EP2678468A1

EP2678468A1 - Washing machine with selectively extractable filter

Info

Publication number: EP2678468A1
Application number: EP12711243.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Riccardo Calvi; Sandro Duri
Original assignee: Indesit Co SpA
Current assignee: Whirlpool EMEA SpA
Priority date: 2011-02-24
Filing date: 2012-02-21
Publication date: 2014-01-01
Anticipated expiration: 2032-02-21
Also published as: ITTO20110161A1; EP2678468B1; WO2012114269A1; IT1404532B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a washing machine, wherein a filter (3 ) fur water taken in from the main or recirculated from the tub can be selectively extracted together with (he drawer ( 1 ) for loading the washing agents, Cleaning and replacing the filter (3) arc thus; made easier, because it is possible to extract il together with the drawer ( I ) only when necessary. During the normal operation of the washing machine, the filter remains housed in a separate position with respect to the drawer.

Description

WASHING MACHINE WITH SELECTIVELY EXTRACTABLE FILTER DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a washing machine, in particular but not limited to a household washing machine, which comprises a drawer for washing agents that can be extracted from the structure of the washing machine and a filter for filtering a wash liquid.

Before proceeding further with this description, it is worth pointing out that in this description and in the appended claims the term "washing machine" will generally refer, for simplicity, to any machine designed to wash and possibly also to dry laundry or other items, not necessarily intended for domestic use.

It is known that washing machines typically comprise a filter which is used for filtering the water coming from the tub, so as to eliminate any impurities contained therein, said filter being usually associated with a drain duct or a recirculation duct. Such filters are typically arranged in positions which are difficult to reach, forcing the user to carry out uncomfortable assembly and disassembly work in order to clean, replace or maintain the filter.

An improved solution in this respect has been proposed by the present Applicant in Italian patent IT 1250542.

In this solution the filter is integral with the extractable drawer for loading detergent or washing agents, and is therefore located in the upper part of the machine, in a position easily accessible to a user.

However, the coupling between the filter and the drawer has some drawbacks: in the first place, in fact, the filter is extracted from its operating position every time a load of the detergent is required, and therefore with a certain frequency, even when there is no need for maintainance or replacement.

This implies a continuative series of cycles of insertion and extraction of the filter along with the detergent drawer, which after a few time may cause the filter to malfunction due to misalignment between the filter itself and the water tubes, gasket wear and the like.

Moreover, when loading the washing agents into the drawer the filter remains exposed, with the risk that, if the washing agents are not loaded correctly, the latter may contaminate the filter and impair its operation during the next operating cycles.

If one also considers that washing agents are usually liquids or powders, and that they are poured in from a container which is turned upside-down over the drawer, it can be understood that the risk of contaminating the filter is rather high.

The present invention aims at overcoming these and other drawbacks: to this end, the idea underlying the present invention is that of providing a washing machine, such as a laundry washing machine, a washing/drying machine or the like, wherein a wash liquid filter is selectively extractable together with the drawer.

In particular, the invention teaches to prearrange a connection between the filter and the drawer which allows the former to be extracted together with the latter only when required by the user.

As a result, when the user wants to clean or replace the filter, he/she can do it by simply extracting the detergent drawer present in most washing machines; vice versa, during the normal operation of the washing machine the user can freely fill the drawer with washing agents without always having to remove the filter.

Furthermore, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the filter is separate from the washing agent compartment; in this way, any risk of filter contamination with detergents and soaps is completely eliminated.

Further advantageous aspects of the present invention relate to a safety system that prevent the machine from operating when the filter is not installed.

The features of the washing machine according to the invention will be specifically set out in the appended claims; such features and the effects thereof will become more apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention shown in the annexed drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a drawer and a filter assembly mounted on a machine according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a general view of the drawer and filter assembly of Fig. 1 in the extracted condition;

Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of the drawer of the preceding figures, with a control lever in two different positions;

Figs. 5 and 6 show two details of the coupling region between the filter and the drawer of the preceding figures; Figs. 7, 7a show the underside of the cover of a compartment of a machine according to the present invention and the filter assembly of the preceding figures;

Figs. 8 and 9 show a first safety device of the filter of the preceding figures in two distinct operating conditions;

Figs. 10 and 11 show a second safety device of the filter of the preceding figures; Figs. 12 and 13 show a further safety system for a washing machine according to the invention;

Figs. 14 and 15 are views of a variant of the safety system of Figs. 12 and 13 in respective operating conditions;

Fig. 16 is an exploded view of a detail of the variant of Fig. 14 and 15.

With reference to the above-listed drawings, reference numeral 1 designates as a whole a drawer for loading washing agents, designed for a household washing machine, not shown in the drawings because per se known; however, as already mentioned, the invention is also applicable to industrial washing machines or other household appliances posing the same problems discussed above.

The drawer 1 is housed in a support structure 4 secured to the washing machine, which is in fluid communication with a first wash liquid intake duct coming from the household water main or from other functional units (e.g. a tank of the washing machine or the tub, in the case of recirculation), as well as a second duct leading to the tub of the machine.

In the example shown in the drawings, the drawer 1 comprises one or more internal septa that divide its volume into different compartments for loading washing agents such as detergents, softeners, etc., and has a front wall 2 which, when the drawer is inserted, is preferably flush with the front panel of the machine, in particular whenever the front wall 2 must be hidden by the door when the latter is in the closed condition.

When wash liquid is supplied to the structure 4, it flows into the different compartments of the drawer 1, dragging along the detergent or the other agents towards the tub in order to wash the laundry in the rotary drum housed therein.

According to this embodiment of the invention, the structure 4 is fitted at the rear with a cup-like housing 40 that houses a filter 3: the latter is of the cartridge type, as commonly used for filtering liquids, and is not shown in detail in the drawings (because unnecessary for the purposes of the invention); of course, any other appropriate filter (made of synthetic fiber or metallic mesh) may nevertheless be used for this application.

The filter 3 can advantageously be used as a component of a wash liquid recirculation and/or storage system, which system may conveniently also include a selection device, which is the object of a separate patent application by the present Applicant.

The structure 4 further comprises a cover 7 (also called "shower" because it includes the water dispensing nozzles) for closing the top of the compartment 8 that houses the drawer 1, which compartment is also commonly referred to as "hopper" and has a narrowed shape of dimensions substantially coinciding with those of the drawer. In accordance with the teachings of the invention, a selector disc 30 is applied frontally to the filter 3 for selectively connecting the filter to the structure 4 or to the drawer 1 depending on the operating conditions, as will be further explained later on. The selector disc 30 is controlled by a user through a control lever 5, to which it is connected by means of a transmission shaft 6.

The lever 5 is arranged on the front wall 2 of the drawer, so that is can be easily accessed and operated by a user.

The transmission shaft 6 is rotatably housed in the drawer 1 and substantially extends throughout the length thereof; it is integral with the lever 5, so that a rotation of the latter causes a corresponding rotation of the shaft 6 about its axis.

For this purpose, the transmission shaft has a front end 61 on which a profile of engagement with the lever 5 is mounted, so as to rotatably constrain the two elements to each other.

The opposite end of the shaft 6, i.e. the rear one, has a polygonal head 62 (that in the example shown is quadrangular, but may be hexagonal or the like), which is adapted to transmit torque to the selector disc 30: for this purpose, the disc 30 has a central hub 31 having a polygonal shape conjugated to that of the shaft head 62.

The selector disc 30 is integral with the filter 3, so that its rotation causes the whole filter 3 to rotate as well; however, this is not strictly necessary and the disc 30 may be free to rotate relative to the filter 3, being integral therewith for axial movements only. The disc 30 has spokes 32 extending in a radial cross-like pattern from the hub 31, the intrados of which creates a region of engagement 33 for the drawer 1 ; on the outer edge of the disc there are one or more coupling teeth 34, 34a, 38 protruding radially from the outer profile of the filter 3, thus forming bayonet-style filter coupling elements.

With reference to Figs. 5 and 6, which show a detail of the underside of the drawer 1 , it can be seen that the latter is fitted with at least one hook 11 that engages with the intrados 33 of one of the spokes 32 following counterclockwise rotations of the selector disc 30, while the filter seat 40 has a shoulder lug 41, 41a, 48 against which the teeth 34,34a,38 abut following clockwise rotations of the disc.

As an alternative, the lug 41 may be integral with the cover 7 instead of the hopper 8, in accordance with the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 7a.

As can be observed, the hook 11 and the shoulder 41 are angularly offset relative to the axis of the shaft 6: in this manner, a rotation of the disc 30 will cause a corresponding rotation of the cross-like spokes 32, so as to alternatively bring about two distinct conditions:

(i) engagement of the hook 11 with the rear region 33 of a spoke 32 and simultaneous disengagement of the tooth 34 from the shoulder 41 (see Figs. 4 and 6).

(ii) disengagement of the hook 11 from the rear region 33 and simultaneous engagement of the tooth 34 with the shoulder 41 (see Fig. 3).

These different operating conditions correspond to a selective connection of the filter 3 with either the drawer 1 or the structure 4 following rotations of the disc 30.

In fact, in the condition (i) the filter 3 can be extracted together with the drawer 1 : since the shoulder 41 is not engaged with the tooth 34, the filter 3 and the structure 4 are decoupled; at the same time, since the rear region 33 of a spoke 32 is engaged with the hook 11 , the filter 3 and the drawer 1 are coupled to each other and can be extracted together.

Vice versa, in the condition (ii) the filter 3 is released from the drawer 1 and remains secured inside the machine: since the shoulder 41 is engaged with the tooth 34, the filter 3 and the structure 4 are integral with each other; at the same time, since the rear region 33 is free from the hook 11, the filter 3 and the drawer 1 are decoupled and the latter can be extracted alone (without dragging along the filter). The user can therefore use the drawer 1 freely to fill it with washing agents without necessarily having to extract the filter 3, e.g. by leaving the lever 5 in the position of Fig. 3 - corresponding to the above-described condition (ii) - thus not incurring in the problems of the prior art because the drawer can be filled freely without any risk of filter contamination.

On the contrary, when the filter 3 needs maintenance, it is sufficient to move the lever 5 into the position of Fig. 4, corresponding to the above described condition (i): in this way, when the drawer 1 is extracted the filter 3 will come out of its housing and can be freely maintained.

In order to prevent the filter, once extracted, from being inadvertently unhooked from the drawer, a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a device 80 for locking the lever 5, visible in Figs. 8 and 9.

In substance, the device 80 comprises a latch 81 pushed by a spring 82, which prevents rotation of the polygonal protrusion 61a of the front end 61 of the shaft 6, which is connected to the control lever 5 (not shown in Figs. 8 and 9 for clarity). More in particular, the shape of the latch 81 includes a notch 83 which, when the drawer 1 is closed, i.e. when the device 80 allows the shaft 6 to rotate (which condition corresponds to Fig. 8), is in a compressed condition (since it is pushed by the side wall of the drawer 1) under the polygonal protrusion 61a of the shaft 6: the latter can thus turn counterclockwise and follow the movements of the control lever 5 to select the fixed connection between the filter 3 and the drawer 1 for its extraction; vice versa, when the latch 81 is in the extended condition, the drawer having been extracted from the washing machine (Fig. 8), its end prevents any clockwise rotation of the protrusion 61a and of the lever 5, so that the filter cannot be accidentally disengaged from the drawer.

In order to switch from this latter operating condition to the former when the user intentionally wants to detach the filter from the drawer, it will be sufficient to press the latch 81, which is visible as a push-button outside the drawer, to force the polygonal protrusion 61a back into the position of Fig. 7.

The device 80 for locking the lever 5 allows the user to carry out filter cleaning operations without touching the filter with his/her hands.

Figs. 10 and 11 show a second safety device, which is also optional and which prevents the drawer 1 from fully closing if the filter has not been installed correctly. This system comprises a push-button 45 actuated by a spring 46, both elements being arranged in a seat 47 adjacent to the housing 40 of the filter 3; the selector disc 30 comprises a protruding radial fin 38 (also visible in the detail of Fig. 5), which cooperates with the push-button 45 when the latter is in the condition corresponding to an installed filter 3, as shown in Fig. 10.

In fact, in this condition the radial fin 38 goes into a notch 48 of the push-button 45, thus compressing the spring 46 and causing the push-button 45 to go back into its housing 47, thereby allowing the drawer 1 to close completely.

If the filter 3 is not inserted in the housing 40 (because it is not connected to the drawer), the push-button 45 will directly push against the bottom of the drawer; therefore, the latter cannot be completely closed, thus warning a user that the filter 3 has not been installed.

From the above description it is possible to understand how the invention achieves the objects set forth at the beginning.

As explained above, in fact, in the normal operating conditions of the washing machine, i.e. when the drawer 1 and the filter 3 are inserted, the latter is disconnected from the former, which can thus be freely extracted and inserted in order to carry out the normal detergent and washing agent filling operations.

During these operations, the filter 3 remains stably housed in the seat 4 and can therefore operate correctly: this is also ensured by the fact that the filter must necessarily have been properly installed, since otherwise there would be no coupling between the notch 48 and the radial fin 38, the function of which is to stop the travel of the push-button 45, so that the drawer could not be fully closed.

When the shaft control lever 5 is locked by the safety device 8, it is not even possible to change the status of the system, e.g. by inadvertently turning the lever 5.

This can only be done by releasing the safety device 8 by pressing the control latch

81.

In this condition the lever 5 can be turned, and its rotation is transmitted to the selector disc 30 of the filter 3 by the shaft 6: the protruding tooth 34 of the disc 30 then releases the shoulder lug 41 as shown in Fig. 6, while one (or more) cross-like spoke(s) 32 engage(s) with the hook 11 prearranged on the bottom wall of the drawer 1.

In this condition the latter is made integral with the filter 3 by the selector disc 30, so that by extracting the drawer 1 it is possible to remove the filter from its housing seat 40.

Once extracted, the filter can be cleaned or replaced, and then reinstalled by proceeding in the reverse order to the above-described extraction procedure.

It can therefore be appreciated that filter extraction and maintenance operations are made particularly easy by the present invention, which, in the preferred embodiment taken into account herein, also allows separating the filter from the drawer, so as to avoid any risk of contamination when washing agents are poured into the drawer. Of course, the invention may be subject to many variations with respect to the description provided so far.

In fact, it can be understood that the configuration of the movable element used as a selector for connecting the filter 3 to its housing 40 in the fixed structure 4 or to the extractable drawer 1 may be very different from the disc 30.

For example, a rocker arm may be used instead of the disc, or magnetic means may replace mechanical engagement means such as the tooth 34, the spokes 32 or the shoulder 41.

The rotation transmission shaft 6 may be subject to modifications as well, e.g. by employing mechanical gear transmissions or articulated lever systems.

Finally, with reference to the variant shown in Figs. 12 and 13, it must be pointed out that the lever 5 may advantageously be used as a safety element for preventing operation of the washing machine when the filter is not engaged or positioned properly.

For this purpose, in this variant the lever 5 is so configured that, when it is turned in order to extract the filter as previously explained, it protrudes slightly from the front wall 2 of the drawer.

This prevents the door of the washing machine from closing and therefore the latter from operating, until the lever 5 is brought again into the normal operating condition; however, since the above-described safety device with the push-button 45 and the fin 38 is not present, which prevents closing the drawer 1 if the filter is missing or installed incorrectly, it is clear that this variant is an additional safety measure that prevents starting the washing machine until the drawer and the filter are properly in place.

As an alternative to the above-described protruding configuration of the lever 5, it is conceivable to mount to the end of the shaft 6 a knob 50 including a push-button 51 that can be associated with an elastic return element (not shown in the drawings) which, by cooperating through a cam coupling with an inclined plane 52 arranged behind the front wall 2 of the drawer 1 , prevents closing the door if the filter is not engaged or positioned properly, since in such a condition the push-button 51 will jut out of the front wall 2.

All of these variants will still fall within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A washing machine comprising a drawer (1) intended for loading washing agents and extractable from a structure (4) which is fixed relative to the machine, a filter (3) for filtering a wash liquid, characterized in that it also comprises means (30, 31, 32, 33, 34) for selectively connecting the filter (3) to the structure (4) and to the drawer (1), so that the drawer can be extracted either alone or together with the filter (3).

2. A washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the filter (3) is arranged externally to the drawer (1).

3. A washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the selective connection means (30-34) comprise an element (30) associated with the filter (3) and movable between a first operating condition, wherein it is engaged with the drawer (1) and disangaged from the structure (4), and a second operating condition, wherein the movable element (30) is desangaged from the drawer (1) and engaged with the structure (4).

4. A washing machine according to any one of claims 1 , 2 or 3, wherein the selective connection means (30-34) can be actuated through a lever (5) or the like, arranged externally to the drawer (1).

5. A washing machine according to claim 4, wherein the lever (5) controls the rotation of the movable element (30) associated with the filter (3) for selectively connecting it either to the drawer (1) or to the structure (4).

6. A washing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the movable element (30) of the connection means comprises a disc connected to and rotated by the control lever (5) through a shaft (6) extending along the drawer (1).

7. A washing machine according to claim 6, wherein the disc (30) comprises one or more parts, such as a peripheral tooth (34), a spoke (32) radially extending from a central hub (31) or the like, which selectively engage with corresponding parts (11 , 41) of the drawer (1) and of the fixed structure (4), depending on the direction of rotation of the disc controlled by the lever (5).

8. A washing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a first safety device (80, 81, 82), which in the operating condition prevents the shaft (6) from being rotated by the lever (5), thereby preventing any undesired removal of the filter (3).

9. A washing machine according to claim 8, wherein the safety device comprises a ratchet (80), which elastically acts upon a part (62) of the shaft (6) that is shape fitting thereto in order to prevent the shaft from rotating.

10. A washing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a second safety device for ensuring the correct insertion of the drawer (1) into the structure (4), which comprises a seat (41) associated with the structure (4) that houses a push-button (45) actuated by a spring (46), which cooperates with the selector disc (30) to allow rotation if the filter has been properly inserted into the respective housing (40).

11. A method for removing a filter of a washing machine, characterized in that it comprises the step of selectively connecting the filter (3) to a drawer (1) extractable from the washing machine, so that the filter can be removed together with the drawer.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the step of selectively connecting the filter (3) to the drawer (1) is carried out from the outside of the latter.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the step of selectively connecting the filter (3) to the drawer (1) can be carried out when the latter is closed.

14. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the step of selectively connecting the filter (1) is carried out following a rotation of at least one part (30) thereof, so as to engage locking means (41, 41a, 48) provided on the drawer.

15. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the filter is connected externally to the drawer.