WO2002052090A1

WO2002052090A1 - Washing machine

Info

Publication number: WO2002052090A1
Application number: PCT/TR2001/000065
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hakan Orhun; Yesim Firat Ataman; Vedat Ayla
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2000-12-22
Filing date: 2001-12-19
Publication date: 2002-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 2003-06-22

Abstract

The washing machines, preferably those with horizontal axes, comprise a drum (1) wherein the washing process is realized. Said drum (1) comprises a back wall (8), a front wall (10) comprising a loading inlet through which the laundry is loaded in the drum, and a side wall (9) connecting the front and back walls (8, 10). One or more ribs (2) are placed in paralell to the horizontal drum axis, in the drum (1). Said ribs (2) enhance the movement of the laundry loaded into the drum (1) and increase the washing efficiency.

Description

WASHING MACHINE

The present invention relates to a washing machine with a rib placed in the drum, to enhance the movement of the laundry contained in the drum which in turn improves the washing efficiency.

In washing machines with horizontal axis, laundry is washed by the rotation of the drum about the horizontal axis, i.e. from left to right and vice versa. By means of the ribs provided in the drums of the washing machines, laundry is carried along up to a certain height and allowed to drop as the drum rotates. However the movement of the laundry in the drum is not sufficient and yields a low washing performance. Various studies are made in order to enhance the washing performance by increasing the movement of laundry.

In the state of art, in European Patent Application No. 287989, the inner surface of the drum is provided with internal ribs preferably inclined at an angle of 15° relative to the drum axis. Due to this angular position of the ribs with respect to the drum axis, the movement of the laundry in the drum is increased. Positioning of the ribs described in said invention, on the inner surface of the drum is quite difficult due to the curved (arched) structure of said inner surface.

In the European Patent Application No. 957195 and in Japon Patent Application No. 7024178, the height of the ribs in the washing machine drum reduces towards the back of the drum, which thus forces the laundry towards the back wall of the drum; and the movement of laundry in the drum is increased.

The object of the present invention is to improve the washing effectiveness and efficiency by enhancing the movement of the laundry being washed in the drum of the washing machine. The washing mechane realized to attain the object of the invention has been illustrated in the attached drawings; wherein:

Figure 1, is the front perspective view of the drum; Figure 2, is the front perspective view of the drum, without a front wall;

Figure 3, is the plan perspective view of the rib;

Figure 4, is the plan view of the rib;

Figure 5, is the front schematical view of the drum and the ribs;

Figure 6, is the perspective view of the rib from the bottom Figure 7, is the plan front view of the rib.

The components shown in the drawings have individually been given reference numerals as shown below:

1. Drum

2. Rib

3. Front surface

4. Back surface

5. First lateral surface 6. Second lateral surface

7. Base

8. Back wall

9. Side wall

10. Front wall 11. Border

12. Internal angle formed by the first lateral surface relative to the side wall

13. Internal angle formed by the second lateral surface relative to the side wall The washing machines, preferably those with horizontal axes, comprise a drum (1) wherein the washing process is realized. The drum (1) is typically cylindrical however it may also have a conical structure. Said drum (1) consists of a back wall (8), a front wall (10) comprising a loading inlet through which the laundry is loaded in the drum, and of a side wall (9) connecting the front and back walls (8, 10).

One or more ribs (2) are placed in parallel to the horizontal drum axis, in the drum (1). Said ribs (2) enhance the movement of the laundry loaded into the drum (1) and increase the washing efficiency.

The rib (2) according to the present invention, comprises a front surface (3) facing the front wall (10) of the drum (1), a back surface (4) facing the back surface (8) of the drum (1) and the first lateral surface (5) and the second lateral surface (6) connecting the front-and back-surfaces (4 and 5), as well as a preferably rectangular base (7) placed on the drum side wall (9). Said front-and back-surfaces (3 and 4) are preferably triangular. A border (11) is provided on the rib (2) to separate the lateral surfaces (5 and 6). Said border (11) which may be in a curve or a surface form, is preferable linear. The projection line of the border (11) on the base (7) is not parallel to the edges of the base (7) that are adjacent to the lateral surfaces (5 and 6).

The rib (1) has a twisted structure and as the result of said twisting, the lateral surfaces (5 and 6) have a curved shape. Consequently, the angle (12 and 13) between the lateral surfaces (5 and 6) and the side wall (9) of the drum varies along the lateral surfaces (5 and 6). The angle (12) formed by the first lateral surface (5) relative to the drum side wall (9) reduces from the drum front wall (10) towards the drum back wall (8) so that the laundry is driven backwards while the drum (1) is rotating about its axis; whereas the angle (13) formed by the second lateral surface (6) relative to the drum side wall (9) increases from the drum front wall (10) towards the drum back wall (8) so that the laundry is driven forwards while the drum (1) is rotating about its axis.

When the washing machine according to the present invention is operated after the loading of the laundry into the drum (1), water flows in to the drum and the washing process is realized by the successive clockwise or counterclockwise movements of the drum (1) in line with the working cycle. During the clock wise rotation of the drum (1), laundry items collected at the lowermost portion of the drum, are moved by the rib (2) and raised upwards on the drum side wall (9) and dropped again into the washing liquid. As the angle (12) formed by the first lateral surface (5) relative to the drum side wall (9) reduces from the drum front wall (10) towards the drum back wall (8), the laundry items positioned closer to the back wall (8) on the first lateral surface (5) are dropped back to the washing liquid more rapidly than those closer to the front wall (10). The laundry items that are at a closer position to the front wall (10) slide backwards on the rib (2) towards the back wall (8) and then are dropped in the washing liquid. Thus, the laundry items are raised up to a certain height and dropped back into the washing liquid and also they move towards the back wall (8) in the drum by sliding over the rib (2), and consequently by increasing the movement of the laundry, washing efficiency is improved.

During the counter-clockwise rotation of the drum (1), laundry items collected at the lowermost portion of the drum, are moved by the rib (2) and raised upwards, on the drum side wall (9) and dropped again into the washing liquid. As the angle (13) formed by the second lateral surface (6) relative to the drum side wall (9) increases from the drum front wall (10) towards the drum back wall (8) the laundry items positioned closer to the front wall (10) on the second lateral surface (6) are dropped back to the washing liquid more rapidly than those closer to the back wall (8). The laundry items that are at a closer position to the back wall (8), slide forwards on the rib (2), towards the front wall (10) and then are dropped in the washing liquid. Thus, the laundry items are raised up to a certain height and dropped back into the washing liquid and also they move towards the front wall (10) in the drum by sliding over the rib (2), and consequently by increasing the movement of the laundry, washing efficiency is improved.

Due to the fact that only the lateral surface (5 or 6) of the rib (2) are twisted and the base (7) of the rib is almost rectangular, the rib (2) can easily be fastened onto the drum side wall (9) by using known techniques. The rib (2) according to the present invention can also be attached to existing machines and designs without any structural modifications.

Said rib (2) according to the present invention is not only used in washing machines with horizontal-axis, but is also used in the washing machines with inclined or conical drum axes, in order to provide the same advantages.

When a conventional rib is used in the washing machines, the laundry is washed in the drum (1) by making radial peripheral movements. By means of the rib (2) obtained through twisting, the axial movement of the laundry along the drum (1) axis (i.e. to-and-fro in the drum) enhances the washing performance, increases dirt removal capacity of the washing machine and decreases its energy consumption.

Claims

1. A washing machine comprising a drum (1) including a back wall (8), a front wall (10) comprising a loading inlet through which the laundry is loaded in the drum and a side wall (9) and, one or more than one rib(s) (2) comprising a front surface (3) facing the front wall (10) of the drum (1), a back surface (4) facing the back surface (8) of the drum (1) and the first lateral surface (5) and the second lateral surface (6) connecting the front and back-surfaces (4 and 5), as well as a preferably rectangular base (7) placed on the drum side wall (9) and a border (11) provided on the rib (2) to separate the lateral surfaces (5 and 6), characterized with the rib (2) with a twisted structure due to the curved shape of its lateral surfaces.

2. A washing machine as defined in Claim 1, characterized with the rib (2) wherein the angle (12) formed by the first lateral surface (5) relative to the drum side wall (9) and the angle (13) formed by the second lateral surface (6) relative to the drum side wall (9), vary along the lateral surfaces.

3. A washing machine as defined in Claims 1 and 2, characterized with the rib (2) wherein the angle (12) formed by the first lateral surface (5) relative to the drum side wall (9) reduces from the drum front wall (10) towards the drum back wall (8) so that the laundry is driven backwards while the drum (1) is rotating about its axis; whereas the angle (13) formed by the second lateral surface (6) relative to the drum side wall (9) increases from the drum front wall (10) towards the drum back wall (8) so that the laundry is driven forwards while the drum (1) is rotating about its axis.

4. A washing machine as defined in Claims 1 and 2, characterized with the rib (2) wherein the projection line of the border (11) on the base (7) is not parallel to the edges of the base (7) that are adjacent to the lateral surfaces (5 and 6).

5. A washing machine as defined in Claims 1 to 4, characterized with the rib (2) wherein the border (11) has a linear form.

6. A washing machine as defined in Claims 1 to 4, characterized with the rib (2) wherein the border (11) has a curved form.

7. A washing machine as defined in Claims 1 to 4, characterized with the rib (2) wherein the border (11) has a surface form.