1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to a washing machine. In particular, this invention is related to a washing machine with an ultraviolet protection cycle.
2. Description of Related Art
Protecting individuals from sunlight is important due to the harmful effects of sunlight on the skin and subcutaneous tissues. These effects may be experienced during, immediately after, and after prolonged and/or repeated exposure. Immediate exposure may cause reddening and a painful sunburn. Repeated exposure may cause premature aging of the skin and a loss of elastic quality.
Medically, sunlight is a contributing factor to the development of diseases such as melanoma, squamous cell, and basal cell carcinomas. A common type of long term damage is basal cell carcinoma which, although seldom fatal, can be disfiguring and requires medical attention. Another somewhat less common disease resulting from sun exposure is squamous cell carcinoma. Although also generally non-fatal, squamous cell carcinoma can spread through the body if left untreated. The most deadly and feared cancer associated with sun exposure is malignant melanoma which spreads to other parts of the body unless detected and treated at an early stage of the disease.
Xeroderma pigmentosum is a rare pigmentary and atrophic autosomal recessive disease which causes extreme cutaneous photosensitivity to ultraviolet light and affects all races. This disease requires highly undersireable precautions to prevent exposure to light to the extent of remaining indoors in darkened rooms.
The components of sunlight that have been identified as causing deleterious medical affects are wavelengths in the ultraviolet spectrum which ranges from about 200 nanometers to about 400 nanometers.
Fabrics have been designed which reduce ultraviolet radiation transmission. These fabrics may have a tightly woven fabric to reduce the transmission of ultraviolet radiation. In accordance with the recognition brought forth by the present invention that the process of washing these fabrics may loosen the weave of these fabrics and, as a result, reduce the effectiveness of these fabrics to block ultraviolet radiation, the present invention proposes a solution to a need to provide a washing cycle which better maintains the tightness of weave of these fabrics to reduce the gaps between the fibers and/or to actually improve the ability to block ultraviolet radiation transmission by filling the interstices between the weaves of fabrics.
Additionally, dyes and/or particles have been developed that increase the ultraviolet protection of fabrics. These materials may be applied during the manufacture of garments and/or applied by a consumer. Further, these materials may be applied during a washing cycle in a washing machine. In accordance with the recognition brought forth by the present invention that these materials may have degrading ultraviolet protection properties over time, may not be efficiently applied and/or may even have their ultraviolet protection properties degraded during a washing cycle in a washing machine, the present invention proposes a controller (such as, for example a control panel) for a washing machine with a storage that stores and ultraviolet protection cycle and another cycle and a selector which may select one of the ultraviolet protection cycle and another cycle. In this manner, a washing machine may be provided which may improve the ultraviolet protection properties of items being laundered.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention utilizes the characteristics of a household appliance (e.g., a washing machine) to provide improved ultraviolet protection to fabrics.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a washing machine with a controller that is programmed to provide an optimum temperature, cycle time, spin speed, and spin cycle patter, to achieve an improved ultraviolet protection to the items being laundered. Additionally, this controller avoids unnecessary wear on the laundered items during the washing cycle by providing a cycle length that is sufficient to ensure proper application of ultraviolet absorbers and/or optical fabrics but does not extend the length of the cycle longer than necessary to avoid unnecessary wear.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a controller for a washing machine that includes: a memory storing an ultraviolet protection wash cycle and another wash cycle, and a selector that selects one of the ultraviolet protection wash cycle and the another wash cycle.
Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides washing machine that includes a housing a rotatable drum within the housing, and a controller in the housing that that selects one of a ultraviolet protection wash cycle and another wash cycle.
Ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) is a rating that measures the ultraviolet protection that is provided by a fabric. Unlike the more commonly known sun protection factor (SPF) which only measures protection from ultraviolet B radiation (about 280-320 nm), the ultraviolet protection factor measures the ability to protect against both ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B radiation (280-400 nm). A fabric with an ultraviolet protection factor of 15 only allows 1/15th of the ultraviolet radiation to pass through the fabric. In other words, a fabric with an ultraviolet protection factor of 15 means that a person may be exposed to ultraviolet protection for 15 times longer than if that person would not have any protection. For example, if a person would normally become sunburned after ten (10) minutes of exposure, then that person would be able to be exposed for one hundred and fifty minutes (150) while wearing a fabric having an ultraviolet protection factor of 15 before becoming sunburned.
A conventional white cotton T-shirt may provide an ultraviolet protection factor of about 4 or 5. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may raise the ultraviolet protection factor of a white cotton T-shirt to about 15.
A heater 13 at the base of the outer tub 1 heats the washing liquid 6. This washing liquid 6 is introduced into the outer tub 1 through valves 8 or 9. Two chambers 111 and 112 are shown in the detergent dispenser 11, through which fresh water flows respectively when the assigned valve 8 or 9 is opened. Detergent in the chambers is then transferred by the water through the pipe 10 out of the detergent dispenser 11 and into the outer tub 1. Washing liquid 6, which is at the bottom of the outer tub 1, may be conveyed out the discharge pipe 17 and by a pump 19.
The controllable aspects of the washing machine, such as the valves 8 and 9, the heater 13, the drum drive motor 14, and the drain pump 18, are controlled by a controller 12. A temperature sensor 15 measures the temperature of the washing liquid 6, and transmits temperature measurement signals to an evaluator 121 in the controller 12.
Another washing cycle 42 in this example is a regular cotton warm program washing cycle. The exemplary ultraviolet protection washing cycle 20 is similar to the another washing cycle 42, however, the exemplary ultraviolet protection washing cycle 20 has been modified to incorporate aspects of the present invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art understand that other cycles may also be modified to incorporate aspects of the present invention.
The exemplary ultraviolet protection washing cycle 20 incorporates seven phases.
The first phase (Ph1) is a wetting phase, the second phase (Ph2) is a washing phase, the third phase (Ph3) is a first intermediate spin, the fourth phase (Ph4) is a first rinsing, the fifth phase (Ph5) is a second intermediate spin, the sixth phase (Ph6) is a second rinsing, and the seventh phase (Ph7) is a final spin.
As is clearly illustrated by
The higher temperature is helpful because some ultraviolet protection materials, such as, for example, additives and/or fabric coatings, and the like, are more effective at such higher temperatures. For example, an ultraviolet protection material that is added to the washing machine in order to treat the laundry to provide improved ultraviolet protection may be more effectively bonded to and/or react with the fabric at such higher temperatures. In other words, the present invention may adapt a wash cycle by increasing the temperature of the laundry to increase the effectiveness of such additives.
As is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, since the exemplary ultraviolet protection washing cycle 20 may provide only hot water during the early phases of the washing cycle, the exemplary ultraviolet protection washing cycle 20 may provide more overall volume of hot water and less overall volume of cold water to the cycle in comparison to the another washing cycle 42.
This increased temperature provided by the exemplary ultraviolet protection washing cycle 20 is approximately an optimum temperature for ultraviolet absorbers or optical brighteners to act on the laundry 7. Additionally, the extended length of the washing phase (Ph2) of the exemplary ultraviolet protection washing cycle 20 in comparison to the another cycle 42 provides additional time for ultraviolet absorbers or optical brighteners to more fully react.
Further, the increased time provided to the washing phase (Ph2) provides additional time to mechanically work the fibers in the laundry such that the mechanical structure of the laundry may provide improved ultraviolet protection. For example, the additional mechanical working of the laundry may result in fiber lint filling being worked away from the fibers and into the interstices between the fibers. The filling of the interstices closes the gaps between the fibers through which ultraviolet radiation would otherwise pass. In this manner, the additional mechanical working provided by the exemplary ultraviolet protection washing cycle 20 improves the ultraviolet protection of the laundry.
Referring again to
In contrast, the exemplary ultraviolet protection washing cycle 20 modifies the spin phase (Ph7) to reduce the spin speed and to reduce the duration of the spin so as to better enable ultraviolet absorbers and/or optical brighteners to stay on the laundry 7. For example, the spin speed 22 of the exemplary ultraviolet protection washing cycle 20 incorporates several spin spikes 44, 46, and 48. The spin spikes 44, 46, and 48 progressively increase in spin speed. For example, the first spin spike 44 has a spin speed of about 400 RPM, the second spin spike 46 has a spin speed of about 500 RPM, and the third spin spike 48 has a spin speed of about 600. For each spin spike, once the RPM reaches the designated speed, the spin continues at that speed for about thirty (30) seconds and then returns to about a zero (0) spin speed.
An additional benefit provided by the exemplary ultraviolet protection washing cycle 20 during the final spin phase (Ph7) is that the reduction of the spin speed to about zero (0) RPM between the spin spikes 44, 46, and 48, permit the laundry to reposition within the drum 2. During the spinning, the laundry 7 tends to stay against the surface of the drum 2, by permitting repositioning, pockets and/or tangles within the laundry 7 which might otherwise trap washing liquid 6 in the laundry 7 would be repositioned such that they might not trap the washing liquid 6 in the laundry 7 during a subsequent spin spike.
The exemplary ultraviolet protection washing cycle 20 of the present invention may work in conjunction with ultraviolet absorbers, optical brighteners, and the like. For example, a user of a washing machine may instruct the controller to select a washing cycle that incorporates aspects of the present invention. A user may select a detergent that incorporates optical brighteners, place the detergent into the detergent chamber 111 of the detergent dispenser 11 and select the exemplary ultraviolet protection washing cycle 20 using a user interface (not shown) that instructs the controller to operate the washing machine with a washing cycle that incorporates aspects of the present invention.
Similarly, a user of a washing machine incorporating exemplary aspects of the present invention may provide an ultraviolet absorber to a fabric softener chamber 112 of the detergent dispenser, add a detergent into the detergent chamber 111 of the detergent dispenser 11 and select the exemplary ultraviolet protection washing cycle 20 using a user interface (not shown) that instructs the controller to operate the washing machine with a washing cycle that incorporates aspects of the present invention.
Those of ordinary skill in the art understand that various aspects of a washing cycle may be modified to incorporate aspects of the present invention. Any washing machine controller that provides a washing cycle that incorporates any aspect of the present invention such that the washing cycle improves the ultraviolet protective characteristics of the laundry in comparison to another washing cycle practices the present invention.
While the above describes an exemplary embodiment of the present invention for use with ultraviolet absorbers and/or optical brighteners, those of ordinary skill in the art understand that the present invention may also be useful with other optical brightening agents, fluorescent brightening agents, fluorescent whitening agents, dyes that absorb ultraviolet wavelengths, dyes that absorb violet wavelengths, dyes that re-emit blue wavelengths, and the like. Such additives may be used to also enhance the color of fabric and paper, causing a whitening effect, making materials look less yellow, and increasing the amount of light received by the eye from the fabric.
Optical brighteners are commonly added to laundry detergents to replace whitening agents that may be removed during washing to make clothes appear cleaner. Optical brighteners had generally replace bluing which has been used to produce similar effects.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
12001094 | Dec 2007 | US | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP08/66718 | 12/3/2008 | WO | 00 | 6/24/2010 |