WASHING MACHINE WITH DETERGENT DISPENSER

LESSIVEUSE A DISTRIBUTEUR DE DETERGENT

English Abstract

A washing machine comprises a detergent dispenser provided with a plurality of separate compartments for containing wash and/or rinse products to be added into the tub of the machine, such detergent dispenser comprising a rotating selector (20) capable of being displaced into various operational positions by driving means so as to enable the incoming water to selectively flow through each one of said compartment. The driving means comprise an electric motor (24) linked through a lever assembly (L) to the rotating selector (20) so that the rotation of the motor (24) is transformed into an oscillating movement of the selector (20) between two predetermined end positions.

French Abstract

Une lessiveuse comprenant un distributeur de détergent muni d'une pluralité de compartiments séparés contenant des produits de lavage et/ou de rinçage devant être ajoutés dans la cuve de la machine, ledit distributeur de détergent comprenant un sélecteur rotatif (20) susceptible d'être déplacé dans différentes positions de fonctionnement par des moyens d'entraînement de manière à permettre l'arrivée d'eau de s'écouler sélectivement à travers chacun desdits compartiments. Les moyens d'entraînement comprennent un moteur électrique (24) relié par un ensemble de levier (L) au sélecteur rotatif (20) de telle sorte que la rotation du moteur (24) est transformée en un mouvement d'oscillation du sélecteur (20) entre deux positions d'extrémité prédéterminées.

Claims

5
CLAIMS
We claim:
1. A washing machine comprising detergent dispensing means provided with a
plurality of
separate compartments for containing wash products to be added into the tub of
the
machine, said detergent dispensing means comprising a rotating selector
displaceable to
a plurality of operational positions by driving means so as to enable
inflowing water to
selectively flow through each one of said compartment, said driving means
comprising
an electric motor linked through a lever assembly to said rotating selector so
that the
rotation of the motor is transformed into an oscillating movement of the
selector
between two predetermined end positions, said lever assembly comprising a
first crank
keyed to a motor axle, a second crank as part of said rotating selector and a
connecting
rod linking said first crank and said second crank.
2. A washing machine comprising detergent dispensing means provided with a
plurality of
separate compartments for containing rinse products to be added into the tub
of the
machine, said detergent dispensing means comprising a rotating selector
displaceable to
a plurality of operational positions by driving means so as to enable
inflowing water to
selectively flow through each one of said compartment, said driving means
comprising
an electric motor linked through a lever assembly to said rotating selector so
that the
rotation of the motor is transformed into an oscillating movement of the
selector
between two predetermined end positions, said lever assembly comprising a
first crank
keyed to a motor axle, a second crank as part of said rotating selector and a
connecting
rod linking said first crank and said second crank.
3. A washing machine comprising detergent dispensing means provided with a
plurality of
separate compartments for containing wash and rinse products to be added into
the tub
of the machine, said detergent dispensing means comprising a rotating selector
displaceable to a plurality of operational positions by driving means so as to
enable

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inflowing water to selectively flow through each one of said compartment, said
driving
means comprising an electric motor linked through a lever assembly to said
rotating
selector so that the rotation of the motor is transformed into an oscillating
movement
of the selector between two predetermined end positions, said lever assembly
comprising a first crank keyed to a motor axle, a second crank as part of said
e rotating
selector and a connecting rod linking said first crank and said second crank.
4. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said
lever assembly
is placed on an upper surface of a box shaped recess containing a drawer like
reservoir.
5. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said
electric motor
has a single sense of rotation.

Description

CA 02497507 2011-12-19
Title: WASHING MACHINE WITH DETERGENT DISPENSER
The present invention relates to a washing machine comprising detergent
dispensing means
provided with a plurality of separate compartments for containing wash and/or
rinse products
to be added into the tub of the machine. Such known detergent dispensing means
comprise
usually a rotating selector capable of being displaced into various
operational positions by
appropriate driving means so as to enable the inflowing water to selectively
flow through each
one of said compartment.
Detergent dispensers for washing machines such as clothes washing machines
and/or
combined clothes washing and drying machine are known in the art, which are
divided into a
number of separate compartments intended for holding the various pre-wash and
main wash
detergents, as well as the various rinsing aids such as the bleaching agent
and/or the fabric
conditioner, wherein each such compartment is capable of being selectively
flushed by the
water flowing in from the supply mains and directed into said compartment by
means of a
suitable rotating compartment selector, which is capable of being displaced
into its various
operational positions by means of suitable linkage means operable by one or
several profiled
cams of the programme-sequence/timer control of the washing machine so as to
thereby cause
the water to flow into the wash tub of the machine together with the detergent
or rinse aid
contained in the compartment being from time to time flushed. DE 4335600A and
GB-A-
2062015 disclose different mechanisms from the detergent dispenser according
to the present
invention. EP-A-0504545 discloses a control arrangement for washing machines.
The known detergent dispensers use the existing motor on the electromechanical
or hybrid
timers by means of a wire, springs, cams and other components. For washing
machines
provided with electromechanical timers, the motor is already included in the
timer. For modern
washers equipped with a full electronic control, a step motor for controlling
the compartment
selector is added, and a feedback of the selected dispensing system is
required.
The movable element of the selector can be a simple lever carrying a water
nozzle which directs
the water toward one of the compartments, or it can be a rotating distributor
having channels
for conveying water to different detergent dispensers according to the angular
position of the
selector. The cost of known detergent dispensers is presently high due to the
number of
mechanical components linked to it. Moreover the mechanical system for

CA 02497507 2005-02-18
2
moving the selector is quite complicated and therefore its reliability is not
very
high.
It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a detergent dispenser
associated with a washing machine having a low cost and a high reliability
due to an inherent simplicity of the system linking the electric motor and the
selector.
A further advantage of the technical solution according to the present
invention, beside the reduction of the overall cost of the machine, is that
the
detergent dispenser can use the full torque in forward and backward
movement of the selector that is available at the actuator in order to
overcome
any blockage problems.
The detergent dispenser according to the invention is implemented with the
construction characteristics as essentially set forth and described in the
appended claims. The invention will anyway be hereinafter further described
by way of non-limiting example for better understanding, with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:
- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of a detergent dispenser. for
washing machines according to the present invention;
- Figure 2 is a partially sectioned and enlarged view of a detail of figure 1,
and
- Figures 3-6 are top view of a portion of the detergent dispenser of figures
1-2 which show different configurations thereof.
Figure 1 shows a detergent dispenser 10 which is installed in the usual way in
the upper portion of a washing machine (not shown), particularly of a drum=
type clothes washing machine or combined clothes washing and drying
machine, and is constituted by a drawer-like reservoir 12 provided with a
plurality of separate compartments (not shown) intended to contain the
various washing detergents and/or rinsing aids to be added in a selective
manner into the wash tub of the washing machine where they will be used for
carrying out the various steps and phases of each selected clothes washing
process. The drawer-like reservoir 12 is slindingly insertable in a box shaped
recess 12a installed in the front portion of the washing machine, just below
the top surface of the machine. As it can further be seen, a hose 14 is in
communication, downstream electrical on-off valve 16, with a nozzle 18 inside.

CA 02497507 2005-02-18
3
the recess 12a which directs the water flow towards a rotating selector 20
placed inside the recess 'I 2a, at one end thereof, far from the front face of
the
washing machine. The box shaped recess 12a further comprises flexible
hoses 15a and 15b for its hydraulic connection to the tub of the washing
machine. The compartments of the drawer-like reservoir 12 are supplied in a.
selective manner with the cold and/or hot water flowing in from the pipe 14,
by
means of the rotation of the selector 20 up to certain predetermined
positions.
The selector 20 is driven by means of a lever system L which comprises a first
crank 22 keyed on an axle 24a of an electric motor 24 connected to the
recess 12a, a connecting rod 26 and a second crank 28 keyed to the vertical
axle 20a of the selector 20, placed outside the upper wall of the recess 12a.
The electric motor 24 is a synchronous (?) motor and it has only one sense of
rotation, it is connected to the control unit of the machine and its axle, and
therefore the crank 22 keyed thereto, is able to assume certain predetermined
position, for instance in the shown example four different positions. The
length
of the cranks 22 and 28 and of the connecting rod 26 is selected in order to
have an oscillating back and forth movement of the selector 20 (between two
predetermined end positions I and IV) when the axle 24a of the electric motor
makes a complete turn.
In figure 3 it is shown a first position of the crank 28, corresponding to the
feeding of water towards a first compartment I, for instance corresponding to
the main wash. In figure 4 the selector 20 feeds water towards a second
compartment II, corresponding for instance to bleach. The third configuration,
in which water is fed to a third compartment III, corresponds to the use of
softener in the washing cycle, while the fourth compartment IV is used for
auxiliary purposes.
It is clear how the construction of the detergent dispenser, and particularly
of
its drive system, is very simple and with a reduced number of components if
compared to the known detergent dispensers. Moreover, it does not use any
spring or
profiled cams of the programme sequence/timer control device of the washing
machine.
For sake of simplicity, some components have not been described, for
instance micro-switches or similar electrical switching means included in the

CA 02497507 2005-02-18
4
electrical circuitry of the washing machine in order to give a position
feedback
concerning the actual configuration of the selector 20. Anyway, such
components and use thereof are well known in the art of washing machines.
In order to displace the compartment selector 20 into each one of its various
control positions, the control unit energises the motor 24 so that the
selector
.20 is rotatably driven to advance to its immediately next control position
under
resulting closure of the corresponding micro-switch and activation of the
operational component part of the machine which is associated with that
micro-switch. The control unit subsequently acts so as to recognise and
identify the control position reached in the above described - way by the
rotating compartment selector 20, as well as all the subsequent control
positions which will in that way be reached by the selector, by detecting the
closed state of the corresponding micro-switch and identifying it. Of course
it
is possible to replace microswitches for instance with a step motor.
Owing to the fact that said rotating selector 20 is rotatably driven into its
various control positions at a predetermined speed rate by the corresponding
synchronous motor 24, this means that it is not necessary any mechanical link
with the programme sequence/timer control device of the known machines,
therefore allowing the designer to install the same detergent dispenser
according to the present invention either on a machine provided with a
traditional timer or on an electronic-controlled washing machine

Representative Drawing