The invention relates to a program-controlled apparatus (1) for washing items that is equipped with a water purification system (8) for purifying the wash liquor by removing detergent and suspended soil, which purification system (8) utilizes addition of flocculant, wherein the amount of flocculant that is added is controlled to minimize the total amount of flocculant used without compromising the efficacy of the purification treatment.

A laundry appliance uses a determination of volumetric airflow rate after a steady state condition is reached to determine the accumulation of lint in filter. Based on the determination, various actions can be taken including notifying the user, shutting off the appliance, initiating an automatic cleaning sequence for one or more lint filters, and combinations thereof. One or more temperature sensors, relative humidity sensors, and weight sensors are used to provide measurements for determining the volumetric airflow rate.

A laundry appliance includes a wash tub disposed within a cabinet. A rotating drum is disposed within the wash tub. A drain system directs a fluid from the wash tub to a fluid pump. A trap is disposed within a tub drain of the wash tub. The trap includes an elongated body having a plurality of fingers that extend across an aperture defined within the elongated body. The plurality of fingers are configured to permit passage of particulate material and prevent passage of foreign objects through the elongated body.

The present disclosure provides a method of controlling a laundry treating apparatus including a tub in which a drum accommodating clothing is rotatably disposed, a heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between air discharged from the tub and a refrigerant in a circulation flow path through which the air circulates, a filter configured to filter the air, a first cleaning mechanism configured to apply cleaning water to any one of the filter and the heat exchanger, and a second cleaning mechanism configured to apply the cleaning water to the other of the filter and the heat exchanger. The method includes measuring a flow rate while supplying water into the tub, and controlling, based on the flow rate, a first flow path control valve for regulating water supply to the first cleaning mechanism and a second flow path control valve for regulating water supply to the second cleaning mechanism.

The invention relates to preventing microplastics from the entering the environment. In particular the invention is directed to filtering microfibers from the waste water from washing machines as well as waste from other appliances and other sources of effluent with entrained microplastics or other microp-ollutants. A separator is provided for separating microplastics from effluent comprising; a chamber including at least one sieve structure, a shroud that acts as a vortex finder and a baffle coaxial with the shroud and projecting upwards from the lower end of the chamber, wherein the shroud has a circular lower rim and the baffle has a circular upper rim, wherein the radius of the lower rim of the shroud is greater than the radius of the upper rim of the baffle.

A washing machine with drying function may include a cabinet with a laundry insertion hole; a tub having a front opening and a back opening; a drum inside the tub, the laundry insertion hole, front opening, and drum being positioned so that laundry is insertable through the laundry insertion hole; a heated air supplying device with a heat exchange part above the tub, a front and back duct, and a blower fan to form an airflow, via the back and front duct, from the back opening to the heat exchange part, and then to the front opening; a lint filter in the back duct; a sensor to detect lint in the lint filter and produce a corresponding signal; a washing device to spray washing water toward the lint filter; and a processor to control the washing device to spray the washing water based on the signal produced by the sensor.

A fluid flow system for a laundry appliance includes a blower that delivers process air along an airflow path having a heat exchanger. A drain channel receives condensate from the heat exchanger and fluid spray from a spray nozzle for directing lint particles to the drain channel and on to a sump for collecting fluid, including the condensate. A pump seat and a fluid outlet are integrally formed in a sump cover. A pump directs the fluid from the sump to the fluid outlet. A fluid level sensor detects at least minimum and maximum capacities of the fluid in the sump. When the fluid is below the minimum capacity, the pump defines an idle state. When the fluid reaches the minimum capacity, the pump defines an active state. When the fluid exceeds the maximum capacity, the pump directs the fluid to the fluid outlet.

An air filtration system for a laundry apparatus includes an air-lint inlet forming an interior volume configured to fluidically couple to a tumbler of the laundry apparatus and extending to an end portion. The system further includes a lint-collection reservoir coupled to the air-lint inlet configured to hold a liquid at a level, wherein the air-lint inlet extends into the lint-collection reservoir. The system further includes an outlet conduit in fluid connection with the air-lint collection reservoir. The outlet conduit is configured to expel filter air from the air-lint collection reservoir.

A fluid flow system for a laundry appliance includes a blower that delivers process air along an airflow path having a heat exchanger. A drain channel receives condensate from the heat exchanger and fluid spray from a spray nozzle for directing lint particles to the drain channel and on to a sump for collecting fluid, including the condensate. A pump seat and a fluid outlet are integrally formed in a sump cover. A pump directs the fluid from the sump to the fluid outlet. A fluid level sensor detects at least minimum and maximum capacities of the fluid in the sump. When the fluid is below the minimum capacity, the pump defines an idle state. When the fluid reaches the minimum capacity, the pump defines an active state. When the fluid exceeds the maximum capacity, the pump directs the fluid to the fluid outlet.

A laundry appliance includes a wash tub disposed within a cabinet. A rotating drum is disposed within the wash tub. A drain system directs a fluid from the wash tub to a fluid pump. A trap is disposed within a tub drain of the wash tub. The trap includes an elongated body having a plurality of fingers that extend across an aperture defined within the elongated body. The plurality of fingers are configured to permit passage of particulate material and prevent passage of foreign objects through the elongated body.