US 5,029,458 AGranted

Full-automatic washing and drying machine

AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.

InventorsYukio Obata, Hitoshi Ogasahara

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A full-automatic washing and drying machine has a drum mounted in an outer tank for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, a reversible motor operable at a fixed speed for driving the drum, and a power transmission device for transmitting the torque of the motor to the drum axle. The power transmission means include a reduction device. The motor and the reduction device are controlled by a control device such that, during washing and drying operations, the direction of rotation of an output shaft of the motor is switched in short periods while the speed-changing device transmits the rotation of the output shaft of the motor to the drum axle at a reduced speed, whereas, during dehydration operation, the motor operates unidirectionally and the speed-changing device transmits the unidirectional rotation of the motor output shaft to the drum axle with a speed reduction in an initial stage of the dehydration operation and, thereafter, without speed reduction.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A full-automatic washing and drying machine which automatically executes at least washing, dehydration and drying, comprising:

a machine frame;
an outer tank supported by said machine frame;
vibration damping means disposed between said machine frame and said outer tank so as to damp vibration of said machine frame;
a drum mounted in said outer tank for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis and accommodating an object to be washed, dehydrated and dried during washing, dehydration and drying, said drum having a cylindrical portion provided with an entrance opening which can be closed, end walls closing both axial ends of said cylindrical portion and at least one drum axle fixed to one of said end walls and arranged coaxially with said substantially horizontal axis, said drum axle being rotatably supported by said outer tank;
a reversible motor operable at a fixed speed;
power transmission means for transmitting the torque of said motor to said drum axle, said power transmission means including a speed-changing means having an input shaft driven by said motor and an output shaft drivingly connected to said drum axle;
control means for controlling said motor and said speed-changing means such that, during washing and drying operations, the direction of rotation of an output shaft of said motor is cyclically switched in short periods while said speed-changing means transmit the rotation of said output shaft of said motor to said drum axle at a reduced speed, whereas, during a dehydration operation, said motor operates unidirectionally and said speed-changing means transmit the unidirectional rotation of the motor output shaft with a speed reduction in an initial stage of said dehydration operation and, without speed reduction in a later stage of said dehydration operation;
water feeding means for supplying water at least into the interior of said drum prior to the washing operation;
draining means for draining the interior of said drum during dehydration operation;
and
drying means including hot air supplying means for supplying hot air into said drum during the drying operation.

8 more elements

A full-automatic washing and drying machine which automatically executes at least washing, dehydration and drying, comprising:

a machine frame;
an outer tank supported by said machine frame for movement relative to said machine frame within a predetermined limited range;
a drum mounted in said outer tank for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis and accommodating an object to be washed, dehydrated and dried during washing, dehydration and drying, said drum having a cylindrical portion provided with an entrance opening which can be closed and end walls closing both axial ends of said cylindrical portion;
driving means for driving said drum at a variable speed such that, during washing and drying operations, the direction of rotation of said drum is switched in short periods, whereas, during dehydration operation, said drum is driven at a low speed in an initial stage of said dehydration operation and at a high speed in the remainder of the dehydration operation;
water feeding means for supplying water at least into the interior of said drum prior to the washing operation;
draining means for draining the interior of said drum during dehydration operation;
and
drying means including hot air supplying means for supplying hot air into said drum during drying operation;
said draining means including a bottom space defined between said drum and at least a bottom of said outer tank, and communication means for providing communication between said bottom space and the interior of said drum;
said hot air supplying means including a closed air circulation loop including the interior of said drum, said bottom space and said communication means, a heater disposed in said closed loop upstream of the interior of said drum, a fan disposed in said closed loop and for supplying air to said heater, and a duct providing a communication between said bottom space and said fan;
said drying means including means for spraying cooling water into said duct in at least a part of the drying operation.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/524,582Filed 17 May 1990
Priority: JP 1-12755120 May 1989
Granted: 9 Jul 1991
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

D06F 37/36
Driving arrangements: for rotating the receptacle at more than one speed
D06F 25/00
Washing machines with receptacles
D06F 34/08
Details of control systems for washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers: control circuits or arrangements thereof
D06F 33/34
Control of operational steps, e.g. optimisation or improvement of operational steps depending on the condition of the laundry: of water filling