Description

A WASHER/DRYER

[0001] The present invention relates to a washer/dryer that comprises a drum.

[0002] As is known, in washer/dryers, laundry to be washed and/or dried is loaded into a perforated drum. Processes like washing, drying, and spin-drying are performed by the spinning of a drum driven by a motor.

[0003] In the state of the art, to produce said drums, a rectangular metal sheet is bent into a cylindrical form and the sides in juxtaposition are joined together along a line parallel to the axis of rotation through butt-welding or through any one of the locking methods for producing the body. Then, circular metal sheets, that constitute the front and back lids thereof, are connected to the body, and the drum is obtained.

[0004] In all the implementations known in the technique, the state of the art

European Patent Application No EP0395859 describes an embodiment, wherein the body of the drum is constituted by way of bending a metal sheet in the form of a cylinder and then by assembling the opposite ends with a locking method. In this embodiment, said lock is first constituted and then bent to provide further resistance.

[0005] Another embodiment known in the technique is described in the French Patent Application No FR2569730. In this embodiment, the body of the drum is produced through a connection system similar to a hook hole.

[0006] One other known state of the art embodiment is explained in the United

States Patent Application No US2005005654. In this embodiment, the two ends of the metal sheet constituting the body of the drum are joined together by folding the flaps onto a connecting element, said flaps arranged over both ends.

[0007] In another embodiment known in the technique, the state of the art British Patent Application No GB962382 describes an embodiment, wherein locking and welding methods are used at the same time during the construction of a body.

[0008] The aim of the present invention is the implementation of a drum which is assembled in a way to resist high speeds and which is easy to construct.

[0009] The washer/dryer realized in order to attain the aims of the invention is

explicated in the attached claims.

[0010] The washer/dryer of the present invention comprises a drum which consists of a cylinder shaped body made out of a rectangular metal sheet and two circular lids fitted thereon in order to constitute the front and back surfaces. For the construction of a drum, a cylinder is formed by bending the sheet, the two sides thereof brought end to end, and said ends bent outwards so as to produce folds. A seam is then produced by connecting the two folds facing one another. This way, a drum is constructed which is able to support high speeds, even when fabricated from a metal sheet as thin as 0.4 mm.

[0011] The folds are bent downwards in the direction of the body after the creation of a seam. In this embodiment, said folds bring on the development of a protrusion towards the exterior of the body, size of said protrusion limited by the thickness of the folds. The distance between the drum and the tub is thus prevented from being shortened.

[0012] In other embodiments of the present invention, the seam is produced through either complete-length line welding or riveting.

[0013] A washer/dryer realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

[0014] Figure 1 - represents a schematic view of a washer/dryer.

[0015] Figure 2 - represents a front view of detail A of the drum before bending.

[0016] Figure 3 - represents a front view of detail A of the drum after bending.

[0017] The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Washer/dryer

2. Tub

3. Drum

4. Body

5. Fold

6. Seam

[0018] The washer/dryer (1) of the present invention comprises a tub (2) and a rotating drum (3) which is arranged inside the tub (2) and which consists of a cylinder shaped body (4) made out of a rectangular metal sheet and two circular lids fitted onto said body (4) so as to constitute the front and back

surfaces (Figure 1).

[0019] The body (4) comprises folds (5), produced by bringing together end to end the two sides of the sheet bent into a cylinder and then by bending said ends outwards, and a seam (6) connecting these oppositely arranged folds (5) (Figure 2).

[0020] Folds (5) are bent down towards the body (4) along the line of connection therewith, which shortens the height of the protrusion produced in the direction of the tub (2) (Figure 3). This enables shortening the distance between the drum (3) and the tub (2). Said volume can be exploited for reducing the sizes of the tub (2) and the drum (3) simultaneously or for enlarging the drum (3) while keeping the tub (2) size unchanged. Down-bent folds (5) play a significant part in the augmentation of structural resistance of a drum (3).

[0021] The body (4) required for the washer/dryer (1) of the present invention is constructed by bending a metal sheet into a cylindrical shape, said sheet width exceeding the circumference of the body (4) by the size of the two folds (5). The opposite ends are then bent towards the body (4) exterior, each bent edge constituting a fold (5) facing the other one. Next, the folds (5) are assembled together by way of a connection method, constituting the seam (6), and the two edges of the body (4) are joined.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, the seam (6) is produced through complete-length line welding. This provides a low cost connection. In one version of this embodiment, the seam (6) stretches over the folds (5) one-piece along a line parallel to the axis (X) of rotation.

[0023] In one other embodiment of the invention, the seam (6) is produced through riveting. This provides a resistant connection. In one version of this embodiment, the seam (6) stretches over the folds (5) at regular intervals along a line parallel to the axis (X) of rotation.

[0024] In the washer/dryer (1), constituting the object of the present invention, a drum (3) is implemented, which is resistant to pressure produced thereon while spinning at high speeds due to a construction wherein folds (5) and a seam (6) are created.