Tub section for a washing machine

1. A method of manufacturing a rear tub section for a washing machine, wherein the rear tub section has a bearing housing of a bearing, the method comprising:

manufacturing a first pre-product having the bearing housing and a plastic cover covering a side surface of the bearing housing;

manufacturing a plastic second pre-product including a rear side wall of the rear tub section; and

joining the first pre-product and the plastic second pre-product to form the rear tub section;

wherein the plastic cover of the first pre-product has a greater material strength than the plastic second pre-product due to a greater concentration or type of a reinforcement filler material; and

wherein the plastic cover of the first pre-product and the second plastic pre-product include the same plastic or elastomeric base material.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plastic cover of the first pre-product has a greater concentration of the reinforcement filler material than the plastic second pre-product.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the plastic second pre-product is manufactured of a plastic base material without the reinforcement filler material.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of manufacturing the first pre-product comprises:

pre-heating the bearing housing; and

injecting the plastic cover onto the bearing housing.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plastic cover of the first pre-product and the plastic second pre-product have a different reinforcement filler material.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plastic second pre-product is manufactured by injection moulding via a plurality of injection points.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of injection points includes three injection points.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein first pre-product and the plastic second pre-product are joined by welding.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the welding is vibration welding.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the first pre-product from a plurality of different first pre-products wherein the different first pre-products differ in material strength of the respective plastic cover of the different first pre-products, and wherein the selecting step is performed before the joining step.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the different first pre-products differ in at least one of:

at least one of the type and the concentration of the reinforcement filler material;

a size of a respective bearing housing; and

a weight of the respective bearing housing.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the different first pre-products are designed for different rotational velocities.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the different first pre-products differ in that a material strength of a respective one of the different first pre-products is greater the higher an allowed rotational velocity.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plastic cover of the first pre-product has a greater material strength than the plastic second pre-product due to a material composition of the plastic cover.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base material is a thermoplastic material, duroplastic material, or elastomeric material.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the base material is a thermoplastic material.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the thermoplastic material is polypropylene (PP), polyetheretherketone (PEEK) or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement filler material comprises inorganic fibers.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the inorganic fibers include talc, glass and/or metal.

20. A rear tub section for a washing machine, the rear tub section comprising:

a bearing housing; and

a plastic region around the bearing housing;

wherein the plastic region has a first sub-region and a second sub-region, the second sub-region including a rear side wall of the rear tub section;

wherein a first mechanical strength of the first sub-region is greater than a second mechanical strength of the second sub-region due to a greater concentration or type of a reinforcement filler material;

wherein the first sub-region is located around the bearing housing and the second sub-region is joined to the first sub-region; and

wherein the first sub-region and the second sub-region include the same plastic or elastomeric base material.

21. The tub section of claim 20 , wherein a volumetric ratio of the first sub-region with the greater mechanical strength to the second sub-region with a lower mechanical strength lies in a range of 5% to 45%.

22. The tub section of claim 21 , wherein the range of the volumetric ratio is 30% to 40%.

23. The tub section of claim 20 , wherein the first mechanical strength of the first sub-region is greater than a second mechanical strength of the second sub-region due to a material composition of the first sub-region.

24. The tub section of claim 20 , wherein the second sub-region does not include a reinforcement filler material.

25. The tub section of claim 20 , wherein the base material is a thermoplastic material, duroplastic material, or elastomeric material.

26. The tub section of claim 25 , wherein the base material is a thermoplastic material.

27. The tub section of claim 26 , wherein the thermoplastic material is polypropylene (PP), polyetheretherketone (PEEK) or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

28. The tub section of claim 20 , wherein the first mechanical strength of the first sub-region is greater than the second mechanical strength of the second sub-region due to a greater concentration of the reinforcement filler material in the first sub-region than in the second sub-region.

29. The tub section of claim 20 , wherein the reinforcement filler material comprises inorganic fibers.

30. The tub section of claim 29 , wherein the inorganic fibers include talc, glass and/or metal.