Washing machines

Abstract

A washing machine wherein a drum-containing casing is supported within a cabinet so as to permit relative vibratory movement between the casing and the cabinet. The interior of the casing is sealed against loss of liquid and can accommodate an internal pressure above or below ambient. The support comprises resiliently extensible struts between the casing and the cabinet which generally center the casing therewithin. A corrugated bellows surrounds and seals a circular opening in an end wall of the casing and at its other end a circular opening in an adjacent wall of the cabinet. The latter is closable by means of a door which seals to the opening therein. The corrugations are reinforced by at least one reinforcing helix or spiral in the form of a helical spring, which prevents the material forming the bellows sleeve from stretching or collapsing due to an increase or decrease in the pressure within the casing relative to ambient pressure outside the casing. The drum may be circular or pseudo-elliptical, when viewed axially. Water and detergent inlet ports, an air inlet port, an outlet port and a connection for a pressure gauge are located at a plurality of circularly spaced points around the cylindrical wall of the casing. Liquid can be supplied from a circulating pump which collects liquid from the housing and recirculates it under pressure preferably tangentially back into the housing. Incoming air is heated to 40° C. A heater is provided between the outer wall of the drum and the wall of the casing. An opening in the bellows supplies air to the casing during spin drying, or a diffuse mixture of water vapour and steam during washing. During drying air and water are drawn out of the casing by means of a suction pump (typically a venturi pump) so that a pressure lower than ambient exists during drying. A positive pressure in the range 1 to 5 psi over ambient is maintained in the casing and the drum during washing. Blades are fitted to extend radially of the drum wall. Where they protrude externally of the drum they assist in distributing air and liquid and diffusing vapour within the casing. A second drum or basket can be fitted within the first.

1 - 66 . (cancelled)  
     
     
         67 . A washing machine wherein a drum containing casing is mounted within a cabinet on a plurality of legs which extend between the exterior of the casing and the interior of the cabinet so as to permit relative vibratory movement between the casing and the cabinet, as in use the drum is rotated during washing and rinsing cycles to tumble articles located therein and so as to spin dry articles during drying cycles, characterised by a cylindrical sleeve, capable of axial enlargement and contraction but resistant to circular enlargement or contraction, which is sealingly secured at one end around an opening in an end wall of the casing and at its other end around an access opening in the cabinet wall.  
     
     
         68 . A washing machine as claimed in  claim 67  wherein the sleeve is formed with at least one radial corrugation to form a cylindrical bellows, and at least one loop of wire surrounds or is embedded in the wall of the corrugated sleeve so formed to resist circular enlargement or contraction of the sleeve, without interfering with the ability of the sleeve to axially expand or contract and/or for one end to be displaced laterally relative to the other due to vibration of the casing relative to the cabinet.  
     
     
         69 . A washing machine as claimed in  claim 67  wherein the interior of the casing is sealed against loss of liquid and can accommodate an internal pressure above or below ambient, the access opening is closable by means of a door which seals to the access opening.  
     
     
         70 . A washing machine as claimed in  claim 69  wherein an inner rim of the access opening in the cabinet wall is circular and is lined with a resiliently deformable annular seal, and the door extends at least partly into and through the end of the corrugated sleeve when the door is closed, and forms with the annular seal a fluid tight seal which resists inward or outward flow of air or liquid when the door is fully shut.  
     
     
         71 . A washing machine as claimed in  claim 67  wherein the casing and the drum are cylindrical and strengthening ribs are provided which extend along perpendicular diameters of the cylindrical drum.  
     
     
         72 . A washing machine as claimed in  claim 67  wherein the casing is cylindrical and the drum is pseudo elliptical and rotatable about an axis perpendicular to its major elliptical axis, and the major axis of the generally pseudo elliptical shape is less than the internal diameter of the cylindrical casing, so that the drum is capable of rotating freely therewithin.  
     
     
         73 . A washing machine as claimed in  claim 67  wherein water and detergent inlet ports, an air inlet port, an outlet port and a connection for a pressure gauge are located at a plurality of circularly spaced points around the wall of the casing.  
     
     
         74 . A washing machine as claimed in  claim 67  wherein the corrugated sleeve includes an opening in the wall thereof, through which in use air is supplied to, or drawn from the casing during spin drying.  
     
     
         75 . A washing machine as claimed in  claim 67  wherein blades are fitted to extend normally of the drum wall.  
     
     
         76 . A washing machine as claimed in  claim 75  wherein the blades protrude internally to assist in distributing air and liquid and diffusing vapour around the interior of the drum, and to assist in tumbling articles within the drum as it rotates.  
     
     
         77 . A washing machine as claimed in  claim 75  wherein the blades protrude externally of the drum to assist in distributing air and liquid and diffusing vapour within the casing.  
     
     
         78 . A washing machine as claimed in  claim 77  wherein the interior surface of the casing is cylindrical and the blades extend close to that internal cylindrical surface so as to effect a scavenging action with the casing as the drum rotates, thereby acting as paddles to lift liquid from lower regions of the casing to higher regions thereof, which liquid thereafter falls back into the drum through perforations in the wall of the drum.  
     
     
         79 . A method as claimed in  claim 78  wherein the paddles which extend from the drum and rotate therewith co-operate with the internal casing wall so that in use they act as a radial pump for drawing air and/or liquid into the casing or pumping air and/or liquid therefrom.  
     
     
         80 . A washing machine as claimed of  claim 78  wherein a second drum having perforations in its wall to allow air and liquid to pass therethrough is fitted inside the first mentioned drum.  
     
     
         81 . A method of operating a washing machine constructed as claimed of  claim 67  further comprising a pump which in use pumps water that has been used for washing or rinsing under pressure to a venturi pump to create suction.  
     
     
         82 . A method as claimed in  claim 81  wherein the water is stored in a reservoir in the machine before being pumped under pressure to actuate the venturi pump.