EP2868793A1 - Verfahren zur Verbesserung der Waschleistungen einer Waschmaschine und Horizontalachsen-Waschmaschine mit solch einem Verfahren - Google Patents

Verfahren zur Verbesserung der Waschleistungen einer Waschmaschine und Horizontalachsen-Waschmaschine mit solch einem Verfahren Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2868793A1
EP2868793A1 EP20130191649 EP13191649A EP2868793A1 EP 2868793 A1 EP2868793 A1 EP 2868793A1 EP 20130191649 EP20130191649 EP 20130191649 EP 13191649 A EP13191649 A EP 13191649A EP 2868793 A1 EP2868793 A1 EP 2868793A1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
drum
rotation
speed
load
rotations
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP20130191649
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English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Stefanie Oberkirsch
K. David Mcallister
Thoms Walker Faussett
Wolfgang Laun
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Whirlpool Corp
Original Assignee
Whirlpool Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Whirlpool Corp filed Critical Whirlpool Corp
Priority to EP20130191649 priority Critical patent/EP2868793A1/de
Publication of EP2868793A1 publication Critical patent/EP2868793A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F33/00—Control of operations performed in washing machines or washer-dryers 
    • D06F33/30—Control of washing machines characterised by the purpose or target of the control 
    • D06F33/32—Control of operational steps, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending on the condition of the laundry
    • D06F33/36—Control of operational steps, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending on the condition of the laundry of washing
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F2103/00—Parameters monitored or detected for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
    • D06F2103/02—Characteristics of laundry or load
    • D06F2103/04—Quantity, e.g. weight or variation of weight
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F2105/00—Systems or parameters controlled or affected by the control systems of washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers
    • D06F2105/46—Drum speed; Actuation of motors, e.g. starting or interrupting
    • D06F2105/48—Drum speed

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method for improving washing performances in a washing machine having a perforated drum with a substantially horizontal axis, wherein said drum is rotated at a tumbling speed according to a cyclic sequence of rotation intervals in both directions.
  • the European Energy Label does not connect the rated capacity to the actual drum volume. It is expensive for appliance manufacturers to increase the drum volume and most consumers do not have space in their homes for washing machines that exceed the usual 60 cm x 60 cm footprint.
  • washing cycle carried out in a domestic environment when the user loads a high amount of laundry in the drum, i.e. close to the nominal capacity of the washing machine (i.e. the one indicated in the label and instructions for use of the washing machine).
  • This behaviour affects the wash performance.
  • the mechanical action load and water motion and forces exerted to the laundry load during washing
  • the other contributors being chemistry (detergents), temperature and time.
  • the European Energy Label requires a Wash Performance ratio (spectrophotometric reflectance of standard soil strips after wash, ratio of value of manufacturer's machine versus the standard washer defined in IEC standard) larger than 1.03, otherwise the manufacturer is not permitted to sell such machine in the European Union.
  • the Wash Performance is a measure of how well the machine removes soil from laundry in the Energy Label wash cycle.
  • Wash cycle durations in the Energy Label cycle ranged from 1.5 to 2 hours fifteen years ago. Today they range from 3 to 5 hours.
  • One of the current known solutions is to re-circulate washing liquor through a pump between the sump of the washing tub and a nozzle spraying washing liquor on the load.
  • This known solution is expensive, because it needs a recirculation pump, hoses, injection nozzle and a more complex controller.
  • recirculating the water leads to excessive foaming, adversely affecting wash result, with the possibility that foam leaks out from detergent dispenser.
  • Another disadvantage of recirculation is that insoluble components of detergent and soil are redeposited onto the wash load. Instead of separating the soil from the laundry, soiled water is brought back into the laundry and distributed evenly. This can cause greying of laundry and incrustation of the fabrics with detergent components such as zeolite (an insoluble detergent ingredient which reduces water hardness). Incrustation makes laundry items look faded and feel stiff and heavy.
  • a further disadvantage of recirculation is that it requires a lot of development work for control algorithm creation because the details of when and how to recirculate have to be carefully worked out, tested and tuned, to avoid too much foaming and too much redeposition of soil and zeolite.
  • EP 0 618 323 Another solution is disclosed by EP 0 618 323 and relates to a speed asymmetry of reversing movement (e.g. low soaking speed counter clockwise, high near-spin speed clockwise).
  • the efficiency depends on whether the machine has adapted lifters.
  • the method of asymmetric speed is designed for combination with asymmetric lifters which work like paddle-wheels, scooping washing liquor from the bottom to the top of the drum.
  • This known method does not allow an efficient redistribution of the load, rather only a better distribution of wash liquor.
  • EP 0 781 881 Another solution is disclosed by EP 0 781 881 and relates to a reversing washing pattern containing a total of five different speeds, i.e. two (soak, wash) + three (soak, wash, spin) different speeds.
  • This known solution has the disadvantage of high motor energy consumption because each reversing period has five different speeds with acceleration between them. There is also an increased foam production and acoustic noise.
  • Another known method for increasing mechanical action is to carry out an aggressive drum movement with very short motor-off times (zero to 2 s motor-off phase) between the motor-on tumbling phases. This known method causes high friction which damages the load, high mechanical energy consumption leading to high electrical energy consumption, bad tangling of load, leading to high unbalance in spinning and bad spin / rinse performance.
  • Another known method is to carry out a very fast acceleration of the drum (more than 50 rpm/s) at the start of each motor-on phase. This method requires a strong motor and precise motor control, which lead to a more expensive appliance. Moreover it increases electrical energy consumption.
  • Haier washing machines with a direct drive motor comprises a short spinning (at 200 rpm for 30 seconds) after main wash filling and then every 15 minutes throughout the main wash, to press out water (a kind of cheap replacement for recirculation system).
  • This method has the advantage of a temporarily fast level of free liquor, but several disadvantages as a significantly high electrical energy consumption due to the spins, a compression of the load due to a high spin speed which does not allow the load to redistribute, a stirring up of insoluble detergent components and soils which are transported back into the load, and a high acoustic noise due to high spin speed.
  • the applicant has discovered that by adding to the usual cyclic sequence of tumbling rotations one or more rotations at fast speed so that only a portion of the load is retained against the drum wall by centrifugal force, the washing performances are surprisingly increased if compared to a washing cycle with the same high load but without said rotations at fast speed spaced at predetermined intervals.
  • said rotations (i.e. 360° turns) at the fast speed are carried out for a predetermined number of rotations, preferably between 3 and 8 and more preferably between 4 and 7 rotations.
  • the interval between said fast speed rotations is preferably comprised between 5 and 15 minutes, more preferably between 8 and 12 minutes.
  • the rotation at said fast speed is followed by a rotation at a low speed which is lower than the tumbling speed and which is preferably carried out for a predetermined limited number of rotations, preferably comprised between 3 and 8, more preferably comprised between 4 and 7 rotations.
  • the above fast speed and low speed depends mainly on the drum diameter. As far as the fast speed is concerned, it may be determined by experimental testing on a certain washing machine by assessing when only a certain desired portion of the load is retained against the wall of the drum.
  • drum diameters As far as the low speed is concerned, in the usual range of drum diameters it is preferably comprised between 20 and 35 rpm, with a direction of rotation which is preferably identical to the direction of rotation at fast speed.
  • the main advantage of a method according to the present invention is not only a good improvement in washing performances when a high volume of laundry is loaded in the drum, but also a very low cost of implementation due to a simple control algorithm and to no additional components needed. Moreover a cheap traditional motor can be used for rotating drum (either with motor and belt system or with direct drive one) because very little added electrical energy is required, almost negligible.
  • the method according to the invention does stir up only a small fraction of insoluble detergent ingredients and soils and does not cause foaming (at least not to any significant degree that would affect the wash).
  • the method according to the invention avoids excessive foam production and motor energy consumption. Another energy saving derives from the same rotation sense at fast speed rotation and low speed rotation.
  • the method according to the invention further avoids tangling of wash load, improving washing efficiency since tangled laundry layers will squeeze out water and cannot take up new water, and therefore it cannot be cleaned well.
  • the load When slow rotation follows immediately fast rotation, the load is quickly wetted again, avoiding that the laundry stays in non water saturated conditions for too long. Thanks to the method according to the invention, the load is not strongly compressed; on the contrary, a large fraction of the load is loosened such that it can move more freely. Last but not least, the method allows a reduction of acoustic noise if compared with method using a higher fast speed.
  • a horizontal axis washing machine 10 is designed to carry out a complete main wash which includes water filling and soaking phases and which may include an enzyme phase (filling, soaking and enzyme phases are carried out approximately during the first half hour of the main wash in Energy Label cycles).
  • the washing machine 10 comprises a control unit (not shown) which control and drives the components of the washing machine.
  • such reversing movement is momentarily interrupted after every 10 minutes with from 4 to 7 rotations, for instance with 5 rotations in the examples shown in figures 2 and 3 at a speed F ( figure 2 ) that is high enough to satellize a large fraction of the load but not all of it. Another large portion of the load is moving freely in the space that was vacated through the satellization of the first load fraction. "Satellize” means that the centrifugal forces are high enough to make the load adhere to the drum wrapper wall. For a washer drum of 490 mm diameter the speed proven to give the desired result was 90 rpm (reasonable range: 90 rpm +/- 20 rpm for 490 mm drum diameter).
  • the optimum speed F can be determined in experimental way for each kind of washing machine by visually judging the movement of load items.
  • the target is to see the largest possible fraction of the load moving loosely in the middle space which is freed by the satellization of some outer laundry layers.
  • More precision in this experimental design phase can be reached by a two-step approach, with visual assessment to determine an approximate speed range in the first step, followed by series of spectrophotometric wash efficiency measurements and energy measurements at several speeds within this range as a second step.
  • a further improvement of the method according to the invention is to have the high-speed rotation at speed F followed immediately by very low speed G ( figure 2 ) lower than the tumbling speed T.
  • the method according to this second embodiment of the invention was proven to deliver improved wash result: immediately after 5 rotations at 90 rpm, apply 5 rotations at 30 rpm. (a reasonable range of low speed G for a 490 mm drum diameter is from 20 to 35 rpm). Then the method proceeds with normal wash rotation speed T.
  • the slow rotation at speed G should be done in the same direction as the fast rotation (e.g. 5 rotations of 90 rpm counter clockwise followed immediately by 5 rotations of 30 rpm counter clockwise, then after 10 minutes 90 rpm clockwise followed by 30 rpm clockwise and so on).
  • the method according to the invention allows obtaining similar washing performances of traditional washing cycles with an overall shorter cycle (20 minutes time saving in the tests carried out by the applicant).
  • the 5-rotation method means that we differ from the optimum long-term rotation speed only for 13 seconds each 10 minutes, which means 2.2 % of time. This is a good compromise according to the test carried out by the applicant.
  • the method according to the invention also improves the spinning result. Less tangling means less unbalance in spinning, so the water can be more easily extracted from the load. Better spinning efficiency in intermediate and final spin also means better rinsing efficiency, because less detergent stays on the load if more of the water-detergent-solution is spun out and drained off.
  • the decision can be taken by the control unit depending on the load value chosen by the user through a user interface 12 (for instance when user presses "high load” button 14 or the like).
  • the method according to the invention may be carried out also during the so called enzyme phase after water filling.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Control Of Washing Machine And Dryer (AREA)
EP20130191649 2013-11-05 2013-11-05 Verfahren zur Verbesserung der Waschleistungen einer Waschmaschine und Horizontalachsen-Waschmaschine mit solch einem Verfahren Withdrawn EP2868793A1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP20130191649 EP2868793A1 (de) 2013-11-05 2013-11-05 Verfahren zur Verbesserung der Waschleistungen einer Waschmaschine und Horizontalachsen-Waschmaschine mit solch einem Verfahren

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP20130191649 EP2868793A1 (de) 2013-11-05 2013-11-05 Verfahren zur Verbesserung der Waschleistungen einer Waschmaschine und Horizontalachsen-Waschmaschine mit solch einem Verfahren

Publications (1)

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EP2868793A1 true EP2868793A1 (de) 2015-05-06

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EP20130191649 Withdrawn EP2868793A1 (de) 2013-11-05 2013-11-05 Verfahren zur Verbesserung der Waschleistungen einer Waschmaschine und Horizontalachsen-Waschmaschine mit solch einem Verfahren

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Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN108691145A (zh) * 2018-05-31 2018-10-23 青岛海尔洗衣机有限公司 一种洗衣机偏载指示装置、洗衣机及偏载检测方法
EP3392391A4 (de) * 2015-12-16 2019-08-28 Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co., Ltd. Trommelwaschmaschine

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0618323A1 (de) 1993-03-31 1994-10-05 Bosch-Siemens HausgerÀ¤te GmbH Waschmaschine mit einer reversierend betriebenen Wäschetrommel
EP0781881A1 (de) 1995-12-27 1997-07-02 FAGOR, S.Coop Verfahren zum Waschen von Wäsche in einer Haushaltwaschmaschine
EP2075362A1 (de) * 2007-12-27 2009-07-01 Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V. Verbesserungen für eine Wasch- und Trocknungsmaschine für Wäsche
EP2128323A1 (de) * 2008-05-23 2009-12-02 Lg Electronics Inc. Textilstoffbehandlung
EP2602373A1 (de) * 2011-12-05 2013-06-12 Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V. Verfahren zum Spülen von Wäsche in einer Waschmaschine und das Verfahren ausführende Waschmaschine

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0618323A1 (de) 1993-03-31 1994-10-05 Bosch-Siemens HausgerÀ¤te GmbH Waschmaschine mit einer reversierend betriebenen Wäschetrommel
EP0781881A1 (de) 1995-12-27 1997-07-02 FAGOR, S.Coop Verfahren zum Waschen von Wäsche in einer Haushaltwaschmaschine
EP2075362A1 (de) * 2007-12-27 2009-07-01 Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V. Verbesserungen für eine Wasch- und Trocknungsmaschine für Wäsche
EP2128323A1 (de) * 2008-05-23 2009-12-02 Lg Electronics Inc. Textilstoffbehandlung
EP2602373A1 (de) * 2011-12-05 2013-06-12 Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V. Verfahren zum Spülen von Wäsche in einer Waschmaschine und das Verfahren ausführende Waschmaschine

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3392391A4 (de) * 2015-12-16 2019-08-28 Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co., Ltd. Trommelwaschmaschine
US10876243B2 (en) 2015-12-16 2020-12-29 Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co., Ltd. Drum-type washing machine
CN108691145A (zh) * 2018-05-31 2018-10-23 青岛海尔洗衣机有限公司 一种洗衣机偏载指示装置、洗衣机及偏载检测方法
CN108691145B (zh) * 2018-05-31 2022-09-02 佛山市顺德海尔电器有限公司 一种洗衣机偏载指示装置、洗衣机及偏载检测方法

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