Water-conducting household appliance

Abstract

The invention relates to a water-conducting household appliance, in particular a washing machine or a washer-dryer, comprising a laundry drum (1) mounted in a housing, a suds container (3) arranged around the laundry drum (1), and a door (5) provided for closing a laundry filling opening in the housing and the laundry drum (1). A dosing container (7) for holding a detergent is provided in the door (5). A flow path (71, 57, 31) for a suds solution produced by mixing the detergent in the dosing container (7) with water leads from the dosing container (7) into the suds container (3), bypassing the laundry drum (1).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a water-bearing household appliance, and in particular to a water-bearing household appliance with a detergent dosing system in the appliance door.

[0002] The applicant sells household appliances, particularly washing machines and washer-dryers, equipped with a detergent dosing system in the appliance door. The detergent is dispensed from a dispenser in the door directly into the drum of the appliance, where a wash cycle then takes place. This presents a problem: the use of powdered detergent is not possible because chemical reactions occur between incompletely dissolved powder and the laundry, potentially leading to bleach stains. Therefore, only liquid detergents can be used with such door-mounted detergent dosing systems.

[0003] This presents the problem of creating a water-bearing household appliance with a detergent dosing system in the appliance door that allows the use of a powdered detergent.

[0004] A water-bearing household appliance according to the invention, in particular a washing machine or a washer-dryer, has a washing drum mounted in a housing, a tub arranged around the washing drum, and a door for closing a laundry loading opening in the housing and the washing drum. A dosing container for holding a detergent is provided in the door. A flow path of an alkaline solution produced by mixing the detergent with water in the dosing container leads from the dosing container, bypassing the washing drum, into the tub.

[0005] Because the flow path of the detergent solution from the dosing container bypasses the washing drum and leads directly into the tub, the flow path is longer compared to conventional water-based washing machines. This allows more time for the detergent to dissolve before the solution comes into contact with the laundry. Therefore, it is impossible for undissolved detergent to come into contact with the laundry in the drum. This ensures that unwanted bleaching effects due to contact with undissolved detergent on the laundry do not occur.

[0006] Preferably, in one operating state of the water-bearing household appliance, the rotation axis of the washing drum can be horizontal. The flow path of the lye can lead into a region of the washing drum located below the washing drum.

[0007] This ensures that the washing solution flows from the dosing container in the door into the interior of the appliance and downwards, without any risk of it entering the drum before reaching the tub underneath. In the described case, the appliance is a front-loading model. However, it should be noted that even with a top-loading model featuring an upward-facing loading opening and a vertical drum axis, it is possible to direct the washing solution bypassing the drum and into a section of the tub beneath it.

[0008] The housing may be equipped with a door seal featuring a hinged flap at the laundry loading opening. In an operating state of the water-bearing household appliance, a radially lowest area, defined by the hinged flap, may be connected via a hole in the door seal to an area of ​​the tub located below the washing drum.

[0009] The hole in the door seal ensures that the flow path reliably bypasses the washing drum. The detergent solution enters the appliance from the area defined radially below the door seal, through the hole in the door seal, and flows into the area of ​​the detergent tub located below the drum. This ensures that the powdered detergent dissolves completely before the laundry comes into contact with the solution.

[0010] Advantageously, the edge of the washing drum can be supported by a circumferential ridge in the door seal. This ridge reliably separates the flow path of the washing solution from the interior of the drum.

[0011] Thus, by creating a flow path outside the drum, it is reliably prevented that undissolved washing powder comes into contact with the washed laundry. While this requires an additional passage for the washing solution outside the drum and through the bridge connecting the drum to the door seal, this slight deterioration of the seal is extremely advantageous compared to previous applications in terms of washing results and the possibility of using a powdered detergent with a dosing system integrated into the door.

[0012] An embodiment of the invention is shown schematically in the drawings and is described in more detail below. It shows: Fig. 1 a side view of a washing drum with a tub according to the invention; Fig. 2 a detailed view of the Fig. 1, namely the lower right area of ​​the Fig. 1; Fig. 3 the same view as Fig. 2 with a depicted flow path.

[0013] A water-bearing household appliance according to the invention is designed based on the Fig. 1 to 3 described.

[0014] The Fig. Figure 1 shows a side view of a washing drum 1 arranged in a tub 3. The washing drum 1 is rotatably mounted in a housing (not shown) of a water-bearing household appliance, such as a washing machine or washer-dryer, via a motor unit and a shaft 2. On a side opposite the mounting in the axial direction, the drum has a laundry loading opening, which can be closed by a door 5 attached to the housing.

[0015] Door 5 contains a detergent dispenser 7 of a detergent dosing system provided in door 5, into which a detergent can be held. According to the embodiment, the detergent is a powdered detergent. However, a liquid detergent can also be used.

[0016] The washing drum 1 is connected via a bridge 13 to a door seal 55 located at an edge of the filling opening in the housing, creating a liquid-tight seal. A hinged flap 53 with a door sealing ring 51 is attached to the door seal. The basic design of the connection between the washing drum 1 and the door seal 55, and between the hinged flap 53 and the door sealing ring 51, is known.

[0017] According to the invention, one or more through holes 57 are formed in the door seal 55 at a radially lowest point in a state of use, which connects the radially lowest area of ​​the flex fold 53 with an area 31 formed between the wall of the housing and the web 13 and the washing drum 1 within the water-bearing household appliance.

[0018] When the powdered detergent in the dosing container 7 is rinsed out of the container with water during operation, it flows into an area 71 below the dosing container 7 in the door and then into the radially deepest area of ​​the swivel fold 53. From there, the detergent solution flows through the hole(s) 57 into the area 31 between the front wall of the housing and the washing drum 1, finally flowing into the detergent tub 3 below the drum 1. During this longer flow path compared to prior art, the washing powder dissolves completely in the water.

[0019] The flow path of the lye is shown schematically by the dashed arrow in the Fig. 3 shown.

[0020] Once the detergent reaches tub 3, the powdered detergent is thoroughly dissolved, allowing the solution to flow from tub 3 through openings in the drum into drum 1 and be used to wash the laundry inside. Because the detergent is thoroughly dissolved before the solution comes into contact with the laundry in the drum, problems such as bleach stains, powder residue in fabric folds, etc., which can otherwise occur when using a powdered detergent, are avoided.

Claims

[1] Water-carrying household appliance, in particular a washing machine or washer-dryer with: a washing drum mounted in a housing (1), a tub (3) arranged around the washing drum (1), a door (5) which is provided for closing a laundry loading opening in the housing and the washing drum (1), and a dosing container (7) provided in the door (5) for receiving a detergent, wherein a flow path (71, 57, 31) of a lye produced by mixing the detergent in the dosing container (7) with water leads from the dosing container (7) bypassing the washing drum (1) into the lye container (3). [2] Water-bearing household appliance according to claim 1, wherein in a state of use of the water-bearing household appliance, a rotation axis of the washing drum (1) lies horizontally, and the flow path (71, 57, 31) of the lye leads into an area of ​​the lye container (3) located below the washing drum (1). [3] Water-bearing household appliance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a door seal (55) with a flexible fold (51) is provided at the laundry filling opening on the housing, and a radially lowest area defined by the flexible fold (51) in a state of use of the water-bearing household appliance is connected via a hole (57) in the door seal (55) to an area of ​​the tub (3) located below the washing drum (1). [4] Water-bearing household appliance according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an edge of the washing drum (1) is mounted in the door seal (55) via a circumferential rib (13), and the rib (13) separates the flow path of the lye from the interior of the washing drum (1).

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