Laundry treatment machine

Abstract

For a laundry treatment machine, a diaphragm includes an emptying orifice free of obstruction for liquid. The diaphragm connects a housing orifice of a front-loading laundry treatment machine and a filling orifice into a laundry drum to one another at the feed orifice.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A laundry treatment machine, comprising: 
 a tub having a tub orifice;    a housing having a housing orifice;    a laundry drum having a drum orifice and a horizontal axis of rotation, said laundry drum rotatably disposed in said tub about said horizontal axis of rotation;    a diaphragm having a diaphragm bottom with a lowest point, said diaphragm connecting said housing orifice to said tub orifice and forming a feed duct to said drum orifice;    said diaphragm having a substantially vertical emptying orifice in said diaphragm bottom at said lowest point between said tub orifice and said housing orifice, said emptying orifice being free of obstruction for liquid for emptying said diaphragm.    
     
     
         2 . The laundry treatment machine according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said diaphragm is a concertina diaphragm having at least one outwardly curved diaphragm fold with a bottom wall having a fold bottom; and    said emptying orifice is formed in said fold bottom.    
     
     
         3 . The laundry treatment machine according to  claim 1 , including an emptying line connected to said emptying orifice and extending away downward from said emptying orifice.  
     
     
         4 . The laundry treatment machine according to  claim 3 , wherein said emptying line has an outlet issuing into said tub below said drum orifice.  
     
     
         5 . The laundry treatment machine according to  claim 3 , wherein said emptying line has an outlet issuing into said tub below said laundry drum.  
     
     
         6 . The laundry treatment machine according to  claim 3 , wherein: 
 said tub has an outflow line; and    said emptying line has an outlet issuing into said outflow line below said tub.    
     
     
         7 . The laundry treatment machine according to  claim 4 , wherein: 
 said tub has an outflow line; and    said emptying line has an outlet issuing into said outflow line below said tub.    
     
     
         8 . The laundry treatment machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said tub orifice is a front tub orifice.  
     
     
         9 . The laundry treatment machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said housing orifice is a front housing orifice.  
     
     
         10 . The laundry treatment machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said emptying orifice deviates from vertical by no more than 30°.  
     
     
         11 . The laundry treatment machine according to  claim 1 , wherein said emptying orifice has an orifice axis disposed within 30° of vertical.  
     
     
         12 . A washing machine with one of the group consisting of a spin mode and a spin-drier, comprising: 
 a tub having a tub orifice;    a housing having a housing orifice;    a laundry drum having a drum orifice and a horizontal axis of rotation, said laundry drum rotatably disposed in said tub about said horizontal axis of rotation;    a diaphragm having a diaphragm bottom with a lowest point, said diaphragm connecting said housing orifice to said tub orifice and forming a feed duct to said drum orifice;    said diaphragm having a substantially vertical emptying orifice in said diaphragm bottom at said lowest point between said tub orifice and said housing orifice, said emptying orifice being free of obstruction for liquid for emptying said diaphragm.    
     
     
         13 . In a laundry treatment machine having a tub with a tub orifice, a housing with a housing orifice, and a laundry drum with a drum orifice and a horizontal axis of rotation, the laundry drum rotatably disposed in the tub about the horizontal axis of rotation, a connector duct comprising: 
 a diaphragm having a diaphragm bottom with a lowest point, said diaphragm connecting the housing orifice to the tub orifice and forming a feed duct to the drum orifice, said diaphragm having a substantially vertical emptying orifice in said diaphragm bottom at said lowest point between the tub orifice and the housing orifice, said emptying orifice being free of obstruction for liquid for emptying said diaphragm.    
     
     
         14 . A connector duct for a laundry treatment machine having a tub with a tub orifice, a housing with a housing orifice, and a laundry drum with a drum orifice and a horizontal axis of rotation, the laundry drum rotatably disposed in the tub about the horizontal axis of rotation, the connector duct comprising: 
 a diaphragm having a diaphragm bottom with a lowest point, said diaphragm connecting the housing orifice to the tub orifice and forming a feed duct to the drum orifice, said diaphragm having a substantially vertical emptying orifice in said diaphragm bottom at said lowest point between the tub orifice and the housing orifice, said emptying orifice being free of obstruction for liquid for emptying said diaphragm.