Washing machine water-free zones of the drum

Abstract

A washing machine for performing wet, dry, physical or chemical treatments on materials includes a front loading or side loading perforated drum. The perforated drum may be mounted respectively by means of a drum shaft at the rear, or by means of drum shafts at both sides horizontally, or having an angle with a horizontal axis to a drum shaft bearing system so as to rotate around a central axis of the drum. The drum may have at least one water-free dry zone on at least one outer surface of the drum, which is not accessed or contacted by the water draining from the drum during all wet treatment application processes carried out by the washing machine with water.

1 . A washing machine for performing wet, dry, physical or chemical treatments on materials, comprising:
 a front loading or side loading perforated drum mounted respectively by a drum shaft at a rear of the drum, or by drum shafts at both sides horizontally, or having an angle with a horizontal axis, the drum mounted to a drum shaft bearing system so as to rotate around a bearing axis, the drum having a water-free zone, the water-free zone being on an outer surface of the drum and not accessible or contacted by water draining from the drum during wet treatment application processes carried out by the washing machine;   a water chamber surrounding a wet area on the drum from which the water is discharged, the water chamber arranged to prevent the water-free zone from coming into contact with discharged water from the drum, to collect said discharged water, to prevent overflow of said water chamber, and to channel said discharged water to a water chamber drain outlet on said water chamber;   
       wherein said drum comprising a plurality of drum perforations in a cylindrical surface of the drum and wherein the water exiting through the drum perforations is discharged into the water chamber surrounding the cylindrical surface part of the drum having the drum perforations,
 said water chamber comprising a water flow path configured to prevent the discharged water from contacting the drum again after contact with the drum is interrupted and/or to prevent the discharged water from contacting areas or surfaces of the drum which should not contact the discharged water and/or prevent the discharged water from leaving and/or overflowing from the water chamber, the water flow path configured to enable the discharged water to reach the water chamber drain outlet and leave the water chamber, wherein a water flow capacity of said water flow path and drain out flow rate of said water chamber drain outlet is greater than a drain flow rate of the discharged water from drum such that accumulation of the discharged water in the water chamber is prevented; 
 a pump or pumping system having a pumping capacity greater than a flowrate of the discharged water flowing from the drum to the water chamber, the pump or pumping system configured to pump the discharged water flowing in the flow path and draining out from drain outlet of the water chamber back into the drum, wherein said pump or pumping system is configured to pump the discharged water from the water chamber into the drum to provide an amount of water in the drum required during a wet treatment application process and to prevent the accumulation of the discharged water in the water chamber from reaching the outer surface of the drum or overflowing from the water chamber, 
 said pump or pumping system being positioned on a circulation line hydraulically connecting the water chamber to the drum, and 
 said drum comprising a plurality of drum perforations, wherein a number and/or size of the drum perforations is limited to enable a flow rate of the water passing through the drum perforations to be less than a pumping capacity of the pump or pumping system such that the pumping capacity of said pump or pump system is greater than a maximum water drain flow rate of the discharged water from the drum so that the discharged water draining from the drum to the water chamber does not overflow from the water chamber, reach the outer surface of the drum, or pass to the water-free zone. 
 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . A washing machine as described in  claim 1 , characterized in that;
 said drum comprises free water flow channels in order to enable the water to be drained from said drum to flow from the non-perforated areas of the drum to the perforated areas inside the cylindrical drum surface without being restrained or blocked by the material being treated in the drum or in order to increase the flow rate thereof,   said drum perforations/holes are positioned partially or completely in the said water channels,   said water channels are configured to form water passage gaps to prevent the material being treated in the drum from entering the water channels and limiting or decreasing the water flow rate or from filling in the water flow ways and blocking or interrupting the water flow from the non-perforated areas of the drum to the perforated areas and/or covering the perforations in a manner to completely block the water passage so that the water to be drained from the drum passes through the perforations without being blocked by the material being treated in the drum,   the perforated drum sheet having a protrusive structure to create a plurality of said water channels, comprises movable protrusion parts or stationary parts in the form of protrusions or sheet bars or grate bars and/or protrusive drum surface forms around or on the drum perforations having shapes, heights and densities suitable for partially or fully preventing the material undergoing treatment from partially or completely reaching and covering the cylindrical perforated drum sheet and drum perforations/holes,   said protrusive parts are placed on cylindrical perforated drum surface to be parallel or inclined with respect to the rotation axis of the drum along the depth of the drum, and   said water channels are positioned in the gap under or beside of the fixed or moving protrusions which are placed so as to form protrusions over the cylindrical drum sheet such that the material being treated in the drum is prevented from entering the water channels and interrupting or blocking water flow in the drum and/or drum perforations.   
     
     
         4 . A washing machine as described in  claim 1 , characterized in that;
 the drum comprises a drum discharge chamber configured to completely enclose the perforations in peripheral zone on the cylindrical sheet so as to surround the perforations in peripheral zone,   said water discharge chamber comprises at least one water discharge valve configured to enable the water entering said drum discharge chamber via the drum perforations to be discharged to the water chamber), and   said water discharge valve is configured so that when said water discharge valve is closed such that the drum discharge chamber blocks the water passage, water discharge from the drum via the drum perforations is completely prevented.   
     
     
         5 . A washing machine as described in  claim 1 , characterized in that;
 said drum comprises moving parts inside the drum which are placed into the drum and which move by being driven by a movement motor system outside the drum so as to create a mechanical effect on the material being treated in the drum or increase the mechanical effect generated by the movement of the drum, and   said movement motor system comprises at least one motor and said motor to move parts on the drum configured to provide the movement of said moving parts inside the drum, which are directly connected to the drum, and which are operated with electrical or pneumatic air energy.   
     
     
         6 . A washing machine as described in  claim 5 , characterized in that;
 said moving parts inside the drum are cylindrical or eccentric rollers which rotate around their own axes inside the drum,   said rollers are placed between the two bearings on the surface of drum opening side and drum shaft side of the drum so as to be parallel or inclined with respect to the axis of rotation of the drum,   said rollers are controllably rotated by means of motor systems, and   said rollers are configured to make rotational/oscillating movements to left and right in a controlled and/or programmable manner in the defined direction and at the defined speed or within predetermined angular limits by means of the motor directly connected to roller or the movement transfer systems connected to a motor driving multiple movable parts.   
     
     
         7 . A washing machine as described in  claim 6 , characterized in that;
 said rollers are brush rollers which are composed of wires with the form, hardness, and thickness suitable for the treatment produced from bristle, steel, or plastic so as to brush, abrade, nap, polish, rub, or shake the material being treated in the drum or   said rollers have protruding or helical surfaces so as to agitate or rub or move or beat or shake or displace the material being washed and/or dyed in the drum.   
     
     
         8 . A washing machine as described in  claim 6 , characterized in that;
 said rollers are abrasive rollers which comprise grindstones thereon,   said abrasive rollers have abrasive surfaces so as to impart the desired abrasion onto the surface of the material being stone or stone washed in the drum,   said grindstone is one piece or a plurality of pieces placed side by side on an angled or circular grindstone carrier used as a carrier,   said grindstone carrier comprises at the two ends thereof shafts which are suitable for rotating in the roller bearings provided on the front and rear circular sheets of the drum, and   said grindstone pieces have a cylindrical grindstone, spherical/buckled grindstone, conical or ribbed structure.   
     
     
         9 . A washing machine as described in  claim 5 , characterized in that;
 said moving parts in the drum comprises vibrating parts with protrusive surfaces placed onto the inner drum surface configured to connect with the vibrators mounted on the outer drum surface so as to create cleaning, abrasion, rubbing, scrubbing, brushing or stone washing effect on the material being treated in the drum or increase the existing physical effects.   
     
     
         10 . A washing machine as described in  claim 1 , characterized in that;
 said drum of said machine comprises a mechanical balance system configured to compensate for the oscillations and vibrations generated by the imbalance occurring at drum rotation speeds during the spin extraction process,   said mechanical balance system comprises a balance control system configured to monitor and control the imbalance generated in the drum during the extraction process and determine the position and magnitude of the counterforce to compensate the imbalance and comprises balance weight system which is mounted onto drum shaft side and/or drum opening side of the drum and to generate a counterforce to balance the force created by the imbalance,   said balance weight system comprises at least one balance weight handling and rotation structure which is driven and rotated by means of a balance weight movement motor on the drum such that the axis of rotation thereof is the axis of rotation of the drum and said balance weight handling and rotation structure comprises at least one balance weight,   said balance weight contains at least one metal balance weight piece or at least one balance weight container which can be filled with liquid, and   said mechanical balance system mounted outside the drum comprises at least one balance weight movement motor to move said balance weight system and is configured to provide the movement of said balance weight outside the drum which are directly connected to the drum, and which are operated with electrical, pneumatic, or hydraulic energy and monitoring system with electric, electronic control systems.   
     
     
         11 . A washing machine as described in  claim 10 , characterized in that;
 said balance weight handling and rotation structure comprises two balance weights and a circular channel or rail weight guide path configured to match said balance weight handling and rotation structure in the balance weight pieces or any sliding component and to support the balance weights,   said balance weight handling and rotation structure comprises a balance weight bearing system and a balance weight movement motor which is configured to enable the balance weight pieces to rotate in the balance weight bearing system 360 degrees around the axis of rotation,   the balance control system is configured to rotate said balance weights to a position and to maintain said position in order to continuously ensure balance by being driven by a balance weight motor in a peripheral balance weight bearing system of which the center on the drum is the axis of rotation of the drum,   said balance weight pieces provided in the balance weight handling and rotation structure at the same side of the drum have a mass suitable for generating the centrifugal forces which will balance each other when said balance weight pieces are oppositely positioned even if the latter are at different distances from the axis of rotation of the drum,   said balance control system is configured to move said two balance weights in the same balance weight handling and rotation structure close to each other so as to create a force vector which is 180 degrees opposite to the imbalance force vector (F x ) determined by the balance control system and which is equal to the imbalance force vector (F x ), and   said movement transfer systems are configured to move a guide apparatus in the form of circular channel or rail weight guide path located at the same center as the axis of rotation of the drum and the balance weight bearing system and to move the balance weights a full turn around the weight bearing center continuously.   
     
     
         12 . A washing machine as described in  claim 10 , characterized in that;
 said mechanical balance system comprises a plastic molded balance part,   said plastic molded balance part comprises a balance weight area in the form of heavier zone than the other parts of the plastic molded balance part that act as the balance weight, a sliding system, and a balance motor,   said sliding system comprises a balance part bearing connected with the drum providing the rotation of the plastic molded balance part around the drum and a balance part movement gear providing the rotation thereof around said balance part bearing,   said balance system comprises a balance motor movement gear connected to a balance part movement motor is configured to rotate in the balance part movement gear on the plastic molded balance part so as to enable said plastic molded balance part to rotate around the balance part bearing continuously and to stop at the required position, and   said plastic molded balance part comprises a single metal weight on plastic molded balance part embedded into the weight area.   
     
     
         13 . A washing machine as described in  claim 10 , characterized in that;
 said mechanical balance system comprises a three-weights balance system having at least three movable balance weight pieces that are positioned on the drum shaft side circular base and/or drum opening side circular base,   said balance weight piece is configured to be driven by a balance weight movement motor in order to get close to or move away from the rotation center of the drum in vertical position of the rotation axis, and   said balance weight pieces for three-weights balance system are configured to be moved so as to move away from the center to create a counterbalance vector against the imbalance force vector (F x ) if the material is distributed so as to create an imbalance at the drum rear circular base/shaft side and/or drum front circular base/opening side, and to be moved away from the center so as to create a counterforce which will balance the unbalanced load weight force (F x ).   
     
     
         14 . A washing machine as described in  claim 1 , characterized in that;
 said motor system mounted outside the drum comprises at least one of motor to move parts on the drum and electric, pneumatic, hydraulic, electronic and control systems required for and/or connected to said systems for the operation thereof with the systems and dynamo, pump, compressor, ventilator, valve, piston, gear, pulley, belt, chain, or similar movement transfer parts in order to generate or transmit movement, and   the electric, electronic and control systems configured to provide and control the operation of the devices on the drum are positioned on the drum, wherein the data exchange between the electric, electronic and control systems on the drum and other control systems of the machine is configured to be carried out via an electricity transfer slip ring positioned on the shaft and/or by means of wireless communication methods.   
     
     
         15 . A washing machine as described in  claim 1 , characterized in that;
 said washing machine comprises a combustion chamber which is mounted on the fixed chassis so as to circumferentially enclose the unperforated dry area of the cylindrical drum sheet of the rotatable drum, said combustion chamber comprises a heat source configured to heat the processed material with the liquid in the drum in the desired time or which maintains the current heat level by suppling required amount of heat generated by combustion in the combustion chamber directly onto the drum sheet.   
     
     
         16 . A washing machine as described in  claim 15 , characterized in that;
 said combustion chamber comprises a gas burner group which provides the burning of a liquid or gas fuel wherein the heat generated by the flame formed as a result of the burning in said gas burner and/or carried by the hot air-gas mixture circulates around the drum in contact with the cylindrical drum sheet to heat the drum sheet in order to heat the washing water and the material being washed in the drum,   said combustion chamber comprises a steam/gas flue chimney at the peak point of the combustion chamber, which provides the discharge of the exhaust gas generated in the burner and said steam/gas flue chimney comprises a combustion chamber flue fan system which has a suction capacity to prevent the gas exit from the areas of the combustion chamber other than said steam/gas flue chimney, and   the area of the non-perforated heating area enclosed by said combustion chamber comprises heat transfer foils/blades produced from metals with high heat transfer coefficient which are placed onto the drum sheet so as to increase the heat transfer area of the non-perforated heating area.