The present invention relates to a laundry washing machine of the top-loading type as set forth in the preamble of claim 1. A laundry washing machine of this type is known from EP-A-0 083 532.
Laundry washing machines of the top-loading type are generally provided with a detergent and additives distributor supported in an upper portion of the machine and having a lid which is separate from the cover plate of the machine as a whole. This solution appears technically disadvantageous and uneconomical in that it requires a great number of separate parts and a corresponding number of operations for its assembly. In addition, this type of laundry washing machines being by its nature of a very compact construction, particularly in the case of models of reduced height and width, the available space therein is thus very restricted, in comparison to which a conventional detergent distributor is undesirably bulky.
Known from FR-A-2,455,113 is a laundry washing machine provided with a composite cover formed of an inner cover plate provided with receptacles for containing detergents, and an outer cover plate. The cover as a whole is hinged on the housing of the machine, while the outer cover plate is hinged on the inner cover plate. The withdrawal of the detergents from the receptacles of the inner cover plate is accomplished by means of a ring of water produced by the rotation of the drum containing the laundry. Part of this water enters the receptacles through suitable openings in the inner cover plate and is discharged towards the drum and the tub through a siphon formed in each receptacle.
This solution has serious shortcomings in that the selective withdrawal of detergents from the individual receptacles requires the employ of a program control unit which has to accurately determine the timing, the speed and the sense of rotation of the drum for producing a ring of water of the proper configuration whenever needed during each phase of the washing cycle. This means that the drum has to be rotated also during the water and detergent supply phases for producing the required ring of water. This again requires an overdimensioned electric motor with the resultant increase in energy consumption. The water ring system finally does not ensure complete withdrawal of the detergents, which may result in the receptacles and their outlets becoming clogged by residual detergents, par- ticuiarty when granular detergents are used.
In another known solution described in aforementioned EP-A-0083532, the detergent distributor comprises two universal receptacles removably mounted immediately below a closure cover of the machine, from which the withdrawal of the detergents is accomplished by means of tangential water jets with respect to the circular sidewalls of the receptacles. In addition the detergent distributor comprises two further receptacles fixedly mounted in the housing and supplied with water by a further jet, respectively, and by a flow of water resulting from the confluence of the two jets provided for the circular receptacles adjacent the cover. It is evident that this solution, which may be referred to as a "mixed system" including receptacles associated with the cover and receptacles associated with the housing, is a rather bulky and complicated structure to which is added the difficulty of controlling, individually and in combination, the various water jets for accomplishing the selective withdrawal of the detergents. This solution, finally, is questionable from the technical, economical and ecological viewpoints by reason of the absence or the insufficiency of means for limiting losses of water and detergents and for preventing the escape of vapours.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a laundry washing machine of the top-loading type provided with a working table top comprising a detergents and additives distributor; this distributor should have the smallest possible dimensions, ensure the highest possible efficiency with regard to the withdrawal of the substances contained in the individual receptacles, and should satisfy the highest requirements with regard to the recovery of detergents, the control of water losses and the condensation of vapours.
This is achieved through the features as defined in the characterizing part of claim 1.
The characteristics of the invention will become more clearly evident from the following description, given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
As shown in Fig. 1, a laundry washing machine of the top-loading type according to the invention comprises a housing 11 provided with a laundry loading opening 12 formed in the top wall of the housing and adapted to be closed by a cover 13 hinged to the working table top. Provided at the interior wall surface of cover 13 and preferably integrally connected thereto is a container-distributor 14 for liquid and/or granular detergents and additives comprising a plurality of compartments 15. The laundry washing machine is in the usual manner provided with a drum 16 mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis within a tub 17, the latter being connected to the working table top by a bellows-type sealing sleeve 18 peripherally surrounding a loading opening 19 of tub 17 (Fig. 2).
At the rear of the working table top there is provided a chamber 20 containing a water supply nozzle 21 having a pipe socket 22 for connection to the water supply of the machine (Fig. 3). Nozzle 21 is mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis under the control of a program control unit (not shown) of the machine, and is provided with an internal seal 41 for maintaining constant the water pressure within the nozzle.
A conduit 23 connects chamber 20 to the conventional filtering and discharge pump unit (not shown) of the machine. Conduit 23 is supplied with water from an orifice 40 connected to nozzle 21 for the purpose of recovering detergents which would otherwise be lost from the filtering and discharge pump unit. A further conduit 24 connects chamber 20 to tub 17 for the supply thereto of any water possibly escaping from the water supply system due to the presence of a free jet arrangement to be described below. Chamber 20 is finally provided with a conventional overflow passage 25.
Fixedly mounted at the rim 26 delimiting the loading opening in the working table top in front of nozzle 21 is a horizontal conduit member 27 extending through bellows-type sealing sleeve 18 and formed with a protective lip 28 and optionally with a baffle member 29. Conduit member 27 contains a number of passages 30 corresponding to the compartments 15 of container-distributor 14 (Fig. 1), each passage 30 having an enlarged inlet opening and a convergent inlet end portion for receiving the water jet produced by nozzle 21 with the highest possible hydraulic efficiency. The free jet arrangement between nozzle 21 and passages 30 of conduit member 27 serves as a supply circuit separator as demanded by safety regulations for the water supply of laundry washing machines.
In the closed position of cover 13 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the outlet openings of passages 30 are directly aligned and in contact with the inlet openings of corresponding passages 31 for directing the water to respective compartments 15 of detergent distributor 14.
Passages 31 each have an inlet end portion 32 extending in an ascending direction (Fig. 2) and being of divergent configuration (Fig. 3) adapted to produce a venturi effect for converting the flow velocity of the water to hydraulic pressure and for ensuring the correct water supply to compartments 15 of distributor 14. In addition, passages 31 are effective to recover vapours produced during the laundering operation and to direct them into chamber 20, in which they are condensed for return to tub 17 through conduit 24.
The invention may be modified within the range of the described structural and functional characteristics. In a modified embodiment shown in Fig. 4, for instance, nozzle 21 is mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis and provided at its top with an adjustment screw 35 for the adjustment of the mechanical play .in the vertical direction, said adjustment screw being accessible after removing a cover plate 36 releasably secured to the working table top. On the other hand, compartments 15 are each provided with a hinged hopper 37 for facilitating the introduction thereinto of detergents, and a micro- siphon 38 for the discharge of water, but not of viscous liquid detergents, into the tub therebelow.
The invention thus provides for improved utilization of the available internal space of a laundry washing machine and permits the replenishment of detergents and additives with the cover in its open position directly above the loading opening of the tub while reliably complying with all safety regulations.