Water inlet arrangement for washing machines

• US 5,375,438 A
• Filed: 11/08/1993
• Issued: 12/27/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Electrolux Zanussi SpA (AB Electrolux)
• Original Assignee: Zanussi Elettrodomestici SPA
• Inventors: Babuin, Piero
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Application Number:
  US08/148,902
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 68/17 R, 134/93, 134/99.2, 137/205.5, 137/268, 137/564.5, 422/266
• US Class Current: 68/17.00R
• 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: Y10T 137/4891 With holder for solid, flaky or pulverized material to be dissolved or entrained

Abstract

A clothes washing machine, in particular of the household type, includes a washing tub (1), a drum (2) holding the washload, a water inlet conduit (5) from the water supply mains, an electromagnetic valve (6) provided in the conduit, an offshoot conduit (7) downstream of the electromagnetic valve and an air break (8). A water dispenser (3) is located above a plurality of compartments (4) for holding washing and rinsing agents. A siphon (10) is installed between the compartments and the washing tub, and a conduit (9) is positioned between the siphon and the water dispenser. A second water offshoot conduit (13) is provided with a respective air break (15) and is situated between the electromagnetic valve (6) and the air gap (8), wherein the second water offshoot conduit (13) flows into the conduit (9). The air gap is formed by an interruption through an injector (14) located in a vertical descending section of the second offshoot conduit, whereas water (16) issuing from the injector (14) flows into the conduit (9).

Claims

1. A clothes washing machine, comprising a washing tub (1), a washload-holding drum (2) in the tub, a water inlet conduit (5) from water supply mains, an electromagnetic water-inlet valve (6) installed in said conduit, an offshoot conduit (7) from said water inlet conduit downstream of said electromagnetic valve, a water dispenser (3) associated with a plurality of detergent compartments (4) containing laundering products, a siphon (10) between said compartments and the washing tub, a first air break communicating, said offshoot conduit with said water dispenser and a conduit (9) between said siphon and said dispenser, wherein water is conducted from said water inlet conduit through said dispenser and compartments to said conduits, characterized in that the washing machine comprises a second offshoot water conduit from said water inlet conduit (13) provided between said electromagnetic water-inlet valve (6) and said siphon (10), said second offshoot water conduit (13) by-passing said dispenser so as to conduct water from said water inlet conduit to said siphon.

2. A clothes washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said second offshoot water conduit (13) is provided with a respective second air break (15).

3. A clothes washing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that said second air break (15) comprises an interruption through a nozzle (14) arranged in a vertical downward-running portion of said second offshoot conduit, and in that a flow of water (16) injected through said nozzle (14) enters said siphon (10) in a substantially vertical direction.

4. A clothes washing machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the washing tub includes a bellows-like door gasket and said siphon ends with an outlet nozzle (11) at a location situated in an upper portion of the bellows-like door gasket (12), said nozzle being oriented so that a jet of water flowing out of the siphon is directed against a washload placed in said drum.

5. A clothes washing machine according to claim 4, characterized in that the dispenser (3) and the compartments (4) are removable from the washing machine, and an upper mouth (17) of the conduit (9) is connected with an appropriate conduit (18) having an outlet mouth (19) arranged near a wall (20) of cabinet of the washing machine and is oriented toward said wall.