WO2013045300A1

WO2013045300A1 - A drum and the production method thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2013045300A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/068159
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bekir Emre KARAGOZLU; Gursu ARIKAN; Sabih Hizal
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2011-09-27
Filing date: 2012-09-14
Publication date: 2013-04-04
Anticipated expiration: 2014-03-27
Also published as: TR201718191T3; CN103827381A; EP2761074B1; CN103827381B; EP2761074A1; RU2569596C1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a drum (1) suitable for using in laundry washing or washing-drying machines, comprising a cylindrical body (2), two circular lids (3, 103) which are mounted to the front and rear sides of the body (2), two circular seams (4) which are produced by circumferentially bending and folding outwards the overlapping peripheries of the body (2) and the lids (3, 103), and two circumferential connecting lines (5) which are located at the inner area surrounded by the body (2) and the lids (3, 103), behind the seam (4) and which are formed by the circumferential narrow gap (G) between the body (2) and lid (3, 103) peripheries bending outwards.

Description

A DRUM AND THE PRODUCTION METHOD THEREOF

The present invention relates to a drum that is suitable for using in laundry washing or washing-drying machines, and the production method thereof.

In laundry washing or washing-drying machines, laundry is loaded into a drum, the drum is rotated by means of an electric motor and washing, spin-drying and drying processes are realized. In the state of the art, for the production of the drum, a rectangle-shaped sheet metal is bent into a cylinder and the edges that face one another are joined and thus, the hollow cylindrical body of the drum is formed. The front and rear sides of the cylindrical body are covered by a circular front lid, whereon the laundry intake opening is located, and a rear lid. The peripheries of the front and rear lids are connected with the cylindrical body by means of a seam. The peripheries of the lids are bent and brought to a position parallel to the peripheries of the cylindrical body and then the seam is formed by bending the connected peripheries of the lids and the cylindrical body at the outer side of the drum. Since the seam areas are outside the drum, the seam areas cannot contact and damage the laundry. At the inner side of the said seam areas of the drum peripheries located on the outside, a circumferential connecting line is inevitably located along the connecting peripheries of the lid and the body, and furthermore, burr formations are observed along this connecting line due to the metal materials being inserted into each other. Laundry can get stuck at the lid – body connecting line located at the inner side of the drum, and furthermore, laundry is torn during washing or spin-drying by getting caught on the burrs formed on this line.

In the European Patent No. EP1520067, a washing machine drum is explained which comprises a cylindrical body shell and circular front and rear lids, the peripheries of which are connected to the cylindrical shell by means of a seam, and wherein the strength of the said seam is increased against centrifugal forces by being circumferentially stamped.

In the European Patent Application No. EP1922444, a washer/dryer is explained which has a cylindrical body, circular lids and a drum wherein the body and the lids are connected by means of a seam formed by bending the overlapping edges of the body and the lids.

The aim of the present invention is the realization of a drum which is prevented from damaging the laundry placed therein, and the production method thereof.

The drum realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, is composed of a cylindrical body and two circular lids mounted to the front and rear sides of the body. In the production of the drum, the body and the lids are connected by means of the seams formed by circumferentially bending and folding outwards the overlapping peripheries of the body and the lids. At the rear portion of the seam, a circumferential connecting line is located wherein the lid and body peripheries contact each other. The narrow gap in front of the connecting line is covered by a circular set circumferentially extending from the periphery of the drum towards the inside thereof, and the laundry is prevented from getting stuck in the gap in front of the connecting line and being damaged by getting caught on the metal burrs formed there.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the set around the drum is shaped as an impression that is formed by inwardly denting the cylindrical outer surface of the drum body by circumferentially applying pressure from the outer side by means of a pressure apparatus.

While producing the drum, first the cylindrical body and the circular lids are connected, the connecting line and the seams are formed and while smoothing the seams by means of a pressure apparatus, sets are formed at the same time.

The drum of the present invention is suitable for using in laundry washing or washing-drying machines.

The laundry placed in the drum does not get stuck in the narrow gap in front of the connecting line during the rotation of the drum by means of the set and the laundry is prevented from being damaged by getting caught on the metal burrs in this area.

The drum realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1 – is the exploded view of a drum.

Figure 2 – is the perspective view of a drum wherein the body and the lids are connected.

Figure 3 – is the sideways schematic view of a drum.

Figure 4 – is the cross-sectional view of detail D in Figure 3.

Figure 5 – is the schematic view of the drum seam area before being shaped by a pressure apparatus.

Figure 6 – is the schematic view of the drum seam area after being shaped by a pressure apparatus.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

Drum
Body
103 - Lid
Seam
Connecting line
Set

The drum (1) comprises a cylindrical body (2), two circular lids (3, 103) mounted to the front and rear sides of the body (2), two circular seams (4) which are produced by circumferentially bending and folding outwards the overlapping peripheries of the body (2) and the lids (3, 103), and two circumferential connecting lines (5) which are located behind the seam (4) and wherein the body (2) and lid (3, 103) peripheries bending outwards contact each other (Figure 2).

The drum (1) of the present invention comprises a circular set (6) which is located on the body (2) and extends into the inner area surrounded by the body (2), in the radial direction and circumferentially covers the connecting line (5) (Figure 3, Figure 4, Figure 6).

While connecting the lid (3, 103) with the body (2), the seam (4) is formed by bending and folding the overlapping peripheries of the lid (3, 103) and body (2) such that the peripheries remain at the outer side of the drum (1). In front of the connecting line (5), due to the peripheries of the lids (3, 103) and body (2) being bent outwards, a gap (G) is formed between the body (2) and the lid (3, 103) that narrows towards the seam (4). The laundry is prevented from getting stuck in this gap (G) and being torn by means of the set (6) of the present invention. The set (6) circumferentially covers the connecting line (5) in the inner area of the drum (1) and provides that the laundry does not enter the gap (G).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the set (6) is shaped as an impression which is formed by denting a strip ring-shaped narrow portion (having a width between 3 and 10 millimeters) of the body (2) near the seam (4) towards the inner area of the body (2) by circumferentially applying pressure from the outer side by means of a pressure apparatus (A) such as a steel roller or disc (Figure 5) (Figure 6). The impression-shaped set (6) covers the connecting line (5) and circumferentially extends to the inner area of the drum (1). The set (6), furthermore, covers the metal burrs, formed on the connecting line (5) during production while the shape of impression is formed, by crushing them and thus, prevents the laundry from getting stuck in the gap (G) forming the connecting line (5) and also from getting caught on the metal burrs being formed in the gap (G) during production.

While producing the drum (1), the cylindrical body (2) produced from a rectangle-shaped metal sheet as in the state of the art is connected with the circular front and rear lids (3, 103). After the peripheries of the front and rear lids (3, 103) and the peripheries of the body (2) overlap, the seams (4) are formed. Afterwards, the seam (4) is smoothed by the pressure apparatus (A) and meanwhile, the portion of the body (2) near the seam (4) area is crushed and hence, the set (6) that circumferentially extends into the drum (1) is formed. In addition to smoothing the seam (4), the pressure apparatus (A) also has the function of forming the set (6) of the present invention. An additional production step is not required to form the set (6), since in the production step, wherein the seam (4) is smoothed, the set (6) is formed in the meantime. By a simple modification performed on the apparatus (A) that is used to smooth the seam (4), the apparatus (A) gains the feature of forming the set (6) and performing this modification does not bring additional costs.

The production method of the drum (1) consists of the following steps:
- connecting the body (2) and the lids (3, 103),
- forming the seam (4),
- smoothing the seam (4) by means of the pressure apparatus (A) and forming the set (6) simultaneously (Figure 5, Figure 6).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the drum (1) is used in laundry washing machines.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the drum (1) is used in laundry washing-drying machines.

By means of the set (6), the laundry placed in the drum (1) does not get stuck in the narrow gap (G) in front of the connecting line (5), wherein the body (2) and the lids (3, 103) are connected, during the rotation of the drum (1). The set (6), furthermore, covers the metal burrs on the connecting line (5) by crushing them and hence, the laundry is prevented from being torn.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited by the embodiments disclosed above and a person skilled in the art can easily introduce different embodiments. These should be considered within the scope of the protection postulated by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

A drum (1) comprising a cylindrical body (2), two circular lids (3, 103) which are mounted to the front and rear sides of the body (2), two circular seams (4) which are produced by circumferentially bending and folding outwards the overlapping peripheries of the body (2) and the lids (3, 103), and two circumferential connecting lines (5) which are located at the inner area surrounded by the body (2) and the lids (3, 103), behind the seam (4) and wherein the body (2) and lid (3, 103) peripheries bending outwards contact each other, characterized by a circular set (6) which is located on the body (2) and extends into the inner area surrounded by the body (2), in the radial direction and circumferentially covers the connecting line (5).
A drum (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the set (6) that is shaped as an impression which is formed by denting the body (2) near the seam (4) towards the inner area by circumferentially applying pressure from the outer side by means of a pressure apparatus (A).
A laundry washing machine (1) characterized by a drum (1) as in Claim 1 or 2.
A laundry washing-drying machine (1) characterized by a drum (1) as in Claim 1 or 2.
A production method for a drum (1) as in Claim 2, comprising the steps of:

- connecting the body (2) and the lids (3, 103),

- forming the seam (4),

- smoothing the seam (4) by means of the pressure apparatus (A) and forming the set (6) simultaneously.