WASHING MACHINE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A WASHING MACHINE

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a washing machine and method for operating a washing machine. The washing machine includes a liquid container for receiving water, a drum which is rotatably mounted in the liquid container for receiving laundry, a loading opening for filling the drum with the laundry, and a door for closing the loading opening, the door having a flushing channel for storing detergent. A motor drives the drum, and a controller is designed and configured so as to control a process of carrying out a wash program such that laundry located in the drum is centrifuged prior to and/or during a flushing process, so as to control the flushing process such that the water is supplied to the flushing channel so that the detergent is flushed into the drum.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a washing machine and method for operating a washing machine. In particular, the disclosure relates to a washing machine including a door having a flushing channel for storing detergent, a motor for driving the drum, and a controller which is designed and configured so as to control a process of carrying out a wash program, and a method for operating such a washing machine.

BACKGROUND

We have discovered that when the detergent is flushed in through the washing machine door, there is the problem that too many laundry items can block the flushing channel, meaning that the detergent remains inside the door during the intended flushing process and does not reach the drum.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure addresses the discovered problem and provides a washing machine and a method for operating a washing machine comprising a detergent supply in the door of the washing machine, which are designed in such a way that access from the door to the drum can be cleared by adjacent laundry items in order to flush the detergent into the drum in a flushing process.

The advantages that can be achieved with the disclosure are that the detergent-water mixture reaches the interior of the drum unhindered by means of the spinning and/or centrifuging of the laundry during the flushing process. In addition, an even distribution of the detergent-water mixture over the laundry is achieved.

The disclosure relates to washing machines comprising

• • a liquid container for receiving water,
  • a drum, which is rotatably mounted in the liquid container, for receiving laundry,
  • a loading opening for filling the drum with the laundry,
  • a door for closing the loading opening, said door having a flushing channel for storing detergent,
  • a motor for driving the drum, and
  • a controller which is designed and configured so as to control the motor when a wash program is being carried out such that laundry located in the drum is centrifuged prior to and/or during a flushing process, in which the water is supplied to the drum through the flushing channel, and so as to control the flushing process such that the water is supplied to the flushing channel so that the detergent is flushed into the drum.

By way of targeted centrifuging of the laundry prior to and/or during the flushing process, the laundry is pressed against the inner wall of the drum. This creates a free space in the middle of the drum. During centrifuging, water is preferably fed into the flushing channel of the door. This ensures that the detergent located in the flushing channel is effectively and evenly flushed into the drum. Preferably, the controller is designed to spin the dry laundry before the flushing process and then to supply water together with detergent to the drum through the flushing channel during centrifuging.

In a preferred embodiment, the flushing channel is designed such that detergent in powder form enters the drum exclusively or substantially exclusively when water is supplied to the flushing channel. In other words, the flushing channel is designed in such a way that the supply of detergent without additional water is prevented. For example, the flushing channel is shaped such that it has a flushing channel inlet, for example in the form of an inlet opening for filling the flushing channel with detergent, and a flushing channel outlet, for example in the form of an outlet opening for flushing the detergent into the drum. The outlet opening has, for example, a constriction and/or a ramp with a predetermined inclination and/or gradient, which is or are designed such that the detergent does not or substantially does not move to the drum on by itself.

Preferably, the controller controls the motor in such a way that it rotates the drum during the centrifuging at a contact speed or pressing speed at which the laundry lies against or is pressed against the drum. This ensures that the flushing channel has free access to the drum. The contact speed is the speed of the drum at which all laundry items lie against the drum shell. The pressing speed is the speed of the drum at which all laundry items are pressed against the drum shell.

The disclosure additionally relates to a method for operating a washing machine comprising a liquid container for receiving water, a drum, which is rotatably mounted in the liquid container, for receiving laundry, a loading opening for filling the drum with the laundry, a door for closing the loading opening, said door having a flushing channel for storing detergent, a motor for driving the drum, said method involving the process of carrying out a wash program which has a flushing process for flushing the detergent stored in the flushing channel into the drum, wherein the laundry is centrifuged prior to and/or during the flushing process, and water is supplied to the drum through the flushing channel during the flushing process in order to flush the detergent out of the flushing channel and into the drum. Preferably, the drum is centrifuged before the flushing process and then, during centrifuging, water is supplied to the drum through the flushing channel in order to flush the detergent into the drum.

In a preferred embodiment, the drum rotates during the centrifuging of the laundry at a contact speed or pressing speed at which the laundry lies against or is pressed against the drum. This ensures that the flushing channel has free access to the drum when the water is supplied to said drum.

The detergent is preferably in powder form. This prevents or at least reduces the risk of the detergent moving into the drum by itself.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An exemplary embodiment of the disclosure is shown purely schematically in the drawings and is described in more detail below. Schematically and not to scale in the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a washing machine according to the disclosure prior to a flushing process; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the washing machine shown in FIG. 1 during the flushing process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a washing machine according to the disclosure prior to a flushing process. The washing machine has a liquid container 1 for receiving water 8, a drum 2, which is rotatably mounted in the liquid container 1, for receiving laundry 6, a loading opening 10 for filling the drum 2 with the laundry 6, and a door 4 for closing the loading opening. The door 4 has a flushing channel 5 for storing detergent 7. The flushing channel 5 has a flushing channel inlet 51 for filling the flushing channel 5 with a detergent 7 and a flushing channel outlet 52 through which the detergent 7 can be flushed into the drum 2 by supplying water 8 into the drum 2. Furthermore, the washing machine has a motor M for driving the drum 2 and a controller C which is designed and configured so as to control the motor M when a wash program is being carried out such that laundry 6 located in the drum 2 is centrifuged prior to and/or during a flushing process, and so as to control the flushing process such that the water 8 is supplied to the flushing channel 5 so that the detergent 7 is flushed into the drum 2.

The washing machine is shown prior to a flushing process and in a state in which the laundry 6 is distributed in the drum 2 and blocks the flushing channel outlet 52. The laundry 6 is preferably spun before the flushing process, which is not shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the washing machine shown in FIG. 1 during a flushing process. The washing machine is shown during the flushing process and in a state in which the laundry 6 is centrifuged such that the laundry 6 lies against the drum 2 by means of the centrifuging and the flushing channel outlet 52 is exposed, and in which water 8 is supplied to the flushing channel 5 during the flushing process in order to flush the detergent 7 from the flushing channel 5 into the drum 2.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

• • 1 Liquid container
  • 2 Drum
  • 3 Water supply line
  • 4 Door
  • 5 Flushing channel
  • 6 Laundry
  • 7 Detergent
  • 8 Water
  • 51 Flushing channel inlet
  • 52 Flushing channel outlet
  • M Motor
  • C Controller

Claims

1. A washing machine comprising a liquid container for receiving water,a drum, which is rotatably mounted in the liquid container, for receiving laundry,a loading opening for filling the drum with the laundry,a door for closing the loading opening, said door having a flushing channel for storing detergent,a motor for driving the drum, anda controller which is designed and configured so as to control the motor when a wash program is being carried out such that laundry located in the drum is centrifuged prior to and/or during a flushing process, in which the water is supplied to the drum through the flushing channel, and so as to control the flushing process such that the water is supplied to the flushing channel so that the detergent is flushed into the drum.

2. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the flushing channel is designed such that detergent in powder form enters the drum exclusively or substantially exclusively when water is supplied to the flushing channel.

3. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the motor in such a way that it rotates the drum during the centrifuging at a contact speed or pressing speed at which the laundry lies against or is pressed against the drum.

4. A method for operating a washing machine comprising a liquid container for receiving water, a drum, which is rotatably mounted in the liquid container, for receiving laundry, a loading opening for filling the drum with the laundry, a door for closing the loading opening, said door having a flushing channel for storing detergent, a motor for driving the drum, said method involving the process of carrying out a wash program which has a flushing process for flushing the detergent stored in the flushing channel into the drum, wherein the laundry is centrifuged prior to and/or during the flushing process, and water is supplied to the drum through the flushing channel during the flushing process in order to flush the detergent out of the flushing channel and into the drum.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the drum rotates during the centrifuging of the laundry at a contact speed or a pressing speed at which the laundry lies against or is pressed against the drum.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the detergent is in powder form.