Since the process air is introduced into or discharged from the interior of the laundry drum in this region, these openings are surrounded radially by sealing components which are designed as felt disks.

Finally, from DE 81 36 238 U1 a tumble dryer with a seal arrangement between the tumble dryer housing and a rear end wall of the laundry drum is known in which a felt ring seal is glued into a U-shaped receiving groove made of rubber or plastic mechanical sealant. This mechanical seal carrier is formed in a lying S-shape, wherein a foam ring is applied to an underside of the U-shaped receiving groove. The foam ring is to transmit the contact forces required to achieve the sealing function on the felt ring seal and is guided for this purpose at an angling of a foot part and at an end portion of a web of the mechanical seal carrier.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a heat treatment machine of the above type with a foam seal, on the one hand reduces the friction between this foam seal and a contact surface on the laundry drum and on the other leakage can be prevented.

This object is achieved, starting from a laundry treatment machine according to the aforementioned type in conjunction with the characterizing features of the independent claim. The following dependent claims as well as the following description and the accompanying drawings represent advantageous developments of the invention.

According to the characterizing part of the independent claim, the foam seal should be made of an open-cell foam and abut a sliding surface on a contact surface of the peripheral part of the laundry drum and it is intended to provide the annular foam seal on at least one of its annular end faces with an air and / or water impermeable coating be. Although, according to the generic EP 2 072 657 A1, foam or a combination of foam and felt is used as the material for the sealing ring; but it is a closed-cell foam used, which is both impermeable to air and water, so that the desired sealing effect can be achieved. However, closed-pore foams, which are substantially impermeable to air and water, have a relatively high compressive strength, which requires a relatively high force to compress the gasket. This results in a relatively large bias of the seal on the contact surface and thus a large friction between the foam seal and the laundry drum, so that considerable friction losses occur. In addition, the foam gasket has no uniform surface according to the present invention. Also DE 81 36 238 U1 gives no indication to use a foam seal of an open-cell foam for the seal assembly. Incidentally, the foam ring according to this publication should not assume a sealing function, but only pretension the felt-ring seal in the direction of the sealing surface. Therefore, a sliding surface is not formed directly on the foam ring, which is also to be avoided according to this document. The distance to the foam ring extending sliding ring seal carrier is to reduce its thermal load by the dry air flow, which is why a corresponding space is provided between an end face of the foam ring and the web of the mechanical seal carrier. The further documents DE 195 03 367 C2 and DE 10 2005 009 230 B4 show sealing arrangements in which the respective seal is not made of foam.

According to the present invention, the friction occurring between the foam gasket and the frontal or peripheral rotationally symmetric part of the laundry drum is reduced by the open cell foam having a low compression hardness so that the elastic foam gasket created thereby bears against the rotationally symmetric part of the laundry drum with little biasing force. Furthermore, the friction is reduced by the fact that the voltage applied to the contact surface of the part of the laundry drum surface of the foam seal is formed as a sliding surface. However, since an open-pored foam would have the disadvantage that air or water contained in this air could diffuse through the foam gasket, according to the invention at least one of the annular end faces provided air- and / or water-impermeable coating. Of course, the foam seal may also be provided on its radially inner lateral surface with a corresponding coating. Finally, it is also possible to provide the sliding surface on one of the faces of the foam gaskets and then to provide at least one of the other surfaces with an impermeable coating according to the teachings of the invention.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the open-cell foam of the foam seal should have a foam density defined by a density of 25 to 45 kg / m ³ . The compressive strength should be 1, 8 to 5 kPa. Thereby, a material of the foam gasket is specified, which leads to a reduction of the sliding friction between the foam gasket and the laundry drum, but additional measures for sealing on the surface of the foam gasket are provided, which are the subject of the present invention.

Furthermore, the laundry drum can be rotatably mounted about a substantially horizontal drum axis and have a feed opening on one end face. In this case, a foam seal between a fixed to a front wall of the laundry treating machine bearing plate and the laundry drum is provided and / or provided a foam seal between a rear edge of the laundry drum and a rear wall of the housing. It depends on the area in which the region or channel connected to the interior of the laundry drum is to be sealed relative to the interior of the housing. Of particular advantage is the use of a corresponding open-cell foam gasket with an air and / or water impermeable coating and a sliding surface for use in a laundry dryer designed as a laundry machine. In this case, a foam seal between a rear wall of the tumble dryer and the peripheral part of the laundry drum and / or a foam seal between a front edge of the laundry drum and a housing connected to the front wall bearing plate are provided. The sealed on its surface foam seal prevents in this case that the entering or leaving the laundry drum process air can get into the housing interior of the clothes dryer. A leak in the area of entry of the process Otherwise, air leakage would lead to a worsening of the drying result.

In the area of the exit of the process air due to leakage not only the process air but also the moisture absorbed by this would get into the interior of the housing of the dryer, whereby sensitive electronic components, which are arranged inside the housing of the dryer can be damaged. In addition, the moisture accumulating inside the housing can permanently lead to an odor nuisance. The inventively embodied foam gasket ensures that these problems can not occur, in addition to the effective sealing of inlet and outlet of the process air and an operation of the tumble dryer can be achieved with low friction losses.

In a further development of the teaching according to the invention, the coating should be formed as a film, which is attached in a corresponding manner at least to one of the two end faces of the foam gasket. It will preferably be the end face of the foam gasket, which faces the space or channel to be sealed. Alternatively, it is possible to produce the coating by melting the annular surface of the foam seal. Of course, the radially inner surface of the foam seal may be provided by melting with a coating, if this proves to be useful. Finally, it is also possible to apply the coating in the liquid state to the foam, wherein the sealing effect then occurs after curing of this coating. These may be flexible elastomers, e.g. Silicone or neoprene act.

Advantageously, the sliding surface may be made of a felt-impregnated felt, by which advantageous sliding properties between the foam seal and the laundry drum can be achieved. Finally, the foam gasket should be arranged in an annular groove of the bearing plate or the housing, so that the foam gasket has sufficient lateral guidance.

The invention is not limited to the specified combination of the features of the independent claim and the dependent claims. It turns out In addition, ways to combine individual features, even if they come from the claims, the advantages of the claims, the following description of the embodiments or directly from the drawing. The reference of the claims to the drawing by the use of reference numerals is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention will be explained below with reference to the drawing. Show it:

Figure 1 as a schematic sectional view one in a housing of a

Tumble dryer arranged laundry drum, which is sealed in the region of a rear wall of the housing and in the region of a feed opening by means of foam gaskets and

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged detail according to the detail II in FIG. 1 in FIG

Area of a provided between the laundry drum and a housing-fixed component foam gasket. In FIG. 1, denoted by 1 is a tumble dryer intended for use in a household, which has a housing 2 and a laundry drum 3 mounted rotatably about the drum axis 3a. In this case, the laundry drum 3 is mounted in a front area via a roller bearing 4 in the housing 2 and guided on its rear wall 5 via a spherical plain bearing 6 on the housing 2. Furthermore, the laundry drum 3 has a front-side charging opening 7, which is substantially aligned with a charging opening 8 provided in the housing 2. The charging opening 8 of the housing 2 can be closed by a door 9, wherein in the region of this door 9 a through the housing 2 and the washing drum 3 limited exhaust duct 10 is provided for emerging from the laundry drum 3 process air. In this case, the exhaust air duct 10 is sealed radially by a first foam seal 1 1.

Furthermore, 3 openings 12 are provided in the rear wall 5 of the laundry drum, is passed through the heated process air into the interior of the laundry drum 3. These heated process air is conveyed by means of a process air blower not shown and passes through a rear wall 5 adjacent supply air duct 13 and via the aforementioned openings 12 in the interior of the laundry drum 3, flows through this, where it absorbs moisture from the laundry, and then passes on the Beschi - ckungsöffnung 7 in the direction of the exhaust duct 10 from the laundry drum.

The supply air duct 13 is delimited by the rear wall 5 and the adjacent wall section of the housing 2, wherein it is radially sealed in this area by a second foam gasket 14 arranged spatially between the housing 2 and the laundry drum 3. For this purpose, from the laundry drum 3 from both axially and radially inwardly facing edge 15 from which cooperates with a provided on the foam seal 14 sliding surface 16, that is guided on this sliding. With regard to the arrangement and the design of this foam seal 14, reference is made to FIG. 2, in which it is shown enlarged. The foam seal 1 1 should be formed in this way and arranged in at least similar form between the laundry drum 3 and the housing. However, the foam gasket 1 1 may be included by a bearing shield, not shown.

From Figure 2 shows how the edge 15 rests against the sliding surface formed as a sliding layer 16 of the foam seal 14. In this case, the foam seal 14 is arranged in a groove 17 of an outgoing from the housing 2 component 18. The sliding layer of Gleitflächel 6 is made of a felt impregnated with Teflon felt, whereby optimal sliding properties against the edge 15 of the laundry drum are created. In addition, the foam gasket 14 is provided at its annular end faces 19 and 20 each with a coating 21 and 22. Since the foam gasket 14 is made of an open-cell foam with a relatively low compression hardness, the sliding surface 15 bears against the edge 15 of the laundry drum 3 with little radial prestressing, which additionally reduces the friction.

The open-pored foam for this purpose, however, is permeable to air, so that a use of such as provided for Figure 1 foam seal 1 1 without the coatings of the invention would cause moist exhaust air from the Exhaust duct 10 passes into the interior of the housing 2, so that moisture could be reflected there. If the foam gasket 14 were similarly made from an open cell foam and not coated on its surface, some of the supply air could escape through this foam gasket 14, which is not available for laundry drying. The solution according to the invention therefore provides, in addition to an increase in the elasticity of the corresponding foam gasket 1 1 or 14, its air and / or water impermeable coating 21 and 22. This can be designed as a film, melting of the foam or applied in the liquid state sealant.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 tumble dryer

2 housings

3 laundry drum

3a drum axis

4 roller bearings

5 back wall of 3

6 spherical bearings

7 feed opening of 3

8 feed opening of 2

9 door

10 exhaust duct

1 1 first foam gasket

12 openings

13 supply air duct

14 second foam gasket

15 edge of 3

16 sliding surface

17 ring groove

18 component

19 annular end face

20 annular end face

21 coating

22 coating

Claims

Patent claims

Laundry treatment machine (1) with a laundry drum (3), which is rotatably mounted in a housing (2) about a drum axis (3a), with a peripheral part of the laundry drum (3) rotating during operation of the laundry treatment machine (1) and a fixed surface Component of the housing

(2) an annular foam seal (1 1, 14) is arranged, which is fixed to the surface of the component and sealingly guided on the laundry drum (3), characterized in that the foam seal (1 1, 14) is made of an open-pored foam is and rests via a sliding surface (16) on a contact surface of the peripheral part of the laundry drum (3) and that the annular foam seal (1 1, 14) has an air and/or water impermeable coating on at least one of its annular end faces (19, 20). - tung (21, 22) is provided.

Laundry treatment machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the open-pore foam of the foam seal (1 1, 14) has a foam density defined by a density of 25 to 45 kg/m ³ and a compression hardness of 1.8 to 5 kPa.

Laundry treatment machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the laundry drum (3) is rotatably mounted about a substantially horizontal drum axis (3a) and has a loading opening (7) on one end face, with a foam seal (1 1) between a bearing plate Laundry drum (3) and a front edge of the laundry drum

(3) and/or a foam seal (14) is provided between a rear edge (15) of the laundry drum (15) and a rear wall of the housing (2).

4. Laundry treatment machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the laundry treatment machine is designed as a tumble dryer (1), the foam seal (1 1) being provided between a bearing plate fixed to the housing for the laundry drum (3) and the peripheral part of the laundry drum (3). .

5. Laundry treatment machine according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the foam seal (14) is provided between a rear edge (15) of the laundry drum (3) and a rear wall of the housing (2).

6. Laundry treatment machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the foam seal (14) is arranged in an annular groove (17) of the component of the housing (2) or the end shield.

7. Laundry treatment machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coating (21, 22) is designed as a film.

8. Laundry treatment machine according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the coating (21, 22) is produced by melting the annular surface (19, 20) of the foam seal (14).

9. Laundry treatment machine according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the coating (21, 22) is applied in the liquid state to the foam of the foam seal (14) and hardens thereon.

10. Laundry treatment machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sliding surface (16) is made of a Teflon-soaked felt.