WO2008044133A1

WO2008044133A1 - Front-loading laundry washing machine

Info

Publication number: WO2008044133A1
Application number: PCT/IB2007/003040
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marco Whilelmus Gerhardus Ten Bok; Rodolfo Flumini; Alessandro Menghi; Matteo Battaglia
Original assignee: Indesit Company S.P.A.
Priority date: 2006-10-13
Filing date: 2007-10-12
Publication date: 2008-04-17
Also published as: EP1951947A1; PL1951947T3; EP1951947B1; ATE424473T1; ITTO20060739A1; ES2322517T3; DE602007000642D1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a front-loading laundry washing machine wherein a cabinet (2) comprises a load opening (4) which can be closed by- means of a door (5) provided with a washing agent dispenser. A hydraulic system (7a, 7b, 8, 9a, 9b) of the washing machine sprinkles water onto at least one dispenser inlet, at which a grid (11) is installed.

Description

FRONT-LOADING LAUNDRY WASHING MACHINE

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a laundry washing machine according to the preamble of claim 1.

The invention is applicable to the field of front-loading laundry washing machines

(in particular washing and washing/drying machines) wherein the dispenser of washing agents (detergent, softener, etc.) is located in the door that closes the load opening of the machine.

Laundry washing machines of this type are known from a number of patents, such as

GB 1110375, GB 2029862 and GB 2260770, but apparently they have never been placed on the market.

In particular, patent GB 2 029 862 discloses a door for a front-loading laundry washing machine inside of which a washing agent dispenser is provided.

In GB2 260 770, the door is fitted with a housing wherein an extractable dispenser is inserted, which is shaped like a small basket open on top.

In all known solutions of laundry washing machines with door-mounted dispenser, the dispenser must be sprinkled with water in order to carry the washing agents contained therein into the machine. The effectiveness of this action determines the amount of washing agents which is supplied into the machine tub, and therefore the effectiveness of the wash.

Tests carried out by the Applicant have shown that all known solutions of machines with door-mounted dispenser suffer from the problem that wash performance vary depending on the load placed in the machine.

The Applicant has found that, in certain load conditions, the agent contained in the dispenser is not completely drained into the tub because certain laundry items (e.g. socks or handkerchiefs) may enter the dispenser, thus absorbing washing agents and/or obstructing the dispenser inlet through which water is supplied. It follows that, even if the same washing agent and the same machine are used, the wash results attained may be more or less satisfactory from time to time.

The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems suffered by the solutions known in the art of front-loading laundry washing machines with door-mounted dispenser.

This object is achieved through a laundry washing machine incorporating the features set out in the appended claims, which are intended as an integral part of the present description.

In general, the present invention is based on the idea of using one or more grids placed at the dispenser inlets which receive the water that will carry the washing agents into the tub. While still allowing water to flow into the dispenser, the grids will reduce the risk that any laundry item may enter into the dispenser, thereby absorbing its content and/or obstructing the water inlets.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and from the annexed drawings, wherein:

- Fig. 1 shows a front-loading laundry washing machine according to the present invention;

- Fig. 2 shows a door of a front-loading laundry washing machine according to the present invention;

- Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a door of a front-loading laundry washing machine according to a variant of the present invention.

For clarity, in the present description the same reference numbers will be used for designating identical or equivalent means shown in the various drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a front-loading laundry washing machine 1, in particular a washing/drying machine.

Machine 1 is of the type wherein the washing agent dispenser is placed within the door.

Machine 1 comprises a cabinet 2 in which a wash tub is arranged in a known manner. Inside the latter a perforated drum 3 rotates, preferably about a substantially horizontal axis.

The laundry to be washed is placed inside drum 3 through a load opening 4 on the front wall of cabinet 2.

Load opening 4 is closed by means of a door 5 which comprises a washing agent dispenser 6.

In the preferred embodiment solution described below, dispenser 6 substantially takes up the whole surface of door 5 that enters into cabinet 2. Dispenser 6 has upper apertures 61 for loading washing agents (e.g. softener, detergent...) and lower apertures 62 for draining the washing agents.

In the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, upper apertures 61 act as inlets for the water sprinkled onto dispenser 6 by a hydraulic system adapted to supply water from the household water main.

Such a hydraulic system comprises two solenoid valves 7a and 7b which, in a known manner, supply water to the compartments of dispenser 6 through a water distribution element 8 which is watertight inserted into gasket 10. To this end, two ducts 9a and 9b run within washing machine 1 and are connected to distribution element 8 at the inlets 81. By controlling the solenoid valves 9a and 9b, water is made to flow in the different channels 82 being present inside distribution element

8, and exits through different apertures 83 matching upper apertures 61 of dispenser

6.

The quantity of water sprinkled onto dispenser 6 is adjusted by the control unit of washing machine 1 by controlling solenoid valves 7a and 7b.

Advantageously, the washing machine is provided with grids 11 located at water inlets 61 of the dispenser.

In the preferred embodiment example, a detail of which is shown in Fig. 2, grids 11 are directly constrained to dispenser 6, in particular to the water inlet of dispenser 6.

According to a particular embodiment, grids 11 may be secured to dispenser 6, e.g. they may be obtained from the same mould as the one used for dispenser 6, or for a portion thereof, if it is made up of several assembled parts.

Advantageously, in a further embodiment the grids 11 are movable, in particular they can either rotate (e.g. about a pair of hinges) or removed and reinstalled.

The mobility of grids 11 makes it easier to fill the dispenser with washing agents: in fact, after lifting and removing grids 11, the washing agents can be put in the iispenser more comfortably (e.g. with grids 11 still in position, powder detergent night fall on the floor, or it might be impossible to load a tablet detergent). After oading the washing agents, it will be sufficient to put grids 11 back to position.

Alternatively, grid 11 may return to its operating position automatically, e.g. by neans of a torsional spring. n the solution comprising a movable grid 11 , retaining means are advantageously used for keeping grid 11 in position during the operation of the washing machine. The retaining means may comprise hooks provided in a per se known manner or, more simply, grid 11 may have a profile adapted to engage into matching ribs obtained on the housing of grid 11.

In an advantageous embodiment, the indication of the level of the liquid washing agents contained in the dispenser is obtained by providing the compartments with internal floating devices which comprise a float body directly in contact with the liquid washing agent and a indicator head acting as a level indicator. In this solution, the grids are advantageously so shaped as to allow the float head to pass through, so that when the user sees the float head emerging, he/she will stop pouring washing agent into the dispenser. The float has a fixed overall height, since the float body is located at the bottom of the float, at a given distance from the head. In this case, the float body may comprise:

- a block of low-density material, in particular polystyrene, the float being lifted due to said block floating on the liquid washing agent, or

- a bell-shaped element, i.e. a hollow tubular element, containing air, which floats when a liquid washing agent is poured into dispenser 6.

In this embodiment, wherein the float has a fixed height, the user checks the washing agent level through transparent windows provided on the dispenser.

Alternatively, since different amounts of washing agents may be required according to the laundry load to be washed, the float may have a variable overall height, so that the head will emerge from the dispenser when the desired washing agent level is reached.

This can be obtained in different ways, e.g. by using a float having a head constrained to the body through a telescopic neck, or a neck which can slide in the float body.

The advantages of the present invention are apparent from the above description.

It is clear however that many changes may be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

For example, grids 11 may be of different kinds: they may comprise one or several ridges arranged parallel to one another in a single direction within a frame, or they may comprise several ridges arranged in a criss-cross pattern. Furthermore, even though the preferred embodiment example relates to a dispenser which substantially takes up the whole surface of the door, it is clear that the dispenser may also be a removable element as known from patent GB2 260 770. In this case, one may use a grid 11 constrained either to the dispenser or to the door.

An embodiment example wherein the dispenser is placed into a housing in the door is shown in Fig. 3.

In this embodiment example, a single grid 11 is used (designated by a dashed line) which is so shaped that, once in position, the shape of the inner surface of the door becomes again that of a door of a traditional machine with a cabinet-mounted dispenser.

Grid 11 is hinged on top to the door and can rotate freely about a horizontal axis in the direction shown by the arrow. According to this solution, the user lifts grid 11 in order to remove and insert the dispenser; he/she then lets grid 11 fall in position as soon as the dispenser has been removed or inserted.

Alternatively, grid 11 may rotate about a vertical axis and be fitted with retaining means adapted to keep it shut against the door during the wash cycle. For example, the retaining means may comprise an elastic tongue which engages into a rib of the door.

As in the above-described preferred embodiment example, also in this embodiment example grid 11 may then fit into a suitable seat from which it can be completely removed.

In another variant, the washing machine may comprise one or several grids 11 constrained to the machine cabinet or tub.

In this solution, grids 11 are hinged to the cabinet or to the tub, and when the door is closed they are automatically released, thus positioning themselves against the apertures of the dispenser in order to let the water flow through while at the same time preventing any laundry item from getting trapped into the dispenser during the wash.

Finally, it is clear that the water inlets in the dispenser may coincide with or be distinct from the load apertures of the dispenser, which are adapted to allow washing agents to be supplied into the dispenser.

If the water inlets are distinct from the washing agent load apertures, it will be possible to provide the water inlets and and/or the washing agent load apertures with suitable grids.

Claims

1. Front-loading laundry washing machine wherein a cabinet (2) comprises a load opening (4) which can be closed by means of a door (5) provided with a washing agent dispenser, and wherein a hydraulic system (7a,7b,8,9a,9b) is adapted to sprinkle water onto at least one inlet of said dispenser (6), characterized by comprising at least one grid (11) located at said at least one inlet (61).

2. Laundry washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one grid (11) is constrained to a surface of said door (5) facing the inside of said load opening (4).

3. Laundry washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one grid (11) is constrained to said dispenser.

4. Laundry washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one grid (11) is constrained to said at least one inlet (61).

5. Laundry washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one grid (11) is constrained to a wash tub of said machine.

6. Laundry washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one grid (11) is constrained to said cabinet (2).

7. Laundry washing machine according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said grid (11) is removable.

8. Laundry washing machine according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said grid (11) is rotatable about a horizontal axis.

9. Laundry washing machine according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said grid (11) is rotatable about a vertical axis.

10. Laundry washing machine according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized by comprising retaining means adapted to keep said grid (11) in a predetermined position.

11. Laundry washing machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said dispenser comprises a washing agent filling aperture which is distinct from said inlet.

12. Laundry washing machine according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said dispenser comprises at least one float adapted to indicate the level of a liquid washing agent contained in said dispenser, and that said grid is adapted to allow a head of said float to pass through.

13. Laundry washing machine according to claim 12, characterized in that said float has a variable height.