Washing machine with ion exchanger

Abstract

The present invention relates to a washing machine (1) comprising a body (2), a drawer (3) for cleaning agents such as detergent and softener, a housing (4) disposed at the upper side of the body (2) whereto the drawer (3) is disposed, an opening (5) disposed on the body (2) and wherefrom the drawer (3) is mounted to / dismounted from the housing (4), an ion exchanger (6) that provides the water received from outside for the washing process to be softened, a salt container (9) providing the regeneration process to be performed by keeping the resin in the ion exchanger (6) in brine, having a salt filling orifice (7) providing salt to be added from outside when the amount of salt in the salt solution therein decreases and a cover (8) that covers the salt filling orifice (7).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a washing machine comprising an ion exchanger that provides the generation of soft water and a salt container used in the regeneration process of the ion exchanger.

[0002] In washing machines, water softening systems are used for decreasing the hardness of the wash water and for providing an effective washing. The water softening system comprises an ion exchanger and a salt container that provides the regeneration process to be performed by keeping the resin in the ion exchanger in salty water. In order to decrease the hardness of water, the water received from the outside is passed over the ion exchanger and is delivered to the tub to be used in the washing process. Brine is present in the salt container that is actuated in the regeneration processes of the ion exchanger and the amount of salt content in the brine decreases in the course of time. When salt decreases in the salt container, decreasing of salt is detected by a conductivity sensor and the user is alerted to add salt into the salt container. In the state of the art, some solutions exist that make adding salt into the salt container easy for the user however easy access to the salt container is not provided for the user.

[0003] In the German Patent Application No. DE3520202, a washing machine that comprises an ion exchanger and a salt container which is removable through an orifice on the front side of the machine housing is explained.

[0004] In the German Patent Application No. DE102007041643A1, a washing machine that comprises a plurality of containers for different active ingredients and a control device for feeding an active ingredient combination is explained.

[0005] In the European Patent Application No. EP1085118A2, a washing machine that comprises an ion removal means provided between a water valve and a detergent throw-in vessel is explained.

[0006] In the European Patent Application No. EP2554739A1, a laundry washing machine that comprises a salt container is explained. Said salt container is permanently recessed / confined into a seat inside the boxlike casing, immediately beside the drawer housing or seat of detergent dispenser and is provided with a salt-loading mouth which is aligned to / engages a corresponding pass-through opening realized on the front wall of casing immediately beside the entrance / front opening of the drawer housing so that the salt-loading mouth is exposed or exposable onto the front wall of cabinet.

[0007] The aim of the present invention is the realization of washing machine wherein access of the user to the salt container for filling in salt is made easier.

[0008] The washing machine realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, comprises an ion exchanger and a salt container used for the water softening process and salt is filled into the salt container by accessing through the opening whereto the detergent drawer is placed and pulled out. The salt container is accessible through the detergent drawer opening in order to fill the salt into the salt container by user. When the drawer is pulled partially or entirely out of the opening, the cover of the salt container can be seen from the opening. The user opens the cover by reaching from the opening and fills the salt into the salt container. In an embodiment of the present invention, the drawer comprises at least one chamber in the drawer housing, not covering the salt container by lying next to the salt container and a front panel that closes the opening between the chambers and the salt container at the level of the salt container and used as the drawer handle at the same time. In another embodiment of the present invention, the length of the chamber of the drawer close to the salt container is shorter than that of the other chambers.

[0009] In another embodiment of the present invention, the depth of the chamber of the drawer close to the salt container is less than that of the other detergent chambers. The salt container and the drawer partially share common areas in the housing and do not prevent the utilization of one another.

[0010] According to the present invention, the salt container is integrated into the housing of the detergent drawer. In this embodiment, the salt container is produced as a single piece with the housing whereto the detergent drawer is fitted or is mounted at the lower side of the housing such that the salt filling orifice extends into the housing.

[0011] In another embodiment of the present invention, an upper plate is disposed on the salt container. The salt filling orifice and the cover are on the upper plate. A barrier is disposed around the upper plate that prevents brine overflowing out of the salt filling orifice from flowing into the inner section of the washing machine. Furthermore, discharge holes are arranged on the upper plate, that provide the brine accumulated by overflowing to be discharged out.

[0012] In another embodiment of the present invention, the portion of the drawer front panel closing the salt container opening is transparent or semi-transparent and provides the light giving "out of salt" warning to be reflected out from the front panel.

[0013] In another embodiment of the present invention, the salt filling orifice extends slantingly towards the opening. In this embodiment, a simple funnel that can be found easily on the market is used for filling in salt. In the case the salt filling orifice is flat (not slanted), a funnel configured to extend to the salt filling orifice by bending is used.

[0014] In the washing machine of the present invention, the salt container can be accessed from the opening whereto the drawer is fitted and ease of utilization is provided for the user in the process of adding salt.

[0015] The washing machine realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where: Figure 1 - is the perspective view of a washing machine with the drawer, wherein detergent is placed, being pulled out. Figure 2 - is the top schematic view of a drawer pulled out from the washing machine, a housing and a salt container in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 - is the perspective view of a drawer and a salt container in the position of being located inside the washing machine in another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 - is the detailed perspective view of the opening through which the drawer is placed and the salt container. Figure 5 - is the detailed perspective view of the opening through which the drawer is placed, the salt container and a funnel providing salt to be filled in. Figure 6 - is the detailed perspective view of the opening through which the drawer is placed, the salt container and a funnel providing salt to be filled in, in another embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows: 1. Washing machine 2. Body 3. Drawer 4. Housing 5. Opening 6. Ion exchanger 7. Salt filling orifice 8. Cover 9. Salt container 10. Chamber 11. Front panel 12. Upper plate 13. Barrier 14. Discharge hole

[0017] The washing machine (1) comprises a body (2), a drawer (3) wherein cleaning agents such as detergent and softener are filled, a housing (4) situated at the upper side of the body (2) whereto the drawer (3) is placed, an opening (5) disposed on the body (2) and wherefrom the drawer (3) is placed to / pulled out from the housing (4), an ion exchanger (6) that provides the water received from the outside for the washing process to be softened, a salt container (9) providing the regeneration process to be performed by keeping the resin in the ion exchanger (6) in brine, having a salt filling orifice (7) providing salt to be added from outside when the amount of salt in the salt solution therein decreases and a cover (8) that covers the salt filling orifice (7).

[0018] The washing machine (1) of the present invention comprises the salt container (9) wherein salt is filled by accessing through the opening (5). The salt container (9) is accessible through the opening (5) for the detergent drawer (3) in order to fill the salt into the salt container (9) by user.

[0019] The salt container (9) has the salt filling orifice (7) positioned inside the housing (4) through the opening (5), at a distance accessible by the user and which is seen from the opening (5) when the drawer (3) is pulled out partially or entirely from the opening (5).

[0020] In the washing machine (1) of the present invention, the user pulls the drawer (3) out from the opening (5) in the body (2) when salt is required to be added into the salt container (9). When the drawer (3) is pulled outwards partially or entirely, the salt filling orifice (7) and the cover (8) disposed on the salt container (9), that is integrated to the housing (4), can be seen and is accessible from outside the opening (5). The user opens the cover (8) accessed from the opening (5) and easily fills in salt into the salt container (9) through the salt filling orifice (7).

[0021] In another embodiment of the present invention, the drawer (3) comprises at least one chamber (10, 110, 210) inside the housing (4) lying next to the salt container (9) so as not to cover the salt container (9) and a front panel (11) connected with the front surfaces of the chambers (10, 110, 210) and closing the opening (5) at the level of the chambers (10, 110, 210) and the salt container (9) (Figure 1). In this embodiment, detergent is placed into the first chamber (10) located in the drawer (3) to be used in the main washing process, softener is placed into the second chamber (110) to be used in rinsing and detergent is placed into the third chamber (210) to be used in the pre-washing process.

[0022] In another embodiment of the present invention, the drawer (3) comprises a third chamber (210), at the side close to the salt container (9) and the length of which is shorter than that of the first and second chambers (10, 110) (Figure 2). In this embodiment, the drawer (3) is pulled outwards from the opening (5) for reaching the salt container (9), the first and second chambers (10, 110) partially and the third chamber (210) entirely go out from the opening (5) and the salt container (9) is accessed from behind the third chamber (210).

[0023] In another embodiment of the present invention, the drawer (3) comprises the third chamber (210), disposed at the side close to the salt container (9), that can be moved above the salt container (9) and the depth of which is less than that of the first and second chambers (10, 110) (Figure 4). The drawer (3) does not get stuck to the cover (8) of the salt container (9) disposed at its lower side while being mounted and dismounted since the depth of the third chamber (210) is low. In this embodiment, the drawer (3) has to be entirely taken outside in order to access the salt container (9) from the opening (5).

[0024] In an embodiment of the present invention, the salt container (9) comprises an upper plate (12) disposed inside the housing (4), having the salt filling orifice (7) and the cover (8) situated thereon and a barrier (13), surrounding the sides of the upper plate (12) that prevents the corrosive brine overflowing from the salt filling orifice (7), flowing down the sides of the upper plate (12) and damaging the metal components in the washing machine (1) while salt is filled into the salt container (9) by the user (Figure 5).

[0025] In a version of this embodiment, the salt container (9) comprises at least one discharge hole (14) disposed on the upper plate (12) providing the brine overflowing from the salt filling orifice (7) and collected on the upper plate (12) while salt is filled into the salt container (9) by the user to be discharged into the tub or outside by means of a discharge conduit (not shown in the figures) connected to the upper plate (12) (Figure 5).

[0026] In an embodiment of the present invention, the washing machine (1) comprises the salt container (9) that is integrated to the housing (4).

[0027] In a version of this embodiment, the salt container (9) is produced as a single piece with the housing (4).

[0028] In another version of this embodiment, the salt container (9) is integrated to the bottom wall of the housing (4) such that the salt filling orifice (7) extends towards the interior of the housing (4).

[0029] In another embodiment of the present invention, the salt container (9) comprises the salt filling orifice (7) that extends slantingly from the upper plate (12) towards the opening (5) (Figure 5). The user uses various types of funnels (F) (flat, curved etc) that reaches the salt filling orifice (7) from outside the opening (5) and designed in accordance with the structure of the salt filling orifice (7) (Figure 6, Figure 7).

[0030] In another embodiment of the present invention, the portion of the drawer (3) front panel (11) covering the opening (5) at the level of the salt container (9) is transparent or semi-transparent and light radiated from the luminous indicators (not shown in the figures) arranged in the vicinity of the salt container (9) indicating the amount of salt in the salt container (9) is reflected outside the front panel (11) and an esthetic appearance is maintained.

[0031] In the washing machine (1), the salt container (9) can be accessed from the opening (5) whereto the drawer (3) is mounted and ease of utilization is provided for the user in the process of salt addition. The user does not have to bend for adding salt into the salt container (9) since the drawer (3) and the opening (5) are situated at the upper side of the body (2).

[0032] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited by the embodiments disclosed above and a person skilled in the art can easily introduce different embodiments. These should be considered within the scope of the protection disclosed by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A washing machine (1) comprising a body (2), a drawer (3) wherein cleaning agents such as detergent and softener are filled, a housing (4) situated at the upper side of the body (2) whereto the drawer (3) is placed, an opening (5) disposed on the body (2) and wherefrom the drawer (3) is placed to / pulled out from the housing (4), an ion exchanger (6) that provides the water received from the outside for the washing process to be softened, a salt container (9) providing the regeneration process to be performed by keeping the resin in the ion exchanger (6) in brine, having a salt filling orifice (7) and a cover (8) that covers the salt filling orifice (7), the salt container (9) is separate from the drawer (3) and accessible through the opening (5) in order to fill the salt into the salt container (9), the salt container (9) having the salt filling orifice (7) which is seen from the opening (5) when the drawer (3) is pulled out partially or entirely from the opening (5) and positioned inside the housing (4) through the opening (5), at a distance accessible by the user, characterized in that the salt container (9) is integrated to the bottom wall of the housing (4) such that the salt filling orifice (7) extends into the housing (4).

2. A washing machine (1) as in Claim 1, characterized in that the drawer (3) having at least one chamber (10, 110, 210) inside the housing (4) lying next to the salt container (9) and a front panel (11) connected with the front surfaces of the chambers (10, 110, 210), closing the opening (5) at the level of the chambers (10, 110, 210) and the salt container (9).

3. A washing machine (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the drawer (3) comprising a third chamber (210), at the side close to the salt container (9) and the length of which is shorter than that of the first and second chambers (10, 110).

4. A washing machine (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized in that the drawer (3) comprising the third chamber (210), at the side close to the salt container (9) and the depth of which is less than that of the first and second chambers (10, 110).

5. A washing machine (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized in that the salt container (9) having an upper plate (12) disposed inside the housing (4), with the salt filling orifice (7) and the cover (8) disposed thereon and a barrier (13) surrounding the sides of the upper plate (12).

6. A washing machine (1) as in Claim 5, characterized in that the salt container (9) having at least one discharge hole (14) disposed on the upper plate (12) providing the brine overflowing from the salt filling orifice (7) and collected on the upper plate (12) while salt is filled in, to be discharged.

7. A washing machine (1) as in Claim 1, characterized in that the salt container (9) that is produced as a single piece with the housing (4).

8. A washing machine (1) as in any one of the above Claims, characterized in that the salt container (9) having the salt filling orifice (7) that extends slantingly from the upper plate (12) towards the opening (5).

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