GB1578763A

GB1578763A - Washing machines

Info

Publication number: GB1578763A
Application number: GB39568/76A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Hoover Ltd
Current assignee: Hoover Ltd
Priority date: 1976-09-23
Filing date: 1976-09-23
Publication date: 1980-11-12
Also published as: DE2742914A1; AU509906B2; IT1090225B; AU2904777A; FR2365653B3; FR2365653A1

Description

(54) WASHING MACHINES (71) We HOOVER LIMITED, a Company registered under the laws of England, of Perivale, Greenford, Middlesex, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to washing machines and concerns the incorporation of water softening devices, for example, of the type which include a water softening resin container via which inlet water normally passes into the washing machine.

When regeneration of the resin is required it is arranged that a regeneration medium e.g., a salt solution, will be transmitted from a salt container through the resin container and into the washing machine.

According to one aspect of the present invention a clothes washing machine comprises an outer casing within which is mounted a tub containing a horizontal axis rotary drum for clothes, one end of the drum having a loading opening aligned with loading openings in the tub and the outer casing, the loading opening of the outer casing having a hinged door provided with an annular projection which, when the door is closed, projects through and seals the loading opening of the tub, and a water softening system at least part of which is located within said annular projection. The part which may be located within the said annular projection is the regeneration medium container and/or the resin container.

Preferably the regeneration medium container has a lidded charging opening which is positioned within the tub when the door is closed. In this way if there is any leakage from the charging opening such leakage passes directly into the tub and not onto the floor.

The machine may include a sump for the tub and a drain pump connected to the sump for emptying the tub, a first water valve controlling the inlet of water to the tub via a water softening resin container, a regeneration medium container which has a charging opening with an air-tight lid via which it can be charged with regeneration medium, a second water valve outlet communicating via a water conduit with the lower end of the regenerationmedium container an outlet passage extending from the regeneration-medium container to the water softening resin container, a further conduit or conduits extending from the water conduit and at least one of which comprises a drain tube extending to the sump and arranged to permit the contents of the regeneration-medium container to drain into the sump when the lid to the regeneration-medium container is opened, the dimensions of the conduits and other parts and the restriction to flow therethrough being such that the majority of the water passing from the second water valve bypasses the regeneration-medium container.

The invention may be carried into practice in a number of ways but one specific embodiment will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying sketch, which shows diagrammatically a clothes washing machine according to the present invention.

The machine has an outer casing 10 including a compartment or suspended wash tub 12 and a front loading door 14.

Mounted within the wash tub, but not shown, is a rotary drum arranged to be driven slowly for washing or fast for spin drying in a conventional manner. Mounted on the inside of the door 14 is an annular projection 16 which serves to seal the tub and to keep articles of clothing away from the area of the door and in particular away from the gap between the loading opening of the rotary drum and the interior of the tub. The wash tub 12 has a sump 18 connected by a drain hose 20. The machine is emptied by an emptying pump 22 which discharges through a drain hose 24.

The machine is shown connected to a water supply hose 26 which extends to a dual action water valve 28 serving either to direct water into a hose 30 or a hose 32.

The hose 30 extends downwards and is connected at 33 to the lower end of a resin container 34. The upper end of the resin container is connected by a short hose 36 to a soap dispenser 38 the outlet of which is connected via a bellows 40 to an inlet 42 to the wash tub 12.

The second water hose 32 extends to the lower side of the annular projection 16 which is formed as a hollow moulding which is water tight and which is arranged to comprise a salt container which can be loaded through a loading opening having a lid 44. The water pipe 32 extends to the lower side of the salt container.

Extending from the upper side of the salt container is a further hose 46 which extends to a T-connection at the point 33 where the hose 30 enters the resin container. A one-way valve is fitted to the hose 46 permitting flow from the salt container to the resin container but not viceversa.

The inlet hose 32 has a looped portion 48 from which a drain or bypass tube 50 extends to a connection 52 on the sump 18.

During operation of the machine it is filled via the soap dispenser 38 by water which passes from the valve 28 across the air break shown and through the tube 30 to the resin container 34. All the water passing from the soap dispenser is thus softened by passage through the resin in the resin container 34. When it is desired to regenerate the resin in the resin container 34, the valve 28 directs water flow across a further air break and into the tube 32. The majority of the water passing into the tube 32 is directed into the drain or bypass tube 50 both because of the relative diameters of the tubes 48 and 50 and also the back pressure in the system.

This feature has the advantage that when it is desired to recharge the salt container the cap 44 to the charging opening is removed and this allows air to enter and therefore the liquid in the salt container 16 to drain via the pipes 48 and 50 into the sump. This draining can take place for example in under 2 minutes. Thereafter the salt container can be recharged, the cap replaced, and the machine restarted.

The operation of the dual action valve 28 is controlled by suitable control mechanism which covers the period the valve is open either for filling of the machine via the tube 30 or for regeneration of the resin in the resin container by water passing through the tube 32 and the salt container.

In the case of filling of the machine the control may include a pressure responsive level switch to terminate the flow, while in the case of resin regeneration the water flow may be a time controlled operation which occurs automatically at a certain part of the washing machine progrtimme. By this arrangement regeneration will occur once during each washing machine cycle and will ensure the required amount of salt (and no more) being passed through the resin container 34. When regeneration takes place, fresh water enters the salt container from below, mixes with the brine, dissolving further salt and passes to the resin container 34. When the valve is switched off, the new charge of fresh water in the salt container dissolves more salt until it is again saturated ready for the next cycle. In practice it is found that the salt container can contain sufficient salt for 10-12 regeneration cycles.

Two further features are the fact that the door can have a transparent viewing panel such that the level of salt inside the container can be seen, so allowing the user to determine when the container needs replenishing with salt. Moreover it is to be observed that the cap to the charging opening of the salt container is positioned within the wash tub when the door is closed so that, if the user does not tighten the cap efficiently, any leakage will be into the machine and not onto the floor.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: - 1. A clothes washing machine comprising an outer casing within which is mounted a tub containing a horizontal axis rotary drum for clothes, one end of the drum having a loading opening aligned with loading openings in the tub and outer casing, the loading opening of the outer casing having a hinged door provided with an annular clothes deflecting projection which, when the door is closed, projects through and seals the loading opening of the tub, and a water softening system at least part of which is located within said annular projection.

2. A washing machine as claimed in Claim 1 in which the part located within the said annular projection is the regeneration medium container and/or the resin container.

3. A washing machine as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the regeneration medium container is located in said annular projection and has a lidded charging opening which is positioned within the tub when the door is dosed.

4. A washing machine as claimed in

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. opening of the rotary drum and the interior of the tub. The wash tub 12 has a sump 18 connected by a drain hose 20. The machine is emptied by an emptying pump 22 which discharges through a drain hose 24. The machine is shown connected to a water supply hose 26 which extends to a dual action water valve 28 serving either to direct water into a hose 30 or a hose 32. The hose 30 extends downwards and is connected at 33 to the lower end of a resin container 34. The upper end of the resin container is connected by a short hose 36 to a soap dispenser 38 the outlet of which is connected via a bellows 40 to an inlet 42 to the wash tub 12. The second water hose 32 extends to the lower side of the annular projection 16 which is formed as a hollow moulding which is water tight and which is arranged to comprise a salt container which can be loaded through a loading opening having a lid 44. The water pipe 32 extends to the lower side of the salt container. Extending from the upper side of the salt container is a further hose 46 which extends to a T-connection at the point 33 where the hose 30 enters the resin container. A one-way valve is fitted to the hose 46 permitting flow from the salt container to the resin container but not viceversa. The inlet hose 32 has a looped portion 48 from which a drain or bypass tube 50 extends to a connection 52 on the sump 18. During operation of the machine it is filled via the soap dispenser 38 by water which passes from the valve 28 across the air break shown and through the tube 30 to the resin container 34. All the water passing from the soap dispenser is thus softened by passage through the resin in the resin container 34. When it is desired to regenerate the resin in the resin container 34, the valve 28 directs water flow across a further air break and into the tube 32. The majority of the water passing into the tube 32 is directed into the drain or bypass tube 50 both because of the relative diameters of the tubes 48 and 50 and also the back pressure in the system. This feature has the advantage that when it is desired to recharge the salt container the cap 44 to the charging opening is removed and this allows air to enter and therefore the liquid in the salt container 16 to drain via the pipes 48 and 50 into the sump. This draining can take place for example in under 2 minutes. Thereafter the salt container can be recharged, the cap replaced, and the machine restarted. The operation of the dual action valve 28 is controlled by suitable control mechanism which covers the period the valve is open either for filling of the machine via the tube 30 or for regeneration of the resin in the resin container by water passing through the tube 32 and the salt container. In the case of filling of the machine the control may include a pressure responsive level switch to terminate the flow, while in the case of resin regeneration the water flow may be a time controlled operation which occurs automatically at a certain part of the washing machine progrtimme. By this arrangement regeneration will occur once during each washing machine cycle and will ensure the required amount of salt (and no more) being passed through the resin container 34. When regeneration takes place, fresh water enters the salt container from below, mixes with the brine, dissolving further salt and passes to the resin container 34. When the valve is switched off, the new charge of fresh water in the salt container dissolves more salt until it is again saturated ready for the next cycle. In practice it is found that the salt container can contain sufficient salt for 10-12 regeneration cycles. Two further features are the fact that the door can have a transparent viewing panel such that the level of salt inside the container can be seen, so allowing the user to determine when the container needs replenishing with salt. Moreover it is to be observed that the cap to the charging opening of the salt container is positioned within the wash tub when the door is closed so that, if the user does not tighten the cap efficiently, any leakage will be into the machine and not onto the floor. WHAT WE CLAIM IS: -

1. A clothes washing machine comprising an outer casing within which is mounted a tub containing a horizontal axis rotary drum for clothes, one end of the drum having a loading opening aligned with loading openings in the tub and outer casing, the loading opening of the outer casing having a hinged door provided with an annular clothes deflecting projection which, when the door is closed, projects through and seals the loading opening of the tub, and a water softening system at least part of which is located within said annular projection.

4. A washing machine as claimed in

Claim 1 including a sump for the tub and a drain pump connected to the sump for emptying the tub, a first water valve outlet communicating with the tub via a water softening resin container, a regeneration medium container which has a charging opening with an airtight lid via which it can be charged with regeneration medium, a second water valve outlet communicating via a first water conduit with the lower end of the regeneration medium-container, an outlet passage extending from the regeneration-medium container to the water softening resin container, a further conduit or conduits extending from the first water conduit and at least one of which comprises a drain tube extending to the sump and arranged to permit the contents of the regeneration-medium container to drain to the sump when the lid to the regenerationmedium container is opened, the dimensions of the conduits and other parts and the restriction to flow therethrough being such that the majority of the water passing from the second water valve bypasses the regeneration-medium container.

5. A washing machine as claimed in Claim 4 including a programme control mechanism, which is arranged to control the functions of the machine during a washing/rinsing/drying cycle, and the control mechanism being arranged to cause water to pass from the second valve outlet at least once during each cycle to cause regeneration of the resin.

6. A clothes washing machine substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.