Water-saving washing machine and control method

• US 9,982,383 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2014
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier Group Corporation (Haier Group Company), Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co., Ltd. (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: Haier Group Corporation (Haier Group Company), Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co., Ltd. (Haier Group Company)
• Inventors: Xu, Sheng, Lao, Chunfeng, Peng, Xiuwen, Sun, Liang, Hao, Shilong, Li, Yimin
• Primary Examiner(s): Shahinian, Levon J
• Application Number:
  US15/103,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20160305059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 8158, 8159, 68 1213, 68 18 F, 68 18 FA, 68 18 R
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/06 Recirculation of washing liquids, e.g. by pumps or diverting valves
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/22 Condition of the washing liquid, e.g. turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/083 Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/10 Filtering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/20 Arrangements for water recovery
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

A water-saving washing machine and a control method are provided. The washing machine includes a washing drum and an outer drum, where a circulating pipeline is arranged between an outer drum drainage outlet and an outer drum water inlet, a drainage pump and a main filter are arranged on the circulating pipeline, a pre-filter is further arranged on the circulating pipeline, the pre-filter is located between the drainage pump and the main filter, and a compactness of a filter screen of the pre-filter is lower than that of a filter screen of the main filter.

Claims

1. A water-saving washing machine, comprising a washing drum and an outer drum, wherein a circulating pipeline is arranged between an outer drum drainage outlet and an outer drum water inlet, a drainage pump and a main filter are arranged on the circulating pipeline, a pre-filter is further arranged on the circulating pipeline, the pre-filter is located between the drainage pump and the main filter, and a compactness of a filter screen of the pre-filter is lower than that of a filter screen of the main filter;

wherein the pre-filter is provided with a first inlet, the first inlet is connected to an air pump through a pipeline, and the pipeline between the air pump and the first inlet is further provided with a check valve for controlling airflow to flow from the air pump to the pre-filter;

wherein the pre-filter is provided with an aeration device positioned between the first inlet and the filter screen of the pre-filter, the aeration device is a flat plate that fits to the pre-filter in cross-section shape, and the flat plate is evenly provided with a plurality of air holes.

2. The water-saving washing machine of claim 1, wherein a second inlet is disposed before the filter screen of the pre-filter and is communicated with the drainage pump, a third inlet is disposed before the filter screen of the main filter, the pre-filter is provided with a first outlet before the filter screen of the pre-filter and is provided with a second outlet after the filter screen of the pre-filter, the main filter is provided with a third outlet before the filter screen of the main filter and is provided with a fourth outlet after the filter screen of the main filter, the second outlet is communicated with the third inlet, the fourth outlet is communicated with a water inlet of the washing drum, and the first outlet and the third outlet are communicated with a washing machine drainage pipe.

3. The water-saving washing machine of claim 2, wherein a pipeline between the first outlet and the washing machine drainage pipe is provided with a first valve, a pipeline between the third outlet and the washing machine drainage pipe is provided with a second valve, and the first valve and the second valve are electric switching ball valves.

4. The water-saving washing machine of claim 1, wherein inlets of the pre-filter and the main filter are positioned at lower parts, outlets of the pre-filter and the main filter are positioned at upper parts, a pore diameter of the filter screen of the main filter ranges from 0.001 μ

m to 0.1 μ

m, the main filter is an external-pressure ultrafiltration membrane, and a pore diameter of the filter screen of the pre-filter ranges from 10 μ

m to 300 μ

m.

5. The water-saving washing machine of claim 4, wherein the pore diameter of the filter screen of the main filter ranges from 0.01 μ

m to 0.1 μ

m.

6. A control method of the water-saving washing machine of claim 1, wherein a circulating filtration step is added in a washing and/or rinse process, the method comprises:

starting the drainage pump, pumping, by the drainage pump, washing water or rinse water to the pre-filter for preliminary filtration by the filter screen of the pre-filter, and to the main filter for deep filtration by the filter screen of the main filter, so that small-particle impurities in the washing water or the rinse water are filtered out by the pre-filter and the main filter, and filtered water flows back to the outer drum through the outer drum water inlet for participation in washing or rinse again.

7. The control method of claim 6, wherein the circulating filtration step at least comprises one intermediate cleaning process of the pre-filter and/or the main filter;

the intermediate cleaning process comprises an air washing process in which air is introduced into the pre-filter and/or the main filter for cleaning the filter screen of the pre-filter and/or the filter screen of the main filter by means of bubble motion, explosion or vibration, and/or a water washing process in which water flow is introduced before the filter screens of the pre-filter and/or the filter screen of the main filter so that the water flow is discharged after the filter screens of the pre-filter and/or the filter screen of the main filter to clean out impurities on the filter screens of the pre-filter and/or the filter screen of the main filter by means of water flow scouring.

8. The control method of claim 7, wherein the pre-filter and the main filter are controlled by turning on/off the air pump and turning on/off the valves for separately or simultaneously performing air washing and water washing, which specifically comprises:

turning on the air pump and the second valve for simultaneously performing air washing to the pre-filter and the main filter for 10 s-120 s, turning off the air pump and the second valve and turning on the drainage pump and the first valve for performing water washing to the pre-filter for 5 s-20 s, and turning off the first valve and turning on the second valve for performing water washing to the main filter for 10 s-60 s;

or

turning on the air pump and the first valve for performing air washing to the pre-filter for 10 s-120 s, turning off the air pump and turning on the drainage pump for performing water washing to the pre-filter for 5 s-20 s, turning off the drainage pump and the first valve and turning on the air pump and the second valve for performing air washing to the main filter for 10 s-60 s, and turning off the air pump and turning on the drainage pump for performing water washing to the main filter for 10 s-60 s;

or

turning on the air pump and the first valve for performing air washing to the pre-filter for 10 s-120 s, turning off the air pump and turning on the drainage pump for performing water washing to the pre-filter for 5 s-20 s, turning off the drainage pump and the first valve and turning on the air pump for performing air washing to the main filter for 5 s-20 s so that water flow inside the main filter is drained out from the third inlet;

after the water flow inside the main filter is thoroughly drained out, turning on the second valve for 10 s-60 s so that water flow flows back to the main filter, where the second valve may be repeatedly turned on/off for many times;

or

turning on the air pump and the second valve for simultaneously performing air washing to the pre-filter and the main filter for 10 s-120 s, turning off the second valve for 5 s-20 s so that water flow inside the pre-filter and the main filter is drained out from bottom until water flow is thoroughly drained out, turning on the second valve for 10 s-60 s so that water flow flows back to the main filter, where the second valve may be repeatedly turned on/off for many times;

turning off the air pump and the second valve and turning on the drainage pump and the first valve for performing water washing to the pre-filter for 5 s-20 s, and turning off the first valve and turning on the second valve for performing water washing to the main filter for 10 s-60 s.

9. The control method of claim 6, wherein the washing drum is internally provided with a turbidity detecting device for detecting turbidity of inside washing water or rinse water in real time, a circulating filtration procedure is started when a turbidity is less than or equal to a set value, otherwise the circulating filtration procedure is not started.

10. The water-saving washing machine of claim 1, wherein the pre-filter is provided with a second inlet and a second outlet, the main filter is provided with a third inlet and a fourth outlet, the second inlet is connected to the drainage pump, the second outlet is connected to the third inlet, the fourth outlet is connected to the outer drum water inlet;

the second inlet is communicated with the drainage pump and inside of the filter screen of the pre-filter, the second outlet and the third inlet are respectively communicated with outside of the filter screen of the pre-filter and outside of the filter screen of the main filter, the fourth outlet is communicated with inside of the filter screen of the main filter and inside of the washing drum; and

the pre-filter and the main filter are of an integrative design, and the second outlet of the pre-filter is communicated with the third inlet of the main filter.

11. The water-saving washing machine of claim 10, wherein the pre-filter comprises an upper end cover and a lower end cover, the filter screen of the pre-filter is disposed between the upper end cover and the lower end cover, the upper end cover and a bottom of the main filter are connected together;

there are a plurality of the second outlets which are evenly disposed on the upper end cover, the second inlet is disposed on the lower end cover, the third inlet is disposed at bottom of the main filter; and

the second outlets directly lead to the third inlet without pipeline connection.

12. The water-saving washing machine of claim 10, wherein the pre-filter is further provided with a first outlet connected to a washing machine drainage pipe;

the main filter is provided with a third outlet connected to the washing machine drainage pipe;

the first outlet is communicated with the inside of the filter screen of the pre-filter and the washing machine drainage pipe, and the third outlet is communicated with the outside of the filter screen of the main filter and the washing machine drainage pipe.

13. The water-saving washing machine of claim 12, wherein the circulating pipeline is provided with a switching valve communicated with the first outlet, the third outlet and the washing machine drainage pipe;

the switching valve may turn on/off a pre-filter drain channel formed between the first outlet and an outlet of the washing machine drainage pipe, and a main filter drain channel formed between the third outlet and the outlet of the washing machine drainage pipe; and

the switching valve is a ball valve internally provided with multiple pathways.

14. The water-saving washing machine of claim 13, wherein the outer drum is further provided with a spraying nozzle, the switching valve is also connected to the spraying nozzle, and the switching valve may turn on/off a spraying pathway formed between the first outlet and the spraying nozzle.

15. The water-saving washing machine of claim 10, wherein the second inlet of the pre-filter is provided with a check device preventing sewage water from flowing back, the check device is a check ball whose diameter is greater than the diameter of the second inlet, a density of the check ball is greater than that of water, and the density of the check ball is 1-1.5 times of that of water.