RU2401346C1 - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: textile industry. ^ SUBSTANCE: washing machine for washing and cleaning of clothes using water comprises vessel, tank arranged in vessel, drum, which rotates inside tank and where clothes to be washed are placed, and engine, which provides for rotation of drum. Washing machine also comprises heat exchanger, which exchanges heat with engine and provides for required water for any of washing program cycles. Water shall be taken at earlier stage and is heated by means of heat generated by engine. Heat exchanger is connected to tank by one end to transfer heated water into tank in according cycle. Heat generated by engine, which puts drum in motion, is used to heat water inside heat exchanger. ^ EFFECT: creation of washing machine providing for energy saving, in which temperature of water for washing will be increasing as a result of heat application from motive circuit. ^ 16 cl, 3 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to a washing machine, which provides energy savings.

Washing machines need to heat water in different cycles in accordance with the ongoing program. Usually, an electric heater is used to heat the water, which requires high power. The energy spent on heating the water is on average 75% of the energy spent for the entire washing process. This is why research aimed at reducing energy consumption has recently focused on reducing the energy used by heaters.

In the prior art, United States Patent Application No. US4245488 describes how incoming cold water in a washing machine is heated by heat dissipated from a semiconductor used in an engine control circuit. Heat is constantly exchanged between the circuit and the circulating water pump.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a washing machine in which the temperature of the washing water will increase due to the use of heat from the motor circuit.

A washing machine designed to fulfill the purpose of the present invention is described in the claims appended hereto. The washing machine, which is the purpose of this invention, uses the heat generated by the drive motor of the drum in order to heat cold water in a heat conversion device. Water heated in this way is used as washing water in subsequent cycles of the washing program. Studies have shown that engine heating reaches 25 ° C at the end of a fifteen minute rotation cycle and 30 ° C at the end of a twenty five minute rotation cycle. Water entering the heat conversion apparatus can therefore be heated to 25 ° C-30 ° C by this invention. Given that a certain number of washing programs are carried out at 30 ° C, water heated as described above will mean that the heater either does not work at all or works to a much lesser extent.

In one application of this invention, the heat exchanger is a device, separate and free from the engine, and is located in a certain place of the housing motionless. The heat exchanger does not have direct contact with the engine, and the heat generated by the engine is transferred to the heat exchanger by a fan through forced movement. The water in the heat converting device heats up when the washing program continues, and the washing machine is prepared for a later cycle when hot water is required. It is obvious that the engine connected to the drum will vibrate throughout its activity, whereas when applying the present invention, the heat exchanger tubes do not come in contact with the engine, heat is transferred from a distance. Therefore, the vibrations emanating from the engine and the drum are not transmitted to these devices, protecting them from wear and, ultimately, from damage. This method also avoids various inconveniences that may be caused by the installation of fixed devices on the upper surface of the vibrating structure. One additional advantage of using the present invention is that it does not entail any modification to the engine. Therefore, it can be applied to existing engines and washing machines.

When applying the present invention, the fan, engine and heat exchanger can be arranged in various ways depending on the design features of the fan (i.e., it is radial or axial, in which direction it blows, etc.).

In one application of this invention, in order to be able to more efficiently use the air that passes by the engine, a guide mounted between the engine and the heat exchanger can be used. It is recommended to use a guide in the shape of a prism or cone with a gradually increasing cross section in the same direction as the air circulation. Thus, it becomes possible to use a heat exchanger with a surface area larger than the engine, and the same amount of water will heat up much faster.

In one application of the present invention, water is circulated in the heat exchanger through a pump. It can be a special pump with the only function of circulating water inside the heat exchanger. But it is also possible to use either a circulation pump or a pump out, which is already in the machine.

The fan used in the application of the present invention is the same fan that serves to cool the engine. Since such fans are driven by the motor output shaft, there is no need for a separate fan motor.

A washing machine designed to fulfill the objectives of the present invention is illustrated in the attached drawings, where:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a washing machine;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of another application of a washing machine;

FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of another application of a washing machine.

The elements illustrated in the drawings are numbered as follows:

1. The washing machine

2. Water inlet

3. Heater

4. The pump

5. Case

6. Heat exchanger

7. Rib

8. Engine

9. Tank

10. Fan

11. Valve

12. The control unit

13. The drum

14. Guide

The washing machine (1) consists of

- housing (5),

- tank (9) inside the housing (5),

- a drum (13) that rotates inside the tank (9) and where are the things that need to be washed, and

- an engine (8), which drives the drum (13).

The washing machine (1) of the present invention is also equipped with a heat exchanger (6), which exchanges heat with the engine (8) and provides the necessary water for any one of the cycles of the washing program, which must be taken at an earlier cycle and heated with the heat generated by the engine (8), and which is connected to the tank (9) at one end to transfer heated water to the tank (9) in an appropriate cycle.

In this application, the water required in the main wash cycle can be transferred to the heat exchanger (6), for example, during the pre-wash cycle. The heat generated by the engine (8) during the pre-wash cycle heats the water in the heat exchanger (8). When the main wash cycle begins, hot water in the heat exchanger (6) will be poured into the tank (9) and used as washing water.

In one application of the present invention, the engine (8) is attached to the tank (9), while the heat exchanger (6) is mounted independently of the engine (8) at a fixed position in some place inside the housing (5). In this application, heat transfer is performed by forced movement. The heat exchanger (6) is not affected by vibration from the tank (9) or vibration from the engine (8), and therefore it does not wear out. In this application, the washing machine is equipped with a fan (10) to perform a forced movement. The heat generated by the engine (8) heats the air, which is then blown towards the heat exchanger (6).

In another application of the present invention, the washing machine (1) is equipped in addition to the above:

- inlet (2) for supplying water from the local water supply network,

- a control unit (12) that serves to perform various functions,

- a heater (3), which heats the water to the appropriate temperature (Tp) according to the washing program selected by the user,

- a pump (4), which helps in the circulation of water inside the heat exchanger (6), and

- a valve (11), which transfers water from the heat exchanger (6) to the tank (9).

In this application, both ends of the heat exchanger (6) are connected to the pump (4). It is recommended to use a solenoid valve with one input - double output. The pump will thus pour water either into the tank (9) or into the heat exchanger (6). In this application, at any stage of the selected program, the control unit (12) allows water to flow through the water inlet (2). Flowing water naturally has the same temperature as the water in the local water supply network (Ts). The water from the local network, taking into account certain changes due to climate and season, usually has a temperature between 8 ° C and 15 ° C. The control unit (12) provides a separate signal to the valve (11) to allow water entering through the inlet (2) to collect inside the heat exchanger (6) instead of flowing into the tank (9). Then he starts the pump (4) and the fan (10) to allow the water flowing through the inlet (2) to circulate inside the heat exchanger (6). At startup, this water has a low temperature (Ts). The pump (4) recirculates it several times inside the heat exchanger (6). At the same time, hot air mixed by the fan (10) flows past the engine (8) and reaches the heat exchanger (6). Hot air heats the water circulating inside the heat exchanger (6) to almost the same temperature as the temperature (Tm) of the engine (8). When the selected program reaches the cycle using hot water, the control unit (12) opens the valve (11) and allows heated water in the heat exchanger (6) to pour into the tank (9). Only after this stage and if the selected program requires a higher water temperature, then the heater (3) is activated and the water is additionally heated to the temperature required by the selected washing program (Tp). This means that the heater (3) begins to heat water not from the temperature (Ts) of the local water, but from the temperature (Tm) of the engine (8) and, therefore, is activated for a much shorter period of time. In addition, certain washing programs using hot water with a temperature (Tp) of 30 ° C do not make the heater (3) work at all, since the temperature of the water circulating in the heat exchanger (6) is quite sufficient. Consequently, energy consumption is significantly reduced. The time it takes for the water to circulate inside the heat exchanger (6) is either a fixed period, predefined by the manufacturer, or a variable period controlled by sensors (not shown) that measure the temperature of the water.

In another application of the present invention, the washing machine (1) is equipped with a heat exchanger (6), on top of which ribs (7) are installed to increase heat transfer (Fig. 1). Thus, the time required to heat the water to the temperature (Tm) of the engine (8) is further reduced.

Several different types of fans (10) can be used in various applications of this invention. In one example, where an axial blower fan (10), a fan (10), an engine (8), and a heat exchanger (6) are used, they are installed one after another in the same direction in which air circulates after stirring by the fan (10) (Fig. 2 ) In another example, where an axial intake air fan (10) is used, a fan (10) is located between the engine (8) and the heat exchanger (6). The fan (10) draws in air from the upper surface of the engine (8) and then pushes it towards the heat exchanger (6) (Fig. 1). In the case where a radial fan (10) is used, the fan (6) draws in air from the upper surface of the engine located in front of the axis of rotation, and then pushes it towards the heat exchanger (6) located nearby in the radial direction (Fig. 3) .

In one application of the present invention, the washing machine (1) includes a guide (14) that moves air mixed by the fan (10) and is installed either between the engine (8) and the heat exchanger (6), or between the fan (10) and the heat exchanger (6), but without direct contact with the engine (8) (Fig. 2). The function of the guide (14) is to ensure that the maximum amount of air passing over the engine (8) reaches the heat exchanger (6) with the least possible loss.

When applying the present invention, it is recommended to activate the fan (10) using the output shaft of the engine (8), which can also serve to cool the engine (8) (Fig. 2). As for the pump (4), for this purpose, a circulation pump or a suction pump already present in the washing machine can be used.

The washing machine (1), which is the purpose of the present invention, consumes little energy, since the heater (3) operates to a lesser extent. In addition, since the heat exchanger (6) and the guide (14) are located independently of the engine (8), they are less susceptible to vibrations and, therefore, less prone to wear.

Claims (16)

1. A washing machine (1) for washing and cleaning clothes using water, comprising a housing (5), a tank (9) located in the housing (5), a drum (13) that rotates inside the tank (9) and in which things that need to be washed, and an engine (8) that rotates the drum (13), characterized in that it contains a heat exchanger (6) that exchanges heat with the engine (8) and provides the necessary water for any of the cycles of the washing program , which should be taken at an earlier cycle and heated with heat, is generated engine (8), and which is connected to the tank (9) at one end to transfer heated water to the tank (9) in the corresponding cycle. 2. A washing machine (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the engine (8) is attached to the tank (9), and the heat exchanger (6) is installed independently of the engine (8) in a certain place motionless in the housing (5). 3. The washing machine (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that it has a fan (10), which moves the air heated by the heat generated by the engine (8) towards the heat exchanger (6). 4. The washing machine (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that it has an inlet (2) through which water flows from the local water supply network, a control unit (12) that provides various functions, a pump (4), which helps water circulate inside the heat exchanger (6), and a valve (11) that allows water flowing from the heat exchanger (6) to pour into the tank (9). 5. A washing machine (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that it has radiator plates (7) that are mounted on a heat exchanger (6) and facilitate heat transfer. 6. The washing machine (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that it has an axial blower fan (10), wherein the engine (8) and the heat exchanger (6) are installed one after the other in the air circulation direction. 7. The washing machine (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that it has an axial intake air fan (10) installed between the engine (8) and the heat exchanger (6). 8. The washing machine (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that it has a radial fan (10) located between the engine (8) and the heat exchanger (6). 9. A washing machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it has an inlet (2) through which water flows from the local water supply network, a control unit (12) that provides various functions, a pump (4) , which helps water to circulate inside the heat exchanger (6), and a valve (11), which allows water flowing from the heat exchanger (6) to pour into the tank (9). 10. A washing machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it has radiator plates (7) that are mounted on a heat exchanger (6) and facilitate heat transfer. 11. A washing machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it has an axial blower fan (10), the motor (8) and the heat exchanger (6) being installed one after the other in the direction of air circulation. 12. The washing machine (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that it has a guide (14) that allows air to pass through, mixed by the fan (10), but without any direct contact with the engine. 13. The washing machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it has an axial intake air fan (10) installed between the engine (8) and the heat exchanger (6). 14. The washing machine (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that it has a guide (14) that allows air to pass through, mixed by the fan (10), but without any direct contact with the engine. 15. The washing machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it has a radial fan (10) located between the engine (8) and the heat exchanger (6). 16. The washing machine (1) according to claim 15, characterized in that it has a guide (14) that allows air to pass through, mixed by the fan (10), but without any direct contact with the engine.

Images