GB2277530A

GB2277530A - Drum drive control in an automatic washing machine

Info

Publication number: GB2277530A
Application number: GB9407528A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Blauert; Frank Boeldt; Martina Woebkemeier
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-04-27
Filing date: 1994-04-15
Publication date: 1994-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 2014-04-15
Also published as: GB9407528D0; ES2109134B1; DE4313814A1; DE4313814B4; FR2704565A1; ITMI940792A0; ES2109134A1; GB2277530B; FR2704565B1; ITMI940792A1; IT1269579B

Description

- 1 2277530 DRUM DRIVE CONTROL IN AN AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINE The present

invention relates to an automatic programcontrolled washing machine for washing and rinsing laundry.

In known washing machines, the duration of the rotary drive for the machine laundry drum can be adapted in a program section "washing" and/or "rinsing" to respectively selectable washing programs. The duration of the rotary drive can be varied by variation of the ratios of rotation-pulse to rotation pause or by variable maximum washing times and/or rinsing times. Thus, for example, for sensitive textiles, for example wool or easy-care laundry, the duration of the rotary drive is appreciably reduced by comparison with the treatment of less sensitive kinds of laundry, for example boiling or coloured laundry. This adaptation, however, is set only for the respective maximum quantity of the laundry load of the washing program concerned. The washing and rinsing processes therefore do not take place in an optimum manner in the case of reduced loading or overloading.

There thus remains scope for optimising washing and/or rinsing processes for-varied quantities of load.

According to the present invention there is provided an automatic Program -controlled washing machine for washing and rinsing laundry, comprising a rotatable laundry drum and control means for adaptation of duration of rotary drive of the drum to selectable washing programs, the control means being arranged to vary the duration of the rotary drive in addition in dependence on data concerning the quantity of laundry introduced into the drum.

Thus, in addition to the kind of laundry being taken into consideration, the quantity of laundry can also be taken into consideration for optimisation of the washing and/or rinsing process. In that case, data concerning the quantity of laundry can be entered manually by way of the machine operating Dane] or ascertained by automatically operating equipment in the machine.

Although the manual input permits only relatively coarse thus not always accurate, information about the quantity of laundry, the taking of this information into consideration is an important step in direction towards optimisation of the washing and/or rinsing process. Automatic ascertainment of the data concerning the laundry quantity is, as a rule, more finely stepped and thus more accurate, so that the optimum can be achieved sooner. In the case of an electronic control, an automatic form of ascertainment is therefore be to preferred.

If the variation of the duration of the rotary drive is determined by variable ratios of rotary pulse to pause, an electromechanical control can be employed.

The variation of the duration of t he rotary drive can, however, also be determined by variable washing and/or rinsing times associated with the respective program. This can be more easily real i sed by means of an electronic control than by an electromechanical control. If suitable conditions are present, a combination of both kinds of variation can be employed. In that case an optimum for the washing and rinsing results can be achieved as quickly as possible for all kinds and quantities of textiles.

In the case of maximum loading, -the duration of the rotary drive should be the longest according to general experience. For the same kinds of textiles, the duration of rotary drive can be shorter with decreasing quantity of laundry. In the case of an electromechanical control, additional standstill times can be incorporated for this purpose or smaller ratios of rotation pulse to rotation pause can be employed. In the case of an electronic control, the range of possibilities is almost unlimited. In that case, additional requirements of the-kinds of textiles can also be taken into consideration, for example least mechanical inputs for wool textiles, reduced mechanical inputs for easy-care textiles, and so forth.

A number of advantages can be achieved. In particular, since the laundry is moved only as much as necessary; 3.

regard can be had to the gentlest possible treatment of the laundry in all cases, the operational noise (noise of motor and drive, slapping of laundry and water noise) can be reduced, the motor can be preserved by lower total duration of the switch-on period, and energy can be saved.

Claims

An automatic program -controlled washing machine for washing and rinsing laundry, comprising a rotatable laundry drum and control means for adaptation of duration of rotary drive of the drum to selectable washing programs, the control means being arranged to vary the duration of the rotary drive in addition in dependence on data concerning the quantity of laundry introduced into the drum.
2. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the variation of the duration of the rotary drive is determined by variable ratios of rotational drive pulse to rotational drive pause.
3. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein that the variation of the duration of the rotary drive is determined by variable times of washing and/or rinsing allocated to the respective program.