Washing machine and methods for operating a washing machine
A washing machine has a drum-receiving container with a round drum therein, wherein the inner shape of the drum-receiving container is not round cylindrical. The drum accordingly has a radial distance along the circumferential direction thereof from the drum-receiving container, wherein the latter is configured such that this distance continuously varies in places and/or has no discontinuity. The distance is smaller in the uppermost region of the drum than at the mid-vertical height of the drum, and the distance is at its greatest in a lower region of the drum between a lowermost point of drum and one third of the vertical height of the drum. At the lowermost region, a breakaway edge may be formed below the drum to enable removal of externally adhering water.
1 . A washing machine having:
a drum for washing laundry therein, a drum-receiving container in which said drum is arranged rotatably about an axis of rotation,
a water routing system which has:
a water inlet from an external water supply into said washing machine,
water lines and valves,
a water outlet from said washing machine,
an input device for water into said drum,
at least one container drain at a bottom of said drum-receiving container,
a pump which is connected by way of water lines to said at least one container drain and to said input device,
a washing machine controller to which said pump is connected,
wherein:
an outer shape of said drum is round cylindrical or round,
an inner shape of said drum-receiving container is not round cylindrical or not round,
along a circumferential direction of said drum, said drum has a radial distance from said drum-receiving container, wherein said drum-receiving container is configured such that said distance:
continuously varies in places and/or has no discontinuity,
is smaller in an uppermost region of said drum than at a mid-vertical height of said drum,
is at its greatest in a lower region of said drum between a lowermost point of said drum and one third of a vertical height of said drum,
is smaller at said lowermost point of said drum than in said lower region of said drum which is located vertically above said lowermost point,
between said drum and said drum-receiving container is at its greatest in a circumferential direction up-and downstream of said lowermost point, said at least one container drain from said drum-receiving container being arranged here
wherein:
a breakaway edge for water located on an outside of said drum is formed in said lower region or at said lowermost point of said drum on an inside of said drum-receiving container, and
said distance from said drum-receiving container to said drum is at its smallest at said breakaway edge.
2 . The washing machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said breakaway edge is mirror-symmetrical with respect to a vertical mirror axis, wherein said vertical mirror axis extends through an axis of rotation.
3 . The washing machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
said at least one container drain comprises two container drains,
a valve is arranged at each of said two container drains on said drum-receiving container, and
each valve seals said drum-receiving container in a watertight and airtight manner.
4 . The washing machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said drum-receiving container is shape-modifiable in said lower region, wherein said drum-receiving container includes or consists of non-rigid material in said lower region, wherein said shape of said drum-receiving container is modifiable with regard to a distance of said drum-receiving container from said lower region of said drum by way of actuators.
5 . The washing machine as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said actuators are electrically operated.
6 . The washing machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said shape of said drum-receiving container is modifiable with regard to a distance of said drum-receiving container from said lower region of said drum by way of actuators in a region of said breakaway edge.
7 . The washing machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a filter is arranged downstream of said container drain and upstream of said pump.
8 . The washing machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a dispensing means is provided for substances providing a washing action which is part of said water routing system or is connected to said water routing system.
9 . The washing machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
a valve is arranged at said at least one container drain on said drum-receiving container, which valve seals said drum-receiving container in watertight and airtight manner,
an air inlet is arranged in an upper region of said drum-receiving container,
said air inlet is closable in airtight manner by way of an air inlet valve.
10 . The washing machine as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said air inlet in said upper region of said drum-receiving container has a cross-section which is greater than or equal to a sum of all cross-sections of said at least one container drain at said bottom of said drum-receiving container.
11 . The washing machine as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said air inlet is arranged in an upper third of said drum-receiving container or at an uppermost point of said drum-receiving container.
12 . A method for operating said washing machine as claimed in claim 9 , said method comprising opening said valve at said at least one container drain out of said drum-receiving container for pumping water out of said drum-receiving container, and, in addition, opening said air inlet valve in said upper region of said drum-receiving container.
13 . A method for operating said washing machine as claimed in claim 9 , said method comprising closing said valve at said at least one container drain entirely or by at least 50% to reduce suds in said drum.
14 . The washing machine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one nonreturn valve is provided at an upper region of said drum-receiving container, wherein one said nonreturn valve allows air and/or suds to pass therethrough out of said drum-receiving container.
15 . The washing machine as claimed in claim 14 , wherein a further nonreturn valve is provided at said upper region of said drum-receiving container, which further nonreturn valve allows air to pass therethrough into said drum-receiving container.
16 . The washing machine as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said washing machine has precisely two nonreturn valves, wherein said two nonreturn valves are oppositely arranged and provided in said upper region of said drum-receiving container.
17 . The washing machine as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said washing machine has precisely two nonreturn valves, wherein a flow cross-sectional area of said two nonreturn valves is different, wherein a flow cross-sectional area of one nonreturn valve of said two nonreturn valves with a conducting direction out of said drum-receiving container is greater than a flow cross-sectional area of the other one nonreturn valve of said two nonreturn valves with a conducting direction into said drum-receiving container.
18 . A method comprising:
providing the washing machine of claim 1 , modifying a shape of said breakaway edge, and
thereafter rotating said drum such that said modified shape of said breakaway edge influences removal of water from said outside of said drum during a rotation of said drum.
19 . The method as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising:
moving said breakaway edge toward said drum in order to remove more water from said outside of said drum, and
moving said breakaway edge away from said drum in order to remove less water from said outside of said drum.
20 . The method as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising closing said at least one valve at said at least one container drain entirely or by at least 50% closed to reduce suds in said drum.
21 . The method as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising temporarily storing water in a filter and introducing the water into said drum by said pump.