Program-Controlled Washing Machine

Abstract

To optimize the completeness, uniformity and reproducibility of a wetting process in a program-controlled washing machine, which can be adjusted according to the amount of laundry in a washing drum, which is rotationally mounted in a lye container about a non-vertical axis by means of a water supply system and by means a control device, said process being temporally controlled by the supply of water into the lye container. According to the invention, the wetting process is divided up into a series of phases corresponding to the various amounts (small, medium, large) of laundry that is to be treated. As a result, it is possible to adapt the wetting process according to the number and formation of individual phases in relation to the amount of laundry that is to be treated.

1 - 17 . (canceled)  
   
   
       18 . A program-controlled washing machine comprising: 
 a tub and a laundry drum mounted within the tub and receiving laundry, the drum being mounted for rotation with respect to the tub about a non-vertical axis;    a water supply system supplying water into the tub in a wetting process; and    a control device controlling the water supply system and wetting process and adjusting the wetting process in response to the amount of laundry in the laundry drum, the wetting process being divided into as many phases as a number of quantity stages provided for the laundry to be treated.    
   
   
       19 . The washing machine according to  claim 18 , wherein each phase of the wetting process comprises a section during which a predetermined level of water supplied during this section is set in the tub while the laundry drum turns continuously in a specific direction.  
   
   
       20 . The washing machine according to  claim 18 , wherein the laundry drum includes a scoop device and the direction of rotation of the laundry drum corresponds to the direction of effectiveness of the scoop device.  
   
   
       21 . The washing machine according to  claim 19 , wherein the section lasts until the predetermined level is reached.  
   
   
       22 . The washing machine according to  claim 21 , wherein a measuring device is provided to determine that the predetermined level is reached.  
   
   
       23 . The washing machine according to  claim 22 , wherein the water supply system includes an intake valve and a time-measuring device is used as an additional measuring device to determine an opening time of the intake valve.  
   
   
       24 . The washing machine according to  claim 22 , further comprising a liquid-quantity measuring device providing an additional measuring device to determine the amount of liquid supplied.  
   
   
       25 . The washing machine according to  claim 20 , wherein the control device has a comparator for the measurement parameter for ending the section.  
   
   
       26 . The washing machine according to  claim 18 , wherein in at least one of the second and a further phase of the wetting process, a stage with reversing drum movement is allocated to the section.  
   
   
       27 . The washing machine according to  claim 26 , wherein the stage with reversing drum movement is incorporated ahead of the section.  
   
   
       28 . The washing machine according to  claim 27 , wherein the measuring device for achieving at least one of the predetermined level and the comparator is switched off during the reversing drum movement.  
   
   
       29 . The washing machine according to  claim 19 , wherein the level in at least one of the second and further phase is predetermined depending on the washing quantity stage.  
   
   
       30 . The washing machine according to  claim 19 , wherein movement of the drum in the specific direction is carried out in coordination with the design features of the tub and the laundry drum at a rotational speed of about 20 rpm.  
   
   
       31 . The washing machine according to  claim 27 , wherein the reversing drum movement is carried out in coordination with the design features of the tub and the laundry drum at a rotational speed of about 40 rpm.  
   
   
       32 . The washing machine according to  claim 18 , wherein the phases last between 10 and 40 seconds.  
   
   
       33 . A method for operating a program-controlled washing machine comprising a tub and a laundry drum mounted within the tub and receiving laundry, the drum being mounted for rotation with respect to the tub about a non-vertical axis, a water supply system supplying water into the tub in a wetting process, and a control device controlling the water supply system and the wetting process, the method comprising the acts of: 
 coordinating a wetting process of a laundry batch to be treated in a laundry drum of a washing machine;    performing a first phase of the wetting process and supplying a predetermined quantity of water with the water supply system with unidirectional drum movement; and    performing a second phase of the wetting process if a small amount of washing solution according to a small amount of laundry has been determined in the first phase according to measurement parameters.    
   
   
       34 . The method according to  claim 33 , wherein in the second phase includes a section with unidirectional drum movement, the method further comprising the acts of: 
 determining the laundry quantity stage by setting the amount of water supplied in relation to an allocated laundry quantity stage; and    initiating a further phase for the wetting process if the washing solution level allocated to the current phase for the amount of laundry is exceeded.