Device for compensating imbalance in washing machines with a spin phase

Abstract

 The invention relates to a device for compensating the imbalance of the material for washing during the spin phase of a program-controlled washing machine, in which the wash drum (6) located in a wash tub (2) carries washing entrainment means (7) distributed over the internal circumference, said means being hollow in form, and one end face of which, facing the wash drum, is provided with filling openings (12) through which said entrainment means (7) may be filled with a counterbalancing mass of water. An automatic compensation during spinning without measurement of the imbalance is achieved according to the invention in that the filling openings (12) of the washing entrainment means (7) are located on a circular path around the axis of rotation (19) of the wash drum, in that the wall of the wash tub facing the filling openings is provided with a passage opening (16) for a jet (15) of counterbalancing water, and in that the passage opening is offset relative to the circular path of the filling openings (12) in such a way that, as the oppositely-oriented imbalance increases, the jet of counterbalancing water emerging from the passage opening (16) overlaps the filling opening (12) of the associated washing entrainment means to an increasing extent.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for compensating the imbalance of the material for washing during the spin phase of a program-controlled washing machine, in which the wash drum located in a wash tub carries washing entrainment means distributed over the internal circumference, said means being hollow in form, and one end face of which, facing the wash drum, is provided with filling openings through which said entrainment means may be filled with a counterbalancing mass of water.

[0002] In the spin phase, which is carried out at a higher rotational speed, the irregular distribution of the material for washing gives rise to difficulties, which lead to excessive wear on the washing machine because of the imbalance. This is counteracted by devices of the type already mentioned.

[0003] Thus DE-AS 14 85 084 already shows a device of the type already mentioned, in which the filling openings of the washing entrainment means are guided at the bearing-supported end of the wash drum in annular channels. Counterbalancing water is deliberately fed through these annular channels to the washing entrainment means, the supply of water being undertaken in dependence on the measured imbalance.

[0004] This known device, because of its annular channels, restricts the usable volume of the wash drum; in addition, the imbalance must be continuously detected for each entrainment means, and the corresponding amount of counterbalancing water must be supplied based on the measurement results.

[0005] A similar compensating principle is used by a device according to DE 40 20 554 A1. Instead of the hollow washing entrainment means, the rear end wall of the wash drum carries chambers distributed over the circumference, and which may be correspondingly filled with amounts of counterbalancing water. The chambers dictate a wash drum with a reduced volume. With this known device also the imbalance must be measured.

[0006] The purpose of the invention is to provide a device of the type already named in which, without measurement of the imbalance, automatic compensation of said imbalance is carried out.

[0007] This purpose is fulfilled according to the invention in that the filling openings of the washing entrainment means are located on a circular path around the axis of rotation of the wash drum, in that the wall of the wash tub facing the filling openings is provided with a passage opening for a jet of counterbalancing water, and in that the passage opening is offset relative to the circular path of the filling openings in such a way that, as the oppositely-oriented imbalance increases, the jet of counterbalancing water emerging from the passage opening overlaps the filling opening of the associated washing entrainment means to an increasing extent.

[0008] If there is no oppositely-oriented imbalance, or only a small degree thereof, in a washing entrainment means, no counterbalancing water, or only a small amount thereof, is supplied through its filling opening, and no counterbalancing, or only a small degree thereof, is provided. As the opposed imbalance increases, the filling opening of the washing entrainment means overlaps to an increasing extent with the jet of counterbalancing water, as it moves past the latter. The washing entrainment means are filled to an increasing extent with water. Thus automatic compensation of the imbalance is obtained without measurement of said imbalance, purely by means of the changing distance between the jet of counterbalancing water and the filling openings.

[0009] In operation one development provides for the jet of counterbalancing water to be suppliable through a counterbalancing water feed which terminates in the region of the passage opening, and for the counterbalancing water feed to be suppliable permanently from a counterbalancing water pump during the spin phase, said pump communicating with the sump of the wash tub. In this development counterbalancing water is permanently available.

[0010] If the wash drum is provided in the region of the washing entrainment means with outlet openings, then as the imbalance changes, i.e. reduces, automatic compensation can be effected by the removal of counterbalancing water.

[0011] The counterbalancing water not fed to the filling openings is thus supplied in a simple way to the wash tub, in that the filling openings of the washing entrainment means are restricted by annular catchment plates which surround the circular path of the filling openings.

[0012] According to one development, the filling openings may be provided in the region of the open front end of the wash drum, and the jet of counterbalancing water may be supplied outwith the drum opening.

[0013] The filling openings of the washing entrainment means preferably have a circular cross-section.

[0014] In order to supply the counterbalancing water in sufficient quantity to the washing entrainment means while the wash drum is rotating, one development is characterised in that the trailing sides of the filling opening, in the direction of rotation of the wash drum, are closed between the catchment plates by a baffle plate, and in that the jet of counterbalancing water may be supplied in the upper region of the circular path of the filling openings.

[0015] The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment given by way of example and illustrated in the drawings, which show:

Fig. 1:

a diagrammatic front elevation of a washing machine;

Fig. 2:

a partial longitudinal section, without imbalance;

Fig. 3:

a partial longitudinal section, with imbalance, and

Fig. 4:

a view of the open front end of the wash drum.

[0016] The diagrammatic view according to Fig. 1 shows a washing machine with a casing 1, in which are located a wash tub 2 and a wash drum 6. The wash tub is resiliently mounted on the casing 1 via a resilient suspension system 3 and vibration dampers 5. Three longitudinally-oriented washing entrainment means 7 are secured vertically on the inner wall in the wash drum 6. These washing entrainment means 7 are hollow, and have, in the region of their forward face of the wash drum 6 provided at that point with a drum opening 21, circular filling openings 12, so that the washing entrainment means 7 may be filled with quantities of counterbalancing water in order to compensate for imbalances. The wash drum 2 has, outwith the drum opening 21, a passage opening 16, in which there terminates a counterbalancing water feed pipe 4. This counterbalancing water feed pipe 4 is fed by a counterbalancing water pump 10 from the sump 14 of the wash drum 2 with counterbalancing water, which is passed as a counterbalancing jet 15 in the direction of the wash drum 6.

[0017] As Figs. 2 and 3 show, the washing entrainment means extend over the entire wash drum 6. The filling openings 12 disposed in a circular path about the axis of rotation 19 are surrounded by catchment plates 9 and 9', which form a circular channel around the drum opening 21, as is to be seen in Fig. 4.

[0018] If no imbalance occurs, then the jet of counterbalancing water 15, after moving past the passage opening 16 in wash tub 2, is kept away from the filling opening 12 by the catchment plate 9'. The jet of counterbalancing water is deflected, and returned to the wash tub 2 as a jet 15a.

[0019] If however an imbalance occurs, by means of displacement of the axis of rotation 19 by a distance x, the oppositely-lying filling opening 12 is to a greater or lesser degree caused to overlap with the jet of counterbalancing water 15. Therefore a greater or lesser amount of counterbalancing water can be introduced through the filling opening 12 into the washing entrainment means 7, as the jet 15b in Fig. 3 shows. The greater the oppositely-directed imbalance, the greater the quantity 20 of counterbalancing water can pass into the associated washing entrainment means 7. Without having to measure the imbalance, simply by means of the changing radial distance between the filling opening 12 and the jet of counterbalancing water 15 passed out of the passage opening 16, imbalance compensation is effected. If the imbalance decreased during compensation, then no further quantity of counterbalancing water 20 is introduced into the washing entrainment means 7. The quantity 20 of counterbalancing water can flow out of the washing entrainment means 7 through the outlet openings 17 and 18, even when this becomes necessary during compensation of the imbalance.

[0020] The washing entrainment means are filled with quantities 20 of counterbalancing water, depending on the magnitude of the imbalance and position relative thereto, so that a resultant counter-imbalance is always generated, and the wash drum 6 rotates with a minimum of noise.

[0021] By means of dimensioning the jet of counterbalancing water 15, the size of the filling openings 12 and of the channel formed by the catchment plates 9 and 9', automatic compensation of the imbalance can be achieved upon the occurrence of every imbalance. As is to be seen in Fig. 4, the trailing sides of the filling opening 12 in the direction of rotation are closed by baffle plates 8 and 8', so that counterbalancing water can collect in the channel of the catchment plates 9 and 9'. This accelerates the compensation procedure.

[0022] In the case of a spin phase with constant rotational speed, the imbalance is reduced because of the deliberate water loss. This procedure is compensated for in that the washing entrainment means 7 have, in the region of the drum wall, outlet openings 17 and 18. By means of continuous centrifugally-constrained outflow of counterbalancing water from the washing entrainment means 7, equilibrium is always regained. If the water outflow is too great, the imbalance increases again and counterbalancing water is automatically supplied once more. If the water outflow is too small, a new, differently-oriented imbalance arises and the washing entrainment means 7 are correspondingly filled differently, in order to compensate for the new imbalance.

[0023] The jet of counterbalancing water 15 is preferably supplied in the upper region of the circular path of the filling openings 12, so that entry into the washing entrainment means 7 is improved.

Claims

1. Device for compensating the imbalance of the material for washing during the spin phase of a program-controlled washing machine, in which the wash drum located in a wash tub carries washing entrainment means distributed over the internal circumference, said means being hollow in form, and one end face of which, facing the wash drum, is provided with filling openings through which said entrainment means may be filled with a counterbalancing mass of water,
characterised in that
the filling openings (12) of the washing entrainment means (7) are located on a circular path around the axis of rotation of the wash drum (6),
in that the wall of the wash tub facing the filling openings (12) is provided with a passage opening (16) for a jet (15) of counterbalancing water, and in that the passage opening (16) is offset relative to the circular path of the filling openings (12) in such a way that, as the oppositely-oriented imbalance increases, the jet (15) of counterbalancing water emerging from the passage opening (16) overlaps the filling opening (12) of the associated washing entrainment means (7) to an increasing extent.

2. Device according to claim 1,
characterised in that
the jet (15) of counterbalancing water is suppliable through a counterbalancing water feed (4) which terminates in the region of the passage opening (16), and in that the counterbalancing water feed (4) is suppliable permanently from a counterbalancing water pump (10) during the spin phase, said pump communicating with the sump (4) of the wash tub (2).

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2,
characterised in that
the wash drum (6) is provided in the region of the washing entrainment means (7) with outlet openings (12).

4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3,
characterised in that
the filling openings (12) of the washing entrainment means (7) are restricted by annular catchment plates (9, 9') which surround the circular path of the filling openings (12).

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4,
characterised in that
the filling openings (12) of the washing entrainment means (7) are provided in the region of the open front end of the wash drum (6),
and in that the jet (15) of counterbalancing water may be supplied outwith the drum opening.

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5,
characterised in that
the filling openings (12) of the washing entrainment means (7) have a circular cross-section.

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6,
characterised in that
the trailing sides of the filling opening (12), in the direction of rotation of the wash drum (6), are closed between the catchment plates (9, 9') by a baffle plate (8, 8').

8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7,
characterised in that
the jet ( 15) of counterbalancing water may be supplied in the upper region of the circular path of the filling openings (12).

Drawing