Method for the operating control of a clothes washing machine and clothes washing machine

Abstract

The method of the invention encompasses the stages of: rotating the basket in a weighing rotation determined by a microprocessor, of a top-loading machine, already containing the load of clothes to be washed; producing signals for a load sensing device, assembled on a suspension rod of a containment drum that holds the basket, of the maximum and minimum loads to which such suspension rod is subject during each spin of the basket, processing the above-mentioned signals in order to define the average load applied to the suspension rods and with this information, the weight of the load of clothes; and determine, through the microprocessor and as a function of the weight of the load of clothes, the weight of the load of water fed into the containment drum. The method in question also allows control over the various operating functions of the machine, through monitoring the load applied to the above-mentioned suspension rod.

1 . Method for the operating control of a clothes washing machine of the top-loading type and that comprises: a casing; a containment drum suspended inside the casing and sized to receive and hold the load of water; a plurality of suspension rods connected underneath to the containment drum and above to the casing; a basket, assembled inside the containment drum, so that it is rotated by the motor unit, on its vertical axis, during a spin-drying phase of the machine, and sized to hold a load of clothes to be washed; and a microprocessor to activate the various operating functions of the machine, said method comprising:
 placing a load of clothes in the basket of the machine;   energizing the motor unit in order to drive on the rotation the basket at a weighing rotation pre-determined by the microprocessor;   producing signals by means of a load sensing device mounted on one of the suspension rods, wherein the signals represent the maximum and minimum loads to which such suspension rod is subject during each spin, in the above-mentioned weighing rotation of the basket already containing the load of clothes;   receiving and processing such signals by the microprocessor during a certain pre-set period of time, in order to define the average load applied to the above-mentioned suspension rod and detected by the load sensing device, considering this average load value as representing that applied to each of the suspension rods and determining from the average total load on the suspension rods, the weight of the load of clothes placed in the basket; and   determining by means of the microprocessor and as a function of the weight of the load of clothes already determined, the weight of the load of water to be fed into the containment drum.   
     
     
         2 . Method, as set forth in  claim 1  whereby the machine also comprises a water feed pipe fitted with a control valve that is remotely activated and operational connected to the microprocessor, with the method comprising:
 interrupting the activation of the basket in the weighing rotation and immobilizing it, when instructed to do so by the microprocessor;   switch the control valve into an open position, when instructed to do so by the microprocessor and after determining the weight of the load of water to be pumped in and/or the containment drum;   switch the control valve into a closed position at rest, when instructed to do so by the microprocessor and when the load of water fed into the containment drum reaches the weight determined by the microprocessor as a function of the pre-determined weight of the load of clothes.   
     
     
         3 . Method as set forth in  claim 2 , which comprises the stage checking through the microprocessor the occurrence of an increase of the weight of the load of water being pumped into the containment drum, during the time that the control valve is open; and producing an operating command instruction should the weight of the load of water continue to increase below the a pre-set value per time unit. 
     
     
         4 . Method, as set forth in  claim 1  of remote switching, and operationally connected to the microprocessor, as this machine also includes a water feed pipe fitted with a control valve, with the method comprising:
 keeping the basket turning in the predetermined weighing rotation;   switching the control valve into an open position, as instructed by the microprocessor, after determining the weight of the load of water to be fed into the containment drum.   switching the control valve into a closed position, turning it off, as instructed by the microprocessor when the load of water fed into the containment drum reaches the weight determined by the microprocessor as a function of the weight of the load of clothes already determined.   
     
     
         5 . Method, as set forth in  claim 4 , which further comprises ascertaining through the microprocessor the occurrence of an increase of the weight of the load of water being pumped into the containment drum, during period when the control valve is open and with the basket still turning in the weighing rotation, producing an operating command instruction should the weight of the load of water continue to increase below a pre-set value per time unit. 
     
     
         6 . Method, as set forth in either  claim 3 , wherein the operating command instruction produces the interruption of the washing operation. 
     
     
         7 . Method, as set forth in either  claim 3 , wherein the operating command instruction includes setting off a visual and/or sound alarm. 
     
     
         8 . Method, as set forth in  claim 1 , which ascertaining through the microprocessor, the decreasing variation in the average load applied to the suspension rod that sets another load sensing device on each rotation of the basket, during the spin-drying phase of the load of clothes already washed; switching off the motor unit and finalizing the spin-drying phase and the rotation of the basket when this decreasing variation of the average load applied to the above-mentioned suspension rod that sets the load sensing device, per time unit, falls below a pre-set value. 
     
     
         9 . Method, as set forth in  claim 1 , which comprises adjusting the rotating speed of the basket during the spin-drying phase as instructed by the microprocessor to the motor unit, in order to maintain the maximum load detected by the load sensing device on each rotation of the basket below the pre-set ceiling value. 
     
     
         10 . Method, as set forth in  claim 1 , which comprises adjusting the rotating speed of the basket during the spin-drying phase, keeping it, as instructed by the microprocessor and at one lower level at least as selected by the user, in order to ensure a desired level of compacting on load of clothes being spin-dried. 
     
     
         11 . Method, as set forth in  claim 1 , which comprises ascertaining, through the microprocessor, the decreasing variation in the average load applied to suspension rod that sets the load sensing device on each spin of the, during the spin-drying phase of the load of clothes already washed; and produces an operating command instruction should the weight of the load of water drop less than the pre-set value per time unit. 
     
     
         12 . Method, as set forth in  claim 11 , which comprises operating command instruction performing at least one of the functions defined by interrupting the washing operation and setting off a visual and/or sound alarm. 
     
     
         13 . Method, as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the load sensing device is a strain gage mounted on a calibrated metal body linking the two portions of the above-mentioned suspension rod. 
     
     
         14 . Clothes washing machine of the top-loading type and that comprise: a casing; a containment drum suspended inside the casing and sized to receive and hold the load of water; a plurality of suspension rods connected underneath to the containment drum and above to the casing; a basket, assembled inside the containment drum, so that it is rotated by the motor unit and on its vertical axis, during a spin-drying phase of the machine and sized to hold the load of clothes to be washed; and a microprocessor that activates the various operating functions of the machine, wherein these suspension rods carries a load sensing device operationally associated to the microprocessor in order to supply signals to the latter representing the maximum and minimum loads applied to such suspension rod by the spin of the basket in a weighing rotation and already containing the load of clothes to be washed, said microprocessor being designed to process such signals, as a function of the definition of the average load applied to the above-mentioned suspension rod and the number of suspension rods, and determining a corresponding weight of the load of water to be fed into the containment drum. 
     
     
         15 . Machine, as set forth in  claim 14 , further comprising a water feed pipe fitted with a control valve that is remotely switched and operationally connected to the microprocessor, with this machine being characterized by the fact that the microprocessor switches the control valve into an open position after determining the weight of the load of water, and into closed position at rest when the load of water in the containment drum reaches the weight determined as a function of the weight of the load of clothes. 
     
     
         16 . Machine, as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein the microprocessor produces an operating command instruction when the increase of the weight of the load of water, with the control valve in the open position, falls below a pre-set value per time unit. 
     
     
         17 . Machine, as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein the operating command instruction performs at least one of the functions defined by interrupting the washing operation and setting off a visual and/or sound alarm. 
     
     
         18 . Machine, as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the microprocessor is designed to switch off the motor unit and finalize the spin-drying phase when the decreasing variation in the average load applied to the above-mentioned support rod that sets the load sensing device, per time unit, falls below a pre-set value. 
     
     
         19 . Machine, as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the microprocessor adjusts the rotating speed of the basket during the spin-drying phase, through controlling the switching on of the motor unit, in order to maintain the maximum load on the above-mentioned suspension rod that sets the load sensing device, on each rotation of the basket below the pre-set ceiling value. 
     
     
         20 . Machine, as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the microprocessor adjusts the rotating speed of the basket, during the spin-drying phase, through controlling the switching on of the motor unit and at one lower level at least as selected by the user, in order to ensure a desired level of compacting on load of clothes being spin-dried. 
     
     
         21 . Machine, as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein the microprocessor produces an operating command instruction when, during the spin-drying phase, the decreasing variation in the average load applied to the above-mentioned support rod that sets the load sensing device, per time unit, falls below a pre-set value. 
     
     
         22 . Machine, as set forth in  claim 21 , wherein the operating command instruction performs at least one of the functions defined by the interruption of the washing operation and setting off a visual and/or sound alarm.