Device for supplying a washing agent in a washing machine

Abstract

 The device (10) comprises a container (11) in which is formed a receptacle (12) for receiving a quantity of a washing agent.
This container (11) is associated with a wall (17) delimiting the receptacle (12) and movable between a containment position and a discharge position, in which positions, respectively, it allows the receptacle (12) to be loaded with a quantity of a solid or powdered or liquid washing agent, and allows the receptacle (12) to be emptied. This delimiting wall (17) is associated with a controllable actuator (24 and 25) for causing the said wall (17) to move from the containment position to the emptying position.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for supplying a washing agent in a washing machine, particularly a machine for washing laundry.

[0002] More specifically, the invention relates to a device comprising a container in which is formed a receptacle for receiving a quantity of a washing agent from a user.

[0003] In prior art washing machines, this container is made in the form of a translatable box which is fitted so that it can move through a frontal aperture in the structure of the machine, and which can be pulled out manually to permit the loading of a quantity or dose of at least one washing agent (for example a detergent, a conditioner, a whitener, etc.) and can then be reclosed manually.

[0004] To enable a washing agent of the solid or powder type to be used, in prior art devices the said container forms a receptacle open in the lower part of its portion facing the interior of the machine. In use, the user pours a desired quantity of washing agent in powder form into the box, then recloses the box. At the correct point in a washing cycle, a control device of the machine causes a flow of water to be supplied to the aforesaid receptacle, this flow then emptying the receptacle and carrying the washing agent to the operating chamber of the machine, through the aforesaid aperture of the receptacle.

[0005] Supply devices of this type are not suitable for the use of liquid washing agents. This is because a quantity or dose of a liquid washing agent poured into the receptacle of such a device would flow virtually immediately into the washing chamber of the machine, even before the start of operation of the machine.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a supply device of the type specified initially, which can be used equally well with washing agents of the solid or powder type, or of the liquid type.

[0007] This and other objects are achieved according to the invention with a supply device whose principal characteristics are defined in the attached Claim 1.

[0008] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be made clear by the following detailed description, provided purely by way of example and without restrictive intent, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a washing machine provided with a supply device according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a partial view in section, taken along the line II-II of Figure 1; and

Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to that of Figure 2, showing the supply device according to the invention in two other operating conditions.

[0009] In Figure 1, the letters WM indicate the whole of a washing machine. This machine comprises, in a known way, a supporting housing 1, of generally parallelepipedal shape.

[0010] In the illustrated example of embodiment, the machine WM is of the front loading type, and thus has a front door 2 for access to the washing chamber.

[0011] The washing machine WM comprises a device 10 for supplying washing agents, such as detergents and the like.

[0012] In the illustrated example, this device 10 comprises an essentially box-like container 11, fitted in the machine WM in such a way that it is movable between a retracted closed condition (Figures 3 and 4) and an (at least partially) extended open condition (Figures 1 and 2).

[0013] The container 11 forms at least one receptacle 12 which is open at the top.

[0014] In the illustrated example of embodiment, the receptacle 12 is delimited frontally by a frontal wall 13 of the box-like container 11, and laterally by a pair of longitudinal walls 14 and 15, which are essentially vertical and parallel to each other. The receptacle 12 is delimited below by a bottom wall indicated by 16 in Figure 2 and the subsequent figures.

[0015] In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the receptacle 12 is delimited at its rear by a wall 17 fitted so that it can swing, like a "butterfly" valve, about an essentially horizontal axis A located at a predetermined height above the bottom wall 16.

[0016] The delimiting wall 17 has a breadth equal to the transverse distance between the lateral walls 14 and 15 of the receptacle 12, and in an intermediate area of its vertical walls it has corresponding pins with horizontal axes 17a and 17b, aligned with each other and engaged rotatably in corresponding apertures provided in the lateral walls 14 and 15 of the receptacle 12.

[0017] The delimiting wall 17 can swing between a position of containment, shown in Figures 2 and 3, in which it extends essentially in a vertical plane, against a stop 18 integral with the box-like container 11, and an inclined discharge position (Figure 4) in which it extends in a plane inclined downwards and towards the interior of the machine, so that its lower edge or margin is spaced vertically apart from the bottom wall 16 of the container 11.

[0018] A spring 19 is associated with the delimiting wall 17, and tends to push this wall into the containment position, against the stop element 18. In the illustrated example, this spring is a torsion spring, with an upper arm 19a which bears on a stop 20 integral with the box-like container 11, and a lower arm 19b which bears on a stop 21 integral with the wall 17.

[0019] The upper portion of the delimiting wall 17 has a formation 22, creating a centring recess 23, on its face which is turned towards the interior of the machine WM.

[0020] With reference to Figures 1, 3 and 4, the delimiting wall 17 is associated with a controlled actuator device, illustrated only partially in these figures, in which it is indicated as a whole by 24.

[0021] In the illustrated embodiment, this actuator device comprises a rod-shaped pushing member 25 which is translatable essentially in its axial direction. The end of this pushing member 25 which points towards the box-like container 11 can engage in the centring recess 23 of the delimiting wall 17.

[0022] The actuator device 24 is made in such a way that the pushing member 25 can assume a retracted rest position (Figure 3) in which it allows the delimiting wall 17 to place itself and remain in the containment position, under the action of the spring 19, and an advanced operating position (Figure 4) in which it places the delimiting wall 17 in the discharge position, against the action of the return spring 19.

[0023] The pushing member 25 can be moved from the rest position to the operating position in one of various known ways, for example by means of a solenoid, an electric motor, or other means. In one embodiment which is not illustrated, the movement of this pushing member can be controlled directly by a movable member of a hydraulic distributor device (of a known type) designed to supply a flow of water to the receptacle 12 of the box-like container 11, to wash out and thus evacuate the washing agent contained therein.

[0024] For operation, the user intending to carry out a washing cycle pulls out the box-like container 11, placing it for example in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2. In this condition, the delimiting wall 17, which is carried by the box-like container 11, is disengaged from the actuator device 24, and particularly from the pushing member 25. This wall 17, which can conveniently be provided with a seal around its periphery if necessary, delimits the rear of the receptacle 12 formed in the box-like container 11. The user can then pour a quantity of a washing agent, which can be solid or in powder form or liquid, into the receptacle 12. If the washing agent is liquid, the wall 17 prevents the liquid washing agent from flowing into the washing machine WM.

[0025] The user then recloses the box 11, which is then placed in the configuration shown in Figure 3. In this condition, the delimiting wall 17 is positioned next to the pushing member 25, which however is in its retracted rest condition.

[0026] When the washing machine WM has been started, in the stage of the washing cycle in which the washing agent previously poured or loaded into the receptacle 12 is to be supplied to the washing chamber of the machine, a device for controlling the operation of the machine activates the actuator device 24, whose pushing rod 25 moves to the advanced operating position shown in Figure 4, causing the delimiting wall 17 to swing towards its discharge position. In this condition, the washing agent previously loaded into the receptacle 12 can be supplied to the washing chamber of the machine. In particular, if this washing agent is of the liquid type, it can be supplied by the natural downward flow of the agent and/or as a result of its washing out by a flow of water supplied to the receptacle. On the other hand, if the previously loaded washing agent is of the solid or powder type, this agent is transferred to the washing chamber by being washed out by a flow of water supplied in a known way to the receptacle 12 by means of a suitable hydraulic distribution device.

[0027] The supply device according to the invention makes it possible to use a washing agent of the liquid, solid, or powder type without affecting the process.

[0028] In a variant embodiment which is not illustrated, the movable delimiting wall 17 of the receptacle 12 is not fitted on the box-like container 11, but can be brought into a fixed position by the structure 1 of the washing machine WM in such a way that it extends into the box-like container 11, which, as in the example of embodiment described above, can slide with respect to the said wall in its movement between the retracted closed condition and its at least partially extended open condition.

[0029] Clearly, provided that the principle of the invention is retained, the forms of embodiment and the details of construction can vary widely from what has been described and illustrated purely by way of example and without restrictive intent, without departure from the scope of the invention as defined in the attached claims.

Claims

1. Device (10) for supplying a washing agent in a washing machine (WM), particularly a machine for washing laundry,
   comprising a container (11) in which is formed a receptacle (12) which can receive a quantity of a washing agent;
   the device (10) being characterized in that the said container (11) is associated with a wall (17) delimiting the said receptacle (12) and movable between a containment position and a discharge position, in which positions, respectively, it allows the receptacle (12) to be loaded with a quantity of a solid or powdered or liquid washing agent, and allows the receptacle (12) to be emptied; the said delimiting wall (17) being associated with controllable actuator means (24 and 25) for causing the said wall (17) to move from the containment position to the emptying position.

2. Device according to Claim 1, in which there are also provided elastic return means (19) which tend to keep the said delimiting wall (17) in the containment position.

3. Device according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the said container (11) is fitted in the machine (WM) in such a way that it is movable between a retracted closed condition and an at least partially extended open condition, the said delimiting wall (17) being carried by this container (11), and the associated actuator means (24 and 25) being fitted in the machine (WM, 1) in such a way that they can control the position of the delimiting wall (17) when the container (11) is in its retracted closed position.

4. Device according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the said container (11) is fitted in the machine (WM, 1) in such a way that it is movable between a retracted closed condition and an at least partially extended open condition, and the delimiting wall (17) and the associated actuator means (24 and 25) are fitted in the structure (1) of the machine (WM) in such a way that the said delimiting wall (17) extends into the container (11), which can slide with respect to the said wall (17) in its movement between the closed condition and the open condition.

5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the said delimiting wall (17) is fitted so that it can rotate (swing) about an essentially horizontal axis (A), located at a predetermined height above the bottom (16) of the said receptacle (12).

6. Device according to Claim 5, in which the said actuator means (24 and 25) comprise a movable pushing member (25) for interacting with a portion of the said delimiting wall (17) within which is made a formation (22) which creates a centring recess (22) for the said pushing member (25).

Drawing