EP0795639B1 - Drum washer - Google Patents

Drum washer Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0795639B1
EP0795639B1 EP97104293A EP97104293A EP0795639B1 EP 0795639 B1 EP0795639 B1 EP 0795639B1 EP 97104293 A EP97104293 A EP 97104293A EP 97104293 A EP97104293 A EP 97104293A EP 0795639 B1 EP0795639 B1 EP 0795639B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
drum
liquor
balancer
balancing chambers
spin
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
EP97104293A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0795639A3 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow
EP0795639A2 (en
Inventor
Masumi Ito
Fumihiro Imamura
Fumitaka Yamazaki
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.)
Toshiba Corp
Original Assignee
Toshiba Corp
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
Priority claimed from JP8057722A external-priority patent/JPH09234295A/ja
Application filed by Toshiba Corp filed Critical Toshiba Corp
Publication of EP0795639A2 publication Critical patent/EP0795639A2/en
Publication of EP0795639A3 publication Critical patent/EP0795639A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0795639B1 publication Critical patent/EP0795639B1/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
    • D06F37/00—Details specific to washing machines covered by groups D06F21/00 - D06F25/00
    • D06F37/20—Mountings, e.g. resilient mountings, for the rotary receptacle, motor, tub or casing; Preventing or damping vibrations
    • D06F37/22—Mountings, e.g. resilient mountings, for the rotary receptacle, motor, tub or casing; Preventing or damping vibrations in machines with a receptacle rotating or oscillating about a horizontal axis
    • D06F37/225—Damping vibrations by displacing, supplying or ejecting a material, e.g. liquid, into or from counterbalancing pockets
    • 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
    • D06F37/00—Details specific to washing machines covered by groups D06F21/00 - D06F25/00
    • D06F37/26—Casings; Tubs
    • D06F37/267—Tubs specially adapted for mounting thereto components or devices not provided for in preceding subgroups
    • D06F37/268—Tubs specially adapted for mounting thereto components or devices not provided for in preceding subgroups for suspension devices

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a low-noise drum washer with an improved liquor balancer mechanism.
  • Drum washers usually have such a construction as shown in Fig. 1, in which a washing tub 103 supported by suspension means 101 in a washer housing 111 has a combination wash/spin drum 105 mounted in the washing tub 103 for rotation about a horizontal axis X and laundry 109 is put in and out of the inside drum 105 through an access door 107 supported on the forward face of the housing 111.
  • the combination wash/spin drum 105 rotates about the horizontal axis X, and when the drum 105 is stopped from rotation at the end of the washing cycle, the laundry 109 immediately drops down therein by gravity as shown.
  • the liquor balancer 113 functions to correct the imbalance by the clustering of the laundry 109 and hence reduce the vibrations of the washing tub 103 when the number of revolutions of the wash/spin drum 105 exceeds the point of resonance or a predetermined threshold value. But at the start of rotation of the drum 105 at a speed below the point of resonance, the liquid in the balancer 113 flows down to its lower portion just under the clustering laundry 109, with the result that the imbalance by the clustering of laundry 109 increases, not decreases. Besides, during the low-speed driving of the drum 105, the liquid flows in the liquor balancer 113 and hence contributes to the generation of noise.
  • the drum washer of the present invention comprises: a washer housing; a washing tub supported by suspension means in the washer housing; a combined wash/spin drum housed in the washing tub in a manner to be driven by a drive motor about a horizontal axis; an annular liquor balancer disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the combined wash/spin drum over the entire length thereof in its circumferential direction and composed of at least three independent balancing chambers respectively extending in the circumferential direction of the combination wash/spin drum over angular intervals and an unpartitioned annular auxiliary chamber extending in the circumferential direction of said said combined wash/spin drum along said balancing chambers and communicating with each of said balancing chambers through holes which are located in the peripheral positions of the respective balancing chambers; and a liquid contained in the liquor balancer and freely flowing in and out of the balancing chambers through said holes via said auxiliary chamber during the rotation of the combined wash/spin drum in a washing cycle.
  • the liquor balancer is composed of three to eight independent balancing chambers extending in the circumferential direction of the combined wash/spin drum and an unpartitioned annular auxiliary chamber extending along the three to eight balancing chambers which communicate therewith through their holes, each of said holes being made at the center of each of the balancing chambers in the circumferential direction thereof and having a diameter of at least 5 mm.
  • the liquor balancer is placed at a drying air outlet.
  • the unpartitioned annular auxiliary chamber has a cross sectional area larger than that of each of said holes.
  • the plurality of independent balancing chambers each has baffle boards placed therein and defining liquid channels 5 mm or more wide.
  • the liquor balancer has agitator baffles protrusively provided on its inside peripheral wall.
  • Combination wash/spin drum has its peripheral panel secured to the outer peripheral wall of said liquor balancer and its front panel secured to one side wall of said liquor balancer.
  • the agitator baffles provided in the liquor balancer are displaced a predetermined angle apart from baffles protrusively provided on the peripheral panel of the combination wash/spin drum in the circumferential direction thereof.
  • the combination wash/spin drum has its peripheral panel secured to the outer peripheral wall of the liquor balancer and its front panel secured to one side wall of the liquor balancer.
  • the liquor balancer is disposed at each of at least two places in the combination wash/spin drum, and independent balancing chambers of the one of two liquor balancers are displaced a predetermined angle apart from independent balancing chambers of the other liquor balancer in the circumferential direction thereof.
  • the liquid in the respective balancing chambers of the liquor balancer tends to flow downward under the action of gravity but the flow of the liquid is blocked by the baffle boards, so that the noise by the flow is effectively suppressed even when the rotational speed of the wash/spin drum is below a point of resonance or predetermined threshold value.
  • substantially the same amount of liquid is contained in each of the respective balancing chambers and the inner and outer balancing chambers are displaced apart in the circumferential direction thereof, so that the liquid in the liquor balancer mechanism is distributed more uniformly and the sound of the liquid flowing back and forth becomes continuous, permitting reduction of noise generation.
  • the agitator baffles on the liquor balancer ensures effective agitation of laundry.
  • Reference numeral 1 denotes a washer housing, wherein there are placed an outer washing tub 3, an inner combined or combination wash/spin drum 5 and a drying air circulation path 7.
  • the washing tub 3 is supported by a plurality of suspensions 9 mounted on the bottom of the washer housing 1.
  • Reference numeral 11 denotes a feed valve located above the washing tub 3 to feed thereinto washing liquor, and 13 a drain valve connected to the bottom of the washing tub 3 to drain therefrom the liquor away.
  • the combination wash/spin drum 5 has a number of perforations 15 made in its peripheral panel 5a and is rotatably mounted on a shaft 17 along the afore-mentioned horizontal axis X.
  • Mounted on the front panel of the washer housing 1 is an access door 19 for gaining access to the interior of the combination wash/spin drum 5 to put thereinto and out therefrom the laundry.
  • the shaft 17 is driven by a drive motor 21, which has its motor pulley 25 connected by a belt 27 to a drive pulley 23 of the shaft 17.
  • the drive motor 21 is fixedly mounted on the underside of the washing tub 3 and placed under the control of a controller 31 through ON-OFF control of each control switch 29.
  • the drying air circulation path 7 is defined by a duct 33 and has a blower 35, a dehumidifier 37 and a heater 39 disposed therein.
  • a first port 33a of the air channel 7 communicates with an air inlet 41 of the combination wash/spin drum 5, whereas a second port 33b communicates with an air outlet 43 of the drum 5.
  • the air outlet 43 is so shaped as to serve also as an opening through which washing is taken in and out of the drum 5 when the door 19 is opened.
  • the blower 35 is placed near the second port 33b of the air channel 7 to force, as indicated by the arrow, air circulation into the dehumidifier 37 by a fan that is driven by a motor M.
  • the dehumidifier 37 is positioned at substantially an intermediate portion of the drying air circulation path 7 to remove moisture from the drying air during its passage through the dehumidifier 37.
  • the heater 39 is placed near the first port 33a of the air circulation path 7 and held by a controller (not shown) at a predetermined temperature to heat the circulating air.
  • Reference numeral 45 denotes inner and outer annular liquor balancers formed as a unitary structure and mounted on the inside of the combination wash/spin drum 5 over the entire length of its circumference in the vicinity of the air outlet 43 for the circulating air cooled by the passage through wet garments in the drum 5.
  • Such a double-structure liquor balancer 45 is a molding of a synthetic resin material and hence is lightweight, and it is also designed to support a front panel 5b of the combination wash/spin drum 5.
  • the liquor balancer 45 is an annular structure formed by a duct of a rectangular cross section and has six balancing chambers I, II, III, IV, V and VI defined by partitions 47 disposed at 60-degree angular intervals. It is desirable that the number of balancing chambers be in the range from three to eight.
  • the balancing chambers I, II, III, IV, V and VI are each an independent chamber defined by inner and outer peripheral walls 49 and 51, right and left side walls 53 and 54 and the partitions 47.
  • the liquor balancer 45 has salt water or similar liquid sealed therein.
  • Juxtaposed with the liquor balancer 45 at the left-hand side thereof in Fig. 7 is an annular but unpartitioned auxiliary balancing chamber (hereinafter referred to simply as an auxiliary chamber) 55, with which the balancing chambers I, II, III, IV, V and VI communicate through their through holes 57.
  • each balancing chamber is fixedly secured by a screw 59 to the peripheral panel 5a of the combination wash/spin drum 5 as shown in Fig. 7.
  • the front panel 5b of the combination wash/spin drum 5 is secured by screws 61 to the outer side wall of the auxiliary chamber 55 that forms the left-hand side wall of the liquid balancer 45--this avoids the necessity of welding the peripheral and front panels 5a and 5b of the wash/spin drum 5 together. It is also possible, however, to install the liquor balancer 45 in the drum 5 along the front panel 5b after welding the peripheral and front panels 5a and 5b together.
  • Each communicating hole 57 is, as shown in Fig. 5, a round hole bored through the left-hand side wall 54 adjacent the outer peripheral wall 51 on a center line Y at the center of each balancing chamber in its circumferential direction.
  • the diameter of the hole 57 is set at a minimum of 5 mm.
  • the hole 57 need not always be round but it may also be square, rectangular, elongated or polygonal, for instance, as long as its diameter is 5 mm at the smallest.
  • each of the balancing chambers I, II, III, IV, V and VI there are disposed a pair of baffle boards 63 standing opposite across the hole 57.
  • the baffle boards 63 and the side wall 54 of each balancing chamber define therebetween liquid channels 65 of an at least 5 mm width, which permit free passage therethrough of the liquid in the respective balancing chambers.
  • the auxiliary chamber 55 is larger in cross section than the communicating hole 57 of each balancing chamber and is formed by joining a structural of a horizontally U-shaped cross section to one of the side walls forming the independent balancing chambers I, II, III, IV, V and VI.
  • baffles 67 On the inner peripheral wall of the liquor balancer 45 there are protrusively provided at predetermined regular intervals a plurality of baffles 67 for agitating garments within the drum 5. As shown in Fig. 8, the baffles 67 are displaced a predetermined angular distance apart from a plurality of agitator baffles 69 also protrusively provided on the inside surface of the peripheral panel 5a of the combination wash/spin drum 5.
  • the noise of the liquid beating against the partitions 47 during the rotation of the drum 5 can be held lower than in the case of no baffle boards being used. This was experimentally demonstrated.
  • the noise level was 62 dB when measured with no baffle boards but it went down to 52 dB when the baffles boards were used.
  • the baffles 67 serve to agitate the laundry well even in the liquor balancer 45.
  • the total amount of liquid is chosen such that when the diametrically opposite balancing chambers, for example, III and VI in this instance are at the same horizontal level, the same amount of liquid as those in the chambers III and IV, wherein the liquid levels are flush with the holes 57, is held in every one of the other balancing chambers as well and that the liquid level in the auxiliary chamber 55 is flush with the liquid levels in the balancing chambers V and IV.
  • the total amount of liquid to be contained in the liquor balancer 45 basically corresponds to the capacity of three of the balancing chambers I to IV plus a 1/6 capacity of the auxiliary chamber 55.
  • the amount of liquid may be adjusted to some extent, if necessary, since the rotation of the drum 5 will cause a certain amount of flow of liquid between the balancing chambers V and IV and the auxiliary chamber 55 in such a state as shown in Fig. 11.
  • the above-mentioned right amount of liquid need not considerably changed but an adjustment within 10% is usually enough.
  • centrifugal force gradually acts on the liquid in the liquor balancer 45 as the rotational speed of the combination wash/spin drum 5 increases, and during high-speed rotation at about 800 rpm the liquid in the liquor balancer 45 is pressed against the outer peripheral wall of the balancer 45 as depicted in Fig. 12. That is to say, since laundry 71 in the drum 5 is not uniformly distributed during the spin-dry process, the center of whirling is displaced from the center S of the balancer 45 to a point 0 under the action of external force F by the laundry 71 and the drum 5 rotates with a radius rl about the point 0 as shown.
  • the liquid in the balancer 45 shifts in a direction opposite to the offset center of gravity of the laundry 71 and hence compensates for the imbalance caused by the deviation of the laundry 71, effectively suppressing noisy vibrations of the drum 5.
  • the liquid in the respective chambers is pressed by centrifugal force to the outer peripheral wall 51 of the balancer 45, so that the influence of gravity is negligible, allowing a required amount of liquid to freely flow into or out of any balancing chambers through the holes 57 and the auxiliary chamber 55 irrespective of the positions of the balancing chambers.
  • drying air heated by the heater 39 is fed through the air inlet 41 into the combination wash/spin drum 5 to dry the laundry 71.
  • the air having passed through the garments in the drum 5 is blown out therefrom and into the air circulation path 7 via the air outlet 43.
  • the moisture-laden air is blown by the blower 35 into the dehumidifier 37 to remove moisture from the air, after which the drying air is heated by the heater 39 and then recirculated into the wash/spin drum 5 through the air inlet 41. Since the liquor balancer 45 is located at the air outlet side, it is not exposed to high temperatures in the drying process; hence, the use of synthetic resin for the liquor balancer 45 does not give rise to any problems.
  • the laundry 71 is agitated by the agitator baffles 67. This provides for enhanced efficiency in drying the laundry, coupled with the agitation by the baffles 69 on the side of the washer/spin drum 5 which are displaced from the baffles 67.
  • Figs. 13 and 14 illustrate another embodiment of the present invention, in which a liquor balancer is placed at each of positions immediately inside the front and rear panels of the combination wash/spin drum 5.
  • the liquor balancer 45 comprises six independent balancing chambers I through VI defined by partitions 43 and extending over the entire length of the combination wash/spin drum 5 in its circumferential direction and an unpartitioned annular auxiliary chamber 55 with which the balancing chambers communicate through their holes 57.
  • the liquor balancers 45 are disposed so that the front balancing chambers I to VI are displaced around 30 degrees apart from the rear chambers I to VI in the circumferential direction of the drum 5.
  • Figs. 15 and 16 illustrate still another embodiment of the present invention, which employs the same double-structured liquor balancer mechanism as in the embodiment described previously with reference to Figs. 2 through 12.
  • the double-structured liquor balancer mechanism comprises outer and inner annular liquor balancers 45.
  • the outer balancer 45 is made up of six independent balancing chambers I through VI separated by partitions 43 and extending over the entire length of the wash/spin drum 5 in its circumferential direction and an unpartitioned annular auxiliary chamber 55 with which the balancing chambers I through VI communicate through their holes 57.
  • the inner liquor balancer 45 is made up of six independent balancing chambers I through VI separated by partitions 43a and an unpartitioned annular auxiliary chamber 55 which communicates with the balancing chambers I through VI communicate through their holes 57 and is formed integrally with and communicates with the auxiliary chamber 55 of the outer balancer 45.
  • the inner balancing chambers I to VI are displaced approximately 30 degrees apart from the outer chambers I to VI in the circumferential direction of the drum 5.
  • the present invention effectively suppresses vibrations of the washing tub and noise of the liquid and, at the same time, enhances the laundry agitating efficiency during the washing and drying processes.
  • the mechanical strength of the wash/spin drum 5 can be increased by fixedly securing its front panel to the liquor balancer mechanism.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Main Body Construction Of Washing Machines And Laundry Dryers (AREA)
EP97104293A 1996-03-14 1997-03-13 Drum washer Expired - Lifetime EP0795639B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP5772296 1996-03-14
JP8057722A JPH09234295A (ja) 1995-12-26 1996-03-14 ドラム式洗濯機
JP57722/96 1996-03-14

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0795639A2 EP0795639A2 (en) 1997-09-17
EP0795639A3 EP0795639A3 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1997-10-29
EP0795639B1 true EP0795639B1 (en) 2002-07-10

Family

ID=13063844

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP97104293A Expired - Lifetime EP0795639B1 (en) 1996-03-14 1997-03-13 Drum washer

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0795639B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
KR (1) KR100287027B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE69713825T2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Families Citing this family (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
KR100557029B1 (ko) * 1998-09-01 2006-05-16 엘지전자 주식회사 전자 유동 유체를 이용한 세탁기의 오토 밸런스
JP3973425B2 (ja) * 2000-04-19 2007-09-12 三洋電機株式会社 ドラム式洗濯機およびその制御方法
JP2002355491A (ja) * 2001-03-28 2002-12-10 Sanyo Electric Co Ltd 洗濯機
GB201002245D0 (en) 2010-02-10 2010-03-31 Xeros Ltd Improved cleaning apparatus and method
US8695383B2 (en) 2010-12-08 2014-04-15 Whirlpool Corporation Laundry treating appliance with balancing system
US8701451B2 (en) 2010-12-08 2014-04-22 Whirlpool Corporation Laundry treating appliance with balancing system
US8713977B2 (en) 2010-12-08 2014-05-06 Whirlpool Corporation Laundry treating appliance with balancing system
US9003838B2 (en) 2010-12-08 2015-04-14 Whirlpool Corporation Laundry treating appliance with balancing system
US8991223B2 (en) 2010-12-08 2015-03-31 Whirlpool Corporation Laundry treating appliance with balancing system
CN105220398B (zh) * 2014-07-01 2018-08-28 无锡小天鹅股份有限公司 洗衣机及其平衡环
US10538871B2 (en) 2016-11-24 2020-01-21 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Washing machine
CN111286925B (zh) * 2018-12-10 2022-05-31 无锡小天鹅电器有限公司 衣物处理设备、用于衣物处理设备的平衡环
CN112281410B (zh) * 2019-07-22 2024-02-13 合肥海尔洗衣机有限公司 一种平衡环及衣物处理设备
CN114737362B (zh) * 2022-04-29 2023-03-21 珠海格力电器股份有限公司 配重组件、滚筒组件及其平衡调控方法和滚筒式洗衣机

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0607678A1 (en) * 1992-12-28 1994-07-27 Whirlpool Corporation Balancer for an automatic washer

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5351671A (en) * 1976-10-20 1978-05-11 Hitachi Ltd Drum type washing machine
US5115651A (en) * 1989-10-05 1992-05-26 Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. Drum-type washing machine

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0607678A1 (en) * 1992-12-28 1994-07-27 Whirlpool Corporation Balancer for an automatic washer

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
KR100287027B1 (ko) 2001-04-16
KR970065845A (ko) 1997-10-13
EP0795639A3 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1997-10-29
DE69713825T2 (de) 2003-02-20
DE69713825D1 (de) 2002-08-14
EP0795639A2 (en) 1997-09-17

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