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The present invention relates to a washing machine comprising a filter.
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The washing machines comprise a drum for washing the laundry therein. In the washing machines, the laundry is washed in the drum preferably by means of a washing liquid which is water and/or a mixture of water and detergent. In order to realize a more efficient laundry washing process the laundry is tumbled together with the drum in the drum. Fibers-lint breaking off from the laundry during these operations mix into the washing liquid and transferred to the next washing step together with the liquid or discharged out of the machine together with the liquid. Therefore, in the washing machines, the washing liquid present in the tub, hence in the drum, is recirculated such that foreign the washing liquid is passed at various times through a filter which removes particles such as fibers-lints mixing into the washing liquid from the washing liquid.
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Recently, the use of filters which are detachably attached to the washing machine has become widespread. As the filter attached into the machine can be detached from the machine, especially in case of clogging of the filtering members which that filter the washing liquid, the filter is separated from the machine such that the filtering members are cleaned and the filter is attached back to the machine. This process can be performed by the service staff or by the user. However, when this process is performed by the user, the attachment of the filter into the machine is sometimes forgotten due to user distraction. This situation causes the washing liquid to contain foreign particles such as fiber, lint, etc. breaking off from the laundry both during the washing of the laundry and after the washing process, which adversely affects the washing performance of the washing machine during the washing process and results in the release of the washing liquid containing fiber-lint to the environment after the washing process, causing environmental pollution.
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In the state of the art United States Patent Document No.
US5531891 , a washing machine is disclosed, comprising a filter which is disposed at the outlet of the washing machines and which filters the fibers-lint breaking off from the laundry.
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The aim of the present invention is the realization of a washing machine which detects that the filter is not attached.
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The washing machine realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, comprises at least one filter which is detachably attached into a chamber defined in the body so as to be in communication with the recirculation line and which is configured to filter the washing liquid used in the washing process, preferably containing water, cleaning agents and unwanted particles such as fibers, lint, etc. breaking off from the laundry so as to cleanse the same of foreign particles, and at least one control unit which is configured to exchange data with a sensor, to detect the presence of the filter in the chamber by processing the data received from the sensor and to generate an audio and/or visual warning if it is detected that the filter is not present in the chamber. Thus, for example, when the user who has previously removed the filter from the chamber for cleaning wants to start a washing process before placing the filter in the chamber, the user is automatically warned audibly and/or visually that the filter is not present in the chamber before the beginning of the washing process and/or the at the first stages of the washing process, thus at least partially eliminating the risk of performing the washing process without a filter. Consequently, by preventing the performance of a washing process without a filter, it is provided that the performance of the washing process does not decrease and that there are no foreign particles such as fiber, lint, etc., which are very harmful to the environment, in the washing liquid release to the environment.
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In an embodiment of the invention, the sensor is at least one presence sensor which is configured to collect data to be processed to detect the presence of the filter in the chamber. In this embodiment, the sensor is preferably a presence sensor having an image capture device such as a camera configured to capture at least one image of the interior of the chamber. Especially in this embodiment, the data related to at least one image of the chamber with a filter in the chamber is recorded in the control unit. The control unit receives the current image data of the interior of the chamber from the sensor before the beginning of the washing process or at the very beginning of the washing process, and is configured to compare the received image data with the recorded image data using a suitable image processing method and to determine whether there is a filter in the chamber.
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In an embodiment of the invention, the sensor is at least one weight sensor which is configured to detect the force applied thereon. In this embodiment, the weight data to be applied on the weight sensor depending on the arrangement of the filter in the chamber previously determined through experiments is recorded in the control unit. The control unit receives the current data of the force acting on the sensor from the same before the beginning of the washing process or at the very beginning of the washing process, and is configured to compare the received force data with the recorded data and to determine whether there is a filter in the chamber. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the control unit is configured to decide that the filter is not present in the chamber and to generate an audio and/or visual warning if there is a difference between the current force data received from the sensor and the recorded weight data, which is equal to a predetermined value, such as a deviation of five percent, or greater than said value.
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In an embodiment of the present invention, the filter is almost in the shape of a box, which defines a closed filtering volume holding a certain amount of liquid to be filtered and contains openings allowing the liquid to be filtered to enter the filtering volume and the filtered liquid to exit from the filtering volume. In this embodiment, the filter is placed in the chamber such that the opening thereof allowing the liquid entry into the closed volume is aligned with the relevant area of the chamber in communication with the part of the recirculation line coming from the tub and that the washing liquid coming from the recirculation line directly enters the closed volume of the filter.
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In an embodiment of the present invention, in case the filter is not present in the chamber, the latter is configured to deliver the washing liquid coming from the tub through the recirculation line directly to the part of the recirculation line leading to the tub almost without accumulating the same therein. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a hole in communication with the part of the recirculation line leading to the tub is arranged on the base of the chamber or in the vicinity of the base. Thus, when the recirculation process starts in case there is no filter in the chamber, the washing liquid coming from the tub through the recirculation line is delivered directly to the part of the recirculation line leading to the tub without being accumulated in the chamber, thereby preventing the washing liquid formed in the drum from accumulating in the chamber unnecessarily and becoming unusable in the washing process.
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In an embodiment of the invention, the sensor is a level sensor configured to detect the level of washing liquid in the tub, and the control unit is configured to compare the washing liquid level detected by the sensor during the recirculation process in the tub with a predetermined threshold level, and to decide that the filter is not present in the chamber and to generate an audio and/or visual warning if the washing liquid level in the tub is detected to be greater than the threshold level value as a result of the comparison process. In this embodiment, since the liquid level in the tub during the recirculation process will be lower than the absence of a recirculation process due to the washing liquid in the recirculation line and the filter, the control unit can detect whether the filter is present in the chamber depending on the current washing liquid level in the tub detected by the sensor during the recirculation process. In case the filter is present in the chamber, the washing liquid level in the tub may be at a certain value during the recirculation process. Said value is determined through experiments for the washing machine and is recorded in the control unit. For example, since the chamber is configured not to accumulate almost no liquid therein in a situation where the user forgets to place the filter in the chamber after the cleaning process, a certain amount of washing liquid which needs to be kept in the filter during the recirculation process is located in the tub, which in turns causes the washing liquid level in the tub to be greater than the said threshold value. Thus, the control unit ensures in an economical and simple manner that the absence of the filter in the chamber is detected depending on the washing liquid level in the tub according to the data received from a simple sensor, which can only detect the liquid level in the tub without having any complex functions such as capturing images, etc., in other words in case the washing liquid level in the tub is greater than a certain threshold value. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the control unit is configured to decide that the filter is not present in the chamber and to generate an audio and/or visual warning if there is a difference between the data related to the current washing liquid level in the tub and the recorded threshold level data, which is equal to a predetermined value, such as a deviation of five percent, or greater than said value.
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In an embodiment of the present invention, the washing machine further comprises at least one detergent box which is connected to the body so as to be in communication with the recirculation line and which contains at least one chamber therein. In this embodiment, by positioning the chamber in the detergent box, which is readily accessible by the users, the filter can be easily placed in the chamber and can be removed from the chamber, for example, as a result of a malfunction or blockage in the filter.
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In an embodiment of the present invention, the detergent box comprises a detergent box body which is in communication with the recirculation line; at least one dispenser placed into the detergent box and having at least one receptacle allowing the placement of at least one cleaning agent therein and at least one chamber allowing the filter to be detachably placed therein; and at least one plate which at least partially covers the dispenser and hence the body. In this embodiment, the user puts cleaning agents such as laundry detergent, softener, etc. to be used in the washing process into the receptacle before the washing process starts. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the dispenser is configured to move with respect to the detergent box body, and when the user wants to put a cleaning agent into the receptacle, he/she preferably pulls the dispenser and moves the same forward, and after placing the cleaning agent into the receptacle, preferably pushes the dispenser to its first position relative to the detergent box body. At least a part of the chamber is in communication with the part of the recirculation line coming from the tub, thus the washing liquid coming from the recirculation line first enters the chamber and hence, the closed filtering volume of the filter in case the filter is present in the chamber. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the case the filter is present in the chamber, the washing liquid filtered by the filter is directed to pass through the receptacle after leaving the closed filtering volume, and after removing the cleaning agent residues likely to accumulate in the receptacle from the receptacle, to be delivered from here to the recirculation line from the part of the detergent box body in communication with the part of the recirculation line leading to the tub, and then to be delivered from here to the tub. In this embodiment, as the filtered washing liquid also passes through the receptacle, the cleaning agent residues which may remain in the receptacle are enabled to be cleaned.
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In an embodiment of the present invention, the base of the chamber in the dispenser comprises at least one opening In this embodiment, the filter is placed in the chamber such that the washing liquid filtered through the filter reaches the detergent box body by passing through the opening. The washing liquid reaching the detergent box body through the opening is delivered from here to the recirculation line via the part of the detergent box body in communication with the part of the recirculation line leading to the tub, and finally reaches the tub. In this embodiment, in case the filter is not present in the chamber, the washing liquid coming from the recirculation line flows directly into the chamber, and the washing liquid flowing into the chamber is delivered to the detergent box body through the opening, and is delivered from here to the recirculation line via the part of the detergent box body in communication with the part of the recirculation line leading to the tub, and is sent from here to the tub. Thus, the accumulation of the washing liquid coming from the recirculation line in the chamber is prevented by means of the opening.
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In an embodiment of the present invention, the detergent box body comprises an inclined base. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base has an inclined structure such that the part of the base aligned with the opening is higher than the part of the detergent box body in communication with the part of the recirculation line leading to the tub. Thus, after passing through the opening and reaching the base, the washing liquid coming from the recirculation line is enabled to be quickly directed to the part of the recirculation line leading to the tub by means of the inclined structure of the base.
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By means of the present invention, by processing the data received from at least one sensor positioned in the body by a control unit, the presence of a filter configured to filter unwanted substances such as fiber, lint, etc. in the washing liquid is automatically detected, and the user is warned audibly and/or visually if it is detected that the filter is not present in the chamber.
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The washing machine realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:
- Figure 1 - is the schematic view of the washing machine of the present invention.
- Figure 2 - is the exploded with the detergent box in an embodiment of the present invention.
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The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:
- 1.
- Washing machine
- 2.
- Body
- 3.
- Tub
- 4.
- Drum
- 5.
- Sensor
- 6.
- Recirculation line
- 7.
- Chamber
- 8.
- Filter
- 9.
- Detergent box
- 10.
- Detergent box body
- 11.
- Receptacle
- 12.
- Detergent dispenser
- 13.
- Plate
- 14.
- Opening
- 15.
- Detergent box body base
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The washing machine (1) comprises a body (2); a tub (3) which is positioned in the body (2); a drum (4) which is disposed in the tub (3) and wherein the washing process is performed by using the washing liquid; at least one sensor (5) which is positioned in the body (2); at least one recirculation line (6) which recirculates the washing liquid in the tub (3) during the washing process; a hollow chamber (7) which is provided on the recirculation line (6); and at least one filter (8) which is detachably attached into the chamber (7) and which filters the washing liquid coming from the recirculation line (6) such that the washing liquid is at least partially cleansed of foreign particles such as fibers, lint, etc. The chamber (7) is preferably configured to be in communication with the recirculation line (6) so as to divide the recirculation line (6) into at least two sections, for example one section coming from the tub (3) and the other section leading to the tub (3). Thus, the washing liquid coming from the tub (3), hence from the drum (4), through the recirculation line (6) passes through the chamber (7) and returns to the tub (3) again by means of the recirculation line (6). A significant portion of the water taken in to the tub (3) at the beginning of the washing process performed by the washing machine (1) is delivered from the tub (3) to the drum (4), and the washing process is performed in the drum (4) with the water and the cleaning agents such as detergent, softener, etc. supplied into the drum (4). During the washing process, the washing liquid in the tub (3), hence in the drum (4), is cycled by means of the recirculation line (6) such that the materials such as fibers, lint, etc. breaking off from the laundry do not decrease the performance of the washing process and are not released to the environment after the washing process, and thus said washing liquid is enabled to pass through the filter (8) disposed in the chamber (7) in communication with the recirculation line (6), and foreign particles such as fiber, lint, etc. in the washing liquid are retained by the filter (8). In an embodiment of the present invention, the filter (8) is positioned in the chamber (7) such that the inlet opening is in communication with the part of the recirculation line (6) coming from the tub (3), and the outlet of the chamber (7) is in communication with the part of the recirculation line (6) leading to the tub (3). Thus, the washing liquid coming from the tub (3) through the recirculation line (6) directly enters the filter (8) in the chamber(7), and the washing liquid filtered by the filtering members in the closed volume of the filter (8) is transferred from the filter (8) to the chamber (7) and returns from here to the tub (3) through the circulation line (6).
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The washing machine (1) of the present invention comprises at least one control unit (not shown in the figures) which is in communication with the sensor (5) so as to exchange data, and which is configured to receive the data measured by the sensor (5) so as to determine if the filter (8) is present in the chamber (7) and to generate an audible and/or visual warning if it is detected that the filter (8) is not present in the chamber (7). The control unit receives the data detected by the sensor (5) from the sensor (5) and processes said data and determines if the filter (8) is present in the chamber (7). Upon detecting that the filter (8) is present the chamber (7), the control unit does not take any action and provides that the washing process continues. Upon detecting that the filter (8) is not present the chamber (7), the control unit generates an audible and/or visual warning to warn the user. Thus, for example, if the filter (8) is removed from the chamber (7) for cleaning purposes by the user before the washing process and is not placed back in the chamber (7) before starting the washing process, said control unit warns the user that the filter (8) is not present in the chamber (7) during the washing process, preferably in the first stages of the washing process. Thus, the user can stop the washing process and place the filter (8) in the chamber (7).
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In an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor (5) is a presence sensor configured to collect the relevant data which ensures the detection of the presence of the filter (8) in the chamber (7). In this embodiment, the sensor (5) is preferably a presence sensor comprising a camera-like image capture device adapted to capture the image of the chamber (7). Thus, the sensor (5) captures the image of the interior of the chamber (7) before starting the washing process or at the first stages of the washing process and transmits this captured image data to the control unit. The control unit is configured to process the image data received from the sensor (5) using the predetermined appropriate image processing method and to determine if the filter (8) is present in the chamber (7).
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In an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor (5) is a weight sensor positioned in the chamber (7). In this embodiment, the sensor (5), which is a weight sensor, determines the weight affecting thereon before starting the washing process or at the first stages of the washing process and transmits the weight data to the control unit. The control unit is configured to process the weight data received from the sensor (5) in a proper manner, and to determine if the filter (8) is present in the chamber (7).
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In an embodiment of the present invention, the filter (8) is almost in the shape of a box, which defines a closed filtering volume holding a certain amount of liquid to be filtered and contains openings allowing the liquid to be filtered to enter the filtering volume and the filtered liquid to exit from the filtering volume. In this embodiment, the filter (8) is placed in the chamber (7) such that the opening thereof allowing access into the closed volume is aligned with the relevant area of the chamber (7) in communication with the part of the recirculation line (6) coming from the tub (3) and that the washing liquid coming from the recirculation line (6) directly enters the closed volume of the filter (8).
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In an embodiment of the present invention, in case the filter (8) is not present in the chamber (7), the chamber (7) is configured to deliver the washing liquid coming from the recirculation line (6) directly to the recirculation line (6) almost without accumulating the same therein. Thus, in the case when the filter (8) is not present in the chamber (7), the washing liquid coming from the part of the recirculation line (6) coming from the tub (3) is not accumulated, in other words not stored, in the chamber (7), is directly transferred to the part of the recirculation line (6) leading to the tub (3) through the chamber (7). Thus, the drum (4) is prevented from containing insufficient washing liquid during the washing process due to the storage of some of the washing liquid in the chamber (7).
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In an embodiment of the invention, the sensor (5) is a level sensor configured to detect the level of washing liquid in the tub (3), and the control unit is configured to decide that the filter (8) is not present in the chamber (7) and to generate an audio and/or visual warning if the washing liquid level in the tub (3) detected by the sensor (5) during the recirculation of the washing liquid is determined to be greater than a predetermined threshold level value. In this embodiment, when the washing liquid in the tub (3) is recirculated to pass through the filter (8), the liquid level in the tub (3) decreases depending on the amount of liquid in the recirculation line (6) and the amount of liquid in the filter (8), the control unit can detect if the filter (8) is present in the chamber (7) depending on the current washing liquid level detected by the sensor (5) during the recirculation process. Since the washing liquid is present in the preferably box-shaped filter (8) defining a closed filtering volume therein during the recirculation process in addition to the recirculation line (6) in the case when the filter (8) is present in the chamber (7), the washing liquid level in the tub can be at a certain value during the recirculation value. Said value is determined through experiments for the washing machine (1) and is recorded in the control unit. For example, since the chamber (7) is configured not to accumulate almost no liquid therein during the recirculation process in a situation where the user forgets to place the filter (8) in the chamber (7) after the cleaning process, a certain amount of washing liquid which needs to be kept in the filter (8) during the recirculation process is located in the tub (3), which in turns causes the washing liquid level in the tub (3) to be greater than the said threshold value. Thus, the control unit ensures that the absence of the filter (8) in the chamber (7) is detected depending on the washing liquid level in the tub (3) according to the data received from a simple sensor (5), which can only detect the liquid level in the tub (3) without having any complex functions such as capturing images, etc., in other words in case the washing liquid level in the tub (3) is greater than a certain threshold value.
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In an embodiment of the present invention, the washing machine (1) further comprises at least one detergent box (9) which is disposed to the body (2) so as to be in communication with the recirculation line (6) and which contains at least one chamber (7) therein. In this embodiment, by positioning the chamber (7) in the detergent box (9), which is readily accessible by the users, the filter (8) can be easily placed in the chamber (7) and can be removed from the chamber (7), for example, as a result of a malfunction or blockage in the filter (8).
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In an embodiment of the present invention, the detergent box (9) comprises a detergent box body (10) which is in communication with the recirculation line (6); at least one dispenser (12) placed into the detergent box (10) and having at least one receptacle (11) allowing the placement of at least one cleaning agent therein and at least one chamber (7) allowing the filter (8) to be detachably placed therein; and at least one plate (13) which at least partially covers the dispenser (12). In this embodiment, the user puts cleaning agents such as laundry detergent, softener, etc. to be used in the washing process into the receptacle (11) before the washing process starts. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the dispenser (12) is configured to move forward-backward with respect to the detergent box body (10). At least a part of the chamber (7) is in communication with the part of the recirculation line (6) coming from the tub (3), thus the washing liquid coming from the recirculation line (6) first enters the chamber (7) and hence, the filter (8) in case the filter (8) is present in the chamber (7). In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, in case the filter (7) is present in the chamber (8), the washing liquid filtered by the filter (8) leaves the filter (8) and passes through the receptacle (11), and is delivered from here to the recirculation line from (6) the part of the detergent box body (10) in communication with the part of the recirculation line (6) leading to the tub (3), and then delivered from here to the tub (3). In this embodiment, as the filtered washing liquid also passes through the receptacle (11) wherein the cleaning agents such as laundry detergent, softener, etc., the cleaning agent residues which may remain in the receptacle (11) are enabled to be cleaned.
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In an embodiment of the present invention, the base of the chamber (7) in the dispenser (1) comprises at least one opening (14). In this embodiment, in case the filter (8) is present in the chamber (7), the washing liquid filtered by the filter (8) is delivered to the detergent box body (10) through the opening (14), and is delivered from here to the recirculation line from (6) the part of the detergent box body (10) in communication with the part of the recirculation line (6) leading to the tub (3), and then delivered from here to the tub (3). In this embodiment, in case the filter (8) is not present in the chamber (7), the washing liquid coming from the recirculation line (6) flows directly into the chamber (7), and the washing liquid flowing into the chamber (7) is delivered to the detergent box body (10) through the opening (14), and is delivered from here to the recirculation line (6) via the part of the detergent box body (10) in communication with the part of the recirculation line (6) leading to the tub (3), and is sent from here to the tub (3). Thus, the accumulation of the washing liquid coming from the recirculation line (6) in the chamber (7) is prevented by means of the opening (14).
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In an embodiment of the present invention, the detergent box body (10) comprises an inclined base (15). In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base (15) has an inclined structure such that the part of the base (15) aligned with the opening (14) is higher than the part of the detergent box body (10) in communication with the part of the recirculation line (6) leading to the tub (3). Thus, after passing through the opening (14) and reaching the base (15), the washing liquid coming from the recirculation line (6) is enabled to be quickly directed to the part of the recirculation line (6) leading to the tub (3) by means of the inclined structure of the base (15).
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By means of the present invention, by processing the data received from at least one sensor (5) positioned in the body (2) by a control unit, the presence of a filter (8) configured to filter unwanted substances such as fiber, lint, etc. in the washing liquid in the chamber (7) arranged for the filter (8) is automatically detected, and the user is warned audibly and/or visually if it is detected that the filter (8) is not present in the chamber (7).
