Spray rinsing method intended for washing machines

Abstract

The machine has a drum with a perforated wall capable of receiving a load of clothes, a motor for rotating the drum at variable speeds, and a spraying device capable of introducing liquid into the drum. The method includes performing an impregnation with an amount of liquid by several spraying steps for spraying the liquid on the load of clothes while the drum rotates at a medium rotational speed sufficient to keep the load of clothes stationary with respect to the rotating drum but insufficient to extract liquid out of the load of clothes by the centrifugal force generated, and performing, between every two of the spraying steps, a tumbling step for tumbling the load of clothes at a low rotational speed less than 1 G. After the impregnation, a centrifugation at a high rotational speed is performed.

1 . A spray rinsing method applicable to a clothes washing machine having a drum with a perforated wall capable of receiving a load of clothes therein, a controlled motor for rotating said drum about a substantially horizontal axis in any of the two directions at variable speeds, and a spraying device capable of introducing rinsing liquid into the drum, the method comprising the stages of:
 rotating the drum at a medium rotational speed greater than 1 G sufficient to keep the load of clothes stationary with respect to the rotating drum but insufficient to cause an extraction of liquid out of the load of clothes by the centrifugal force generated;   impregnating the load of clothes by spraying an amount of said liquid into the drum and on the load of clothes by means of said spraying device while the drum rotates at said medium rotational speed; and   increasing the drum rotational speed to a high rotational speed sufficient to extract a significant proportion of the liquid out of the load of clothes by the centrifugal force generated,   performing said impregnation with said amount of liquid by means of a plurality of spraying steps for spraying the liquid on the load of clothes while the drum rotates at said medium rotational speed; and   performing, between every two of said spraying steps, a tumbling step for tumbling the load of clothes with the interruption of the spraying, each tumbling step comprising reducing the drum rotational speed to a low rotational speed less than 1 G suitable for performing a tumbling of the load of clothes inside the drum, such that by means of said combined spraying and tumbling steps a substantially complete and homogeneous impregnation of the load of clothes with the amount of the liquid is obtained before increasing the drum rotational speed to said high rotational speed.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising performing each tumbling step at said low rotational speed including at least one reversal in the rotational direction of the drum. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said amount of liquid is a predetermined amount, and in that a fraction of liquid is used in each spraying step, the sum of said fractions of liquid used in all the spraying steps being equal to said predetermined amount of liquid sprayed in the impregnation stage. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , further comprising using water as said liquid and adding at least one additive to the water in at least one of the fractions of liquid. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising maintaining the drum stopped or rotating at one or more rotational speeds comprised between zero and said medium rotational speed for a time period for allowing the action of said additive after the application of at least one of the fractions of water with additive and before increasing the drum rotational speed to said high rotational speed. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein during said time period for allowing the action of the additive the drum is rotated at one or more rotational speeds comprised between zero and the low rotational speed including at least one reversal in the rotational direction of the drum. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein during said time period for allowing the action of the additive the drum is rotated at one or more rotational speeds comprised between zero and the low rotational speed including at least one reversal in the rotational direction of the drum, and further comprising spraying the predetermined amount of liquid using from 2 to 6 spraying steps for spraying fractions of liquid in each impregnation stage. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising using a fixed amount of liquid for each of the fractions of liquid and adapting the predetermined amount of liquid to the type and/or amount of clothes in the load of clothes by varying the number of fractions of liquid sprayed in each impregnation stage. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising performing a detachment operation between every two spraying and centrifugation cycles by rotating the drum at the low rotational speed in combination with a supply of liquid into the drum by means of the spraying device. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising repeating said spraying steps and tumbling steps in each impregnation stage until a detector detects the presence of an amount of the liquid supplied by spraying at the bottom of a tub inside which the drum rotates. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein said amount of liquid is a predetermined amount, and in that a fraction of liquid is used in each spraying step, the sum of said fractions of liquid used in all the spraying steps being equal to said predetermined amount of liquid sprayed in the impregnation stage. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising repeating said spraying steps and tumbling steps in each impregnation stage until a detector detects the presence of an amount of the liquid supplied by spraying at the bottom of a tub inside which the drum rotates.