FR2494984A1 - AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINE COMPRISING A HYDRAULIC FEEDING CIRCUIT WHICH MAY BE AT LEAST PARTIALLY SHUTTERED BEFORE THE SOFTENER REGENERATION OPERATION - Google Patents

Abstract

Washing machine equipped with a hydraulic supply circuit 9 which comprises a controlled inlet valve 5, a segment located in the air 6, a softener 11, a container containing salt 12 and a reservoir 8 for the dosage of regeneration water from the softener. The reservoir communicates at its upper part with the atmosphere and with said segment located in the air. This machine is characterized in that the supply circuit 9 further comprises, preferably downstream of the connection between the softener and the salt container, a shutter member 19 controlled by a pump 20 of the machine so as to close the supply circuit during a phase which precedes the regeneration operation of the softener and in which the inlet valve 5 is open. The shutter 18 may include an expandable elastic bellows connected to the discharge of said pump. The invention makes it possible to obtain a more precise dosage of the regeneration water of the softener. (CF DRAWING IN BOPI)

Description

1. 2494984

  The present invention relates to

  an automatic washing machine, in particular of the household type

  ger, with a hydraulic feed system

  fectionné. We know washing machines, especially

  particular dishwashers normally comprising a

  feed water cooler whose active ingredients

  (exchange-ion resins or equivalent) must be

  periodically regenerated using a quantity of water dosed

  previously passed through a container containing

a suitable salt.

  The regeneration water can be

  directly on the water supply network, by

  via a solenoid valve controlled by the program

  machine to open for a suitable time.

  requested during a specific phase of the operating cycle

  The dosage of the regeneration water, being exclusively

  time varies undesirably because it does not fit

  account of pressure variations that are normally observed

  in the water supply network.

  To obtain a more precise dosage, it is therefore preferable to define the level of. regeneration water by means of a tank open at the top and equipped

  at a pre-established level of an overflow connected to the tank of the-

  the machine. To avoid linking directly to the

  bucket supply a special solenoid valve

  the reliability of the solenoid valve could be compromised by the high pressure of the supply network), the tank is preferably fed by the water losses of the pipe separator which is equipped with the supply pipe of the washing tub. The bottom

  tank is connected to the salt container through

  a solenoid valve; when the latter is open the quantity of metered water collected in the tank

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  flows by gravity through the container containing the salt

  and from there, in the water softener to make the regeneration

ration.

  The solenoid valve arranged between the reservoir and

  the salt container is subjected to negligible pressures

  but it is in contact with salt water which can

  incrustations at the level of the moving parts of the

  solenoid valve. Indeed, it is well known that virtually the entire portion of the feed hydraulic circuit located downstream of the measuring tank comprises salt water, so that a solenoid valve placed at any point of this

portion of the circuit is unreliable.

  According to the invention, there is provided an automatic machine equipped with a washing tank, at least one pump and a hydraulic supply circuit comprising a controlled intake valve, a free segment in the air and a softener, and a container containing salt, an outlet of which is connected to a softener and the inlet to a tank provided for the determination of the regeneration water

  of the softener, the tank communicating with its upper part

  with the external environment and with the said segment

  in the air. The washing machine is mainly characterized

  in that the supply circuit further comprises a shutter member controlled by said pump to close

  to partially dissolve said circuit in a phase which precedes

  regeneration of the softener and in which the valve

admission is open.

  The washing machine according to the invention therefore requires no solenoid valve, upstream or downstream of the metering tank, for the control of the regeneration phase of the

  softener. The filling of the reservoir and the regeneration phase

  are controlled by a simple shutter member which is not significantly influenced by contact with salt water, which gives great reliability to the entire

hydraulic circuit of the machine.

  The figures of the annexed drawing, given by way of non-limiting example, will explain how

the invention can be realized.

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  FIG. 1 schematically shows the hydraulic supply circuit of a preferred embodiment

  of the washing machine according to the invention.

  Figure 2 and Figure 3 show an enlarged detail of Figure 1, in two operating positions respectively. As can be seen by referring to the

  1, the washing machine comprises a feed duct

  9 for connecting the hydraulic supply network to the washing tank 4 of the machine via a series circuit comprising an inlet solenoid valve 5,

  a free path in the air 6 and a softener 11.

  For example, in the case of a dishwasher, the conduit 9 ends inside the tank 4, by an extension 7 (FIGS. 2 and 3) which can be produced in the manner described in the application for Italian Patent No. 34022 B / 79,

  filed on 21/5/1979 on behalf of Industrie Zanussi S.p.A.

  In particular, the upper end of the

  7 is partially engaged in a bell-shaped element; to better understand the construction details

  tion and operation of elements 7 and 10,

  tera to the aforementioned patent application.

  The feed circuit of the washing machine further comprises a container containing salt 12 having an outlet connected to the softener via a

  check valve 13 and an input connected to the bottom of a

metering tank 8 by a conduit 14.

  The reservoir 8 may essentially be of the type described in Italian Patent Application No. 34036 B / 79

  filed on 15/11/1979 on behalf of Industrie Zanussi S.p.A.

  In particular, the tank 8 communicates at its upper part with the segment located in the air 6 of the

  feed duct 9 and communicates with the environment.

  external connection by a connecting duct 15 and an opening 16 of this duct. The opening 16 is also connected to the

  washing tub 4 for the release of vapors.

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  According to one aspect of the invention, the measuring tank comprises, formed in one piece with it, a bowl 17 which communicates at its upper part.

  with the rest of the tank itself and who is willing to

  below the air segment 6 to collect normal water losses. The bottom of the bowl 17 communicates with the conduit 15 and, consequently, with the tank 4, by a calibrated loop 18 whose flow corresponds substantially to said

segment losses in the air 6.

  The supply duct 9 is equipped, preferably downstream of the connection between the softener 11 and the salt container 12, with a shutter member 19 which can be

  operated by a pump 20 of the machine. In the case of a washing machine

  dishes, the shutter can be indifferently operated by the drain pump or by the circulation pump, while

  that in the case of a washing machine, it is obvious that

  duly operated by the drain pump.

  As shown in Figure 1,

  the shutter 19-is preferably arranged on the axis of the pro-

  long 7 of the supply duct, inside the washing tub. For example, it may be constituted by an elastic member consisting of a bellows attached to the element

  bell 10 above the debtor's mouth of the extension

7.

  The bellows delimits a closed chamber re-

  connected to the discharge of the pump 20 through an appropriate opening of the bell member 10 and a control tube 21. When the pump is stopped, the shutter 19 is in the normal position of the Figure 2, in

  which it leaves the feed water out through the

  7 when the pump 20 is in operation.

  the shutter 19 is controlled to expand and

  apply elastically against the outlet mouth of the

  long 7; as shown in Figure 3, in

  at least partially mantling the supply duct 9.

  According to another aspect of the invention, the pump 20 is actuated by the programmer of the machine

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  (Not shown) for a suitable time during a phase directly preceding the regeneration of softener 11 and wherein the inlet solenoid valve 5 is controlled to open. The realization of this characteristic is within the reach of the skilled person.

  During operation, when electricity

  trovalve 5 is open to admit water into the tank 4

  through the softener 11, the pump 20 is turned off.

  cooked and the water losses of the segment in the air 6 are fully

  collected by the bowl (17) and sent into the tank through the calibrated hole 18 and the conduit 15, so that the tank 8 remains empty. As already mentioned, before the regeneration phase, the solenoid valve 5 is

  open and the pump 20 comes into action, causing the

  of the duct 9 by the shutter member 19. As a result,

  almost all the water coming from the food network

  tion of the segment in the air 6 into the bowl 17, with a flow rate substantially greater than that of the

hole 18.

  The water quickly overflows from the bowl

  17, filling the measuring tank 8; possible water

  excessively flows into the tank 4 through the

leads 15.

  After a time, the solenoid valve 5 closes and the pump 20 is switched off, so that the shutter 19 returns elastically to the position of Figure 2. At this stage, begins the regeneration phase of the softener 11; the water collected in the tank 8 flows by gravity through the salt container 12, the valve 13 and the softener 11 and enters the tank of

washing 4 ..

  The washing machine described can naturally

  many modifications, provided that

  the particular characteristics claimed above.

after.

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  For example, the shutter 19 could be

  of the normally closed type. In this case, the pump 20 is ac-

  to open the shutter whenever the electro-

  valve 5 is open, except during the filling phase of the metering tank 8, before the regeneration of the softener 11. In addition, the pump 20 is actuated to perform

regeneration itself.

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Claims (5)

  1.- Automatic washing machine equipped with a   washing tank, at least one pump and a hydraulic circuit   feedstock comprising a com-   mandée, a free segment in the air and a softener, and a container containing salt whose outlet is connected to softener and the inlet to a tank provided for the determination of the regeneration water of the softener, the tank communicating at its upper part with the external environment and with said segment in the air, characterized in that the supply circuit (9) further comprises a shutter member (19) controlled by said pump (20) for at least partially closing said circuit in a   phase which precedes the regeneration operation of the softening   and in which the inlet valve (5) is open.   2.- Washing machine according to the claim   1, characterized in that said shutter member (19) is disposed in the feed circuit (9) downstream of   the connection between the softener (11) and the container salt (12).   3.- Washing machine according to the claim   1, characterized in that said shutter (19) consists of an elastic member or bellows which defines a closed chamber connected to the discharge of said pump (20), said bellows being intended to move from a normal position of opening to a dilated position of Closure at   less partial of said supply circuit (9).   4.- Washing machine according to the claim   1, in which the supply circuit ends with an extension which extends inside the machine, characterized in that the shutter member (19) is arranged in the axis of said extension (7). 8 2494984   5.- Washing machine according to the claim   1, in which the measuring tank is normally fed by the water losses which occur in said   segment in the air, characterized by the fact that   see (8) comprises a bowl (17) which communicates at its upper part with the rest of the tank, which is intended to collect said losses, and which is provided on its bottom (18) with a hole connected to the tank washing (4) this hole being calibrated so as to have a substantially corresponding flow rate said losses.