FR2649422A1 - WASHING MACHINE WITH IMPROVED AND ECONOMICAL RINSING - Google Patents

Abstract

Improved rinsing washing machine and economical in water, characterized in that it comprises at the end of each of the rinses of its rinsing cycle and during an emptying of its tub 3, an intermediate spinning of the laundry at a selected high speed, an interruption of this intermediate wringing as soon as a formation of a foamy emulsion reaches a predetermined degree of importance, and a re-establishment of this wringing after an evacuation of this foamy emulsion by a drain pump, this interruption and this re-establishment being renewed until this intermediate spinning of the laundry can be carried out at the selected high speed.

Description

IMPROVED RINSING WASHING MACHINE

ECONOMIC IN WATER

  The present invention relates to a washing machine rinse

improved and economical in water.

  Known washing machines, usually include in their rinsing cycle several rinses which each include the following operations: a filling-qage of the tank with water, mixing of the laundry by rotation of the washing drum and emptying of the tank. Some rinseqs are completed during the emptying of the tank by an e.sorage of the laundry called intermediate spin which allows to extract from this laundry a relatively large amount of leqsive water retained by this laundry. The earlier the intermediate spins start in the first rinses and the greater the speed of these intermediate spins of the laundry, the greater the quantity of detergent water extracted from this laundry. The greater this quantity of detergent water extracted from the laundry, the lower the residual quantity of detergent water retained in 11 laundry thus spun. When the residual quantity of detergent water retained by the laundry spun in a previous rinse is low, the pollution of the bath of a rinse which quives by this residual detergent water is also low. The essential number of rinses of the laundry in a rinse cycle is then low and the amount of water consumed by these rinses is

  therefore advantageously reduced.

  In known washing machines. intermediate spins in a rinsing cycle, even those at relatively moderate speeds of the order of 450 revolutions per minute usually lead to the formation of an abundant foam which hinders or prevents good drainage of the detergent water from the tank by the drain pump and consequently promotes the formation with this detergent water not discharged of a ring of a foaming emulsion around the laundry drum which

  generates an unpleasant noise and overflow of foam.

  For this reason in known washing machines, intermediate spins in their rinsing cycle do not start until very late after several first rinses and are generally carried out with a moderate speed which rarely exceeds 400 revolutions per minute. The laundry spun under these conditions still retains a good residual amount of washing water, which explains why to obtain a well rinsed laundry; known washing machines require a relatively large number of rinses in a rinse cycle, and consumption

relatively large amount of water.

  The present invention having the aim of avoiding these drawbacks makes it possible to produce a rinsing washing machine improved in quality and economical in water, with spins.

  intermediates performed at relatively high speeds.

  According to the invention, a washing machine with improved rinsing and - economical in water is characterized in that it comprises at the end of each rinsing of its rinsing cycle and during an emptying of its tank, an intermediate spin of the laundry at a selected high speed, an interruption of this intermediate spin as soon as a formation of a foaming emulsion reaches a predetermined degree of importance. and a re-establishment of this spin after an evacuation of this foaming emulsion by a drain pump, this interruption and this re-establishment being repeated until this intermediate spin of the laundry can be carried out at the selected high speed. In order to better understand the invention, a number of embodiments are illustrated below, illustrated by the appended drawings, of which - FIG. 1 represents a partial schematic perspective view of a washing machine produced according to invention; FIG. 2 represents two curves as a function of time, a curve A of the intensity of the electric current of a motor driving a washing machine drum of the washing machine of FIG. 1 and a curve B of speed of this drum one revolutions per minute, during an intermediate spin in a rinse of a laundry washed without detergent, in other words an e.snrage without any foaming, and - Figure 3 shows two curves as a function of time, a curve A intensity of the electric current of the drive motor of the washing-machine drum of FIG. 1 and a curve B of speed of this drum on revolutions per minute, during an intermediate spin in the rinse of a linen washed with a detergent in other words a spin generating a

foaming.

  A washing machine 1 produced according to the invention and illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, comprises a body 2, a tank 3, a washing drum 4 rotating around a horizontal axis 5 and driven in rotation by an electric motor 7 , and a pump 8

tank emptying 3.

  The washing machine 1 mainly comprises in its operation a prewash cycle, a washing cycle, a rinsing cycle and a final spin cycle. The rinsing cycle comprises several rinses, each of which begins with a filling of water from the tank 3 then a stirring of the laundry in this water and finally ends with an emptying of this tank 3, accompanied by a spinning of the laundry called intermediate spinning which allows a relatively large amount of water to be removed from the laundry. In each of these rinses, the detergent water retained by a cloth at the end of a previous rinsing is diluted by the bath of a following rinsing then extracted from this cloth and evacuated with this hate towards the outside.

by the drain pump 8.

  According to an important characteristic, the washing machine. 1 comprises at the end of each of the rinses of its rinsing cycle and during an emptying of the tank 3, an intermediate spin of the laundry at a selected high speed, an interruption of this intermediate spin. as soon as a formation of a foaming emulsion reaches a predetermined degree of importance and a re-establishment of this spinning at high speed after an evacuation of this frothing emulsion by the drain pump, this interruption and re-establishment is repeated until that this intermediate spin can be carried out at the selected high speed. The high speed chosen for the intermediate spins is preferably between 400 revolutions per minute and 1000

Rotations per minute.

  In a rinse cycle, during a spin at the end of a rinse, a foaming emulsion may form. If the spin continues, this frothy emulsion becomes more and more abundant and denq-e, hinders the evacuation of detergent water from the tank and results in the formation, with this non-evacuated water, of a ring of an emulsion frothy around the laundry drum, which creates an unpleasant noise and

foam overflow.

  A stop of this spinning interrupts the development of this frothy emulsion, and facilitates rapid evacuation by the drain pump 8 of this detergent water and this frothy emulsion accumulated in the tank 3. After this emptying of the tank 3, l 'intermediate spinning of the laundry At a selected high speed is restored to extract a maximum quantity of washing water retained by this washing and leave in this washing a minimum residual quantity of washing water which pollutes the bath of a subsequent rinsing. Thanks to this spinning At high speed, the essential number of rinses in a rinse cycle can be reduced to a minimum as well as the amount of water consumed by these rinses. An improved rinsing of the laundry is thus obtained with an appreciable saving in water.

rinse.

  According to the invention, a formation of a frothy emulsion reaching a predetermined degree of importance during an intermediate spinning of the laundry is detected by means of a measurement of a growth in the intensity of the electrical conturant of the engine. laundry drum drive taking place during a period at stabilized speed of this eRorage and at the time when a predetermined value of this increase in the intensity of the electric current, which corresponds to this predetermined degree of importance of this formation of the frothy emulsion is reached. Indeed, in a comparative study of the curves A of intensity as a function of time, of the electric counrant of the motor 7 for driving the laundry drum 4 during an intermediate spin in a rinse cycle, respectively noted in two cases of washing a linen, the first of curves A (FIG. 2) relating to a spin at 400 revolutions per minute in a rinsing of a linen, following a washing without washing of this linen, and the second of the belts A ( FIG. 3) corresponding to a spin at 400 revolutions per minute in a -15 rinsing of a cloth, consecutive to a washing of this cloth with a detergent, it is noted that the two curves A have the same shape in the interval tl- t4 and two different gaits in

the time interval t4-tS.

  In the interval tl-t2 o the speed of the linen drum -20 4 driven by the electric motor 7 rises according to a progressive acceleration from zero speed to a speed of revolutions per minute, the intensity starting from a value Io goes through a value there and then goes down to a lower value 12 and in the time interval t2-t3 o the speed of the washing drum 4 increases according to a rapid acceleration of the speed 130 revolutions per minute at a speed of 40) revolutions per minute the intensity rises again to a value i3, 13 being greater than 12. On the other hand, the interval t. t5 o the speed of the drum 4 is stabilized at 400 revolutions per minute, first in the case of washing laundry without detergent, the intensity drops in the interval t3-t4 from the value 13 to a lower value 14 and continues to descend Up to a value 15 less than i4 (Figure 2, curve A) and then in the case of washing the laundry with a detergent, the intensity also drops from the value i3 to a Lower value 14 in the interval t3-t4 but this Intensity rises from the value 14 to a higher value i5 in t5

  (Figure 3, curve A) in the interval t4-t5.

  In the case of washing the laundry with a washing machine (Figure 3) the rise in intensity from the value i4 to the value 1i5 of the current of the motor 7 is due to the formation of a frothy emulsion in the tank 3 and of a ring of this frothy emulsion around the drum 4 which becomes increasingly dense and increases the resistive torque opposed by this drum 4 to

  the drive force of the electric motor 7.

  The more this foaming emulsion is abundant and the more this foaming emulsion ring is den me, the greater the resistive torque opposed by the washing drum 4 and the more the intensity of the current in the motor 7 of drive of this

drum is great.

  This intensity of the current in the motor 7 thus faithfully reflects the degree of importance of formation of

  the foaming emulsion in the tank 3.

  In the case of washing laundry without detergent (Figure 2), neither foam nor foaming emulsion ring forms around the laundry drum 4 during an intermediate spin in a rinse. Indeed, an absence of foam allows the drain pump to efficiently and quickly evacuate the detergent water from the tank and consequently reduce the resistance torque opposed by the laundry drum to the drive effort of the

electric motor 7.

  In the case of washing laundry nyset detergent (Figure 3) the foaming emulsion ring formed around the laundry drum during an intermediate spin in a rinse develops on the contrary quickly in volume by feeding as and measurement of the detergent water extracted from the laundry which is not evacuated by the drain pump because of the foam which forms or obstructs the action of this pump. This foaming emulsion ring which grows, in fact increases as it develops, the resistant couple opposed by the

  laundry drum to drive the electric motor 7.

  According to an alternative embodiment not shown, the washing machine comprises at the end of each of the rinses of its rinsing cycle and during a drain, an intermediate spin of the laundry, at a high speed chosen with in; step-by-step speed increase, a measure of an increase in the intensity of the electric current of the laundry drum driving motor taking place during each of these stages, i.e. periods where the speeds of rotation of the drum are stabilized in this rise in the intermediate spin speed, an interruption of this spin as soon as clear growth - of the electric current intensity reaches a preset value corresponding to a predetermined degree of importance of a formation of a foaming emulsion in the tank 3 and a re-establishment of this spinning at high speed after an evacuation of this frothing emulsion by the drain pump, this interruption and this re-establishment being repeated until this intermediate spinning can be carried out at the

high speed selected.

  In an intermediate spin at a speed of 850 revolutions per minute during a rinsing cycle, this speed is obtained by an increase in speed in successive stages, for example by stabilized speed bearings at 100, 300, 450, 850 revolutions per minute. Growth measurements of the intensity of the electric current of the drive motor 7 of the drum

  washing 4 are carried out during each of these stages of -

  speed o the speeds of the laundry drum 4 are respectively stabilized at 100, 300, 450 and 850 revolutions per minute. Each time the growth of the intensity of this electric current reaches a predetermined value corresponding to a predetermined degree of importance of the formation of a frothy emulsion which hinders or prevents the emptying of the tank 3 by the emptying pump, the intermediate spin is interrupted to allow evacuation of the washing water and the foaming emulsion from the tank 3, by this drain pump. and reheated again after this evacuation until this Intermediate spin of the

  laundry can be done at a selected high speed.

Claims (5)

  1. Washing machine with improved rinsing and economical in water, characterized in that it comprises at the end of each rinsing of its rinsing cycle and during an emptying of its tank (3), an intermediate spin of the laundry at a high speed selected, an interruption of this intermediate spin as soon as a formation of a foaming emulsion reaches a predetermined degree of importance, and a re-establishment of this spinning after an evacuation of this foaming emulsion by a drain pump, this interruption and this recovery being renewed until this intermediate spin of the laundry can be   performed at the selected high speed.   2. Washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that a formation of a foaming emulsion reaching a predetermined degree of importance, during an intermediate spinning of the laundry, is detected by means of a measurement of a increase in the intensity of the electric current of the drive motor (7) of the laundry drum (4) taking place during a period at stabilized speed of this spinning and at the time when a preset value of this growth of the intensity of the electric current corresponding to this predetermined degree of importance of this formation of the foaming emulsion is reached. 3. Washing machine according to one of claims i and 2, characterized in that it comprises at the end of each of the rinses of its rinsing cycle and during a drain, an intermediate spin of the laundry at a high speed chosen with a speed increase in stages, a measure of a growth in the intensity of the electric current of the laundry drum drive motor taking place during each of these stages, that is to say periods where the speeds are stabilized in this rise in the intermediate spin speed, an interruption of this spin as soon as this increase in the intensity of the electric current reaches a preset value corresponding to a predetermined degree of importance of an emulsion formation foaming in the tank, and a restoration of this spinning at high speed after evacuation of this foaming emulsion by the drain pump, this interruption and this recovery being renewed until that this intermediate centrifugation can be carried out at high speed selected.   4. Washing machine according to one of claims 1 and 3,   characterized in that it comprises, in a rinse cycle, at the end of each of the rinses, an intermediate spin of the laundry at a high speed chosen from the speeds between 400 and 1000 revolutions per minute.   5. Washing machine according to one of claims 1, 3 and   4, characterized in that it comprises at the end of each of the rinses of its rinsing cycle and during: an emptying, an intermediate spinning of the laundry at a speed of 850 revolutions per minute with a speed increase in stages with stages at speeds stabilized at 100, 300, 450 and 850 revolutions per minute, a measurement of a growth in the intensity of the electric current of the laundry drum drive motor taking place during each of these stages of this rise in the intermediate spin speed, an interruption of this spin each time this increase in the intensity of electric current reaches a predetermined value corresponding to a predetermined degree of importance of, does not form a frothy emulsion in the tank, and a re-establishment of this spin after an evacuation of this frothy emulsion by a drain pump, this interruption and this re-establishment being renewed until this intermediate spin and laundry   can be performed at the chosen speed of 850 revolutions per minute.