Patent ID: 6023950
Filing Date: 2000-02-15
Classification: D06F

Abstract:
A clothes washing machine comprising a washing tub (1), a drum (2) rotating within said washing tub and adapted to hold washload items and to be rotatably driven at a low speed and a high speed, a pressure switch (3) arranged within an appropriate air pressure switch (3) arranged within an appropriate air chamber connected with a pressure intake of the tub at a point (4) situated below a lowest level (5) of the tub, and inlet and shut-off means (6) governing water supply from water delivery mains to the washing tub, characterized in that the machine is arranged to detect average soaking characteristics of the washload items placed in the drum by first measuring overall capacity of the items for absorbing a definite amount of water and then processing said measured capacity based on a known weight of said washload items to determine a type of textiles comprising the washload items; the amount of water filled in is based on a flow rate controlled by the water inlet means (6) provided to deliver water into the tub; and said flow rate is determined by filling water into a known volume between a first reference level (L3) and a second reference level (L4) and recording a time needed for the water level to rise from said first level (L3) to said second level (L4).