EP2085507A1

EP2085507A1 - Laundry treatment method and electrical appliance implementing the same

Info

Publication number: EP2085507A1
Application number: EP09100049A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Aifen Chen; Chaoyang Wang; Min Wu
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2008-01-31
Filing date: 2009-01-20
Publication date: 2009-08-05
Anticipated expiration: 2029-01-20
Also published as: CN101498089A; CN101498089B; EP2085507B1

Abstract

A laundry treatment method comprises a step performing spinning process by using a washing machine (1), and a step performing drying process. The washing machine comprises a tub (2), a drum (3), and a blower (4). The drum comprises plurality of through holes (10) formed in walls (9) thereof. A supplemental process is implemented between the spinning process and the drying process. The supplemental process comprises a step that activates the blower to blow airflow into the tub and subsequently into the drum through the through holes. An electrical appliance for treating laundry comprises a control device which is programmed to be operable to implement the supplemental process.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for treating laundry. The method comprises a step performing a spinning process by using a washing machine, and a step performing a drying process, wherein the washing machine comprises a tub, a drum rotatable positioned within the tub, and a blower for blowing airflow into the tub, wherein the drum comprises plurality of through holes formed in walls thereof. The present invention also relates to an electrical appliance.
People usually use washing machines to wash, dehydrate, and dry laundry. It is well known that the process of washing laundry usually comprises washing, rinsing, and spinning processes. While a washing machine, or sometimes called a washer-dryer, which has a function of drying also comprises a process for drying the laundry. The process is optional to be selected by the user.
A drum type washing machine typically comprises a tub and a drum for containing laundry. The drum is positioned within the tub, and is operable to be driven by a motor to rotate around a shaft. Rotation of the drum drives the laundry to rotate therewith. Meanwhile lifters which are positioned on inner wall of the drum continually lift the laundry and water to a certain height, and then threw them down, thereby to clean the laundry. Hereafter, a rinsing process, and subsequently a spinning process are implemented. To obtain a good dehydrating rate, the drum should rotate at a relatively high speed in the spinning process. As a result, the laundry usually sticks on inner wall of the drum after the spinning process, which results in deformation and wrinkles of the laundry. To reduce the deformation and wrinkles, it is known to rotate the drum at a lower speed, to reduce the spinning time, or to divide the spinning process into several portions. But those methods will result in reduce of dehydrating rate, or need more time.
In case of a washing machine having drying feature and a drying process is selected, since the laundry stick on inner wall of the drum after the spinning process, in the beginning of the drying process, only a portion of the laundry are released from the inner wall of the drum with rotation of the drum, the rest portion still stick on the inner wall. During drying process, the hot air contacts surface portion of the laundry that still stick on the drum, and can not reach the inside portion thereof, which influences drying efficiency. Furthermore, the surface portion of the laundry which stick on inner wall of the drum is continuously heated by the hot air, and thus will cause damages. To release the laundry from the inner wall of the drum, it is known to rotate the drum before drying process. But this method only releases surface portion of the laundry, there are still some laundry stick on the inner wall of the drum. And even those released laundry usually stick and twist to each other, which influence drying efficiency.
Moreover, even with a washing machine which has drying function, users may sometimes do not select drying process, and dry the laundry by airing after spinning process. And sometimes they even leave the dehydrated laundry in the drum for a long time, which causes serious wrinkles. And the deformation that caused due to high rotation speed of the drum during the spinning process will not be eliminated automatically after maintained for a long time.
An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment method which reduces wrinkles that created after spinning process of a washing machine.
Another object of the present invention is, when a washing machine having drying function is used during treatment of laundry, and when drying process is selected, to enhance drying efficiency, and meanwhile to avoid heating damage to the laundry.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an electrical appliance which reduces wrinkles created after spinning process, enhances drying efficiency, and avoids heating damages caused to the laundry.
In accordance with the invention, a laundry treatment method is provided which comprises a step performing a spinning process by using a washing machine, and a step performing a process for drying the laundry, wherein said washing machine comprises a tub, a drum rotatable positioned within the tub, and a blower for blowing airflow into the tub, wherein the drum comprises plurality of through holes formed in walls thereof, a supplemental process is implemented between the spinning process and the process for drying the laundry, and the supplemental process comprises a step that activates the blower to blow airflow into the tub and subsequently into the drum through the through holes.
The airflow that is blown by the blower during the supplemental step will impact on the laundry through the through holes, thereby to release the laundry from inner wall of the drum. The airflow will then release and loosen the pieces of the laundry from sticking to each other. The wrinkles and deformation are thereby reduced.
The supplemental process is separate of the drying process. Distinct from the drying process the supplemental process is scheduled to release the laundry from sticking to the drum after the spinning process having completed the washing step, and to loosen tight folds imparted to the laundry during the spinning process.
In accordance with the invention, the laundry released and loosened during the supplemental process will make it easy for hot air to contact each portion of the laundry during the subsequent drying process, thus to enhance drying efficiency. Moreover, since the laundry tumble with rotating of the drum after being released from sticking, each portion thereof contacts with the hot air alternately, which results in that there is not any portion of the laundry will contact the hot air for a long time, and therefore no heating damage will be caused.
Preferably, in the supplemental process, during the step when the blower blows airflow into said tub and said drum, the drum is rotating at a predetermined speed. Rotating of the drum facilitates releasing and loosening of the laundry.
Preferably, in the supplemental process, said drum rotates alternating forward and reversely, which facilitates releasing and loosening of the laundry.
Preferably, said predetermined speed is between 35 rounds per minute and 60 rounds per minute.
Preferably, said washing machine comprises a heating device, said method comprises a step for activating the heating device to heat the air which is being supplied to the tub and the drum by the blower during the supplemental process. The heated air facilitates reducing of the wrinkles, and is propitious to drying of the laundry at the same time.
Preferably, to avoid damages that may caused to the laundry and washing machines by excessively high temperature, the air that is heated by the heating device has a temperature not higher than 50 °C.
Preferably, in the supplemental process, the blower supplies air into said tub and said drum for a period of time t which is 3 to 15 minutes.
In a more preferable embodiment of the method according to the invention, the washing machine comprises a heating device and a condensing device, the drying process comprises a step that activates the heating device to heat air, a step that activates the blower to blow the heated air into the tub and the drum, and a step that activates the condensing device to condense steam carried by the air flows from the tub and the drum.
Still more preferable, the supplemental process is separate of the drying process.
Yet more preferable, the condensing device is not activated in the supplemental process.
In accordance with the present invention, an electrical appliance for treating laundry is provided, which appliance comprises a tub, a drum positioned within the tub and having plurality of through holes formed on walls thereof, a motor for driving the drum to rotate, a blower for blowing airflow into the tub, and a control device, wherein the control device is such configured that it is operable to be programmed to control implementing of a spinning process and a drying process. The control device controls implementing of a supplemental process after the spinning process, said supplemental process is separate of the drying process, and during the supplemental process, the control device activates the blower to blow airflow into the tub and subsequently into the drum through the through holes.
With such an electrical appliance, the airflow that is blown by the blower will impact on the laundry through the through holes, and thereby to release the laundry from inner wall of the drum. The airflow will then release and loosen the laundry from sticking to each other.
The wrinkles and deformation are thereby reduced. On the other hand, the released and loosened laundry make it easy for hot air to contact each portion of the laundry, thus to enhance drying efficiency. Moreover, since the laundry tumble with rotating of the drum after being released from sticking, each portion thereof contacts with the hot air alternately, which results in that there is not any portion of the laundry will contact the hot air for a long time, and therefore no heating damage will be caused.
Preferably, the supplemental process is implemented between the spinning process and the drying process.
Preferably, the electrical appliance comprises a condensing device, the control device is programmed that during the supplemental process, the condensing device is not activated.
Preferably, the electrical appliance comprises a condensing device, wherein said control device is programmed that during the supplemental process, the condensing device is not activated.
Preferably, said control device is programmed that during the supplemental process, the control device controls the motor to drive the drum to rotate.
Preferably, said control device is programmed that during the supplemental process, the control device controls the motor to drive said drum to rotate alternating forward and reversely.
Preferably, said control device is programmed that during the supplemental process, the blower is controlled by the control device to supply airflow into said tub and said drum for a period of time t which is 3 to 15 minutes.
Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention will be specified hereinafter accompanied with drawings as illustrated, wherein:

Fig.1 is a schematic view of a washing machine.
Fig.2 is a flow chart of a control method of a washing machine.

A washing machine accompanied with drying function is introduced. Referring to Fig. 1, the washing machine 1 comprises a tub 2, a drum 3 positioned within the tub 2 and is driven by a motor 12 to rotate in a high speed. A heating device 5 is positioned above the tub 2 with one end introducing the heated air into the tub 2 and the drum 3 and another end being disposed with a blower 4 for providing air into the heating device 5. A condensing device 6 is disposed at the backside of the tub 2. The condensing device 6 has a first side connecting to an exhaust opening 7 of the tub 2, and a second side connecting to the blower 4. The blower 4, the heating device 5, the tub 2, the drum 3, and the condensing device 6 form a close air cycling loop 8. The washing machine 1 further comprises a control device 11, which electrically connects to and is programmed to control the motor 12, the blower 4, the heating device 5 and the condensing device 6.
Generally, the blower 4, the heating device 5 and the condensing device 6 is only used for drying process of the washing machine 1. In other embodiments, the air cycling loop 8 may not comprise heating device 5 and/or condensing device 6.
Referring to Fig. 1 and 2, the portion in dot line is those steps which may not be performed. Control method for the washing machine 1 is as set forth below: The control device 11 implements washing, rinsing, and spinning process, or implements spinning process separately according to the instruction inputted by the user. During the spinning process, the control device 11 controls motor 12 to drive the drum 3 to rotate at a high speed. Following the spinning process, a supplemental process is implemented. During the supplemental process, the blower 4 is activated under controlling of the control device 11 to blow airflow into the tub 2, and subsequently onto the laundry which are sticking on inner wall of the drum 3 through through-holes 10 that formed on wall 9 of the drum 3. Impacted by the airflow, the laundry are released from inner wall of the drum 3, and are loosened from each other. Generally, in the supplemental process, the condensing device 6 is not activated.
During the supplemental process when the blower 4 is activated to blow airflow into the tub 2 and the drum 3, the motor 12 is controlled by the control device 11 to drive the drum 3 to rotate at a predetermined speed which is between 35 rounds per minute and 60 rounds per minute. Preferably, the drum 3 rotates alternating forward and reversely.
The heating device 5 is activated under controlling of the control device 11 to heat the air provided to the tub 2 and the drum 3. The air that is heated by the heating device 5 is suitable to have a temperature not higher than a predetermined temperature which is 50 °C such that it may improve the effect of wrinkles removing and meanwhile prevents damage that may be caused to the laundry and the washing machine 1 due to excessively high temperature.
Rotation of the drum 3, operation of the heating device 5, and operation of the blower 4 may proceed at the same time, or operation of the blower 4 proceeds with any one of the operation of the heating device 5 and rotation of the drum 3.
As a preferred embodiment, in the supplemental process, the blower 4 blows airflow into the tub 2 and the drum 3 for a period of time t which is 3 to 15 minutes.
After the supplemental process, the laundry in the drum 3 is still wet, such that a process for drying the laundry should be induced to dry the laundry. The process for drying laundry has many different manners, for instance, users may take the laundry out of the drum 3 to dry them by airing, or to select drying process of the washing machine 1.
The drying process of the washing machine 1 comprises the following operations: The control device 11 is programmed to control the motor 12 to drive the drum 3 to rotate; the control device 11 activates the heating device 5 to heat air; the control device 11 activates the blower 4 to blow the heated air into the tub 2 and the drum 3; and the control device 11 activates the condensing device 6 to condense steam carried by the air flows from the tub 2 and the drum 3.
The supplemental process is separate of the drying process. And in case a drying process is selected, the supplemental process is implemented after the spinning process and before the drying process.
During the supplemental process, the heated air is blown under promoting of the blower 4 into the tub 2 and the drum 3. Due to the impact of the airflow, the laundry which stick on inner wall of the drum 3 is released, and such as to reduce the wrinkles and deformation of the laundry which are created during the spinning process, what ever after being dried by airing or by the washing machine. And if the laundry are dried by the washing machine, in the drying process, since the laundry have released from inner wall of the drum 3 and loosened from each other, each portion thereof contacts with the hot air alternately and relatively equably, which results in high drying efficiency, and heating damage is avoided.
The foregoing disclosure of preferred embodiments has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. The present invention should be construed to cover modifications and variations of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention that within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

A laundry treatment method, comprising a step performing a spinning process by using a washing machine, and a step performing a process for drying the laundry, wherein said washing machine (1) comprises a tub (2), a drum (3) rotatable positioned within the tub (2), and a blower (4) for blowing airflow into the tub (2), wherein the drum (3) comprises plurality of through holes (10) formed in walls (9) thereof,
characterized in that: a supplemental process is implemented between the spinning process and the process for drying the laundry, and the supplemental process comprises a step that activates the blower (4) to blow airflow into the tub (2) and subsequently into the drum (3) through the through holes (10).
A method according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the supplemental process, during the step when the blower (4) blows airflow into said tub (2) and said drum (3), the drum (3) is rotating at a predetermined speed.
A method according to claim 2, characterized in that, in the supplemental process, said drum (3) rotates alternating forward and reversely.
A method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, said predetermined speed is between 35 rounds per minute and 60 rounds per minute.
A method according to any preceding claim, characterized in that, said washing machine (1) comprises a heating device (5), said method comprises a step for activating the heating device (5) to heat the air which is being supplied to the tub (2) and the drum (3) by the blower (4) during the supplemental process.
A method according to claim 5, characterized in that, the air that is heated by the heating device (5) has a temperature not higher than 50 °C.
A method according to any preceding claim, characterized in that, in the supplemental process, the blower (4) supplies air into said tub (2) and said drum (3) for a period of time t which is 3 to 15 minutes.
A method according to any preceding claim, characterized in that, the washing machine (1) comprises a heating device (5) and a condensing device (6), the drying process comprises a step that activates the heating device (5) to heat air, a step that activates the blower (4) to blow the heated air into the tub (2) and the drum (3), and a step that activates the condensing device (6) to condense steam carried by the air flows from the tub (2) and the drum (3).
A method according to claim 8, characterized in that, the supplemental process is separate of the drying process.
A method according to claim 9, characterized in that, in the supplemental process, the condensing device (6) is not activated.
An electrical appliance for treating laundry, comprising:
a tub (2),

a drum (3) positioned within the tub (2) and having plurality of through holes (10) formed on walls (9) thereof,

a motor (12) for driving the drum (3) to rotate,

a blower (4) for blowing airflow into the tub (2), and

a control device (11),
wherein the control device (11) is configured that it is operable to be programmed to control implementing of a spinning process and a drying process,
characterized in that the control device (11) controls implementing of a supplemental process after the spinning process, said supplemental process is separate of the drying process, and during the supplemental process, the control device (11) activates the blower (4) to blow airflow into the tub (2) and subsequently into the drum (3) through the through holes (10).
An electrical appliance according to claim 11, characterized in that, the supplemental process is implemented between the spinning process and the drying process.
An electrical appliance according to one of claims 11 and 12, characterized in that, it comprises a condensing device (6), said control device (11) is programmed that during the supplemental process, the condensing device (6) is not activated.
An electrical appliance according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that, said control device (11) is programmed that during the supplemental process, the control device (11) controls the motor (12) to drive the drum (3) to rotate.
An electrical appliance according to claim 14, characterized in that, said control device (11) is programmed that during the supplemental process, the control device (11) controls the motor (12) to drive said drum (3) to rotate alternatingly forward and reversely.
An electrical appliance according to one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that, said control device (11) is programmed that during the supplemental process, the blower (4) is controlled by the control device (11) to supply airflow into said tub (2) and said drum (3) for a period of time t which is 3 to 15 minutes.