Water distributor for an automatic laundry or dishwashing machine

• US 20030051513A1
• Filed: 09/11/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Zambon, Giorgio, Castelli, Paolo
• Granted Patent: US 7,210,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 68/12.18
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/028 Arrangements for selectively supplying water to detergent compartments

Abstract

A water distributor for an automatic laundry or dishwashing machine, comprises a water inlet that is controllable by a programming device of the machine and a movable element controllable by said programming device which serves for supplying water to a predetermined detergent dispenser for carrying a selected detergent towards the washing tub according to the washing program of the machine. The movable element is driven through a shape memory alloy wire electrically connected to a drive circuit that is part of the programming device.

Claims

1. A water distributor for an automatic laundry or dishwashing machine, comprising a water inlet that is controllable by a programming device of the machine and a movable element controllable by said programming device which serves for supplying water to a predetermined detergent dispenser for carrying a selected detergent towards the washing tub according to the washing program of the machine, wherein said movable element is driven through a shape memory alloy wire.

2. A water distributor according to claim 1, wherein the movable element is driven by a plurality of shape memory alloy wires connected in series, each of the wires being controllable by the programming device in order to reach different discrete number of positions.

3. A water distributor according to claim 2, wherein it comprises two shape memory alloy wires, the length of one wire being double than the length of the other.

4. A water distributor according to claim 1, wherein the movable element is driven by two shape memory alloy wires, each of the wires being adapted to drive the movable element in a direction different from the other.

5. A water distributor according to claim 4, wherein the movable element is a lever connected to a component which diverts water from one detergent dispenser to a different one.

6. A water distributor according to claim 5, wherein the shape memory alloy wire has a transition temperature comprised between 70°

to 95°

C.

7. A water distributor according to claim 6, wherein the shape memory alloy wire has a resistance between 8 to 1770^Ohm/_m at ambient temperature.

8. A water distributor according to claim 7, wherein the shape memory alloy wire has a cross section between 490 to 110450 μ

m².

9. A water distributor according to claim 8, wherein the shape memory alloy wire is selected in the group consisting of Flexinol-conflex Flex.

10. Automatic laundry or dishwashing machine having a water distributor according to claim 2.