Portable Washing Machine

Overview

A portable washing machine is a full top-loader shrunk to roll up to a sink. It needs no permanent plumbing: a hose clips onto the kitchen faucet to fill, a drain hose hangs into the sink to empty, and casters let it tuck away between washes. Inside, it works the way classic top-loaders always have, agitating the load in a tub of water rather than tumbling it.

The Cabinet & Tub holds a water-tight Outer Tub with a perforated Perforated Spin Basket inside it. The basket is carried on a sprung Tub Suspension so the violent imbalance of a wet load during spin is absorbed by springs and dampers instead of shaking the whole machine. A hinged Lid closes the top, and its safety switch stops the spin the moment the lid is lifted.

How it works

To wash, the Water System opens a solenoid Inlet Solenoid Valve (switched by a relay) and fills the tub from the faucet hose until the Water Level Pressure Switch is satisfied. The Wash Drive then drives the Agitator Post: a reversible Drive Motor turns through a Helical Gear Pair reduction and a Drive Belt, rocking the center post back and forth so the clothes circulate through the detergent water.

To drain and spin, a clutch shifts the drive so the same motor now turns the basket while the Drain Pump evacuates the water through the drain hose. The basket spins up to several hundred rpm, and centrifugal force flings water out through the perforations and down the drain, leaving the load damp rather than dripping.

The Control Board board runs the sequence chosen on the rotary Program Selector Dial, switching the motor direction, pump, and inlet valve through relays at each step, and locking out the spin unless the Lid Safety Switch reports the lid closed.