US 4,175,409 AGranted

Clothes washing machine

AssigneeGeneral Electric Company

InventorEverett D. Morey

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Abstract

An improved vertical axis clothes washing machine and method having wash, rinse, and spin extraction operations including a tub, an agitator, a first basket within the tub, a second basket disposed within the first basket and positioned on the agitator for movement therewith. There is also a water supply for feeding hot and cold water into the machine, electrically powered drive for operating the agitator to effect washing of the fabrics and for rotating the baskets to centrifugally extract water from the fabrics. Water is allowed to flow from the baskets into the tub and may be recirculated from the tub into the baskets during the wash and rinse operations. The improvement is a separate cycle of a continuous wash and rinse operation followed by a spin extraction operation for washing clothes in only the second basket while fresh water is introduced continuously into the second basket during the combined wash and rinse operation and directed to drain and not recirculated. At the end of the continuous wash and rinse operation the fresh water flow is stopped and a centrifugal extraction operation is completed. The improved machine and method minimizes the amount of water used, reduces the temperature of the water and clothes to minimize wrinkling during the spin operation, improves the removal of oily soil responsive to detergent concentration, and provides for the removal of "removed" soil from the basket which minimizes redeposition.

Claims8

Dependent claims

In a vertical axis clothes washing machine having wash, rinse, and spin extraction operations including a tub, an agitator, a first basket within the tub, a second basket, having a side wall with a plurality of openings particularly at the bottom thereof, disposed within the first basket and positioned on the agitator for movement therewith, water supply means for feeding hot and cold water into the machine, electrically powered drive means for operating the agitator to effect washing of the fabrics and for rotating the baskets to centrifugally extract water from the fabrics, communication means to allow water to flow from the baskets into the tub, recirculating means arranged to take water from the tub and recirculate it into the baskets during the wash and rinse operations, the improvement comprising:

(a) a separate cycle of a continuous wash and rinse operation followed by a spin extraction operation for washing clothes in only the second basket including;
(i) means to continuously introduce fresh water into the second basket during the continuous wash and rinse operation,
(ii) means to continuously flow wash and rinse water from the second basket through the openings therein into the first basket so that said second basket does not fill to a level beyond that necessary to maintain the clothes therein in a sopping wet condition and then from the first basket into the tub,
(iii) diverting means in the recirculation means to continuously direct water to drain from the tub during the combined wash and rinse operation,
(b) means to oscillate back and forth the small basket with the agitator in unison therewith during the continuous wash and rinse operation,
(c) means to reduce the temperature of the fresh water introduced into the second basket part way through the continuous wash and rinse operation to gradually reduce the temperature of the clothes, and
(d) means to stop the flow of fresh water into the second basket prior to the spin extraction operation and take water from the tub and direct the water to drain.

4 more elements

In a vertical axis clothes washing machine having a wash fill, wash, spin extraction, rinse fill, rinse, and spin extraction operations including a tub, an agitator, a first basket within the tub, a set of water control valves for feeding hot and cold water into the machine at a first flow rate, electrically powered drive means for operating the agitator to effect washing of the fabrics and for rotating the basket and agitator in unison to centrifugally extract water from the fabrics, communication means to allow water to flow from the basket into the tub, recirculating means arranged to take water from the tub and recirculate it into the basket during the wash and rinse operations, the improvement comprising:

(a) a second basket, having a side wall with a plurality of openings particularly at the bottom thereof, disposed within the first basket and positioned on the agitator for movement therewith;
(b) a separate machine cycle of a continuous flow through combined wash and rinse operation followed by a spin extraction operation for washing clothes in only the second basket, said continuous flow through combined wash and rinse operation including;
(i) means including a second set of water control valves for hot and cold water to continuously introduce fresh water into the second basket during the continuous wash and rinse operation at a second flow rate less than the first flow rate,
(ii) means to continuously flow wash and rinse water from the second basket through the openings therein into the first basket at a rate sufficient to prevent a bath type wash and rinse action in the second basket, and from the first basket into the tub,
(iii) diverting means in the recirculation means to continuously direct water to drain from the tub during the combined wash and rinse operation,
(iv) means to oscillate back and forth the second basket with the agitator in unison therewith during the continuous wash and rinse operation,
(v) means to reduce the temperature of the fresh water introduced into the second basket part way through the continuous wash and rinse operation to gradually reduce the temperature of the clothes, and
(vi) means to stop the flow of fresh water into the second basket prior to the spin extraction operation and take water from the tub and direct the water to drain.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 05/848,536Filed 4 Nov 1977 · continuation in part
Priority: 14 Jun 1976
Granted: 27 Nov 1979
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

D06F 21/08
About a vertical axis: within an enclosing receptacle
D06F 34/08
Details of control systems for washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers: control circuits or arrangements thereof
D06F 35/005
Washing machines, apparatus, or methods not otherwise provided for: methods for washing, rinsing or spin-drying
D06F
Laundering, drying, ironing, pressing or folding textile articles