CN110506140B

CN110506140B - Washing machine

Info

Publication number: CN110506140B
Application number: CN201880020593.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 松井阳子; 长井智; 川口弘晓; 小仓范史
Original assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products and Services Corp
Current assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products and Services Corp
Priority date: 2017-04-05
Filing date: 2018-03-19
Publication date: 2021-06-04
Anticipated expiration: 2038-03-19
Also published as: WO2018186164A1; CN110506140A; US20200011001A1; JP2018175050A; DE112018001910T5; JP7381186B2

Abstract

The invention provides a washing machine. A washing machine (10) according to the present embodiment is provided with: a water tank (13); a fine bubble water generating unit for generating fine bubble water containing fine bubbles; and a water supply control unit for controlling the supply of the fine bubble water into the water tank (13), wherein the water supply control unit changes the supply amount of the fine bubble water supplied into the water tank (13) according to an operation mode.

Description

Washing machine

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a washing machine.

Background

In recent years, fine bubbles having a size of several tens of nm to several μm, which are called as micro bubbles or nano bubbles, have been attracting attention, and it is considered to apply fine bubble water containing a large amount of fine bubbles to a washing machine. That is, the washing performance can be improved by dissolving the detergent in the fine bubble water to wash the laundry.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2014-158599

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

Generally, a washing machine is configured to be capable of executing a plurality of operation modes having different operation contents, such as a standard mode, a fast mode, and a fine mode. Therefore, when only the fine bubble water is simply applied to the washing machine, the supply amount of the fine bubble water may be excessive or insufficient in each operation mode, and in this case, the function of the fine bubble water cannot be effectively exhibited.

Therefore, a washing machine is provided which is configured to be capable of executing a plurality of operation modes having different operation contents, and which can effectively exhibit the function of fine bubble water in each operation mode.

The washing machine according to the present embodiment includes a water tank, a fine bubble water generating unit, and a water supply control unit. The fine bubble water generating unit generates fine bubble water containing fine bubbles. The water supply control means controls supply of the fine bubble water into the water tank. The water supply control means changes the supply amount of the fine bubble water supplied into the water tank according to an operation mode.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing an example of the structure of a washing machine according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the control system of the washing machine according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a control example of the washing machine according to embodiment 1 (fig. 1).

Fig. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a control example of the washing machine according to embodiment 1 (fig. 2).

Fig. 5 is a diagram schematically showing a control example of the washing machine according to embodiment 1 (fig. 3).

Fig. 6 is a diagram schematically showing an example of control of the washing machine according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 7 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of a control system of a washing machine according to embodiment 3.

Fig. 8 is a diagram schematically showing a control example of the washing machine according to embodiment 3 (fig. 1).

Fig. 9 is a diagram schematically showing an example of control of the washing machine according to embodiment 3 (2).

Fig. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a control example of the washing machine according to embodiment 4 (fig. 1).

Fig. 11 is a diagram schematically showing a control example of the washing machine according to embodiment 4 (2).

Fig. 12 is a diagram schematically showing an example of control of the washing machine according to embodiment 5 (1).

Fig. 13 is a diagram schematically showing a control example of the washing machine according to embodiment 5 (fig. 2).

Fig. 14 is a diagram schematically showing a control example of the washing machine according to embodiment 6 (1).

Fig. 15 is a diagram schematically showing an example of control of the washing machine according to embodiment 6 (2).

Fig. 16 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the supply amount setting button according to embodiment 7.

Fig. 17 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of a control system of a washing machine according to embodiment 8.

Fig. 18 is a diagram schematically showing a control example of the washing machine according to embodiment 8 (fig. 1).

Fig. 19 is a diagram schematically showing a control example of the washing machine according to embodiment 8 (2)

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the washing machine will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, substantially the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

(embodiment 1)

The washing machine 10 illustrated in fig. 1 is a so-called vertical axis type washing machine in which the rotation axis of the rotary tub is oriented in the vertical direction, and includes an outer casing 11, a top cover 12, a water tub 13, a rotary tub 14, a pulsator 15, a motor 16, a water supply mechanism 17, and the like. The outer case 11 constitutes an outer contour of the washing machine 10, and is formed in a rectangular box shape as a whole by a steel plate, for example. The top cover 12 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, and is provided on the upper portion of the outer box 11.

The water tank 13 and the rotary tank 14 function as a washing tank and a dewatering tank for storing laundry such as clothes to be washed. The water tank 13 is provided in the outer box 11. The water tank 13 and the rotary tank 14 are formed in a bottomed cylindrical container shape having an open upper surface. The rotary tub 14 has a plurality of small holes 14a, and water passes through the small holes 14a to and from the rotary tub 14 and the water tub 13. A drain port, not shown, is formed in the bottom of the water tank 13. A drainage mechanism, not shown, is connected to the drainage port of the water tank 13. The drain mechanism is configured to include a drain valve and the like in a drain path extending from the drain port of the water tank 13 to the outside of the machine.

The motor 16 is connected to the rotary tub 14 and the pulsator 15 via a clutch mechanism not shown. The clutch mechanism selectively transmits the rotation of the motor 16 to the rotary tub 14 and the pulsator 15. The motor 16 and the clutch mechanism transmit the driving force of the motor 16 to the pulsator 15 in a state where the rotation of the spin basket 14 is stopped at the time of a washing stroke for washing the laundry in the spin basket 14 and at the time of a rinsing stroke for rinsing the laundry, and rotate the pulsator 15 in the normal rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction at a low speed. The motor 16 and the clutch mechanism transmit the driving force of the motor 16 to the spin tub 14 to rotate and drive the spin tub 14 and the pulsator 15 at high speed in one direction during a spin-drying process for dehydrating laundry in the spin tub 14.

The water supply mechanism 17 is provided above the outer box 11 and inside the top cover 12. The water supply mechanism 17 is provided with a water filling box 19 and the like in the middle of the water supply path 18. The water filling box 19 is formed in a rectangular container shape, for example, and is disposed above the water tank 13. A detergent box, not shown, is accommodated in the water filling box 19 so as to be removable therefrom. The detergent treatment agent box is provided with a liquid detergent storage part for storing liquid detergent, a powder detergent storage part for storing powder detergent, a softener storage part for storing softener, and the like.

A water filling port 19a is provided at the bottom of the water filling cartridge 19. The water filling port 19a communicates the inner space of the water filling cartridge 19 with the outside. The water flowing into the water injection box 19 dissolves various kinds of washing treatment agents via the washing treatment agent box, and is injected into the water tank 13 from the water injection port 19 a. Water inlet 19a is located above water tub 13 and spin tub 14, and is provided at a position visually recognizable by a user when washing machine 10 is used. The water inlet 19a may be formed separately from the water filling box 19. A piping member such as a hose may be provided between the water filling box 19 and the water filling port 19 a.

A base end portion of the water supply path 18 is connected to a water source, not shown, such as tap water, which is present outside the outer box 11. On the other hand, the distal end of the water supply path 18 branches into a plurality of paths, and in this case, the water supply path branches into a normal water supply path 18A and a fine bubble water supply path 18B. The water supply path 18A for water supply and the water supply path 18B for fine bubble water supply are connected to the water filling box 19.

The normal water supply path 18A includes a water supply valve 18A 1. The water supply path 18A for water generally does not include a fine bubble water generator 20 described later. The normal water supply path 18A supplies water supplied from a water source not shown as normal water containing no fine bubbles into the water pouring box 19. That is, the normal water supply path 18A can be defined as a normal water supply path provided in the washing machine to supply washing water into the water tank 13.

On the other hand, the water supply path 18B for fine bubble water includes a water supply valve 18B1 and a fine bubble water generator 20. The fine bubble water generator 20 is an example of a fine bubble water generating unit that generates fine bubble water containing fine bubbles. Although not shown in detail, the microbubble water generator 20 includes a flow path having a throttle portion and a protrusion portion. The water flowing through the flow path is throttled when passing through the throttle portion, and the flow velocity and pressure gradually increase, and the water is in a high-flow velocity and high-pressure stateAnd collides with the protrusion in this state. Then, when water having a high flow velocity and a high pressure collides with the projection and passes through the projection, the pressure of the water is rapidly reduced. By virtue of the cavitation effect due to this sharp pressure drop, a large quantity of, for example, 10 is generated in the water⁶More than one fine bubble with a diameter of several tens nm to several mum, for example, with a diameter of 50 μm or less.

The fine bubbles thus generated are called microbubbles, nanobubbles, microbubbles, and the like. Here, generally, the fine bubbles are classified as follows according to the particle diameter of the bubbles. For example, bubbles having a particle diameter of about several μm to 50 μm, that is, micro-sized bubbles are called microbubbles or microbubbles. On the other hand, bubbles having a particle diameter of several hundred nm to several tens of nm or less, that is, a nanometer order are called nanobubbles, microbubbles, or the like.

When the particle diameter of the bubbles is several hundred nm to several tens nm or less, the bubbles become smaller than the wavelength of light, and thus the bubbles cannot be visually recognized, and the liquid becomes transparent. Further, the nano-sized fine bubbles have characteristics of large total interface area, slow floating speed, large internal pressure, and the like, as compared with the micro-sized or larger bubbles. For example, bubbles having a particle diameter of the order of micrometers rapidly rise in a liquid by buoyancy thereof, break at the liquid surface, and disappear, and therefore the residence time in the liquid is relatively short. On the other hand, fine bubbles having a particle diameter of the order of nanometers have a long residence time in a liquid because of small buoyancy.

Water containing such fine bubbles is excellent in interfacial activity and contributes to improvement of the cleaning performance of the laundry, particularly the cleaning performance against greasy dirt such as sebum dirt. That is, the fine bubble water generated by the fine bubble water generator 20 has a function of improving the cleaning performance based on the fine bubbles.

The fine bubble water supply path 18B generates fine bubble water by causing water supplied from a water source not shown to contain fine bubbles by the fine bubble water generator 20. Then, the fine bubble water supply path 18B supplies the generated fine bubble water into the water filling cartridge 19. That is, the fine bubble water supply path 18B can be defined as a water supply path for supplying fine bubble water that is provided separately from a general water supply path for supplying fine bubble water into the water tank 13.

The control device 30 illustrated in fig. 2 is configured mainly of a microcomputer, for example, and is provided on the back surface of an operation panel, not shown, provided on the upper portion of the outer box 11. Control device 30 executes a control program to control the overall operation of washing machine 10. Further, the control device 30 executes the control program to virtually realize the water supply control processing part 31 by software. The water supply control processing unit 31 may be configured by hardware, or may be configured by a combination of software and hardware.

The water supply control processing unit 31 is an example of water supply control means, and controls the supply of normal water into the water tank 13 by controlling the operation of the water supply valve 18a1, and controls the supply of fine bubble water into the water tank 13 by controlling the operation of the water supply valve 18B 1. In the water supply operation in the washing stroke or the rinsing stroke in each operation mode, the water supply control processing unit 31 can change the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the entire supply amount of water to the water tank 13 by appropriately adjusting the time for supplying normal water into the water tank 13 and the time for supplying fine bubble water into the water tank 13. Further, the water supply control processing unit 31 may be configured to supply normal water into the water tank 13 first and then supply fine bubble water into the water tank 13 during the water supply operation, may be configured to supply fine bubble water into the water tank 13 first and then supply normal water into the water tank 13, or may be configured to supply normal water and fine bubble water into the water tank 13 at the same time.

As illustrated in fig. 3, the water supply control processing unit 31 is configured to be able to execute the following control: in the water supply operation in the washing stroke or the rinsing stroke in each operation mode, fine bubble water is supplied into the water tank 13 in the initial stage, and normal water is supplied into the water tank 13 in the middle stage and the later stage. As illustrated in fig. 4, the water supply control processing unit 31 is configured to be able to execute the following control: in the water supply operation in the washing stroke or the rinsing stroke in each operation mode, normal water is supplied into the water tank 13 in the first half of the initial stage, and fine bubble water is supplied into the water tank 13 in the second half of the initial stage. The selection of the control example shown in fig. 3 and the control example shown in fig. 4 may be performed based on a selection operation by a user, for example, or may be automatically performed by the control device 30 based on a control program.

The control device 30 is configured to be able to execute a plurality of operation modes, and the water supply control processing unit 31 is configured to be able to execute the following control: according to each operation mode, the amount of supply of fine bubble water is controlled to be changed with respect to the total amount of supply of water into the water tank 13, in other words, the concentration of fine bubbles contained in water supplied into the water tank 13 is controlled to be changed. For example, the concentration of fine bubbles supplied into the water tank 13 is determined by dividing the amount of fine bubble water supplied into the water tank 13 by the total amount of water supplied into the water tank 13, including normal water. Further, the concentration of the fine bubbles supplied into the water tank 13 can be adjusted by changing the supply ratio of the fine bubble water supplied into the water tank 13 to water other than the fine bubble water supplied into the water tank 13, for example, normal water. Further, by adjusting the water pressure of the water flowing through the fine bubble water supply path 18B, the concentration, in other words, the amount of generation of the fine bubbles supplied into the water tank 13 can be changed. Further, for example, the water pressure of the water flowing through the fine bubble water supply path 18B can be controlled by adjusting the opening degree of the water supply valve 18B1, the water pressure of the external water source itself, the flow path diameter of the fine bubble water supply path 18B, and the like.

As illustrated in fig. 5, in the present embodiment, the control device 30 is configured to be able to execute at least a standard mode, a multiple supply short-time mode, a small supply long-time mode, and a high-level cleaning mode.

When the standard mode is executed by the control device 30, the water supply control processing unit 31 sets the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the total supply amount of water supplied into the water tank 13 to a standard level, for example, 50%, and sets the supply time for supplying fine bubble water into the water tank 13 to a standard level, for example, 7 minutes.

When the multiple supply short time mode is executed by the control device 30, the water supply control processing unit 31 sets the supply amount of fine bubble water to a multiple level that is larger than the standard level with respect to the total supply amount of water to be supplied into the water tank 13, and sets the supply time for supplying fine bubble water into the water tank 13 to a short level that is shorter than the standard level. That is, if the supply amount of the fine bubble water to be supplied into the water tank 13 is simply increased, the supply time is increased. Further, since the flow velocity of water is also decreased by the flow path resistance of the throttling portion of the fine bubble water generator 20, the supply time is likely to be increased when the supply amount of fine bubble water is increased. Therefore, in the multi-supply short-time mode, the supply amount of the fine bubble water to be supplied into the water tank 13 is increased, and the stirring time of the pulsator 15 during water supply is set to be shorter than a standard, thereby shortening the total required time.

When the small supply long time mode is executed by the control device 30, the water supply control processing unit 31 sets the supply amount of fine bubble water to a small level smaller than the standard level with respect to the total supply amount of water to be supplied into the water tank 13, and sets the supply time for supplying fine bubble water into the water tank 13 to a long level longer than the standard level. By reducing the amount of supply of the fine bubble water into the water tank 13, the supply time can be shortened. Therefore, in the small supply long time mode, the agitation time of the pulsator 15 during water supply can be set longer than the standard, in accordance with the case where the supply amount of fine bubble water to be supplied into the water tank 13 is reduced.

When the high-level cleaning mode is executed by the control device 30, the water supply control processing unit 31 supplies the high-concentration fine bubble water, which is contained in the fine bubble water and has a higher concentration than the fine bubble water in the standard mode, into the water tank 13. Since the concentration of the fine bubble water in the standard mode is, for example, 50%, in the high-level cleaning mode, the water supply control processing unit 31 generates high-concentration fine bubble water having a concentration at least higher than that in the standard mode, for example, 100%, and supplies the water into the water tank 13. That is, the water supply control processing unit 31 executes the water supply into the water tank 13 by using all of the fine bubble water supply paths 18B without using the normal water supply path 18A. The supply time of the fine bubble water in the high-level cleaning mode can be set as appropriate, and may be longer or shorter than the supply time in the standard mode, for example.

According to the present embodiment, in washing machine 10 configured to be capable of executing a plurality of operation modes having different operation contents, control device 30 changes the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the entire supply amount of water into water tank 13 in accordance with each operation mode. This optimizes the supply amount of the fine bubble water in each operation mode, and the function of the fine bubble water can be effectively exhibited.

In this case, the controller 30 changes the concentration of the fine bubbles supplied into the water tank 13, in other words, changes the supply ratio between the fine bubble water supplied into the water tank 13 and the water other than the fine bubble water, in this case, the normal water, according to the operation mode. Here, the element that most affects the effect of improving the cleaning performance by the fine bubble water is the "concentration" of the fine microbubbles contained in the water supplied into the water tank 13. Therefore, focusing on the "concentration" of the fine bubbles, the concentration is appropriately changed according to the operation mode, and thereby the cleaning performance suitable for each operation mode can be exhibited.

Furthermore, control device 30 can execute the following multi-feed short-time mode: the amount of fine bubble water supplied to the water tank 13 is set to be larger than a predetermined amount with respect to the total amount of water supplied to the water tank 13, and the supply time of the fine bubble water to the water tank 13 is set to be shorter than a predetermined time. According to this multi-supply short-time mode, a large amount of fine bubble water can be supplied into the water tank 13 in a short time, and the time required for supplying the fine bubble water can be shortened.

Further, control device 30 can execute the following short-supply long-time mode: the amount of fine bubble water supplied to the water tank 13 is reduced to a predetermined amount and the supply time of the fine bubble water to the water tank 13 is increased to a predetermined time. According to this small supply long time mode, although the time required for supplying the fine bubble water becomes long, the fine bubble water can be supplied into the water tank 13 a little at a time, and the fine bubble water can be supplied while being sufficiently contacted with the washing treatment agent.

Further, control device 30 can execute the following high-level washing mode: high-concentration fine bubble water in which the concentration of fine bubble water contained in the fine bubble water is higher than a predetermined concentration is supplied into the water tank 13. According to this high-level cleaning mode, the cleaning treatment agent can be dissolved in the high-concentration fine bubble water and supplied into the water tank 13. Therefore, the function of the fine bubble water can be more effectively exhibited, and the cleaning performance can be further improved.

The water supply control processing unit 31 may set the concentration of the fine bubble water supplied in the standard mode to 100%, and may set the concentration of the fine bubble water in the other operation modes to a concentration lower than 100%, for example, 70% or 50%.

The water supply control processing unit 31 may set the concentration of the fine bubble water supplied in the short time mode to a concentration lower than the concentration of the fine bubble water in the other operation modes. That is, the time required for the water supply operation can be further shortened by shortening the supply time of the fine bubble water and also by reducing the concentration of the supplied fine bubble water. In particular, when washing with a liquid detergent, a sufficient washing effect can be expected even if the supply amount of fine bubble water is reduced as compared with the case of washing with a powder detergent. Therefore, when a liquid detergent is used, the supply time of the fine bubble water is shortened and the concentration of the supplied fine bubble water is reduced, whereby the water supply operation can be shortened and a sufficient cleaning effect can be exhibited.

The control example illustrated in fig. 5 is merely an example, and the water supply control processing unit 31 can appropriately change and set the supply amount and supply time of the fine bubble water in each operation mode. That is, for example, the supply amount of fine bubble water in the multi-supply short time mode can be set to a standard level, and the supply amount of fine bubble water in the other operation mode can be set to be larger than, smaller than, or the same as the standard level. Further, the supply amount of fine bubble water in the small supply long time mode can be set to the standard level, and the supply amount of fine bubble water in the other operation mode can be set to be larger than, smaller than, or the same as the standard level.

Further, the supply time of the fine bubble water in the multi-supply short time mode can be set to a standard level, and the supply time of the fine bubble water in the other operation mode can be set to be longer than, shorter than, or the same as the standard level. Further, the supply time of the fine bubble water in the small supply long time mode can be set to the standard level, and the supply time of the fine bubble water in the other operation mode can be set to be longer than, shorter than, or the same as the standard level.

(embodiment 2)

As illustrated in fig. 6, in the present embodiment, the water supply control processing unit 31 changes the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the entire water supply amount supplied into the water tank 13, not depending on the operation mode but depending on the operation stroke. That is, for example, the standard mode includes a washing stroke, a spray rinsing stroke, and a water storage rinsing stroke. The washing stroke is a stroke in which water is supplied into the water tank 13 up to a water level for a predetermined washing stroke, and washing is performed by rotating the pulsator 15 to agitate the laundry in the rotary tub 14. The shower rinsing stroke is a stroke for rinsing the laundry in the rotary tub 14 while circulating the water in the water tub 13 through a circulation path, not shown, and returning the water from the upper part of the water tub 13 into the rotary tub 14 in a shower-like manner. The water-holding rinsing stroke is a stroke in which water is supplied into the water tank 13 up to a water level for a predetermined rinsing stroke, and the pulsator 15 is rotated to agitate the laundry in the rotary tub 14 to rinse the laundry. The water level in the water tank 13 in the shower rinsing stroke can be set to a water level lower than the water level in the water tank 13 in the catch rinsing stroke.

In the washing process, the water supply control processing unit 31 sets the supply amount of the fine bubble water with respect to the total supply amount of the water supplied into the water tank 13 to a standard level. In the shower rinsing stroke, the water supply control processing unit 31 sets the supply amount of the fine bubble water to a small level smaller than the standard level with respect to the total supply amount of the water supplied into the water tank 13. In the rinsing stroke with accumulated water, the water supply control processing unit 31 sets the supply amount of fine bubble water to a level higher than the standard level with respect to the total supply amount of water supplied into the water tank 13.

According to the present embodiment, the controller 30 changes the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the total supply amount of water to be supplied into the water tank 13 in accordance with the operation stroke. This optimizes the supply amount of the fine bubble water in each operation stroke, and the function of the fine bubble water can be effectively exhibited.

The control example illustrated in fig. 6 is merely an example, and the water supply control processing unit 31 can appropriately change and set the supply amount of the fine bubble water in each operation stroke. That is, for example, the supply amount of the fine bubble water in the spray rinsing stroke may be set to a standard level, and the supply amount of the fine bubble water in the other operation strokes may be set to be greater than, less than, or the same as the standard level. Further, the supply amount of the fine bubble water in the accumulated water rinsing stroke may be set to a standard level, and the supply amount of the fine bubble water in the other operation strokes may be set to be greater than, less than, or the same as the standard level. Similarly to the supply amount of the fine bubble water, the water supply control processing unit 31 can also be set by appropriately changing the supply time of the fine bubble water in each operation stroke.

(embodiment 3)

As illustrated in fig. 7, the control device 30 executes a control program to virtually realize the temperature detection processing unit 32 by software. The temperature detection processing unit 32 may be configured by hardware, or may be configured by a combination of software and hardware. The temperature detection processing unit 32 is an example of temperature detection means, and in this case, is configured to detect the temperature of the water in the water tank 13. That is, a temperature detection sensor, not shown, is provided in the water tank 13, and the temperature detection processing unit 32 detects the temperature of the water in the water tank 13 via the temperature detection sensor.

Then, the water supply control processing unit 31 adjusts the supply amount of the fine bubble water with respect to the entire supply amount of the water into the water tank 13 based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection processing unit 32. That is, in the control example illustrated in fig. 8, the water supply control processing unit 31 increases the supply amount of the fine bubble water with respect to the entire water supply amount supplied into the water tank 13 as the temperature detected by the temperature detection processing unit 32 decreases. In the control example illustrated in fig. 9, the water supply control processing unit 31 decreases the supply amount of the fine bubble water with respect to the entire water supply amount supplied into the water tank 13 as the temperature detected by the temperature detection processing unit 32 decreases.

According to the present embodiment, the controller 30 adjusts the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the total supply amount of water into the water tank 13 based on the temperature of water in the water tank 13 detected by the temperature detection processing unit 32. This optimizes the supply amount of the fine bubble water in accordance with the temperature of the water in the water tank 13, and the function of the fine bubble water can be effectively exhibited.

In addition, although the washing performance is generally greatly affected by the feed water temperature, even if the feed water temperature is relatively low, the effect of improving the washing performance by about 10 to 20% due to the presence of fine bubble water can be confirmed. Therefore, even when the feed water temperature is relatively low, the same cleaning performance as that in the case where the feed water temperature is high can be expected for at least grease dirt such as sebum dirt.

The temperature detection processing unit 32 may be configured to detect the outside temperature of the washing machine 10. That is, washing machine 10 may be configured to include a temperature detection sensor on the outer surface of outer casing 11, and temperature detection processing unit 32 may detect the temperature of the outside air of washing machine 10 via the temperature detection sensor. Then, the water supply control processing unit 31 adjusts the supply amount of the fine bubble water with respect to the entire supply amount of the water into the water tank 13, based on the temperature of the outside air detected by the temperature detection processing unit 32. According to this configuration, the supply amount of the fine bubble water can be optimized according to the temperature of the outside air, and the function of the fine bubble water can be effectively exhibited.

The temperature detection processing unit 32 may be configured to detect both the temperature of the water in the water tank 13 and the temperature of the outside air of the washing machine 10, and the control device 30 may be configured to calculate an average value, a maximum value, a minimum value, and the like of the two detected temperatures, and adjust the supply amount of the fine bubble water based on the calculated value. Further, control device 30 may be configured to select one of the temperature of the water in water tank 13 and the temperature of the outside air of washing machine 10, and adjust the supply amount of fine bubble water based on the selected detected temperature. With these configuration examples, the supply amount of the fine bubble water can be set to an optimum supply amount according to the temperature, and the function of the fine bubble water can be effectively exhibited.

(embodiment 4)

In the present embodiment, control device 30 is further configured to be able to execute the high-temperature water mode. The high-temperature water mode is an operation mode in which a washing stroke or a rinsing stroke is executed by supplying hot water, which is water having a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature, for example, 20 ℃. For example, such warm water can be obtained by providing washing machine 10 with a bath water pump not shown to enable supply of bath water, or providing washing machine 10 with a water heater not shown to enable supply of warm water.

Fig. 10 and 11 show control examples in the case where the washing machine 10 is configured to be able to execute the high-temperature water mode. That is, according to the control example illustrated in fig. 10, when the high-temperature water mode is executed, the water supply control processing unit 31 increases the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the entire supply amount of water into the water tank 13, compared to the supply amount in the standard mode. Further, according to the control example illustrated in fig. 11, when the high-temperature water mode is executed, the water supply control processing unit 31 reduces the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the entire supply amount of water into the water tank 13, compared to the supply amount in the standard mode.

According to the present embodiment, when the high-temperature water mode is executed, controller 30 adjusts the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the entire supply amount of water into water tank 13. This makes it possible to supply the fine bubble water in an amount appropriate for the high-temperature water present in the water tank 13, and the function of the fine bubble water can be effectively exhibited.

(embodiment 5)

In the present embodiment, the controller 30 is configured to be able to adjust the intensity of the water flow generated by the water in the water tank 13 in a plurality of stages, for example, 3 stages of a strong level, a standard level, and a weak level. For example, the intensity of the water flow generated by the water in the water tank 13 can be adjusted by controlling the rotation speed of the pulsator 15 and the amount of rotation per unit time. The adjustment of the water flow may be performed based on an adjustment operation by a user, or may be automatically performed by the control device 30 based on a control program.

Fig. 12 and 13 show a control example in the case where the washing machine 10 is configured to be capable of adjusting the intensity of the water flow. That is, according to the control example illustrated in fig. 12, when the intensity of the water flow generated by the water in the water tank 13 is adjusted to a strong level, the water supply control processing unit 31 increases the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the entire supply amount of water into the water tank 13 more than the standard level. Further, when the intensity of the water flow generated by the water in the water tank 13 is adjusted to a weak level, the water supply control processing unit 31 reduces the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the total supply amount of water supplied into the water tank 13 to be less than a standard level.

Further, according to the control example illustrated in fig. 13, when the intensity of the water flow generated by the water in the water tank 13 is adjusted to a strong level, the water supply control processing unit 31 reduces the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the entire supply amount of water into the water tank 13 to be less than the standard level. Further, when the intensity of the water flow generated by the water in the water tank 13 is adjusted to a weak level, the water supply control processing unit 31 increases the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the total supply amount of water supplied into the water tank 13 to be greater than a standard level.

According to the present embodiment, when the intensity of the water flow generated by the water in the water tank 13 is adjusted, the controller 30 adjusts the supply amount of the fine bubble water with respect to the entire supply amount of the water into the water tank 13. Thus, the supply amount of the fine bubble water can be set to a supply amount suitable for the water flow generated in the water tank 13, and the function of the fine bubble water can be effectively exhibited.

(embodiment 6)

In the present embodiment, the controller 30 is configured to be able to adjust the operation time of each operation mode in a plurality of stages, for example, 3 stages of a long level, a standard level, and a short level. The adjustment of the operation time may be performed based on an adjustment operation by a user, or may be automatically performed by the control device 30 based on a control program. Further, the control device 30 may be configured to automatically adjust the operation time based on the weight of the laundry determined by a known weight sensing process for detecting the weight of the laundry in the rotary tub 14.

Fig. 14 and 15 show a control example in the case where the washing machine 10 is configured to be capable of adjusting the operation time of the operation mode. That is, according to the control example illustrated in fig. 14, when the operation time is adjusted to the long level, the water supply control processing unit 31 increases the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the entire supply amount of water into the water tank 13 more than the standard level. When the operation time is adjusted to a short level, the water supply control processing unit 31 reduces the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the total supply amount of water into the water tank 13 to be less than the standard level. The entire operation time can be shortened by reducing the supply amount of the fine bubble water to shorten the water supply time.

Further, according to the control example illustrated in fig. 15, when the operation time is adjusted to the long level, the water supply control processing unit 31 reduces the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the entire supply amount of water into the water tank 13 to be less than the standard level. When the operation time is adjusted to a short level, the supply amount of fine bubble water is set to be larger than the standard level with respect to the total supply amount of water into the water tank 13. By increasing the supply amount of the fine bubble water, for example, grease dirt such as sebum dirt can be quickly washed away, and therefore, the time required for the washing operation can be shortened, and the entire operation time can be shortened.

According to the present embodiment, when the operation time in the operation mode is adjusted, the controller 30 adjusts the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the entire supply amount of water into the water tank 13 based on the adjusted operation time. Accordingly, the supply amount of the fine bubble water can be set to a supply amount suitable for the operation time of the adjusted operation mode, and the function of the fine bubble water can be effectively exhibited.

(7 th embodiment)

As illustrated in fig. 16, in the present embodiment, the washing machine 10 is provided with a plurality of, in this case, 5 supply amount setting buttons 70a to 70e on an operation panel, for example. The supply amount setting buttons 70a to 70e are examples of supply amount setting means, and are buttons to be operated by a user when setting the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the total supply amount of water to be supplied into the water tank 13.

The supply amount setting button 70a sets the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the total supply amount of water into the water tank 13 to a standard level. When the supply amount setting button 70a is operated, the controller 30 controls the amount of water supplied from the normal water supply path 18A and the amount of water supplied from the fine bubble water supply path 18B, thereby adjusting the concentration of the fine bubble water supplied into the water tank 13 to, for example, 50%.

The supply amount setting button 70b sets the supply amount of fine bubble water to a multi-level with respect to the total supply amount of water supplied into the water tank 13. When the supply amount setting button 70B is operated, the controller 30 controls the amount of water supplied from the normal water supply path 18A and the amount of water supplied from the fine bubble water supply path 18B, thereby adjusting the concentration of the fine bubble water supplied into the water tank 13 to, for example, 100%. That is, the controller 30 completely closes the normal water supply path 18A and completely opens the fine bubble water supply path 18B, thereby supplying only the fine bubble water into the water tank 13.

The supply amount setting button 70c sets the supply amount of fine bubble water to a small level with respect to the total supply amount of water supplied into the water tank 13. When the supply amount setting button 70c is operated, the controller 30 controls the amount of water supplied from the normal water supply path 18A and the amount of water supplied from the fine bubble water supply path 18B, thereby adjusting the concentration of the fine bubble water supplied into the water tank 13 to, for example, 0%. That is, the controller 30 completely opens the normal water supply path 18A and completely closes the fine bubble water supply path 18B, thereby supplying only the normal water into the water tank 13.

The supply amount setting button 70d sets the supply amount of fine bubble water to a slightly larger level than the total supply amount of water supplied into the water tank 13. When the supply amount setting button 70d is operated, the controller 30 controls the amount of water supplied from the normal water supply path 18A and the amount of water supplied from the fine bubble water supply path 18B, thereby adjusting the concentration of the fine bubble water supplied into the water tank 13 to, for example, 70% between 50% and 100%.

The supply amount setting button 70e sets the supply amount of fine bubble water to a slightly smaller level than the total supply amount of water supplied into the water tank 13. When the supply amount setting button 70e is operated, the controller 30 controls the amount of water supplied from the normal water supply path 18A and the amount of water supplied from the fine bubble water supply path 18B, thereby adjusting the concentration of the fine bubble water supplied into the water tank 13 to 20% of 0% and 50%, for example.

According to the present embodiment, the user can select the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the entire supply amount of water into the water tank 13 by operating any one of the supply amount setting buttons 70a to 70 e. Thus, the supply amount of the fine bubble water can be set to a supply amount according to the user's desire, and the laundry can be washed according to the washing effect of the fine bubble water according to the user's preference.

The number of supply amount setting buttons, in other words, the number of stages of the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the total supply amount of water into the water tank 13, can be changed as appropriate. The supply amount setting means may be configured to receive a numerical value arbitrarily input by the user, and linearly adjust the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the total supply amount of water into the water tank 13 based on the numerical value.

(embodiment 8)

As illustrated in fig. 17, the control device 30 executes a control program to virtually realize the operating time adjustment processing unit 33 by software. The operating time adjustment processing unit 33 may be configured by hardware, or may be configured by a combination of software and hardware. The operation time adjustment processing unit 33 is an example of operation time adjustment means, and automatically adjusts the operation time in the operation mode based on the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the total supply amount of water supplied into the water tank 13. In this case, for example, when the supply amount of the fine bubble water is set based on the operation of the supply amount setting buttons 70a to 70e, the operating time adjustment processing unit 33 is configured to automatically adjust the operating time in the operating mode according to the set supply amount.

Fig. 18 and 19 show a control example in the case where the operation time in the operation mode is automatically adjusted according to the supply amount of fine bubble water with respect to the total supply amount of water supplied into the water tank 13. That is, according to the control example illustrated in fig. 18, the water supply control processing portion 31 automatically executes the following adjustment control: the operation time of the operation mode is increased as the supply amount of the fine bubble water to be supplied into the water tank 13 set by the operation of the supply amount setting buttons 70a to 70e is increased. Further, according to the control example illustrated in fig. 19, the water supply control processing part 31 automatically executes the following adjustment control: the operation time in the operation mode is shortened as the supply amount of the fine bubble water to be supplied into the water tank 13 set by the operation of the supply amount setting buttons 70a to 70e is increased.

According to the present embodiment, control device 30 automatically executes the following control: the supply amount of the fine bubble water with respect to the entire supply amount of the water into the water tank 13 is adjusted in accordance with the supply amount of the fine bubble water into the water tank 13 set based on the operation of the supply amount setting buttons 70a to 70 e. Thus, as the user operates the supply amount setting buttons 70a to 70e, the operation time corresponding to the supply amount of the fine bubble water selected by the operation is automatically set. Therefore, the washing machine 10 can effectively exhibit the function of the fine bubble water, and can be provided with good convenience of use without requiring the operation of adjusting the operation time by the user.

(other embodiments)

The present embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be extended or modified as follows, for example. For example, the contents of the above embodiments may be combined as appropriate. The present embodiment can also be applied to a horizontal-axis type, so-called drum-type washing machine in which the rotation axis of the spin basket is inclined downward toward the horizontal or rear direction.

According to the washing machine of the present embodiment, the water supply control means for controlling the supply of fine bubble water into the water tub changes the supply amount of fine bubble water to be supplied into the water tub in accordance with the operation mode. According to this configuration, in the washing machine configured to be capable of executing a plurality of operation modes having different operation contents, the function of fine bubble water can be effectively exhibited in each operation mode.

The present embodiment is presented as an example, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These new embodiments can be implemented in other various ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The present embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the scope equivalent thereto.

Claims

1. A washing machine is provided with:

a water tank;

a fine bubble water generating unit for generating fine bubble water containing fine bubbles; and

a water supply control unit for controlling the supply of the fine bubble water into the water tank,

the water supply control means changes the supply amount of the fine bubble water with respect to the total supply amount of the water supplied into the water tank according to the operation mode.

2. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the water supply control means changes the concentration of the fine bubble water supplied into the water tank according to an operation mode.

3. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the water supply control means may supply normal water not containing fine bubbles into the water tank, and may change a supply ratio of the fine bubble water to the water other than the fine bubble water supplied into the water tank according to an operation mode.

4. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the water supply control unit includes the following operation modes: the amount of the fine bubble water supplied into the water tank is set to be larger than a predetermined amount, and the supply time of the fine bubble water into the water tank is set to be shorter than a predetermined time.

5. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the water supply control unit includes the following operation modes: the amount of the fine bubble water supplied into the water tank is set to be smaller than a predetermined amount, and the supply time of the fine bubble water into the water tank is set to be longer than a predetermined time.

6. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the water supply control unit includes the following operation modes: and supplying high-concentration fine bubble water, which is contained in the fine bubble water and has a concentration higher than a predetermined concentration, into the water tank.

7. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the water supply control means changes the supply amount of the fine bubble water supplied into the water tank according to the operation stroke.

8. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the washing machine further comprises a temperature detection unit for detecting the temperature of the external air or water,

the water supply control means increases the amount of supply of the fine bubble water into the water tank based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection means.

9. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the water supply control means reduces the amount of supply of the fine bubble water into the water tank based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection means.

10. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the water supply control means increases the amount of supply of the fine bubble water into the water tank when a high temperature water mode is executed in which water having a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature is supplied into the water tank.

11. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the water supply control means reduces the amount of supply of the fine bubble water into the water tank when a high temperature water mode is executed in which water having a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature is supplied into the water tank.

12. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the water supply control means increases the amount of supply of the fine bubble water into the water tank when the intensity of the water flow generated by the water in the water tank is adjusted or when the operation time is adjusted.

13. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the water supply control means reduces the amount of supply of the fine bubble water into the water tank when the intensity of the water flow generated by the water in the water tank is adjusted or when the operation time is adjusted.

14. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the washing machine further includes a supply amount setting unit that sets a supply amount of the fine bubble water supplied into the water tank.

15. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the washing machine further includes an operation time adjusting unit for increasing an operation time according to a supply amount of the fine bubble water supplied into the water tub.

16. The washing machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14,

the washing machine further includes an operation time adjusting unit for shortening an operation time according to a supply amount of the fine bubble water supplied into the water tub.