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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Clothes washing machine with water recirculation

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5670076

A clothes washing machine is described which recirculates wash or rinse water from a surrounding tub into a clothes holding basket to reduce the quantity of water required for wash and rinse cycles. The fil level is controlled by an adjustable pressure-sensitive switch which senses the pressure level at the drain outlet located in the bottom of the tub in order to control water fill levels at the beginning of each wash and rinse cycle. The pressure-sensitive switch is reset preparatory to the initiation of each wash or rinse cycle of the tub by the low pressure existing in the tub bottom after the tub has been drained at the end of each wash and rinse cycle. In order to prevent false resetting of the pressure-sensitive switch by recirculation flow from the tub, the recirculation pump inlet intake is elevated above the drain outlet by a stand pipe which maintains a sufficient level of water in the tub above the reset pressure level to preclude resetting of the pressure-sensitive switch until the tub is drained through the drain outlet. The stand pipe is designed to provide an anti-vortex action to minimize the air intake into the recirculation pump.

Assignee:
General Electric Co.
Patent Number(s):
US 4168615
OSTI ID:
5670076
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English