GB2187763A

GB2187763A - Washing agent feed device in a washing machine

Info

Publication number: GB2187763A
Application number: GB08701417A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Karl Thier; Wolfgang Proppe; Armin Zibold
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-03-14
Filing date: 1987-01-22
Publication date: 1987-09-16
Also published as: DE3608620A1; FR2595728A1; FR2595728B3; GB2187763B; GB8701417D0; IT8719671A0; IT1204920B; IT8721117V0; DE3608620C2

Abstract

A washing agent feed device in a washing machine is so equipped that the washing agent chamber is fillable by the operator with agent in either powder or liquid form. For this purpose, a rearward flow limitation wall (3) has a stationary portion (4) and a movable portion (7) as bulkhead partition for liquid washing agent, the portions being connected together by way of a hinge (6). The partition has an outline shape substantially corresponding with the profile of a passage (11) below the stationary wall portion (4) and is movable into the passage. Alternatively the movable portion is a partition (12, Figs. 3, 4) which slides in guides to block the passages remote from stationary portion (4) or in a further embodiment block the passages adjacent stationary portion (4). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Washing agent feed device in a washing machine The present invention relates to a washing machine provided with a washing agent feed device.

In DE-OS 19 55 256 there is disclosed a washing machine with pouring limitation walls in washing agent chambers to prevent trickling down of powder washing agent during pouring-in and further pouring limitation walls in further chambers to prevent outflow of liquid washing agent without supply of fresh water.

The emptying of these last two chambers is possible only by way of siphoning.

In DE-OS 26 39 923 there is described a tiltable pouring limitation wall which, when the associated washing agent drawer is drawn up, closes off a chamber rearwardly and is pivoted away upwardly when the drawer is closed, so that the rear side of the chamber is open when the drawer is closed and can be rinsed out unhindered.

Such a washing agent chamber is unsuitable for filling with liquid washing agent, as it would flow away at once, thus prematurely, into the liquor container when the drawer is closed. The washing agent chambers disclosed in DE-OS 19 55 256 are similarly suitable only for a particular use, the chambers with walls open below for powder agents and the chambers with closed walls only for liquid washing agents. A combination of both the kinds of walls in a single chamber to enable storage of either powder or liquid agent is not possible, since on the one hand the passage arranged below would let liquid washing agent flow away at once and on the other hand a closed wall would force powder agent in part through the siphon, which would then clog up and make this chamber unusable.

It would thus be desirable for a washing agent feed device in a washing machine to be such that it could be charged according to the desire of the operator selectably with powder or with liquid washing agent without it leading to complications in the use of one or other kind of agent. Such complications would be, for example, incrustations of agent, water scale deposits, and resultant clogging or obstructions of movable parts.

According to the present invention there is provided a washing machine provided with a washing agent feed device comprising a washing agent storage charriber with an inlet for flushing water and an outlet for water and washing agent mixture, and limitation means arranged in the chamber to retain washing agent therein prior to discharge and comprising a fixed wall member and a movable wall member, the outlet being provided by a passage extending below the fixed wall member and the movable wall member having at least in part an outline shape which substantially corresponds with the cross-sectional profile of the passage and being positionable across the passage when liquid agent is to be retained by the limitation means and movable out of the passage when particulate solid agent is to be retained by the limitation means.

In a preferred embodiment, the device comprises at least one chamber which is flushed out by incoming water and the wall at the outflow side of which is constructed as pouring limitation wall with a passage arranged at the bottom for the outflow of the mixture of water and washing agent. The limitation wall has a fixed portion and a movable portion as bulkhead partition for liquid washing agent, which portions are connected together by way of a guide. The bulkhead partition has an outline substantially corresponding with the profile of the passage arranged at the bottom and can be moved into the passage. The operator is thus in a position of filling the chamber according to choice either with washing agent powder or with washing agent liquid.For this purpose the operator brings the movable portion of the limitation wall into the appropriate position; if the passage is free then the chamber is equipped for powder agent and if the movable portion closes the passage then the chamber is equipped for liquid agent. The passage can be formed to be so wide that the powder agent during rinsing-out is conveyed dry underneath and beyond an upper edge of the passage. The chamber will normally be flushed so thoroughly that the chamber side walls are intensively washed.-Washing agent residues are thus not left on the limitation wall in either case. This ensures that the movable portion is not restricted in its freedom of movement through washing agent encrustations.

In one preferred embodiment, the guide is an horizontally oriented hinge and the bulkhead partition is constructed as flap pivotable into the passage. The bulkhead partition outline adapted to the bottom shape of the chamber can be maintained with such a defined accuracy that liquid washing agent is retained for a time-for example 10 minutes-without even a drop of this liquid flowing prematurely to the liquor container of the machine. During flushing-out with water, the substantial part of this liquid is washed over the upper edge of the limitation wall, whilst the residual water in the chamber will, due to its lower viscosity, flow away relatively rapidly through the defined leakage between the bulkhead partition and the chamber bottom.This can be so arranged that the chamber is empty at most after the duration of a spinning operation, for example at most 30 minutes.

For preference, such a bulkhead partition is arranged to be pivotable out of the passage only rearwardly and a handle plate is connected, parallelly to and in the proximity of the hinge, firmly with the bulkhead partition at such an angle that the handle plate, when the bulkhead- partition is pivoted out, is disposed in alignment with the stationary portion and fills out the passage only partially. Such a handle plate enables the operator to actuate the tiltable bulkhead partition without having to pull out a flushing-in drawer- in which the chamber is provided-from the machine housing.In its position for charging of the chamber withpowder agent, it covers only a part of the passage, which is so dimensioned in size that, when the handle plate is in alignment with the stationary portion, the passage cross-section is still sufficiently large to allow powder a#gent to be washed out.

Preferably the hinge is film hinge, which has a particular advantage of not being exposed to the risk of restriction of movement due to deposited washing agent or water scale incrustations.

In another embodiment of the invention, the guide is a slide thrust guide and the bulkhead partition can be slid into the passage. According to the shape of the chamber, a flap or slide can be suitable as the movable portion of the pouring limitation wall. This will influence the provision of the required leakage flow. Compared with a flap, the slide has the advantage of a more readily appreciated function.

It can also be of advantage if the stationary portion and the bulkhead partition of the limitation wall are spaced from each other and connected together only indirectly by way of the side walls of the chamber. For better manipulation, the bulkhead partition is then arranged, in viewing direction of the operator, in front of the stationary portion of the limitation wall. Such an arrangement is of advantage if the volume of that part of the chamber which receives the liquid washing agent must be appreciably smaller than the part re#ceiving the powder agent.

In all cases, it is advantageous if the bul khead partition and/or the handle plate arefixed in an end setting or end settings at the chamber wall by detent elements. This provides clearly defined operative settings of the bulkhead partition, so that, for example, undue leakage or insufficient opening of the passage are avoided.

In the case of a removable bulkhead partition, a space for reception of the partition during its non-use can be provided externally of the chamber. The operator is thus afforded the possibility of keeping the bulkhead partition at a place where it can be conveniently found.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Fig. 1 is a cross-section, along the line I-I of Fig. 2, of a washing agent feed device in a first washing machine embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is aplan view of the device of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross-section, along the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 4, of a washing agent feed device in a second washing machine embodying the invention; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 part of a washing machine equipped with a washing agent flushing-in drawer which has three chambers, identified at their front sides by I, II and a flower symbol respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, only the chamber II is shown equipped with a pouring limitation wall as discussed in the following, but each of the other chambers can be similarly equipped.

The bottom 1 of the chamber has a downward gradient in direction towards an outflow opening 2. Disposed in the chamber in the proximity of the lower end of the chamber bottom is a pouring limitation wall 3, a fixed portion 4 of which has an overflow window 5. A pivotable bulkhead partition 7, the outline of which substantially corresponds to the profile of the bottom 1 and side walls 8 and 9 of the chamber in the region of its pivoted-in setting (shown chain-dotted), is fastened by way of a film hinge 6 arranged horizontally and transversely to the direction of flow at the lower end of the fixed portion 4. Only a very small leakage gap ensures that liquids with a viscosity similar to that of the water can flow completely out of the chamber.In the illustrated, pivoted-out position of the bulkhead partition 7, a handle plate 10 fastened thereto projects into a passage 11 and in this setting is in alignment with the stationary portion 4. When the partition 7 is pivoted in, the handle plate 10 extends at about a right angle to the stationary portion 4. By means of the handle plate 10, the operator can easily move the partition 7 into the closed position through gripping below the handle plate. The return movement is correspondingly simple. The partition 7 can be fixed by detent elements 18 in both end positions.

Another embodiment is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In this embodiment the stationary portion 4 of the wall 3 is connected not directly, but indirectly by way of the side walls 8 and 9 with the movable portion of the pouring limitation wall, in this case a slide-thrustguided bulkhead partition 12. For this purpose, guides 13 are provided at the side walls 8 and 9 and have wedge-shaped rails with a roof-shaped formation on the upper side in order that washing agent residues can slide off or be rinsed away.

The partition 12 can be pulled completely out of the guides 13 and inserted into a receiving space 14 at the front of the chamber II. The partition 12 is available there at any time. To facilitate gripping, the partition 12 has a small handle 15 at its upper side.

In place of a partition 12 connected only indirectly with the stationary portion 4, the wall can be provided with a partition 16 which, as shown in chain-dotted lines in Fig.

3, can be connected directly with the stationary portion 4. For this purpose, a slide thrust guide 17 is mounted at the side walls 8 and 9 parallel to the stationary portion. The slide forming the partition 1-6 can be kept in an upper setting which leaves free the passage underneath the wall 3. In the setting, shown in chain-dotted lines, of the slide, the passage is sealed in the same manner as when the tiltable partition 7 in Fig. 1 is inserted in the passage. The slide, in the case of non-use, thus does not need to be kept at another place.

In use, when the bulkhead partition is pivoted-out, raised or removed, as the case may be, the chamber is suitable for filling with powder washing agent 19, which can be poured in up to the height of the lower edge of the window 5. Under consideration of an angle of repose of about 45 , even washing powder penetrating through the passage cannot reach the outflow opening 2.

When the bulkhead partition is pivoted-in, lowered or inserted, as the case may be, the chamber is suitable for the filling with liquid washing agent 20, which in the case of Fig. 1 can be poured in up to the height of the lower edge of the window 5 and in the case of Fig. 3 up to the height of the upper edge of the partition 12 or 16 or up to the height of the lower edge of the window in the stationary portion 4, Since an equally effective charge of liquid washing agent is possibly smaller in quantity than washing powder, a spacing of the guide 13 from the stationary portion 4 is of advantage in the case of a not directly connected arrangement of the bulkhead partition 12 in Fig. 3.

The feed device is applicable to all types of washing machine, i.e. both front-loading and top-loading machines.

Claims

1. A washing machine provided with a washing agent feed device comprising a washing agent storage chamber with an inlet for flushing water and an outlet for water and washing agent mixture, and limitation means arranged in the chamber to retain washing agent therein prior to discharge and comprising a fixed wall member and a movable wall member, the outlet being provided by a passage extending below the fixed wall member and the movable wall member having at least in part an outline shape which substantially corresponds with the crosssectional profile of the passage and being positionable across the passage when liquid agent is to be retained by the limitation means and movable out of the passage when particulate solid agent is to be retained by the limitation means.

2. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movable wall member is connected to the fixed wall member by a hinge and pivotable relative to the fixed wall member to open and close the outlet to outflow of liquid agent.

3. A washing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the movable wall member is arranged to be pivotable in and only in the direction of outflow from the chamber in order to open the outlet and is provided with a handle element which extends from the movable wall member in the region of the hinge and at such an angle as to be alignable with the fixed wall member and to project into the passage when the movable wall member is pivoted in said direction.

4. A washing machine as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the hinge is provided by a flexible film portion integrally connecting the wall members together.

5. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wall member is slidably movable in guide means in the chamber.

6. A washing machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the wall members are spaced from each other in the flow direction of the passage.

7. A washing machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising detent means to locate the movable wall member in at least one end position thereof.

8. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movable wall member is removable entirely from the chamber and the feed device is provided externally of the chamber with a space for storage of the removed wall member.

9. A washing machine provided with a washing agent feed device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.

1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A washing machine provided with a washing agent feed device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.

3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.