CN114901887A

CN114901887A - Drum washing machine

Info

Publication number: CN114901887A
Application number: CN202080090206.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 山本正和
Original assignee: Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd; Aqua Co Ltd
Current assignee: Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd; Aqua Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-12-23
Filing date: 2020-11-26
Publication date: 2022-08-12
Also published as: JP2023160969A; JP7357279B2; WO2021129293A1; JP2021097905A

Abstract

The invention provides a drum washing machine which improves the cleaning force and restrains uneven cleaning. A drum washing machine capable of performing a washing process, a rinsing process, and a dehydrating process, the drum washing machine comprising: an outer cylinder disposed in the case; a drum disposed in the outer tub and rotatable about a horizontal axis; a driving motor for rotating the drum; a water supply pipe, a water supply valve, a drain pipe, and a drain valve for supplying and discharging water into and from the outer tub; and a control unit for controlling the drive motor, the water supply valve and the drain valve so as to perform a pre-washing process until a washing process is started, wherein the pre-washing process performs a water supply operation for supplying water into the outer tub and a spin-drying operation for rotating the drum after the water supply operation.

Description

Drum washing machine

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a drum washing machine.

Background

In the case of washing laundry in a drum washing machine, generally, the laundry is put into a drum and then is operated in the sequence of a washing process, a rinsing process, and a dehydrating process. In the washing process, a water supply operation for supplying water into the drum, a washing operation for rotating the drum, and a water discharge operation for discharging water from the drum are sequentially performed, and then a dehydration operation is performed.

In the washing operation, the laundry is washed by so-called beat washing in which a horizontal shaft type drum is rotated in an outer cylinder in which water is accumulated at the bottom, and the laundry is lifted and dropped by a lifting rib provided in the drum to beat the laundry to the inner peripheral surface of the drum (for example, patent document 1).

In the related art, in a drum washing machine, clothes are sometimes washed in addition to laundry such as clothes. In this case, after bedding is put into the drum in the same manner as laundry such as clothes, the washing process, the rinsing process, and the spin-drying process are performed in this order.

However, in a state where the cotton filled inside is dry and swollen, the bedding (particularly, feather bedding) is bulky and easily floats on water. Therefore, when the bedding is thrown into the drum, the space in the drum is in a state of accommodating the bedding with almost no gap. Further, when water is supplied into the drum, the bedclothes float up and are hard to contact the lifting ribs. In this state, when the washing operation in the washing process is performed, the bedding is lifted by the lifting ribs because there is almost no gap in the drum and the bedding floats even if the drum is rotated. Thereby, the bedding in the roller is maintained in a state of being hardly rotated.

Therefore, although the drum is rotated to perform the washing operation in the washing process, the beddings in the drum are not rotated. Thus, although the washing water flows around the outer periphery of the bed clothes, the washing water does not reach the central portion of the bed clothes, and the bed clothes cannot be lifted, so that the bed clothes cannot be loosened in the drum, and the pounding washing cannot be performed efficiently. Accordingly, the conventional drum washing machine has a problem that uneven washing occurs and it is difficult to sufficiently wash the entire bedding.

In the case of washing bedding in a conventional drum washing machine, the drum is rotated so as to alternately repeat right and left rotations for predetermined times during a washing process. In fig. 15, in order to easily understand the state change of the quilt, a circle mark is given to the fold formed in the quilt. In fig. 15, the rotation speed of the drum during washing is 40 rpm.

When the roll is rotated right after the bedding is thrown into the roll, the bedding contained in the roll without a gap slightly moves in the right rotational direction as shown in fig. 15 (a). Next, when the drum rotates left, the beddings accommodated in the drum without a gap move slightly in the left rotation direction as shown in fig. 15 (b). Then, when the drum is rotated rightward, the beddings accommodated in the drum without a gap are slightly moved rightward in the rotational direction, as shown in fig. 15 (c).

In this way, by alternately repeating the right rotation and the left rotation of the drum, the bedclothes accommodated in the drum are repeatedly slightly moved in the right rotation direction and slightly moved in the left rotation direction. Therefore, the bedclothes do not rotate in the drum, and the washing water hardly spreads to the central portion of the bedclothes.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2018-33512

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a drum washing machine capable of sufficiently washing beddings without washing unevenness.

Means for solving the problems

That is, the present invention provides a drum washing machine capable of performing a washing process, a rinsing process, and a dehydrating process, the drum washing machine including: an outer cylinder configured in the box body; a drum disposed in the outer cylinder and rotatable about a horizontal axis or an inclined axis inclined with respect to the horizontal direction; a driving motor for rotating the drum; a water supply and drainage unit supplying and draining water into and from the outer tub; and a control unit that controls the drive motor and the water supply and drainage unit so that a pre-washing process is performed until the washing process is started, and performs a water supply operation in which water is supplied into the outer tub and a spin-drying operation in which the drum is rotated after the water supply operation.

In the drum washing machine according to the present invention, it is preferable that, in the pre-washing step, a stirring operation of rotating the drum at 45 to 55rpm, which is a rotation speed lower than a rotation speed in the spin-drying operation, is performed between the water supply operation and the spin-drying operation.

In the drum washing machine according to the present invention, it is preferable that a drain operation for draining water from the inside of the outer tub is performed between the agitation operation and the spin-drying operation in the preliminary washing process.

Effects of the invention

In the drum washing machine of the present invention, the preliminary washing process is performed until the washing process is started, and the centrifugal force is applied in a state where the bedding such as feathers and bedding is wetted, so that the moisture can penetrate into the inside of the bedding in a short time and the swelling of the cotton can be suppressed, thereby making it possible to reduce the volume of the bedding in a short time. Therefore, a gap is formed in the drum in which the bedding is accommodated, the bedding becomes easy to move in the drum, and the bedding is not easily floated due to the penetration of moisture into the inside of the bedding, thereby enabling the bedding to be lifted up by the lifting rib. Thus, beating washing is performed, the central part of the bedding can be washed, the washing force is improved, and uneven washing is suppressed.

In the drum washing machine of the present invention, the agitation operation for rotating the drum is performed after the water supply operation in the preliminary washing process, so that the moisture can be quickly permeated into the inside of the beddings.

In the drum washing machine of the present invention, the spin-drying operation is started after the water is discharged from the outer tub in the pre-washing process, so that the spin-drying operation can be shortened.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a drum washing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view showing the structure of the drum washing machine 1 of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a control block diagram of the drum washing machine 1.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation method of the drum washing machine 1.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the cleaning process in the standard cleaning process.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the preliminary washing process of the bedding-specific washing process.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a state change of the beddings in the drum 4 during the pre-washing process.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a state change of the beddings in the drum 4 during the pre-washing process.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a state change of the beddings in the drum 4 during the pre-washing process.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the washing process of the bedding-specific washing process.

Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a state change of the beddings in the drum 4 during the washing process.

Fig. 12 is a diagram showing a state change of the beddings in the drum 4 during the washing process.

Fig. 13 is a diagram showing a state change of the beddings in the drum 4 when the drum 4 is rotated at 50rpm to perform the washing operation without performing the preliminary washing process.

Fig. 14 is a diagram showing a state change of the beddings in the drum 4 when the drum 4 is rotated at 40rpm to perform the washing operation after the preliminary washing process.

Fig. 15 is a diagram showing a state change of the beddings in the drum when the beddings are washed by the conventional drum washing machine.

Description of the reference numerals

1: a drum washing machine; 2: and (3) a box body: an outer cylinder; 4: a drum; 11: a motor; 30: a water supply pipe (water supply and drainage unit); 30 a: a water supply valve (water supply and drainage unit); 31: a drain pipe (water supply and drainage unit); 31 a: a drain valve (water supply and drain unit); 50: a control unit (control means).

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, a drum washing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a drum washing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side sectional view showing the structure of the drum washing machine 1 of fig. 1.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, a drum washing machine 1 (hereinafter, referred to as washing machine 1) according to the present embodiment includes a box-shaped casing 2, an outer tub 3 having a substantially cylindrical inner peripheral surface is disposed inside the casing 2, and a drum 4 having a substantially cylindrical inner peripheral surface for accommodating laundry is axially supported inside the outer tub 3 by a main shaft 5 extending in the front-rear direction. The drum 4 can rotate about a horizontal axis.

An operation portion 2a for user operation and a laundry inlet 6 facing an opening 4a formed at the front end of drum 4 are formed on the front surface of casing 2. A door 8 for opening and closing the laundry inlet 6 is provided in the cabinet 2, the laundry inlet 6 is opened and closed by the door 8, and laundry can be put into and taken out of the drum 4 in a state where the door 8 is opened.

A plurality of lift ribs 4b are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 4 so as to protrude into the drum 4. The lifting ribs 4b are protrusions for lifting the laundry accommodated in the drum 4, and when the drum 4 is rotated by a driving force of a motor 11 described later during a washing process, for example, the laundry containing water in the drum 4 is subjected to so-called beat washing, i.e., the laundry is lifted by the lifting ribs 4b and then naturally falls down.

A large number of water flow holes 4c are formed through the inner circumferential surface of the drum 4, and water supplied into the outer tub 3 during washing and rinsing flows into the drum 4 through the water flow holes 4c, and water discharged from the laundry into the drum 4 during centrifugal dewatering scatters toward the outer tub 3 through the water flow holes 4 c. In the drum washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment, for example, the laundry washing capacity (drum volume) may be 17kg, and the laundry washing capacity may be 27 kg.

The main shaft 5 is rotatably supported by a bearing 5a attached to the back surface wall of the outer cylinder 3, and a main pulley 10 is attached to the tip of the main shaft 5 projecting rearward. A motor 11 is provided at the bottom of the casing 2, a motor pulley 12 is attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 11, and the rotational power of the motor pulley 12 is transmitted to the primary pulley 10 via a timing belt 16. Thus, when the motor 11 is driven, the drum 4 rotates about the main shaft 5.

A water supply pipe 30 having a water supply valve 30a provided in the middle is connected to an upper portion of the back surface wall of the outer tube 3, and when the water supply valve 30a is opened, water supplied from the outside is supplied to the outer tube 3 through the water supply pipe 30. A drain pipe 31 having a drain valve 31a provided in the middle thereof is connected to a drain port provided in the bottom of the outer cylinder 3, and when the drain valve 31a is opened, the water in the outer cylinder 3 is discharged to the outside of the machine through the drain pipe 31.

Fig. 3 is a control block diagram of the drum washing machine 1. As shown in fig. 3, the control unit 50 of the drum washing machine 1 is constituted by, for example, a microcomputer or the like, and includes: a CPU (central processing unit), a ROM (read-only memory) for storing a program for controlling the operation of the drum washing machine 1, and a RAM (random access memory) for temporarily storing data and the like used when the program is executed. The operation of the drum washing machine 1 is controlled by the control unit 50. The control unit 50 is connected to the operation unit 2a, the water supply valve 30a, the drain valve 31a, and the motor 11.

In the washing machine 1, a user can select a standard washing course and a bedding-dedicated washing course by operating the operation part 2a of the cabinet 2. In the washing machine 1, various operation courses can be selected by operating the operation unit 2a of the cabinet 2, but in the following description, only a standard washing course and a bedding-dedicated washing course will be described.

The standard washing course is a standard course used for washing laundry, etc., and is operated in the order of a washing course, a rinsing course, and a dehydrating course.

The special washing process for the bedding is a process used when washing the bedding such as feathers, bedding and the like, and the operation is carried out in the sequence of a pre-washing process, a rinsing process and a dehydrating process.

An operation method of the drum washing machine 1 will be described with reference to fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation method of the drum washing machine 1.

< step S1 >

In step S1, the control unit 50 determines whether any one of the standard washing course and the bedding-specific washing course is selected based on the content of the operation performed on the operation unit 2 a.

(Standard washing procedure)

< step S2: cleaning process

If it is determined in step S1 that the standard cleaning course is selected by control unit 50, the cleaning process of the standard cleaning course is performed in step S2.

The specific operation of the cleaning process of the standard cleaning process will be described based on fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the cleaning process in the standard cleaning process.

< step S201: water supply action

After the user opens door 8 to store laundry such as laundry in drum 4, controller 50 opens water supply valve 30a to supply water to outer tub 3 in a state where door 8 is closed. At this time, the controller 50 closes the drain valve 31a, and the supplied water is accumulated in the outer tub 3 and also in the drum 4 through the water passage hole 4 c. When a predetermined amount of water is supplied, controller 50 closes water supply valve 30 a.

< step S202: cleaning action

When the water supply operation is completed, the control unit 50 drives the motor 11. When the motor 11 is driven, its driving force is transmitted to the drum 4 via the motor pulley 12, the timing belt 16, and the primary pulley 10. In the washing operation, controller 50 rotates drum 4 to alternately repeat right and left rotations at 40rpm, for example, to beat-wash the water-containing laundry in drum 4 for a predetermined time (for example, 4 minutes), that is, the laundry is lifted by lifting rib 4b and then naturally falls.

< step S203: action of draining water

When the washing operation is completed, the controller 50 opens the drain valve 31a to drain the washing water in the outer tub 3 to the outside of the washing machine through the drain pipe 31.

< step S204: dehydration action >

When the water discharge operation is completed, the control unit 50 drives the motor 11. When the motor 11 is driven, the drum 4 rotates at a high speed of, for example, 600rpm, and the washing water contained in the laundry is dewatered. The washing water separated from the laundry is discharged into the outer tub 3 through the water passage hole 4c, and is discharged to the outside of the machine through the water discharge port 31.

< step S3: rinsing Process

When the washing process is completed, the controller 50 closes the drain valve 31, opens the water supply valve 30a, and supplies a predetermined amount of rinse water to the outer tube 3. When a predetermined amount of water is supplied, controller 50 closes water supply valve 30a, drives motor 11 to rotate drum 4, and rinses the laundry in drum 4 for a predetermined time. When the rinsing is completed, the controller 50 opens the drain valve 31a to discharge the rinse water in the outer tub 3 to the outside of the machine through the drain pipe 31.

< step S4: dehydration Process

When the rinsing process is completed, the controller 50 drives the motor 11 to rotate the drum 4 at a high speed to perform high-speed spin-drying for a predetermined time. When the high-speed spin-drying is completed, the control unit 50 stops the rotation of the drum 4, and ends the operation of the normal washing course. The water removed by the high-speed dewatering is also discharged to the outside of the machine through the water discharge port 31 in the same manner as described above.

(bedding special cleaning process)

< step S5: pre-cleaning Process

If it is determined in step S1 that the bedding-specific washing course has been selected by the control unit 50, a preliminary washing process is performed in step S5.

The specific operation of the pre-washing process will be described based on fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the preliminary washing process of the bedding-specific washing process.

< step S501: water supply action

After the user opens the door 8 and puts bedding such as feathers and bedding into the drum 4, the control unit 50 opens the water supply valve 30a to perform a water supply operation for supplying water to the outer cylinder 3 in a state where the door 8 is closed. At this time, the controller 50 closes the drain valve 31a, and the supplied water is accumulated in the outer tub 3 and also in the drum 4 through the water passage hole 4 c. When a predetermined amount of water is supplied, controller 50 closes water supply valve 30 a.

In the state where the bedding is thrown into the drum 4 and the water supply operation is started, the bedding (particularly, feather bedding) has a large volume, and therefore, as shown in fig. 7 (a), the bedding is accommodated in the space in the drum 4 with almost no gap.

When the washing water is applied to the bedding by the water supply operation, the water penetrates the outer peripheral portion of the bedding, but the washing water does not reach the central portion of the bedding. At this time, the state of the space in the drum 4 is not changed with almost no gap.

< step S502: stirring action >

When the water supply operation is completed, the control unit 50 drives the motor 11 to perform the stirring operation. In the stirring operation, when the control unit 50 drives the motor 11, the driving force is transmitted to the drum 4 via the motor pulley 12, the timing belt 16, and the primary pulley 10. During the stirring operation, the controller 50 rotates the drum 4 so that the right rotation and the left rotation are alternately repeated at 45 to 55rpm (50 rpm in the present embodiment), for example, and performs the stirring operation for a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute).

In the stirring operation, when the drum 4 starts to rotate rightward, as shown in fig. 7 (b), the beddings in the drum 4 immediately rotate in the rightward rotation direction, and then the beddings also rotate in the rightward rotation direction while being unwound. In fig. 7 (a) and 7 (b), the folds formed in the quilt are marked with circular marks for easy understanding of the change in state of the quilt. Fig. 7 (c) shows a state where the drum 4 is switched from the right rotation to the left rotation, but the bedding inside the drum 4 rotates from the start of the kneading operation and the state changes greatly from the start of the kneading operation.

Immediately after the drum 4 starts the left rotation, the beddings in the drum 4 rotate in the left rotation direction as shown in fig. 8 (a), and at this time, water enters the gaps of the beddings. Fig. 8 (b) shows a state where the drum 4 is switched from left rotation to right rotation, and when the drum 4 starts to rotate right, the beddings in the drum 4 immediately rotate in the right rotation direction as shown in fig. 8 (c).

In this way, by alternately repeating the right rotation and the left rotation of the drum 4 in the stirring operation, the bedding contained in the drum 4 rotates while being unwoven in the water, and thereby, as shown in fig. 9 (a), the moisture penetrates into most parts of the bedding. At this time, moisture does not penetrate into the central portion of the bedclothes in the drum 4.

By rotating the drum 4 at 50rpm for 1 minute as the stirring operation, the moisture can be quickly permeated into most of the bedclothes. The rotation speed of the drum 4 during the stirring operation is preferably 45rpm or more, more preferably 55rpm or less, and still more preferably about 50 rpm.

The drum 4 does not need to be simply rotated as the stirring operation, and even if the drum is rotated at a rotation speed lower than 45rpm, for example, the bedding does not rotate in the drum 4, and therefore it is difficult to quickly permeate water into most parts of the bedding. Therefore, it is considered that 45 to 55rpm is suitable as the rotation speed of the drum 4 in the stirring operation in the preliminary cleaning process.

More specifically, even if the drum 4 is rotated at 40rpm during the stirring operation, the lifting ribs 4b only sink the surface of the inflated bed clothes and cannot rotate the bed clothes. On the other hand, when the drum 4 is rotated at 45 to 55rpm, the lifting rib 4b can rotate the inflated bedding.

Thus, it is considered that: in the stirring operation, the bedding can be rotated when the drum 4 is rotated at 45 to 55rpm, and the bedding cannot be rotated when the drum 4 is rotated at a rotation speed lower than 45rpm, and this point is the same regardless of the drum volume.

< step S503: action of draining water

When the stirring operation is completed, the controller 50 opens the drain valve 31a to discharge the water in the outer cylinder 3 to the outside of the machine through the drain pipe 31.

< step S504: dehydration action >

When the draining operation is completed, the controller 50 drives the motor 11 to rotate the drum 4 at a high speed of, for example, 600rpm for 2 minutes to perform the dehydrating operation. The water released from the bedding is discharged into the outer cylinder 3 through the water passage hole 4c, and is discharged to the outside of the machine through the water discharge port 31.

As the dehydration operation, the drum 4 was rotated at 600rpm for 2 minutes, so that the moisture was permeated into the entire area of the bedding to reduce the volume of the bedding.

Specifically, in the spin-drying operation, the drum 4 is rotated at 600rpm, so that water in the drum 4 is present on the outer circumferential side by centrifugal force. At this time, as shown in fig. 9 (b), centrifugal force also acts on the sheet a in the drum 4, and the sheet a rotates while being pressed to the outer peripheral side, forming a gap in the vicinity of the rotation center in the drum 4. At this time, since the moisture is released from the inside to the outside of the sufficiently penetrated bedding, the moisture is sufficiently penetrated into the bedding and contracted, and the cotton of the bedding can be compressed to reduce the volume of the bedding.

When the dewatering operation is completed, the volume of the beddings present in the drum 4 initially without any gap is reduced, and the dewatered beddings are stuck to the inner circumferential surface of the drum 4 as shown in fig. 9 (c). Thus, when the dehydrating operation of the preliminary washing process is finished, the volume of the beddings in the drum 4 is reduced, and a large gap is formed in the drum 4 in which the beddings are accommodated.

The rotation speed of the drum 4 during the dewatering operation is preferably 500 to 600 rpm. In the dewatering operation, even if the drum 4 is rotated at a rotation speed lower than 500rpm, for example, the bedding cannot be rotated while being pressed to the outer peripheral side in the drum 4, and therefore, it is difficult to reduce the volume of the bedding. In addition, even if the drum 4 is rotated for 1 minute as the dehydration operation, the volume of the beddings in the drum 4 cannot be sufficiently reduced.

< step S6: cleaning process

After the pre-washing process of the bedding-specific washing course by the control unit 50 is completed in step S5, the washing process of the bedding-specific washing course is performed in step S6.

The specific operation of the washing process of the bedding-specific washing process will be described based on fig. 10.

< step S601: water supply action

In the water supply operation, the controller 50 opens the water supply valve 30a to perform the water supply operation for supplying water to the outer cylinder 3. At this time, the controller 50 closes the drain valve 31a, and the supplied water is accumulated in the outer tub 3 and also in the drum 4 through the water passage hole 4 c. When a predetermined amount of water is supplied, controller 50 closes water supply valve 30 a.

In the water supply operation in the washing process, as described above, the volume of the beddings in the drum 4 is reduced by the preliminary washing process, and a large gap is formed in the drum 4 in which the beddings are accommodated.

< step S602: cleaning action

When the water supply operation is completed, the control unit 50 drives the motor 11 to perform the washing operation. When the motor 11 is driven, its driving force is transmitted to the drum 4 via the motor pulley 12, the timing belt 16, and the primary pulley 10. In the washing operation, the controller 50 rotates the drum 4 so that, for example, 45 to 55rpm (50 rpm in the present embodiment) alternately repeats right and left rotations, and performs beat washing of the compressed and water-containing beddings in the drum 4 for a predetermined time (for example, 4 minutes), that is, the beddings are lifted by the lifting ribs 4b and then naturally fall down.

At the start of the washing operation, since the bedding in the drum 4 is compressed as shown in fig. 11 (a), by alternately repeating the right rotation and the left rotation of the drum 4, the bedding in the drum 4 is washed so as to be lifted by the lifting rib 4b and then dropped and beaten as shown in fig. 11 (b) and 11 (c). In this case, in addition to the cleaning effect by the beat washing, the cleaning effect by the scrub washing by the rotation and the cleaning effect by the rub washing are obtained, and the cleaning power is improved.

In the washing operation, as shown in fig. 12 (a), the volume of the bedding is slightly increased by the swelling of the bedding, but the volume of the bedding is reduced by the preliminary washing process, so that the swelling amount of the bedding can be suppressed. Fig. 12 (b) shows a state at the end of the washing operation, but it is known that the swelling amount of the bedding is suppressed until the end of the washing operation.

As the washing operation, the drum 4 was rotated at 50rpm for 4 minutes, whereby the bedding could be washed while being unwound. The rotation speed of the drum 4 during the washing operation is preferably 45rpm or more, more preferably 55rpm or less, and still more preferably about 50 rpm.

In the washing operation, the volume of the bedding may be slightly increased due to swelling of the bedding, but by rotating the drum 4 at 45 to 55rpm, the bedding can be washed while being unwound.

A case where the pre-washing process is not performed and the washing operation of rotating drum 4 at 50rpm is performed will be described with reference to fig. 13. Fig. 13 (a) shows a state where the pre-washing process is not performed and the washing operation is started. Fig. 13 (b) shows a state in which the drum 4 is rotated at 50rpm to perform a washing operation.

At the start of the washing operation, as shown in fig. 13 (a), the preliminary washing process is not performed, and the bedding in the drum 4 is bulky and has almost no gap in the drum 4 containing the bedding.

When the drum 4 is rotated at 50rpm to perform the washing operation, as shown in fig. 13 (b), the bedding is greatly inflated while being rotated during the washing operation. Therefore, although the beddings rotate in the drum 4, the beddings cannot be loosened because the space for loosening the beddings in the drum 4 is small, and the entire beddings cannot be properly washed. Therefore, the cleaning force is lower and the cleaning becomes uneven as compared with the case where the drum 4 is rotated at 50rpm to perform the cleaning operation after the preliminary cleaning process.

A case where the drum 4 is rotated at 40rpm and the washing operation is performed after the preliminary washing process is performed will be described with reference to fig. 14. Fig. 14 (a) shows a state where the washing operation is started after the preliminary washing process is performed. Fig. 14 (b) shows a state in which the drum 4 is rotated at 40rpm to perform a washing operation.

At the start of the washing operation, as shown in fig. 14 (a), the volume of the beddings in the drum 4 is reduced by the preliminary washing process, and a large gap is formed in the drum 4 containing the beddings.

When the rotation speed of the drum 4 during the washing operation is 40rpm, as shown in fig. 14 (b), the swelling amount of the beddings is suppressed during the washing operation as compared with the case where the pre-washing process is not performed.

However, when the rotation speed of the drum 4 during the washing operation is 40rpm, the bedding cannot be spun and unwound in the drum 4, and the entire bedding cannot be washed properly. Therefore, the cleaning force is lower than that when the rotation speed of the drum 4 during the cleaning operation is 45 to 55rpm, and the cleaning becomes uneven.

Even if the drum 4 is rotated at 60rpm, the bedding is likely to bounce inside the drum 4 and cause uneven washing. Therefore, it is considered that 45 to 55rpm is suitable as the rotation speed of the drum 4 in the cleaning operation in the preliminary cleaning process.

In this regard, in the same manner as the agitation operation in the preliminary washing process, even if the drum 4 is rotated at 40rpm in the washing operation in the washing process, the lifting ribs 4b only recess the surface of the inflated bed clothes and cannot rotate the bed clothes.

Further, when the rotation speed of the drum 4 is excessively increased, the bedding is easily damaged, and the lifting ribs 4b strongly lift the bedding, the bedding does not rotate but flies, and thus the bedding is not unfastened so much, and becomes uneven in washing. On the other hand, when the drum 4 is rotated at 45 to 55rpm, the lifting rib 4b can rotate the inflated bedding.

Thus, it is considered that: in the cleaning operation in the cleaning process, the volume of the drum is the same regardless of the drum volume, in which the bedding can be rotated when the drum 4 is rotated at 45 to 55rpm, and the bedding cannot be rotated when the drum 4 is rotated at a rotation speed lower than 45 rpm.

As described above, although the volume of the bedding may be slightly increased in the washing operation, the volume of the bedding may be increased in the case where the washing operation of the washing process is performed after the preliminary washing process is performed, compared to the case where the washing operation of the washing process is performed without performing the preliminary washing process. Therefore, by performing the preliminary washing process, the increase in the volume of the bedding in the washing operation of the washing process is suppressed, and the bedding becomes easily disentangled.

< step S603: action of draining water

When the washing operation is completed, the controller 50 opens the drain valve 31a to discharge the washing water in the outer tub 3 to the outside of the washing machine through the drain pipe 31.

< step S604: dehydration action >

After the drainage, the control unit 50 drives the motor 11. When the motor 11 is driven, the drum 4 rotates at a high speed, and washing water contained in the laundry is dehydrated. The washing water separated from the laundry by the dehydration is discharged into the outer tub 3 through the water passage hole 4c and discharged to the outside of the machine through the water discharge port 31.

< step S7: rinsing Process

When the washing process is completed, the controller 50 closes the drain valve 31 and opens the water supply valve 30a to supply a predetermined amount of rinse water to the outer tube 3. When a predetermined amount of water is supplied, water supply valve 30a is closed, drum 4 is rotated by motor 11, and the laundry in drum 4 is rinsed for a predetermined time.

When the rinsing is completed, the controller 50 opens the drain valve 31a to discharge the rinse water in the outer tub 3 to the outside of the machine through the drain pipe 31.

< step S8: dehydration Process

When the rinsing process is completed, the controller 50 drives the motor 11 to rotate the drum 4 at a high speed to perform high-speed spin-drying for a predetermined time. When the high-speed spin-drying is completed, the control unit 50 stops the rotation of the drum 4, and ends the operation of the normal washing course. The water removed by the high-speed dewatering is also discharged from the water discharge port 31 to the outside of the machine in the same manner as described above.

The drum washing machine 1 of the present embodiment is a drum washing machine capable of performing a washing process, a rinsing process, and a dehydration process, and includes: an outer cylinder 3 disposed in the case 2; a drum 4 disposed in the outer cylinder 3 and rotatable about a horizontal axis; a driving motor 11 for rotating the drum 4; a water supply pipe 30, a water supply valve 30a, a water discharge pipe 31, and a water discharge valve 31a as water supply and discharge means for supplying and discharging water into and from the outer tub 3; and a control unit 50 as a control means for controlling the drive motor 11, the water supply valve 30a, and the drain valve 31a so that a pre-washing process is performed until the washing process is started, and performing a water supply operation for supplying water into the outer tub 3 and a spin-drying operation for rotating the drum 4 after the water supply operation.

Thus, in the drum washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, by performing the preliminary washing process until the washing process is started, and applying the centrifugal force in a state where the bedding such as feathers and bedding is wet, the moisture can be permeated into the inside of the bedding in a short time and the swelling of the cotton can be suppressed, so that the volume of the bedding can be reduced in a short time. Therefore, a gap is formed in the cylinder 4 in which the bedding is accommodated, the bedding is easily moved in the cylinder 4, and the bedding is not easily floated due to the penetration of moisture into the inside of the bedding, whereby the bedding can be lifted by the lifting rib 4 b. Thus, beat washing is performed, washing can be performed to the central part of the bedding, washing power is improved, and uneven washing is suppressed.

In the drum washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, during the preliminary washing, the agitation operation is performed between the water supply operation and the spin-drying operation, and the agitation operation is an operation of rotating the drum 4 at 45 to 55rpm, which is a rotation speed smaller than the rotation speed during the spin-drying operation.

Thus, in the drum washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, by performing the agitation operation of rotating the drum 4 after the water supply operation in the preliminary washing process, the moisture can be quickly permeated into the inside of the beddings.

In the drum washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, during the preliminary washing, a water discharge operation is performed between the agitation operation and the dehydration operation, and the water discharge operation is an operation of discharging water from the inside of the outer tub 3.

Thus, in the drum washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, since the spin-drying operation is started after the water is drained from the outer tub 3 in the preliminary washing process, the spin-drying operation can be shortened.

While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the specific configurations of the respective portions are not limited to the above-described embodiments.

For example, in the above embodiment, the water supply operation, the agitation operation, the water discharge operation, and the dehydration operation are performed in the preliminary cleaning process, but the preliminary cleaning process of the present invention may be performed only by performing at least the water supply operation and the dehydration operation.

In the above embodiment, the rotation speed and the operation time of the drum 4 in the case where the agitating operation and the dehydrating operation in the preliminary washing process are performed are shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the above embodiment, drum 4 of drum washing machine 1 is rotatable about a horizontal axis, but drum 4 may be rotatable about an inclined axis inclined with respect to the horizontal direction.

The laundry washing capacity of the drum washing machine to which the present invention is applied is arbitrary. That is, the present invention can be applied to a drum washing machine having a drum volume (for example, a drum volume of 12kg or more) capable of accommodating beddings. The present invention is not limited to the drum washing machine 1 that can perform the washing process, the rinsing process, and the dehydrating process, and can be applied to a drum washing and drying machine that can perform the washing process, the rinsing process, the dehydrating process, and the drying process all at once.

Claims

A drum washing machine capable of performing a washing process, a rinsing process, and a dehydrating process, comprising:

an outer cylinder disposed in the case;

a drum disposed in the outer cylinder and rotatable about a horizontal axis or an inclined axis inclined with respect to the horizontal direction;

a driving motor for rotating the drum;

a water supply and drainage unit supplying and draining water into and from the outer tub; and

a control unit controlling the driving motor and the water supply and drainage unit in a manner of implementing a pre-washing process until the washing process is started,

in the pre-washing process, a water supply operation for supplying water into the outer tub and a spin-drying operation for rotating the drum after the water supply operation are performed.
A drum washing machine according to claim 1,

in the pre-washing process, a stirring operation is performed between the water supply operation and the dehydration operation, wherein the stirring operation is an operation of rotating the drum at 45-55 rpm which is a rotation speed lower than the rotation speed in the dehydration operation.
A drum washing machine according to claim 2,

in the pre-washing step, a water discharge operation is performed between the stirring operation and the dewatering operation, and the water discharge operation is an operation of discharging water from the inside of the outer tub.