[0001] The present invention relates to an assembly for the selective supply of washing
agents to a work tub of a machine for washing articles, in particular articles of
laundry.
[0002] More particularly said assembly is of the type comprising a drawer for holding the
washing agents in appropriate housing compartments and valve means having at least
one inlet for connection to an external conduit for feeding water of the water supply
system inside the machine and are controlled to send to each of said compartments
of the detergent agents a respective flow of water for removing the detergent agent
and transporting into the washing tub of the machine.
[0003] In machines for washing laundry known to date provision is made for said machine
to have an external containing framework wherein there is at least one access for
allowing a connection of the conduit for feeding into the machine external mains water
to the valve device for the offtake of appropriate flows of water used inside the
washing machine.
[0004] In these traditional machines the valve device is attached to the frame of the machine
with its inlet positioned at said access for feeding mains water in order to allow
coupling of the thread on the external part of said inlet of the valve device directly
to the ring nut for connection at the free end of said external conduit for feeding
mains water, while the drawer is attached to the same frame, positioned at a distance
from the valve device, and is connected thereto for selective transmission to the
latter of appropriate flows of water, by means of hoses and clamping clips.
[0005] For assembly of these traditional systems for the supply of detergent or other to
the washing tub it was therefore necessary for the manufacturer of the washing machine
to attach first the valve means and the drawer to the frame of the machine and then
connect them thanks to said hoses, with a considerable waste of time for the person
in charge of assembly.
[0006] In order to allow faster assembly of the system composed of the valve device and
the detergent drawer, the present Applicant has developed an assembly for the selective
supply of washing agents to a working tub of a machine for washing articles as described
in the document EP-A-0 688 895. This assembly comprises a drawer for holding the washing
agents in appropriate housing compartments and valve means having at least one inlet
for connection to said conduit for feeding the external mains water and being controlled
to send to each of said compartments of the detergent agents a respective flow of
water for removing the detergent agent and transporting into the washing tub of the
machine, wherein the outlet nozzles from the valve means are directly connected to
the inlet nozzles in the drawer compartments provided on a wall of the drawer itself
and wherein the valve means have been attached directly to said drawer.
[0007] According to the assembly arrangement provided in said document EP-A-O 688 895, the
valve device has a collecting chamber or manifold with a substantially cylindrical
shape and arranged parallel to the side of the drawer whereto said valve device is
attached, with the result that the end opening of the manifold for feeding the flow
of water coming from the mains, or the opening at which the external conduit for the
mains water should be attached, is positioned inside the washing machine far from
the external framework of the machine. In order to send the mains water to said valve
device it is no longer possible to connect directly the external conduit of the mains
water to the valve means of the assembly, but it is necessary, contrarily, to provide
a supplementary hose which can be connected by one of its ends to the inlet of the
valve means and whose other end is integrated with the support structure of the machine
at said access opening for attachment to the external conduit for the mains water.
[0008] The object of the present invention is to perfect the assembly of the document EP-A-O
688 895, allowing avoidance of the use of the aforementioned additional pipe for connection
between the external conduit of the mains water and the inlet in said valve means,
also avoiding the corresponding costs for the supply of this supplementary pipe and
for assembly of the same.
[0009] The previous objects are achieved by providing an assembly having the features of
claim 1 attached hereto.
[0010] The use of means for supporting the valve means, which extend from said body of said
drawer of the washing agents and are shaped so as to position the inlet of the flow
of water to said valve means at said access for the external conduit of the mains
water provided in said external covering framework, allows easy connection of said
external conduit for the external mains water to said inlet of the valve means, avoiding
the use of the aforementioned extension pipe used in the prior art and the relevant
costs.
[0011] Moreover the present drawer assembly for holding washing agents and valve device
likewise allows maintaining of the advantage of being provided in the form of a single
pre-connected body, suitable for being mounted in a unitary manner on the washing
machine with a considerable saving in times and costs of assembly.
[0012] The present invention will be made clearer on reading the following description,
relating to preferred embodiments of the invention, to be read with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a washing machine;
Figure 2 is a side view, partially sectioned, of the assembly according to a preferred
embodiment of the present invention, coupled to relative valve means;
Figure 3 is a front view of the assembly according to the preferred embodiment of
the present invention, again coupled to relevant valve means;
Figure 4 is a view from above of only the device for holding the washing agents according
to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 5 is a side view of only the device for holding the washing agents according
to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 6 is a view from the rear side of only the device for holding the washing agents
according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Figures 7A and 7B are respectively a view from above and from below of the components
which face each other and are welded one to the other to define the upper part of
the body of the device for holding the washing agents according to the preferred embodiment
of the present invention.
[0013] Figure 1 shows a washing machine 10 for domestic use of a wholly common type. It
comprises a front opening 11 fitted with a closure door 12 for loading laundry inside
the laundry drum or washing tub of the machine, and a device for selective sending
of detergent agents and/or other agents which can be used in washing laundry articles,
in this case it is an extractable drawer 13 for housing detergents or other additives
to the washing tub.
[0014] The washing machine also comprises a timer 14 for setting a programmed washing cycle,
a knob 15 for controlling the washing cycle and any other control push-buttons 16.
[0015] For the selective supply of detergents or other additives to the washing tub of a
washing machine, suitable valve means (not shown in Figure 1) send selectively, controlled
by the timer 14, a respective flow of water to each of the compartments of the detergent
drawer to remove the detergents or additives contained in these compartments and transport
them into contact with the laundry in the washing tub.
[0016] As is clear with reference also to Figures 2 and 3, the device for housing the washing
agents or drawer comprises a body of the device, denoted overall by reference numeral
20, which body consists of a fixed part 22, to be connected rigidly to the frame of
the washing machine, and a mobile part 24, which can be extracted outside of the washing
machine as shown in Figure 1, for depositing various washing agents, such as detergents,
bleach and fabric conditioner, in respective housing means in the form of compartments
or drawers or the like.
[0017] More particularly, as shown by Figure 1, the drawer shown here comprises two end
compartments 26 and 28 respectively for housing the quantity of prewash and washing
detergent and the compartments 30 and 32 for housing the quantity of bleach and of
fabric conditioner respectively.
[0018] It must nevertheless be understood henceforth that the teachings of the present invention
are not to be considered in any way limited to such a kind of drawer for holding washing
agents and could very well be applied also in other types of devices for housing these
washing agents, also of the type which do not use extractable mobile parts in any
way, as also the fact that these teachings can be used in devices holding washing
agents which can be related to other types of washing machines intended for use on
articles of any kind, different from those mentioned hitherto.
[0019] In the present embodiment the fixed part 22 of the body of the drawer or device for
housing the washing agents comprises a lower part 31 in the form of a container with
a substantially prismatic shape and open on one side for inserting and extracting
the mobile part 24 which is housed therein.
[0020] The relative movement of the mobile part 24 in relation to the fixed part is obtained
thanks to the guide 34 of the fixed part and respectively the surface 36 for the sliding
on this guide of the mobile part of the drawer, shown by a dotted line in Figure 2.
[0021] Said lower part of said fixed part 22 defines therefore an internal chamber 38 for
collecting the flows of water passing into said device for housing washing agents,
which discharges them directly into the washing tub of the washing machine by means
of the lower nozzle 40. In this Figure 2 and in Figure 3 it is also indicated how,
to the body of the device for housing washing agents, and in particular to the fixed
part of the latter, a valve device 42 has also been directly attached, suitable for
sending, in a selective manner under the control of the timer and washing program
of the machine, a predetermined flow of water to each of the compartments of the drawer
for removing and transporting to the washing tub the detergent or other washing agent
contained in the latter.
[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the valve device adopted here comprises, in addition to a manifold
conduit or element 44 at one of whose ends a pipe 206 is connected by a threaded coupling
46 for feeding mains water, a first, a second and a third valve 48, 50 and 52 respectively,
whereof the lower part wherein the electrical winding is housed for actuating the
respective gate valve is fully evident in the Figure.
[0023] In order not to overload said Figure 2 excessively, it shows, sectioned, only the
valve element 52; the other two valve elements 48 and 50 are in any case wholly similar
structurally and functionally to this valve element 52.
[0024] The valve element 52 of the valve means therefore comprises, in a known manner, a
membrane gate valve 54 shown in Figure 2, which gate valve can be actuated to close
the aperture 56 for passage of the flow in a backward position to allow passage of
the water from the manifold 44 towards a corresponding compartment of the device for
housing washing agents, as shown by the arrows F in Figure 2.
[0025] The gate valve 52 has an internal hole at the upper end 60 with axial passages 62
of a magnetic rod 58 driven to move by said electrical actuation winding 63, and is
also attached externally to the internal chamber of the valve element.
[0026] As shown in Figure 2 the external containing framework 202 of the machine has at
the rear an access 204 to allow a connection of the conduit or pipe 206, for feeding
into the machine external mains water, to said valve means of the assembly.
[0027] According to the teachings of the present invention means are provided for supporting
the valve means which extend from said body of said drawer of the washing agents,
which means are shaped so as to position the inlet of the flow of water to said valve
means at said access for the external conduit of the mains water provided in said
external covering framework to allow easy connection of said external conduit for
external mains water to said inlet of the valve means.
[0028] Referring also to the subsequent Figures 4, 5 and 6, it can be seen how, in an advantageous
manner, the means for supporting the valve means extending from the drawer have a
portion with a substantially flattened shape 100, which portion is made in one single
part with the body of the device for housing detergent agents and extends from the
rear side which is opposite the one wherefrom the mobile part 24 of the drawer is
extracted.
[0029] As shown in Figure 4, in the portion 100 conduits 102, 104, 106 and 108 are formed,
in relief in relation to a support surface 109, of which the conduits 102, 104, 106
are for conveying the flows of water towards said means of housing the washing agents,
that is to say towards the compartment of the bleach, towards the prewash compartment
and towards the washing compartment respectively, while said conduit 108 conveys a
flow of water towards an air break device built into the body of the drawer.
[0030] As shown in Figure 5, the support portion 100 has nozzles 110, 112, 114, 116 extending
below from the support surface 109, provided to receive by insertion a corresponding
emission nozzle of the valve means.
[0031] Advantageously means are also provided for directly attaching said valve means 42
to said support portion 100.
[0032] Said means for directly attaching the valve means to said support portion 100 comprise
holes 118 for the insertion of special attachment screws, only one of these, denoted
by reference numeral 119, being shown in Figure 2. Said holes 118 having an axis parallel
to the axis of the feed nozzles 114, 112, 116 and connection to the valve means. This
enables the forming of the connection between the valve means and the support portion
by acting in one single direction of coupling and therefore does not require the operator
to move the part to connect and attach the valves to the device, allowing a saving
in assembly times or the possibility of automating this assembly operation.
[0033] Said means of attachment between valve means and support portion also comprise a
bracket 120 extending downwards for supporting said valve means and having a shaped
end 122 defining a housing suitable for holding a shaped part correspondingly of the
valve means.
[0034] As shown, said bracket 120 for supporting said valve means is made in one part with
the end portion 123 at the free end of the support portion 100.
[0035] On the same portion 100 for supporting the valve means, means are also provided for
attaching the washing agents container device to the frame of the washing machine,
which are here in the form of holes 124 for the insertion of corresponding attachment
screws (not shown) which can be screwed in the same direction of insertion of the
screws for attaching the valve means 42 to the support portion 100. Other means of
attachment to the framework comprise holes, only one, denoted by 125, being shown
in Figure 2, for suitable attachment screws, positioned on opposite sides of the lower
part 31 of the fixed body of the detergent container device.
[0036] Said portion 100 for supporting and conveying extends from the upper edge of the
body of the device substantially parallel to the upper portion of covering of the
latter.
[0037] According to a further advantageous feature, said manifold or said collecting chamber
44 has a longitudinal axis L which is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis along
which the mobile part of the drawer is extracted in order to extend at the access
opening 204 provided in the wall 202 of the external framework of the machine opposite
the one 202' for extraction of said mobile part of the drawer.
[0038] Moreover said feed nozzles 110, 112, 114, 116 formed in the support and conveying
portion are aligned one with the other and the line of alignment of said feed nozzles
formed in the support and conveying portion is oriented perpendicularly to the side
of the body of the device wherefrom said support and conveying portion extends.
[0039] The fixed part 22 of the body of the device for housing detergents comprises, in
addition to the lower component defining the collection chamber 38, an upper component
39 which is attached to the lower part 31 by means of snap hooking tabs 64 on the
two sides of the upper component, coupling in an attachment action with corresponding
surfaces provided on the lateral edge of the lower component of the body of the device.
[0040] In turn the upper component 39 of the body of the detergent container device consists
of two parts 20A and 20B, shown in the subsequent Figures 7A, 7B, which match and
are integral one with the other by welding, generally performed with a hot blade.
[0041] The rear support portion 100 forms part of this upper portion and therefore also
consists of two parts, 100A and 100B respectively, belonging to the components 20A
of Figure 7A and 20B of Figure 7B respectively, which have respective conduit portions
108A and 108B for defining the conduit for conveying the flow towards the air break,
and portions of conduit 102A, 104A, 106A on the component 7A and 102B, 104B and 106B
on the component 7B for defining the conduits for feeding flows of water to the washing
agent compartments.
[0042] In the upper component 20 of the body of the device the parts for distributing the
flows of removing water to the various compartments housing the washing agents are
also formed in a known manner.
[0043] Said distribution parts comprise, as shown in Figure 7A which shows the underlying
part of the upper component, a first plurality of holes 66 suitable for allowing to
fall, in a distributed manner in said compartment for the prewash, a flow of liquid
conveyed via a conduit defined by the shaped walls 68A and 68B respectively of Figures
7A and 7B.
[0044] Said distribution parts also comprise, as shown in Figure 7A, a second plurality
of holes 70 suitable for allowing to fall, in a distributed manner in said compartment
for washing, a flow of liquid conveyed via a conduit defined by the walls 72A and
72B of the two parts of Figures 7A and 7B respectively.
[0045] The aforementioned distribution parts finally comprise, as shown in Figure 7A, a
pair of openings 74 suitable for allowing to fall in a distributed manner in said
compartment for the fabric conditioner a flow of liquid conveyed via a conduit defined
by the walls 76A and 76B of the two parts of Figures 7A and 7B respectively.
[0046] It should also be noted that, in relation to the preferred embodiment shown here,
the aforementioned valve element 52 admits a flow of liquid from the mains towards
a short conduit suitable for defining an air break, while the other valve elements
50 and 48 are used, if actuated individually, to send a flow of water towards the
compartment containing the quantity of detergent for the prewash and towards the one
containing the quantity of detergent for actual washing and, if actuated together,
to send the flow of liquid towards the fabric conditioner compartment.
[0047] In this version of the detergent drawer-valve assembly, valves are not provided for
sending water towards the bleach compartment which is therefore intended to remain
unused and the relevant conduits blocked. Obviously nothing precludes the fact of
this bleaching function also being activated, as also the fact that other valve elements
can be excluded.
[0048] It must naturally be understood that what has been written and shown with reference
to the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been given purely by way
of a non-limiting example of the principle claimed.
1. An assembly for the selective supply of washing agents to the tub of a machine for
washing articles, more particularly for the washing of laundry articles, wherein said
machine has an external containing framework wherein there is an access for allowing
a connection of an external conduit for feeding water coming from an external source
into said machine; said assembly being of the type comprising a drawer for holding
washing agents in appropriate housing compartments and valve means having at least
one inlet of connection to said conduit for feeding external mains water and being
controlled to send to each of said compartments of the detergent agents a respective
flow of water for removing the detergent agent and transporting the same into the
washing tub of the machine; characterised in that means for supporting the valve means
(42) extend from said body (20) of said drawer of the washing agents, said means for
supporting the valve means (42) being shaped such as to position the inlet of the
flow of water to said valve means (42) at said access (204) for the external conduit
(206) of the mains water provided in said external covering framework (202) to allow
easy connection of said external conduit (206) for the external mains water to said
inlet of the valve means (42).
2. An assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that said support means comprise
an elongated portion (100) for supporting the valve means (42) for feeding one or
more flows of water to said device for housing the washing agents, and in that one
or more conduits (102, 104, 106, 108) for conveying the flows of water towards said
means for housing the washing agents and/or said conduit defining the air break are
formed in said elongated portion (100) for supporting the valve means (42).
3. An assembly according to claim 2, characterised in that said one or more conveying
conduits (102, 104, 106, 108) in the support portion have a respective feed nozzle
(110, 112, 114, 116) directly connected to a corresponding emission nozzle of the
valve means (42).
4. An assembly according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that means
are provided for directly attaching the valve means (42) to said support portion (100).
5. A device according to claim 4, characterised in that said means for directly attaching
the valve means (42) to said support portion (100) comprise one or more holes (118)
for inserting attachment screws (119), said holes (118) having an axis parallel to
the axis of the nozzles (110, 112, 114, 116) for feeding and connection to the valve
means (42).
6. A device according to any one of the previous claims from 4 to 5, characterised in
that said attachment means comprise a bracket (120) extending transversely from the
support portion (100) for supporting said valve means (42) and having a shaped end
(122) defining a housing suitable for holding a shaped part correspondingly of the
valve means (42).
7. An assembly according to claim 6, characterised in that said bracket (120) for supporting
said valve means (42) is formed near the free end of the support portion (100).
8. An assembly according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that means
for attachment of the device to the washing machine are provided on said portion (100)
for supporting the valve means (42).
9. An assembly according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that means
for attachment to said support framework are provided on the body (20)of the drawer.
10. An assembly according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said
support and conveying portion (100) has a substantially flattened configuration.
11. An assembly according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said
conveying conduits (102, 104, 106, 108) of the support portion (100) lie substantially
on the same plane.
12. A device according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said support
and conveying portion (100) extends substantially horizontally.
13. An assembly according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said
portion (100) for supporting the valve means (42) extends from the upper edge of the
body (20) of the drawer, in that said feed nozzles (110, 112, 144, 116), made in the
support and conveying portion (100), are formed on the lower side of the latter to
position the valve means (42) within the outline of the transverse section of the
body (20) of the drawer.
14. An assembly according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said
valve means (42) comprise a substantially cylindrical collecting chamber (44) having
at one end an opening for the feeding of the water coming from the external source,
said collecting chamber (44) having a longitudinal axis oriented parallel to the longitudinal
axis of the drawer to extend at an access opening (204) provided in the wall (202)
of the external framework of the machine opposite that (202') of extraction of said
mobile part of the drawer.
15. An assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 14, characterised in that said feed
nozzles (110, 112, 114, 116) formed in the support and conveying portion (100) are
aligned one with the other.
16. An assembly according to claim 15, characterised in that the line of alignment of
said feed nozzles (110, 112, 114, 116) formed in the support and conveying portion
(100) is oriented perpendicularly to the side of the body (20) of the device wherefrom
said support and conveying portion (100) extends.
17. An assembly according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said
portion (100) for support and conveying flows and the body (20) of the device for
housing the detergent agents are made in one single piece.
18. An assembly according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said
body (20) of the device has a substantially flat upper covering part (20B) and a substantially
flat part (20A) having openings for the transfer of flows of water coming from the
valve means (42) to respective means for housing the washing agents and in that said
support portion (100) defining one or more conveying conduits (102, 104, 106, 108)
is formed by the reciprocal coupling between said covering parts (20B) and parts (20A)
for transfer of the removal flows.