Method and apparatus for washing in particular items of laundry

Abstract

A method and apparatus for washing items of laundry that makes provision to continuously filter the treatment liquid during the washing operation. As a result, interfering attendant materials in and on the treatment liquid are successively removed during the washing operation, which increases the efficacy of the washing operation. Provision is preferably made to remove both lighter constituents, such as foam and lint, from the treatment liquid and also to filter heavier constituents, such as impurities washed out of the items of laundry, from the treatment liquid using the same filter. The same filter can also be used, after the end of the washing operation, to filter the treatment liquid to be let out and to temporarily store the treatment liquid in a collecting tank before the filtered treatment liquid is reused. The invention thus permits multiple functions of the filter.

Description

STATEMENT OF RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This patent application claims priority on and the benefit of German Patent Application No. 10 2011 013 806.4 having a filing date of 14 Mar. 2011.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Technical Field[0003]The invention relates to a method for washing in particular items of laundry, the items of laundry being at least washed with a treatment liquid in a rotationally drivable drum and the treatment liquid being removed from the drum as required by means of at least one outer drum assigned at least to part of the drum. Furthermore, the invention relates to an apparatus for washing in particular items of laundry, with a rotationally drivable drum and at least one stationary outer drum which extends at least over part of the length of the drum.[0004]2. Prior Art[0005]The washing, namely the actual laundering and the rinsing, of all types of objects, in particular items of laundry, is undertaken in washing machines which have a rotationally driveable ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]The invention is based on the object of providing a method and an apparatus for more effectively washing and / or rinsing items of laundry and other objects.

[0008]A method for achieving this object is a method for washing in particular items of laundry, the items of laundry being at least washed with a treatment liquid in a rotationally drivable drum and the treatment liquid being removed from the drum as required by means of at least one outer drum assigned at least to part of the drum, wherein, during at least the washing, the treatment liquid is filtered outside the drum and the at least one outer drum. According thereto, the treatment liquid, preferably always only some of the treatment liquid, is filtered during the treatment, i.e. in particular the washing and rinsing of the items of laundry or other objects, outside the drum and the at least one outer drum assigned thereto. Since the filtering is undertaken during the washing operation, attendant materials which impair the washing operation are successively removed from the treatment liquid. The washing can then be undertaken more effectively because of the lower loading of the treatment liquid by the attendant materials. The washing operation is not impaired by the filtering outside the washing machine.

Problems solved by technology

In addition, the treatment liquid absorbs dirt washed out of the laundry and possibly foreign materials which, for the most part, are heavier than the treatment liquid and therefore collect in the bottom region of the outer drum.

The foam and the dirt impair the efficacy of the washing operation.

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