LAUNDRY WASHING MACHINE AND CORRESPONDING OPERATING METHOD

• US 20150368848A1
• Filed: 02/06/2013
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electrolux Appliances Aktiebolag (AB Electrolux)
• Original Assignee: Electrolux Appliances Aktiebolag (AB Electrolux)
• Inventors: DEL POS, Maurizio, FAVARO, Daniele
• Application Number:
  US14/766,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20150368848A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/007 Arrangements of water softeners
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/028 Arrangements for selectively supplying water to detergent compartments
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/088 Liquid supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/12 Casings; Tubs

Abstract

Laundry washing machine (1) comprising an outer casing (2) and, inside said outer casing (2), a washing tub, a detergent dispensing assembly (9) which is structured for supplying detergent into the washing tub, a fresh-water supply circuit (10) which is structured for selectively channeling a flow of fresh water from the water mains towards the detergent dispensing assembly (9) and/or the washing tub, and a water softening device (12) which is arranged/located along the fresh-water supply circuit (10) and is structured for reducing the hardness degree of the fresh water channelled to the detergent dispensing assembly (9) and/or the washing tub; the water softening device (12) in turn comprising a water-softening agent container (13) which is crossed by the fresh water flowing along the fresh-water supply circuit (10) and is filled with a water softening agent able to reduce the hardness degree of the fresh water flowing through the same water-softening agent container (13); a regeneration-agent reservoir (14) which is fluidically connected to the water-softening agent container (13) and is structured to receive a consumable regeneration agent for performing a regeneration of the water softening function of the water softening agent stored into the water-softening agent container (13); and a water supply circuit (28) which is structured for channelling, on command, a given amount of fresh water into the regeneration-agent reservoir (14) so to at least partly dissolve the regeneration agents stored therein to form some brine; the regeneration-agent reservoir (14) comprising a hermetically-closable container (14) which is structured for receiving a given amount of consumable regeneration agent, and the water softening device (12) furthermore comprising electrically-controlled pressurizing means (28, 30) which are structured to form, into said hermetically-closable container (14), an air volume or bubble of pressurized air which pressurizes the brine contained into the hermetically-closable container (14).

Claims

1. Laundry washing machine (1) comprising an outer casing (2) and, inside said outer casing (2), a washing tub, a rotatable drum housed in axially rotatable manner inside the washing tub and structured for housing the laundry to be washed, a detergent dispensing assembly (9) which is structured for supplying detergent into the washing tub, a fresh-water supply circuit (10) which is structured for selectively channelling a flow of fresh water from the water mains towards the detergent dispensing assembly (9) and/or the washing tub, and a water softening device (12) which is arranged/located along the fresh-water supply circuit (10) and is structured for reducing the hardness degree of the fresh water channelled to the detergent dispensing assembly (9) and/or the washing tub;

the water softening device (12) in turn comprising a water-softening agent container (13) which is arranged/located along the fresh-water supply circuit (10) and is filled with a water softening agent able to reduce the hardness degree of the fresh water flowing through the same water-softening agent container (13);

a regeneration-agent reservoir (14) which is fluidically connected to the water-softening agent container (13) and is structured to receive a consumable regeneration agent for performing a regeneration of the water softening function of the water softening agent stored into the water-softening agent container (13); and

a water supply circuit (28) which is structured for channelling fresh water into the regeneration-agent reservoir (14) so to at least partly dissolve the regeneration agents stored therein to form some brine;

the laundry washing machine (1) being characterized in that the regeneration-agent reservoir (14) comprises a hermetically-closable container (14) which is structured for receiving a given amount of consumable regeneration agent; and

in that the water softening device (12) furthermore comprises electrically-controlled pressurizing means (28, 30) which are structured to form, into said hermetically-closable container (14), an air volume or bubble of pressurized air which pressurizes the brine contained into the hermetically-closable container (14).

2. Laundry washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the hermetically-closable container (14) is provided with an exposed or exposable and hermetically-sealable loading inlet or mouth which is structured for allowing the user to load the consumable regeneration agent into the same hermetically-closable container (14).

3. Laundry washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pressurizing means (28, 30) comprise the water supply circuit (28) of the water softening device (12).

4. Laundry washing machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the water supply circuit (28) of the water softening device (12) is able to control the level of the liquid contained into the hermetically-closable container (14), so as to regulate the pressure of the air forming said air volume or bubble.

5. Laundry washing machine according to according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the water supply circuit (28) of the water softening device (12) comprises a valve assembly (33, 70) which is interposed between the water mains and the hermetically-closable container (14), and is able to control/regulate the flow of fresh water towards the hermetically-closable container (14).

6. Laundry washing machine according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the pressurizing means (28, 30) comprise an electrically-controlled, source of pressurized-air (30) which is able to selectively pump/channel a flow of pressurized air or other gas inside the hermetically-closable container (14).

7. Laundry washing machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the electrically-controlled, source of pressurized-air (30) comprises an electrically-powered, air-pumping device (35) which has the outlet or delivery in direct communication with the inside of the hermetically-closable container (14), so as to be able to selectively pump a flow of pressurized air into said hermetically-closable container (14).

8. Laundry washing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the water softening device (12) additionally comprises an electrically-controlled on-off valve (29) which is interposed between the hermetically-closable container (14) and the water-softening agent container (13), and is structured to selectively and alternatively put the hermetically-closable container (14) in direct communication with the inside of the water-softening agent container (13), or to completely watertight seal/isolate the hermetically-closable container (14) from the water-softening agent container (13).

9. Laundry washing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the water softening device (12) furthermore comprises a water-level sensor which is structured for measuring the level of the fresh water and/or brine contained inside the hermetically-closable container (14), and/or a salinity-level sensor which is structured for measuring the salinity degree of the brine contained inside the hermetically-closable container (14), and/or a pressure sensor which is structured for measuring the value of the pressure of the air remained entrapped inside the hermetically-closable container (14).

10. Laundry washing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hermetically-closable container (14) is housed/recessed into the outer casing (2) in manually detachable manner.

11. Laundry washing machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hermetically-closable container (14) comprises a storage tank (53) which is structured for being manually fillable with a given quantity of said consumable regeneration agent, and a manually-removable sealing cap (54) which is structured to hermetically closed the storage tank (53).

12. Laundry washing machine according to claim 11, characterized in that the storage tank (53) is provided with a number self-closing hydraulic connectors (55, 56) which are structured to couple in detachable manner with corresponding complementary self-closing hydraulic connectors (58, 59) arranged inside the casing (2), so as to selectively put the storage tank (53) in communication with the water supply circuit (28) of the water softening device (12) and with the on-off valve (29) of the water softening device (12).

13. Laundry washing machine according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the storage tank (53) is provided with a self-closing pneumatic connector (57) which is structured to couple in detachable manner with corresponding complementary self-closing pneumatic connector (60) arranged inside the casing (2), so as to selectively put the storage tank (53) in communication with said pressurizing means (28, 30).

15. Operating method according to claim 12, characterized in that the step of creating said air volume or bubble inside the regeneration-agent reservoir (14) comprises the step of pumping/channelling a flow of pressurized air or other gas inside the hermetically-closable container (14) after having channelled the fresh water into the same regeneration-agent reservoir (14).

16. Operating method according to claim 12, characterized in that the step of creating said air volume or bubble inside the regeneration-agent reservoir (14) comprises the step of channelling fresh water into the regeneration-agent reservoir (14) so to control the level of the liquid contained into the hermetically-closable container (14).

14. Operating method of a laundry washing machine (1) having an internal water softening device (12) that comprises:

a water-softening agent container (13) which is crossed by the fresh water flowing along the fresh-water supply circuit (10), and is filled with a water softening agent able to reduce the hardness degree of the fresh water flowing through the same water-softening agent container (13), and a regeneration-agent reservoir (14) including a hermetically-closable container (14) which is fluidically connected to the water-softening agent container (13) and is structured to receive a consumable regeneration agent for performing a regeneration of the water softening function of the water softening agent stored into the water-softening agent container (13);

the operating method of the laundry washing machine (1) being characterized by comprising the step of channelling a given amount of fresh water into the regeneration-agent reservoir (14) so as to at least partly dissolve the regeneration agents stored therein to form some brine; and

the step of generating inside the regeneration-agent reservoir (14) an air volume or bubble of pressurized air which pressurizes the brine contained into the hermetically-closable container (14).

17. Operating method according to claim 14, 15 or 16, characterized in that a valve assembly (29) is interposed between the hermetically-closable container (14) and the water-softening agent container (13);

said valve assembly (29) being structured to selectively watertight seal/isolate the hermetically-closable container (14) from the water-softening agent container (13), and the operating method comprises the step of opening said valve assembly (29) for allowing the brine to flow from the hermetically-closable container (14) to the water-softening agent container (13) after the creation of the air volume or bubble into the hermetically-closable container (14).

18. Operating method according to claim 17, characterized by comprising also the step of channelling additional fresh water into the regeneration-agent reservoir (14) when the valve assembly (29) is opened to force the brine to flow from the hermetically-closable container (14) to the water-softening agent container (13).