Description A WASHER/DRYER

[1] The present invention relates to a washer/dryer comprising dampers attenuating the vibrational movements of the tub.

[2] In washers/dryers, especially in laundry washing machines, the tub, wherein laundry is loaded in the rotary drum, makes vibrational and oscillatory movements during functioning depending on the amount of the load and the rotational speed. The tub is generally attached to the casing from the bottom side by means of the dampers, and while the dampers dampen the vibrations of the tub, reducing the transmission to the body, they also act like a new energy transmission path that delivers the vibrations to the body which results in the generation of noise. The dampers dampen the high amplitude vibrations at the passage of the washing machine from the washing step to the spinning step preventing the tub from bumping to the body. When the spinning cycle is reached, the vibrational amplitude is reduced and if a single-function damper is being used, the frictional forces of the damper being adjusted to dampen the high amplitude vibrations, generally transmit the low amplitude vibrations to the body without dampening. In order to meet the increasing user demands for dampening both the high and low amplitude vibrations and to wash laundry with a higher capacity, utilization of dampers that will dampen more energy is essential. In order to meet this need, double-function, electronic or hydraulic dampers are utilized but their costs are high. In order to increase the dampening effect of a simple structured, for example single-function dry frictional dampers and to attain a double-function damper performance, various types of elastic elements are utilized in the attachment of the dampers to the tub and/or the body.

[3] In the United States Patent Application no. US2004025545, the damper attenuating the movement of the tub is fixed to a cabinet by an elastic member. The vibrational amplitude of the elastic member is limited by the action of the upper and lower limiting elements.

[4] In the European Patent Application no. EP 1111116, the dampers are attached to the washing unit and the washing machine frame via viscoelastic plastics couplings and the oscillation movements that force the damper to bend are dampened by these viscoelastic elements.

[5] In the European Patent Application no. EP 0501102, a vibration damper for a washing machine is attached to the washing machine body by an elastic device that prevents dislocation. The housing bolt of the vibration damper is fitted and seated into the U or V shaped channels situated on the main chassis of the washing machine and the tub and an elastic locking mechanism provides an elastic attachment, preventing

the bearing shaft to be displaced from the channels.

[6] The aim of the present invention is the realization of a washer/dryer comprising dampers, attenuating both the low and high amplitude vibrational movements of the tub by means of an improved attachment method to the body.

[7] The washer/dryer realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is explicated in the first claim and the other features are explicated in the dependent claims.

[8] A tub in the washer/dryer, making vibrational movements during functioning due to the effect of the drum wherein laundry is loaded, is attached to the body by dampers for attenuating the vibrations. The dampers are housed in the tub and the body by means of brackets and the connection pins inserted through the pin holes situated at the connection ends of the cylinder and the piston. There are bracket pin holes in the brackets housing the dampers wherein the ends of the connection pins are fitted.

[9] In the embodiment of the present invention, the pin holes on the damper wherein pins are inserted through, providing the damper to be housed on the brackets and/or the pin holes on the bracket have dimensions that allow the pin to be inserted with a gap and permitting it to move within. If the gapped pin holes are only on the bracket, the pin fitted in the pin hole of the damper, not moving relatively to the damper, moves relatively to the bracket within the pin holes on the bracket. If the gapped pin holes are on the damper, this time the damper, moves relatively around the pin fitted on the bracket, the pin not moving relatively to the bracket.

[10] The size of the gap distance in the pin holes wherein the pin is allowed to move is important in preventing noise. In the washer/dryer, e.g. in the spinning cycle of the drum, in order to attenuate the low amplitude and noise generating vibrations that are not dampened by the damper, the pin is allowed to move confronting minimum friction within a gap in the pin hole that is equal or bigger than the vibration amplitude in the spinning cycle and accordingly the vibrations in the spinning cycle are not transmitted to the body hence preventing the noise.

[11] The pin holes house the pins with a gap and as the movement amplitude of the pin increases, that is as it moves closer to the ends of the pin hole during its motion, the pin is preferably to be squeezed in a little for attenuation, increasing its friction with the walls of the hole therefore pin holes having an elliptical shape are preferred.

[12] The cushions arranged in the pin holes also increase the friction of the pin and contribute for attenuating the movement and reducing the noise.

[13] The washer/dryer realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

[14] Figure 1 - is the schematic view of a washer/dryer.

[15] Figure 2 - is the perspective view of a damper, a pin, a bracket and the cushions in

the unassembled position.

[16] Figure 3 - is the perspective view of a bracket with the cushions attached on.

[17] Figure 4 - is the perspective view of a damper assembled on a bracket.

[18] Figure 5 - is the perspective view of a bracket with the assembled cushions in another embodiment of the present invention.

[19] Figure 6 - is the perspective view of a damper with the assembled cushions, a bracket and a pin.

[20] Figure 7 - is the schematic view of a damper assembled on a bracket.

[21] Figure 8 - is the schematic view of a grouped bracket, pin and a damper.

[22] Elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

[23] 1. Washer/dryer

[24] 2. Body

[25] 3. Drum

[26] 4. Tub

[27] 5. Motor

[28] 6. Damper

[29] 7. Cushion

[30] 8. Bracket

[31] 9. Pin

[32] 10. , 100. Pin hole

[33] The washer/dryer (1) comprises a body (2), a drum (3) wherein laundry is loaded, a tub (4) that makes vibrational movements with the effect of the drum (3) rotating within during operation, a motor (5) that drives the drum (3), more than one damper (6) that support the tub (4) from the below, providing the connection of the tub (4) to the body (2) and attenuating the vibrational movements of the tub (4), more than one bracket (8) fixed to the body (2) and the tub (4), providing the housing of the damper (6), and more than one pin (9) providing the attachment of the damper (6) to the bracket (8).

[34] The washer/dryer (1) comprises more than one pin holes (10) situated on the bracket (8), providing the housing of the damper (6) from one end by the pins (9) inserted through, and a pin hole (100) situated on the damper (6), through which the pin (9) is inserted providing its attachment to the bracket (8) by the pin (9).

[35] In the embodiment of the present invention, the pin holes (10) on the bracket (8) have sizes that allow the pin (9) fitted tightly into the pin hole (100) on the damper (6), to be housed with a gap (B), allowing the pin (9) to move slidingly within certain limits, relative to the movement of the damper (6). In this embodiment, the pin (9) is fitted tightly into the pin hole (100) on the damper (6) without a gap, and the pin (9) is housed from both ends in the pin holes (10) on the bracket (8) with a gap (B). Ac-

cordingly the pin (9) is allowed to move slidingly within the limits of the sizes of the pin holes (10) on the bracket (8) wherein it is housed with a gap (B) (Figure 3, Figure 4, Figure 7, Figure 8).

[36] In another embodiment of the present invention, the pin hole (100) on the damper

(6) has a size that allows the pin (9) fitted tightly into the pin hole (10) on the bracket (8), to be housed with a gap (B) and the damper (6) to move slidingly around the pin (9) within certain limits. In this embodiment, the pin (9) is fitted tightly into the pin holes (10) on the bracket (8) without a gap, but housed in the pin hole (100) on the damper (6) with a gap (B) and the damper (6) is allowed to move slidingly around the fixed pin (9) within the size limits of the pin hole (100) on the damper (6) (Figure 5, Figure 6).

[37] Consequently, together with the attenuation performed by the piston and cylinder in the damper (6), an additional attenuation is provided by the pin (9) moving within the pin hole (10) on the bracket (8) or the pin hole (100) on the damper (6) moving around the pin (9) and the vibration transmitted to the body (2) from the damper (6) and hence the noise is reduced.

[38] The pin hole (10, 100) allows the damper (6) to also move in directions other than the direction in which it attenuates, hence the unexpected forces effecting on the damper (6) from other directions are also attenuated (Figure 1).

[39] In an embodiment of the present invention, the pin hole (10, 100) has sizes that allow the pin (9) to move within the pin hole (10, 100) with minimum friction within a distance (D) that is equal or bigger than the vibrational amplitudes formed in the tub (4) of the washer/dryer (1) e.g. during the spinning cycle of the drum (3) resulting in the generation of noise (Figure 8). Accordingly at the low amplitude vibration in the spinning cycle, most of this vibrational movement is attenuated between the pin (9) and the pin hole (10, 100) and the vibration transmitted to the body (2) is reduced.

[40] When the amplitude of the vibration of the washer/dryer (1) tub (4) increases, e.g. in the transience from the washing cycle to the spinning cycle, the natural attenuation of the damper (6) acts together with the attenuation of the pin (9) and the pin hole (10, 100) and subsequently both the low and high amplitude vibrations are attenuated enabling the damper (6) to function with a double-function.

[41] In an embodiment of the present invention, the pin hole (10, 100) has an elliptical shape that gets narrower towards the directions that the pin (9) inserted through can move and as the amplitude of the movement increases, constricts the pin (9) to provide attenuation.

[42] By means of the elliptical shape of the pin hole (10, 100), while the pin (9) moves in the pin hole (10, 100), the friction between the pin (9) and the pin hole (10, 100) walls also increases as the vibrational amplitude increases and thus contribute to the at-

tenuation performed by the damper (6) in high amplitude vibrations.

[43] In another embodiment of the present invention, the washer/dryer (1) comprises one or more preferably elliptical shaped cushions (7) corresponding to the elliptical shaped pin holes (10, 100), fitted into the pin hole (10, 100) that serve to enhance the attenuation by means of the friction formed with the pin (9) inserted through. As the pin (9) moves in the pin hole (10, 100), it is prevented from bumping with the walls of the pin hole (10, 100) and generating noise by means of the cushion (7) and the friction between the pin (9) and the pin hole (10, 100) walls is increased in the high amplitude vibrations resulting in a better attenuation.

[44] The connection of the damper (6) to the base of the body (2) or to the tub (4) in the washer/dryer (1) is accomplished by the insertion of the pin (9) with a gap (B) into the elliptical shaped pin holes (10, 100) and the cushions (7) fitted into the pin holes (10, 100), and the low amplitude vibrations generated by the tub (4) that are not attenuated between the piston and cylinder of the damper (6) are prevented from being transmitted to the body (2) and hence to generate noise, and in the high amplitude vibrations, the damper (6) acts together with its piston and cylinder to improve the attenuation.