Washing machine with a storage tank for reusing water and method for carrying out a water reuse step

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9702076-B2
Application number	US-201414219346-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2014
Priority date	Mar 19, 2013
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A washing machine comprises a tub in which a drum is rotatably mounted, and a storage tank having a flow connection to the tub via a feeding line provided with a pump and a three-port valve adapted to drive the flow to the drain or to the storage tank, rinsing fluid being stored in the storage tank for subsequent reuse. The washing machine further comprises a return pipe connecting the storage tank to the tub by means of a two-port valve, on such return line an auxiliary pump being placed and being used either for emptying the storage tank or for carrying out a spray washing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A washing machine comprising:
a tub;
a drum rotatably mounted within the tub;
a storage tank for storing liquid in the storage tank for subsequent reuse and having a flow connection to the tub via a feeding line;
a first pump, defining a drain pump;
a first valve selectively coupling the drain pump to a drain or to the storage tank;
a return line connecting the storage tank to the tub;
a second valve selectively coupling the return line to the tub; and
a second pump, defining an auxiliary pump provided on the return line and configured to pump liquid from the storage tank to the tub and wherein the auxiliary pump is downstream of the second valve.

2. The washing machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a recirculation line fluidly coupled between the auxiliary pump and the tub.

3. The washing machine according to claim 2 , wherein the recirculation line enters the tub at a level higher than a level at which the feeding line is connected to the tub.

4. The washing machine according to claim 2 wherein the recirculation line is adapted to be used for recirculation washing through use of the auxiliary pump.

5. The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein it comprises a control process unit adapted to drive the drain pump, the auxiliary pump, the first valve and the second valve according to a predetermined sequence.

6. The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of the feeding line is downstream of the first valve and the portion of the feeding line is connected to an upper position of the storage tank.

7. The washing machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a discharge line downstream of the first valve, an overflow line downstream of the storage tank, and an automatic control valve fluidly coupled to and selectively controlling a flow through the discharge line and the overflow line.

8. The washing machine according to claim 7 , further comprising a vent hose directly coupling the automatic control valve to the tub.

9. The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the storage tank is positioned at a level lower than that of a lower part of the tub.

10. The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first valve or the second valve is driven by a wax motor with a PTC thermistor.

11. A method for washing laundry in a washing machine comprising a tub in which a drum is rotatably mounted, and a storage tank having a flow connection to the tub via a feeding line provided with a first pump, in the form of a drain pump, and a first valve adapted to drive a flow to a drain or to the storage tank, rinsing liquid being stored in the storage tank for subsequent reuse, the method comprising:
pumping liquid through the feeding line into the storage tank utilizing the drain pump, and keeping stored liquid in the storage tank up to its reuse;
feeding liquid from the storage tank, through a return line and a second valve in an open configuration, to the tub utilizing a second pump, in the form of an auxiliary pump, where the auxiliary pump is downstream of the second valve; and
closing the second valve when a liquid level in the storage tank has reached a predetermined level.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising recirculating liquid in the tub by the auxiliary pump.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the feeding liquid from the storage tank to the tub is adjusted by controlling an opening time of the second valve and knowing a flow rate of the auxiliary pump.

14. The method according to claim 11 wherein the second valve is a two-port valve.

15. A method for washing laundry in a washing machine comprising a tub in which a drum is rotatably mounted, and a storage tank having a flow connection to the tub via a feeding line provided with a drain pump and a three-port valve adapted to drive a flow to a drain or to the storage tank, rinsing liquid being stored in the storage tank for subsequent reuse, the method comprising:
pumping liquid through the feeding line into the storage tank and keeping stored liquid in the storage tank up to its reuse;
feeding liquid from the storage tank, through a return line and a two-port valve in an open configuration, to the tub utilizing an auxiliary pump; and
closing the two-port valve when a liquid level in the storage tank has reached a predetermined level.

16. A washing machine comprising:
a tub;
a drum rotatably mounted within the tub;
a storage tank for storing liquid in the storage tank for subsequent reuse and having a flow connection to the tub via a feeding line;
a drain pump;
a first valve selectively coupling the drain pump to a drain or to the storage tank;
a return line connecting the storage tank to the tub;
a second valve selectively coupling the return line to the tub and where the second valve is a two-port valve; and
an auxiliary pump provided on the return line and configured to pump liquid from the storage tank to the tub.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Bocchino Gianluca
• Cagliani Marco
• Caruso Luca
• Civanelli Claudio
• Martinello Daniele

Classifications

• D06F39/083 Primary

  Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements · CPC title

• D06F39/006 Primary

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic

• D06F39/20

  Arrangements for water recovery · CPC title