EP2815688A1

EP2815688A1 - Domestic appliance, particularly clothes dryer, washing machine or dishwashing machine

Info

Publication number: EP2815688A1
Application number: EP13173211.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Massimo Meroni; Ralf Haselmeier
Original assignee: Whirlpool Corp
Current assignee: Whirlpool Corp
Priority date: 2013-06-21
Filing date: 2013-06-21
Publication date: 2014-12-24

Abstract

A domestic appliance (10), particularly clothes dryer, washing machine, or dishwashing machine, comprises a cabinet (12), a treatment chamber and a sound-absorption structure (16) supported by the cabinet (12) in the lower portion thereof, such structure comprising a plurality of hollow protruding parts (18) and being preferably shaped for collecting water which may leak from the appliance.

Description

The present invention relates to a domestic appliance, particularly clothes dryer, a washing machine or a dishwashing machine, comprising a cabinet and a treatment chamber within such cabinet.
It is well known in the art of domestic appliances the need of reducing the noise due to vibration of components such as motor or other moving parts. This need is particularly critical for appliances which produce more noise like washing machines, dryers and dishwashers.
Up to now insulation panels have been used in connection with internal surfaces of the cabinet or external surfaces of the treatment chamber, for instance the washing tub of a dishwasher. Such panels comprise one or more sound absorbing layers which are not stiff, for instance of porous media.
Even if such known solutions are satisfactory in term of overall noise reduction, there is still the problem or reducing further the noise emission from the appliance.
According to the invention, such noise emission is further reduced thanks to the features listed in the appended claims.
The applicant has discovered that by using a sound-absorption structure generally known in automotive industry, and placed in a specific location inside the appliance, the result of noise reduction is surprisingly good compared to prior art, of the order of 2 dB(A). Such specific sound absorption structure is the one generally disclosed for instance by JP2002029330 , even if with certain modifications for the specific use in domestic appliances. Such structure presents a plurality of protruding parts shaped as hollow "cubes" defined between a flat base part and a hollow protruded part both made of rubber or thermoplastic material and preferably obtained through a blow-molding process. Such sound absorption structure is sufficiently stiff to be self-carrying in order to be mounted in the lower portion of the cabinet of the appliance, for preventing noise leakage from the appliance in the bottom area thereof.
According to a specific use of the sound absorption structure in a washing machine or a dishwashing machine, said structure is used for collecting possible water leaking from the washing chamber. For this purpose, the structure is preferably shaped with an inverted pyramid shape and is provided with sensor for detecting a certain level of water in order to block water supply (through devices known with the names of water-stop or aqua-stop).
Further advantages and features of an appliance according to the present invention will be clear from the following detailed description, with reference to the attached drawings in which:

figure 1 is a perspective partly-sectioned view of an appliance according to the invention;
figure 2 is a detailed view of a portion of a component of the appliance of figure 1;
figure 3 is a section taken along arrows III-III of figure 2;
figure 4 is a perspective view of a component similar to figure 2, in a second embodiment of the invention; and
figure 5 is a section taken along arrows V-V of figure 4.

With reference to the drawings, a dryer or a washing machine 10 comprises a cabinet 12 with side walls 12a, a front wall 12b and a top wall 12c. The front wall 12b comprises a door 14 for accessing a washing chamber (not shown).
In the bottom zone of the cabinet 12, it is mounted a sound absorbing flat structure 16 having dimensions corresponding to the horizontal cross section of the cabinet. Such structure 16 (figures 2 and 3) is formed by a damping material, for instance rubber-elastic material or thermoplastic material, and comprises a bottom flat layer 16a and an upper layer 16b having protrusion 18 of different dimensions which are capable of damping different noise frequency according to such dimensions. The thickness of bottom layer 16a may be preferably comprised between 0,5 and 4 mm, while the thickness of upper layer 16b may be preferably comprised between 0,3 and 3 mm. The material of both layers 16a and 16b is preferably an olefin copolymer, preferably a random ethylene-propylene (EPM) copolymer which is flexible and it is used commercially as elastomer. Other materials can be used as well, for instance vulcanizable terpolymers which are obtained when a small amount of a tetrafunctional monomer, such as dicyclopentadiene, is copolymerized with ethylene and propylene (EPDM elastomers).
The way in which the structure 16 is fixed to the appliance is not critical, and it may be similar or identical to the fastening system presently used for fixing the aqua-stop tray which prevents possible flooding. In this regard, one of the advantages of the present invention is related to the double use of the structure, i.e. to reduce noise emission and to be used as the tray for the water sensor of the aqua-stop system. This solution is shown in figures 4 and 5, where the structure 16 is shaped as an inverted frustum of pyramid, with inclined walls 18 and a sink central portion 20 where a float 22 is placed for detecting any water leakage and to send a corresponding signal to a central unit.
In this embodiment it is possible not only to reduce the noise emission, but also to have the advantage of having an appliance ready for the assembly of the water-stop or aqua-stop system.

Claims

Domestic appliance, particularly clothes dryer, washing machine, or dishwashing machine, comprising a cabinet (12) and a treatment chamber, characterized in that it comprises a sound-absorption structure (16) supported by the cabinet (12) in the lower portion thereof, such structure comprising a plurality of hollow protruding parts (18).
Domestic appliance according to claim 1, wherein said sound-absorption structure (16) is shaped for collecting water which may leak from the appliance (10).
Domestic appliance according to claim 2, wherein said sound-absorption structure (16) comprises a sensor (22) for detecting presence of water.
Domestic appliance according to claim 3, wherein the sound-absorption structure (16) has an inverted pyramid shape at whose center it is placed said sensor (22).
Domestic appliance according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the material of sound-absorption structure is selected in the group consisting of a random ethylene-propylene EPM copolymers or vulcanizable EPDM terpolymers or mixtures thereof.