AU729123B2 - Washing machines - Google Patents

Description

fir -1- Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

(ORIGINAL)

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventors: Address for Service: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

"Washing Machines" Invention Title: Details of Associated Provisional Application(s) No(s): P02582/96 filed 17 September, 1996 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: Q:\OPER\RSH\P02582.254 11/9/97 P:1OPEflRSH\PO2582.SPH 11/9/97 -2- WASHING MACHINES The present invention relates to washing machines and more particularly to washing machines of the type which can be loaded and unloaded from the top.

Washing machines which are loaded and unloaded from the top, so-called top loaders, conventionally comprise a casing, with a washing drum mounted within the casing with its axis substantially vertical. The drum is open at its upper end and access to the interior of the drum is via an access opening in the top of the casing, the access opening being closeable by means of a lid. Conventionally, the control panel of the machine is mounted towards the rear of the machine behind the access opening. Placement of the control panel towards the rear !of the machine behind the access opening is preferred as the control panel is well out of reach of small children who might play with the controls and also the control panel is in a position where it is unlikely to be exposed to direct contact from water or wet clothes taken out of the 15 machine. However, rear mounted control panels suffer from the disadvantage that when the lid is in its open position, access to the control panel, both physical and visual, is likely to be blocked or at least substantially impeded by the open lid. While the use of a control panel mounted at the front of the machine will avoid these access problems caused when the lid is :open, nevertheless a front control panel will provide a substantial disadvantage in that it is S 20 vulnerable to tampering by small children and also it is exposed to likely contact by water dripping from clothes withdrawn from the machine while still wet.

According to the present invention, there is provided a washing machine of top loading type comprising a casing with an upper wall having an access opening into the interior of a washing drum within the casing, a control panel mounted to the rear of the access opening, and a hinged lid for closing the access opening, wherein the hinged lid is so configured that when the lid is hinged into an open position the control panel is accessible from the front of the machine.

Advantageously, the lid is shaped with an aperture which opens onto a rear edge of P:\OPE RSH\PT02582.SPE 11/9/97 -3the lid such that when the lid is in its open position access to the control panel is afforded via the aperture.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the control panel is carried by a control console on the upper wall of the casing rearwardly of the access opening and the shape of the aperture is such that when the lid is in its closed position the edge of the aperture closely follows the profile of the control console.

In the preferred embodiment the control console has a width less than the width of the casing whereby the upper wall of the casing presents a landing area at each side of the console, the lid having portions at its rear, said rear portions bounding opposite sides of the aperture and overlying the landing areas when the lid is in its closed position whereby the lid extends substantially to the rear edge of the casing, the lid being mounted for hinged movement about a substantially horizontal hinge axis at, or closely adjacent to, the rear edge 15 of the casing.

Preferably, the lid is hingedly mounted to the control console at a position at, or closely adjacent to, the rear edge of the casing.

20 Further according to the invention, there is provided a washing machine of top loading type including a casing with an upper wall having an opening providing access to a washing Sdrum within the casing, controls for the washing machine carried by structure rearwardly of the access opening, a hinged lid for closing the access opening, the lid being pivotal about a horizontal axis between a lowered position in which the lid closes the access opening and a raised position towards the rear of the machine in which the access opening is exposed, and a rear part of the lid being profiled to define an aperture through which the controls are accessible from the front of the machine when the lid is in its raised position.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- P:OPERURSHPO25g2.SPE 11/9/97 -4- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a washing machine in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, a lid of the machine being shown in its open position; Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the lid hinged into its closed position; and Figure 3 is a schematic exploded view showing in greater detail the construction of the lid and its relationship with a control console at the rear of the machine casing.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention a top loader washing machine comprises an outer casing 2 with an upper wall 4 having an access opening 6 for access to the interior of a washing drum mounted within the casing 2. A control console 8 including a control panel 10 is situated on the top of the casing 2 behind the access opening 6. A hinged lid 12 for closing the access opening 6 is of a cut-away shape its rear part as provided by an aperture 14 which opens onto the rear edge of the lid. The aperture 14 is so arranged in relation to the control console 8 that when the lid 12 is swung into its open position, the control panel 10 of the control console 8 is visible through, and is accessible 15 through, the aperture 14.

olIn the particular embodiment shown the control console 8 is of a width less than the width of the machine casing 2 to provide a platform area or landing 4a at the top of the casing at each side of the console 8. The lid 12 is hinged at, or closely adjacent to, the rear of the 20 casing so that the lid 12, when in its closed position, extends substantially the full depth of the casing top, the aperture 14 in the lid 12 being formed with a profile which corresponds closely to the profile of the console 8 at its forward and side edges so that when the lid 12 is in its closed position the periphery of the aperture 14 in the lid 12 will abut closely to the forward and side edges of the console 8 as shown in Figure 2. It will be noted from Figure 3 that the aperture 14 within the lid 12 provides at the rear edge portion of the lid opposed arms 12a each of which carries, or is coupled to, a hinge 16 pin by which the lid is hinged to the control console 8, each of these arms 12a lying above and covering the lateral platform areas 4a when the lid 12 is in its closed position. Although it is convenient to use the console 8 to hingedly mount the lid 12, it is to be understood that the arms 12a could be pivotally attached to other mounting points at the rear of the casing.

P:\OPER\MRSH\PO2582.SPE 11/9/97 It will be noted that by configuring the lid 12 so that it fits around the sides and front of the rearwardly-mounted control console 8 when the lid is in its closed position, this both has the effect of providing a smooth appearance for the top of the machine when the lid 12 is closed as the lid covers the complete upper surface of the casing except for the part occupied by the control console 8, and also has the important effect of providing the aperture 14 which, when the lid 12 is in its open position, provides both visual and physical access to the control panel Preferably, the lid 12 is of bi-fold or other folded construction to permit the front part of the lid to be folded down to rest against the rear part of the lid when the lid is in its open condition to thereby reduce the effective height of the opened lid without restricting the access to the control panel 10, for which purpose the forward end of the lid when folded will lie above the aperture 14. It is however to be noted that this bi-fold facility is not essential to the invention although it is of some advantage as the overall depth of the lid is quite 15 substantial as it extends for the full depth of the machine casing.

S The embodiment has been described by way of example only and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

20 The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

common general knowledge in Australia.

Claims (11)

1. A washing machine of top loading type including a casing with an upper wall having an access opening into the interior of a washing drum within the casing, a control panel mounted to the rear of the access opening, and a hinged lid for closing the access opening, wherein the hinged lid is so configured that when the lid is hinged into an open position the control panel is accessible from the front of the machine.

2. A washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the lid is shaped with an aperture which opens onto a rear edge of the lid such that when the lid is in its open position access to the control panel is afforded via the aperture.

3. A washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the control panel is carried by a control console on the upper wall of the casing rearwardly of the access opening, and the 15 shape of the aperture is such that when the lid is in its closed position the edge of the aperture closely follows the profile of the control console.

4. A washing machine according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the control console has a width less than the width of the casing whereby the upper wall of the casing provides a 20 landing area at each side of the console, the lid having portions bounding opposite sides of the aperture and overlying the landing areas when the lid is in its closed position whereby the *lid extends substantially to the rear edge of the casing, the lid being mounted for hinged movement about a substantially horizontal hinge axis in the vicinity of the rear edge of the casing.

A washing machine according to claim 4, wherein the lid is hingedly mounted to the control console.

6. A washing machine of top loading type including a casing with an upper wall having an opening providing access to a washing drum within the casing, controls for the washing P:\OPER\RSH\PO2582.SPE- 11/9/97 -7- machine carried by structure rearwardly of the access opening, a hinged lid for closing the access opening, the lid being pivotal about a horizontal axis between a lowered position in which the lid closes the access opening and a raised position towards the rear of the machine in which the access opening is exposed, and a rear part of the lid being profiled to define an aperture through which the controls are accessible from the front of the machine when the lid is in its raised position.

7. A washing machine according to claim 6, wherein the said structure is raised with respect to the upper wall of the casing, said structure having a front wall, and the aperture in the lid has an edge profiled such that when the lid is closed at least part of the edge of the aperture lies closely adjacent to the front wall of the structure, and the controls are positioned above the surface of the lid when in its closed position.

S8. A washing machine according to claim 7, wherein said structure has opposed side S 15 walls and said front wall extends between said side walls, the edge of the aperture in the lid being profiled such that when the lid in its closed position, the edge lies closely adjacent to the side walls and front wall of the structure.

9. A washing machine according to claim 8, wherein the lid is pivotally mounted by hinge means extending from the side walls of said structure. U

10. A washing machine according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the lid is of bi-fold construction such that a forward part of the lid can fold downwardly when the lid is raised, said forward part of the lid when in its folded condition lying above the aperture in the lid.

11. A washing machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 11th day of September, 1997. WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION By its Patent Attorneys: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE