EP2386676B1 - Method for wet treating articles of laundry - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for the wet treatment of laundry according to the preamble of claim 1 (see DE-B-1 033 627 ). Laundry items are rinsed after washing and then dehydrated. During dewatering, the rinsing liquid bound in the items of laundry, the so-called bound liquor, is removed as far as possible. The invention relates both to laundry centrifuges which rinse and dewash the laundry items, and to washer-extractors which also wash the laundry items.

In laundry centrifuges coming from a washing machine laundry with still bound clear wash liquid are first spun to free the laundry from a large part of the bound clear wash. In this case, a rotating drum is driven at such a high speed that the laundry items are pressed by their centrifugal force from the inside against the cylindrical surface of the drum. This forms a circumferential wash ring on the inside of the drum. In principle, the laundry items are treated in washer extractors as well. Only the washing takes place in the washer-extractor before rinsing and draining.

For example, in the case of sleeve garments, such as shirts, it is possible for the ends of the sleeves to be incorporated at opposite locations of the scrubber ring, for example by being interlaced with other laundry items of the scrubber string. The body part of the laundry is then located in the free interior of the laundry. With increasing speed of the drum, the laundry items are pressed more strongly against the inner wall of the drum, causing the Inner diameter of the scrubber ring enlarged. Here, especially in larger laundry centrifuges and washer extractors, as they are mainly used in commercial laundries, the body part through which stretched at opposite points of the scrubber in the same intertwined ends of the sleeves.

Before rinsing still exists in the laundry still existing Klarwaschflüssigkeit, which is slippery due to their treatment additives, especially laundry additives, excessive stretching of the body part, because the sleeve ends give way by so far from the Wäschering due to the remaining in the laundry pieces slippery final wash slip out that the body of the garment remains unaffected.

After the clear wash liquid is largely removed by spinning out of the laundry, done by adding fresh water rinsing the laundry items. This is done so far at such a low rotational speed of the drum that the Wäschering coincides, namely collapses. If, subsequent to this, to drain the laundry, that is, to remove the rinsing liquid, the rotational speed of the drum is increased again, the laundry ring is formed again. If it again comes to the storage of the ends of the sleeve, for example, a shirt in opposite places of the scrubber, this has again an extension of the body part inside the scrubber result, the inner diameter of the scrubber ring increases with increasing speed of the drum. Because the rinsing liquid to be removed no longer contains any washing additives, the ends of the sleeves can no longer slip out of them as the inner diameter of the scrubbing ring increases. The result is that in practice destruction of items of laundry, in particular shirts, occur due to excessive stretching of the body part by the sleeve ends enclosed at opposite points in the laundry ring.

From the EP 2 287 378 A1 is the wet treatment of laundry by at least rinsing and dewatering the same in a rotating drivable drum known. This forms during washing a wash ring in the drum. During subsequent dewatering, the drum is driven at such reduced speed that the wash ring collapses. The reduced speed of the drum allows only an insufficient drainage. Furthermore, it is provided in this known wet treatment to perform the rinsing in several successive rinsing steps. Before each rinsing step, therefore, the laundry ring must be rebuilt again. In the last rinsing steps, in which already a large part of the rinsing liquid is removed from the laundry, it may therefore come when rebuilding the scrubber to excessive stretching of the laundry.

From the DE 1 033 627 It is known to facilitate the loading of a central rod having a drum in which a laundry ring is formed, that the rod can rotate when rotating the drum to the side. This document contains no information on how and when the laundry ring is used up and how long it will be maintained.

The object of the invention is to provide a process for the wet treatment of items of laundry that is gentle on the items to be washed and, in particular, destroys the items of laundry reliably.

A method for solving the problem comprises the measures of claim 1. Accordingly, it is provided that a laundry ring from the laundry items to be treated during the rotary drive of the drum for the initial removal of the washing liquid, in particular the final wash liquid, is constructed from the laundry items. The laundry ring is thereby formed at the beginning of the wet treatment, wherein at opposite points of the scrubber in the same embedded different areas of the laundry do not cause the same, because the washing in the wash or wash liquid still present laundry additives give the laundry a certain lubricity, causing the areas in the wash ring embedded areas, such as sleeves, the laundry items are pulled so far from the inside of the scrubbing part of the laundry item from the laundry that the laundry located in the laundry part is not stretched so far that it thereby in any Could be affected.

During the wet treatment, the circulating wash ring is supported on the circumference of the drum of the laundry centrifuge or washer-extractor. As a result, the laundry ring resulting in particular during the removal of the washing treatment liquid does not collapse during the subsequent rinsing of the laundry items. The wash ring thus remains maintained during rinsing, whereby it does not need to be rebuilt for subsequent dewatering of the laundry items. As a result, during dewatering, there can be no impairment, in particular no destruction, of items of laundry which are fixed at opposite points in the laundry ring and thereby inside the laundry are spread. The laundry in the opposite holding parts of the piece of laundry concerned are so far removed from the washing ring during the removal of the washing liquid, that in the ensuing after rinsing dewatering the laundry can not be stretched excessively.

The process according to the invention proceeds in such a way that the items of laundry rest continuously on the circumference of the drum until the end of the dehydration. The laundry ring is thereby maintained over all phases of the wet treatment, namely the separation of the bound liquor from the previous wash, in particular clear laundry, the laundry items, the rinsing and the subsequent dewatering to remove the bound rinse liquid from the laundry as far as possible. It is thus prevented that after rinsing a new laundry must be built, with a piece of laundry is excessively stretched.

Furthermore, it is preferably provided to reduce the speed of the drum when rinsing the laundry items. However, the speed when rinsing the items of laundry is only so far reduced that the washing ring formed during the previous removal of the washing liquid is maintained, and preferably remains completely intact, and does not collapse, ie collapses. At most, the volume of the scrubber may increase slightly by reducing its internal diameter. In the construction of the scrubbing a itself inside the same extending laundry remains so spread even when rinsing inside the garment by the spreading of the laundry causing parts are held at different, preferably opposite, points in the wash ring even when flushing at a reduced speed of the drum , If, after rinsing, the rotational speed of the drum for removing the bound rinsing liquid from the laundry items is increased, the inner diameter of the laundry ring does not increase more than was the case when removing the washing liquid. As a result, in the final dewatering of the items of laundry, there is no risk of excessive stretching or stretching of the at least one item of laundry located or slightly stretched in the interior of the laundry. The laundry item is no longer stretched when removing the bound rinsing liquid than when removing the bound washing liquid, where due to the case still slippery laundry items hanging in the interior of Wäscherings piece of laundry could be stretched only in a laundry not impairing scope.

In a preferred embodiment of the method, the speed of the drum during rinsing of the laundry items is selected such that the laundry items are pressed while maintaining the voltage applied to the inside of the circumference of the drum scrubbing at least with the simple acceleration of gravity against the drum. This at least simple gravitational acceleration acts on the items of laundry at the inner diameter of the scrubber, where the force exerted on the laundry centrifugal force is less than the voltage applied to the inside of the drum outer diameter of the scrubber.

The speed of the drum during rinsing can be between 2 times and 10 times the acceleration due to gravity. In particular, the speed of the drum is selected when rinsing that on the laundry items in the laundry ring on average the 2½-fold to 4-fold acceleration of gravity is exercised. It has been shown that at the speeds mentioned or the centrifugal forces exerted on the items of laundry during rinsing, the washing ring is maintained under all circumstances, that is, it does not collapse when rinsing.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the method, the drum is driven at a speed during dewatering, which corresponds approximately to the rotational speed of the drum during the initial removal of the washing liquid from the laundry. The maximum speed of the drum can also be slightly higher, preferably up to 20%, than the rotational speed of the drum when removing the washing liquid. In any case, it is also prevented that when draining a laundry stretched hanging in the laundry ring overstretched or even torn.

Fig. 1

einen Querschnitt durch eine schematisch dargestellte kombinierte Spül- und Entwässerungseinrichtung, und

Fig. 2

die Spül- und Entwässerungseinrichtung der Fig. 1 mit einem in derselben hängenden Wäschestück.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. In this show:

Fig. 1

a cross section through a schematically illustrated combined rinsing and drainage device, and

Fig. 2

the rinsing and drainage device of Fig. 1 with one in the same hanging laundry.

The invention will be explained below in connection with a device only shown schematically in the figures for rinsing and dewatering laundry items. In this device shown in the figures is a laundry centrifuge for commercial laundries, in which the laundry items are only rinsed and dehydrated, but not washed. The laundry items may be any laundry items 10. In the Fig. 2 a shirt 11 is shown, which occupies an occasional special, namely spread out, orientation in the laundry centrifuge.

The laundry centrifuge shown has a cylindrical drum 12 with a water-permeable, preferably perforated, lateral surface 13. The drum 12 is rotationally drivable about its longitudinal central axis 19, so that the longitudinal central axis 19 of the axis of rotation of the drum 12 corresponds. The drum 12 is provided at one end face with an almost full-surface opening 14 and closed at an opposite end side by a drum base 15th

The rotatable drum 12 is surrounded by a fixed, non-rotatable housing 16. The housing 16 has a water-impermeable, likewise cylindrical housing shell 17. The front side of the housing 16, which is adjacent to the opening 14 in the drum 12, is also provided with a preferably circular opening 18. This opening 18 can be closed by a door, not shown in the figures. Through the opened opening 18 in the housing 16 and the opening 14 in an end face of the drum 12, the drum 12 can be loaded by the way with washed laundry items 10, wherein the laundry items 10 with the so-called bound liquor, namely washing liquid, in particular clear wash liquid loaded. Through the openings 14 and 18, the rinsed and dehydrated laundry items 10 are discharged from the drum 12. The opening 18 opposite the front side of the housing 16 is provided with a closed, waterproof housing bottom 20. On the housing bottom 20 is a bearing 21, in which the rotatable drum 12 is rotatably mounted with its drum base 15. On the outside of the housing bottom 20, a drive 22 for the drum 12 is arranged. The drive 22 may sit on the bearing 21 or the bearing 21 may be integrated into the drive 22.

The liquid-tight fixed housing 16 is dimensioned so that it surrounds the drum 12 with a sufficient distance, so that the drum 12 can rotate freely in the housing 16, without touching the housing shell 17 in particular. For this purpose, the drum 12 surrounds a circumferential gap space 23 between the lateral surface 13 and the housing shell 17th

The invention is also suitable for combined rinsing-drainage devices in which both end faces in the drum 12 and the housing 16 are closed and instead at least one closable opening is provided both in the lateral surface 13 of the drum 12 and in the housing shell 17 of the housing 16 ,

The drum 12 is loaded with the door open of the housing 16 through the openings 14 and 18 with washed laundry items 10 by the way. This can be done with standing drum 12, but also with rotating driven drum 12. The laundry items 10 coming from a washing machine still have, as a bound liquor, washing liquid, in particular clear wash liquid, with remaining washing additives which render the items of laundry 10 smooth or slippery on the surface.

By spinning the laundry items 10 in the drum 12, the bound liquor is largely separated from the laundry items 10. For this purpose, the drum 12 is driven to rotate at high speed. This speed is so great that the laundry items 10 are exposed in the drum 12 to more than 100 times the gravitational acceleration. Preferably, the laundry items are subjected to 400 times to 800 times the acceleration due to gravity during the separation of the bound final wash liquid.

As the rotational speed of the drum 12 increases, the items of laundry 10 impinge on the lateral surface 13 due to centrifugal force. This creates on the inside of the drum 12, a circulating wash ring 24 of adjoining and partially entangled laundry items 10. With increasing speed of the drum 12, the laundry items 10 are pressed more strongly against the lateral surface 13 of the drum 12, whereby the laundry ring 24 is thinner, itself namely the inner diameter of the same increases.

When removing the clear wash liquor from the laundry items 10, it may happen that during the construction of the laundry ring 24 at different locations, in particular at approximately opposite locations of the laundry ring 24, parts of a laundry item 10, for example ends of the sleeves 25 of the shirt 11, are embedded in the laundry ring 24 to be interwoven. Then there is a body portion 26 of the shirt 11 with outstretched sleeves 25 in the space surrounding the laundry ring 24 27. This is in the Fig. 2 shown. As a result of the embedding of the sleeve ends at different locations in the wash ring 24, the body portion 26 is spread out by the sleeves 25 or suspended stretched in the interior 27 of the scrubber ring 24. As the rotational speed of the drum 12 increases, the centrifugal force exerted on the laundry items 10 becomes larger, as a result of which the laundry ring 24 becomes thinner and increases its internal diameter. As a result, the sleeve ends held in the wash ring 24, and preferably at opposite locations, are moved apart, especially in spin dryers for commercial laundries having a relatively large diameter drum 12, and the body portion 26 of the shirt 11 is further stretched. However, because the washing liquid to be removed from the laundry items 10 by centrifuging, preferably clear wash liquid, makes the laundry items slippery on the surface, as the rotational speed of the drum 12 increases, the sleeve ends slip out of the laundry ring 24 causing excessive stretching of the body member 26 and also the sleeves 25 of the shirt 11 is omitted. As a result, 10 impairments of a stretched in the interior 27 of the laundry 24 hanging shirt 11 are not possible when removing the clear wash liquid from the laundry.

While in the removal of the clear wash liquid from the laundry items 10, the drum 12 is driven at high speeds at which the laundry pieces 10 can act 400 times to 800 times the acceleration of gravity, the subsequent rinsing takes place at a significantly reduced speed of the drum 12th According to the invention, the speed of the drum 12 for rinsing but only to reduce so far that the wash ring 24 does not collapse, so the laundry 11 continues to adhere to the lateral surface 13 of the drum 12, as in the Fig. 1 and 2 is shown. The maintenance of the scrubbing ring 24 is ensured when the drum 12 is driven during rinsing at such a speed that acts on the laundry items 10 in the laundry ring 24, the at least 1-fold acceleration due to gravity. Preferably, a slightly higher speed is selected, namely a speed of the drum 12, in which acts on the laundry items 10 in the laundry ring 24, the 2- to 10-fold acceleration due to gravity. Particularly preferred is a 2.5-fold to 5-fold gravitational acceleration. Since the centrifugal force acting on the laundry articles 10 at the inner diameter and the outer diameter of the scrubbing ring 24 is different, the above-mentioned indications of Erdbeschleunigungswerten are minimum values that occur at the smaller inner diameter of the scrubbing ring 24 at a corresponding speed of the drum 12.

As a result of the maintenance of the scrubber 24 during rinsing remains in the interior 27 is stretched laundry 10, in accordance with the Fig. 2 the body portion 26 of the shirt 11, stretched out in the interior 27 hang. The shirt 11 also keeps the rinse in the Fig. 2 shown stretched position in the interior 27 of the scrubber 24 at, as well as the wash ring 24th

When rinsing the items of laundry 10, a liquid serving as a rinse, in particular fresh water, is introduced into the drum 12 by means of a rinsing lance 28 shown schematically in the figures through the openings 14 and 18. By the rotating drive of the drum 12 when rinsing the laundry ring 24, but also the stretched in the interior 27 thereof held shirt 11, wetted with fresh water or other rinsing liquid. The laundry items 10 and also the shirt 11 absorb the rinsing liquid. In the laundry items 10 not bound rinsing liquid is removed entraining entrainment by the liquid-permeable drum 12 and derived from the housing 16.

The remaining after rinsing in the laundry items 10 bound rinse liquid is by subsequent dewatering of the laundry items 10 (and also Most of the shirt 11) is removed. For this purpose, the rotational speed of the drum 12 is increased again, so that acts on the laundry items 10 during dewatering more than 100 times the gravitational acceleration. The speed of the drum 12 can be increased so far during dewatering that - as before rinsing - acts on the laundry 10, the 400- to 800-fold acceleration due to gravity.

Preferably, the speed of the drum 12 when dewatering the laundry items 10 (and also the shirt 11) is not or at least not appreciably greater than the rotational speed of the drum 12 when removing the bound washing liquid, in particular clear wash liquid from the laundry items 10 and the shirt 11th Therefore, it is advantageous to drive the drum 12 when dewatering the laundry items 10 at about the same speed as when removing the washing liquid from the laundry items 10. Optionally, the speed of the drum when dewatering the laundry items 10 may be slightly larger than the deposition of the washing liquid, and though up to 20%. It has been shown that the shirt 11 or another item of laundry 10 extending through the interior 27 of the laundry ring 24 is not excessively stretched and thus not impaired during drainage or even torn.

With increasing drainage of the laundry items 10, the laundry ring 24 becomes thinner, that is, an inner diameter increases. Because after washing the laundry items 10 are no longer slippery due to the previous deposition of detergent additives on the surface, when dewatering embedded on opposite sides of the scrubber 24 sleeve ends of extending through the interior 27 of the scrubber 24 shirt 11 can no longer from the laundry ring 24 slip out.

Since the shirt 11 already on removal of the bound washing liquid, in particular clear wash liquid from the laundry items 10 in the Fig. 2 shown spread position in the interior 27 of the scrubber 24 has taken where the sleeve ends have been pulled out as far as the slippery laundry items 10 from the laundry ring 24, that of the held at opposite points in the laundry ring 24 sleeve ends in particular the torso portion 26 of the shirt 11 is not excessive is stretched, as a result of the maintenance of the scrubber 24 during rinsing even when draining the laundry items 10 no excessive stretching of the shirt 11, in particular of the body portion 26 and lying in the interior 27 of the scrubber 24 portions of the sleeve 25 instead. As a result, even when dewatering the laundry items 10 damage to the interior 27 of the scrubber 24 spread out held shirt 11 or other laundry excluded.

The method according to the invention described above is also suitable for washer-extractors for commercial laundries. The inventive method can also be used in laundry centrifuges and washer extractors for non-commercial purposes, in which there is also the risk of adverse effects stretched in the interior of a laundry rings hanging laundry.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

laundry

11

shirt

12

drum

13

lateral surface

14

opening

15

drumhead

16

casing

17

housing jacket

18

opening

19

Longitudinal central axis

20

caseback

21

camp

22

drive

23

gap

24

laundering ring

25

sleeve

26

body part

27

inner space

28

flushing lance

Claims (8)

1. Method for the wet treatment of items of laundry (10) by at least rinsing and removing water from the same, the items of laundry (10) being at least rinsed and having water removed from them in a drum (12) that is driven in a rotating manner at different speeds by taking the form of a ring of laundry (24) that circulates and is supported on the circumference of the drum (12), characterized in that the speed of the drum (12) is chosen such that during the wet treatment the ring of laundry (24) is maintained in such a way that the ring of laundry (24) that is built up during the rotational driving of the drum (12) for initial removal of the washing liquid from the items of laundry is maintained over all the phases of the wet treatment.
2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the items of laundry (10) lie against the inner side of a lateral surface (13) of the drum (12) uninterruptedly until the removal of water from them has been completed.
3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the ring of laundry (24) is built up during the rotational driving of the drum (12) for initial removal of the main wash liquor from the items of laundry (10).
4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the speed of the drum (12) is reduced during the rinsing, but only reduced to the extent that the ring of laundry (24) is still maintained during the rinsing of the items of laundry (10) .
5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the speed of the drum (12) during the rinsing of the items of laundry (10) is such that the items of laundry (10) are forced against the lateral surface (13) of the drum (12) at least with one times gravitational acceleration while maintaining the ring of laundry (24) against the inner side of the lateral surface (13) of the drum (12).
6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drum (12) is driven during the rinsing at such a speed that the items of laundry (10) are forced against the lateral surface (13) of the drum (12) with a maximum of 10 times gravitational acceleration.
7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drum (12) is driven during the rinsing of the items of laundry (10) at such a speed that the items of laundry (10) are forced against the lateral surface (13) of the drum (12) with 2 to 8 times gravitational acceleration, preferably 2½ to 5 times gravitational acceleration.
8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the speed of the drum (12) during the removal of water from the items of laundry (10) is approximately equal to or up to 20% greater than the speed of the drum (12) during the removal of the washing liquid, in particular the main wash liquor, from the items of laundry (10).

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