EP0649932B1 - Method for determining the quantity and/or the type of fabric introduced in a laundry washing machine, and laundry washing machine implementing such a method - Google Patents

Method for determining the quantity and/or the type of fabric introduced in a laundry washing machine, and laundry washing machine implementing such a method Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0649932B1
EP0649932B1 EP94116744A EP94116744A EP0649932B1 EP 0649932 B1 EP0649932 B1 EP 0649932B1 EP 94116744 A EP94116744 A EP 94116744A EP 94116744 A EP94116744 A EP 94116744A EP 0649932 B1 EP0649932 B1 EP 0649932B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
tank
washing liquid
control system
laundry
level
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP94116744A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0649932A1 (en
Inventor
Valerio Aisa
Constantino Mariotti
Donato Reginello
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Whirlpool EMEA SpA
Original Assignee
Merloni Elettrodomestici SpA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Merloni Elettrodomestici SpA filed Critical Merloni Elettrodomestici SpA
Publication of EP0649932A1 publication Critical patent/EP0649932A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0649932B1 publication Critical patent/EP0649932B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F34/00—Details of control systems for washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
    • D06F34/14—Arrangements for detecting or measuring specific parameters
    • D06F34/18—Condition of the laundry, e.g. nature or weight
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F2103/00—Parameters monitored or detected for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
    • D06F2103/02—Characteristics of laundry or load
    • D06F2103/04—Quantity, e.g. weight or variation of weight
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F2103/00—Parameters monitored or detected for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
    • D06F2103/02—Characteristics of laundry or load
    • D06F2103/06—Type or material
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F2103/00—Parameters monitored or detected for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
    • D06F2103/18—Washing liquid level
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F2103/00—Parameters monitored or detected for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
    • D06F2103/38—Time, e.g. duration
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F2105/00—Systems or parameters controlled or affected by the control systems of washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
    • D06F2105/42—Detergent or additive supply
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F39/00—Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00 
    • D06F39/08—Liquid supply or discharge arrangements
    • D06F39/087—Water level measuring or regulating devices

Definitions

  • the present invention refers to a method for determining the type, or the type and the quantity , of fabric introduced in a laundry washing machine, and to a laundry washing machine implementing such a method.
  • Said partial solution however has the drawback of requiring at least one costly additional components, with respect to those normally present in a laundry washing machine, with the consequent increase in cost.
  • the measuring of the weight realised with said methods however have the drawback of being uncertain, due to the basket mass (which are of the same order as the clothes), the features of the means for transmitting the motion from the motor to the basket (i.e. the belt tension and its elastic and geometric features) and by the high dispersion of the characteristics of the motors used. Said systems therefore require the use of a motor having high features (i.e. which assures that the exerted torque is in fact proportional to the weight of the clothes) and means able to measure the current absorbed, with the consequent necessity of equipping the machine with a complex electronic control system.
  • Methods are also known, for detecting the quantity and/or the type of fabric, which are based on the monitoring of the interventions, controlled by a pressure switch, for restoring the washing liquid level in the laundry washing machine.
  • Examples of said methods can be found for instance in DE-A-41 22 307, FR-A-2 474 547 or DE-A-34 46 288.
  • the precision of said methods however depends upon the differential of the pressure switch, as it will be clear in the following of the present description.
  • said methods also have the drawback of being expensive, complex and not always reliable.
  • the aim of the present invention is that of indicating an improved method for determining the type, or the type and the quantity , of fabric introduced in a laundry washing machine, being characterised by a great manufacturing simplicity and the absence of additional components in respect of the laundry washing machines according to the prior art.
  • a know method for determining the type and the quantity of fabrics introduced in a laundry washing machine consists in obtaining the necessary information from the observation, or monitoring, of the behaviour over time of the contact being associated to the first level electromechanical pressure switch of a laundry washing machine (see for instance FR-A- 2 474 547).
  • said information is associated to the operations for restoring the water level carried out by the first level pressure switch during the first phase of each washing cycle: said operations for restoring the water level, which in the following will be more simply indicated with renewal or restoring operations, are the direct consequence of the water absorption process by the clothes, which causes a progressive lowering of the level of the washing liquid and the consequent commutation of the contact of the pressure switch in the empty state.
  • the first level pressure switch of a laundry washing machine typically has the task of maintaining the water level constant, during the first phase of any washing program, with the double intent of ensuring the heating of the same, in a safe condition (i.e. with the heater being always immersed in the water) and to ensure the presence of a minimum liquid quantity, being necessary for carrying out an effective wash.
  • Such maintenance function of the water level realised by the pressure switch, consists in supplying water (by means of the activation of the suitable electrovalve) until restoration of said level is obtained (which depends upon the calibration characteristics of the pressure switch), at any time that the same lowers beyond a certain quantity (being expressed in mm-H2O and being known as differential or hysteresis of the pressure switch) due to the effect of the absorption of the washing liquid by the clothes being present inside the laundry washing machine.
  • the water which enters the tank 2 of the laundry washing machine tends to rise through the small plastic tube 4, but is prevented in doing so by the air being present in the air trap 1; upon the increase of the water level within the tank 2, the air of the trap 1 is progressively compressed and the pressure generated in this way is transmitted to the pressure chamber 3 through the plastic tube 4.
  • Such pressure is typically expressed in water millimetres (mm-H2O) and acts on the surface of an elastic diaphragm being present in the body 5, thus producing a force which is proportional to the level of water present within the tank 2 of the laundry washing machine; such force, acting on said diaphragm, counteracts, by means of a suitable actuator (figures 1B and 1C), the resistant force of the calibration spring 6.
  • a suitable actuator figures 1B and 1C
  • Any pressure switch is characterised by its own calibration (calibration of the level of the pressure switch), being expressed in mm-H2O, which is associated to the resistant force of the calibration spring.
  • Single pressure switches exist in commerce, being characterised by only one level, and also multiple pressure switches, being characterised by several levels; in figures 1B and 1C a double pressure switch is schematically represented, as a pure example, being characterised by two distinct levels having different calibrations, and in particular the mechanism is illustrated in detail, which allows the change of state of the two switches being associated to said levels.
  • the two positions electric contact (the empty one and the full one), that usually characterises electromechanical pressure switches for laundry washing machines, is typically able to commute currents up to a maximum of 16 resistive ampere, supplied with 220 Vac.
  • the empty contact usually supplies an electrovalve provided for the supplying water to the tank, while the full contact enables the current flow to the heating resistor of the same water.
  • the electrovalve 13 When the common contact 9 is in the empty position 10 and the command contact 15 of the control system (electromechanical or electronic timer) is closed, the electrovalve 13 is supplied through the mains voltage and allows to load water to the inside of the tank of the laundry washing machine, until the generated pressure reaches the calibration value of the pressure switch, thus causing the commutation of the common contact 9 in the full state (11).
  • the renewal operation of the pressure switch is the direct consequence of the water absorption process by the clothes, which causes a progressive lowering of the washing liquid level and the consequent commutation of the contact of the first level pressure switch to the empty state.
  • figures 3A and 4A which refer respectively to towelling and cotton fabrics, describe the relation which exists between the quantity in weight (being expressed in kg) of fabric introduced in the laundry washing machine and the total time (expressed in seconds) associated to the different renewal operations carried out by the first level pressure switch during the first phase of the washing cycle, until the absorption process of water by the clothes has not reached saturation.
  • the total duration of the water level renewal phases i.e. the sum of the duration of the single renewal operations, (which is directly proportional to the water quantity supplied, supposing the electrovalve flow rate as being constant) is linked to the weight of the clothes to be washed by a simple linear relation.
  • the values being represented in figures 3A and 4A are average values, derived from a high number of experimental tests carried out with different fabric loads.
  • the quality of the information being associated to such average values is made evident by the low dispersion shown by figures 3B and 4B, which relate respectively to towelling and cotton and represent the normalised Gauss function of the sums of the times of the renewal operations being associated to the different cloth quantities placed under observation.
  • Figures 6 and 7 represent the result of two experimental surveys, which refer respectively to a washing load of 4 kg of towelling and cotton fabrics; such figures make evident the dynamics of the renewal operations over time and express in a more intuitive way the quality of the information being associated to the operation of the electromechanical first level pressure switch; for example, it is possible to detect
  • figures 8, 9 and 10 represent the relation of the exponential type (which is typical for processes being characterised by saturation) that describes the quantity of water absorbed over time by different quantities of fabrics, with regards respectively to towelling, cotton and synthetics.
  • the water quantity is shown (being expressed in litres), supplied during the water level renewal phases of the pressure switch, and on the abscissas axis the sum of times (being expressed in seconds) is reported of the pauses elapsing between one renewal operation and another, i.e. the speed with which the clothes absorb the washing liquid.
  • the water supplied in occasion of the first renewal operation has the aim to restore up to the initial value (that referring to the instant wherein the first supply ends) the level of the washing liquid, thus exactly compensating the quantity absorbed by the clothes in the time interval between the end of the first supply and the beginning of the first renewal operation itself (abscissas axis).
  • the above described method for determining the quantity and/or the type of clothes is based on the observation of "natural" renewal operations of the pressure switch, i.e. those renewal operations of the level being caused directly by the closure of the empty contact of the pressure switch, which allows to excite the water supply electrovalve.
  • a new method is proposed, providing for analogue results, which consists in considering the case of the observation of "forced" renewal operations of the water level, by using the empty contact of the pressure switch solely for sending a criteria to the control system, rather than for directly exciting the water supply electrovalve, which will be managed by the same control system through a suitable actuator (e.g.. a relay).
  • a suitable actuator e.g.. a relay
  • the control system after having carried out the first water supply keeping the clothes steady, will begin to suitably rotate the basket of the laundry washing machine (for favouring the water absorption by the clothes) and will maintain steadily this situation for an established time T, the duration of which will be such as to allow the pressure switch to reset, i.e. its passage from the full state to the empty state.
  • control system will provide to excite the water supply electrovalve until the water level is restored, i.e. until the pressure switch passes from the empty sate to the full state.
  • the quantity of water that the system must load to restore the initial level will represent the liquid quantity that the fabrics have absorbed during the pause T, i.e. it will provide information about the kind of water absorption by the clothes, and therefore on the type of fabric.
  • the method according to the invention therefore has the advantage of being independent from the characteristics of the pressure switch, in particular from its differential.
  • an excellent method for encoding in a compact form the great quantity of information that the control unit has to deal with is that supplied by the control technology based on the fuzzy logic, which is already widely used in the field of consumer products and, in particular, in the field of household appliances.
  • Said information on the quantity and the type of clothes introduced in the laundry washing machine can therefore be used for managing the operation of the machine, for instance in order to determine the detergent dosage being optimal for carrying out a correct washing, thus avoiding wastage and reducing as far as possible the polluting substances contained in the drainage water.
  • the invention could be advantageously used for managing the operation of a device for the automatic dosage of the washing agents.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Control Of Washing Machine And Dryer (AREA)
EP94116744A 1993-10-26 1994-10-24 Method for determining the quantity and/or the type of fabric introduced in a laundry washing machine, and laundry washing machine implementing such a method Expired - Lifetime EP0649932B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITTO930798 1993-10-26
ITTO930798A IT1261007B (it) 1993-10-26 1993-10-26 Metodo per determinare quantita' e/o tipo di tessuto introdotto in una lavabiancheria, e lavabiancheria che implementa tale metodo.

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0649932A1 EP0649932A1 (en) 1995-04-26
EP0649932B1 true EP0649932B1 (en) 1999-05-06

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP94116744A Expired - Lifetime EP0649932B1 (en) 1993-10-26 1994-10-24 Method for determining the quantity and/or the type of fabric introduced in a laundry washing machine, and laundry washing machine implementing such a method

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0649932B1 (it)
DE (1) DE69418274T2 (it)
ES (1) ES2132304T3 (it)
IT (1) IT1261007B (it)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN103290650A (zh) * 2012-02-24 2013-09-11 博西华电器（江苏）有限公司 洗衣机的控制方法
US9551103B2 (en) 2013-08-13 2017-01-24 Whirlpool Corporation Method to detect the type of a load in a laundry treating appliance

Families Citing this family (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ATE461311T1 (de) * 2005-01-04 2010-04-15 Arcelik As Waschmaschine und betriebsverfahren
DE102006029670A1 (de) * 2006-06-28 2008-01-03 BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH Verfahren zur Behandlung von Wäsche mit variabler Netzdauer und hierzu geeignete Waschmaschine
US8245342B2 (en) 2008-07-30 2012-08-21 Whirlpool Corporation Method for determining load size in a washing machine
US8381341B2 (en) 2008-09-12 2013-02-26 Whirlpool Corporation Method and apparatus for determining load size in a washing machine
BRPI0900286A2 (pt) * 2009-02-19 2010-10-26 Whirlpool Sa cámara de pressão para controle de nìvel de água em máquina de lavar roupa
US9243987B2 (en) 2013-05-01 2016-01-26 Whirlpool Corporation Method of determining fabric type of a laundry load in a laundry treating appliance
CN105177930B (zh) * 2015-10-31 2017-04-12 惠而浦（中国）股份有限公司 一种洗衣机洗涤物材质识别方法
CN111172700B (zh) * 2018-10-23 2022-08-16 青岛海尔洗涤电器有限公司 一种滚筒洗衣机及其控制方法

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3002786C2 (de) * 1980-01-26 1982-08-26 Miele & Cie GmbH & Co, 4830 Gütersloh Verfahren und Anordnung zur Programmsteuerung einer Waschmaschine
DE3446288A1 (de) * 1984-12-19 1986-06-19 Licentia Gmbh Verfahren und anordnung zur programmsteuerung einer waschmaschine
DE4122307A1 (de) * 1991-07-05 1993-01-14 Licentia Gmbh Verfahren zur ermittlung von programmsteuerungs-parametern fuer haushalt-waschmaschinen

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN103290650A (zh) * 2012-02-24 2013-09-11 博西华电器（江苏）有限公司 洗衣机的控制方法
US9551103B2 (en) 2013-08-13 2017-01-24 Whirlpool Corporation Method to detect the type of a load in a laundry treating appliance

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0649932A1 (en) 1995-04-26
ITTO930798A0 (it) 1993-10-26
ITTO930798A1 (it) 1995-04-26
DE69418274T2 (de) 1999-12-09
DE69418274D1 (de) 1999-06-10
IT1261007B (it) 1996-04-29
ES2132304T3 (es) 1999-08-16

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