Washer method and apparatus

Abstract

An improved washer (10, 210, 710) having a quick fill (32, 34) and a quick drain (36, 38) with reduced overall wash time is provided. Means are provided for doing a very cold wash to permit machine washing of fine clothing that heretofore was hand washed or dry cleaned. The washer (10, 210, 710) can be provided with one (30), two (224, 230) or three tanks (750A, B & C, 950A, B & C) for water at three temperatures, very cold (refrigerated), tap or city water supply temperature, or hot water. The very cold can be made by a refrigeration or chilling means (62, 64, 98), located in or adjacent the very cold water tank. The hot water can be provided from or have a heater (230, 320, 750C, 950C) therein one of the tanks. The washer also includes an improved embossed basket (600) with increased surface area. The features can be built into a new washer or retrofitted into an existing washer. Very cold water wash and rinse can be provided so that cloths, and particularly clothes such as made of wool, rayon, acetate or other clothes, such as leathers or furs, usually dry cleaned or hand washed, can be machine washed with the present invention without use of hazardous chemicals or shrinkage.

Description

[0001] This United States PCT application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60 / 446,928 filed Feb. 12, 2003, by the same inventor on which claim of priority is made. This invention relates to a method and apparatus for a clothes washer and particularly relates to a “quick” type washer for commercial or domestic use additionally capable of cold water alternative washing to conventional (“perc”) dry cleaning of fine clothes.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] It is known to wash clothes with a washing machine, and these machines generally operate with several cycles such as “Regular Wash” and “Gentle Wash”. In either cycle the washing machine's wash drum, tub or compartment has to be filled and emptied many times with say wash water, and one or usually more rinses. Generally the wash cycle is made up of fill, wash, drain, fill, rinse, drain, fill, rinse and drain times. The fill and drain times with present washing machines can comprise 50% or mor...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0004] The present invention provides a method and apparatus for a washer that has a considerably shortened cycle time and can generally do about two loads of wash in the time one load of wash would be done in a prior art washer. The present invention achieves the increased washing capacity without reducing the actual washing action or wash time. Instead, the washer apparatus and method of the present invention provides extremely quick filling and quick draining of the wash chamber to essentially shorten the overall wash cycle. To achieve these results, a quick fill means for filling and a quick drain for draining the wash chamber means of the washer is provided. For example, filling can be reduced from three (3) minutes to fifteen (15) seconds or shorter, say 10 seconds, while draining can be reduced from sixty (60) seconds to fifteen (15) seconds or shorter, say 10 seconds. In prior art washers, draining was controlled by the public water supply pressure (say normally 80 psi) and the smallest size pipe from there to the washer. This pipe was usually about one inch or less in diameter and limited the supply or fill rate resulting in slow filling. However, this normal pressure is not always available and can be considerably lower when several washing machines or other devices are using water at about the same time. If the normal city water pressure were 80 psi, the pressure in the laundry at the washer could be 30 psi or lower, greatly slowing filling times. Likewise, the drain was limited by the size pipe used to drain the washer. This was usually about a two inch diameter pipe or less.

[0007] The washer of the method and apparatus of present invention can not only do a “regular” and / or “gentle” wash cycle, it is also capable of washing some forms of fine clothing, such as woolens, rayons, silks and acetates and even leathers or furs, that heretofore, were hand washed or only dry cleaned. In order to accomplish this additional task, the washer method and apparatus of the present invention is provided with a very cold water source, say under 50° F., and preferably around 40° F., say plus or minus 5° F. The advantage of the very cold water wash is that it minimizes distortion or shrinking of the clothing being washed. The very cold water wash with a suitable soap or cleaning chemical can in many cases replace dry cleaning done with environmentally hazardous “perc”.

[0008] To supply the very cold water, the city or public water supply flows into a large insulated tank which is several times larger than the quick fill tank and even the washers washing chamber. A means is provided for cooling the water flowing into or in the tank and / or to be supplied to the washer to the desired very cold temperature. This could take the form of chiller means or refrigerator means for cooling water. Various means could be used such as a heat exchanger, a refrigeration unit, icemaker, ice or the like to keep the water in the washer cold. The cooling could take place before the tank or before the washer chamber, but preferably takes place in the tank. This very cold water can be recirculated from the wash chamber to the cold tank or cooling means to keep the water cold. Again, such may be in the form of a pipe or line taking wash or rinse water from the washer chamber and cooling it and returning it to the wash chamber. Such means can be a pump for recirculating flow and heat exchanger in the cooling tank, or even a separate cooling or refrigerating unit. Again, as discussed above, the filling and draining of the wash chamber can, if desired, be done very quickly (15 seconds or less).

[0009] The very cold wash concept integrates into the quick wash concept so that the desired features of both can be realized. To this end, like the cold water tank, the quick fill tank, and connecting lines or pipe are also insulated to prevent heating of the water and to decrease the energy required by the refrigeration or other means providing the very cold water.

[0012] Further to enhance the washing action the inner basket of the wash chamber may have increased surface area such as by providing fins and / or raised inwardly or outwardly embossments on the cylindrical surface and end wall of the basket. The function of the increased surface area is to enhance the washing action on the clothes therein in a gentle but positive manner, without causing undo turbulence which might damage fine clothing and their buttons, while enhancing water flow area such as on a rinse or extraction cycle. This type embossed basket could also be used in a dryer.

Problems solved by technology

This pipe was usually about one inch or less in diameter and limited the supply or fill rate resulting in slow filling.

However, this normal pressure is not always available and can be considerably lower when several washing machines or other devices are using water at about the same time.

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