MXPA99008369A - Water-directing device for a washing machine. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention refers to a water-directing device useful in a washing machine, which comprises a hollow elongated body having a downwardly curved section at the front portion thereof, said elongated body including detecting walls at the inner portion thereof so as to direct the entrance of water to a first wall of the washing drum. The directing device is connected to the upper edge of the washing drum, thereby increasing the entrance area of the washing machine and facilitating the user to easily introduce and extract the cloth from the machine.

Description

WATER DIRECTING DEVICE FOR CLOTHING WASHING MACHINE.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to laundry washing machines and, more specifically, to a water routing device for laundry washing machines. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION To date, there are several designs of laundry washing machines for domestic use, among which can be found automatic and semiautomatic washing machines. There are also washing machines that receive the load of clothes from the front or from the top of it. In the latter case, these consist of an exterior cabinet, which contains a wash tub for the reception and storage of water for washing clothes. The washing machine also has a perforated basket, which can be made of stainless steel or porcelain, which is concentrically coupled inside said tub, to receive the laundry load to be washed. Said tub remains passive (without movement) during the agitating stage of the laundry and performs a spinning operation in the washing and squeezing steps, and, finally, a stirrer or impeller, which may be in an upright position - but also it may be inclined or in an eccentric position, which is placed inside the drum, and which is driven by an oscillatory or rotary movement during certain periods of the laundry cycle. An electronic control is provided in the cabinet to operate the washing machine automatically or semi-automatically through washing, rinsing and squeezing steps. From the point of view of operation of the washing machine, after selecting the program of the machine (which allows a series of combinations such as soaking, water temperature, time and duration of washing and squeezing, etc.) the water enters the washing tub through a water valve that closes automatically when it reaches a desired level in the tub. After this, the agitator of the machine is activated to effect the stirring operation, keeping the basket in a stationary position. It is important to clarify that this cycle of agitation is repeated during the cycle, since, the washing machine first performs a washing step and, subsequently, a rinse stage of the laundry that includes the stirring operation. Then it continues with a squeezing stage in which the basket is rotated producing a centrifugal action by means of a gear motor, rotating it at speeds of up to 1100 RPM. Once this stage is finished, the clothes are removed to dry it. In current vertical axis washers, particularly in automatic and semi-automatic washing machines, filling of the washing tub is done through a router or nozzle to introduce water into the basket. A problem with the routers or nozzles of the prior art is that the vertical distance of the anti-siphoning air layer [siphoning: condition that occurs when a fault occurs in domestic water installations, where the pressure is reduced to zero and then the pipe begins to empty, creating a partial vacuum or suction that drains contaminated water from tanks that were previously filled] is replaced or added with a horizontal distance exposed to the atmosphere and crossed by an appropriately directed water jet, to then be deflected downwards by curved surfaces. Normally, the routers are placed above a baffle ring, the latter located at the upper edge of the wash tub. In this way, the jet of water that enters the tub, falls on the clothes placing it inside the spin basket. At present, there are already several types of devices for use with clothes washers, for example, US Patent No. 4,186,573 issued to Robert Brenner et al, describes a diffuser for adding detergent or for washing, for use with a laundry equipment . The diffuser is placed inside a rotating basket and has a first compartment for holding and retaining the additive during a portion of the wash cycle and, a second compartment communicated with the first compartment, which is filled by the centrifugal force imparted to the additive in the first compartment during a rotation portion of a washing cycle. The diffuser has an opening in the bottom of the second compartment that allows a gravitational drainage of the additive in it, once the centrifugal force is no longer applied to the basket, allowing the additive to be assorted. The first compartment and the water inlet of the automatic washing machine are constructed and arranged in a register, in such a way that the diffuser passes under the water inlet during the washing cycle, by means of which the disperser is washed. Another water inlet device for an automatic clothes washer is illustrated in US Patent No. 4,754,622 issued to Richard L. Fanson, which provides a flow of water against an interior surface of a laundry basket and on a load of clothes inside the basket through a wide range of water inlet pressures, which however prevents excessive splashing against the wall of the basket at high water pressures. The input device has an angular front wall projected downwards, which redirects the water inlet inside the wash basket and, the wall has a variable angle downwards over its entire length, to provide the pressure compensation automatically. A central portion of the flange descends angularly towards the wall of the basket and the lateral ends are projected angularly downwards, away from the wall of the basket, in such a way that much of the normal water pressures of the water inlet is directed to the central portion, and then the wall of the basket and, at higher water pressures, the water is directed to lateral ends which direct the excess water away from the wall of the basket and direct it on the load of clothes .

In North American Patent No. 4,809,524, issued to Richard G. Sickert et al, there is shown a water inlet device for use in an automatic washing machine, which includes an input housing coupled to direct water down between a stirrer and a rotating perforated basket during filling operations. A plurality of grids are projected down from a side wall of the perforated basket, such that, when the perforated basket is rotated, the grids pass through the incoming water flow to capture a portion thereof and, oscillate internally thereof. to form a spray that is directed internally from the perforated basket during a spray washing operation. Another type of device for entering the water for use with a laundry washing machine is shown in US Pat. No. 5,031,426, issued to Steven R. Wilson. The water inlet device has a top member, a front wall joined to said top member; a front flange that generally defines the contour of the upper member; a lower member attached to said upper member and forming a dispersion chamber therebetween; a discharge orifice that is formed between said upper and lower member; an inlet conduit connected to one of said members to allow the flow of water to pass from the water supply line to said dispersion chamber; and, said lower member including means for laterally dispersing the flow of water within the dispersion chamber, such that the flow of water is laterally distributed when it falls on said forward wall of said upper member, said front wall being constructed and arranged in such a way that the water flow is directed downwards, whereby it falls on said front rim of said upper member, said front rim being adapted to direct the flow of water through said discharge orifice, having a central portion and edge portions, so, the water existing in said edge portions is directed more towards the rear part of the side wall of the wash basket than the water existing in said central portion. U.S. Patent No. 5,657,650, assigned to Seung-Jun Lee et al, refers to a washing machine having a water routing assembly, which not only sprays the washing liquid uniformly, but also completely removes impurities that are formed between an outer tub and a tub with rotation. The water routing assembly has a superior structure and a lower structure secured to the upper structure. The upper structure has a plurality of tuyere nozzles on its underside. Each spray nozzle is spaced circumferentially from one another. Each of the spray nozzles projects downwards from the upper inner wall of the rotating tub so that the impurities, such as foam, formed between the rotating tub and the outer tub are completely removed without using any washing liquid . Finally, U.S. Patent No. 5,713,222, assigned to Dwigth David Johnson, refers to a washing machine that includes a container for receiving water and clothes to be washed and a unit inlet member for supplying water to the container. The inlet member includes a flexible tube section connected to a water source and, a nozzle section with one end connected in a relationship with the fluid flow to the tube section: The nozzle section has a bottom wall and a top wall separated one from the other, joined by side walls separated from each other. The distance between the side walls being greater in the direction furthest away from the tube section. The top wall has a relatively distant end portion, which is curved downwardly, which is spaced apart from the tube section and, the bottom wall ends generally adjacent to the position where the curved portion of the top wall is initiated. .

However, the devices for introducing water from the prior art are of elaborate shapes which do not allow to optimize space in the washing machines, for example, the devices that are assembled on the ring of the tub, require a protruding surface on its inner circle in lunula, on which the device is attached. The devices of the cantilever type are supported in a different part to that of the tub ring and have the disadvantage of reducing the useful area for the entry-exit of clothes. That is, to protect the filling devices from interference and from attire with the inlet or outlet clothing - the device is at the top of the basket - the lid of the outer cabinet is provided with an internal circular frame, with a protrusion that invades the inner circle of the frame and coincides with the inner edge of the lunula of a ring or with the terminal edge of the filling device, with which there is a smaller entrance area to the washing machine. Another problem of the prior art devices known, is that they direct the water jet directly on the clothes placed in the basket, producing noise and splashing clothes. Another disadvantage of the prior art devices coupled on the ring does not throw the water between the washing tub and the spin basket. A further problem of prior art devices is that the vertical distance of the anti-siphoning air layer -siphonage: condition that occurs when a failure occurs in domestic water installations, where the pressure is reduced to zero and then the pipe begins to empty, creating a partial vacuum or suction that drains contaminated water from previously filled reservoirs - it is replaced or added with a horizontal distance exposed to the atmosphere and crossed by a water jet properly addressed, to be diverted later I was down on curved surfaces. There are also devices assembled on the surface of the ring of the wash tub. Therefore, one of the differences of the device of the present invention is that the horizontal distance of the layer or air barrier is considerably increased, since the vertical distance (from the ring to the foam surface) of the devices mounted on the ring is practically fixed and can not be modified and, in general, it is not enough to form an air barrier. Another feature of the device of the present invention is that the water inlet is tangential to the circumference which is formed between the diameters of the spin basket and the wash tub. Additionally, a series of walls in its internal structure, curves the outflow towards the walls of the washing tub in a trajectory that results from curving the tangential flow radially towards the washing tub and simultaneously curving the flow down, resulting in a strip of water that projects with a small entrance angle on the vertical wall of the washing tub. OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION It is therefore a first objective of the present invention to provide a water routing device for laundry washing machines, which consists of providing a filling router that discharges water between the spin tub and the wash tub. , so that it continues to fulfill the function of anti-siphoning and does not cause splashes to clothes during filling and that the user has the perception that water enters through the bottom of the tub. A further objective of the present invention is to provide a water routing device for laundry washing machines, which increases the entrance area of the washing machine in the inner circle of the upper ring of the washing tub, which facilitates the user to introduce more easily the clothes.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a water routing device for laundry washing machines., which reduces the noise that occurs during the filling of the tub. A further objective of the present invention is to provide a water routing device for laundry washing machines, which allows to place a larger lid on the upper cover of the washing machine. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a water routing device for laundry washing machines where the water inlet is tangential to the circumference, which is formed between the diameters of the spin basket and the washing tub. These and other additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the invention, which will be made with reference to a specific embodiment thereof in an illustrative but non-limiting sense of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a partial perspective conventional view of an automatic washing machine showing the location of the directing device of the present invention; Figure 2 is a profile view showing the routing device in accordance with the present invention; Figure 3 is a plan view, showing the lower part of the routing device, showing in Figure 2; and, Figure 4 is a schematic view of a wash tub showing in detail the location where the routing device of the present invention will be installed; and, Figure 5 is a detailed view taken of Figure 4, showing the coupling of the router of the present invention on a washing tub.

DESCRIPTION. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Reference will now be made to a specific embodiment of the present invention, illustrated in the accompanying figures and in which the same numbers refer to the same parts and in which, Figure 1 shows a conventional perspective of a automatic washing machine 10, comprising an outer cabinet 12, which encloses a washing tub 14 for the reception and storage of water for washing. Said washing tub 14 having an upper ring 16. A perforated basket 18, which can be made of stainless steel or porcelain, is concentrically coupled inside said tub 14, to receive the laundry load to be washed. An agitator (not shown) is placed inside the basket 18 which moves with oscillatory movement during certain periods of laundry cycle. A series of controls 20 provided on the cabinet 12 of the washing machine 10 are regulated by a control system (not shown) to automatically operate the washing machine 10 through washing, rinsing and squeezing steps. Figure 1 further shows a water inlet valve 22, which regulates the entry of cold or hot water into the tub of the washing machine 10. The valve 22 is connected to a tube 24 which in turn is connected to the directing device of the water. water 26 of the present invention, which will be explained in detail later. A water pump 28 is connected below the washing tub 14, to extract water from said tub 14, during washing and squeezing operations of the laundry. Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the water router 26 is shown in accordance with the principles of the present invention, which is engaged on the upper part of the upper ring 16 of the washing tub 14. An opening 30 the upper ring 16 (figure 4), coinciding with the front part 32 of said router 26, allows the flow of water to project towards the internal wall of the washing tub 14.

With particular reference to the water router 26 of the present invention, there is shown a hollow elongate body 34, which may be semi-cylindrical or half-round shaped, wherein the front part 32 forms the lips of a nozzle of water discharge 36. Said discharge nozzle 36 having an upper roof section 38 with a curved surface downwards (figure 2), so that the flow of water arriving through the router 26 is projected towards the inside of the tub 1 for its filling. The front part 32 of the semi-cylindrical elongate body 34, ending with an elliptical section 39. The rear portion 40 of the water router 26, includes a section with ribs on its outer diameter 42 with a central bore 44 to allow water to pass through. The central perforation 44 having at the front an internal nozzle 45 with an elliptical or horizontally elongated cross section 47. Said elongated section 47 has an outlet smaller than that of the water inlet pipe 24, thereby accelerating the velocity of water outlet in the front part of the internal nozzle 45, so that the water jet is rectilinear and laminar, and also can "jump" a considerable horizontal distance, said horizontal distance is what forms an anti-siphoning air barrier. Said section 42 being connected to the water supply tube 24. The elongate body 34 includes on a first side 46, a series of locking elements 48a, 48b, and 48c, positioned externally on said first side 46 of said elongate body 34, to be inserted in a series of slots 50a, 50b, and 50c, made on the upper ring 16 of the tub 2. A second side 52 of the elongate body 34 includes a rim 54 with a central bore 56, which is screwed to the upper ring 16 of the washing tub 14. A first baffle wall 58, placed internally in the elongated body 34, having a first straight section PS projecting from the rear part 40 of said elongate body 34 and ending with an inwardly curved section 60, in the front part 32 of said router 26. A second deflecting wall 62 spaced apart in parallel of the first baffle wall 58, which also includes a straight section PS1 from the rear part 40 of said elongate body 34, ending with a curved section 64 projecting inwards, very close to the part fr 32 of said router 26. The first baffle wall 58 and the second baffle wall 62 as a whole, retain their parallelism and verticality through the elongate body 34, but are projected curved towards the edge corresponding to the wall of the washing tub 14. A series of openings 66, 68, located at the rear of said router 26, allows said router 26 to absorb air in the event of a vacuum or air suction effect. Finally with respect to the operation of the router device 26 of the present invention, water enters through the central bore 44 of the section 42 which is connected to the pipe 24. The water comes out through the elongated section 47 which has an outlet smaller than that of the water inlet pipe 24, thereby accelerating the water outlet velocity in the front part of the inner nozzle 45, so that the water jet is rectilinear and laminar. The flow of water flowing in the router 26 is restricted by the internal space left by the deflector walls 58 and 62, keeping the cross-sectional area of the water flow reduced, causing the water to retain its velocity and achieve a greater horizontal travel than in prior art devices. Finally, the water flow enters a curved section formed by the curved sections 60 and 64 that deflect them downwards to enter through the opening 30 made on the upper ring 16 of the washing tub 14 (Figure 4). At this stage, the water flow projects tangentially towards the inner wall of the washing tub 14, directing the water in the form of a thin strip, causing the water to adhere to the wall of the tub 14 for filling Finally, in the event that a siphoning condition occurs, the router 26 absorbs air through the openings 66, 68, located at the rear of said router 26, so that the foam or water in the opening 30 in the upper ring 16 of the washing tub 14 (Figure 4), will be far from the air suction point, this being the water outlet point of an internal nozzle 42, such so that the suction speed in the opening 30 of the ring will be practically zero. As can be seen from the embodiment described above, a mode of a water-routing device for clothes washers has been described and illustrated which increases the entrance area of the washing machine into the inner ring of ring 16 of the laundry basket. centrifugation 14, which facilitates the user to more easily introduce the clothes However, it should be understood that the invention should not be limited to the modality set forth above and it will be apparent to experts in the field, that various other dispositions, as well as alternative executions, which will be clearly contained within the spirit and scope of the invention, which are claimed in the following claims.

Claims (9)

1. CLAIMS. A water routing device for a type washing machine comprising an outer cabinet; a washing tub for the reception and storage of water for washing; a perforated basket arranged concentrically within said washing tub to receive the laundry load to be washed; and an agitator placed inside the basket which moves with continuous or oscillating rotation movement during certain periods of the laundry washing cycle wherein said directing device is characterized by: a hollow elongated body having at the front, a curved section that projects curved from top to bottom, to project water into the interior of the washing tub for filling; a connector at the rear to connect to a water supply pipe, said connector having a perforation to allow the passage of water to said elongate body; a first baffle wall positioned internally in the elongate body, said first wall having a first portion projecting linearly from the rear of said elongate body and a second portion in curved shape connected to the first portion, said second portion being projected toward the front part of said elongated body for directing the water inlet towards a wall of the washing tub; a second baffle wall positioned internally in the elongated body, said second baffle wall being spaced parallel to the first baffle wall, said second baffle wall having a first portion projecting linearly from the rear of said elongate body and a second portion in shape curved connected to the first portion, said second portion being projected towards the front part of said elongate body to direct the entrance of water towards a wall of the washing tub; and coupling means connected in the elongate body, for coupling said router to the washing tub. 2. A water routing device for a washing machine according to claim 1, wherein said router is tangentially connected on an upper ring of said washing tub, its outlet nozzle being between a projection of a wall of the washing tub and a wall of the spin basket, said wash tub having an opening coinciding with the curved section of the elongated body to allow water to pass into said tub for filling and, a series of slots on the ring of said wash tub for the placement of the coupling means of the router. 3. A water routing device for a washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means are locking elements. 4. A water routing device for a washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means are ridges. 5. A water routing device for a washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the second curved portion of the first baffle wall and the second curved portion of the second baffle wall are spaced a greater distance in the front part of the baffle. said elongated body to direct the water inlet to a wall of the wash tub. A water routing device for a washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the elongate body is characterized by a series of openings located between said connector and said first and second deflecting wall, to allow said directional to absorb air in case of a vacuum or air suction effect. 7. A water routing device for a washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the elongated body is a half-round shape. 8. A water routing device for a washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the connector includes a front part with an elliptical or horizontally elongated cross section, said cross section having an outlet smaller than that of the water inlet pipe, to accelerate the water outlet velocity at the front of the connector , causing the water jet to be rectilinear and laminar. A water routing device for a washing machine according to claim 8, wherein the elliptical cross section of the connector is positioned between said first and second baffle wall.