Patent EP0347393A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0347393A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Automatic locking device to stop the drum of washing machines at a given position
Assignee: Smeg SpA
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Filing: 1989-06-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-06-16
Abstract
Abstract An automatic locking device is described to stop the drum of a washing machine at a given position. As a last operative step of the washing cycle, before cutting off electric power from every part of the machine, the programming device causes an electric motor with reduction gear (2) to be operated driving a shaped wheel (3) with a cam (3a) for engagement with a lever (4) having at one end a roller (5) which is adapted to partially fit into a recess (15) formed on the periphery of the drum driving pulley (1). Suitable microswitches (6,7,8), being responsive to the relative position of the said cam wheel (3) and lever (4) sequentially switch off the geared motor (2) and actuate again the main motor (13) for rotating the drum, then cause it to be finally switched off with the drum being locked and the electric lock (12,12') to be actuated for opening, while upon starting a new cycle the geared motor (2) is operated again to unlock the drum by lifting the lever (4) with roller (5) thus allowing the usual operation of the machine.
Inventors
- 👤 Roberto Bertazzoni
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 23:20
CPC Classifications
D; D06; D06F; D06F37/00; D06F37/30; D06F37/302
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
169 words
Automatic locking device to stop at a given position the rotating drum in washing machines and the like controlled by a programmer, with washing motor (13) driving a pulley (1) fixed to a drum within a washing tank (11), with loading and unloading outer door (14) being controlled by an electric lock (12), characterized by comprising a geared motor (2) for driving to rotation a wheel or disc (3) with a shaped contour and provided with a projecting cam (3a) for operating one end of a three-arms lever (4) which is pivotedly mounted in (4a) and biasing at another end (5) locking means adapted to be fitted into a groove (15) formed on the peripheral circumference of the pulley (1), there being provided means (6, 7, 8) responsive to the position of said lever (4) and wheel with cam (3) for controlling, alternately in turn and according with the machine programmer, that power is fed to said motor (2), main motor (13) and controls of the electric lock (12).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
169 words
Automatic locking device to stop at a given position the rotating drum in washing machines and the like controlled by a programmer, with washing motor (13) driving a pulley (1) fixed to a drum within a washing tank (11), with loading and unloading outer door (14) being controlled by an electric lock (12), characterized by comprising a geared motor (2) for driving to rotation a wheel or disc (3) with a shaped contour and provided with a projecting cam (3a) for operating one end of a three-arms lever (4) which is pivotedly mounted in (4a) and biasing at another end (5) locking means adapted to be fitted into a groove (15) formed on the peripheral circumference of the pulley (1), there being provided means (6, 7, 8) responsive to the position of said lever (4) and wheel with cam (3) for controlling, alternately in turn and according with the machine programmer, that power is fed to said motor (2), main motor (13) and controls of the electric lock (12).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
103 words
A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said control responsive means (6, 7, 8) are microswitches being so mounted that, in association with said lever (4) kept lifted under the action of cam (3a) to allow the free rotation of the drum, one of them (7) is operated by said lever (4) whereby the geared motor (2) is switched off thus keeping cam (3a) and consequently lever (4) in said position of unlocked drum, another microswitch (8) ensuring the consent that the geared motor (2) is again switched on upon control of the programmer at the beginning of a new cycle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
68 words
A device according to claim 2, characterized in that a resilient means (10) is provided for keeping said lever end (5) to rest against the periphery of said pulley (1) until reaching said groove (15), said cam (3a) being adapted to engage the opposite end of lever (4) against said resilient means (10) to keep the end (5) lifted during the time of normal operation of the machine.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
82 words
A device according to claim 3, characterized in that said resilient means (10) is formed as a spring having one end stationary and the other fixed to the end of the lever arm (4) which is opposite to the one having said locking means (5), there being also provided a third arm with shaped cam (9) for engagement with the responsive means of said microswitch (6) for the alternately consent to the operation of either motor (13) or the electrical lock (12).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
65 words
A device according to claim 4, characterized in that between said arm with cam (9) and the arm of lever (4) which is connected to spring (10) the contour of lever is shaped with a recess (17) the walls of which, according to the position of lever (4) come into contact with the responsive means of at least one of the two microswitches (6, 7).
Claim 7
Independent Claim
82 words
A device according to one or more of the claims 2-5, characterized in that said wheel with cam (3) has a recess (18) on its periphery in correspondance of which the contact of said microswitch (8) takes over its control cutting out the feed of the geared motor (2) and allowing the feed of motor (13) through said microswitch (6), while outside of said recess (18) said contact ensures that the microswitch (2) is preset for another actuation according to the programme.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
48 words
A device according to claim 6, characterized in that said recess (18) on the periphery of the wheel (3) with cam is formed in the circumference portion which is positioned at the same side of said cam (3a) with respect to the rotation axis of the wheel itself.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
58 words
A device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the geared motor (2), the wheel with cam (3) and said microswitches (6, 7, 8) are all mounted on a support plate (20) resiliently connected to the washing tank (11), on the plate (20) there being also pivotedly mounted in (4a) said lever (4).
Claim 10
Independent Claim
47 words
A device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said locking means (5), adapted to engage the groove (15) of the pulley are formed as a roller pivotedly mounted at said end of lever (4) with a rubber coating of a not negligible thickness.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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