An automatic washer, especially a household washer, and a method for hydraulically ballasting a spinning basket in an automatic washer, especially household one
The present invention relates to an automatic washer, having a liquid circulation circuit comprising a hydraulic ballast system for its spinning basket, used for washing textiles in household conditions and in service points.
The invention relates also to a method for hydraulically ballasting a spinning basket in an automatic washer by using an additional ballast tank filled with liquid at least while centrifuging washing bath from washed textiles.
From EP 0551067 A1 a method is known for ballasting a tube in a machine for washing clothes, especially of the household type.
This machine comprises one ore more ballast tanks which are fixed to the tube of said machine, and are suitable to be filled with ballast liquid. Said ballast liquid is drawn from the tube of the machine by the end of a suitable washing step, and is collected in said tanks before starting corresponding centrifuging steps. In this order the ballast tanks are located in a hydraulic drain system of the washing machine, and said
bath is discharged into the sewage network always via said tanks on ending corresponding centrifuging steps.
From DE 4104450 A1 a method and an automatic washing machine is also known comprising two baskets and a recycling tank to store the washing bath. According to said method a washing process is started with rinsing a charge with rinsing bath without detergents, said bath being drawn from the recycling tank.
The present invention relating to an automatic washer, especially a household one, having a liquid circulation circuit, comprising an hydraulic ballast system for its spinning basket, said washer comprising in a system for filling it with water from the water-pipe network a main tube with spinning basket, and in a washing bath drain system a draining pump, and moreover provided with at least one additional ballast tank, consists in that said additional ballast tank is located in the hydraulic system for filling the main tube of the washer with washing bath, said ballast tank having at its outlet to the main tube a separate additional pump provided to exclusively fill the washer main tube with water and washing bath from the ballast tank, said filling being carried out always via ballast tank.
Preferably a ballast tank is located between an inlet valve at the water-pipe network and a distributor of a cassette for detergents, and a ballast pump is located between the ballast tank and the distributor of a cassette for detergents.
Preferably a ballast tank is provided with a liquid level sensor and has a vent pipe connected to an air space in the main tube.
Advantageously a washer has in its drain system an additional line connecting a draining pump with a ballast tank. Said line is located at an
outlet of a special two-way valve provided for filling the ballast tank or for discharging bath into the sewage network.
A method for hydraulically ballasting a spinning basket in a washer by using in this order an additional ballast tank filled at least during centrifuging bath from washed textiles consists in that said ballast system and ballast tank is filled with fresh water from the water-pipe network or with bath from the main tube of the washer, or partially with water, and partially with washing bath, whereas said filling of the main tube with fresh water or washing bath being carried out exclusively via ballast tank.
Advantageously the ballast tank is filled with fresh water from the water-pipe network via electric valve and with washing bath by means of a draining pump via two-way valve set towards an inlet line to the ballast tank.
It is also advantageous that the loss of water or bath drawn from the ballast tank into the main tube is replenished in that ballast tank in each washing or rinsing stage according to the indications of the liquid level sensor.
It is also preferable that the ballast tank is filled with water from the water-pipe network during all starting washing and rinsing steps till the last but one rinsing step, and for the last rinsing step the inlet valve is closed, thus making it impossible to replenish the ballast tank with fresh water while filling the main tube with water stored in the ballast tank.
It is also advantageous that filling of the ballast tank with bath from the main tube is provided after the last rinsing step, and said bath is retained in this tank while spinning, and also that the bath in the ballast tank is retained till the next washing procedure, that means till its first step of soaking a charge yet without the need of using detergents.
It is also advantageous that the two-way valve is opened during spinning, and bath flows outside into the sewage network, while the draining pump is active.
It is also advantageous that on finishing the spinning step and taking out the washed charge from the washer said bath is discharged from the ballast tank via a pipeline system, while both pumps are working, and the two-way valve is set for discharging bath outside into the sewage network.
The invention will be explained in detail in reference to its embodiment illustrated in the drawing showing the design of the washer.
An automatic washer comprises as its main components a main tube 1 together with its spinning basket, and hydraulically connected to the former an additional ballast tank 2. The ballast tank 2 is located in a hydraulic circuit for filling the washer from the water-pipe network, and the fresh water supply is controlled by an electrical valve 8 via line 11. A liquid level in the tank is controlled by a liquid level sensor 16, and an air space over the liquid is connected via venting line 9 with an air space in the main tube 1.
The liquid supply from the ballast tank 2 into the main tube 1 is provided by means of a pump 3 via line 12 to a distributor 6 and a cassette for detergents. A level of washing bath filling the main tube 1 , and then of rinsing water is controlled by the liquid level sensor 15. Water or bath from the main tube 1 is drained via line 13 by means of the draining pump 4 into the sewage system via line 10 or into the ballast tank 2 via line 14. In this order at the outlet of the draining pump 4 there is used a two-way electric valve 5 directing the drained bath into the sewage network or into the ballast tank 2.
Liquid is circulated in the washer so that fresh water or washing bath is drawn into the main tube 1 in all steps of washing, rinsing and spinning exclusively from the additional ballast tank 2.
At the same time the loss of liquid in the ballast tank 2 is replenished from outside to the level controlled by means of the sensor 16. The result is the stable high level ensuring the effective ballast for the spinning basket in the washer.
Liquid, that means fresh water or washing bath circulation in the washer is as follows:
In the first step the ballast tank 2 is filled via line 11 and the electrical valve 8. Then washing bath is directed from the ballast tank 2 by means of the pump 3 via line 12 and the distributor 6 with the cassette 7 for detergents into the main tube 1 , and at the same time water is replenished in the ballast tank 2 by the electrical valve 8 in order to maintain the stable ballast level in the washer. The electrical valve 8 is open also during the washing process, and fresh water can flow, when the pump 3 is working, to the ballast tank 2 and the main tube can be replenished with it according to the indications of the liquid level sensors 15 and 16.
In the step following the washing step the main tube 1 is drained by means of the draining pump 4 through the open two-way valve 5 to the outside outlet into the sewage network.
In all the following washing and rinsing steps till the last but one rinsing step the main tube 1 is filled with liquid from the ballast tank 2 by means of the pump 3 via cassette 7 with a distributor 6 set according to the requirements, an in the same time the ballast tank 2 is replenished with fresh water by means of the electric valve 8.
During these washing and rinsing steps the main tube is emptied by means of the draining pump 4 through the open two-way valve 5 in direction of the outside outlet into the sewage network.
When water is drawn into the main tube 1 for the last rinsing step, the electrical valve 8 is closed, thus stopping the make-up water flow into the ballast tank 2 from outside. Thus, the last rinsing step is carried out with the empty ballast tank 2.
After the last rinsing step the two-way valve is set in direction to the ballast tank 2 in order to fill it with the worked bath from the main tube 1 , and in the same time the valve 8 is opened in order to make up the level in the tank 2 with fresh water to achieve the complete ballast filling.
In the next step, during spinning with the pump 4 working, the two- way valve 5 is open in direction of the outside outlet, and after finishing the spinning step and taking the washed charge from the washer washing bath is drawn from the ballast tank into the main tube 1 by means of the pump 3 through the cassette 7 in order to use it in the next washing. Then the steps of the washing bath circulation are repeated.
If in the user's opinion washing should be ended in this moment, washing bath is discharged from the main tube 1 by means of the draining pump 4 outside into the sewage network after opening the two- way valve 5 in this direction.