Arrangements provided for determining the type of textiles in the washload of clothes washing machines

• US 6,023,950 A
• Filed: 12/04/1995
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Electrolux Zanussi SpA (AB Electrolux)
• Original Assignee: Eletrolux Zanussi Elettrodomestici SPA
• Inventors: Battistella, Silvio
• Primary Examiner(s): Stinson, Frankie L.
• Application Number:
  US08/566,839
• Time in Patent Office: 1,534 Days
• Field of Search: 68/12.04, 68/12.05, 68/12.21
• US Class Current: 68/12.04
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/04 Quantity, e.g. weight or variation of weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/06 Type or material
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/18 Washing liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/38 Time, e.g. duration
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/02 Water supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/06 Recirculation of washing liquids, e.g. by pumps or diverting valves
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/18 Condition of the laundry, e.g. nature or weight

Abstract

A clothes washing machine is provided with a wash tub (1) and a rotating arm (2) accommodated within the wash tub and adapted to contain washload items and capable of being driven so as to rotate both at high and low rotating speeds. A pressure switch (3) is arranged within an appropriate air chamber connected with the intake thereof at a location (4) situated below the lower level (5) of the wash tub. An inlet and shut-off (6) governs the water supply from the water delivery mains to the wash tub. The inlet and shut-off is arranged to detect average soaking characteristics of the washload items placed in the drum by first measuring their overall capacity of absorbing a defined amount of water, and then processing the measured capacity on the basis of the weight of the washload items, the weight being known. The machine operates by letting defined water amounts into the wash tub, wherein the water is allowed to be absorbed by the washload up to the maximum soaking capacity thereof and the amount of absorbed water is then measured at the difference between the amount of water let into the tub and the residual amount of water. Alternatively, the machine operates by performing a substantially similar procedure, except the washload undergoes a spin-extraction phase before the amount of residual water is measured and the calculations are made on the basis of the different water retention characteristics of the spin-extracted washload items.

Claims

1. A clothes washing machine comprising a washing tub (1), a drum (2) rotating within said washing tub and adapted to hold washload items and to be rotatably driven at a low speed and a high speed, a pressure switch (3) arranged within an appropriate air pressure switch (3) arranged within an appropriate air chamber connected with a pressure intake of the tub at a point (4) situated below a lowest level (5) of the tub, and inlet and shut-off means (6) governing water supply from water delivery mains to the washing tub, characterized in that the machine is arranged to detect average soaking characteristics of the washload items placed in the drum by first measuring overall capacity of the items for absorbing a definite amount of water and then processing said measured capacity based on a known weight of said washload items to determine a type of textiles comprising the washload items;

the amount of water filled in is based on a flow rate controlled by the water inlet means (6) provided to deliver water into the tub; and

said flow rate is determined by filling water into a known volume between a first reference level (L3) and a second reference level (L4) and recording a time needed for the water level to rise from said first level (L3) to said second level (L4).

2. A clothes washing machine according to claim 1, and further provided with a circuit for recirculation of water contained in the tub, characterized in that said measurement is carried out according to the following sequence of phases:

filling into the tub an amount of water calculated so that said amount of water is an intermediate level (L1) between levels representing a highest possible and a lowest possible soaking capacity of the items, said levels being based on the known weight of said washload items;

executing a plurality of low-speed rotation cycles of the drum under simultaneous operation of the water recirculation circuit, until said washload items have either absorbed the whole amount of water that the items are capable of absorbing, in the case that the available amount water is sufficient for that purpose, or absorbed the whole available amount of water without becoming entirely soaked therewith, in the case that the available amount of water is not sufficient to ensure full soaking;

measuring a water level (L2) and calculating an amount of absorbed water; and

calculating a washload weight to amount-of-absorbed-water ratio and identifying the type and/or mix of types of fabrics in the washload therefrom.

3. A clothes washing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the amount of water filled in is based on a flow rate controlled by the water inlet means (6) provided to deliver water into the tub.

4. A clothes washing machine according to claim 3, characterized in that said flow rate is determined by filling water into a known volume between a first reference level (L3) and a second reference level (L4) and recording a time needed for the water level to rise from said first level (L3) to said second level (L4).

5. A clothes washing machine according to claim 4, characterized in that said measurement of the flow rate is carried out in advance of the water filling, a first water fill being carried out so as to reach said first reference level (L3) before starting with the determination of the flow rate of said water inlet means (6).

6. A clothes washing machine according to claim 1, and further provided with a circuit for recirculation of water contained in the tub, characterized in that said measurement is carried out according to the following sequence of phases:

filling into the tub of an amount of water determined so as to ensure full soaking of any type of washload item based on the weight of said washload and storing information concerning such amount of water in a memory;

executing a plurality of low-speed rotation cycles of the drum under simultaneous operation of the water recirculation circuit until said washload items have absorbed the whole amount of water that the items are capable of absorbing;

measuring a water level under conditions of substantial stability thereof; and

calculating a washload weight to detected-water-level ratio and identifying a mix of types of fabrics in the washload by searching and recognizing of a closest applicable ratio included in a previously stored experimental database.

7. A clothes washing machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the amount of water filled in is based on a flow rate controlled by the water inlet means (6) provided to deliver water into the tub.

8. A clothes washing machine according to claim 7, characterized in that said flow rate is determined by filling water into a known volume between a first reference level (L3) and a second reference level (L4) and recording a time needed for the water level to rise from said first level (L3) to said second level (L4).

9. A clothes washing machine according to claim 8, characterized in that said measurement of the flow rate is carried out in advance of the water filling, a first water fill being carried out so as to reach said first reference level (L3) before starting with the determination of the flow rate of said water inlet means (6).

10. A clothes washing machine according to claim 1, and further provided with a circuit for recirculation of water contained in the tub, characterized in that said measurement is carried out by:

filling such an amount of water into the tub that a free surface of the water reaches up to a lowest level of the side wall of the drum, and storing information concerning such an amount;

carrying out a plurality of operation sequences, each one of which comprises a plurality of low-speed rotation and high-speed rotation cycles of the drum under simultaneous recirculation of the water, and recording a water level at the end of each sequence of high-speed rotation cycles of the drum;

carrying out a plurality of level-restoring water additions alternating with said plurality of operation sequences until a condition is reached in which a water level measured at the end of said plurality of high-speed rotation cycles of the drum is equal to or exceeds the previously recorded level, said level-restoring water additions being limited in all cases in such a manner that the free surface of the water in the tub remains constantly below the lowest level of the side wall of the drum;

calculating the amount of water absorbed by the washload contained in the drum by subtracting the amount of water corresponding to the last recorded level from the total amount of water filled in the tub; and

calculating a washload to weight amount-of-absorbed-water ratio and identifying the mix of types of fabrics in the washload therefrom.

11. A clothes washing machine according to claim 10, characterized in that the first water fill is carried out by filling into the tub an amount of water judged to be capable of being absorbed entirely by the washload, regardless of the level reached by said water fill, during the subsequent operation sequence at both low and high speed rotation of the drum under water recirculation conditions.

12. A clothes washing machine according to claim 11, characterized in that the amount of water filled in is based on a flow rate controlled by the water inlet means (6) provided to deliver water into the tub.

13. A clothes washing machine according to claim 12, characterized in that said flow rate is determined by filling water into a known volume between a first reference level (L3) and a second reference level (L4) and recording a time needed for the water level to rise from said first level (L3) to said second level (L4).

14. A clothes washing machine according to claim 13, characterized in that said measurement of the flow rate is carried out in advance of the water filling, a first water fill being carried out so as to reach said first reference level (L3) before starting with the determination of the flow rate of said water inlet means (6).

15. A clothes washing machine according to claim 10, characterized in that the amount of water filled in is based on a flow rate controlled by the water inlet means (6) provided to deliver water into the tub.

16. A clothes washing machine according to claim 15, characterized in that said flow rate is determined by filling water into a known volume between a first reference level (L3) and a second reference level (L4) and recording a time needed for the water level to rise from said first level (L3) to said second level (L4).

17. A clothes washing machine according to claim 16, characterized in that said measurement of the flow rate is carried out in advance of the water filling, a first water fill being carried out so as to reach said first reference level (L3) before starting with the determination of the flow rate of said water inlet means (6).

18. A clothes washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said measurement of the flow rate is carried out in advance of the water filling, a first water fill being carried out so as to reach said first reference level (L3) before starting with the determination of the flow rate of said water inlet means (6).

19. A clothes washing machine comprising a washing tub (1), a drum (2) rotating within said washing tub and adapted to hold washload items and to be rotatably driven at a low speed and a high speed, a pressure switch (3) arranged within an appropriate air chamber connected with a pressure intake of the tub at a point (4) situated below a lowest level (5) of the tub, inlet and shut-off means (6) governing water supply from water delivery mains to the washing tub, and a circuit for recirculation of water contained in the tub characterized in that the machine is arranged to detect average soaking characteristics of the washload items placed in the drum by first measuring overall capacity of the items for absorbing a definite amount of water and then processing said measured capacity based on a known weight of said washload items to determine a type of textiles comprising the washload items, wherein said measurement of overall absorbing capacity is carried out by:

filling such an amount of water into the tub that a free surface of the water reaches up to a lowest level of the side wall of the drum, and storing information concerning such an amount;

carrying out a plurality of operation sequences, each one of which comprises a plurality of low-speed rotation and high-speed rotation cycles of the drum under simultaneous recirculation of the water, and recording a water level at the end of each sequence of high-speed rotation cycles of the drum;

carrying out a plurality of level-restoring water additions alternating with said plurality of operation sequences until a condition is reached in which a water level measured at the end of said plurality of high-speed rotation cycles of the drum is equal to or exceeds the previously recorded level, said level-restoring water additions being limited in all cases in such a manner that the free surface of the water in the tub remains constantly below the lowest level of the side wall of the drum;

calculating the amount of water absorbed by the washload contained in the drum by subtracting the amount of water corresponding to the last recorded level from the total amount of water filled in the tub; and

calculating a washload to weight amount-of-absorbed-water ratio and identifying the mix of types of fabrics in the washload therefrom.

20. A clothes washing machine according to claim 19, characterized in that the first water fill is carried out by filling into the tub an amount of water judged to be capable of being absorbed entirely by the washload, regardless of the level reached by said water fill, during the subsequent operation sequence at both low and high speed rotation of the drum under water recirculation conditions.

21. A clothes washing machine according to claim 19, characterized in that the amount of water filled in is based on a flow rate controlled by the water inlet means (6) provided to deliver water into the tub.

22. A clothes washing machine according to claim 21, characterized in that said flow rate is determined by filling water into a known volume between a first reference level (L3) and a second reference level (L4) and recording a time needed for the water level to rise from said first level (L3) to said second level (L4).

23. A clothes washing machine according to claim 22, characterized in that said measurement of the flow rate is carried out in advance of the water filling, a first water fill being carried out so as to reach said first reference level (L3) before starting with the determination of the flow rate of said water inlet means (6).