Front water injection for front loading washing machine
AssigneeMaytag Corporation
InventorEvan R. Vande Haar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved front loading washing machine and method of wetting clothes in a front loading machine is provided. The balance ring of the machine has a plurality of holes extending 360° around the ring through which water is flowable. A water supply line directs water to the space between the machine tub and spinner, such that the water flows by gravity along the outer surface of the balance ring and then drains or drips through the holes in the balance ring for introduction into the spinner, thereby wetting the clothes in the spinner. With this improved machine, the amount of time required to saturate the clothes in the spinner is minimized, thereby enhancing the washing action on the clothes.
Claims10
An improved front loading washing machine including a cabinet, a tub mounted within the cabinet for holding water, a spinner rotatably mounted in the tub, the tub and spinner each having a forward end with an access opening therein through which clothes are moved into and from the spinner, and a balance ring extending around the access opening of the spinner, the improvement comprising:
- the balance ring having a plurality of holes through which water can flow;
- a water supply line terminating between the tub and spinner to allow water to flow along the balance ring and through the holes in the balance ring for wetting clothes in the spinner.
A method of wetting clothes in a front loading washing machine, the machine including a cabinet, a tub mounted within the cabinet for holding water, a spinner rotatably mounted in the tub, the tub and spinner each having a forward end with an access opening therein through which clothes are moved into and from the spinner, and a ring extending around the access opening of the spinner, the improvement comprising:
- supplying water to an area between the tub and the spinner;
- and
- draining the water through holes in the ring for introduction into the spinner so as to wet clothes in the spinner.
A method of wetting clothes in a front loading washing machine, the machine including a rotatable spinner with a substantially open forward end, a closed rearward end and a sidewall defining a chamber for holding clothes, and a balance ring mounted on the spinner adjacent the forward end, the balance ring having an inner surface disposed toward the spinner chamber and an outer surface disposed away from the spinner chamber, the method comprising:
- supplying water for flow along the outer surface of the balance ring;
- and
- draining the water through holes in the balance ring for introduction into the spinner chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.