EP3172371B1 - Household appliance comprising a recirculating pump system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a household appliance with a pumping system which comprises a pump for pumping water in a tub in a pumping direction and a pumping direction.

Household appliances, such as washing machines, for example, generally comprise two separate pumps which have a common housing and have two drives. With combined pump housings, two motors are flanged. There is no active detection and treatment of foreign bodies in the machine.

The pamphlet DE 38 20 409 A1 relates to a device for circulating washing or rinsing liquor in a drum washing machine with drivers built into the drum and with a sump arranged under a drain opening of the tub, which is connected to a pump for emptying the tub into a pumping line.

The patent specification U.S. 5,493,745 shows a pumping system for a washing machine.

The object on which the invention is based is to specify a household appliance in which a pump is integrated in such a way that it enables both a transfer and a pump-out operation from the household appliance.

This object is achieved by the subject matter with the features according to the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the figures, the description and the dependent claims.

According to one aspect of the invention, the object is achieved by a household appliance according to claim 1 with a pumping system which comprises a pump for pumping water in a tub in a pumping direction and a pumping direction, in which the pumping system has a first valve flap for closing a bottom chamber of the tub in the pumping direction, a second valve flap for closing a filter inlet opening in the pumping direction and a third valve flap for closing a drain channel in the pumping direction. This has the technical advantage, for example, that a single pump can be operated in two pumping directions and the construction of the household appliance is simplified. In addition, the valve flaps implement a hydraulic valve flap control with pumping over and self-cleaning backflushing functions.

A household appliance is understood to mean a device that is used for housekeeping. This can be a large household appliance, such as a washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher. But it can also be a small household appliance, such as a water heater, a fully automatic coffee machine or a food processor.

In an advantageous embodiment of the household appliance, the pump comprises an axial or semi-axial pump impeller. This has the technical advantage, for example, that the water can be efficiently conveyed in two opposite conveying directions.

According to the invention, the pump can be driven in a first direction of rotation and a second direction of rotation. In this way, for example, the technical advantage is achieved that the conveying direction of the water can be changed by changing the direction of rotation.

According to the invention, the filter inlet opening is arranged on an underside of the tub. This has the technical advantage, for example, that an accumulation of foreign bodies in the lower area of the tub is prevented.

According to the invention, the third valve flap is arranged above the bottom chamber. In this way, for example, the technical advantage is achieved that mixing of water in the lower area of the tub with filtered water in the lower region of the tub is prevented.

According to the invention, the household appliance comprises a filter unit for filtering the water in the pumping direction. This has the technical advantage, for example, that the water is cleaned when it is pumped over.

According to the invention, the filter inlet opening is arranged in the bottom chamber. As a result, for example, the technical advantage is achieved that the water in the bottom chamber is pressed through the filter unit in pumping mode.

According to the invention, an outlet of the pump is arranged in the bottom chamber in the pumping direction. In this way, for example, the technical advantage is achieved that the water is forced into the bottom chamber in circulation mode.

According to the invention, the household appliance comprises a pumping hose for diverting the water around the tub. This has the technical advantage, for example, that the water can be circulated within the household appliance using simple means.

According to the invention, an outlet of the pump-around hose is arranged on an upper side of the tub. This has the technical advantage, for example, that laundry inside the tub is well wetted by the filtered water.

According to the invention, the first valve flap is designed to open the bottom chamber of the tub in the pumping direction. As a result, for example, the technical advantage is achieved that a hydraulic valve flap control with pumping and self-cleaning backwash function is achieved.

According to the invention, the second valve flap is designed to open the filter inlet opening in the pumping direction. This also achieves the technical advantage, for example, that a hydraulic valve flap control with a pump-around and self-cleaning backwash function is achieved.

According to the invention, the third valve flap is designed to open the discharge channel in the pumping direction. This also achieves the technical advantage, for example, that a hydraulic valve flap control with a pump-around and self-cleaning backwash function is achieved.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the household appliance, the tub comprises a fill level sensor for detecting a water level. This has the technical advantage, for example, that the pump can be prevented from overheating.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the household appliance, the pumping direction is opposite to the pumping direction. As a result, for example, the technical advantage achieved that an efficient hydraulic valve flap control is achieved.

Embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings and are described in more detail below.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Ansicht eines Haushaltgerätes;

Fig. 2

eine schematische Ansicht eines Umpumpsystems beim Abpumpen; und

Fig. 3

eine schematische Ansicht eines Umpumpsystems beim Umpumpen.

Show it:

Fig. 1

a schematic view of a household appliance;

Fig. 2

a schematic view of a pumping system during pumping; and

Fig. 3

a schematic view of a pumping system during pumping.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a washer-dryer representative of a general household appliance 100. The household appliance 100 comprises an appliance door 125 for loading the household appliance 100 with laundry. The laundry is washed inside the household appliance 100 and then dried. The household appliance 100 comprises a pull-out dispensing bowl 123 into which various liquid substances are added which are supplied to the laundry by means of a water flow during the washing or drying process. The induction bowl 123 is, for example, a pull-out, drawer-like plastic part with a induction bowl.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic view of a pumping system with the valve flaps 107-1, 107-2, and 107-3 when pumping out water 103 in a tub 105 in a pumping direction. During the washing process, the tub 105 contains water or washing liquor 103 for cleaning the laundry.

The tub 105 comprises a bottom chamber 113 in the lower area, in which the water or the washing liquor 103 collects due to gravity. The valve flap 107-3 is arranged above the bottom chamber 113. The valve flaps 107-1, 107-2 and 107-3 open or close depending on the direction of flow of the water.

The valve flap 107-3 has a pivot point on its upper edge, so that the suction from the tub 105 is made possible in the pumping-over operation. The valve flap 107-3 Spring-loaded so that it is closed in the pumping cycle, the pumping path is enabled and the pumping path is closed.

A filter inlet opening 109 of a filter unit 117 is located on the underside of the bottom chamber 113. The filter unit 117 is used to filter the water. The filtered water 103 is passed around the tub 105 through a pump-over hose 119 and discharged onto the laundry through an outlet on the top of the tub 105. The water 103 is drained from the tub 105 through a drainage channel 111.

A pump 101 and its drive are designed in such a way that it can be operated in a first direction of rotation in the pumping direction and in a second direction of rotation in the pumping direction. A pump impeller 115 of the pump 101 is designed axially or semi-axially, so that a reversal of the direction of rotation also converts the delivery flow. Due to the axial part of the impeller geometry, these different flow directions can be made possible when the direction of rotation is reversed. An outlet 121 of the pump 101 in the pumping direction is located in the bottom chamber 113. The water 103 is drawn in through the outlet 121 in the pumping direction.

The water is pumped out in one direction of flow, while the water is circulated in the other direction of flow. The pump circulation system comprises three elastic valve flaps 107-1, 107-2 and 107-3, which open and close depending on the direction of rotation of the pump 101. In the emptying mode, the valve flap 107-1 opens and the valve caps 107-2 and 107-3 close.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of a pumping system when pumping water 103 in a tub 105 in a pumping direction. The pumping of the washing liquor accelerates the wetting of the laundry at the beginning of a washing process and improves the washing performance in the washing machine.

In the pumping operation, the valve flap 107-1 closes while the valve flaps 107-2 and 107-3 open. In the pumping direction, the water flows through the filter unit 117 in which foreign bodies are collected. After this foreign body trap, the water flows through the pumping hose 119 and is fed back to the tub 105. The valve flap 107-3 is located below the water level, so that the pumping operation can also be ensured.

The circulation of the pumping function can not only be used if a pumping function is desired, but also to prophylactically clean the pumping system at regular intervals. This cleaning and backwashing function can be used, particularly in the case of pumping systems that are not accessible to a consumer, in order to transport possible foreign bodies into the filter unit 117 and to prevent blockages. This allows foreign bodies to be filtered out or blockages to be released.

Only a single pump 101 is used for the pumping system. The other functions are made possible with the help of elastic valve flaps 107-1, 107-2 and 107-3. The pumping over system enables an additional drive motor to be saved in relation to a conventional pumping over system while ensuring the two different operating functions. Furthermore, a more compact design than with conventional pumping systems is possible.

Additional advantages such as the existing function for foreign body filtering and active foreign body troubleshooting are given. The filter unit could be made accessible to the customer, or it could also be designed in such a way that foreign bodies can be stored over the life of the device.

The pumping system combines various functional applications. On the one hand, the pump 101 can be used to pump down and circulate and, on the other hand, a function is created to deal with foreign bodies and actively correct errors in the functional sequence of the other two functions. The integration of the pump 101 can take place at any location. As a result of these special functions, the pumping system is particularly suitable for integrated pump systems in which there is no or only limited access to the pump for the consumer, for example for clearing blockages.

All the features explained and shown in connection with individual embodiments of the invention can be provided in different combinations in the subject matter of the invention in order to simultaneously realize their advantageous effects.

The scope of protection of the present invention is given by the claims and is not restricted by the features explained in the description or shown in the figures.

REFERENCE LIST

100

Home appliance

101

pump

103

water

105

Suds container

107-1

Valve flap

107-2

Valve flap

107-3

Valve flap

109

Filter inlet opening

111

Drainage channel

113

Floor chamber

115

Pump impeller

117

Filter unit

119

Transfer hose

121

Outlet

123

Detergent bowl

125

Appliance door

Claims (4)

1. Household appliance (100) with a recirculating pump system, which comprises a pump (101) for pumping water (103) in a tub (105) in a drainage pumping direction and a recirculating pumping direction, characterised in that the recirculating pump system comprises a first resilient valve flap (107-1) for closing a base chamber (113) of the tub (105) in the recirculating pumping direction, a second resilient valve flap (107-2) for closing a filter inlet opening (109) in the drainage pumping direction and a third resilient valve flap (107-3) for closing a drain channel (111) in the recirculating pumping direction, wherein the water (103) can be drained from the tub (105) through the drain channel (111), wherein the pump (101) can be driven in a first direction of rotation in a drainage pumping direction and a second direction of rotation in a recirculating pumping direction, wherein the filter inlet opening (109) is arranged on an underside of the tub (105), wherein the household appliance (100) comprises a filter unit (117) for filtering the water (103) in the recirculating pumping direction, wherein the filter inlet opening (109) is arranged in the base chamber (113), wherein an outlet (121) of the pump (101) in the recirculating pumping direction is arranged in the base chamber (113), wherein the household appliance (100) comprises a recirculating pump hose (119) for redirecting the water around the tub (105), wherein an outlet of the recirculating pump hose (119) is arranged on an upper side of the tub (105), wherein the three valve flaps (107-1, 107-2, 107-3) open or close according to the direction of flow of the water (103), wherein the third valve flap (107-3) is arranged above the base chamber (113), wherein the third valve flap (107-3) has a pivot point on its upper edge, so that the suction out from the tub (105) is enabled in the recirculating pumping operation, wherein, in order to reliably delineate the various functions from one another, the third valve flap (107-3) is spring-pretensioned, so that it is locked during the drainage pumping cycle, the drainage pumping path is unlocked and the recirculating pumping path is locked, wherein the first valve flap (107-1) is embodied to open the base chamber (113) of the tub (105) in the drainage pumping direction, wherein the second valve flap (107-2) is embodied to open the filter inlet opening (109) in the recirculating pumping direction, wherein the third valve flap (107-3) is embodied to open the drain channel (111) in the drainage pumping direction, wherein the the third valve flap (107-3) is located below a water level in the recirculating pumping operation so that the recirculating pumping operation can also be ensured.
2. Household appliance (100) according to claim 1, characterised in that the pump (101) comprises an axial or semi-axial pump impeller (115).
3. Household appliance (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the tub (105) comprises a fill level sensor for detecting a water level.
4. Household appliance (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the drainage pumping direction is opposite to the recirculating pumping direction.

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