PERIPHERAL FILL SYSTEM FOR A CLOTHES WASHER

• US 3,742,736 A
• Filed: 02/29/1972
• Issued: 07/03/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Austin D. Fish, Robert F. Brubaker, William G. Fisher
• Original Assignee: Austin D. Fish, Robert F. Brubaker, William G. Fisher
• Inventors: Fish, Austin D., Fisher, William G., Brubaker, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Petrakes, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Application Number:
  US05/230,237
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 137/218 68/23.5
• US Class Current: 68/23.5
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 13/00 Washing machines having receptacles, stationary for washing purposes, with agitators therein contacting the articles being washed plungers or the like adapted for removable mounting on receptacles D06F5/04
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/42 Safety arrangements, e.g. for stopping rotation of the receptacle upon opening of the casing door
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/088 Liquid supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3331 With co-acting valve in liquid flow path

Abstract

A domestic clothes washer has a pair of nested tubs one of which is imperforate to retain the washing fluid, the other of which is perforated and rotatable to centrifuge the washing fluid from clothes being washed therein. A peripheral fill system includes a fill tube circumscribing the top of the nested pair of tubs. The fill tube has transverse rectangular slots to provide a circumferential series of fan-shaped sprays for improved wetting and immersing of the clothes at the start of a clothes washing cycle, for flushing suds from the nested pair of tubs prior to rinsing and for faster release of the tub-adhered clothes during rinse fill. The peripheral fill system includes a vacuum breaker directly connecting a domestic water supply to the fill tube for effecting pressurized sprays to the tubs without back siphoning of washing fluid.

Claims

1. A peripheral fill system for a domestic clothes washer comprising open top water container means adapted to contain a predetermined level of water therein, spin basket means having a perforate sidewall nested in spaced relation to said water container means and rotatable relative thereto, said spin basket having an access opening for loading and unloading clothes therethrough and an agitator for agitating said clothes and said water, subtop means partially closing the open top of said water container means and extending over the perforate sidewall of said spin basket, and means for supplying water to said water container means, said means for supplying water including, a fill tube supported on the bottom side of said subtop means and circumscribing said access opening, said fill tube having an open end and a closed end and including a plurality of transverse slots each adapted to provide a fan-shaped spray of water one portion of which flushes from said agitator to the inside of said perforate sidewall and another portion of which flushes the space between said water container means and said spin basket means, and a vacuum breaker through which water will pass in one direction only, said vacuum breaker comprising an open-ended resilient vent diaphragm, a ported diaphragm retainer and a housing enclosing said diaphragm and retainer, said housing having an outlet connected directly to the open end of said fill tube and an inlet adapted to be connected to a domestic water supply, said housing mounted on the topside of said subtop means with the outlet extending through said subtop means to said fill tube, said housing having first and second vent openings in communication with the atmosphere above any level of water possible on the topside of said subtop means, said diaphragm having a first valve portion normally closing said first vent opening and a second valve portion normally closing the port in said retainer, said second valve portion of said diaphragm upon supply of water at positive pressure to the inlet of said housing distending to open the port in said retainer and close the second vent opening in said housing while said first valve portion in response to said positive pressure remains normally closed with respect to said first vent opening, whereby water is supplied under pressure to said fill tube for effecting fan-shaped sprays of water to said water container means and spin basket, said second valve portion of said diaphragm upon negative pressure at the inlet of said housing contracting to close the port in said retainer and open said second vent opening to place the outlet of said housing in communication with the atmosphere while said first valve portion of said diaphragm opens said first vent opening response to said negative pressure to place the inlet of said housing in communication with the atmosphere.

2. A peripheral fill system for a domestic clothes washer comprising open top water container means adapted to contain a predetermined level of water therein, spin basket means having a perforate sidewall nested in spaced relation to said water container means and rotatable relative thereto, said spin basket having an access opening for loading and unloading clothes therethrough and an agitator for agitating said clothes and said water, subtop means partially closing the open top of said water container means and extending over the perforate sidewall of said spin basket, and means for supplying water to said water container means, said means for supplying water including, a fill tube supported on the bottom side of said subtop means and circumscribing said access opening, said fill tube having an open end and a closed end and including a plurality of transverse slots each adapted to provide a fan-shaped spray of water one portion of which flushes from said agitator to the inside of said perforate sidewall and another portion of which flushes the space between said water container means and said spin basket means, said spin basket having a rim on the top of said perforate sidewall forming said access opening and terminating in a radially outwardly directed flange, said subtop means having a rib outboard of said fill tube and overlying said flange, said rib depending into sufficiently close proximity to said flange to guard against clothes being centrifugally thrown out of said spin basket during rotation thereof but terminating sufficiently short of said flange to permit said other portion of said fan-shaped spray to fall on said flange of said spin basket during rotation thereof whereby said other portion of said fan-shaped spray is centrifugally flung outwardly into said space between said water container means and said spin basket, and a vacuum breaker through which water will pass in one direction only, said vacuum breaker comprising an open-ended resilient vent diaphragm, a ported diaphragm retainer and a housing enclosing said diaphragm and retainer, said housing having an outlet connected directly to the open end of said fill tube and an inlet adapted to be connected to a domestic water supply, said housing mounted on the topside of said subtop means with the outlet extending through said subtop means to said fill tube, said housing having first and second vent openings in communication with the atmosphere above any level of water possible on the topside of said subtop means, said diaphragm having a first valve portion normally closing said first vent opening and a second valve portion normally closing the port in said retainer, said second valve portion of said diaphragm upon supply of water at positive pressure to the inlet of said housing distending to open the port in said retainer and close the second vent opening in said housing while said first valve portion in response to said positive pressure remains normally closed with respect to said first vent opening, whereby water is supplied under pressure to said fill tube for effecting fan-shaped sprays of water to said water container means and spin basket, said second valve portion of said diaphragm Upon negative pressure at the inlet of said housing contracting to close the port in said retainer and open said second vent opening to place the outlet of said housing in communication with the atmosphere while said first valve portion of said diaphragm opens said first vent opening in response to said negative pressure to place the inlet of said housing in communication with the atmosphere.

3. A peripheral fill system for a domestic clothes washer comprising open top water container means adapted to contain a predetermined level of water therein, spin basket means having a perforate sidewall nested in spaced relation to said water container means and rotatable relative thereto, said spin basket having an access opening for loading and unloading clothes therethrough and an agitator for agitating said clothes and said water, subtop means above said predetermined level of water partially closing the open top of said water container means and extending over the perforate sidewall of said spin basket, and means for supplying water to said water container means including an elastomeric fill tube substantially four feet in length supported on the bottom side of said subtop means and substantially fully circumscribing said access opening, said fill tube having an open end and a closed end and including a plurality of transverse slots spaced substantially evenly between said ends, each of said slots having a length dimension sufficiently greater than its width dimension to provide a fan-shaped spray of water one relatively large portion of which flushes from said agitator to the inside of said perforate sidewall and another relatively small portion of which flushes the space between said water container means and said spin basket means, and a vacuum breaker through which water will pass in one direction only, said vacuum breaker comprising an open-ended resilient vent diaphragm, a ported diaphragm retainer and a housing enclosing said diaphragm and retainer, said housing having an outlet connected directly to the open end of said fill tube and an inlet adapted to be connected to a domestic water supply providing water at substantially 50 pounds per square inch to 60 pounds per square inch, said housing mounted on the topside of said subtop means with the outlet extending through said subtop means to said fill tube, said housing having a vent opening in communication with the atmosphere above any level of water possible on the topside of said subtop means, said diaphragm having a valve portion normally closing the port in said retainer, said valve portion of said diaphragm upon supply of water to the inlet of said housing from said domestic water supply at positive pressure within the stated pressure range and against the back pressure of said fill tube distending to open the port in said retainer and close the vent opening in said housing, whereby water is supplied under pressure to said fill tube for effecting fan-shaped sprays of water to said water container means and spin basket, said valve portion of said diaphragm upon negative pressure at the inlet of said housing contracting to close the port in said retainer and open said vent opening to place the outlet of said housing in communication with the atmosphere.

4. A peripheral fill system for a domestic clothes washer comprising open top water container means adapted to contain a predetermined level of water therein, spin basket means having a perforate sidewall nested in spaced relation to said water container means and rotatable relative thereto, said spin basket having an access opening for loading and unloading clothes therethrough and an agitator for agitating said clothes and said water, subtop means above said predetermined level of water partially closing the open top of said water container means and extending over the perforate sidewall of said spin basket, and means for supplying water to said water container means including a fill tube supported on the bottom side of said subtop means and circumscRibing said access opening, said fill tube having an open end and a closed end and including a plurality of transverse slots each adapted to provide a fan-shaped spray of water one relatively large portion of which flushes from said agitator to the inside of said perforate sidewall and another relatively small portion of which flushes the space between said water container means and said spin basket means, said spin basket having a rim on the top of said perforate sidewall forming said access opening and terminating in a radially outwardly directed flange, said subtop means having a rib outboard of said fill tube and overlying said flange, said rib depending into sufficiently close proximity to said flange to guard against clothes being centrifugally thrown out of said spin basket during rotation thereof but terminating sufficiently short of said flange to permit said other relatively small portion of said fan-shaped spray to fall on said flange of said spin basket during rotation thereof whereby said other portion of said fan-shaped spray is centrifugally flung outwardly into said space between said water container means and said spin basket, and a vacuum breaker through which water will pass in one direction only, said vacuum breaker comprising an open-ended resilient vent diaphragm, a ported diaphragm retainer and a housing enclosing said diaphragm and retainer, said housing having an outlet connected directly to the open end of said fill tube and an inlet adapted to be connected to a domestic water supply, said housing mounted on the topside of said subtop means with the outlet extending through said subtop means to said fill tube, said housing having a vent opening in communication with the atmosphere above any level of water possible on the topside of said subtop means, said diaphragm having a valve portion normally closing the port in said retainer, said valve portion of said diaphragm upon supply of water at positive pressure to the inlet of said housing distending to open the port in said retainer and close the vent opening in said housing, whereby water is supplied under pressure to said fill tube for effecting fan-shaped sprays of water to said water container means and spin basket, said valve portion of said diaphragm upon negative pressure at the inlet of said housing contracting to close the port in said retainer and open said vent opening to place the outlet of said housing in communication with the atmosphere.