Washing Machine Odor Reduction Systems

Abstract

Systems for reducing odors in washing machines such as front-loading washing machines, where a fan draws air from outside the washing machine through an air inlet, circulates the air through a lower portion of the washing machine where it reduces humidity and evaporates stagnant water that has accumulated in the lower portion of the washing machine, and exhausts the air from the washing machine through an air outlet. A check valve may be installed in a water discharge line, either upstream or downstream of a pump, to prevent water from flowing back through the discharge line into the washing machine. Humidity sensors may be provided to measure a humidity internal to and external to the washing machine, and the fan may circulate the air through the lower portion of the washing machine in response to determining that the measured internal humidity exceeds the measured external humidity by a predetermined amount.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of: U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/553,356, filed Oct. 31, 2011; U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/662,670, filed Jun. 21, 2012; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/698,643, filed Sep. 9, 2012. All of the foregoing provisional patent applications are incorporated by reference as if set forth herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

1Field of the Invention

The invention relates generally to washing machines, and more specifically to washing machines such as front-loading machines that allow water to pool and stagnate in the machine, thereby causing unpleasant odors and promoting mold and mildew in clothes that are left in the washing machine.

2. Related Art

Machines for washing laundry, specifically front-loading machines, often allow water to pool in the machine after a load of laundry is washed. If the washing machine is not used for some time, this water stagnates and may allow mold to grow in the machine (e.g., in the internal drain hose), which may produce unpleasant odors. If laundry is left in the machine, the odors resulting from the stagnant water may permeate the laundry, so that it also has an unpleasant smell. It may be necessary to wash the laundry a second time to remove this smell, but this will not work as there is normally some residual moldy water in the bottom of the machine, so it is not possible to “wash out the smell”. In addition to causing unpleasant odors, the stagnant water in the washing machine may increase the humidity in the washing machine so that laundry remains damp for a longer period of time when it is left in the machine. This may cause mold and mildew in the laundry itself.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This disclosure is directed to systems and methods for reducing odors and other problems resulting from stagnant water that pools in the lower portion of a washing machine. In one particular embodiment, a system includes a washing machine, a fan and air inlets/outlets. The washing machine is typically a front-loading model. The fan draws air from outside the washing machine through the air inlet. The fan circulates the air through a lower portion of the washing machine (e.g., the drum of the machine and all connected components) thereby lowering the relative humidity inside the drum below the level the mold needs in order to grow. This high relative humidity is caused but both water sitting in in the lower part of the drum and the relatively air-tight designs of machines such as frontloading machines. The air may also evaporate stagnant water that has accumulated in the lower portion of the washing machine. The fan then exhausts the air from the washing machine through the air outlet. In one embodiment, the system includes a check valve that is installed in a water discharge line of the washing machine. The check valve prevents water from flowing through the discharge line into the lower portion of the washing machine, where it could otherwise accumulate and cause an unpleasant odor. The check valve may be installed either upstream or downstream of a pump that discharges waste water from the washing machine. In one embodiment, the pump has a sealed impeller that functions as a check valve which prevents water from flowing back through the discharge line into the lower portion of the washing machine. The check valve design is such that it is less likely to clog from the various types of debris in the discharge water. This may include a design without a spring, so as to provide fewer places for lint and other debris to get caught. The check valve may also be designed so that it can be opened to clean the valve if necessary. A filter may be installed upstream from the check valve to filter debris from water that passes through the check valve. The system may include humidity sensors, a first one of which measures the humidity external to the washing machine and a second which measures a humidity internal to the washing machine. The sensors may also be located in the incoming air path and the exhaust air path so that they can compare the incoming air and the exhausting air to run the washer fan until the air inside the machine is within a set point. The fan may circulate the air through the drum and other portion of the washing machine in response to determining that the measured internal humidity exceeds the measured external humidity by a predetermined amount. The fan may be configured to circulate the air through a drum in the washing machine containing a load of laundry in response to determining that the washing machine has completed a wash cycle and that the load of laundry has not been removed from the washing machine. The system may include an automated control system that transmits an electronic notification (e.g., a text message or email) to a user in response to determining that a wash cycle is complete. The fan and/or check valve may be original equipment in the washing machine, or they may form a retrofit kit that can be installed on an existing washing machine. The retrofit fan and/or check valve may include one or more of the additional features described above. The retrofit fan and/or check valve may be designed to be installed without modification to the existing washing machine. The retrofit fan may be configured to fit over existing vent covers that are installed on the washing machine. The retrofit fan may be configured to be attached to the washing machine by, for example, bolts, studs or magnets.

Numerous other embodiments are also possible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and advantages of the invention may become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a check valve in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a check valve installed in a discharge line in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating the positioning of air vents with respect to a washer drum in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram illustrating the positioning of air vents with respect to a washer drum in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram illustrating the positioning of air vents, fans and humidity sensors with respect to a washer drum in accordance with one embodiment.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are functional block diagrams illustrating a fan in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a fan housing in accordance with one embodiment.

While the invention is subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and the accompanying detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description are not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiment which is described. This disclosure is instead intended to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

One or more embodiments of the invention are described below. It should be noted that these and any other embodiments described below are exemplary and are intended to be illustrative of the invention rather than limiting.

The embodiments of the present invention may reduce or eliminate the order from washing machines, and specifically front loading ones. Because of the design of a typical washing machine (also referred to herein as a “washer”), the discharge lines are normally located on the back of the washer, at the top above the tub, so as to prevent water from syphoning out of the tub while it is in operation. The pump is normally located at the lowest point of the system. This creates an opportunity for waste water to flow back into the system when the pump turns off.

One embodiment fixes the problem on a Whirlpool Duet washer, but any other style or brand of washer can also use this or a similar system to eliminate stagnant water from sitting, exposed to air in the tub. There are multiple different ways of approaching the problem. One is an add-on (retrofit) system that can be added to an existing washer to retrofit the solution. Another is for new washers that have yet to be built. They can simply incorporate some or all of these ideas of the system into the original design of the washer. There may also be other ways of accomplishing this same goal. The retrofit parts may be installed by a service technician or offered as a do-it-yourself kit that owners may install themselves to save money and time.

In one embodiment, it is possible to add a check valve after the pump to prevent the water in the waste tube from coming back past the pump and into the system to sit exposed to air and to stagnate (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The valve may be a specifically designed check valve, depending on the manufacturer of the washer it is being installed on. For example, on a Whirlpool Duet it is possible to remove the discharge line from the pump, place a specially designed check valve inline, and reconnect the discharge line to the output end of the check valve. This will work when the pump is not a design that requires water to be in the pump at all times. For pumps that require water to be in the pump all the time, the check valve may be installed at the input of the pump, so that when the pump turns off, the pump will still have water in it.

The following embodiment will be described specifically as a solution for a Whirlpool Duet, but it can be adapted to any brand. The pump assembly may be redesigned to feature a pump that can be “run dry”, with a built in check valve that can prevent the back flow of water. This can be incorporated directly into new washers being built. Alternatively, it can be offered as a replacement part to replace an existing pump and retrofit an existing washer to make it odorless (or have much less odor). Other manufacturers may have other designs that require different variations on these same or similar embodiments. The designs may vary depending on specific applications.

In one embodiment, a Whirlpool Duet was disassembled. When the cover was removed from the front of the pump and the water drained out, the machine had a very unpleasant smell. There was a lot of water that drained back from the discharge line, all the way from the top of the unit. A custom check valve was assembled in a design that allowed the valve to be put inline on the discharge line after (on the output side of) the pump. This resulted in increased noise, possibly indicating that the pump requires water to be on the impeller all the time. The check valve may therefore be placed before (on the input side of) the pump to reduce noise. The machine was run through a wash cycle with detergent and bleach and the unpleasant smell was eliminated. Upon disassembling the machine, it was determined that the check valve was doing its job and holding all the water after the check valve out of direct contact with the air inside the tub.

In another instance, another old washer was disassembled, and it had so much organic and inorganic build up inside the discharge tube that it was almost completely clogged and was not draining properly. It was determined that the check valve might not eliminate the odor entirely, but would reduce it considerably. In such a case, the user may need to clean or replace the discharge line on the exterior of the washer in order to help reduce the odor and increase the ability of the unit to discharge the water at its designed flow rate.

Another component of one embodiment comprises vents at the top or any other suitable location with respect to the tub (drum), where the vents allow the tub to breathe and dry out when the unit is off and the front door is shut (see FIG. -5). Although there is a ventilation grid on the tested Duet model, the ventilation grid is passive and is not nearly large enough to significantly affect the humidity inside the tub. Further, it is not very convenient to leave the door cracked open to air out. It is also a safety hazard with small children and small pets around.

Some embodiments may incorporate one or more additional vent(s) with a small fan to circulate air into and out of the tub. The fan may be Alternating Current (AC), Direct Current (DC), a combination of both or any other means of powering the fan. The fan is hooked up to humidity sensors inside the tub (or in the outgoing air path) and outside the washer (or in the incoming air path) to sense what the humidity level is in the room and then when the unit is not in operation and the clothes have been removed to turn on a fan and in one of the vents and circulate air until the humidity level inside is within a preset amount of the room humidity. The fan may also be activated later when still not in use if the humidity level inside goes above a certain delta above the low set point above the room level until it reaches the preset level to shut off again. The system may also time out if after a certain amount of time the fan has not been able to achieve the desired result, and then try again later after a preset amount of time. Some of these presets may also be adjusted by the user if desired. The fan may also be activated if the clothes are not removed within a certain amount of time as to help prevent the clothes from getting a musty smell from sitting to long wet.

The washer may also activate the spin cycle with this scenario to help air out the clothes. The pump may also be activated if a sensor before the pump senses that water is still present. The addition of the drum turning while the fan is running and there are clothes inside the drum may allow for the option to have a green mode. This mode allows the user to partially dry his or her clothes using circulating air from the room in which the washer is located without the addition of a separate heat source to remove some or all the desired moisture over a longer period of time. This feature can also be chosen and then, if the clothes need to be finished sooner, the cycle can be stopped and the clothes finished in the dryer.

An automated control system and an ethernet or other network connection (wired, wireless or other) may be added to the washer to allow for the unit to be connected to the local network to electronically notify a user through various means (such as, but not limited to email, text, etc.) that the cycle is complete, and to remind every so often (as set by the user in preferences) if the clothes are not removed. The dryer can also be connected via the same type of system or directly to the washer to also notify the user when the cycle is complete. The system may also allow the user to interface with the units via a web interface or application (App) on any mobile device to control the units and see the progress, or any other automation system such as but not limited to Homeworks, Lutron, Crestron, Net Streams and others. The app may allow the user to control the washer and or connected dryer (or dryer that has similar connections and features on its own).

The check valve used in some embodiments may have additional features. One design allows the check valve to function best long term with the lint that is in the discharge water. This may be accomplished in several ways including, but not limited to, a cone shaped design, a sharper edge that can cut the lint when it is in between the edges of the valve, a longer shaped male part of the valve and a longer shaped female part to provide more surface area to seal with. One variation of the valve is to have a male barbed 1″ end on the discharge (out) end and a female rubber boot that fits onto the male barbed end of the pump. This female end may be at a 45 degree angle to better fit the Whirlpool Duet washers. The female end may also come with a clamp pre-applied. The valve will have a design that allows for easier cleaning by the user or a technician. One of the many ways this may be accomplished is by having a case design that unscrews, similar to a coupling joint that allows for easy access to the inside to wash out and clean out the lint or residue build-up. There may also be a sensor or sensors that are added to let the user know when water is leaking back past the check valve and allowing water to sit in the bottom of the unit in contact with the air, signaling that the user needs to clean the check valve. The check valve design for new machines may be designed specifically for them to be more user-accessible, thereby allowing the user to more easily remove it for cleaning. The washer may have a design that incorporates a catch pan in the bottom of the unit to catch any leakage when cleaning the filter or check valve. Any water that catches in here will evaporate in time or can be removed using a towel or sponge. The check valve may utilize different designs such as, but not limited to, a swing check valve with or without a spring assist, standard check valve that has a spring behind the stopper that applies constant pressure against the back of the check that moves at a parallel orientation to the hole that it seats against, or any other new design that we develop that performs the most efficiently in this unique application that has lint and other debris in the water flowing through the valve.

Another variation is a pump that has a sealed impeller so that the impeller itself is the check valve when the pump is not running the water cannot back flow past the impeller. Another variation is a filter (e.g., lint trap) on the pump that keeps more lint or other debris from getting to the pump. This may and should be designed so that it is user accessible from the outside of the cabinet and does not require any tools to get to it. It should also have a design that stops the water flow in both directions when it is removed to prevent as much water as possible from leaking out when it is removed for cleaning. In addition there may be a sensor or sensors that can calculate the water flow in the discharge pipe and to let the user know when the flow is restricted and that the lint filter needs to be cleaned.

Another inventive idea is a aftermarket fan that can be added to the back of the washer over the vent cover that can connect to power and provide mechanical ventilation for the inside of the drum to help remove humidity and dry out any standing water left. The fan may have different types of controls such as, but not limited to, a timer switch, and a humidistat that can sense the outside room humidity and the humidity level of the air exiting the drum and run until the exhausting air is within a range (that may be adjustable) of the room. The timer may periodically turn the fan on for a preset amount of time to check relative humidity inside the washing machine to see if humidity inside has risen—if it has, the fan will run until within range again, and if not, then it simply turns back off. The system may also have a manual on/off switch. The door may be left open a little bit to provide makeup air to the drum for the air being exhausted. This fan may replace the current cover over the vent hole on existing units. The fan may push air into the drum instead of exhausting air out of the drum, depending on the application and whichever proves to be more efficient. Some embodiments may also include adding an additional air vent to the plastic housing surrounding the drum. This would allow the air being either exhausted or drawn into the drum to either have makeup air or a path for the air to exhaust. For example, if the fan is drawing air out of the drum, the second vent (or more additional vents) will provide a path for fresh air to replace the air being exhausted in the drum and provide more air flow at the same time. This will bring in air that has a potentially lower relative humidity to help lower the relative humidity inside the drum. The reverse can also be true where the fan is drawing fresh air into the drum and the extra vent(s) allow the air to exhaust out.

Some of the designs of the fan may include, but are not limited to, a small fan that has a case design that is designed to retrofit existing washing machines that have a vent currently (see FIGS. 6-7). One example is the Whirlpool Duet that until recently had a design where the vent tube exits in the top left corner of the unit (when viewing it from the rear of the machine) and it has a small white plastic cover over it that can either be removed or left in place, depending on the fan design. The case of the fan would have a area of about ¾ inch of space before the fan blade that would all the tube or vent cover to fit inside and not interfere with the movement of the blade. The exterior side of the fan housing would have a protective cover of some design that still allows the air to flow freely, but prevents someone from sticking a finger or other body part into the fan blades. The fan and housing may be attached through various means such as screws that hold the fan and housing securely to the washer, caulking that is provided that both securely holds the housing to the washer and seals the housing to the washer, clips placed on the housing at the same location as the plastic clips on the current cover that can be removed and the new fan housing to be pressed into the same holes with or without caulking as well. The fan will then connect to power and have some of the controls described above. A few examples of the power that the fan may use are AC current (using any current standards worldwide), DC using any voltage deemed the most efficient and practical one to use, in conjunction with a AC to DC power transformer, solar power typically utilizing the native DC power it creates, or any other type of power. The design of a Washer Fan may include an integrated male or female power plug. The fan may include any and or all of the above features, including but not limited to, customized bases on the fan housing that allows it to be installed on the most number of machines made by different manufacturers, any design that has a space between the fan and the base so that it can fit over the top of any existing vent covers, thereby not requiring any modifications or removal of the covers, and any fan blade design that reduces the audible noise of the fan and maximizes the amount of air needed to be circulated to accomplish the intended result of not allowing mold growth inside the machine it is installed on.

Another fan design uses two fan housings, one with the fan blades and one without (used as a spacer). The outer diameter of the housings may be the same with either the same or different height (depth). The housing without the fan blades by either have them removed or manufactured as just the housing without the blades installed to begin with. A stand-alone housing may also be produced that is the size needed, without the extra features required for a fan being installed but not needed when just using it as a spacer. The fan housing may also be designed in various sizes for different applications where there is one housing that is the overall width needed with a smaller height fan mounted on the outer most space of the fan to leave a void on the washer side to allow anything protruding from the body of the washer to fit inside the fan housing without coming in contact with the blades of the fan. The housing also has an integrated vent cover molded into the housing that prevents fingers and other objects from coming in contact with the fan blades without having to attach a separate cover to achieve the same result. The fan housing will also have an integrated power plug in that is mated up with a power supply cord to allow power to be connected. That power plug may be offered in different shapes and sizes depending on the power requirements for that particular fan. The fan may be designed to push air into the washer or to pull air from the washer depending on the fan design being able to handle the moisture present when pulling air from the washer.

For a design where part or all of the above is designed directly into new machines the designs will be modified to most efficiently work with which ever design it is being installed into. For example, but not limited to, if a unit currently only utilizes AC power inside the unit then the fan may be designed using an AC native fan as to not require any additional power transformers. Also, when extra air vents are designed directly into new units, this would eliminate having to leave the door open to provide the extra air path to either bring in makeup air or allow the air inside the drum to exhaust out by the fresh air being power vented into the drum.

Some of the controls that may be designed into the present systems include, but are not limited to, a humidity sensor that is the direct path of the air being pulled out of the drum that measures the humidity level at the same time uses additional sensors in another location(s) that sense that the humidity level is in the room and runs the fan until the air inside the drum is within a certain amount (either preset or adjustable) of the rooms level, a sensor that is triggered at the end of the washer cycle and turns on until the humidity level is below the desired level, a timer that will run the fan for a certain amount of time (either preset or user adjustable), a design that allows the fan to run constantly, and many more. Controls may be different when the fan in incorporated directly into new washer designs to utilize the electronics already part of the washer system and add even more features. The fan will be designed to be able to hold up long term to the elevated humidity level in the air leaving the drum as most current small fans are not designed specifically for that.

A humidity sensor and display may be offered as an add-on or included item with a kit. This is to let the user know what the humidity level is in the room that is providing the air that is being circulated into the drum to dry out the drum. Also the humidity level of the drum may also be display in a new machine that has some or all the described features built into it. It is important to know what the rooms humidity level is because for example if you have your washer located in a basement and the humidity level is really high you may need to run a dehumidifier to lower the rooms relative humidity to be able to adequately dry out the washer drum with the Washer Fan.

Other methods for attaching the fan may include adding a magnet(s) to the base of the fan so that the fan may be attached to the housing of the washer without requiring any screws or holes to be made in the unit it is being attached to. The magnets are strong enough to hold the Washer Fan to the unit securely and yet allow for the fan to be removed if needed.

Another design of the fan has a round fan housing that is sized so that it fits as many different vents as possible with one design (see FIG. 7). In one embodiment, the outer diameter of the housing is approximately 75 mm (can be adjusted to fit new vents introduced by manufacturers or other vents found). It has a overall height that is approximately 44.5 mm+—and also can be adjusted as necessary. The fan blade is currently about 56 mm in diameter and is about 6 mm tall. This fan would normally fit within a housing that is 60 mm×60 mm×10 mm. This allows for the motor and other parts to take up less than 10 mm in total height. This leaves a space inside the custom housing that is 25 mm+—from the base to the face of the fan blade. Also there are currently 3 legs on the base of the housing that come in contact with the washer surface around the vent. These legs are approximately 3.5 mm lower than the base of the main housing. This allows for clearance over the top of the vents on machines of various sizes.

The legs have very strong magnets in them as to not require screws to hold the fan housing to the machine like earlier models. This allows for an installation that does not require any tools and does not make any holes in the machine. These legs on the base (all with magnets) can be increased or decreased if necessary for different applications. Also the orientation of the legs can be changed for different models to fit various machines.

The current standard computer fan (60×60×10 mm) has been used as the basis for the fan blade and motor along with the existing circuit board. This design has been improved to include a XH-2A (male 2 pin power connector). This has 2 pins that are designed to be soldered into a circuit board. The current design is one sided and has the fan motor mounted on the back and one electronic component attached to the board in a way that takes up the least amount of height (keeping the overall thickness down). There are also three solder points where the exiting wires are attached. This design has been improved, where a XH-2A (or other connector if deemed better) is soldered directly to the board using a dual sided board so that the XH-2A connector can be soldered on the fan motor side and the fan motor can be soldered on the connector side of the board. The other electronic components can be soldered on either side of the board, whichever is more efficient for production and function. The existing 3 wire solder points have been replaced with the on board soldering of the power connector. The pins of the power connector are to be placed on the board as to not interfere with the fan motor at all.

The board once assembled with be inserted into a custom fan housing that will have a hole slightly larger than the power connector in the center top so that the power connector can be inserted through the hole and protrude through the top of the fan housing. The fan housing has a recessed hole on top so that the power connector is protected and sits just below the top surface of the fan. This allows for the female connector (XH-2Y) to be attached to the power cord (AC to DC power converter) via a power cord of various lengths. This female connector can then be directly connected to the custom fan housing via the protruding male connector. This XH-2A connector (or better one if found or developed) will be custom designed to include a integrated strain relief and possibly a 90 degree connector so that it sticks out from the fan housing less and will exceed the requirements of UL listing, CE or other safety standards. Current fan designs require wires attached to the board and routed through the fan housing in wire channels and out the housing. The wires currently have various type of power connectors on them to connect to different power supplies.

The designs of the fan blades are such that they are optimized for our unique applications. They could be adapted for other uses as well. One goal is to slow down the fan speed as much as possible to reduce the power consumption as well as reduce the noise of the fan. The designs are optimized to move enough air through every machine so that the relative humidity inside the drum is lowered below the relative humity level that mold needs to grow. Most designs will have at least one incoming air path and one out going air path or more. This will allow for the machines to not have to have the front door open to let the more moist air exhaust out the front. Currently, fresh air is pushed into the machine. This can be reversed if deemed necessary (because it is more efficient) for future designs to pull the moist air out of the machine and let the fresh air be pulled into the machine on its own through other vent(s). Various designs of internal fans that connect directly to the internal power supply of the machine may also be used.

Our inventive designs in the form of a retrofit kit may also have an integrated air filter that is removable for cleaning. It will have a filter media that is optimized for allowing the most air flow with the least amount of restriction and at the same time catch the most dust possible. See drawings of one possible method of attaching to our fan housing. Others may also be used. There is a wire channel added on top of the main fan housing and just below the air filter so that the fan does not need to be unplugged to clean the air filter.

The blade is optimized to move enough air and at the same time have the lowest possible noise level as measured in dB and have the fan motor draw the least amount of power possible. The fan uses a 2 Ball Bearing (BB) design as to give the fan the longest life possible. The blade is made with an electrostatic additive molded directly into the blade to naturally have the blade attract the least amount of dust and dirt possible. The fan body and filter assembly are made with a clear material so it is the easiest to see when the blades, filter and housing need to be cleaned.

The fan housing itself has an integrated finger guard incorporated (the molded housing) directly into the fan housing so that it does not require an additional attached finger guard. The use of a reversed pitch fan blade may be necessary to have the finger guard on the correct side and still have the air flowing in the right direction.

The idea of having a power connector directly on the fan board and a hole in the housing to allow the plugin to stick through is something that I have not seen anywhere and is an inventive idea. The connector may very depending on the application. Having a fan housing with an integrated finger guard is also a claim. Having the fan direction reversed may also be a claim so that when the fan motor is flipped 180 degrees so that when assembled the finger guard is on the outside and the air being pulled over the integrated finger guard is also a claim. The option for computer and other applications to have the integrated finger guard on the outside and the power connector such that in can be plugged in internally without having to use wires is also a claim.

Another inventive idea is to incorporate a thin copper wire in the fan so that as the washer fan draws air through the housing air is passed over the copper wire which then causes a slight static charge from the copper which is a natural bacteria killer. This may require a power supply that has a ground plug and a third wire to bring a true ground to the washer fan which then can be connected to the copper wire. The more moisture in the air passing over the wire, the better. The inventive idea may also include adding the same bare copper wire in the air path in a machine with our inventive idea built into the machine from the factory. The wire may also be added to the Fan Fresh design.

An improved design for the power supply is using an Apple style power supply (like the one included with the iPhone) but with rounded off corners and to move the USB connector to the top (or bottom or sides) to make it so that when the USB cable is connected to the power supply the combined power supply and cord stick out from the wall less. Also adding a LED(s) inside the USB port (or other places) to indicate when the power supply is working properly. A drawing of one possible placement of the USB port is attached.

The black gunk inside the washers internal drain hose has been found to include at least 3 different types of mold including black mold. More test will be done to fully diagnose how bad the current problem is and how well our kits fix the problem.

Reversed fan blades to facilitate a standard motor turning counterclockwise to pull air into our inventive idea where standard fan blades go in the opposite direction.

The main body of the housing may be clear to make it easier to see that the blade is operating properly and to be able to see when the housing and fan blade needs to be cleaned.

Blade design, may be unique specifically for our housing design that has room for the blades to be taller than the center cup where the magnet mounts. This allows for the blades to have more surface area and to allow for the blades to turn slower reducing the noise level and at the same time move enough air to reduce the relative humidity in all front load washers it is mounted on.

For different applications, the fan designs may be powered by being directly connected to AC or DC power, batteries, solar or other power sources.

Another feature is a replaceable air filter that attaches to the incoming part of the fan and catches the majority of dust and lint so that the fan blade and housing are able to operate unimpeded from dust and lint. The fan blade will also be made using an additive material or treatment to provide electrostatic properties to naturally repel dust and lint to give the user longer time between having to clean the housing and blade. The reason for this carbon/graphite (or other) filler material is to have static dissipative properties to keep the blades cleaner longer. A removable reusable air filter may be added over the incoming air path for the internal washer fan design so that the internal blade will be kept dust-free as much as possible.

The benefits and advantages which may be provided by the present invention have been described above with regard to specific embodiments. These benefits and advantages, and any elements or limitations that may cause them to occur or to become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features of any or all of the claims. As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variations thereof, are intended to be interpreted as non-exclusively including the elements or limitations which follow those terms. Accordingly, a system, method, or other embodiment that comprises a set of elements is not limited to only those elements, and may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to the claimed embodiment.

While the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it should be understood that the embodiments are illustrative and that the scope of the invention is not limited to these embodiments. Many variations, modifications, additions and improvements to the embodiments described above are possible. It is contemplated that these variations, modifications, additions and improvements fall within the scope of the invention as detailed within the following claims.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a washing machine;

a fan installed on the washing machine;

an air inlet in the washing machine; and

an air outlet in the washing machine;

wherein the fan draws air from outside the washing machine through the air inlet, circulates the air through a lower portion of the washing machine where the air evaporates stagnant water that has accumulated in the lower portion of the washing machine, and exhausts the air through the air outlet.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a check valve installed in a water discharge line of the washing machine, wherein the check valve prevents water from flowing through the discharge line into the lower portion of the washing machine.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a filter installed upstream from the check valve, wherein the filter filters debris from water that passes through the check valve.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the washing machine includes a pump that pumps water through the discharge line, wherein the pump has a sealed impeller that functions as a check valve which prevents water from flowing through the discharge line into the lower portion of the washing machine.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the washing machine is a front-loading washing machine.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first humidity sensor which measures a humidity external to the washing machine and a second humidity sensor which measures a humidity internal to the washing machine, wherein the fan circulates the air through the lower portion of the washing machine in response to determining that the internal humidity measured by the second humidity sensor exceeds the external humidity measured by the first humidity sensor by a predetermined amount.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the fan further circulates the air through a drum therein containing a load of laundry in response to determining that the washing machine has completed a wash cycle and that the load of laundry in the washing machine has not been removed.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the washing machine is configured to, after completion of the wash cycle, rotate the drum containing the load of laundry in response to determining that the washing machine is not in operation and that the load of laundry in the washing machine has not been removed.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an automated control system which transmits an electronic notification to a user in response to determining that a wash cycle is complete.

10. An improvement to a washing machine, the improvement comprising:

a fan installed on the washing machine;

an air inlet to the washing machine; and

an air outlet from the washing machine;

wherein the fan draws air from outside the washing machine through the air inlet, circulates the air through a lower portion of the washing machine where the air evaporates stagnant water that has accumulated in the lower portion of the washing machine, and exhausts the air through the air outlet.

11. The improvement of claim 10, further comprising a check valve installed in a water discharge line of the washing machine, wherein the check valve prevents water from flowing through the discharge line into the lower portion of the washing machine.

12. The improvement of claim 10, wherein the fan is attached to the exterior of a housing of the washing machine.

13. The improvement of claim 12, wherein the fan has a housing that includes one or more magnets, wherein the magnets attach the fan housing to the washing machine housing.

14. The improvement of claim 12, wherein the fan has a housing that includes a space therein which accommodates a vent cover which is installed over a vent in the washing machine, wherein the fan is attached to the exterior of washing machine housing over the vent cover.

15. The improvement of claim 10, further comprising first and second humidity sensors coupled to the fan, wherein the first humidity sensor measures a humidity external to the washing machine and the second humidity sensor measures a humidity internal to the washing machine, wherein the fan circulates the air through the lower portion of the washing machine in response to determining that the internal humidity measured by the second humidity sensor exceeds the external humidity measured by the first humidity sensor by a predetermined amount.

16. The improvement of claim 15, further comprising a control system configured to periodically turn the fan on for a preset amount of time and compare the internal humidity measured by the second humidity sensor to the external humidity measured by the first humidity sensor, wherein the control system continues to run the fan when the internal humidity exceeds the external humidity by the predetermined amount, and wherein the control system stops the fan when the internal humidity does not exceed the external humidity by the predetermined amount.

17. The improvement of claim 10, further comprising an air filter coupled to the air inlet, wherein the air filter filters air drawn from outside the washing machine through the air inlet.

18. The improvement of claim 10, wherein the fan has a plurality of blades, wherein the blades are electrostatically charged and wherein an electrostatic charge on the blades repels dust.

19. The improvement of claim 10, further comprising a copper wire coupled to the fan, wherein the fan circulates air drawn from outside the washing machine over the copper wire.