GB1568045A

GB1568045A - Washing machines

Info

Publication number: GB1568045A
Application number: GB2058278A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1977-06-17
Filing date: 1978-05-18
Publication date: 1980-05-21
Also published as: ES244327Y; ES244327U; PT68168A; DE2826506A1; PL207686A1; FR2394633B3; FR2394633A1; BE867632A; NL7806129A; IT1083527B; GR64992B; AT361886B; ATA441478A

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO WASHING MACHINES (71) I, RICCARDO BERTOLINO, an Italian citizen, of Via Manzoni 4, Beinasco, Turin, Italy, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted tome, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to washing machines.

In known washing machines which include a drum rotating about a horizontal axis, which drum is intended to contain washing during the washing and subsequent spin-drying stages, the drum intended to contain the washing has a cylindrical shape and is provided with perforations along its entire lateral surface to allow the water to pass, during the washing stage, from the drum to a tube in which the drum rotates and vice versa, and to allow the removal of the water from the washing by centrifugal action during the spin-drying stage.

One disadvantage of the known drums (which are also called "baskets" because of the perforations) consists in the fact that the presence of apertures along their entire lateral wall gives rise to deterioration of the fabrics. In fact. during the spin-drying stage, especially if this is carried out at high speeds (in the order of 700 revolutions per minute) which are required at present, the centrifugal force tends to push the fabric through the apertures in the drum, which causes wear and deformation of the fabric.

Besides, during the washing stage there is also wear and tear of the fabric due to chafing against the perforated surface of the drum. This chafing is particularly significant (in spite of the presence of longitudinal drive laths or ridges for the washing on the inside surface of the drum) when the rotation speed of the drum is in the order of 50 revolutions per minute which corresponds to the optimal washing speed; because of this, one is obliged in practice to carry out the washing at speeds higher than the optimal speed (i.e. at about 60 revolutions per minute) in order to reduce this chafing effect.

To remedy the above disadvantages, it has already been proposed to use, for washing machines, a drum having a lateral wall with a truncated cone shape, provided with a single ring of apertures on a level with the end having the greater diameter, which corresponds to the bottom of the drum connected to the drive shaft which supports the drum in a cantilever fashion (Italian patent No. 728 219).

This solution, which tends to encourage the flow of water towards the apertures due to the centrifugal force during the spindrying stage, has the disadvantage of having to reduce, for a machine having the same overall dimensions, the capacity of the drum with respect to machines with a cylindrical perforated drum.

According to the present invention there is provided a washing machine incorporating a horizontally mounted drum which is formed with a substantially cylindrical side wall, wherein apertures in the cyclindrical wall for the passage of water into or out of the drum are provided solely in the region of at least one of the ends of the drum.

The apertures may be formed in the region of both ends of the drum.

The machine may include supplementary apertures formed in at least one of the end walls of the drum.

Practical experiments have shown in a surprising way that the washing machine according to the invention allows there to be obtained. during the spin-drying stage, a drying coefficient (by which one means the relationship between the weight of a basket of dry washing and the weight of the same basket of washing after the spin-drying stage following a washing stage) which is perfectly acceptable insofar as it is over 50%.

Thus, the preconception according to which in order to make the water flow towards the outflow apertures of a drum with smooth walls, it would be necessary to use conical walls which diverge in the direction of the perforations zone has been overcome.

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure I is a schematic representation in axial section of a drum of a washing machine according to the invention; and Figure 2 represents a partial section along line II-II of the drum of Figure 1.

In the drawings, the reference 1 represents a shaft which supports a washingcarrier drum 5 for a washing machine in a cantilever fashion and which transmits the power for rotating the drum 5.

The shaft 1 is integral with a support disc 2 on which is fixed, by the intermediary of fixing means, indicated schematically by 3, a back wall 4 of the drum 5 which has a lateral cylindrical surface 6. A front wall 7 of the drum 5 is provided with a central opening for the insertion, in a conventional manner, for a door, not shown in the drawings, for the introduction of the washing.

The lateral cyclindrical wall 6 of the drum 5 is provided, at each of its ends, with a ring of apertures 8 for the passage of water.

Supplementary apertures 9 for the passage of the water are situated on the front wall 7 of the drum 5, and laths (or ridges) 10 are provided on the internal surface of the drum 5 for drawing-along, in a conventional manner, the washing during the washing stage.

The auxiliary apertures 9 serve as supplementary apertures for the entry of water.

During the spin-drying stage, during which the drum rotates at high speed, the washing is flattened against the smooth inside surface of the lateral wall 6 without being damaged, and the water flows towards the ends of the drum and escapes towards the outside through the apertures 8.

Although the embodiment which has been illustrated concerns a drum for washing machines with the washing frontloaded, it will be obvious that the invention also applies to drums for washing machines with the washing top-loaded.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A washing machine incorporating a horizontally mounted drum which is formed with a substantially cylindrical side wall, wherein apertures in the cylindrical wall for the passage of water into or out of the drum are provided solely in the region of at least one of the ends of the drum.

2. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apertures are formed in the region of both ends of the drum.

3. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2 and including supplementary apertures formed in at least one of the end walls of the drum.

4. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the washing machine is provided with means for loading the machine from the front thereof.

5. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the washing machine is provided with means for loading the machine from the top thereof.

6. A washing machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. Thus, the preconception according to which in order to make the water flow towards the outflow apertures of a drum with smooth walls, it would be necessary to use conical walls which diverge in the direction of the perforations zone has been overcome. For a better understanding of the present invention and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure I is a schematic representation in axial section of a drum of a washing machine according to the invention; and Figure 2 represents a partial section along line II-II of the drum of Figure 1. In the drawings, the reference 1 represents a shaft which supports a washingcarrier drum 5 for a washing machine in a cantilever fashion and which transmits the power for rotating the drum 5. The shaft 1 is integral with a support disc 2 on which is fixed, by the intermediary of fixing means, indicated schematically by 3, a back wall 4 of the drum 5 which has a lateral cylindrical surface 6. A front wall 7 of the drum 5 is provided with a central opening for the insertion, in a conventional manner, for a door, not shown in the drawings, for the introduction of the washing. The lateral cyclindrical wall 6 of the drum 5 is provided, at each of its ends, with a ring of apertures 8 for the passage of water. Supplementary apertures 9 for the passage of the water are situated on the front wall 7 of the drum 5, and laths (or ridges) 10 are provided on the internal surface of the drum 5 for drawing-along, in a conventional manner, the washing during the washing stage. The auxiliary apertures 9 serve as supplementary apertures for the entry of water. During the spin-drying stage, during which the drum rotates at high speed, the washing is flattened against the smooth inside surface of the lateral wall 6 without being damaged, and the water flows towards the ends of the drum and escapes towards the outside through the apertures 8. Although the embodiment which has been illustrated concerns a drum for washing machines with the washing frontloaded, it will be obvious that the invention also applies to drums for washing machines with the washing top-loaded. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A washing machine incorporating a horizontally mounted drum which is formed with a substantially cylindrical side wall, wherein apertures in the cylindrical wall for the passage of water into or out of the drum are provided solely in the region of at least one of the ends of the drum.