US3448596A - Tumble type washer with filter - Google Patents

Description

June 10,1969 J. BOCHAN 3,448,596

TUMBLE TYPE WASHER WITH FILTER Filed June 26, 1967 Sheet of 2 F'lC-Ixl INVENTOR. .TOHN BOCHAN Hus ATTORNEY June 10, 19 69 J. BOCHAN 3,448,596

- TUMBIJE TYPE WASHER WITH FILTER Filed June 26, 1967 Sheet g of 2 5c INVENTOR J'OHN BOG-HAN H 15 ATTORNEY United States Patent US. C]. 68-18 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A filter is mounted on the access door of a tumble type fabric washing machine. The front of the washer drum is formed to increase agitation of the wash fluid and the inner surface of the door is formed to direct fluid to the filter.

Background of the invention Tumble type fabric washers have been known for many years. In such washers a perforated drum is mounted for rotation about a generally horizontal axis within a fluid receiving chamber. For operation, suflicient fluid is introduced into the chamber to form a pool in the lower portion of the chamber and drum. As the drum rotates, ribs on the inner surface of the drum pull the fabrics through the fluid and lift the fabrics up, out of the pool; the fabrics then falling back into the pool.

One problem with such washers has been the difliculty of providing a satisfactory lint filter arrangement. One approach has been to provide a filter member which rotates with the drum through the pool of fluid. Such arrangements have not filtered with complete satisfaction and have been very difl'lcult for the user to clean. Another approach has been to provide a stationary filter outside the chamber and use a pump system to direct a stream of the washing fluid through the filter during machine operations. Such arrangements, while filtering better than the rotating filter approach, are complicated and add substantially to the cost of such machines.

Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide a tumble type washer with an improved filter arrangement.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a machine with a filter arrangement which is simple and inexpensive in construction, satisfactory in operation and easily cleaned by the user.

Summary of the invention In accordance with one embodiment of this invention there is provided a fabric washing machine having a wash chamber adapted to contain fabric washing fluid. A perforated drum is mounted for rotation on a generally horizontal axis within the chamber and is adapted to receive fabrics to be washed. The chamber and drum have aligned, generally vertical access openings. A door is provided and is adapted to close the openings. A filter is mounted on the door to catch and filter fluid agitated by rotation of the drum.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away and in section, showing a tumble type washing machine incorporating one form of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a partial side elevational view of a modified door structure for use in the machine of FIGURE 1, the view being partly broken away and partly in section.

FIGURE 3 is a partial end elevational view showing the inner portion of the door of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary end elevational view, illustrating details of the end wall of a drum suitable for use in the machine of FIGURE 1.

Patented June 10, 1969 "ice Description of the preferred embodiments Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is shown therein a tumble type washing machine 10 having an outer cabinet including a bottom wall 11, a front wall 12, a back wall 13, and a top wall 14. The cabinet may also have 'an upper appearance Wall 15, mounted over the top wall 14 and a front appearance wall 16, covering at least a portion of the front wall 12. Within the cabinet there is provided a wash chamber 17 formed by a generally horizontally disposed cylindrical wall 18 and a generally vertically disposed front wall 19 joined around their peripheries and confining therebetween a water tight gasket 20. The rear of the cylindrical wall 18 is formed as a rear Wall 21 for the chamber. The chamber 17 is supported within the cabinet by means of a plurality of springs 22 which are attached at their upper end to the top wall 14 of the cabinet and at their lower end to brackets 23 which are, in turn, attached to the chamber 17 by some suitable means such as welding. In the machine illustrated, four springs may be provided with one adjacent the front and one adjacent the rear of the cylindrical wall 18 on each side of the chamber 17.

A fabric receiving drum 24 is mounted within the wash chamber and includes a perforated, cylindrical side wall 25 joined at its front to a generally vertical front wall 26. A rear wall (not shown) is provided for the drum in a manner similar to the rear wall 21 of the chamber 17. A shaft 27 is firmly attached to the rear wall of the drum and extends through an appropriate opening in the rear wall 21 of the wash chamber, with a water tight seal and bearing arrangement supporting the shaft in the wall 21. Outside the wall 21 a pulley 28 is mounted on the shaft, in driving relation thereto. Thus, the drum is mounted for rotation about a generally horizontal axis within the chamber 17. The side wall 25 of the drum is provided with a number of baflies 29 so that, as the drum rotates, the battles will lift fabrics from the lower portion of the drum to the upper portion and then allow them to fall back toward the bottom of the drum.

In order to effect this rotation of the drum, a motor 30 is suspended from the lower portion of the chamber 17 by strap members 31 and includes a drive shaft 32 connected to a suitable pulley 33. A belt 34 extends around the pulleys 33 and 28 so that the motor is drivingly connected to the shaft 27 and thus to the drum. Therefore, when motor 30 is energized it will cause the drum 24 to rotate on a generally horizontal axis within the wash chamber 17, with the relative diameters of pulleys 33 and 28 and the speed of the motor 30 determining the speed of rotation of the drum.

A suitable conduit 35 is provided for connection to a source of fluid, such as the usual domestic water supply. The conduit 35 is connected to a solenoid operated valve 36 so that, when the valve is energized, water is allowed to pass from the conduit 35 and when the valve is deenergized the flow of water is interrupted. A second conduit 37 connects the valve 36 to the wash chamber 17 so that, when the solenoid valve 36 is energized, fluid from the supply source passes through the valve to the interior of the wash chamber 17.

In order to drain the vitiated fluid from the machine- 3 chamber 17 and, at the other end, to a suitable fluid pump 39. The other side of the pump 39 is connected to a drain conduit 40 to connect the machine to some suitable drain (not shown).

The front appearance wall 16, the front wall 12 of the cabinet, the vertical front wall 19 of the wash chamber 17 and the vertical front wall 26 of the drum 24 define a series of axially aligned apertures forming an access opening, generally indicated by the numeral 41, through which fabrics may be inserted and removed from the drum. A tubular, water tight diaphragm member 42 is connected at its other end to the edge 43 of the appearance Wall 16 and at its inner end to the edge 44 of the vertical wall 19. This closes the interior of the cabinet and the space between the front wall of the cabinet and the front appearance wall to prevent any wash fluid getting into these spaces. The front of the access opening 41 is closed by a door generally indicated by the numeral 45. The door includes an outer portion 46, which carries a gasket or sealing member 47. When the door is closed, the gasket member 47 is brought into water tight contact with the outer edge of the diaphragm 42. An inner door member 48 is carried by the outer door member and is sealed around its edge by the gasket 47. The inner door member 48 extends completely across the opening 41 and is water tight. Thus, with the door closed, a water tight housing is provided for the washing fluid. The wash chamber 17 provides the housing with the diaphragm 42 and door 45 cooperating with the wash chamber to seal the access opening.

The inner door member 48 is generally cup-like in shape, extending into the opening 41. The inner door member includes two portions; the first one 49 extends part of the way down from the top of the opening and then is recessed or offset at about the midportion of the door before continuing downwardly to the bottom of the door. A second portion 50 extends across the recess in the first portion. The portions 49 and 50 define a channel 51 having an inlet opening 52 at about the midpoint of the door and an outlet opening 53 at the bottom of the door. A filter member 54 is supported by the wall portions within this channel 51.

The door has been described as providing the inlet opening 52 at about the midpoint of the door, in a vertical direction. The inlet opening can be placed at many points on the door. The midpoint is preferable so that the inlet may be horizontally elongated to allow more fluid to enter the channel. All that is required, however, is that the inlet opening 52 be above the normal level of fluid within the machine.

With the machine thus far described, when fabrics are to be washed, the door 45 is opened and the fabrics and a suitable cleansing agent, such as a detergent, are inserted through the access opening 41. The door then is closed and the solenoid valve 36 is energized to provide for the entry of a suitable amount of water. In machines of this type the amount of Water is controlled so as to form a pool in the bottom of the wash chamber and drum. This pool normally being at some level below the midpoint of the access door, very often being only about to the level of the bottom of opening 41. Such a level is provided because an integral portion of the washing action results from the fabrics falling from the baffles 29 and impacting on the surface of the pool of fluid. Thus, the machine must be provided with a suflicient amount of fluid to provide a bath for the fabrics and, at the same time, to provide as great a distance as possible for the fabrics to fall within the machine as the drum 24 rotates.

After the proper amount of fluid has been added to the chamber .17, the motor 30 is energized to rotate the drum 24. As the drum rotates the baffles 29 force the fabrics through the pool of cleaning fluid and lift them up out of the pool toward the top of the drum. As the baflies approach the top of the drum, the fabrics slide from the baffles and fall back toward the bottom of the drum. They impart on the surface of the pool and again become immersed in the pool of fluid.

This rotation of the drum, with its attendant movement of the baflles and fabrics causes the pool of liquid to be agitated and a portion of the liquid to splash against the inner surface of the door. A substantial part of the fluid which impacts the door portion 49 above the inlet opening 52 will run into the opening, as will any water directly entering the opening. This fluid then passes through the filter 54, and then through the remainder of conduit 51 and out the outlet 53. Thus, all during the washing operation, fluid passes through the filter and is cleansed. At the end of the washing operation the motor 30 is de-energized and the pump 39 is energized to remove the washing fluid from the wash chamber through the outlet conduit 38 and discharge it through the drain conduit 40.

A second operation normally is provided, but with clear water, to rinse the fabrics. The same filtering action will take place during the rinse operation. At the conclusion of the rinse operation, the motor is energized at a higher speed to rotate the drum 24 at a speed suflicient to plaster the fabrics against the cylindrical side wall 25 and remove excess fluid by centrifugal action. The drain pump 39 is energized currently to remove this fluid from the machine.

At the end of the centrifugal extraction operation, when the door is opened for removal of the fabrics, the filter 54 can be easily cleaned by the user. To this end the inlet opening 52 may be made large enough for the user to reach in and remove any lint and other material which 'has been caught on the filter or the filter may be constructed and mounted so as to be manually removable from the door for cleaning and then reinsertion.

The structure as thus far described provides an inexpensive, easily cleaned filter arrangement for use in a tumble type washing machine. This arrangement will pro vide satisfactory filtering in such machines when the load of fabrics is held to a relatively small amount in comparison to the overall size of the drum. It will be understood that as the load of fabrics occupies an increasingly large percentage of the volume of the drum the fabrics will tend more and more to damp out the agitation of the cleaning fluid. Thus, less fluid will be splashed up against the inner surface of the door and to be directed through the filter. A number of modifications may be made to the machine to increase the amount of fluid directed through the filter and thereby enhance the filtering characteristics of this invention, particularly with large fabric loads.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3 there is shown therein a modified door structure. The inner member 48a of this door includes an upper portion 49a and a lower portion 50a defining a conduit 51a with an inlet 52a and an outlet 53a, in a manner similar to that of FIGURE 1. The filter 54 may be mounted in the conduit 51a in the same manner as with the door of FIGURE 1. The wall portion 49a, above the opening 52a is provided with a plurality of ribs 55 which are generally radial in nature so as more positively to direct into the opening 52a the water impinging upon this portion of the door. In this regard, the ribs either may project toward the chamber 17 and drum 24 to provide dams which catch the fluid and direct it to the opening 52a or they may project away from the chamber and drum to provide valleys that fill with water, which water then runs downwardly to the opening 52a. In any event they positively direct the fluid to the opening 52a. It will be seen that the outlet opening 53a is formed as a plurality of slots 5319 which allow the fluid to exit from the channel 51a and, at the same time, prevent any fabrics from becoming jammed in the channel. In this regard, the opening 53 of FIGURE 1 could be formed in the same manner.

FIGURE 4 shows a modified form 26a of the front wall of the drum. The wall 26a of FIGURE 4 is of the same general configuration and size as the wall 26 of FIGURE 1. It will be noted from FIGURE 1 that the front wall of the drum (26 or 26a), extends radially inwardly of the inner edge of the front wall 19 of the wash chamber 17. In wall 26a this radially inwardly extending portion 56 has been modified so as to increase the agitation of the washing fluid. The portion 56 is corrugated so as to have alternate lands 57 and grooves 58, as contrasted to the generally smooth configuration of the front wall 26. This corrugated effect will cause additional agitation of the wash fluid as the drum is rotated and, since the fabrics normally are retained completely within the drum 24, this additional agitation will be provided regardless of the relative fabric load size.

FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate still another embodiment of this invention, which may be utilized to insure sutficient fluid movement through the filter, regardless of the fabric load size in the machine. The machine of FIGURE 5 is very similar to that of FIGURE 1, differing only in certain details. The cabinet includes a top wall 60' and a front wall 61, with access opening 62 in the front wall. The wash chamber includes a top wall 63 and a generally vertical front wall 64, having a lip 65 defining an opening 66 in alignment with the opening 62. The drum includes a perforated cylindrical wall 67 and a generally vertical front wall '68, defining an access opening 69 in alignment with openings 62 and 66. A door 70 is provided for closing the openings and includes an outer door section 71 and an inwardly extending inner section 72. A resilient gasket or sealing member 73 extends from the lip 65 and engages the outer door section 71 when the door is closed, so as to form a seal and prevent the fluid from escaping from the wash chamber. The inner section 72 of the door is recessed at its upper end and a pan-like filter 73 is mounted in this recess. A catcher construction is mounted on the front wall 64 of the wash chamber. The catcher includes an elongated trough 74 and spigot 75 to direct any fluid received by the trough into the filter 73.

The front wall 68 of the drumincludes a plurality of scoops 76 disposed angularly around the wall 68 to remove fluid from the pool and bring it to a point above the trough. There, the scoops release the fluid and it is caught by the trough and directed into the filter, flowing out of the filter and back into the wash chamber and drum.

This hollow construction of the door enables it to substantially close the opening 69 of the drum to prevent any fabrics accidentally falling out of the drum during operation. The filter is mounted in a recess in the top portion of the door so that fabrics will not catch on it. The trough arrangement bridges the gap between the filter and the scoops to insure that essentially all the fluid released by the scoops enters the filter.

As best shown in FIGURE 6 each of the scoops is formed by a generally H-shaped member 77 which extends outwardly from the front wall 68 of the drum and is closed by a cover 78. Thus, each of the members 77 and covers 78 cooperate with the drum front wall 68 to form a pair of oppositely disposed buckets 79 and 80 with two adjacent buckets comprising each of the scoops 76. This arrangement is desirable since tumble type washing machines often are constructed so that the drum is reversible in direction of rotation. Thus, regardless of the direction of rotation of the drum, one of the buckets of each scoop will be effective to pick up fluid from the fluid pool and release it above the trough for subsequent flow through the filter. With the arrangement of FIG- URES 5 and 6 it will be evident that essentially the same amount of fluid will be directed through the filter for any washing cycle, regardless of the size of the load of fabrics within the drum.

The foregoing is a description of the illustrative embodiments of the invention and it is aplicants intention in the appended claims to cover all forms which fall within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A fabric washing machine having a wash chamber adapted to contain fabric washing fluid, a perforated rotatable drum mounted on a generally horizontal axis and adapted to contain fabrics to be washed, said drum being mounted in said wash chamber, said wash chamber having an opening with a door adapted to close the opening, and filter means mounted on said door and positioned so as to receive and filter washing fluid directed through said filter means solely by rotation of said drum.

2. A fabric washing machine according to claim 1, wherein said drum has an opening therein, said door, with said filter, being positioned to provide access to said drum opening.

3. A fabric washing machine having a wash chamber adapted to contain fabric washing fluid; a perforated drum adapted to receive fabrics to be washed, said drum being mounted for rotation on a generally horizontal axis within said chamber; said chamber and said drum having aligned, generally vertical access openings; a door adapted to close said openings; and a filter mounted on said door so as to filter fluid agitated by rotation of said drum.

4. A fabric washing machine as set forth in claim 3, wherein: said door is of hollow construction; said filter is mounted within said door; the inner surface of said door defines a first horizontally elongated opening for fluid ingress to said opening and a second opening for egress of fluid from said filter.

5. A fabric washing machine as set forth in claim 4, wherein: said first opening is disposed substantially below the top of said door and the portion of said inner surface above said first opening is provided with ribs for directing fluid to said first opening.

6. A fabric washing machine as set forth in claim 3, wherein: said chamber includes a generally vertical end wall defining the access opening therethrough and said drum including a generally vertical wall defining the access opening therethrough; said end wall of said drum including a portion extending radially inward of said end wall of said chamber; said portion being corrugated to agitate the fluid in the vicinity of said door.

7. A fabric washing machine as set forth in claim 3, wherein: said drum includes a generally vertical end wall; said end wall including a plurality of angularly spaced scoops adapted to lift fluid above the door and then release it for ingress to said filter.

8. A fabric washing machine as set forth in claim 7, wherein: said door is of hollow construction; said filter is mounted in the upper portion of said door and includes an inlet opening through the top thereof; and a trough arrangement is provided above and inwardly of said door to catch fluid released by said scoops and direct it to said inlet.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner.

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