GB2062015A

GB2062015A - Laundry or dish-washing machine

Info

Publication number: GB2062015A
Application number: GB8035508A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Philips Gloeilampenfabrieken NV
Current assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Priority date: 1979-11-09
Filing date: 1980-11-05
Publication date: 1981-05-20
Also published as: ES496637A0; ES8202884A1; DE3042028A1; FR2469493A1; GB2062015B; FR2469493B1; IT8025757A0; IT1151455B

Abstract

A water distributor for an automatic laundry or dish-washing machine is equipped with a water inlet nozzle 9 whose discharge is controlled by a programmer of the machine. The position of the nozzle is changed by the programmer in order to obtain the consecutive flushing of a number of dispensers PL, LA, CL, AS containing products used for the washing and rinsing cycles in the machine. The distributor is characterized in that it has an electric motor which moves the nozzle 9 via a connecting rod 14b, which motor is energized by the programmer after comparison of the electrical state of said programmer with the electrical state of a nozzle position detector associated with the nozzle. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Water distributor for a washing machine and washing machine equipped with said distributor The invention relates to a water distributor for an automatic laundry or dish-washing machine, which distributor comprises a water inlet nozzle whose discharge is controlled by a programmer of the machine and whose position can be changed for the consecutive flushing of a plurality of dispensers containing products intended to be used during the programmed washing and/or rinsing operations. Such a distributor is for example known from United States patent specification 3,144,031. By means of a single electric discharge control valve it enables the dispensers containing the products necessary for a correct washing process to be flushed selectively.

For example, nowadays an automatic laundry washing machine may consecutively use: a prewashing agent, a washing agent, a bleach and lastly a fabric softener to be mixed with the final rinsing water.

As the washing operation is effected in a tub, the consecutive filling operations of said tub take place via the water distributor and the associated dispensers. During said filling operations, which are controlled by the programmer of the machine, the products are entrained into the tub by the water. If during a filling operation no such product is to be added (first rinsing cycles), this is effected either directly or via a previously emptied dispenser.

In the aforementioned United States patent specification the water inlet nozzle is directed by means of a rod on an arm which is moved by a cam mounted on the shaft of the mechanical programmer of the machine. Similar versions employing a mechanical transmission by links, rods or cable are described in French Patent Specifications No. 1,515,525; 2,012,899; 2,047,820; 2,288,812 etc. ... A drawback of this construction is that the programmer and the water distributor should be arranged near each other, or that a long and/or more or less flexible transmission is required, because the programmer is generally mounted on a stationary part of the machine (housing) whilst the distributor is rigidly connected to the tub which is resiliently suspended relative to the housing.Furthermore this construction cannot be used if the programmer is fully electronic and does not comprise any moving mechanical part. In order to separate the water distributor mechanically from the programmer of the machine, the present invention is characterized in that the water inlet nozzle is positioned by means of an electric motor of the water distributor, which is capable of being energized by the programmer as a function of a comparison of the electrical states of said programmer with the electrical states of a nozzle position detector for detecting the position of the nozzle. This comparison dictates the movement of he nozzle until its position is such that the desired dispenser is flushed.In order to prevent water being discharged between two flushing positions, the nozzle position detector preferably inhibits the energization of an electric discharge control valve of the water inlet nozzle during a change in the position of said nozzle.

The manner in which the position of the movable assembly is detected is arbitrary: magnetic, optical or electrical. In the lastmentioned case movable cams may actuate electrical switches, as is the case in an electromechanical programmer. Generally, the currents necessary for the detection and/or energization of the distributor motor are small enough to permit the use of sliding contacts. The contacts may then be realized in the form of a movable track associated with the movable assembly, for example printed on a disk associated with said assembly, and fixed wipers which are electrically connected to the programmer.

In a preferred embodiment, the nozzle position detector is constituted by sliding contacts formed by metal wipers which are movable with the nozzle assembly and which move over stationary electrically conductive tracks whose ends correspond to respective positions of the nozzle in which the product dispensers are flushed. Said movable wipers each interconnect a track and a conductor connected to them. In order to avoid a need to make such connections to a movable object, each sliding contact is effected by a wiper which engages with two parallel tracks, the wipers being mounted on one side of the output gearwheel of a reduction gear, which is interposed between the shaft of the electric motor and the nozzle, the conductive tracks being printed tracks in the form of circular sectors carried on an insulated support which is mounted perpendicular to the axis of said gear-wheel.

In a washing machine in which the programmer comprises parallel electrical switches the command for flushing a dispenser corresponds to the closure of a respective switch and for example to the appearance of a voltage on a terminal which is connected to said switch; it is then advantageous if the sliding contacts of the nozzle position detector are connected in series with respective said switches to form a corresponding number of parallel power-supply paths for the motor. In this type of washing machine, the discharge of the nozzle is for example controlled by a programmer switch which energizes the electric discharge control valve.In order to inhibit said discharge command, in a preferred embodiment, an additional sliding contact on the same support as the nozzle position detector has a conductive track divided into segments, each segment corresponding to a respective circular sector of the conductive tracks of the detector, said additional sliding contact being connected in series with the electric discharge control valve.

Thus, the distributor itself controls its discharge, the sliding contact provided for this function being closed only near the flushing positions.

In a washing machine equipped with an electronic programmer which selects from its memory a binary code corresponding to the position of the nozzle required for the flushing of each product dispenser, a preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the sliding contacts of the nozzle position detector are connected to the programmer and each contact determines the value of a binary digit, the binary number defined by the states of the sliding contacts being compared with the code selected in the memory, the programmer energizing the motor of the distributor if the state of the movable contact fails to produce said code.When the stop command for the distributor motor is transferred via the programmer, it is possible to delay this command relative to the signal supplied by the detector preferably, the motor is energized by the programmer after the instant at which the states of the sliding contacts produces the selected code, for a short time necessary to ensure that the last end of the conductive track is cleared. This short time corresponds for example to an advancement of the wiper of a few degrees of arc past the end of the track.

As in the foregoing, it is desirable that the signal from the nozzle position detector inhibits the discharge of water between two flushing positions. To this end, the electric discharge control valve is not energized in the absence of the selected code at the detector contacts. In addition to the water distributor described in the foregoing, the invention also relates to a washing machine equipped with such a device.

Embodiments of a distributor for a washing machine in accordance with the invention are illustrated by means of the following description and drawings.

Figure 1 is a simplified view of a laundry washing machine whose tub is equipped with an assembly of product dispensers which are flushed by means of a water distributor, Figure 2 is a sectional view showing the internal arrangement of a dispenser assembly and its distributor, Figure 3 is an elevation of the motor and its mechanical connection with the water inlet nozzle of a distributor in accordance with the invention, Figure 4 is a front view of the same motor equipped with a different type of mechanical connection, Figure 5 is a partial sectional view of the motor unit of the distributor in accordance with the invention, showing the reduction gear and the sliding contacts of the nozzle position detector, Figure 6 is an elevation of the output gear wheel of the unit of Figure 5, Figure 7 shows an example of printed conductive tracks of the nozzle position detector -of a distributor controlled by the switches of an electro-mechanical programmer, and, Figure 8 shows an example of the printed conductive tracks of the nozzle position detector of a distributor controlled by an electronic programmer.

The schematic view of Figure 1 shows a laundry washing machine which can be equipped with a distributor in accordance with the invention.

This machine comprises a tub 1 in which washing is effected, the laundry being placed in a perforated drum 2 which is rotated inside the tub.

The tub 1 is filled with water either directly via a water inlet which opens into the tub, or via a dispenser assembly 3 which communicates with the interior of the tub. The washing machine is controlled by a programmer which is set by the user by means of controls which are arranged on e control panel 4. During the laundry washing and subsequent rinsing operations, the programmer controls the consecutive flushing of the dispensers of the assembly 3, shown in sectional view in Figure 2, by the water distributor. Before the machine is actuated to start a washing operation, these dispensers will be initially loaded with for example a powder detergent for pre-washing (dispenser PL) and for washing (dispenser LA), a liquid brightening agent (bleach in the dispenser CL), and a liquid fabric softening agent (dispenser AS).The present example is limited to four dispensers, in accordance with current practice, but the invention is applicable to more extensive dispenser assembly. The water is fed into each dispenser via ducts 5, 6, 7, 8 respectively which are fed by a single water inlet nozzle 9, which is movable in front of an inlet to each duct. The nozzle 9 is situated at the end of a flexible duct 10, which itself is connected to the outlet of an electric discharge control valve 11, which is connected to a water mains supply pipe under pressure. The water flow from the nozzle 9 is controlled by the electric discharge control valve which is electrically energized by means of the programmer of the machine.The water entrains the products from the dispensers to the tub via a distributor outlet 12 either directly for powder or by siphoning for liquids.

In a distributor in accordance with the invention the water inlet nozzle 9 as positioned in front of any one of the ducts 5, 6 7,8 by means of an electric motor 13 (Figures 3 and 4) whose rotation is converted and transmitted to a rod 14 to which the nozzle 9 is fized. Figure 3 shows an example of a rod 14a which at its two ends is pivotally connected to a crank 15 by means of swivel joints, which crank is mounted on the end of the motor shaft, and to a vertically movable support 16 in which the flexible duct 10 and the nozzle 9 are mounted. Figure 4 shows another example of a ,connecting rod 14b provided with a slotted link 17, which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and by means of which the connecting rod is guided. In the slotted link pin 18, which belongs to a crank mounted on the motor drive shaft 20, engages with the slotted link on one of its ends the connecting rod 14b takes the form of a clip into which the nozzle 9 is fitted. By means of the transmissions shown in Figures 3 and 4 the motor rotation can be converted into a quasi-linear translation of the end of the connecting rod 14 carrying the nozzle, so that by consecutive rotation of the motor said nozzle can be positioned in front of any one of the inlets of the ducts 5, 6, 7, 8 for flushing the dispensers PL, LA, CL, AS.

Figure 5 shows the elements included between the electric motor 13 and the drive shaft 20 which drives the connecting rod. The motor is for example a motor operating at an alternating voltage of 12 V or 220 V and rotating with a speed of 500 rpm. The motor drive shaft rotates a reduction gear constituted by a pinion 21 which drives a gear-wheel 22, which in its turn engages with a pinion which drives an output gear-wheel 23 on which the drive shaft 20 is mounted. On a side 24 (Figure 6) of the output gear-wheel 23, which is preferably made of an electrically insulating material, metal wipers 25 and 26 are mounted, which wipers are constituted by a radial strip and two or more flexible contacts which are adapted to engage with circular conductive tracks carried on a printed-circuit support 28.The perspective view of Figure 6 shows the wipers 25 and 26 of the gear-wheel 23 before they are positioned to scan the tracks of the support. Figure 5 schematically represents the construction of the one section of the reduction gear which constitutes the nozzle position detector of the motor. A chassis 29, for example of an injectionmoulded plastics material, supports the electric motor 13 and the first elements of the reduction gear: the pinion 21 and the gear-wheel 22. On the bearing of the pinion 21, which also constitutes the bearing of the output gear-wheel 23, the printed-circuit support 28 is centred in such a way that in series production it is equally easy to assemble a nozzle position detector using the supports 28 shown in either Figure 7 or Figure 8, by transposing the gear-wheel 23 and the selected support.

Figure 7 represents the printed circuit support carrying the conductive tracks for the sliding contacts. Said tracks form part of the nozzle position detector for the movable assembly of a water distributor which is controlled by an electro-mechanical programmer. Figure 7 shows the circuit diagram of the electrical connections of said distributor to its programmer and to the electrical power supply. The wipers 25 and 26, which engage with said tracks and which are carried on the gear-wheel 23, are symbolically represented by arc-shaped lines bridging the tracks. The pattern of the tracks becomes complex owing to the necessity of re-arranging the connections on one side only of the printed circuit support. The present description refers to the pattern of Figure 7.

In the centre of the circuit a continuous circular track PC is connected to a first terminal of the motor 13, whose second terminal is connected directly to a first terminal of the electrical power supply. Around the continuous track PC there are disposed concentric tracks P1, P2, P3, P4 in the form of circular sectors which are respectively connected to a first terminal of a switch Cl, C2, C3, C4 of the programmer, each switch corresponding to a specific position of the nozzle of the water distributor. The second terminals of the switches Cl to C4 are together connected to the second terminal of the electrical power supply.

A complementary return track PR also occupies a circular sector and is connected directly to the second terminal of the power supply. The tracks PC, P1 to P4 and PR are disposed on five different radii and are scanned by five flexible contacts of the wiper 25, which establish the contacts between said tracks. The direction of rotation of the motor, and thus of the wiper 25, is represented by the arrow F. Relative to said direction the ends of the tracks are referred to as "leading end" and "trailing end" of a track. The return track PR terminates in a point which defines the stop position Al of the motor, and thus of the nozzle of the water distributor in front of the first duct which feeds a dispenser (for example the dispenser PL of Figure 2). The track P2 begins before the position Al and its trailing end defines the stop position A2 of the motor.This is the same for the tracks P3 and P4 which define the positions A3 and A4 of the motor. In Figure 7 the positions Al to A4 are represented by heavy dashdotted radii. It is to be noted that in the present example positions Al and A4 are diametrically opposed and correspond to the maximum length of travel of the connecting rod 14 (Figures 3 and 4). Finally, the track P 1 begins before the position A2 and terminates after the position A4 and the leading end of the track PR.

The operation of the position detector thus constituted by the wiper 25 and the continuous and sector tracks PC, PR, P 1 to P4 will be described with reference to Figure 7. When the wiper, viewed in the direction of the arrow F, is situated between the leading end and the trailing end of a track, one of its contacts will always connect said track to the continuous track PC. If in the programmer the corresponding switch C is closed, the motor is energized and the wiper moves up to the trailing end of the track. For reasons of topology the track P 1 takes over from the track PR, which is permanently energized, in order to move the wiper 25 to position Al.In position Al the wiper 25 is also in contact with the leading ends of tracks P2, P3, P4, whilst the closure of one of the switches C2, C3, C4 energizes the motor to move the wiper 25 to the trailing end of the tracks C2, C3 or C4 (positions A2, A3 and A4). Regardless of the position A2, A3, A4, the subsequent closure of the switch C1 causes the wiper to move to the trailing end of the track P 1, one of the contacts of the wiper then engaging with the return track PR which ensures that the motor remains energized until position Al is reached.

Outside this combination of position detection tracks there are provided further printed tracks in the form of circular sectors: the track Pus, which in the present example duplicates the track PR but is longer than this track, and the divided track P6.

These two tracks can be scanned by the two flexible contacts of the wiper 26. Said wiper 26 is mounted on the gear-wheel 23 (Figure 6) and is thus mechanically connected to the wiper 25, but is angularly shifted relative thereto through an angle aof approximately 1350 in Figure 7, in order to enable the tracks P5 and P6 to be formed without disturbing the connection of the preceding tracks. The track P6 is divided into segments which extend over angles of some degrees on both sides of the positions EVl, EV2, EV3 and EV4, which are obtained starting from positions A1,A2, A3, A4 by shifting through the angle cg.

The track P5 is connected to the first terminal of a switch C5 of the programmer, which switch controls the energization of the electric valve 11 for feeding the nozzle 9. For this purpose the second terminal of switch CS is connected to the solenoid of the electric valve 11 which is connected to the first terminal of the electrical power supply. The track P6 is connected to the second terminal of said power supply. The tracks P5 and P6, which are scanned by the wiper 26, energize the electric valve 11 when the wiper 26 occupies the position EV1 and EV4, that is when the wiper 25 occupies the positions Al to A4 and thus when the nozzle is in a stationary position facing the inlet of a duct leading to one of the dispensers.This arrangement prevents the nozzle from discharging while it moves.

Figure 8 is a plan view of a printed circuit which is accommodated on a different embodiment of the support 28 (Figure 5) and is constituted by tracks forming a nozzle position detector for the movable assembly of a water distributor controlled by an electronic programmer with a memory. Figure 8 also shows the connection of said tracks to the programmer. A wiper 27, which comprises three flexible contacts is mounted on the output gear-wheel 23. the embodiment of Figure 8 requires only a single wiper 27 on the gear wheel 23.

In the centre of the circuit a continuous circular track 30 is connected to earth. Two further concentric tracks 31 and 32 in the form of circular sectors disposed around the track 30 are respectively connected to a positive voltage source via the resistors R and to the input terminals 33 and 34 of the electronic programmer. When the wiper 27 makes contact between a track 31,32 and the continuous track 30, the voltage on the corresponding input terminal 33 or 34 is zero. When the wiper 27 does not contact the track 31 or 32, the corresponding input terminal will be at the source voltage. These electrical states constitute binary information state (0,1). Thus, the combination of the voltages at the two input terminals 33, 34 may assume four different states (0,0 - 0,1 - 1,0 - 1,1).

The programmer compares these states with the binary code of the nozzle position selected in the memory by the programme, for flushing a product dispenser. If the detected code on the tracks 31, 32 is not identical to the selected code, the motor 13 is energized, moving the wiper 27 and the nozzle. When the wiper reaches one end of the track 31, 32 (leading or trailing), the new code which is detected is compared with the selected code as long as the detected and selected codes are not identical. The ends of the two tracks thus define four stop positions B1 to B4. If the codes are identical at the stop positions B1, B2, B3 or B4, the programmer will interrupt the power supply to the motor with a short delay in order to allow the wiper to move freely past the trailing end of the last track scanned. Thus the two concentric tracks in the form of circular sectors and one continuous track suffice to define four stop positions. The addition of a sector-shaped track makes it possible to define eight stop positions, the detected code having three binary digits. Thus the detector corresponding to Figure 8 is much simpler than that of Figure 7. This simple arrangement furthermore enables the stop positions B 1 to B4 to be spaced over an angle of 3600, which means that the geometrical order of the ducts feeding the dispensers of Figure 2 may differ from the geometrical order in which the stop positions Bl, B2, B3, B4 are disposed on the printed circuit support.

Claims

1. A water distributor for an automatic laundry or dish-washing machine, which distributor comprises a water inlet nozzle whose discharge is controlled by a programmer of the machine and whose position can be changed for the consecutive flushing of a plurality of dispensers containing products intended to be used during the programmed washing and/or rinsing operations, characterized in that the water inlet nozzle is positioned by means of an electric motor of the water distributor, which motor is capable of being energized by the programmer as a function of a comparison of the electric state of said programmer with the electrical state of a nozzle position detector for detecting the position of the nozzle.

2. A distributor as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the nozzle position detector inhibits the energization of an electric discharge control valve of the water inlet nozzle during a change in the position of said nozzle.

3. A distributor as claimed in Claim 2, characterized in that the nozzle position detector is constituted by sliding contacts formed by metal wipers which are movable with the nozzle assembly and which move over stationary electrically conductive tracks whose ends correspond to respective positions of the nozzle in which the product dispensers are flushed.

4. A distributor as claimed in Claim 3, characterized in that each said sliding contact is effected by a wiper which engages with two parallel tracks, the wipers being mounted on one side of the output gear-wheel of a reduction gear, which is interposed between the shaft of the electric motor and the nozzle, the conductive tracks being printed tracks in the form of circular sectors carried on an insulated support which is mounted perpendicular to the axis of said gearwheel.

5. A distributor as claimed in Claim 3 or 4, for a washing machine in which the program comprises parallel electrical switches, the flushing command for each product dispenser corresponding to the closure of a respective switch, characterized in that the sliding contacts of the nozzle position detector are connected in series with respective said switches to form a corresponding number of parallel power-supply paths for the motor.

6. A distributor as claimed in Claim 4, characterized in that an additional sliding contact on the same support as the nozzle position detector has a conductive track divided into segments, each segment corresponding to a respective circular sector of the conductive tracks of the detector, said additonal sliding contact being connected in series with the electric discharge control valve.

7. A distributor as claimed in Claim 3 or 4, for a washing machine equipped with an electronic programmer which selects from its memory a binary code corresponding to the position of the nozzle required for the flushing of each product dispenser, characterized in that the sliding contacts of the nozzle position detector are connected to the programmer and each contact determines the value of a binary digit, the binary number defined by the states of the sliding contacts being compared with the code selected in the memory, the programmer energizing the motor of the distributor if the state of the movable contacts fails to produce said code.

8. A distributor as claimed in Claim 7, characterized in that its motor is energized by the programmer after the instant at which the state of the sliding contacts produces the selected code, for a short time which is necessary to ensure that the last end of the conductive track is cleared.

9. A distributor as claimed in Claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the electric discharge control valve is not energized in the absence of the selected code at the detector contacts.

10. A water distributor for an automatic laundry or dish-washing machine substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to any one of Figures 2 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A washing machine comprising a water distributor as claimed in any previous Claim.