EP2038468B1 - Washing machine comprising a controllable water supply and method for operating a washing machine of this type - Google Patents

Abstract

A washing machine with a controllable fresh water intake for at least two detergent chambers which are located inside a housing of a detergent flushing device and which have an outlet for water or the mixture of detergent and water which opens onto a bottom surface of the housing which is inclined towards an outlet connection for a detergent supply line to the tub of the washing machine in which a laundry drum is mounted at least approximately horizontally, the washing machine comprising partial surfaces into which the bottom surface of the housing is divided, the partial surfaces including inclinations differing from the horizontal, the inclinations being differently directed to at least one of the other partial surfaces and each partial surface is assigned to at least one detergent chamber and includes an outlet connection in a lowest region of the partial surface.

Description

The invention relates to a washing machine with a controllable fresh water inlet for at least two detergent chambers, which are arranged within a housing of a Waschmitteleinspüleinrichtung and having an outlet for the mixture of detergent and water, which opens on a bottom surface of the housing leading to a drain port for a detergent supply line to Lye container of the washing machine is inclined towards, in which a laundry drum is mounted at least approximately horizontally. The invention also relates to a method for operating such a washing machine.

Such a washing machine is off DE 27 24 426 A1 known. However, this washing machine contains an additional separate detergent chamber for additives, which are switched on a separate way, not on the bottom surface of the housing in the same area of the tub when you turn on a separate fresh water supply at a given time.

It is also through DE 101 38 067 A1 a method for operating a program-controlled washing machine known. In the known method is at the beginning of a washing process in a first step without moving the laundry a certain first amount of liquid without detergent via a directed to the inside of a cuff bypass to the laundry, in a second step with movement of the laundry a certain second amount of liquid via the main washing agent chamber together with detergent between the laundry drum and the tub and in a third step with movement of the laundry liquid without detergent continues to pass over the bypass directly to the laundry until the total accumulated amount of liquid is sufficient to completely wet the laundry. In this case, the bypass consists of a branched off from the inlet channel to Vorwaschmittelkammer water line, which can only lead a significantly smaller amount of water than the inlet channel itself. Therefore, the water supplied via this bypass of the cuff is in fact sufficient only to wet the cuff before the start of the drum rotation in accordance with the object on which the known method is based, so that the washing rubbing against the cuff during drum movement can not be damaged.

Since only about 3.5 liters of water per minute can be added via such a feed path, the addition of water until the complete filling of the total amount in the known method is too lengthy. The known Zuflussweg is within narrow pipes in the lid region of Waschmitteleinspüleinrichtung and therefore remains airtight even after switching off the flow of fresh water airtight by water residues, so that a special line between the tub and the detergent must be present to the tub during the addition of water and To aerate detergent.

The invention is based on the object to provide with simpler means and faster than in the prior art in addition to the supply of the detergent required for the main wash as early as possible as much as the required total amount of liquid laundry.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in a washing machine of the type mentioned above in that the bottom surface is divided into sub-areas which have differently directed to at least one of the other faces, deviating from the horizontal inclinations, and each sub-area is associated with at least one detergent chamber and in their Deepest area has its own drain port.

The following features of the dependent claims to claim 1 can be used in any manner individually or combined with the features of claim 1. This applies equally to the features of the subclaims to the method characterized in claim 10.

In the manner according to the invention, it is possible to use for the rapid supply of water through the feed path via a detergent chamber, which is rinsed in front of the main washing agent chamber. This is also advantageous if this detergent chamber itself was filled with a detergent, such as a prewash. For a prewash, the dosage of the detergent is regularly considerably lower, so that unlike the initial contact with main detergent no discoloration of the laundry is to be feared in the first flush of the prewash. In addition, by far the majority of washes today are operated without prewashing, so that the so-called pre-wash chamber is regularly unmarked, so free. Therefore, if the laundry can be used very quickly with a larger amount of detergent-free water over this route, the subsequent addition of main detergent will be harmless in terms of color fidelity of the laundry.

An advantageous development of the invention has partial surfaces which are separated from each other by raised ribs. As a result, larger amounts of water can be prevented from passing over on partial surfaces during a drop in length from which they pass into an undesired detergent feed line.

In a washing machine having more than two detergent chambers, it is advantageous if at least two detergent chambers are assigned to a common partial surface. Greater differentiation of the inlet routes is generally not required; With this development, manufacturing costs must therefore be saved. Thus, for example, the chambers for prewash, which is almost never charged, and for additive a common face be assigned so that a large volume of water can be introduced in a short time in the laundry drum on this way. The other part surface - here only two partial surfaces are provided - is assigned to the main washing agent chamber, from which the water-detergent mixture between the laundry drum and the tub is guided.

The drain connections are coupled in accordance with an advantageous development of the invention in different areas of the tub, so there is no undesirable feedback effects or mutual influences in the flushing of water and water-detergent mixture. Particularly advantageously, the first of the outflow connections should be guided to the rear region of the tub so that it is far away from the coupling of the second of the outflow connections in the front region of the tub, which is also provided according to another advantageous development.

In this case, the first discharge connection is connected via a detergent supply line in an upper region to the jacket of the tub, which has the advantage that when the laundry drum is running the water-detergent mixture rushing onto the drum shell is immediately intensively entangled, mixed and distributed. Furthermore, it is advantageous that even small amounts of water-detergent mixture through the flood holes in the jacket of the laundry drum occur and get in small portions on the laundry.

In a washing machine with a sleeve for fluid-tight connection of front openings in the tub and in the front wall of the machine housing, the second drain port is advantageously connected via a detergent supply line in an upper region of the sleeve.

A washing machine according to at least one of the above characteristics is operated according to claim 10 in an advantageous manner so that for the supply of fresh water and detergent and to provide a total amount of wash liquor in the course of the washing process, a first subset of fresh water via the Vorwaschmittelkammer is performed directly on the laundry, then while flushing the main detergent chamber, a second subset as a mixture of fresh water and main wash on one in the upper part of the Lye container coupled detergent supply line to the jacket of the laundry drum and to fill the total amount a third subset is performed as fresh water in a direct manner to the laundry.

For the provision of a total amount of rinsing liquor in a rinsing section of a washing program, according to an advantageous development of the method according to the invention, fresh water is passed exclusively to the laundry via the pre-washing agent chamber and directly, namely preferably via the rinsing through the cuff.

To provide a total amount of special treatment liquor, e.g. As a lye of water and fabric softener, a mixture of fresh water and additives on the additive chamber is preferably added directly to the laundry.

For the different subsets of feed water empirically to be determined values should be selected, which should preferably be between 4 and 7 liters for the first subset, between 5 and 7 liters for the second subset and at least 30 liters for the third subset.

Fig. 1

die Frontansicht der für die Zuführung von Wasser und Waschmittel rele- vanten Teile einer Waschmaschine,

Fig. 2

ein schematisch dargestelltes Arrangement für eine Waschmitteleinspülein- richtung und die Zuführung der jeweiligen Teilmengen zum Laugenbehälter bzw. zur Wäsche und

Fig. 3

eine schematische Frontansicht eines weiteren Ausführungsbeispieles für eine Waschmitteleinspüleinrichtung.

Reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawing, the invention is explained in more detail below. Show it

Fig. 1

the front view of the parts of a washing machine which are relevant for the supply of water and detergent,

Fig. 2

a schematically illustrated arrangement for a Waschmitteleinspülein- direction and the supply of the respective subsets to the tub or laundry and

Fig. 3

a schematic front view of another embodiment of a Waschmitteleinspüleinrichtung.

By thin lines the outer boundaries of a washing machine housing 1 are indicated, which has on the front side a filling opening 2 for feeding and discharging the laundry in the laundry drum 3. The laundry drum 3 - not visible in detail here - is enclosed by the tub 4 and rotatably mounted therein about a horizontal axis. The orientation of this bearing axis can also deviate from the horizontal. in the Generally this is a forward tilt of less than 15 ° selected. Accordingly, then the tub 4 is inclined with its feed opening 5.

For fluid-tight connection of the filling opening 2 in the machine housing 1 and the charging opening 5 in the tub 4 is a cuff 6, which allows a certain mobility of the tub 4 relative to the machine housing 1.

In the upper region of the machine housing 1, a Waschmitteleinspüleinrichtung 7 is arranged, which can be supplied from the rear side - not shown here - via supply lines with fresh water. For this purpose, the fresh water supply can be controlled by solenoid valves not shown by a program device at selected times or depending on the level.

The Waschmitteleinspüleinrichtung 7 has its own, housed in the machine housing 1 housing 8, which houses a drawer with a plurality of chambers for different detergents or additives (better in Fig. 3 to recognize). Below the chambers of the inserted drawer is the bottom surface 9 of the housing 8, which in the prior art has a uniform inclination to a drain port out. In any case, the bottom surface 9 is located as a collecting surface below the outlets of the detergent chambers. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the bottom surface 9 is divided into two faces 10 and 11, each having a different slope from the other.

The sub-surface 10 is - defined here - below the Vorwaschmittel- and the additive chamber and serves as a collecting surface for their contents or supplied by them fresh water. Their inclination runs towards the discharge connection 12, so that all the liquid which is supplied through the prewash agent chamber or the additive medium chamber reaches the discharge connection 12 via the bottom with the inclined partial surface 10. This is connected by means of a detergent supply line 14 with an inlet 16 of the sleeve 6.

The sub-surface 11 is - as defined here - arranged below the main detergent chamber and serves as a collecting surface for the mixture of fresh water and the main detergent. The inclination of the part surface 11 extends to the discharge port 13, so that all the liquid, through which the main washing agent is rinsed out of this chamber, passes via the bottom with the inclined part surface 11 to the discharge port 13. This is connected by means of a detergent supply line 15 with the tub 4 so that the inlet 17 passes the detergent-water mixture between the coats of the laundry drum 3 and the tub 4.

This in Fig. 2 illustrated embodiment of an inventively designed Waschmitteleinspüleinrichtung 7 accommodates in its housing 8 to a drawer 18 combined chambers 19, 20 and 21. The drawer is for feeding the open-top chambers with individual detergent portions to the front pulled out. In the operating position shown here are not visible outlets each chamber 19 to 21 above the outlet to the outlets 12 and 13 inclined partial surfaces 10 and 11 of the housing bottom. Thus, the outlets of the chambers 19 and 20 are above the partial surface 10, and the water supplied via them therefore reaches the outlet connection 12 and from there via the detergent supply line 14 to the inlet 16 on the sleeve 6.

The outlet of the main washing agent chamber 21, not visible here, lies above the partial surface 11, and the main detergent-water mixture leaving this chamber flows from the inclination of the partial surface 11 to the outlet connection 13 and from there via the detergent supply line 15 to the inlet 17 on the tub 4.

The fresh water can from the domestic water network 22 and controlled by the solenoid valves 23 and 24 with simple water jets 25 and 26, are connected in the usual way water jumps for Rücksaugsicherung, the prewash agent chamber 19 or the main washing agent chamber 21. If, however, both solenoid valves 23 and 24 are opened at the same time, a single (middle) resulting jet 27 is formed by the jets 25 and 26 emerging simultaneously from the magnetic valves, which impinges on the admixture chamber 20.

At the in Fig. 2 shown embodiment of a Waschmitteleinspüleinrichtung 7 invention, the two faces 10 and 11 on their adjacent sides by a rib 28 so separated from each other that bubbly from the chambers 19 to 21 leaking water can not pass into the adjacent part surface. As a result, it can be ensured that water leaving the chambers 19 and 20 flows only via the partial surface 10 to the drain port 12 and not to the drain port 13 or, conversely, water from the chamber 21 does not flow to the drain port 12. Such a rib 28 can also be used be formed only in that the common regions near the border of the faces 10 and 11 are provided with a greater slope than the other areas.

Notwithstanding the previous embodiments, a Waschmitteleinspüleinrichtung 7 according to Fig. 3 be formed in such a way that for each washing or additive chamber 19 to 21 a separate sub-surface 29 to 31 and a respective outlet port 32 to 34 is provided. This can be differentiated water or a mixture be introduced from water and detergent / additive at any time within a wash program in a separate area of the tub 4 or the washing drum 3. For this purpose, the sequence is 35 to 37 of each chamber 19 to 21 located above its own associated part surface 29 to 31.

Such a design of the Waschmitteleinspüleinrichtung 7 also allows for variants, if in one type of washing machines actually three (or more) different feeders should be provided in another type of washing machines but only two different feeds as in the examples of Fig. 1 and 2 should be provided. In the latter case, only a combination of the detergent supply lines 38 and 39 is required, which can then open together, for example, in the inlet 16. The detergent supply line 40 is then guided to the tub 4 analogously to the detergent supply line 15.

The washing machine according to the invention has several advantages over the prior art. Thus, the function of the Einspülmaßnahmen for the detergent held safer, because the rinse of detergents depending on the consistency of an adequate amount of water can be provided without having to take into account other functions. Due to the fast feeding of the water required for the main wash cycle, the laundry moved in the laundry drum is optimally protected and brought into contact with well distributed detergent as quickly as possible. This allows the active washing process to start earlier and the wash cycle and subsequent rinse cycles to be kept short, as otherwise can not be achieved. The rinses run thereby even more intense. An overflow of the flushing device can be avoided because one of the drain connections is certainly free to drain excess water. The ventilation of the tub 4 is given without additional ventilation duct, because one of the two detergent supply lines is guaranteed to be unoccupied. In addition, the ventilation is considerably safer, because the cross-section of the unoccupied detergent supply line is in any case greater than an additional ventilation line between approximately the Waschmitteleinspüleinrichtung and a high-lying part of a Abpumpleitung, as usual in the prior art.

Claims (15)

1. Washing machine with a controllable fresh water feed (22 to 24) for at least two washing agent chambers (19 to 21), which are arranged within a housing (8) of a washing agent flushing-in device (7) and have an outlet (35 to 37) for water or the mixture of washing agent and water, wherein the outlet opens onto a base surface (9) of the housing (8) which is inclined towards an outflow connection (12, 13) for a washing agent feed line (14, 15) to the solution container (4) of the washing machine, in which a laundry drum (3) is mounted to be at least approximately horizontal, characterised in that the base surface (9) is divided up into sub-surfaces (10, 11), which have inclinations oriented differently from at least one of the other sub-surfaces and departing from the horizontal, and each sub-surface (10, 11) is associated with at least one washing agent chamber (19 to 21) and has in its deepest region a individual outflow connection (12, 13).
2. Washing machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the sub-surfaces (10, 11) are separated from one another by elevated ribs (28).
3. Washing machine according to claim 1 with more than two washing agent chambers (19 to 21), characterised in that at least two washing agent chambers (19, 20) are associated with a common sub-surface (10).
4. Washing machine according to claim 3, characterised in that the washing agent flushing-in device (7) comprises a chamber (19) for pre-wash agent, a second chamber (21) for main washing agent and a third chamber (20) for an additive and that the chambers (19, 20) for the pre-wash agent and for the additive are associated with a common sub-surface (11).
5. Washing machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the outflow connections (12, 13) are coupled to the solution container (4) in different regions.
6. Washing machine according to claim 5, characterised in that the first (13) of the outflow connections is led to the rearward region of the solution container (4).
7. Washing machine according to claim 5, characterised in that the second (12) of the outflow connections is led to the front region of the solution container (4).
8. Washing machine according to claim 5, characterised in that the first outflow connection (13) is connected in an upper region with the casing of the solution container (4) by way of a washing agent feed line (15).
9. Washing machine according to claim 5 with a sleeve (6) for liquid-tight connection of frontal openings (2, 5) of the solution container (4) and the machine housing (1), characterised in that the second outflow connection (12) is connected in an upper region with the sleeve (6) by way of a washing agent feed line (14).
10. Method of operating a washing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that for the feed of fresh water and washing agent and for the provision of a total quantity of washing solution in the sequences of the washing process a first part quantity of fresh water is supplied in direct manner to the laundry by way of the pre-wash agent chamber (19), then, with flushing-out of the main washing agent chamber (21), a second part quantity as mixture of fresh water and main washing agent is supplied to the casing of the laundry drum (3) by way of a washing agent feed line (15) coupled in the upper region of the solution container (4) and, for filling up to the total quantity, a third part quantity as fresh water is supplied in direct manner to the laundry.
11. Method according to claim 10, characterised in that, for provision of a total quantity of rinsing solution, fresh water is supplied in direct manner to the laundry by way of the pre-wash agent chamber (19).
12. Method according to claim 10, characterised in that, for provision of a total quantity of special treatment solution, a mixture of fresh water and additive is added in direct manner to the laundry by way of the additive chamber (20).
13. Method according to claim 10, characterised in that the first part quantity is between 4 and 7 litres.
14. Method according to claim 10, characterised in that the second part quantity is between 5 and 7 litres.
15. Method according to claim 10, characterised in that the third part quantity is at least 30 litres.

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