GB2196724A - Evacuation device for a clothes or dish washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

An evacuation device comprises a tube having a main duct (1) with frames for sealingly coupling the main duct (1) to the outlet of a drum or receptacle. Two secondary branches (5, 5') divide from the main duct (1), and the branches (5, 5') and the main duct (1) are of similar cross-section. A float (9) is provided in the main duct (1) to cooperate with a seat (10), but during discharge from the drum or receptacle the float (9) is forced against a seat in one of the two branches, leaving the other branch open to allow full flow discharge. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Evacuation device for a clothes or dish washing machine OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The present invention, in accordance with the title of the specification, relates to an evacuation device designed specifically for use in both clothes and dish washing machines, and which, in addition to saving detergent in each operative cycle of the machine, allows its essential function as evacuating element for residual water to take place in optimum conditions.

The device is applicable, as aforesaid, to both clothes and dish washing machines, and generally to any type of machine using a lowcost product, such as water, and a high-cost product, such as detergent, and in which a tub or receptacle is successively loaded and discharged, the mixture of the two products being ejected after use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Machines of the type described, such as dish washers and clothes washing machines, and specifically those in which the detergent is fed automatically, presented the problem of an excessive mechanical loss of detergent, owing mainly to the fact that, at the end of each discharge phase, the corresponding circuit became totally empty, wherefore on refilling the tub or receptacle, the first water load, which has the greater concentration of detergent, was used to fill the discharge circuit, being inoperative for washing and thus resulting in a greater consumption of detergent for a specific concentration thereof in the washing receptacle.

Amongst the many solutions adopted to overcome this problem, there should be pointed out, as the more suitable ones, those in which the washing machine is provided with means for fully closing the drainage circuit, such that during loading of the washing recep tacle the new washing solution cannot reach the discharge assembly, the said problem being thus solved.

In this respect, Spanish patent of invention 469.521 should be mentioned, the structural characteristics whereof are centred particularly on a series of means for preventing the loss of detergent in washing machines, the said patent affording a solution which may be considered as being one of the most suitable of the ones mentioned above.More specifically, the said solution consists in the provision of a float element capable of displacement within the initial section of the evacuation duct, i.e., at the outlet of the washing receptacle, such that during the filling stage thereof, and due to the presence of a suitable amount of water within the discharge assembly, the said float acts as a plug for closing the discharge mouth of the receptacle and preventing the new water-detergent solution from reaching the discharge assembly during filling thereof, whereas at the end of the said operative cycle actuation of the pump results in the dragging of the float to an open position which, in theory, allows the total evacuation of the said water-detergent solution.

However, this solution, though acceptable from a theoretical point of view, does not in practice guarantee an adequate section for passage of rhe water, wherefore small objects such as butTons, coins or other solid residues may encounter difficulties during discharge for passage through the narrowing defined by the float, and thus remain blocked, acting as wedges which force the float against the duct and render the device useless as a means for saving detergent, the situation becoming progressively worse as more detergent and other similar objects reach the float, thus resulting in breakage not only of the device, but also of the machine itself, for the latter would be incapable of discharging the water load at the end of each operative cycle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The device proposed by the invention has been designed to fully solve these problems, such that using the same basic float as a plug element for the drainage assembly, it further guarantees perfect functioning of the said assembly as an evacuation element, preventing the aforementioned blockage when such small objects pass along the drainage assembly, the means for saving detergent not being an obstacle therefor.

More specifically, and in order to achieve the above, the characteristics of-~the device are centred on the fact that the evacuation duct at its outlet from the washing receptacle, divides to define two ducts or branches, both of circular section and identical to each other and to the main, initial duct, such that during filling of the receptacle the float closes the said main branch, thereby fulfilling its essential function as a plug to prevent the access of the water-detergent solution to the drainage assembly, whereas during discharge the said float will be forced onto one of the two outlet ducts or branches, wherefore the other will remain completely free to effect evacuation under similar conditions to chose existing if the detergent-saving device were not to be present, for, in accordance with the above, the cross section of each of the said outlet branches is the same as that of the main duct.

The said float has been designed as a spherical element situated, as can be inferred from the foregoing, within the main duct, the implantation thereof during assembly of the device being quick and simple for, as is conventional, the said discharge duct is comprised by a rubber element.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRA WINGS In order to complete the description being made, and to assist the better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is attached to the present specification, as an integral part thereof, wherein the following has been shown in an illustrative and non-limiting manner.

Figure 1 shows a diagramatic side elevation of the washing machine the drainage assembly whereof includes a detergent-saving device of the type which uses a float as a plug element.

Figure 2 shows a front elevational view of the evacuation device which constitutes the object of the present invention, the said device appearing in cross section along line C-D of Figure 3.

Figure 3 finally shows a side elevation and cross section of the same device along line A B of Figure 2.

In the light of these figures, it can be seen how the evacuation device being described is comprised by a rubber or like element making up a branched channelling wherein is defined a main duct 1 provided at its mouth with means 2 for sealed coupling to discharge outlet 3 of receptacle 4, which duct, at the end opposite mouth 2 for coupling to the receptacle, i.e., down-water, divides into two branches 5-5' of circular section, parallel and identical to each other, and ending in respective mouths 6 for coupling to the rest of the discharge assembly, i.e., to evacuation pump 7, with the corresponding filter 8 therebetween.

A sperical float 9 plays within the main duct 1 to act as a plug, wherefore the said main branch i includes an internal flange 10 acting as a seat for plug float 9, a further internal flange 11 being provided at the mouth of each of the outlet branches 5-5', in this case not for acting as a plug seat for float 9, but rather as a retaining means therefor to prevent it from being dragged through either of said outlet branches 5-5' as a result of the suction force of discharge pump 7.

In accordance with the structure described, after each operative cycle of the machine, and specifically after each emptying of receptacle 4, a sufficient amount of water remains in the evacuation duct 12, such that flow-back of said residual water when pump 7 stops results in the elevation of float 9 and in subsequent resting thereof against seat flange 10 of main duct i, the latter thus being tightly closed during filling of the receptacle in order toprevent the washing solution from reaching the discharge assembly.

In this way, the total amount of new washing solution with its corresponding detergent content remains within the receptacle in order to effect the washing process in the normal manner, making utmost use of all the detergent.

On discharge, suction created by pump 7 results in the displacement of float 9 from the position shown in a continuous line in Figure 3 to that shown in a dotted line, which suction takes place through the two outlet branches 5-5', wherefore float 9 is forced towards either one of the said outlet ducts, for example branch 5', closing same and leaving the other outlet branch 5 completely free; thus, as the cross section of the two outlet branches is practically the same as that of the main duct 1, drainage is guaranteed to take place under optimum conditions and with a total lack of blockage risks.

Once the drainage phase has finished, the cycle is repeated once again, float 9 rising towards its plugging position, with the corresponding flow-back of water.

It is not considered necessary to extend the present description any further for an expert in the art to understand the scope of the invention and the advantages derived therefrom.

The materials, shape, size and arrangement of the elements may vary, provided such variation does not imply a modification to the essentiality of the invention.

Having described the object of the present invention, it is declared that what constitutes the essentiality of same is contained in the following:

Claims (2)

1. EVACUATION DEVICE FOR A CLOTHES OR DISH WASHING MACHINE, which, being designed to achieve a saving in detergent, by closing the discharge assembly at the outlet of the drum or receptacle, thereby preventing the new washing solution from filling the said discharge assembly, and being of the type which includes therefor a float capable of displacement against a seat operatively made in correspondence with the said outlet for the receptacle due to the flow-back effect of some of the evacuated water, acting as a plug during filling of the receptacle and during the washing process, is essentially characterised in that it is comprised by a tube wherein is defined a main duct provided with means for sealed coupling thereof to the outlet of the receptacle, and two secondary branches dividing off from the said duct, with the particularity that these two secondary branches, which are identical to each other, have a circular section substantially equal to that of the main duct, it having been foreseen that a spherical float should play in this latter, to rest, when operative, on a perimetral flange acting as a plug seat and established on the initial section of said main duct, whereas during evacuation, and due to the effects of the conventional suction pump, the spherical float is situated over the mouth of either of the two secondary branches, leaving the other one completely free and thus affording a constant, maximum cross section for the washing solution which is to be evacuated.

2. An evacuation device for a washing machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.