U.S. patent application number 11/659862 was filed with the patent office on 2008-02-07 for program-controlled washing machine.
This patent application is currently assigned to BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH. Invention is credited to Gundula Czyzewski, Oliver Ruediger, Ingo Schulze.
Application Number | 20080028801 11/659862 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34982255 |
Filed Date | 2008-02-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080028801 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Czyzewski; Gundula ; et
al. |
February 7, 2008 |
Program-Controlled Washing Machine
Abstract
To optimize the completeness, uniformity and reproducibility of
a wetting process in a program-controlled washing machine, which
can be adjusted according to the amount of laundry in a washing
drum, which is rotationally mounted in a lye container about a
non-vertical axis by means of a water supply system and by means a
control device, said process being temporally controlled by the
supply of water into the lye container. According to the invention,
the wetting process is divided up into a series of phases
corresponding to the various amounts (small, medium, large) of
laundry that is to be treated. As a result, it is possible to adapt
the wetting process according to the number and formation of
individual phases in relation to the amount of laundry that is to
be treated.
Inventors: |
Czyzewski; Gundula; (Berlin,
DE) ; Ruediger; Oliver; (Berlin, DE) ;
Schulze; Ingo; (Roentgental/Zepernick, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BSH HOME APPLIANCES CORPORATION;INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEPARTMENT
100 BOSCH BOULEVARD
NEW BERN
NC
28562
US
|
Assignee: |
BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete
GmbH
Carl-Wery-Strasse 34
Munich
DE
81739
|
Family ID: |
34982255 |
Appl. No.: |
11/659862 |
Filed: |
August 2, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
August 2, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP05/53767 |
371 Date: |
May 25, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
68/12.05 ;
134/18; 68/12.02 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F 35/006
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
068/012.05 ;
134/018; 068/012.02 |
International
Class: |
D06F 33/02 20060101
D06F033/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 16, 2004 |
DE |
10 2004 039 662.0 |
Claims
1-17. (canceled)
18. A program-controlled washing machine comprising: a tub and a
laundry drum mounted within the tub and receiving laundry, the drum
being mounted for rotation with respect to the tub about a
non-vertical axis; a water supply system supplying water into the
tub in a wetting process; and a control device controlling the
water supply system and wetting process and adjusting the wetting
process in response to the amount of laundry in the laundry drum,
the wetting process being divided into as many phases as a number
of quantity stages provided for the laundry to be treated.
19. The washing machine according to claim 18, wherein each phase
of the wetting process comprises a section during which a
predetermined level of water supplied during this section is set in
the tub while the laundry drum turns continuously in a specific
direction.
20. The washing machine according to claim 18, wherein the laundry
drum includes a scoop device and the direction of rotation of the
laundry drum corresponds to the direction of effectiveness of the
scoop device.
21. The washing machine according to claim 19, wherein the section
lasts until the predetermined level is reached.
22. The washing machine according to claim 21, wherein a measuring
device is provided to determine that the predetermined level is
reached.
23. The washing machine according to claim 22, wherein the water
supply system includes an intake valve and a time-measuring device
is used as an additional measuring device to determine an opening
time of the intake valve.
24. The washing machine according to claim 22, further comprising a
liquid-quantity measuring device providing an additional measuring
device to determine the amount of liquid supplied.
25. The washing machine according to claim 20, wherein the control
device has a comparator for the measurement parameter for ending
the section.
26. The washing machine according to claim 18, wherein in at least
one of the second and a further phase of the wetting process, a
stage with reversing drum movement is allocated to the section.
27. The washing machine according to claim 26, wherein the stage
with reversing drum movement is incorporated ahead of the
section.
28. The washing machine according to claim 27, wherein the
measuring device for achieving at least one of the predetermined
level and the comparator is switched off during the reversing drum
movement.
29. The washing machine according to claim 19, wherein the level in
at least one of the second and further phase is predetermined
depending on the washing quantity stage.
30. The washing machine according to claim 19, wherein movement of
the drum in the specific direction is carried out in coordination
with the design features of the tub and the laundry drum at a
rotational speed of about 20 rpm.
31. The washing machine according to claim 27, wherein the
reversing drum movement is carried out in coordination with the
design features of the tub and the laundry drum at a rotational
speed of about 40 rpm.
32. The washing machine according to claim 18, wherein the phases
last between 10 and 40 seconds.
33. A method for operating a program-controlled washing machine
comprising a tub and a laundry drum mounted within the tub and
receiving laundry, the drum being mounted for rotation with respect
to the tub about a non-vertical axis, a water supply system
supplying water into the tub in a wetting process, and a control
device controlling the water supply system and the wetting process,
the method comprising the acts of: coordinating a wetting process
of a laundry batch to be treated in a laundry drum of a washing
machine; performing a first phase of the wetting process and
supplying a predetermined quantity of water with the water supply
system with unidirectional drum movement; and performing a second
phase of the wetting process if a small amount of washing solution
according to a small amount of laundry has been determined in the
first phase according to measurement parameters.
34. The method according to claim 33, wherein in the second phase
includes a section with unidirectional drum movement, the method
further comprising the acts of: determining the laundry quantity
stage by setting the amount of water supplied in relation to an
allocated laundry quantity stage; and initiating a further phase
for the wetting process if the washing solution level allocated to
the current phase for the amount of laundry is exceeded.
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a program-controlled washing
machine with a wetting process which can be adapted to the amount
of laundry in a laundry drum, which is mounted in a tub such that
it can rotate about a non-vertical axis, by means of a water supply
system and a control device which can temporally control the supply
of water into the tub, as well as a method for adapting the wetting
process of a laundry batch to be treated in a laundry drum of a
washing machine.
[0002] When adapting the quantities of water required for washing
in program-controlled washing machines, the wetting processes in
particular should be optimised in such a manner that for each
amount of laundry and the quantity of water in the tub which is
adapted thereto, the respective laundry batch is wetted completely
and uniformly in the shortest possible time, before the actual
washing process begins.
[0003] Wetting phases known so far use an adapted reversing rhythm
of the laundry drum at reduced drum speed or pre-filling of the tub
when the laundry drum is at a standstill, followed by continuous
turning of the laundry drum in the scoop direction and a following
wetting phase as described hereinbefore, or with an inserted
spinning phase to accelerate the penetration of the washing
solution into the laundry as described hereinbefore.
[0004] Other wetting phases provide different sequences with
standstill times of the laundry drum, unidirectional or reversing
drum movement at low speed and possibly reduced reversing
rhythms.
[0005] The wetting processes used so far have not been satisfactory
with regard to an optimised use of process sequences. In
particular, the known wetting processes have hardly taken adequate
account of differently sized laundry batches so that no complete
wetting takes place in the case of very large laundry batches
(close to the load limit) whereas small laundry batches are treated
for too long in the wetting phase, measured by their wetting
success. In addition, in the known wetting processes the uniformity
of the wetting leaves something to be desired.
[0006] It is thus the object of the invention to set up wetting
sequences in such a manner that the uniformity of the wetting can
be satisfactory in each laundry batch and at the same time, the
wetting processes can be automatically adapted to the quantity of
laundry of a laundry batch in that the laundry is wetted with the
optimum quantity of water or washing solution with uniform wetting
so that the washing process can thus be begun.
[0007] According to the invention, a washing machine described
initially is constructed by dividing the wetting process into as
many wetting phases as the number of quantity stages provided for
the laundry to be treated.
[0008] This division of the wetting process allows the respective
steps of the process to be adapted to the amount of laundry
present.
[0009] In an embodiment of the invention, each phase of the wetting
process comprises a section during which a predetermined level of
water supplied during this section is set in the tub whilst the
laundry drum turns continuously in a specific direction. It is
thereby possible for the first time to reliably estimate the amount
of laundry to be treated in each phase of the wetting process in
order to adapt the subsequent profile of the wetting process
thereto.
[0010] It is advantageous according to a further development of the
invention if the direction of rotation of the laundry drum
corresponds to the direction of effectiveness of a scoop device.
Then, specifically during this section in which the level of the
supplied water is determined continuously, the laundry is already
intensively impregnated so that the quantity supplied can be
determined sufficiently accurately. A measuring device can be
provided to determine that the predetermined level has been
reached; for this purpose, a time-measuring device can be used as a
measuring device to determine the opening time of an intake valve
or a liquid-quantity measuring device can be used to determine the
amount of liquid supplied.
[0011] The section advantageously lasts until the predetermined
level is reached. According to a further embodiment of the
invention, after a comparison with a reference value it can be
decided whether, as a result of the size of the laundry batch, the
section should be followed by a second and/or further phase of the
wetting process to which a stage with reversing drum movement is
allocated. This stage can be incorporated, for example in the
section with continuous turning of the drum or ahead of this
section.
[0012] If, according to a further advantageous embodiment of the
invention, the measuring device for achieving the predetermined
level and/or the comparator is switched off during the reversing
drum movement, an appropriate wetting of the laundry batch can be
carried out without supplying further water which would cause the
dampening in the present laundry batch, which is perhaps too small
for so much water in a manner unrecognised hitherto, to reach
oversaturation.
[0013] The size of the laundry batch can only be determined in the
following section of the wetting by unidirectional turning of the
laundry drum in the scoop direction again using the amount of water
supplied which is now to be measured. For this purpose a rotational
speed of about 20 rpm has proved to be very suitable in a given
geometry of the tub/drum system.
[0014] Accordingly, the reversing drum movement in coordination
with the design features of the tub and/or the laundry drum at a
rotational speed in the range of 40 rpm has proved to be very
suitable. From these conditions, the phases of the wetting process
can last between 10 and 40 seconds which overall results in a
temporally ideally optimised wetting process.
[0015] The embodiment of the washing machine according to the
invention as well as suitable process steps for this embodiment are
explained in detail hereinafter with reference to an exemplary
embodiment for a wetting process. In the figures:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a wetting process for a large laundry batch using
a diagram and
[0017] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the relevant parts of a
washing machine for the invention, in which a wetting process is
applied according to FIG. 1.
[0018] A prerequisite for the description of the wetting process
shown in FIG. 1 is a washing machine according to FIG. 2 comprising
a tub 1 in which a laundry drum 2 is mounted and which is driven by
a drive motor. According to more recent findings for the
ergonometry when dealing with such washing machines, the axis of
rotation 3 of the laundry drum 2 is upwardly directed from the
horizontal towards the front by a small angle (e.g. 13.degree.) so
that the user of the washing machine obtains easier access and view
into the interior of the laundry drum 2. As a result of this
arrangement in cooperation with specially shaped laundry entraining
devices 4 and scoop devices 5 for the washing liquid 6 on the inner
surface of the drum jacket, more intensive flooding of the laundry
7 with washing liquid and a reduction in the so-called free liquid
is also achieved, this free liquid designating the amount of
washing liquid in the tub 1 which can no longer be absorbed by the
saturated laundry (substantially below the lowest point of the
laundry drum 2).
[0019] The washing machine also has a liquid supply system
comprising a water connection fitting for the domestic water
network 8, an electrically controllable valve 9 and an inlet 10 to
the tub 1 which can optionally be guided via a detergent flushing
device 11 from which the water supply can convey portions of
detergent into the tub. The valve 9 can be controlled by a control
device 12 depending on a program sequence plan which can be bound
to a time program and/or to reaching specific measured values of
parameters (washing liquid level, temperature of washing liquid,
rotational speed of the laundry drum etc.) inside the washing
machine. Also located in the tub 1 is a liquid heating device 13
which can likewise be switched by the control device 12 and
according to similar criteria.
[0020] A washing program typically begins, as in FIG. 1, with the
opening of the valve to pass water from the domestic water network
8 into the tub 1. There, the water should be brought into contact
as quickly as possible with the laundry 7 stored in the laundry
drum 2 so that on the one hand the entrained detergent and on the
other hand, the heat introduced by the heating device 13 can be
transferred to the laundry 7 as rapidly as possible.
[0021] In the diagram in FIG. 1 the rotational speed n of the
laundry drum 2 is plotted as a function of time t because the
rotational speed control in particular characterises the new type
of wetting process. The water supply, optionally supply of
detergent and control of the heating device 13 are carried out in
accordance with the prior art. The overall wetting process stored
in the program comprises three phases Ph1 to Ph3 which are faded in
or out as required. The wetting process is followed directly by the
washing process W which continues with a known form of reversing
drum movement.
[0022] In phase Ph1, after a sufficient quantity of liquid has been
supplied, the drum 2 is set in motion. In this case, it is moved
exclusively in one direction and specifically in the direction
(arrow 14) in which the scoop devices 5 on the laundry drum 2 act
as prescribed. The desired rotational speed of the laundry drum 2
is set at a value of about 20 rpm for the selected geometrical
dimensions of the laundry drum which, however, are not described in
further detail here. The actual rotational speed however fluctuates
about this value according to the respective distribution of the
laundry batch in the laundry drum. The drum movement is maintained
for a duration of about 15 seconds. Specifically, the movement
lasts until the required initial quantity of supplied water is
present in the tub 1.
[0023] The value of this initial quantity is determined and
specifically either by measuring the valve opening time which is a
measure for the absolute quantity supplied assuming that the
specific quantity supplied by the valve 9 is sufficiently uniform,
or by direct measurement of the quantity supplied, for example,
using a flow meter (not shown). The value for the initial quantity
is set in relation to the attainment of the desired liquid level
N.sub.1-o in the tub (at 121) which is monitored by a level
measuring device 15 so that the amount which has been absorbed by
the laundry batch 7 is obtained directly from this. A large batch
of laundry absorbs a large amount of water so that the initial
quantity of water supplied before reaching the desired level
N.sub.1-o in the tub 1 increases more rapidly than for smaller
laundry batches.
[0024] The invention makes use of the differences described between
different-sided laundry batches in order to decide, using these
differences, whether the wetting process can be interrupted here
(in the case of a small laundry batch) or whether it must be
continued in a particular manner. In the case of a small laundry
batch, the initial quantity of water supplied is almost completely
(apart from the remainder of the free liquid) absorbed because all
the parts of the laundry batch come into contact with the supplied
water without appreciable delay. If the laundry batch has been
identified as small in this way, then at this point a transition
takes place immediately to the washing phase W.
[0025] If it has been established in the manner described
previously as assumed that the laundry batch to be treated is so
large that the liquid level reached in this phase Ph1 cannot be
sufficient to completely wet the laundry, a second phase Ph2 of the
wetting process is initiated. This second phase begins with a first
section A.sub.R2 and a reversing drum movement with, for example,
four short intervals of rotational speeds of up to 40 rpm in each
direction. Single short-spin intervals can also be embedded in this
section to flood the laundry better with the newly absorbed
liquid.
[0026] In any case, the level regulation is switched off in this
section A.sub.R2, i.e. the water supply is not switched on when the
actual liquid level falls below the desired level. Thorough mixing
of the laundry batch is hereby achieved and the laundry is also
given the opportunity to become further wetted by the water which
has already been supplied. This section A.sub.R2 can be several
minutes long and can contain more intervals than is represented
here by merely a few intervals within a relatively short time
duration. The duration of this section A.sub.R2 is substantially
dependent on the selected reversing rhythm, the liquid level and
the technically complex circumstances.
[0027] However, this is followed by a section in which the laundry
drum 2 is driven unidirectionally, as in the phase Ph1 in the scoop
direction 14 at a rotational speed of about 20 rpm. This section
A.sub.D2 is again used to check the absorbency of the laundry batch
7, and therefore indirectly the amount of laundry. For this purpose
(at 15) it is measured whether the liquid level falls below a
limiting value N.sub.2-u which is considered to be a measure for
the amount of laundry assigned to this phase. If the value falls
below this limit, water is again supplied during the sustained
movement of the laundry drum 2 until the level switching value
N.sub.2-o is reached. The total quantity of water supplied before
reaching the switching point N.sub.2-o, as in the phase Ph1, is a
measure for the amount of water and determines whether (in the case
of a medium amount of laundry) a transition is now made directly to
the washing process or whether a further phase Ph3 of the wetting
process is initiated. For example, the typical value of the total
amount of water for specifying "medium amount of laundry" is a
maximum of 18 litres.
[0028] However, if a large laundry batch is present (total amount
of water over 18 litres), a further phase Ph3 is initiated which
again begins with a first section A.sub.R3 and reversing drum
movements with short intervals of rotational speeds up to 40 rpm in
each direction and possibly even with inserted short-spin
intervals. The level regulation is again switched off here so that
no further water is introduced during the wetting movement. The
structure of the movement sequence and its dependences correspond
to the same section A.sub.R2 in the phase Ph2.
[0029] This phase Ph3 is also followed by a section A.sub.D3 in
which the drum 2 is continuously driven unidirectionally at about
20 rpm and which is again used for filling with water. The desired
liquid level N.sub.3-o however is now the level provided for
washing and is no longer used to determine the amount of laundry.
After a certain duration of thorough mixing in the scoop direction,
the washing process begins with known parameters. The duration of
the thorough mixing in this continuous rotation section can be
varied from one phase to another; this duration preferably becomes
longer with increasing number of phases.
[0030] The levels of the individual phases should also increase,
but at least from the first phase Ph1 to the second phase Ph2.
Liquid levels increasing with the number of the phase increase the
relative total amount of water for large laundry batches; however,
more intensive dampening of the laundry is achieved more rapidly.
If a constant level is selected in higher phases, a high scoop
performance of the laundry entraining devices 4 and good regrouping
of the laundry within the laundry batch should be ensured for
satisfactory dampening.
[0031] The laundry batches can also be differentiated more strongly
as is convenient. However, this involves an increase in the number
of phase which then can be shortened in each case, particularly in
the reversing section A.sub.Rx. Nevertheless, the entire program
duration of a wash cycle can be shortened as a result of the more
uniform dampening.
[0032] A level- or load-dependent matching of the drum speed in the
scoop direction 14 can be appropriate to optimise the scoop action
if the dampening is to be intensified and/or accelerated. Instead
of the connection ahead thereof which is proposed, it can be
advantageous for programming reasons to incorporate the reversing
phases in the continuous rotation phases.
[0033] The reproducibility of the dampening and the washing action
can advantageously be improved with the measures according to the
invention because the water is let in at defined times and under
defined conditions. In an oblique drum system, as explained
initially, the adaptation of the water level to the amounts of
laundry introduced can result in refinement of the load-dependent
process conditions, especially in the case of small laundry
batches. In addition, the uniform dampening is improved in the case
of large laundry batches. This is aimed overall at optimising the
required amounts of water so that as a result of the
differentiation considered over longer time intervals, a saving on
the water consumption can be observed.
* * * * *