Boiling-water clothes washing machine

A clothes washing machine for washing clothes in boiling water comprises a tub enclosing a wash tank. The tub has an upstanding wall with a rim. A cover for the tub includes inner and outer downwardly projecting flanges forming a groove extending continuously around the periphery of the cover to prevent the escape of steam. The rim of the tub is tightly received in the groove. A water infeed line for the tub includes an enlarged chamber for relieving the pressure of incoming water to provide a smooth inflow of water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is related to a boiler-water clothes washing machine 
including a heater mounted in a tub to boil washing water at a 
predetermined temperature. 
PRIOR ART 
A conventional warm water clothes washing machine operates a heater in a 
water container corresponding to the washing procedures to warm washing 
water, but it generates much steam vapor which rises to the upper portion 
of the tub while heating washing water at a high temperature. Therefore, 
during the operation of the heater the steam vapor requires perfect 
sealing with respect to the upper opening that there be achieve portion of 
the tub for safety, i.e., protecting the electrical components of the 
washing machine as well as reducing the thermal losses. 
A tub cover of the washing machine is usually fitted into the upper inner 
diameter portion of the tub with its outer periphery edge being projected 
downward, and the outer periphery edge is then coupled by means of a 
number of bolts to the upper portion of the tub. The tub cover also 
includes a center opening covered an inner cover positioned to enable a 
user to insert/remove washing clothes therefrom, a hole formed at a 
predetermined size to supply washing water therethrough and a water feeder 
communicating with an outside water tap. 
However, this clothes washing machine is available for washing clothes with 
warm water, not boiled water. That is to say, the tub cover as well as the 
inner cover would be deformed at a high temperature to create wide 
clearances relative to the wall portion of the tub and against each other, 
thereby causing great leakage of steam vapors thermal losses. Even though 
the water feeder is very simple in configuration, it has the critical 
problem that under the assumption that the pressure of washing water from 
the water tap is uneven, the strong pressure of washing water causes 
difficulties in achieving a smooth water supply and furthermore flow 
across the tub cover, thereby producing damage to electrical parts of the 
washing machine. 
Such a configuration is typically disclosed in U.S. application Ser. Nos. 
07/885,885 and 07/884,196, each of which shows a water container structure 
and a tub cover structure for laundering clothes at a very high 
temperature, for example 95.degree. C. 
In order to resolve these problems, a main object of the present invention 
is to provide a boiling-water clothes washing machine which is capable of 
processing wash water of a very high temperature in addition to hot water 
washing. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a boiling-water 
clothes washing machine including an inner cover having the effective 
sealing with the upper portion wall of a tube without deforming at a high 
temperature. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a boiling-water 
clothes washing machine including a water supply apparatus for providing 
smooth water supply of wash water communicating with an outside tap 
without disturbing the opening/closing of a tub cover. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention comprises a boiling clothes washing machine, in which 
a tub has a cover made of materials withstanding a high temperature and 
including inner and outer projecting portions projected downward at a 
predetermined spacing to form a coupling groove. The groove tightly 
receives an upper rim of the tub to prevent distortion of the cover. A 
water supply apparatus includes a water feeding fitting connected to a 
water tap, an intermediate connector for adjusting the supplied washing 
water pressure and a water feeder which is a corrugated pipe made of 
flexible materials. 
Thus, the present invention provides a prominent washing effect with the 
high temperature process of cleaning, reduces loss due to the tight seal 
of the inner cover on the tube during the hot or boiling water wash cycle, 
and protects the electrical components of a heater by preventing the 
leakage of the steam vapor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a boiling-water clothes washing machine. 
A body 1 forms an internal space and includes a cover 7. That internal 
space contains a tub 2 which retains washing-water therein. Disposed 
within an internal space formed by the tub is a wash tank 3 which receives 
clothing. The tub includes the wash tank 3 and a heater 6 mounted between 
the outer bottom of the wash tank 3 and its inner bottom. The wash tank 3 
has an agitator 4 positioned therein which is connected to a driving 
portion 5 constituted as a conventional gear box and motor. 
The tube has a tub cover 10 and is provided with a water supply apparatus. 
The tub 2 includes a washing water guide conduit 12 slightly projected 
outward from its upper wall to receive the supplied wash water. The tub 
cover 10 is made of materials capable of withstanding a high temperature 
and mounted on the upper wall of the tub in a manner that two inner and 
outer projecting flanges 15 and 16 of the cover are extended continuously 
around its periphery edge to form a coupling groove, with the rim of the 
tub upper wall being tightly fitted in the groove. The tub cover 10 also 
includes an inner door or cover 14 pivoted to a hinge 13 for covering an 
access opening which enables clothes to be loaded into/removed from the 
wash tank 3. Therefore, the seal of the tub 10 blocks the leakage of the 
steam vapor. 
The water supply apparatus includes an intermediate connector 8 having a 
predetermined volume to adjust the pressure of the inflow wash water, a 
water feeding fitting 9 directed to a water tap and a water feeder 11 
coupled to the intermediate connector 8 for feeding wash water into the 
tub. The feeder 11 communicates with a hole formed on the tub cover 10. 
The intermediate connector 8 comprises an empty box forming an enlarged 
chamber which relieves the pressure of washing water from the water 
received feeding fitting 9. The water feeder 11 is made of flexible 
material in the form of a corrugated hose. Therefore, the 
pressure-adjusted wash water is smoothly supplied to the tub without 
flowing across the tub cover 10. 
Accordingly, the present invention protects electrical equipment from 
damage caused by steam vapors and reduces the thermal loss, thereby 
promoting the associated optimal performance of the washing machine. 
Furthermore, it is noted that the installation of a tub cover allows 
clothes to be washed at temperatures higher than a conventional washing 
machine which uses hot water, thereby increasing the washing efficiency of 
the washing machine.