EP1899520A1 - Machine for the treatment of laundry with learning phase - Google Patents
Machine for the treatment of laundry with learning phaseInfo
- Publication number
- EP1899520A1 EP1899520A1 EP06755912A EP06755912A EP1899520A1 EP 1899520 A1 EP1899520 A1 EP 1899520A1 EP 06755912 A EP06755912 A EP 06755912A EP 06755912 A EP06755912 A EP 06755912A EP 1899520 A1 EP1899520 A1 EP 1899520A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- laundry
- machine
- motor
- speed
- rotation
- 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.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 37
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 claims description 6
- 238000002791 soaking Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000005406 washing Methods 0.000 description 12
- 238000010412 laundry washing Methods 0.000 description 9
- 238000001035 drying Methods 0.000 description 8
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 7
- 230000006870 function Effects 0.000 description 5
- 238000005457 optimization Methods 0.000 description 5
- 229920000742 Cotton Polymers 0.000 description 3
- 230000006399 behavior Effects 0.000 description 3
- 239000004744 fabric Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000005265 energy consumption Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000001133 acceleration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000003795 chemical substances by application Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004043 dyeing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007613 environmental effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000002028 premature Effects 0.000 description 1
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
- D06F35/00—Washing machines, apparatus, or methods not otherwise provided for
- D06F35/005—Methods for washing, rinsing or spin-drying
- D06F35/006—Methods for washing, rinsing or spin-drying for washing or rinsing only
-
- 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
- D06F34/28—Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a method for determining a preferred speed of rotation of a drum within a laundry washing machine or washing/drying machine according to the preamble of claim 1, as well as to a machine for the treatment of laundry adapted to implement said method.
- the present invention applies to the field of laundry washing machine and washing/drying machines for domestic use, and specifically to solutions for wash optimization.
- Wash optimization both in terms of wash efficiency and of energy consumption, is a problem which is felt and faced by all big manufacturers of household appliances.
- several measures are known which allow to obtain such an optimization, e.g. measures related to the rotation of the drum or to the choice of temperatures and wash/rinse phases.
- the optimization of water supply allows to reduce both the water consumption and the electric energy required to heat the water up to wash temperature.
- the present invention takes as a starting point the fact that, in known laundry washing machine and washing/drying machines, the laundry to be washed is placed inside a drum which is driven by a motor at a speed of rotation being optimized, according to international standards, for a maximum load, e.g. 5 kg.
- wash efficiency i.e. the capacity of removing dirt from the laundry to be washed
- wash efficiency is bound to the speed of rotation of the drum and also depends, the washing agents used being equal, on the efficiency of the mechanical action exerted on the laundry; said mechanical action depends also on the speed of rotation of the drum.
- the dirt is removed in different percentages depending on, in particular, the weight and/or moment of inertia of the laundry being present inside the washing machine.
- Object of the present invention therefore is also to provide wash optimization while observing the restrictions imposed by the international standards, without for this reason limiting the speed of rotation of the drum to a predetermined value during the production stage.
- a laundry wash or more in general a treatment for laundry, sized for a 5kg load, may turn out to be too stressful for a lighter load.
- the load undergoes a mechanical action which on the one hand allows to remove dirt, but on the other hand may damage or cause premature wear of the fabrics; it is therefore necessary to find the best compromise between care for the treated fabric and wash efficiency.
- the present invention also aims at providing a treatment for fabric care-oriented laundry.
- Fig. 1 shows a machine for the treatment of laundry according to an embodiment of the invention.
- Fig. 2 schematically shows the trend of the speed of rotation of the drum as a function of time in a laundry washing machine using a preferred application of the method according to the present invention.
- Fig. 3 shows the trend of torque as a function of speed of rotation and load.
- Fig. 4 shows the percentage of dirt removed in respect of the speed of rotation for a lkg load of cotton linen.
- Fig. 1 shows a machine 1 for the treatment of laundry which, in its preferred embodiment described below, is a laundry washing machine.
- the machine 1 for the treatment of laundry has a load opening 2 which provides access to a drum 3 wherein the laundry to be treated is placed.
- the load opening can be closed through a door 4.
- a control panel 5 which in the example of Fig. 1 is located on the front side of the machine, the user selects the functions of the machine for the treatment of laundry, e.g. delicate wash, wash temperature, etc.
- the functions are selected through means being known to those skilled in the art, e.g. knobs 6, push-buttons 7 and display 8.
- a control unit 9 is connected to the control panel 5 and it processes the selections made by the user and controls the various machine components which allow to perform the functions selected by the user.
- control unit 9 controls in a known way a whole set of components, such as, for example, the switches that supply voltage to the water heating resistance or the drain system.
- control unit of the machine 1 is capable of providing a particularly efficient and intelligent control of the motor 10 which starts the rotation of the drum, thus carrying out a method for the treatment of laundry which allows to improve the treatment, i.e. the wash in this case.
- the machine 1 for the treatment of laundry according to the invention therefore comprises: A-
- the machine 1 also comprises at least one memory area 11 containing code portions adapted to implement a method for determining a preferred speed of rotation of a drum within a machine for the treatment of laundry.
- the drum containing the laundry to be treated is driven by a motor according to a method comprising the following steps: a) carrying out a sequence of phases of measure, in each of said phases of measure the drum being rotated at a different and preferably constant speed of rotation and at least one characteristic operating parameter of said motor being measured, b) comparing the values of said operating parameter, measured during said phases of measure, with corresponding reference values contained in a memory area of said machine for the treatment of laundry, c) determining said preferred speed of rotation through said comparison.
- the sequence of phases of measure may include, between two consecutive phases of measure, intermediate phases wherein, for instance, the drum is stopped or rotated without any measure being carried out.
- Fig. 2 schematically shows the rotation of a drum within a laundry washing machine using a preferred application of the method according to the present invention.
- the control unit rotates the motor according to a sequence of phases of measure Fl, F2 ..Fn 5 wherein the drum is rotated at a constant speed for short time intervals, preferably for approximately ten seconds per phase.
- the method then allows to determine a preferred speed of rotation for the wash phase L.
- said phases of measure are carried out at 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 rpm, i.e. starting from a first phase of measure at a relatively low speed of rotation (25 rpm), until a last phase of measure carried out at a relatively high speed of rotation (60 rpm), being slightly higher than the typical wash speed of a laundry washing machine.
- each phase includes the measure of a torque value, in particular an electric torque value, necessary to keep the drum turning at the constant speed of rotation set for the phase of measure.
- said torque value is the mean value of the torque measured during the phase of measure.
- Fig. 3 shows the result of laboratory experimental measures; in particular, it shows three curves A, B, C corresponding to the linear interpolation of the torque readings taken during the different phases of measure for lkg, 3kg and 5kg loads, respectively. As shown in Fig. 3, different loads return different torque curves; these curves may also vary depending on the weight and material of the treated laundry. Tests carried out have shown that the optimum speed of rotation which optimizes the treatment of laundry is different according to the weight and type of the load.
- the wash efficiency may for instance be rated according to the percentage of dirt removed, calculated as a ratio between the reflectance of the laundry item before and after the wash; alternatively, for example, said percentage may also be calculated as a ratio between the reflectance of the laundry item after the wash and the reflectance of a reference dirty item.
- Fig. 4 shows an experimental measure of the percentage of dirt removed R with reference to the speed of rotation of the drum, expressed in rpm; the measure refers to a lkg load of cotton.
- the graph of Fig. 4 clearly shows that the optimum speed of rotation for a lkg load of cotton is approximately 47 rpm, which is the speed of rotation of the drum allowing to obtain the maximum percentage of dirt removed (46%).
- the machine 1 comprises a memory area, being preferably of the non-volatile type, containing reference values to be compared with the readings taken before the treatment of laundry. Through this comparison it is then possible to identify a speed of rotation which improves the treatment.
- the values of measure will be torque values.
- wash tests with different types of loads are carried out during production, and the results of the measures carried out during the respective phases of measure are stored in a suitable memory area being accessible to the control unit.
- the control unit carries out a sequence of measures F 1..Fn as described above, thereby obtaining a set of values which can be compared with the reference values stored in the memory area 11 during production. Through this comparison, the machine 1 will identify the behavior of the laundry load to be treated as similar to that of a certain load which was tested during production, and therefore will select the corresponding preferred speed of rotation to optimize the treatment of laundry.
- the speed is determined by choosing a speed value among a plurality of predetermined speed values contained in a memory area of said machine. This choice is made following the result of the comparison between the values measured and the reference values; in particular, said comparison may include the identification of the minimum differences between said values measured and said reference values, so as to determine which load tested during production is closest to the laundry load to be treated; the preferred speed of rotation chosen for the laundry load to be treated will correspond to the optimum speed of rotation, measured in laboratory and stored in a memory area of the machine.
- the invention therefore provides a method for controlling a machine for the treatment of laundry wherein a laundry drum is rotated by a motor at least at one speed of rotation, and wherein at least one speed of rotation is determined for every new laundry load placed in said drum.
- the determination of the preferred speed of rotation of the drum is preferably carried out only once for each new laundry load to be treated, so that treatment times are not long.
- said determination of the preferred speed of rotation of the drum may be carried out several times for the same laundry load.
- a first speed of rotation may be determined for the wash process, whereas a second speed of rotation may be determined for the drying process.
- the characteristic operating parameter of the motor 10 may be power consumption instead of the motor torque.
- the power consumption (as a voltage, current or power value without distinction)
- the method according to the invention may be particularly advantageous when applied to a machine for the treatment of laundry provided with a three-phase motor, wherein the voltage of each phase is imposed through an inverter controlled by the control unit.
- an inverter controlled by the control unit.
- those skilled in the art may use a plurality of known solutions which allow to follow the behaviour of the motor through the information returned to the control unit by the inverter.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Textile Engineering (AREA)
- Control Of Washing Machine And Dryer (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| IT000366A ITTO20050366A1 (en) | 2005-05-30 | 2005-05-30 | MACHINE FOR LINEN TREATMENT WITH LEARNING PHASE |
| PCT/IB2006/001382 WO2006129157A1 (en) | 2005-05-30 | 2006-05-26 | Machine for the treatment of laundry with learning phase |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| EP1899520A1 true EP1899520A1 (en) | 2008-03-19 |
Family
ID=37027056
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP06755912A Withdrawn EP1899520A1 (en) | 2005-05-30 | 2006-05-26 | Machine for the treatment of laundry with learning phase |
Country Status (4)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP1899520A1 (en) |
| IT (1) | ITTO20050366A1 (en) |
| RU (1) | RU2404311C2 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2006129157A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US9115456B2 (en) | 2011-12-20 | 2015-08-25 | Whirlpool Corporation | Method for detecting satellization speed of clothes load in a horizontal axis laundry treating appliance |
| US9157177B2 (en) | 2011-12-21 | 2015-10-13 | Whirlpool Corporation | Laundry treating appliance and method of control |
Family Cites Families (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR2553881B1 (en) * | 1983-10-25 | 1987-11-20 | Esswein Sa | METHOD FOR DETERMINING A LAUNDRY LOAD IN A ROTATING DRUM, AND WASHING AND / OR DRYING MACHINE USING THE SAME |
| US4916768A (en) * | 1987-12-08 | 1990-04-17 | Ellis Corporation | Washing and extracting method |
| RU2010066C1 (en) * | 1991-03-29 | 1994-03-30 | Малюгин Альберт Павлович | Washing machine drive |
| KR100548274B1 (en) * | 2003-07-23 | 2006-02-02 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | How to detect the amount of washing machine |
| JP4426399B2 (en) * | 2003-08-07 | 2010-03-03 | エルジー エレクトロニクス インコーポレイティド | Washing machine dewatering control method |
| KR101052787B1 (en) * | 2003-11-18 | 2011-07-29 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Washing machine and its control method |
-
2005
- 2005-05-30 IT IT000366A patent/ITTO20050366A1/en unknown
-
2006
- 2006-05-26 EP EP06755912A patent/EP1899520A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2006-05-26 WO PCT/IB2006/001382 patent/WO2006129157A1/en not_active Ceased
- 2006-05-26 RU RU2007149234/12A patent/RU2404311C2/en not_active IP Right Cessation
Non-Patent Citations (2)
| Title |
|---|
| None * |
| See also references of WO2006129157A1 * |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| ITTO20050366A1 (en) | 2006-11-30 |
| RU2404311C2 (en) | 2010-11-20 |
| RU2007149234A (en) | 2009-07-20 |
| WO2006129157A1 (en) | 2006-12-07 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
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| 17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 20071109 |
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| AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR |
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| DAX | Request for extension of the european patent (deleted) | ||
| 17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 20161222 |
|
| RAP1 | Party data changed (applicant data changed or rights of an application transferred) |
Owner name: WHIRLPOOL EMEA S.P.A |
|
| GRAP | Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR1 |
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| INTG | Intention to grant announced |
Effective date: 20170524 |
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| STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN |
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| 18D | Application deemed to be withdrawn |
Effective date: 20171005 |