EP2143838B1

EP2143838B1 - Washing cycle profile included laundry repartition and laundry release

Info

Publication number: EP2143838B1
Application number: EP08012528A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mustapha Taffahi; Joseph Migeot
Original assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corp NV
Current assignee: Electrolux Home Products Corp NV
Priority date: 2008-07-10
Filing date: 2008-07-10
Publication date: 2012-02-29
Anticipated expiration: 2028-07-10
Also published as: EP2143838A1; ATE547552T1; RU2497986C2; RU2009126391A

Abstract

The invention is characterized in that a work cycle at higher speed is realized during the washing phase in the form of brief impulses ( 11,12 ) separate each other by a short drum stopping sequence ( 13 ) and in that this work at higher speed is continued by a last drum stopping sequence ( 14 ) longer than those separating the impulses ( 11,12 ) and that this last drum stopping sequence ( 14 ) is accompanied with the maintain of the water at higher level ( 16 ).

Description

The present invention concerns a method of washing for washing machine, known, for instance, from EP-A-1 526 209 .
The washing machines constructors engage constant research to move that, their machines offer the best performances with allowing savings to be made in running cost, with reduction in consumption of energy, water and detergents. For example, US patent n° 3.388.410 describes a washing method which provides during the whole washing time, as also during the rinsing time, an alternation of cycles in which the drum containing the clothes to be washed, is made to rotate at high speed, with cycles during which the drum is made to rotate at a lower speed. The high speed being sufficient to make the centrifugal force acting on the clothes overcome the force of gravity and maintain the ones against the drum wall, while during the cycles in which the drum is made to rotate a lower speed, the clothes fall back into the drum base itself. The soapy washing solution or the rinsing water is taken from the base of the washing tub and is continuously fed again by spraying, by means of recirculation pump, into the drum. During drum rotation at the higher speed, there is the formation of a ring of solution or of rinsing water wherein the clothes are constantly immersed. The washing and rinsing at high speed with clothes adhering to the wall drum and sprayed by the soapy solution or recycled rinsing water improve the efficiency of washing and rinsing phases. Moreover that recirculation allows liquid quantity used to be reduced to a certain extent.
EP 0.726.349 describes a method of washing machine comprises at least one washing phase which includes a cycle of work at high speed and recirculation of water during which a drum containing the laundry to be washed and rotatory housed in a washing tub, is made to rotate at a first speed, sufficiently high to generate a centrifugal force which causes arrangement of the laundry along the periphery of the drum and, simultaneously, the water in the washing tub is taken from said tub and is returned therein by spraying at a central part of the drum. A subsequent work cycle at low speed then takes place, during which the drum is made to rotate at a second speed, lower than said first speed and such as to allow remixing of the laundry, while the recirculation of water is substantially interrupted. The cycle of work at high speed and recirculation of water has a duration limited to the time necessary for the complete removal of detergent from a detergent container and during its performance part of the water taken from the tub is made to pass through the container of detergent and subsequently reintroduced into the tub.
In the two cases, the quantity of water fed into the washing tub must be sufficient to ensure that, during the recirculation, a quantity of water remains always in the tub so as to prevent the cavitation of the recirculation pump. This is more likely to occur during the cycles of drum rotation at low speed.
In US patent 3 388 410 , this problem is solved in making the tub very deep, and in feeding therein an abundant quantity of water because during the years to which this patent dates back the problem of water and energy consumption was not less felt than the actual epoch.
The problem subsists actually in case of relation drum volume clothes quantity, small.
EP1526209 discloses a drum type washing machine including a rotary drum installed in a water tub such that a rotational axis thereof is declined toward a rear portion of the washing machine with respect to a horizontal direction. An agitation control is executed for a predetermined time in at least one of a washing process and a rinsing process. The agitation control repeatedly performs a control process of rotating the rotary drum at a first rotational speed for a first preset period of time and then stopping the rotary drum for a second preset period of time, and a rotational force due to the first rotational speed allows laundry articles to be lifted up in the rotational direction of the rotary drum and dropped when reaching a height where the weight of the laundry articles is greater than a centrifugal force of the rotary drum exerted on the laundry articles.
In view of the state of the art described above, the object of the present invention, as characterised in the claims, is to permit a good clothes distribution in the drum and performances improvement for washing in particularly in case of relation drum volume, clothes quantity small ; in order to adapt the drum volume for the same machine nominal garment to reduce consequently the energy and the water consumption to optimize the power of the washing machine motor.
These and others features of the present invention will be made clearer from the detailed description of some of its embodiments, illustrated by way of a non limiting example in accompanying with the drawings on which :

figure 1 shows a diagram on which all the phases of the washing are represented, including rinsing and drying phases ,
figure 2 shows an enlargement of the part of the diagram corresponding only at the washing phase.

Regarding fig 1., we can see on the diagram showing water level 1 and drum speed 2 that after a first wash period of about 57 minutes, the drum is subject to two brief impulses 11,12 in order to obtain laundry detachment. The phase impulses 11,12 being followed by a washing phase 10 strictly speaking of about one hour duration until the rinsing phase.
Regarding fig. 2, we see on this diagram that the impulses 11,12 for better laundry speed detachment correspond to brief drum increasing of about 220 to 300 RPM separate by a short pause 13 and followed by a longer pause 14, before the standard washing phase continuation 17. We can remark that these impulses 11,12 are accompanied with water higher level 15,16 with picks corresponding to the drum speed impulses 11,12.
It results of this application method that the using of small impulses 11,12 of speed motor highest during the clothes washing phase permits a drum acceleration able to redistribute the clothes inside the drum, particularly in the case of the relation "drum volume / clothes quantity" low. These impulses being activated automatically, only in the case of nominal loading of the machine, in view to make optimal the drum volume and to reduce the required energy, the water consumption and motor power ; the loading being determined by the washing machine itself. The using of the process staying however possible in the case of volume drum more important to accelerate the clothes distribution in the drum.

Claims

Method of washing for washing machine comprising a washing which includes:
- a work cycle at high speed during which a drum containing the laundry to be washed, said drum being rotatory housed in a washing tub fed with clean water, is made to rotate at a first speed, sufficiently high to generate a centrifugal force which forms and maintains an annular layer of clothes against the drum peripheral wall with cleaning solution, and

- a subsequent work cycle during which the drum is made to rotate at a second speed lower than said first speed and such as to allow remixing of the laundry while the recirculation of the water is interrupted, the work cycle at high speed being realized in the form of brief impulses (11,12) in the rotation speed of said drum, said impulses being separated each other by a short drum stopping sequence (13)
characterized in that
said work cycle at high speed is followed by a last drum stopping sequence (14) longer than those separating the impulses (11,12) and in that
this last drum stopping sequence (14) is accompanied with the maintaining of the water at a level (16) higher than the level in said subsequent work cycle during which the drum is made to rotate at a second speed lower than said first speed.
Method according to claim 1 characterized in that, the work cycle at high speed is automatically carried out when relation drum volume/clothes quantity has predetermined values.
Method according to claim 2 characterized in that, the work cycle at high speed is carried out upon determining drum loading by the washing machine itself.
Method according to claim 1 characterized in that, the work cycle at high speed can be carried out, by the user of the machine.
Method according to claim 1 characterized in that, the work cycle at high speed is effected at about 220 to 300 RPM depending to the washing machine type.
Method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the work cycle at high speed comprises two impulses (11,12) or more.
Method according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that, the impulses (11,12) could be repeated at any time during the work cycle at high speed.