CN1705784A - Antibacterial treatment device - Google Patents

Abstract

An ion elution unit (100) has electrodes (113, 114) in a case (110) thereof. The case (110) is provided with an inflow port (111) for connecting a water supply hose (180) and outflow port (112) detachably connecting with the water supply valve (50) of a washing machine (1). When a voltage is applied to the electrodes (113, 114) by a power supply unit (101) while water is being supplied into the case (110), metal ions elute into water. Water containing metal ions is received by a washing tank (30), and washing is rinsed with this water to perform an antibacterial treatment on the washing. At least part of the case (110) consists of a transparent part to permit the visual recognition of electrodes (113, 114), thereby allowing the user to directly recognize the degrees of deterioration of the electrodes (113, 114) visually and determine the replacing timing of the ion elution unit (100).

Description

Device for antimicrobial treatment

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an antibacterial treatment apparatus capable of performing antibacterial treatment of laundry with metal ions.

Background

In the washing of laundry by washing machines, finishing substances are often added to the water, in particular the rinse water. The finishing material is generally a softening agent or a thickening agent. Recently, there is an increasing need for a finishing treatment for imparting antimicrobial properties to laundry.

The laundry is preferably dried in the sun from the viewpoint of hygiene. However, in recent years, as the female rate of employment increases and the family size increases, there are an increasing number of families in which no one is present during the day. In such a home, indoor airing has to be performed. Even in families with people in the daytime, the air is dried indoors in rainy days.

In the case of indoor airing, bacteria and fungi are easily propagated on the laundry as compared with the case of drying in the sun. This tendency is particularly remarkable in the case where drying of laundry requires a long time in a high-humidity time period such as a rainy time period or a low-temperature time period. The laundry will also emit odor due to the proliferation of bacteria. Therefore, in households where indoor airing is not usually performed, there is a strong demand for antibacterial treatment of cloths in order to suppress the propagation of bacteria, fungi, and the like.

Recently, clothes having antibacterial, deodorant, bacteriostatic and processed fibers have been increasing. However, it is difficult to use a product subjected to antibacterial/deodorant treatment for all fiber products in a home. In addition, the effect of the antibacterial and deodorant processing is gradually weakened along with multiple washing.

Thus, there is an idea that antibacterial treatment is performed on laundry at each washing. For example, japanese patent application laid-open No. 5-74487 discloses an electric washing machine equipped with an ion generator capable of generating metal ions having sterilization capability, such as silver ions and copper ions. Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2000-93691 discloses a washing machine for sterilizing a washing liquid by generating an electric field. Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2001-276484 describes a washing machine having a silver ion adding unit for adding silver ions to a washing liquid.

However, the method using metal ions is effective in the method of performing antibacterial treatment in the washing step, and is relatively practical. The metal ions are eluted from the anode side electrode by immersing a pair of electrodes in water and applying a voltage between the electrodes. For example, in the case where the anode is silver, the anode is appliedWhen applying a voltage To elute silver ions Ag into water⁺. After dehydration, the metal (e.g., silver) exists as ions until the laundry is dried, and exhibits a bactericidal action. After the laundry is dried, although silver is not present as an ion as a silver salt, it becomes an ion again after being wetted with water again, and the bactericidal ability is restored. I.e. the antibacterial layer is applied on the surface of the laundry.

As described above, when the antibacterial treatment (antibacterial layer) of the laundry is performed, it is possible to conclude that the ion elution unit in which the pair of electrodes are put in the casing is provided in the washing machine. However, it is difficult to arrange various components inside the washing machine and to extrude the space for disposing the ion elution module without increasing the size of the washing machine. Further, the use of a washing machine having an ion elution unit incorporated therein, which is simply subjected to an antibacterial treatment, is not sufficiently convenient for consumers.

In addition, the electrode of the ion elution component is consumed in the process of continuous use, so that the elution amount of metal ions is reduced. If the metal ion is used for a long period of time, the amount of the metal ion eluted becomes unstable, and a predetermined amount of the metal ion eluted cannot be secured. Therefore, it is necessary to replace the ion elution assembly used for a long time as a whole, or to replace only the electrodes.

However, since the ion elution assembly is built into the interior of the washing machine, it cannot be replaced without disassembling the washing machine, which is a very heavy work for the user. In order to reduce the workload of the operation, it is considered that an opening for taking out or putting in the ion elution module is provided in the washing machine, but this causes the structure of the washing machine to be complicated, and increases the manufacturing cost.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to: an ion elution unit (ion elution unit) for eluting metal ions into water for antibacterial treatment of laundry can be easily assembled into a washing machine having a conventional structure. In addition, the purpose is to enable easy replacement of the ion elution assembly.

Namely, the object of the present invention is: even if the water supply device (for example, washing machine) is not provided with an ion generating part for generating metal ions originally, the same device as the water supply device with the ion generating part can be obtained easily.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention proposes an antibacterial treatment apparatus having the following configuration.

(1) The ion elution device comprises an ion elution module for generating metal ions by applying voltage between electrodes and a power module of the ion elution module, wherein the shell of the ion elution module comprises an inflow port connected with a water supply hose and an outflow port detachably communicated with a water supply valve connected with a washing machine.

According to this structure, since the ion elution unit is hung from the water supply part of the washing machine, the structure of the washing machine can be maintained as it is. That is, the conventional washing machine can be converted to a washing machine with an antibacterial treatment function. In addition, the operation of replacing the ion elution module after long-term use is also extremely simple.

(2) The ion elution unit includes a housing at least a part of which is submersible in water, and the housing has a water inlet for introducing water to the electrodes at the part submersible in water.

According to this configuration, since the casing of the ion elution unit is immersed in water and the metal ions are eluted by introducing water into the casing through the water inlet, it is not necessary to provide a special structure for mounting and holding the ion elution unit in the washing machine. In addition, a water supply hose is not required to be connected to the ion elution assembly. Further, since the ion elution operation is performed in the water accumulated in the washing tank, water containing uniform ions can be generated. Therefore, metal ions can be uniformly attached to the laundry, and an antimicrobial effect without dispersion can be obtained. In addition, in the case where the ion elution module is used for a long period of time and the capability of the ion elution module is reduced, the problem can be solved only by discarding the old module and using the new module, and the replacement of the module is not troublesome.

Furthermore, it is not only the washing tank of the washing machine that the ion elution assembly can be immersed with water. Any container may be used as long as it can accommodate the housing of the ion elution assembly. Therefore, water containing metal ions can be generated using, for example, a water tub, a wash basin, a cup, or the like. Therefore, in the case where the article to be subjected to the antibacterial treatment is one piece of handkerchief, a small amount of water containing metal ions, which can immerse only one piece of handkerchief, can be generated in a small container without causing waste of water resources.

(3) In the above-described antibacterial treatment apparatus, the power supply unit uses a battery as a power supply. According to this configuration, even in a place where the commercial power supply cannot be used or in a home where the number of holes of the outlet is insufficient although the commercial power supply is connected, the antibacterial treatment can be performed.

(4) In the above-described antibacterial treatment apparatus, the power supply unit includes a timer for setting a time for which the counter electrode is energized.

According to this configuration, by controlling the energization time, themetal ions can be eluted in an amount commensurate with the amount of water with which the laundry is immersed, and the necessary metal ion concentration can be ensured, thereby improving the reliability of the antibacterial treatment.

(5) In the above-described antibacterial treatment apparatus, at least a part of the housing is a see-through portion through which the internal electrode can be visually recognized.

With this configuration, the state of the electrode inside the ion elution unit can be visually checked directly. Therefore, the user can judge the replacement time of the ion elution assembly according to the loss condition of the electrode, and can replace the assembly before the coming of serious function reduction. Therefore, the ion elution unit can be used in a state where sufficient antibacterial treatment ability is always exerted.

(6) The antibacterial treatment device of the invention comprises an ion generating part for generating metal ions, wherein the metal ions are added into water supplied to a water supply object by a water supply device, and the ion generating part is arranged outside the water supply device and is removable relative to a supply passage for supplying water to the water supply device (from a water tap of a water pipe).

Here, as the ion generating portion, for example: (a) an ion elution unit for eluting ions of a metal constituting the electrodes by applying a voltage between the pair of electrodes; (b) the cartridge is filled with a metal ion eluting material (silver sulfide or the like in the case of a silver eluting material), and water is passed through the cartridge to elute the metal ions.

According to the above configuration, since the ion generating unit can be added to the outside of the water supply device (for example, washing machine), even if the water supply device is an existing device which does not have the ion generating unit at first, the ion generating unit can be easily converted into a water supply device having the ion generating unit. Therefore, the existing water supply apparatus can be effectively utilized without wastefully purchasing the water supply apparatus again. Further, the ion generating unit can be easily replaced because it can be freely removed from the supply passage for supplying water to the water supply device.

(7) In the antibacterial treatment apparatus, the ion generating section may be constituted by an ion elution module including (at least 2) electrodes therein and having a module main body through which the water flows.

According to this structure, for example, if a voltage is applied between a pair of electrodes, ions of the electrode constituting metal (for example, silver ions) are eluted, and the metal ions are added to the water flowing through the inside of the module main body. Therefore, since such metal ion added water is supplied from the ion elution unit to the water supply target (e.g., laundry) via the water supply device, the effect (e.g., antibacterial effect) of the metal ions can be reliably obtained in the water supply target.

The number of the electrodes may be one or more (2) pairs. Even in the case of having 3 or 4 electrodes, the metal ions can be eluted by applying a voltage to these electrodes, and the desired effect of the metal ions can be obtained.

(8) In the antibacterial treatment apparatus, the ion elution module further includes (a) a 1 st connection part and (b) a 2 nd connection part, the 1 st connection part being for connecting the module main body and a 1 st hose through which water supplied from a water tap flows or the water tap; the 2 nd connecting part is used for connecting the assembly main body and a 2 nd hose or the water supply device through which water supplied to the water supply device flows.

According to the above structure, the ion elution module can be connected to a tap of tap water directly through the 1 st connection part or indirectly through the 1 st hose. In addition, the ion elution assembly can be connected to the water supply either directly, or indirectly via a 2 nd hose, via a 2 nd connection. Therefore, by combining these connection methods, flexibility of connection when the ion elution assembly is provided to the supply passage of water from the tap water to the water supply device can be increased. Thereby, a method of setting the ion elution assembly corresponding to the user's needs can be realized.

(9) In the antibacterial treatment apparatus, the electrode may be integrally formed with the module body.

For example, when the electrodes and the module main body are separately configured, the module main body needs to be configured to be separated into at least 2 cases in order to mount the electrodes in the module main body. In this case, water leakage may occur at the bonded portion of the two separate cases, resulting in a reduction in sealing performance. However, if the electrode and the module main body are integrally molded as in the present invention, there is no position corresponding to the bonded portion, and therefore, the problem of water leakage does not occur, and the sealing property of the module main body can be reliably maintained.

(10) In the antibacterial treatment apparatus, the module body is formed in a shape in which water flows out in a direction different from the inflow direction of the water.

According to this configuration, even if the inflow direction of water into the module main body is, for example, the vertical direction, the outflow direction of the water can be changed to, for example, the horizontal direction. Thereby, even in the case where the distance between the water supply means and the ion elution module is too close, it is possible to easily surround without excessively bending the 2 nd hose for connecting the ion elution module and the water supply means.

(11) The antibacterial treatment apparatus further comprises a drive unit for driving the ion elution unit, wherein the drive unit has a voltage generation unit for generating a voltage to be applied to the electrode of the ion elution unit.

As the voltage generating unit, for example, a battery (battery), a plug inserted into a household outlet, a connecting wire, an AC adapter, and the like can be used. By applying a voltage generated by the voltage generator of the drive unit to the electrodes of the ion elution unit and driving the ion elution unit, the ion elution unit can reliably perform a function of eluting metal ions from the electrodes.

(12) In the antibacterial treatment apparatus, the ion elution unit may further include a detection unit for detecting at least one of presence and flow rate of the water flow in the unit body.

If the presence or absence of water flow in the module body is detected by the detection means, the drive module may apply a voltage to the electrodes, for example, upon such water flow. Thus, the required amount of metal ions can be eluted only when water to which the metal ions are added flows, and water to which the metal ions are stably added at a desired concentration can be supplied.

On the other hand, when there is no water flow, that is, in a state where there is no water added with metal ions, even if a voltage is applied to the electrodes, electric power can be consumed only in vain, and therefore, according to the above configuration, such consumption of electric power can be avoided by the driving means.

Further, when the flow rate of the water flow in the module main body is detected by the detection device, for example, the drive module may change the voltage applied to the electrodes or the current flowing to the electrodes in accordance with the flow rate, thereby changing the elution amount of the metal ions. Thus, even when the flow rate of water supplied to the water supply device is changed due to a difference in the installation position of the water supply device or when the flow rate of water supplied to the water supply target (for example, laundry) is intentionally changed, the drive unit can change the elution amount of the metal ions in accordance with the flow rate, and thereby the concentration of the metal ions in the metal ion water can be maintained substantially constant regardless of the flow rate. As a result, the desired antibacterial treatment can be appropriately performed without causing an excessive shortage of the amount of metal ions required for the antibacterial treatment.

(13) In the above antibacterial treatment apparatus, the detection means may include: the water flow sensor includes a rotor that rotates by the flow of water, a magnet included in the rotor, and a magnetism detection unit that detects at least one of the presence and flow rate of water flow on the basis of a change in magnetism of the magnet caused by the rotation of the rotor.

When the rotor is rotated by flowing water through the inside of the module main body, the magnet included in the rotor is also rotated, and the magnetism (magnetic flux, magnetic field) generated by the magnet is changed accordingly. Therefore, by detecting the presence or absence of the magnetic change by the magnetic detection unit, the presence or absence of water flow inside the module main body, that is, whether or not water flows inside the module main body can be detected. Further, the number of times the magnetic change periodically changes per unit time is detected by the magnetic detection unit, so that the rotation speed of the rotor per unit time can be detected, and the flow rate of water flowing through the inside of the unit body can be detected.

Therefore, the detection device is configured to include the rotor, the magnet, and the magnetic detection unit as described above, and can reliably detect at least one of the presence and flow rate of the water flow in the unit body based on the magnetic change of the magnet.

(14) In the antibacterial treatment apparatus, the drive unit may further include a control unit which controls application of a voltage to the electrode, the voltage being generated by the voltage generation unit, and the control unit may apply the voltage to the electrode when the magnetic detection unit detects the water flow.

According to the above configuration, when water starts to flow through the inside of the module main body (that is, when it is determined that it is necessary to add metal ions to water), it is possible to apply a voltage to the electrodes and elute the metal ions. Thus, when there is no water flow in the module main body (i.e., when there is no need to add metal ions to the water), as in the case of applying a voltage to the electrodes, in the drive module, waste of electric energy can be avoided.

(15) In the antibacterial treatment apparatus, the drive unit may further include a control unit which controls application of a voltage to the electrode, the voltage being generated by the voltage generation unit, and the control unit may change the voltage applied to the electrode or the current flowing to the electrode in accordance with the detected flow rate when the magnetic detection unit detects the flow rate.

Depending on the installation location and installation position of the water supply device, the flow rate of water supplied from the faucet of the tap water to the water supply device may vary. However, according to the above configuration, since the drive unit can change the voltage applied to the electrodes or the current flowing through the electrodes in accordance with the flow rate of the water in the unit main body and change the elution amount of the metal ions in accordance with the flow rate, the concentration of the metal ions in the metal ion-added water can be kept substantially constant without being affected by the installation area and installation position of the water supply device. As a result, the desired antibacterial treatment can be appropriately performed without causing an excessive shortage of the amount of metal ions necessary for the antibacterial treatment.

(16) In the above-described antibacterial treatment apparatus, the detection means may be provided so as to be separable from the module main body.

According to the above configuration, even when the module main body needs to be replaced due to the consumption of the electrode in the module main body, the detection device is not replaced, and the detection device can be effectively used flexibly. On the contrary, when the detection device is out of order and needs to be replaced, the electrode can be flexibly used without replacing the electrode in the module main body.

(17) In the above-described antibacterial treatment apparatus, the drive unit is provided on an outer surface of the water supply device, and further includes: a vibration sensor for detecting the time when the metal ions need to be eluted according to the vibration of the water supply device; and a control unit for controlling application of a voltage to the electrode, the voltage being generated by the voltage generation unit; the control unit applies the voltage to the electrode when the vibration sensor detects the time.

For example, when the water supply device is a washing machine, the washing machine performs each of a washing step, a rinsing step, a dewatering step, and a drying step. The vibration of the water supply device is different in each washing step due to the difference in the operation method (for example, the difference in the rotation speed of the washing tub) in each washing step.

On the other hand, the metal ions can be eluted at least after the rinsing step in the above-mentioned washing step. This is because, even if water containing metal ions is supplied to the laundry in the washing step, the metal ions are washed away by using water containing no metal ions in the next rinsing step, and the metal ions cannot be attached to the laundry, so that the metal ions supplied previously are wasted, and the efficiency is low. Therefore, in this case, the rinsing step is a time point at which the metal ions need to be eluted since the metal ions can be efficiently attached to the laundry.

The vibration sensor can detect the timing at which the metal ions need to be eluted from the water supply device by the following method. For example, the vibration sensor can detect a washing step (for example, a rinsing step) in which metal ions need to be eluted, based on a difference in vibration cycle caused by a difference in rotation speed of a washing tank, an agitating member (agitating blade), a motor, and the like constituting the water supply device.

The control unit is configured to apply a voltage to the electrodes of the ion elution unit to elute the metal ions when the vibration sensor detects a timing (in the above example, an operation period of the rinsing step) at which the elution of the metal ions is necessary from the vibration of the water supply device, thereby automatically eluting the metal ions at the timing at which the elution of the metal ions is necessary. That is, in this case, manual input by a user for turning on/off the voltage application to the electrodes is not required, and the metal ions can be eluted only in a more efficient process.

(18) In the above-described antibacterial treatment apparatus, the drive unit may be detachably disposed outside the water supply apparatus.

As the arrangement position of the driving unit, for example, an outer surface of the water supply device, a wall portion near the water supply device, or the like can be assumed. The drive unit can be removably disposed outside the water supply device, and the drive unit can be attached to and detached from the ion elution unit. Thus, even when the conventional water supply apparatus does not have an ion elution unit, it is possible to easily realize an apparatus equivalent to a water supply apparatus having an ion elution unit and a driving unit. Therefore, the existing water supply apparatus can be effectively utilized without purchasing the water supply apparatus again wastefully. In addition, since the driving assembly is provided outside the water supply device, repair of the driving assembly and replacement of the battery can be easily performed when a malfunction occurs or the life of the battery expires.

(19) In the above-described antibacterial treatment apparatus, the water supply device may be a washing machine that supplies water to the laundry to be supplied with water.

If the water supply device is a washing machine, the antibacterial treatment device of the present invention can be attached to the washing machine, and therefore, the above-described effects of the present invention, that is, a device equivalent to a washing machine capable of eluting metal ions, can be obtained in a washing machine even in a conventional washing machine.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing a general structure of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic vertical sectional view of the water supply port.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the whole washing process.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart of the cleaning process.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart of the rinsing process.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the dehydration step.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view showing embodiment 1 of the ion elution assembly.

Fig. 8 is a schematic horizontal sectional view showing embodiment 1 of the ion elution assembly.

Fig. 9 is a circuit configuration diagram of a driving circuit of the ion elution assembly.

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view showing embodiment 2 of the ion elution assembly.

Fig. 11 is an explanatory view schematically showing a connection relationship of the antibacterial treatment apparatus according to embodiment 3 of the present invention when the antibacterial treatment apparatus is applied to a washing machine.

FIG. 12 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a 1 st hose for connecting the ion elution unit and a tap of tap water constituting the antibacterial treatment apparatus in a communicating manner.

Fig. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the 1 st connecting part of the 1 st hose.

Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of the 1 st connection unit connected to a faucet of a water supply.

Fig. 15A and 15B are cross-sectional views showing a schematic structure of the 2 nd connection part of the 1 st hose connected to the ion elution unit.

Fig. 16 is a side view showing another structure of the 1 st hose.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the ion elution unit to which the 1 st hose is connected.

Fig. 18 is a front view showing the ion elution module when the ion elution module is connected to a tap of tap water via the 1 st hose.

Fig. 19 is a sectional view of the ion elution module as viewed from the rear.

Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view of the elution assembly of the example above, as viewed from the side.

Fig. 21 is a sectional view showing in detail the internal structure of the ion elution module when the ion elution module is viewed from the front.

Fig. 22 is a sectional view showing in detail the internal structure of the ion elution module when the ion elution module is viewed from the side.

Fig. 23 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration example of the 1 st connecting part of the ion elution module.

Fig. 24 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a detection unit having the ion elution module.

Fig. 25 is a sectional view showing another configuration example of the module main body of the ion elution module.

Fig. 26 is an exploded perspective view showing another configuration example of the ion elution unit.

Fig. 27A to 27D are a plan view, a front view, a side view, and a rear view showing an external configuration of a driving unit constituting the antibacterial treatment apparatus.

Fig. 28 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the drive unit.

Fig. 29 is a block diagram showing another configuration example of the drive unit.

Detailed Description

[ embodiment 1]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, embodiment 1 will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 9.

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the overall structure of the washing machine 1. The washing machine 1 is a full automatic type washing machine having an outer case 10. The outer case 10 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape by molding metal or synthetic resin, and has openings on the upper surface and the bottom surface. An upper surface plate 11 made of synthetic resin is superimposed on the upper surface opening of the outer box 10. An upper surface plate 11 is fixed to the outer case 10 by screws. In fig. 1, the left side is the front side of the washing machine 1, and the right side is the back side. A rear panel 12 made of synthetic resin is also superposed on the upper surface of the upper surface plate 11 on the rear surface side. The rear panel 12 is fixed to the upper panel 11 by screws. A base 13 made of synthetic resin is superimposed on the bottom opening of the outer case 10. The base 13 is fixed to the outer case 10 by screws. The illustration of the screw member described so far is omitted.

Leg portions 14a and 14b for supporting the outer box 10 on the floor surface are provided at four corners of the base 13. The rear leg 14b is a fixing leg integrally formed on the base 13. The front leg 14a is a height-variable screw leg, and the level of the washing machine 1 can be adjusted by rotating the screw leg. The upper plate 11 is provided with a laundry inlet 15 for introducing laundry into the washing tub, which will be described later. A cover 16 is provided to cover the laundry inlet 15 from above. Lid 16 is coupled to upper surface plate 11 via hinge 17 and can rotate in a vertical plane.

A water tank 20 and a washing tank 30 which also serves as a dewatering tank are disposed inside the outer casing 10. Both of the water tank 20 and the washing tank 30 are cylindrical cups having an open upper surface, and are arranged concentrically with their axes vertical to each other, with the water tank 20 being on the outside and the washing tank 30 being on the inside. The water tank 20 is suspended by a suspension member 21. Suspension members 21 are disposed at 4 positions in total so as to connect the lower part of the outer surface of water tub 20 and the inner surface corner of outer box 10, and support water tub 20 so as to be swingable in the horizontal plane.

The wash tank 30 has a circumferential wall that faces upward and extends in a gentle conical shape. The circumferential wall has no opening for passing the liquid except for the plurality of dewatering holes 31 arranged at the uppermost portion in an annular shape. That is, the washing tank 30 is of a so-called "nonporous" type. An annular weight 32 is attached to the edge of the upper opening of washing tub 30, and this weight 32 has a function of suppressing vibration when washing tub 30 is rotated at a high speed for dewatering laundry. On the inner bottom surface of the washing tank 30, a stirring blade 33 for causing washing water or rinsing water to flow in the tank is provided.

A driving unit 40 is mounted on a lower surface of the water tub 20. The drive unit 40 includes a motor 41, a clutch mechanism 42, and a brake mechanism 43, and a dewatering shaft 44 and a stirring blade shaft 45 protrude upward from the center portion thereof. The dehydrating shaft 44 and the brake shaft 45 have a dual-shaft structure in which the dehydrating shaft 44 is located outside and the stirring wing shaft 45 is located inside, and after entering the water tub 20, the dehydrating shaft 44 is connected to and supports the washing tub 30. The stirring blade shaft 45 further enters the washing tub 30, and is connected to and supports the stirring blade 33. Sealing members for preventing water from leaking are provided between the dewatering shaft 44 and the water tub 20 and between the dewatering shaft 44 and the stirring blade shaft 45, respectively.

A water supply valve 50 that is electromagnetically opened and closed is provided in a space below the rear panel 12. A connection pipe 51 and a water supply pipe 52 extend from the water supply valve 50. The connection pipe 51 protrudes toward the upper surface of the rear panel 12, and the ion elution unit 100 is detachably connected thereto. The structure and function of the ion elution assembly 100 will be described in detail later. On the other hand, the water supply pipe 52 extends horizontally on the lower surface of the rear panel 12 and is connected to a container-shaped water supply port 53. Water supply port 53 is located at a position facing the inside of washing tub 30, and has a structure as shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a schematic vertical sectional view of water supply port 53, which is a shape seen from the front side. The water supply port 53 is opened at its upper surface and is divided into left and right portions. The left part is a lotion chamber 54, which is a preparation space for putting lotion in advance. The right part is a finish chamber 55, a preparation space for putting a finishing agent for washing in advance. A horizontally long water inlet 56 for injecting water into the washing tub 30 is provided on the bottom front side of the washing agent chamber 54. A siphon 57 is provided in the finisher chamber 55. The siphon 57 includes an inner tube 57a vertically standing from the bottom surface of the finishing agent chamber 55, and a hood-shaped outer tube 57b covering the inner tube 57 a. Between the inner tube 57a and the outer tube 57b, a gap through which water passes is formed. The bottom of the inner tube 57a opens toward the inside of the washing tub 30. The lower end of the outer tube 57b is spacedfrom the bottom surface of the finishing chamber 55, which is an inlet for water. If water is injected into the finishing agent chamber 55 until it reaches a height exceeding the upper end of the inner tube 57a, a siphon action occurs, and the water

Is sucked out of the finisher chamber 55 through a siphon 57 and falls into the washing tub 30. The water supply valve 50 is composed of a main water supply valve 50a and a sub water supply valve 50 b. The connection pipe 51 communicates with both the main water supply valve 50a and the sub water supply valve b. The water supply pipe 52 includes a main water supply pipe 52a connected to the main water supply valve 50a and a sub water supply pipe 52b connected to the water supply valve 50 b.

The main water supply pipe 52a is connected to the detergent chamber 54, and the sub water supply pipe 52b is connected to the finisher chamber 55. That is, a passage through which the main water supply pipe 52a is injected into the washing tank 30 through the washing agent chamber 54 and a passage through which the sub water supply pipe 52b is injected into the washing tank 30 through the finishing agent chamber 55 are different systems.

Returning to fig. 1, the description is continued. A drain hose 60 for draining water in the water tank 20 and the washing tub 30 to the outside of the outer case 10 is attached to the bottom of the water tank 20. The water flows into the drain hose 60 through the drain pipes 61 and 62. The drain pipe 61 is connected to a position near the outer circumference of the bottom surface of the water tub 20. The drain pipe 62 is connected to a position near the center of the bottom surface of the sink 20.

An annular partition wall 63 is fixed to the inner bottom surface of the water tank 20 so as to cover the connection position of the drain pipe 62. An annular seal member 64 is attached to an upper portion of the partition wall 63. The sealing member 64 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of a disc 65 fixed to the outer surface of the bottom of the washing tub 30, thereby forming an independent drainage space 66 between the water tub 20 and the washing tub 30. Drain space 66 communicates with the inside of washing tub 30 through drain opening 67 provided at the bottom of washing tub 30.

The drain pipe 62 is provided with a drain valve 68 that is electromagnetically opened and closed. An air trap 69 is provided in a portion of the drain pipe 62 that is in contact with the upstream side of the drain valve 68. Extending from the air trap 69 is a pressure manifold 70. A water level switch 71 is connected to the upper end of the pressure pipe 70.

A control unit 80 is disposed on the front side of the outer box 10. The control unit 80 is provided below the upper surface plate 11, receives an operation command from a user via an operation/display unit 81 provided on the upper surface of the upper surface plate 11, and issues an operation command to the drive unit 40, the water supply valve 50, and the drain valve 68. Further, the control unit 80 issues a display instruction to the operation/display unit 81.

Next, the operation of the washing machine 1 will be described. The lid 16 is opened, and laundry is put into the washing tub 30 through the laundry inlet 15. Lotion is put into the lotion chamber 54 of the water supply port 53. If necessary, a finishing agent is put into the finishing agent chamber 55 of the water supply port 53. The finishing agent may be added during the washing step.

After preparation for the introduction of the washing agent is completed, the lid 16 is closed, and the group of operation buttons of the operation/display unit 81 is operated to select the washing condition. Finally, when the start button is pressed, the washing process is completed according to the flowcharts of fig. 3 to 6.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the entire washing process. In step S201, it is checked whether or not a so-called selection of a reserved operation is performed, that is, washing is started at a set time. If the scheduled operation is selected, the process proceeds to step S206. If not, the process proceeds to step S202.

When the process proceeds to step S206, it is checked whether or not the operation start time has been reached. If the operation start time is reached, the process proceeds to step S202.

In step S202, it is checked whether or not the cleaning process is selected. If the selection is made, the process proceeds to step S300. The content of the cleaning step in step S300 is described separately with reference to the flowchart in fig. 4. After the cleaning process is completed, the process proceeds to step S203. If the cleaning process is not selected, the process proceeds directly from step S202 to step S203.

In step S203, it is checked whether or not the rinsing process is selected. If the selection is made, the process proceeds to step S400. The content of the rinsing step in step S400 is described separately with reference to the flowchart in fig. 5. After the rinsing process is completed, the process proceeds to step S204. If the rinsing process is not selected, the flow proceeds directly from step S203 to step S204.

In step S204, it is checked whether or not the dehydration step is selected. If the selection is made, the flow proceeds to step S500. The content of the dehydration step in step S500 will be described separately with reference to the flowchart in fig. 6. After the dehydration step is completed, the process proceeds to step S205. If the dehydration step is not selected, the flow proceeds directly from step S204 to step S205.

In step 205, the termination process of the control unit 80 (particularly, the computing device (microcomputer) included therein) is automatically performed in order. The end of the washing process is reported by an end sound. After all the operations are completed, the washing machine 1 is ready to enter the next washing process, and the power supply is on standby in the off state.

Next, the respective steps of washing, rinsing, and dewatering will be described with reference to fig. 4 to 6. Fig. 4 is a flowchart of the cleaning process. In step S301, water level data in the washing machine 30 detected by the water level switch 71 is taken in. In step S302, it is confirmed whether or not selection of capacity sensing is made. If the selection is made, the process proceeds to step S308. If not, the process proceeds directly from step S302 to step S303.

In step S308, the amount of laundry is measured by the rotational load of the paddle 33. After the capacity sensing is performed, the process proceeds to step S303.

In step S303, main water supply valve 50a is opened, and water is supplied into washing tub 30 through main water supply pipe 52a and water supply port 53. The detergent in the detergent chamber 54 entering the water supply port 53 is also mixed into the water and is put into the washing tank 30. The drain valve 68 is closed. After the water level switch 71 detects the set water level, the main water supply valve 50a is closed. Then, the process proceeds to step S304.

In step S304, a fusion operation is performed. That is, the vibrator 33 rotates in reverse, and shakes the laundry in the water to fuse the laundry into the water. This enables the laundry to sufficiently absorb moisture. In addition, air trapped in various positions of the laundry can be discharged. As a result of the merging operation, when the water level detected by the water level switch 71 is lower than the initial water level, the main water supply valve 50a is opened to supply water and the set water level is restored in step S305.

In addition, if a washing method of "fabric quality sensing" is selected, the fabric quality sensing is performed together with the fusion operation. After the fusing operation is completed, the change of the water level based on the set water level is detected, and if the water level is reduced below a predetermined value, the fabric is judged to have high water absorbency.

After the stable set water level is obtained in step S305, the process proceeds to step S306. According to the setting of the user, the motor 41 rotates the paddle 33 in a predetermined pattern to form a main water flow for washing in the washing tub 30. The washing of the laundry is performed by the main water flow. The brake device 43 applies a brake to the spin-drying shaft 44, so that the washing tub 30 does not rotate even if the washing water and the laundry move.

After the passage of the main water flow period, the flow proceeds to step S307. In step S307, the paddle 33 is slightly rotated reversely at regular intervals to rub the laundry apart, and the laundry is distributed into the washing tub 30 with good balance. This is in preparation for the dehydration rotation of the wash tank 30.

Next, the contents of the rinsing step will be described with reference to the flowchart of fig. 5. Although the dehydration step of step S500 is initially performed, it will be described with reference to the flowchart of fig. 6. After the dehydration, the flow proceeds to step S401. In step S401, the main water supply valve 50a is opened to supply water to the set water level.

After the water supply, the flow proceeds to step S402. In step S402, the fusion operation is performed. The fusion operation is the same as the operation performed in step S304 of the cleaning step.

After the fusion operation, the process proceeds to step S403. As a result of the merging operation, when the water level detected by the water level switch 71 is lower than the initial water level, the main water supply valve 50a is opened to supply water and the water level is returned to the set water level.

After returning to the set water level in step S403, the flow proceeds to step S404. According to the setting of the user, the motor 41 rotates the paddle 33 in a predetermined pattern to form a main water flow for rinsing in the washing tub 30. The laundry is rinsed by the main water flow. The brake device 43 applies a brake to the spin-drying shaft 44, so that the washing tub 30 does not rotate even if the washing water and the laundry move.

After passing during the main water flow, the flow proceeds to step S405. In step S405, the paddle 33 is slightly rotated backward at regular intervals to knead the laundry. This allows the laundry to be distributed to the washing tub 30 with good balance, and provides for spin-drying.

Although "water accumulation rinsing" in which rinsing water is accumulated in washing tub 30 and then rinsing is performed in the above description, it is also possible to perform "shower rinsing" in which water is supplied from water supply port 53 while washing tub 30 is rotated at a low speed. Which one is used, or whether both are used together, is determined according to the user's selection.

Next, the content of the dehydration step will be described with reference to the flowchart of fig. 6. First, the drain valve 68 is opened in step S501. The washing water in the washing tub 30 is drained through the drain space 66. The drain valve 68 is kept open during the dehydration process.

When most of the washing water is removed from the laundry, the clutch device 42 and the brake device 43 are switched. The switching timing of the clutch device 42 and the brake device 43 may be before the start of the water discharge or at the same time as the water discharge. Then, the motor 41 rotates the dewatering shaft 44 this time. Thereby, the washing tub 30 performs a spin-drying rotation. The stirring blade 33 also rotates together with the washing tub 30.

If the washing tub 30 is rotated at a high speed, the laundry is pressed against the inner circumferential wall of the washing tub 30 by the centrifugal force. The washing water contained in the laundry is also accumulated on the inner surface of the circumferential wall of the washing tub 30, but since the washing tub 30 extends upward in a tapered shape as described above, the washing water receiving the centrifugal force rises along the inner surface of the washing tub 30. The washing water is discharged from the dewatering holes 31 when reaching the upper end of the washing tub 30. The washing water leaving the dehydrating holes 31 is thrown against the inner surface of the sump 20 and falls to the bottom of the sump 20 along the inner surface of the sump 20. The washing water is discharged to the outside of the outer case 10 through a drain pipe 61 and a drain hose 60 connected thereto.

In the flow of fig. 6, after the relatively low-speed dehydration operation is performed in step S502, the high-speed dehydration operation is performed in step S503. After step S503, the process proceeds to step S504. In step S504, the energization of the motor 41 is cut off, and the stop process is performed.

The water supply valve 50 is connected to the ion elution unit 100 via a connection pipe 51. Next, the structure and function of the ion elution unit 100 and the operation of the ion elution unit mounted to the washing machine 1 will be described with reference to fig. 7 to 9.

Fig. 7 and 8 are sectional views of the ion elution assembly 100, fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view, and fig. 8 is a schematic horizontal sectional view. The ion elution unit 100 has a cylindrical housing 110 formed of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, silicon, or rubber. The casing 110 has a cylindrical axis arranged horizontally, and has a cylindrical inlet 111 protruding upward from one side thereof and a cylindrical outlet 112 protruding downward from the other side thereof.

The inlet 111 has a male screw portion 111a on its outer surface, and the inlet 112 has a female screw portion 112a on its inner surface. The housing 110 is connected to the connection pipe 51 by screwing the female screw portion 112a of the outlet port 112 to the male screw portion provided on the outer surface of the connection pipe 51, and communicates with the water supply valve 50. An O-ring (O-ring)112b is disposed at the deepest portion of the female screw portion 112 a. The O-ring 112b is in close contact with the tip of the connection pipe 51, and forms a watertight portion.

A nut-shaped coupling 111b (see fig. 1) is screwed into the male screw portion 111a of the inflow portion 111. The connection member 111b connects and fixes one end of the water supply hose 180 to the inflow port 111. The other end of the water supply hose 180 is connected to a water tap (not shown).

The connection mode of the inflow port 112 and the connection pipe 51 and the connection mode of the water supply hose 180 and the inflow port 111 are not limited to the above screw type. For example, a fastening ring, a collet type connector, or the like may be used, and any structure may be used as long as it is a structure generally used in the household for connection of water.

In the present embodiment, the outlet 112 is connected to the connection pipe 51 protruding from the upper surface of the rear panel 12 of the washing machine 1, but the connection target of the outlet 112 is not limited to this. Any structural member interposed between the water supply valve 50 and the outlet port 112 may be connected thereto. The outlet port 112 may be directly connected to the water supply valve 50 according to various structures of the washing machine 1. In short, the condition that the outlet 112 is detachably connected to the water supply valve 50 and is detachable from the outside of the washing machine 1 may be satisfied.

One end of the case 110 on the side having the inlet 111 is an opening, and 2 plate- like electrodes 113 and 114 are inserted therethrough. The electrodes 113 and 114 are made of metal capable of generating antibacterial metal ions, i.e., silver, copper, zinc, or the like. The electrodes 113 and 114 may have a size of, for example, 2cm × 5cm and a thickness of about 1 mm.

The electrodes 113 and 114 have terminals 115 and 116 at one end, respectively. The terminals 115 and 116 penetrate through a disc-shaped cover 117 assembled to the opening of the case 110, whereby the electrodes 113 and 114 are fixed to the cover 117 with a gap therebetween. When the opening of the case 110 is covered with the cover 117, the electrodes 113 and 114 are fixed in the case 110 so as to extend in the axial direction of the case 110.

A dome-shaped waterproof cover 118 is fixed to the cover 117. The power supply cable 119 extending from the power module 101 (see fig. 1) enters the waterproof cover 118. The power supply cable 119 has insulating cores 119a, 119b inside thereof. In the waterproof cover 118, the insulated core wire 119a is connected to the terminal 115, and the insulated core wire 119b is connected to the terminal 116.

Between the case 110 and the cover 117, between the cover 117 and the electrodes 115, 116, between the cover 117 and the waterproof cover 118, and between the waterproof cover 118 and the power supply cable 119, appropriate waterproof sealing treatment is performed so that water does not intrude into the waterproof cover 118.

The power module 101 incorporates a drive circuit of the ion elution module 100, and the circuit will be described in detail later. In addition to the power supply cable 119, a power supply line 102 connected to a commercial power supply extends from the power supply module 101.

Inside the casing 110, water flows from the inlet 111 toward the outlet 112 in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the electrodes 113 and 114. When a predetermined voltage is applied to the electrodes 113 and 114 in a state where water is present in the case 110, metal ions of the electrode-constituting metal are eluted from the anode side of the electrodes 113 and 114.

Fig. 9 is a circuit configuration diagram of the drive circuit 120 of the ion elution assembly 100. A transformer 122 is connected to commercial power supply 121 via a power switch 132 to reduce the voltage of 100V to a predetermined voltage. The actuator portion of the power switch 132 is exposed on the outer surface of the power module 101 and can be operated from the outer surface. The output voltage of the transformer 122 is rectified by the full-wave rectifier circuit 123, and then becomes a constant voltage in the constant voltage circuit 124. The constant current circuit 125 is connected to the constant voltage circuit 124. The constant current circuit 125 supplies a constant current to the electrode drive circuit 150, which will be described later, without being affected by a change in resistance value in the electrode drive circuit 150.

A rectifier diode 126 is connected to commercial power supply 121 in parallel with transformer 122. The output voltage of the rectifying diode 126 is smoothed by the capacitor 127,then subjected to a constant voltage process by the constant voltage circuit 128, and supplied to the microcomputer 130. The microcomputer 130 is used to start and control a triac 129, and the triac 129 is connected between one end of the primary side coil of the transformer 122 and the commercial power supply 121.

The electrode drive circuit 150 is configured by connecting NPN transistors Q1 to Q4, diodes D1 and D2, and resistors R1 to R7 as shown in the drawing. The transistor Q1 and the diode D1 constitute the photocoupler 151, and the transistor Q2 and the diode D2 constitute the photocoupler 152. That is, the diodes D1, D2 are photodiodes, and the transistors Q1, Q2 are phototransistors.

Now, when a high voltage is applied from the microcomputer 130 to the line L1 and a low voltage or off (zero voltage) is applied to the line L2, the diode D2 is turned on and the transistor Q2 is also turned on. When the transistor Q2 is turned on, a current flows through the resistors R3, R4, and R7, and a bias voltage is applied to the base of the transistor Q3, so that the transistor Q3 is turned on.

On the other hand, since the diode D1 is off, the transistor Q1 is off, and the transistor Q4 is also off. In this state, a current flows from the anode-side electrode 113 to the cathode-side electrode 114. Thereby, in the ion elution assembly 10, metal ions of cations and anions are generated.

If a current flows in one direction for a long time in the ion elution unit 100, the electrode 113 on the anode side is worn out in fig. 9, and impurities in the water are strongly attached as scale to the electrode 114 on the cathode side. Since this situation will result in a reduced performance of the ion elution assembly 100, the electrode drive circuit 150 can be operated in the forced electrode cleaning mode.

In the forced electrode cleaning mode, the voltages of the lines L1, L2 are reversed, and the microcomputer 130 switches control so that the currents in the opposite directions flow into the electrodes 113, 114. In this case, the transistors Q1, Q4 are turned on, and the transistors Q2, Q3 are turned off. The microcomputer 130 has a counting function, and performs the above-described conversion every time a predetermined count is reached.

When a problem such as a decrease in the value of the current flowing between the electrodes occurs due to a change in the resistance in the electrode driving circuit 150, particularly a change in the resistance of the electrodes 113 and 114, the constant current circuit 125 increases the output voltage thereof to prevent a decrease in the current. However, if the cumulative use time is long, the lifetime of the ion elution module 100 will expire, and the decrease in current cannot be prevented even if the forced electrode cleaning mode is switched to and the output voltage of the constant current circuit 125 is increased.

In this circuit, the current flowing between the electrodes 113 and 114 of the ion elution module 100 is monitored by the voltage generated by the resistor R7, and when the current reaches a predetermined minimum current value, the current detection circuit 160 detects this information. The information of the detected minimum current value is transmitted from the photodiode D3 constituting the photo coupler 163 to the microcomputer 130 via the phototransistor Q5. The microcomputer 130 drives the warning notification device 131 via the line L3 to perform a predetermined warning notification. The warning notification device 131 is formed of an appropriate display device such as an LED or a liquid crystal panel, and is provided on the outer surface of the housing of the power module 101.

In addition, a current detection circuit 161 for detecting whether or not the current has reached a predetermined maximum current value or more is provided for an accident such as a short circuit in the electrode drive circuit 150, and the microcomputer 130 drives the warning display device 131 based on an output of the current detection circuit 161. When the output voltage of the constant current circuit 125 is equal to or less than the predetermined minimum value, the voltage detection circuit 162 detects this, and the microcomputer 130 drives the warning notification device 131 in the same manner.

A timer 133 is connected to the microcomputer 130. The timer 133 has an operation portion on the outer surface of the housing of the power module 101. By operating the operation unit, an appropriate time can be set.

The antibacterial treatment apparatus comprising the ion elution unit 100 and the power supply unit 101 is used as follows.

First, the outflow port 112 of the ion elution assembly 100 is mounted to the connection pipe 51 of the washing machine 1. A water supply hose 180 is connected to the inflow port 111. The water tap connected to the other end of the water supply hose 180 is opened to allow water to flow into the housing 110 of the ion elution assembly 100. The timing of the actual water flow is the timing of opening the water supply valve 50. The power cord 102 of the power supply module 101 is connected to a commercial power outlet. The power supply assembly 101 may be secured to the side or upper surface of the washing machine 1 by suitable mounting means.

In the rinsing step, metal ions are introduced. In the flowchart of fig. 5, when the process proceeds to step S401 (water supply), the power switch 132 is turned on to supply electricity to the electrodes 113 and 114, thereby eluting the metal ions constituting the electrodes into water. In the case where the electrode-constituting metal is silver, the reaction occurs in the anode-side electrode To elute silver ions Ag into water⁺. The current flowing between the electrodes is direct current. Water containing metal ions is fed from water feed port 53 into washing tub 30.

How long the power is applied is set by the timer 133. The time required for the metal ion concentration in the rinse water to reach a predetermined level is determined by the amount of the rinse water. Then, the estimated rinsing water amount is set for the time of the timer 133. In this case, it is preferable to prepare a conversion table for comparing the rinsing water amount and the energization time required for the water amount. The conversion table may be displayed on the surface of the ion elution assembly 100 in advance by a suitable means such as sealing, pasting, printing, or imprinting. The conversion table may be provided in the power supply unit 101.

The rinse water is injected from the main water supply valve 50a in step S401 (water supply). Before the rinse water injection is completed, the water injection flow rate is set to end the elution of ions. While a predetermined amount of rinse water containing metal ions at a predetermined concentration is stored in washing tub 30, main water supply valve 50a is closed to end water supply. Then, the rinsing step is performed after step S402, and thereafter the dehydration step is performed according to the flowchart of fig. 6.

In the rinsing step, contact between the laundry and the metal ions can be promoted while the rinsing water is stirred. The metal ions gradually adhere to the fibers of the laundry to form an antibacterial layer on the surface of the laundry.

In the case of charging the finishing agent, the charging operation is performed at the end of step S404 (main water flow). At this time, the sub water supply valve 50b is opened to discharge water into thefinishing agent chamber 55 of the water supply port 53. When a finishing agent is put into the finishing agent chamber 55, the finishing agent is put into the washing tub 30 together with water from the siphon portion 57. Since the water level in the finishing agent chamber 55 reaches a predetermined height and the siphon effect starts to be generated, the liquid finishing agent can be held in the finishing agent chamber 55 until the siphon effect is generated by injecting water into the finishing agent chamber 55.

When a predetermined amount of water (not less than an amount sufficient for causing the siphon action in the siphon portion 57) is injected into the finisher chamber 55, the sub water supply valve 50b is closed. The rinse water with the finish added thereto is stirred for a predetermined time to promote contact between the laundry and the finish. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S405 (balancing).

After rinsing with rinsing water containing metal ions is started, the finishing agent is charged after a predetermined time has elapsed. Therefore, if the metal ions and the finishing agent (softening agent) are simultaneously added to the rinse water, the metal ions react with the softening agent component to impair the antibacterial property. However, when the finishing agent is added as described above, the metal ions are prevented from reacting with the finishing agent component by adding the finishing agent after the metal ions have sufficiently adhered to the laundry, and the antibacterial effect of the metal ions can be retained in the laundry.

The metal constituting the electrodes 113, 114 is preferably silver, copper, or an alloy of silver and copper. The silver ion eluted from the silver electrode has an excellent bactericidal effect, and the copper ion eluted from the copper electrode has an excellent antifungal effect. In addition, silver ions and copper ions can be eluted simultaneously from the alloy of silver and copper.

Since the laundry is negatively charged in water, the silver ions are electrostatically adsorbed on the laundry. In the state of being adsorbed on the laundry, the silver ions are electrically neutralized. Therefore, the silver ions and chloride ions (anions) as a component of the finishing agent (softening agent) are less likely to react. However, since it takes a certain time for the silver ions to be adsorbed to the laundry, the silver ions must be left to stand for a certain period of time before the finishing agent is added. Accordingly, the stirring time after the silver ion charging was secured for 10 minutes. The stirring time after the finishing agent is put in can be about 3 minutes. The metal ions are put into the washing tank 30 through the main water supply pipe 52a and the washing agent chamber 54. The finishing agent is fed from the finishing agent chamber 55 into the washing tub 30. The path for throwing the metal ions into the rinse water and the path for throwing the finish into the rinse water are separate systems, and therefore the following problems do not occur: the metal ions pass through a route for throwing the finishing agent into the rinsing water and come into contact with the finishing agent remaining in the route as a compound, losing the antibacterial ability.

In the above configuration, the washing machine 1 turns on the power switch 132 and sets the time of the timer 133 after entering the rinsing process, but this is inconvenient for the user. In order to eliminate this inconvenience, the following structure is possible.

That is, a flow switch is provided in the housing 110. The user first turns on the power switch 132 of the power module 101 and sets the time of the timer 133, and then presses the start key of the washing machine 1 to start the washing process. When the flow rate switch detects the2 nd-time large amount of water injection (excluding the injection of the makeup water in step S305) from the water supply valve 50 (main water supply valve 50a), that is, the injection of the rinse water in step S401, the microcomputer 130 starts operation and supplies current to the electrodes 113 and 114 only for the time set by the timer 133.

The electrodes 113 and 114 are consumed while the elution of the metal ions is continued, and the amount of the metal ions eluted is reduced. If the metal ion is used for a long period of time, the amount of the metal ion eluted becomes unstable, and a predetermined amount of the metal ion eluted cannot be secured. Therefore, when the endurance limit of the electrodes 113, 114 is reached, the metal ion elution assembly 100 needs to be replaced with a new one.

In order to determine whether the electrodes 113, 114 reached the endurance limit, the ion elution assembly 100 was studied as follows.

One end of the electrodes 113 and 114 on the side having the terminals 115 and 116 is referred to as a "root end", and the other end on the opposite side is referred to as a "tip end". The electrodes 113 and 114 are not arranged in parallel although they are arranged in parallel, but are arranged in a tapered shape with a narrower interval toward the tip as shown in fig. 8. With such an arrangement, the electrodes 113 and 114 elute metal ions from the narrow space, and thus the electrodes 113 and 114 start to dissolve from the tips. Therefore, by focusing on the length from the root end to the tip end, it is possible to grasp how much the volume of the electrodes 113 and 114 is reduced.

In order to know the lengths of the electrodes 113 and 114 from the root end to the tip end, the housing 110 is configured as follows. That is, the side surface (front surface) or the upper surface of the case 110 is made of transparent syntheticresin and is a see-through portion. The state of the electrodes 113 and 114 can be visually confirmed directly by the see-through part, and whether or not the time for replacing the ion elution module 100 has come is determined.

When the see-through portion is provided in the case 110, the entire case 110 may be made of a transparent synthetic resin, so that the entire electrodes 113 and 114 can be seen. Alternatively, a slit in which a transparent plate is embedded may be provided on the front surface of the case 110, and the electrodes 113 and 114 may be observed through the slit.

The material forming the see-through portion need not be completely transparent, but may be translucent. In short, the size (length) of the internal electrodes 113 and 114 may be grasped.

The see-through portion may be provided with a scale for determining the consumption of the electrodes 113 and 114. Since the length from the root end to the tip end of the electrodes 113 and 114 is a measure for measuring the wear, the scales arranged in a straight line from the tip end to the root end of the electrodes can be provided. Among the scales, the scale that is the standard for replacement of the ion elution assembly 100 may be provided in a particularly large size, or may be changed in shape so that the replacement time can be clearly determined.

All that needs to be replaced is the ion elution assembly 100 and the power module 101 does not need to be replaced. Therefore, it is preferable that a connector portion is detachably provided in the middle of the power supply cable 119, and the power module 101 can be continuously used by replacing only the ion elution module 100 with a new one.

The power supply unit 101 may be powered by a battery instead of a commercial power supply. The battery may be housed within the housing of the power supply assembly 101. With this configuration, even when commercial power is not available, for example, in the field or in a home where the number of holes of the outlet is insufficient although commercial power is supplied, the antibacterial treatment can be performed.

[ 2 nd embodiment]

Next, embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the ion elution assembly 100. The same reference numerals as those used in the description of embodiment 1 are used for the same or functionally equivalent components as those of embodiment 1, and the description thereof is omitted. The housing 110 of the ion elution unit 100 according to embodiment 2 has a lattice-shaped water inlet 110a at one end. Unlike embodiment 1, the flow path is provided with openings functionally divided into "inlet" and "outlet". The opening size of each water passage port 110a is set to such an extent that a finger or the like does not contact the electrodes 113 and 114. On the side of the case 110, a hook 110b is integrally formed. As with the ion elution assembly 100 of embodiment 1, water is prevented from invading the inside of the waterproof cover 118 and the ion elution assembly 100 is entirely submerged.

In the ion elution assembly 100, at least more than half of the housing 110 is submerged in the rinse water of the wash tank 30. Thus, water flows into the housing 110 through the water passage port 110 a. The inflowing water is guided to the electrodes 113 and 114 and is immersed therein. Here, a voltage is applied to the electrodes 113 and 114 to elute the metal ions. The water containing the metal ions flows out from the water passage opening 110 a.

The ion elution module 100 may be used by being put into water only, or may be used by hanging the hooks 110b on the dewatering holes 31. Alternatively, the ion elution assembly 100 may besuspended by hanging a string or the like on the hook 110 b. In the case where the housing 110 is used vertically with the hook 110b hooked, the electrodes 113 and 114 cannot be submerged by water unless air is discharged from the housing 110, and therefore, it is preferable to provide an air discharge hole at the end of the housing 110 closer to the cover 117.

The ion elution module 100 according to embodiment 2 is an apparatus for performing elution of metal ions by immersing the casing 110 in water, introducing water into the casing 110 through the water inlet 110a, and immersing the electrodes 113 and 114 in water, and therefore, it is not necessary to provide a special structure for mounting and holding the ion elution module 100 in the washing machine 1. It is not necessary to connect the water supply hose 180 to the ion elution assembly 100.

Further, since the ion elution operation is performed in the water accumulated in the washing tank 30, water containing uniform ions can be generated. Therefore, metal ions can be uniformly attached to the laundry, and an antimicrobial effect without dispersion can be obtained.

Further, in the case where the function of the ion elution assembly 100 is degraded due to long-term use, it is only necessary to replace a new assembly by discarding the old assembly, and therefore, it does not take much time to replace the assembly.

In addition, it is not only the washing tank 30 of the washing machine 1 that can immerse the ion elution assembly 100 with water. Any container may be used as long as it can accommodate the housing 110 of the ion elution assembly 100, and therefore, for example, a water tub, a wash basin, a cup, or the like may be used to generate water containing metal ions. Therefore, in the case where the article to be subjected to the antibacterial treatment is one piece of handkerchief, a small amount of water containing metal ions, which can immerse only one piece of handkerchief, can be generated in a small container without causing waste of water resources.

When the power module 101 of the ion elution module 100 according to embodiment 2 is driven by a battery, the antibacterial treatment apparatus can be sufficiently portable. Therefore, the antibacterial treatment can be carried to clothes and the like under the condition of field activity, and the application is expanded.

As in the case of embodiment 1, it is preferable to form a conversion table comparing the amount of water with the driving time of the ion elution module 100 required for eluting an appropriate amount of metal ions corresponding to the amount of water on the surface of the ion elution module 100 or the power module 101. The user can set a timer based on the conversion table to generate metal ion-containing water having an appropriate concentration.

[ embodiment 3]

Next, embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 11 or 29. The same reference numerals are used for the same components as those of embodiments 1 and 2, and the description thereof will be omitted. Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a connection relationship of the antibacterial treatment device 200 when the antibacterial treatment device 200 of the present embodiment is applied to the washing machine 1. The antibacterial treatment apparatus 200 of the present embodiment includes an ion elution unit 300 and a drive unit 400.

The ion elution module 300 is an ion generating part that generates metal ions (e.g., silver ions) added to water supplied to a water supply target (e.g., laundry) by the washing machine 1 as a water supply device.

The ion elution unit 300 is connected to a tap 201 of tap water via a 1 st hose 202, and is connected to the washing machine 1 via a 2 nd hose 203. Thus, the water supplied from the tap 201 is supplied to the washing machine 1 through the 1 st hose 202, the ion elution unit 300, and the 2 nd hose 203 in this order.

Due to the arrangement of the ion elution unit 300, the ion elution unit 300 is located outside the washing machine 1, and can be said to be arranged in a supply passage for supplying water from the water tap 201 to the washing machine 1.

As such, the greatest feature of the present invention is that the ion elution assembly 300 is externally disposed on the outside of the washing machine 1, not the inside of the washing machine 1.

The driving unit 400 is a device for driving the ion elution unit 300, and is detachably disposed outside the washing machine 1. For example, the driving unit 400 may be suspended and disposed by a hook attached to a wall portion near the washing machine 1 or an outer surface of the washing machine 1, and may be freely removed.

The outer periphery of the drive unit 400 is sealed by a sealing member, and is of a waterproof structure. Thus, as in the present embodiment, the drive unit 400 is disposed beside the facility (washing machine 1) that treats water, and even when disposed in a place where water leakage occurs, a place where there is a risk of water splashing, a place where humidity is high, or the like, the drive unit 400 can be reliably operated without being affected by the adverse effect of water, moisture, or the like, and the internal circuit of the drive unit 400.

In addition, when the driving unit 400 is disposed on the outer surface of the washing machine 1, the following operations may be performed without using the hook as described above. That is, it is needless to say that a magnet having a magnetic force not affecting the internal circuit may be disposed on the rear surface of the drive unit 400, that is, on the surface side of the drive unit 400 facing the washing machine 1, and the drive unit 400 may be detachably disposed in contact with the outer surface of the washing machine 1 by the magnetic force of the magnet.

In addition, the drive assembly 400 is electrically connected to the ion elution assembly 300 via electrical wires 500. Thus, a voltage for driving the ion elution assembly 300 may be supplied from the drive assembly 400 to the ion elution assembly 300 via the wire 500.

First, the 1 st tube 202 and the 2 nd tube 203 will be described before the ion elution unit 300 and the drive unit 400 will be described in detail.

(1. the 1 st hose)

Fig. 12 is a side view showing a general structure of the 1 st hose 202. The 1 st hose 202 is a device for connecting the tap 201 of tap water and the ion elution module 300 to each other, and is composed of a flexible hose body 210, a 1 st connection part 211, and a 2 nd connection part 212.

(1-1. the 1 st joint part)

The 1 st connection part 211 is provided at one end of the hose body 210 and is connected to the tap 201 of tap water in a communicating manner. As shown in fig. 13, the 1 st connecting portion 211 is formed by a connecting portion 221 and a movable device 222 so as to be separable.

First, the connection part 221 will be explained. The connection portion 221 is composed of a joint 231 and a screw portion 232.

The joint 231 is a substantially cylindrical fixed member attached to the distal end of the water faucet 201. Specifically, 4 small screws are evenly arranged in the circumferential direction above the outer surface of the joint 231, and the joint 231 is fixed to the faucet 201 by fitting the joint 231 into the faucet 201 and fixing them with the screws. Therefore, the joint 231 can be reliably fixed to the faucet 201 by using a simple tool. Further, a thread groove is formed on the outer surface of the joint 231 below the screw position. Further, an elastic member (e.g., rubber) for sealing is incorporated inside the joint 231.

The screwing portion 232 includes a substantially cylindrical 1 st cylindrical portion 232a and a substantially cylindrical 2 nd cylindrical portion 232b, and a thread groove screwed with the thread groove on the outer surface of the joint 231 is formed on the inner surface of the 1 st cylindrical portion 232 a; the 2 nd cylindrical portion 232b is formed inside the 1 st cylindrical portion 232a with a predetermined space. The opening portions of the 1 st and 2 nd cylindrical portions 232a and 232b on the hose main body 210 side are attached to an annular disk so as to extend along the outer and inner peripheries of the disk, thereby forming the screw portion 232.

A connection pipe 233 communicating with the 2 nd cylindrical portion 232b is integrally formed at the bottom of the screw portion 232. The connection pipe 233 guides water passing through the connection part 221 to the movable device 222 through the connection pipe 233 when inserted into the movable device 222. A groove 233a (see fig. 14) into which a steel ball 241a described later of the movable devices 222 is fitted is formed on the outer surface of the connection pipe 233. Further, an edge 234 to be locked by a locking portion 244 of the movable device 222 to be described later is formed on the outer surface of the 1 st cylindrical portion 232a of the screw portion 232.

On the other hand, the movable device 222 includes an insertion portion 241, a movable portion 242, a connecting portion 243, and a locking portion 244.

The insertion portion 241 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and the connection pipe 233 is inserted into the insertion portion. The inner diameter of insertion portion 241 is substantially the same as the outer diameter of connection pipe 233. Small-diameter steel balls 241a movable in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the insertion portion 241 (hereinafter referred to as a radial direction) are provided at equal 4 positions in the circumferential direction of the wall portion of the insertion portion 241. The steel ball 241a is formed to have a diameter slightly larger than the wall thickness.

The movable portion 242 is a portion that covers the insertion portion 241 from the outside with a certain gap therebetween and is movable in the flow direction of the water flowing inside, and has a substantially cylindrical shape. The movable portion 242 is biased toward the upstream side (the side opposite to the hose main body 210 side) in the water flowing direction by a biasing device 245 (see fig. 14) such as a spring, and can be manually pushed down toward the downstream side (the hose main body 210 side).

The connecting portion 243 is a portion that is connected to the hose main body 210 in a communicating manner. The locking portion 244 protrudes from the outer surface of the movable portion 242, and locks the edge 234 of the coupling portion 221 when the connection pipe 233 is inserted into the insertion portion 241.

In the above configuration, when the 1 st hose 202 is fixed to the faucet 201, first, the connection portion 221 is fixed to the faucet 201 of the tap water. That is, the joint 231 is fixed to the faucet 201 by screw fastening, and the screw groove of the joint 231 is screwed into the screw groove of the screwing portion 232, thereby fixing these components.

Then, the movable portion 242 of the movable device 222 is manually pushed down and held on the downstream side in the water flow direction, and the insertion portion241 is inserted into the connection pipe 233 of the connection portion 221. At this time, since no pressing force is applied to steel ball 241a in the radial direction of insertion portion 241, connection pipe 233 is inserted into insertion portion 241 while pressing steel ball 241a radially outward.

When the hand is removed from the movable portion 242 at the time of completion of the insertion, the movable portion 242 is moved in the direction of the connection portion 221 by the elastic force of the biasing means 245 as shown in fig. 14. At this time, the inner surface of the movable portion 242 comes into contact with the steel ball 241a of the insertion portion 241, and applies a pressing force to the steel ball 241a from the radially outer side toward the inside. Thereby, steel ball 241a is pressed and fitted into groove 233a of connection pipe 233 inserted into insertion portion 241, and connection portion 221 and movable device 222 are fixed to each other. At the same time, the edge 234 of the connecting portion 221 is locked by the locking portion 244 of the movable device 222, and thus the movable device 222 can be reliably prevented from coming off the connecting portion 221.

On the other hand, when the connection portion 221 and the movable device 222 are separated from each other, the movable portion 242 is manually pushed down toward the downstream side in the water flow direction while the engagement between the engagement portion 244 and the edge portion 234 is manually released. This allows movable portion 242 to release the pressing of steel ball 241a, and thus, the pressing of steel ball 241a against connection pipe 233 can be released. Therefore, the connection pipe 233 can be pulled out from the insertion portion 241, and the connection portion 221 and the movable device 222 can be separated.

Thus, the 1 st connection portion 211 includes: a connection part 221 attached to a tap water faucet 201, and a movable device 222 that is insertable into and removable from a connection pipe 233 of the connection part 221, the movable device 222 being configured to: the hose body 210 is coupled to (a) an insertion portion 241 through which the connection pipe 233 is inserted and (b) and is movable in the insertion and extraction direction of the connection pipe 233, and has a movable portion 242, and the movable portion 242 moves when the connection pipe 233 is inserted into the insertion portion 241, and presses a pressing member (steel ball 241a) provided on the insertion portion 241 in a direction to come into contact with the connection pipe 233.

By using the movable device 222, the connection portion 221 and the hose main body 210 can be connected to and disconnected from each other by one-time operation of the movable device 222. Therefore, even for women (housewives) or persons with little strength, the two can be easily attached and detached.

In particular, if the movable device 222 is provided with the biasing device 245 for biasing the movable portion 242 toward the upstream side in the water flow direction as described above, the movable portion 242 can be easily moved by the elastic force, and therefore the steel ball 241a can be easily pressed against the connection pipe 233 by the movement of the movable portion 242 toward the upstream side in the water flow direction. As a result, the connection pipe 233 and the movable device 222 can be fixed more easily.

Further, as the movable device 222, a structure in which the movable portion 242 is moved by a screw may be considered, but the device described in the present embodiment has good usability, and can be reliably fixed without fear of looseness.

Although the case where the joint 231 and the screw portion 232 are separable from each other in the connection portion 221 has been described above, these may be integrally formed at first. In this case, the coupling portion 221 can be attached to the faucet 201 by inserting the joint 231 from the tip of the faucet 201 and tightening only a small screw.

Further, a device corresponding to the joint 231 may be fixed to the faucet 201 for the tap water at first. In this case, the coupling portion 221 may be constituted by only the screw portion 232 without the need for the joint 231. In this case, since the joint 231 is not required, the number of parts is reduced, and thus the product cost can be suppressed.

As described above, the connection portion 221 of the 1 st connection portion 211 according to the present embodiment may have two configurations: (a) the joint 231 and the screw portion 232 may be separately or integrally configured, or (b) may be configured only by the screw portion 232 that can be screwed with the joint attached to the tap 201 of tap water.

Further, a device corresponding to the screw portion 232 may be formed in advance in accordance with the faucet 201 for tap water. In this case, by configuring the 1 st coupling part 211 with only the movable device 222, it is possible to cope with the tap 201 of tap water as described above, and the coupling part 221 is not necessary, and it is possible to suppress the product cost.

(1-2. 2 nd connecting part)

The 2 nd connection part 212 of the 1 st hose 202 is provided at the other end of the hose main body 210 and is connected to the ion elution unit 300 in communication therewith. In the present embodiment, the 2 nd connecting portion 212 has the same structure as the movable device 222 of the 1 st connecting portion 211.

Therefore, when the 1 st hose 202 and the ion elution assembly 300 are communicatively connected, the following operation can be performed. First, as shown in fig. 15A, the movable portion 242 is manually moved and held on the side of the tube main body 210 (upstream side in the water flow direction), and in this state, the 1 st connection portion 302 of the ion elution module 300 is inserted into the inside of the insertion portion 241 of the movable device 222 of the 2 nd connection portion 212 of the 1 st tube 202.

As shown in fig. 15B, when the insertion is completed, the hand is removed from the movable portion 242, and the movable portion 242 is moved toward the ion elution assembly 300 by the elastic force of the biasing means 245. Thereby, the movable portion 242 presses the steel ball 241a radially inward of the insertion portion 241, and the steel ball 241a is fitted into a groove portion 302c (see fig. 15A) formed on the outer surface of the connection pipe 302a of the 1 st connection portion 302 to press the 1 st connection portion 302. As a result, the 2 nd connection part 212 and the 1 st connection part 302 are fixed. Further, when separating the 1 st tube 202 from the ion elution unit 300, the movable portion 242 is manually moved toward the tube main body 210 (upstream side in the water flow direction), and the pressing of the steel ball 241a against the 1 st connection portion 302 can be released. Thereby, the 1 st connection part 302 can be pulled out from the insertion part 241 to separate the 1 st hose 202 and the ion elution unit 300.

In this manner, since the 2 nd connecting portion 212 includes the movable device 222, the 1 st hose 202 and the ion elution assembly 300 can be connected to or separated from each other by one-time operation of the movable device 222. Therefore, any person can easily attach or detach both of them, and the same effect as in the case where the 1 st connecting part 211 is provided can be obtained.

(2. the 2 nd hose)

The 2 nd hose 203 shown in fig. 11 is a device for communicatively connecting the ion elution assembly 300 and the washing machine 1 as a water supply device. The 2 nd hose 203 is composed of a flexible hose body and a 1 st connection part and a 2 nd connection part provided at both ends of the hose body.

Here, the hose main body of the 2 nd hose 203 corresponds to the hose main body 210 of the 1 st hose 202. The 1 st connection part and the 2 nd connection part of the 2 nd hose 203 are constituted only by the movable device 222 constituting the 1 st connection part 211 or the 2 nd connection part 212 of the 1 st hose 202. Therefore, the 2 nd hose 203 and the ion elution assembly 300 can be easily connected or separated by one-time operation of the movable device 222, and the 2 nd hose 203 and the washing machine 1 can be easily connected or separated, in exactly the same way as in the case of communicatively connecting the 1 st hose 202 and the ion elution assembly 300.

The 1 st hose 202 and the 2 nd hose 203 described above can be configured to be flexible by rubber, resin, or the like. Thus, even when vibration (shock wave) or external force (high pressure) is applied to the portion where the 1 st hose 202 and the 2 nd hose 203 are communicatively connected, the shock or the like can be alleviated by the flexibility of the 1 st hose 202 or the 2 nd hose 203. Therefore, the load applied to the ion elution module 300 connected to the 1 st hose 202 and the 2 nd hose 203 can be reduced, occurrence of a failure or the like can be suppressed, and the reliability of the ion elution module 300 can be improved with little fear of water leakage at the communicatively connected portion.

Although the structure in which the movable device 222 is provided at both ends of both the 1 st hose 202 and the 2 nd hose 203 has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this structure. For example, as shown in fig. 16, the 1 st hose 202 and the 2 nd hose 203 may be configured by providing a cap-type connection portion, which is capable of rotating the direction of water flow inside the hose main body 210 along an axis and has a screw groove cut in the inner surface, at one end (for example, the 2 nd connection portion 212) of the hose main body 210. The cap-type connection portions may be provided at both ends (the 1 st connection portion 211 and the 2 nd connection portion 212) of the hose main body 210.

For example, when the connection target portions (the faucet 201, the ion elution unit 300, and the washing machine 1) of the 1 st hose 202 and the 2 nd hose 203 are formed in a cylindrical shape with a threaded groove cut on the outer surface, the connection and separation between the first hose 202 and the second hose 203 can be easily performed by the rotation of the cap-shaped connection portion when the 1 st hose 202 and the 2 nd hose 203 configured as described above are used. In addition, compared with the structure of fig. 12, the number of parts of the connecting portion can be reduced, and the product cost can be suppressed.

In accordance with the configuration of the ion elution unit 300, the 1 st hose 202 may be directly connected to the ion elution unit 300, or the 1 st hose 202 may be connected to the ion elution unit 300 via a screw-type or a latching-type connection portion.

(3. ion elution Module)

Next, the detailed structure of the ion elution assembly 300 will be explained.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the ion elution module 300 to which the 1 st hose 202 is connected. Fig. 18 to 20 show a front view of the ion elution module 300 when the ion elution module 300 is connected to a tap 201 of tap water via the 1 st hose 202, a cross-sectional view when the ion elution module 300 is viewed from the rear, and a cross-sectional view when the ion elution module is viewed from the side, respectively.

The ion elution module 300 has a housing 300a, and the housing 300a is formed by bonding 2 casings which are separable and connectable in the direction of water flow through the inside. The case 300a can conceal the connection between the ion elution unit 300 and the 1 st hose 202, and does not spoil the appearance.

Fig. 21 is a sectional view showing in detail the internal structure of the ion elution module 300 when the ion elution module 300 is viewed from the front, and fig. 22 is a sectional view showing in detail the internal structure of the ion elution module 300 when the ion elution module 300 is viewed from the side.

As shown in these figures, the ion elution module 300 has a module main body 301, a 1 st connection part 302, and a 2 nd connection part 303. Next, each structure will be explained.

(3-1. the 1 st joint part)

The 1 st connecting portion 302 is a device for connecting the 1 st hose 202 and the module main body 301 in communication, and is formed integrally with the module main body 301. The 1 st connection portion 302 includes a connection pipe 302a and an edge portion 302 b.

The connection pipe 302a is inserted into the insertion portion 241 of the 2 nd connection portion 212 of the 1 st hose 202. The rim 302b is a means for locking by the locking portion 244 of the 1 st tube 202 when the connection tube 302a is inserted into the insertion portion 241, and thus the 1 st tube 202 can be reliably prevented from being detached from the ion elution module 300.

Here, the 1 st connection portion 302 may be configured as follows.

Fig. 23 is an exploded perspective view showing another configuration example of the 1 st connecting portion 302. The 1 st connection portion 302 is composed of a joint 304 and a screw portion 305. The joint 304 has the same structure as the joint 231 of the 1 st connection part 211 of the 1 st hose 202.

The screwing section 305 has exactly the same structure as the screwing section 232 of the 1 st connecting section 211. That is, the screwing portion 305 has a 1 st cylindrical portion 305a having a substantially cylindrical shape and a 2 nd cylindrical portion 305b having a substantially cylindrical shape, and a thread groove screwed with the thread groove of the outer surface of the joint 304 is formed on the inner surface of the 1 st cylindrical portion 305 a; the 2 nd cylindrical portion 305b is formed inside the 1 st cylindrical portion 305a with a predetermined space. The opening portions of the 1 st and 2 nd cylindrical portions 305a, 305b on the module main body 301 side are bonded to an annular disk so as to extend along the outer and inner peripheries of the disk, thereby forming the screwing portion 305.

A module main body 301 communicating with the 2 nd cylindrical portion 305b is integrally formed at the bottom of the screw portion 305. The 2 nd cylindrical portion 305b is formed in a shape of an insertion portion 241 through which the movable device 222 of the 1 st hose 202 can be inserted.

According to such a configuration, the 2 nd cylindrical portion 305b is inserted and fixed into the insertion portion 241 of the 1 st hose 202, thereby connecting the ion elution unit 300 and the 1 st hose 202. Thereby, the ion elution module 300 and the tap 201 of tap water can be communicatively connected via the 1 st hose 202.

On the other hand, by screwing the adapter 304 to the faucet 201 and screwing the thread groove of the adapter 304 to the thread groove of the 1 st cylindrical portion 305a, the ion elution assembly 300 can be directly connected to the faucet 201 in a communicating manner without using the 1 st hose 202.

Therefore, with such a structure of the 1 st connection part 302, both cases of using and not using the 1 st hose 202 can be easily handled when the water tap 201 and the ion elution module 300 are communicatively connected.

(3-2. the 2 nd connecting part)

As shown in fig. 21 and 22, the 2 nd connecting portion 303 is a device for connecting the 2 nd hose 203 (see fig. 11) and the module main body 301 in a communicating manner, and is formed integrally with the module main body 301. The 2 nd connection portion 303 includes a connection pipe 303a and an edge portion 303 b.

The connection tube 303a is inserted into the insertion portion of the 1 st connection portion of the 2 nd hose 203. When the connection tube 303a is inserted into the insertion portion, the edge portion 303b is locked by the locking portion of the 2 nd tube 203, and thus the 2 nd tube 203 can be reliably prevented from being detached from the ion elution unit 300.

The connection pipe 303a may be shaped to fit the connection pipe 51 (see fig. 1) of the washing machine 1.

With such a configuration, the connection tube 303a is inserted and fixed to the insertion portion 241 of the 2 nd hose 203, whereby the ion elution module 300 and the 2 nd hose 203 can be connected to each other. Therefore, the ion elution assembly 300 can be communicatively connected to the washing machine 1 via the 2 nd hose 203. On the other hand, if the connection pipe 303a is inserted into the connection pipe 51 of the washing machine 1, the ion elution unit 300 and the washing machine 1 can be directly connected to each other.

Therefore, by the above-described structure of the 2 nd connection part 303, both the case of using and not using the 2 nd hose 203 can be easily handled when communicatively connecting the ion elution assembly 300 and the washing machine 1.

As described above, by providing the 1 st connection part 302 and the 2 nd connection part 303 described above in the ion elution module 300, it is structurally possible to connect the ion elution module 300 to the 1 st hose 202 or the tap 201 of tap water in a simple manner, and to connect the ion elution module 300 to the 2 nd hose 203 or the washing machine 1 in a communication manner. Therefore, the product cost of the ion elution assembly 300 can be suppressed.

(3-3. component body)

The module body 301 is formed of an insulating material (e.g., resin), and water supplied from the faucet 201 flows through the inside thereof and is supplied into the washing machine 1. The pack main body 301 includes a pair of electrodes 311 and 312 inside, and has terminal portions 313 and 314 and a detection portion 315 corresponding to the electrodes 311 and 312, respectively.

(3-3-1. electrode)

The electrodes 311 and 312 are each formed of, for example, a flat silver plate having a thickness of about 0.5mm and a size of 1cm × 3cm, and are arranged in the module main body 301 so that the distance between the surfaces facing each other gradually decreases from the upstream side (upper side in fig. 21 and 22) to the downstream side (lower side in fig. 21 and 22) in the water flow direction of the water flowing through the module main body 301.

By applying a voltage between the pair of electrodes 311 and 312 via the electric wire 500 and the terminal portions 313 and 314 from the drive unit 400 described later, metal ions are eluted from the electrodes 311 and 312. The metal ions are added to the water flowing through the inside of the module main body 301, and the water is supplied to the washing machine 1 as metal ion added water.

The metalconstituting the electrodes 311, 312 is preferably silver, copper, zinc, or an alloy thereof. The anion eluted from the silver electrode and the zinc ion eluted from the zinc electrode have excellent sterilization effect, and the copper ion eluted from the copper electrode has excellent antifungal performance. In addition, since ions of the constituent metals can be eluted simultaneously from these alloys, excellent bactericidal and antifungal effects can be obtained. Therefore, by forming the electrodes 311 and 312 of an appropriate metal, effects unique to the metal ions can be obtained.

The electrodes 311 and 312 do not necessarily have to be made of the same metal, and one electrode may be made of an insoluble electrode (for example, titanium) or a carbon electrode.

Here, the antibacterial mechanism when the electrodes 311 and 312 are silver electrodes will be specifically described below.

For example, during sweating, the odor of clothes is caused by the proliferation of fungi. Sweat is originally odorless and includes, as one of its components, glyceride composed of fatty acid and glycerin, but the glyceride is decomposed by bacteria, resulting in the odor of the fatty acid decomposed from the glyceride.

However, when the electrodes 311 and 312 are silver electrodes, a voltage is applied to these electrodes, whereby a voltage is generated on the anode side electrode By elution of silver into waterIons. Since the silver ions act on the odor-causing fungi to deactivate the fungi, the odor can be suppressed without decomposing the components (glycerides) of sweat. The deactivation means an action of sterilization, degerming, sterilization, decomposition, removal, or the like.

The electrodes 311, 312 are integrally formed with the module 301. That is, the module body 301 integrated with the electrodes 311 and 312 is formed by a method of disposing and holding the electrodes 311 and 312 in a mold, for example, by curing a photocurable resin by irradiation of ultraviolet rays or the like, or a method of injecting a resin and then cooling and curing the resin (insert molding). Further, by this integral molding, the electrodes 311 and 312 can be supported in the module main body 301 through a part of the inner wall of the module main body 301.

For example, when the module main body 301 is configured by bonding a plurality of cases, there is a risk that water inside leaks to the outside from the bonded portion. However, as in the present embodiment, by integrally molding the module main body 301 in a state in which the electrodes 311 and 312 are included, the problem of water leakage from the bonded portion can be completely eliminated, and the sealing property of the module main body 301 can be maintained well.

However, the elution of metal ions (for example, silver ions) gradually consumes and reduces the electrodes 311 and 312. Therefore, the distance between the electrodes 311 and 312 is increased, and the surface areas of the electrodes 311 and 312 are also decreased. In this case, in order to secure a predetermined amount of metal ions to be eluted, the voltage required to apply the same current to the electrodes 311 and 312 needs to be increased. However, the voltage that can be supplied also has an upper limit, and when the voltage reaches the upper limit, the current flowing through the electrodes 311, 312 decreases. In this way, the amount of eluted metal ions is reduced, and a predetermined concentration of metal ions cannot be secured. Therefore, in order to reliably obtain the antibacterial effect by the metal ions, it is necessary to replace the electrodes 311 and 312 with new electrodes at a stage where the elution amount of the metal ions cannot be secured.

In the present embodiment, since the electrodes 311 and 312 are formed integrally with the module main body 301 as described above, it is necessary to replace the electrodes with new devices each time together with the module main body 301. That is, the unit body 301 of the present embodiment is a disposable device. By being replaceable as a module in this way, it is possible to prevent the user from having problems such as erroneous assembly of the electrode and deformation of the electrode when replacing the electrode, and it is possible to make the replacement easy and secure for the user.

In this embodiment, an example in which the module body 301 has a pair of (2) electrodes 311 and 312 will be described, but the number of electrodes is not limited to this. Even if the module main body 301 has a plurality of 2 or more electrodes, the effects of the present invention can be obtained by applying a voltage to these electrodes to elute metal ions from the electrodes.

(3-3-2. terminal portion)

The terminal portions 313 and 314 are terminals for electrically connecting the electrodes 311 and 312 and the drive unit 400, and are provided so as to penetrate the side wall of the unit main body 301. One ends of these terminal portions 313 and 314 are electrically connected to the electrodes 311 and 312, respectively, by silver soldering, for example, and the other ends are electrically connected to the drive unit 400 via the electric wire 500. The silver soldering is a method of joining a metal to a base metal by melting a solder, which can be melted at a temperature lower than the melting point of the base metal, without melting the base metal, using, for example, silver and a silver alloy such as copper or zinc as the solder.

In the present embodiment, the terminal portions 313 and 314 are formed in a circular shape in cross section at least at portions thereof penetrating the module main body 301. In this configuration, the internal pressure (water pressure) in the module body 301 is uniformly applied in the circumferential direction of the through portion, and water leakage is less likely to occur even at a high water pressure. As a result, the ion elution unit 300 can be used with care. In addition, even with such a configuration, the production margin can be improved with little production variation of the ion elution module 300.

In particular, in the present embodiment, the terminal portions 313 and 314 are formed in a cylindrical shape having a circular cross section along the entire axial direction. The portions of the terminal portions 313 and 314 that penetrate the module body 301 are sealed by sealing members 313a and 314a (see fig. 19) such as O-rings. By forming the terminal portions 313 and 314 in a cylindrical shape, the sealing members 313a and 314a can be easily inserted, and the sealing property of the penetrating portion can be reliably obtained.

(3-3-3. detecting section)

The detection unit 315 is a detection device for detecting at least one of the presence and flow rate of the water flow in the module main body 301, and in the present embodiment, is provided upstream of the electrodes 311 and 312 in the water flow direction in the module main body 301. The detection unit 315 includes a rotor 316 (see fig. 24), a magnet 317, and a magnetism detection unit 318.

Here, fig. 24 is an enlarged perspective view of the rotor 316. The rotor 316 rotates by the flow of water in the assembly body 301. The rotating shaft 321 is provided in the water flow direction. The rotation shaft 321 is supported by a bearing not shown. The 2 blades 322 that receive water are fixed to the rotary shaft 321 at positions symmetrical to each other. The water flowing through the module body 301 flows while striking the blades 322, and the blades 322 receive a force in the rotational direction about the rotating shaft 321, whereby the rotor 316 as a whole rotates about the rotating shaft 321.

The rotor 316 has 2 cup-shaped housing portions 323, and the bottom portions of the housing portions 323 on the opposite sides of the opening 323a are fixed to the rotary shaft portion 321 at positions symmetrical to each other. The magnet 317 is built in at least one of the 2 receiving portions 323. When the magnet 317 is accommodated in only one of the accommodating portions 323, the weight 319 having the same weight as the magnet 317 is included in the other accommodating portion 323, so that the balance of the rotor 316 during rotation can be maintained. The opening 323a of each housing portion 323 is closed by a cover not shown.

The magnetism detection unit 318 (see fig. 22) is a device for detecting at least one of the presence and flow rate of water flow in the unit body 301 based on a change in magnetism of the magnet 317 caused by rotation of the rotor 316, and is provided on the unit body 301 side. The magnetic detection portion 318 is formed of, for example, a hall IC that detects a magnetic change of the magnet 317 in a non-contact manner via resin forming the wall of the pack main body 301.

According to the above configuration, when water flows through the inside of the unit body 301 and the rotor 316 rotates, the magnetism (magnetic flux, magnetic field) generated by the magnet 317 also changes. By detecting the change in magnetism in a non-contact manner by the magnetism detection unit 318, the presence or absence of water flow in the unit main body 301 can be detected.

Further, by detecting how many times the above-described magnetic change occurs periodically per unit time by the magnetic detection unit 318, the rotation speed per unit time of the rotor 316 can be detected, and the flow rate of water flowing through the insideof the module main body 301 can also be detected.

That is, by configuring the detection unit 315 as described above, at least one of the presence and flow rate of the water flow in the unit main body 301 can be reliably detected from the magnetic change of the magnet 317.

Further, since the detection unit 315 is configured to include the rotor 316 (rotating element), and the rotor 316 rotates by the passage of water in the unit body 301, the presence or absence of water flow can be easily and reliably detected even when the flow rate of water is small. Further, since the rotation speed of the rotor 316 changes in accordance with the flow rate of the water flowing therethrough, the magnetic detector 318 can detect a detection signal in accordance with the flow rate, thereby detecting the flow rate of the water with high accuracy.

However, in the present embodiment, the detection unit 315 is provided integrally with the unit main body 301, but may be provided separately from the unit main body 315. That is, the detection unit 315 and the unit body 301 may be separately configured and then combined. In this case, even when the unit main body 301 needs to be replaced due to the consumption of the electrodes 311 and 312 in the unit main body 301, the detection section 315 does not need to be replaced. As a result, the detection unit 315 can be effectively used, and the cost for replacing the module can be reduced.

The position of the detection unit 315 is not limited to the upstream side of the electrodes 311 and 312 of the unit body 301 in the water flow direction, and may be provided on the downstream side. The detection unit 315 may be provided in the outflow direction variable unit 306 (see fig. 26) described later. The detection unit 315 may be provided in the 1 st connection unit 302, the 2 nd connection unit 303, or the outside of the ion elution unit 300 (for example, the 1 st hose 202 and the 2 nd hose 203) in the water supply path from the tap water 201 to the washing machine 1.

The rotation shaft 321 of the rotor 316 may be provided in a direction intersecting the flow direction of water, and the rotor 316 may be rotated like a water wheel.

Although the present embodiment describes an example in which the detection unit 315 is configured in a rotation detection system using the rotor 316, it is needless to say that it may be configured in a flow system.

The flow type refers to the following method: a movable body supported by a spring is provided in the water flow path, and when water flows, the movable body is pushed by the flow of the water, and the movement of the movable body is detected by an appropriate sensor, thereby detecting the flow of the water. For example, when a magnet is placed in a moving body and a magnetism detection unit (hall IC) is placed at a position where the moving body moves when water flows, the flow of water can be detected by the magnetism detection. If the detection unit 315 is configured to be of a flow type, the magnetic detection does not correspond to the rotation speed of the rotor 316, and the magnetic change can be detected when there is water flow or when there is no water flow.

As described above, the detection unit 315 may be configured by a moving body that moves in accordance with the flow of water, a magnet included in the moving body, and a magnetism detection unit that detects the presence or absence of water flow by detecting the magnetism of the magnet at the position where the moving body moves.

(3-4. Effect)

The antibacterial treatment apparatus of the present embodiment is an antibacterial treatment apparatus 200 having an ion generating portion (e.g., ion elution unit 300) for generating metal ions (e.g., silver ions) to be added to water to be supplied to a water supply target (e.g., laundry) by a water supply apparatus (e.g., washing machine 1), the ion generating portion being provided outside the water supply apparatus and removably in a supply passage for supplying water from tap water 201 of tap water to the water supply apparatus.

More specifically, the ion generating unit is constituted by an ion elution module 300 having a module main body 301 in which the water flows, the ion elution module 300 having (a) a 1 st connection part 302 for connecting the module main body 301 to a tap 201 of tap water or a 1 st hose 202 through which the water supplied from the tap 201 flows, and (b) a 2 nd connection part 302 for detachably installing the ion elution module 300 to the supply passage; the 2 nd connecting part (b) is used for connecting the assembly main body 301 with the 2 nd hose through which water supplied to the water supply device flows or the water supply device thereof.

Therefore, since the ion generating unit can be attached to the outside of the washing machine 1, the washing machine 1 can be easily realized as a washing machine equivalent to the washing machine 1 having the ion generating unit, even if the washing machine 1 is an existing device that does not have the ion generating unit at first. Therefore, the existing washing machine 1 can be effectively used without purchasing the washing machine 1 having the ion generating part again wastefully. Further, since the ion generating unit is removable from the water supply passage of the washing machine 1, it can be easily replaced.

Since the ion elution module 300 includes the 1 st connection part 302 and the 2 nd connection part 303, the ion elution module 300 can be installed outside the washing machine 1 as follows.

The 1 st method is a method of arranging the ion elution unit 300 so that the passage through which water passes is the tap 201, the 1 st hose 202, the ion elution unit 300, the 2 nd hose 203, and the washing machine 1 of tap water (connection method of fig. 11).

2, the method of arranging the ion elution module 300 includes a tap 201 for running water, the ion elution module 300, a 2 nd hose 203, and the washing machine 1.

The 3 rd is a method for arranging the ion elution module 300, wherein the water tap 201, the 1 st hose 202, the ion elution module 300 and the washing machine 1 are used as the water passage for passing water.

By providing the ion elution module 300 with the 1 st connection part 302 and the 2 nd connection part 303, when the ion elution module 300 is provided in the supply path of water from the tap 201 of tap water to the washing machine 1 as described above, the change in connection can be increased, and thus a method of installing the ion elution module 300 according to the user's needs can be realized.

(3-5. other structures of ion elution Module)

(3-5-1. shape of component body)

Although the example in which the module body 300 of the ion elution module 300 is formed in the shape extending vertically downward along the flow direction of the water flowing through the inside has been described above, the shape of the ion elution module 301 is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in fig. 25, the unit main body 301 may be formed in a shape in which a portion from the electrodes 311 and 312 to the downstream side in the water flow direction is bent by, for example, 90 degrees, thereby changing the flow direction of water flowing through the inside. That is, the module body 301 may be formed in a shape in which water flows out in a direction different from the inflow direction of water flowing into the module body 301. Fig. 25 shows an example in which the ion elution module 300 is directly connected to a tap 201 of tap water.

In the case of such a configuration, since the flow direction of water from the ion elution module 300 can be changed from the vertical direction to, for example, the horizontal direction, the 2 nd hose 203 connected to the 2 nd connection part 303 of the ion elution module 300 can be easily guided. That is, even when the distance between the connection pipe 51 of the washing machine 1 and the ion elution module 300 is too close, the ion elution module 300 and the washing machine 1 can be connected without forcibly bending the 2 nd hose 203, thereby reducing the physical load on the 2 nd hose 203.

(3-5-2. outflow Direction variable part)

Further, instead of bending the module main body 301, as shown in fig. 26, the outflow direction variable portion 306 for changing the direction in which water flows out from the module main body 301 may be connected to the module main body 301.

The outflow direction variable portion 306 is formed of a cylindrical pipe bent at substantially 90 degrees. One end of the outflow direction variable portion 306 is rotatably attached to the 2 nd connection portion 303 of the ion elution module 300, and the 2 nd hose 203 (see fig. 11) is fitted to the other end. Since the water supplied from the tap 201 of the tap water and flowing vertically downward through the inside of the module main body 301 flows out in the horizontal direction by changing the direction by substantially 90 degrees by the outflow direction changing unit 306 and is supplied to the washing machine 1 via the 2 nd hose 203, the 2 nd hose 203 can be freely guided while avoiding the peripheral wall of the washing machine 1 and the like, and the ion elution module 300 can be easily used.

Further, since the outflow direction variable portion 306 is rotatably provided in the 2 nd connecting portion 303 of the ion elution module 300, the direction in which water flows out from the ion elution module 300 can be freely selected in accordance with the installation position, and the ion elution module 300 can be used more easily.

For example, in the case where a device for unitizing a state display portion 402 (see fig. 27) of a drive unit 400 described later can be provided in the outflow direction variable portion 306, when the outflow direction variable portion 306 is rotated, the state display portion 402 can be positioned at a position easily visible to a user, and visibility can be improved.

Further, as shown in fig. 26, if the engaging portion 306a that engages the edge portion 303b of the 2 nd connecting portion 303 of the ion elution module 300 is provided on the outer surface of the outflow direction variable portion 306, the outflow direction variable portion 306 can be reliably prevented from coming off from the 2 nd connecting portion 303.

(3-5-3. inclined configuration of component body)

The module body 301 having the above-described structure is disposed so that water flows vertically downward through the inside thereof, but is not limited to this arrangement. For example, the module body 301 may be arranged obliquely, that is, the module body 301 may be arranged so that water flowing through the inside flows obliquely with respect to the vertical direction. In the concept that water flows obliquely with respect to the vertical direction, the case where water flows in the horizontal direction (lateral direction) is also included.

With this configuration, the dimension of the module body 301 can be reduced without changing the sizes of the electrodes 311 and 312, and the dimension of the ion elution module 300 in the height direction (vertical direction) can be reduced. Therefore, in a state where the same metal ion elution capability as that in the case where the ion elution module 300 is provided so that the water flow direction is perpendicular, the ion elution module 300 can be easily attached without contacting peripheral equipment or wall parts even if there is a margin in the height space between the tap water 201 and the washing machine 1. As a result, the range of selection of the installation site of the ion elution unit 300 can be expanded.

(3-5-4. the 1 st Filter)

As shown in fig. 21 and 22, a 1 st filter 331 for removing impurities in water may be provided on the upstream side in the water flow direction of the electrodes 311 and 312 in the unit body 301 of the ion elution unit 300.

According to this configuration, since the 1 st filter 331 can block foreign matter such as garbage and metallic impurities in the water, such foreign matter can be prevented from adhering to the electrodes 311, 312 and accumulating between the electrodes 311, 312. As a result, it is possible to prevent a disadvantage (for example, a decrease in the amount of metal ions eluted) due to the adhesion of impurities.

The 1 st filter 331 is preferably provided in the 1 st connection unit 302, which is an inlet through which water flows into the ion elution unit 300. In this case, when the ion elution module 300 is removed from the supply passage, the user can easily clean the 1 st filter, which is advantageous in that maintenance is easy. In addition, compared with the configuration in which the ion elution module 300 is provided with the extraction unit for extracting the 1 st filter 331, since such an extraction unit is not required, the number of parts can be suppressed accordingly, and since the sealing required for the extraction unit is not required, there is no fear of water leakage.

The 1 st filter 331 is desirably provided on the upstream side of the detection unit 315 in the water flow direction. In this case, the following problems can be prevented: foreign matter such as garbage and metal impurities in the water adheres to or is caught by the detection unit 315, and causes a malfunction due to detection by the detection unit 315.

The 1 st filter 331 is not limited to the ion elution unit 300 described above, and may be provided in a water supply path (for example, the 1 st hose 202) between the ion elution unit 300 and the water tap 201. Even in this case, the same effects as described above can be obtained.

(3-5-5. 2 nd filter)

The ion elution module 300 may be configured to have a 2 nd filter for removing foreign substances in water on the downstream side in the water flow direction of the electrodes 311 and 312 in the module main body 301. The 2 nd filter may be provided in the ion elution unit 300, or may be provided in a water supply path (for example, in the 2 nd hose 203) between the ion elution unit 300 and the washing machine 1.

With this configuration, even if the metal fragments of the electrodes 311 and 312 of the ion elution unit 300 flow to the downstream side, they can be blocked by the 2 nd filter. This prevents metal fragments from colliding with downstream equipment (washing machine 1) and articles (laundry) and causing damage.

In addition, the 2 nd filter is desirably provided at the outflow port from which water flows out of the ion elution assembly 300, that is, at the 2 nd connection part 303. In this case, by detaching the ion elution module 300 from the supply passage, the user can easily clean the 2 nd filter and can easily perform maintenance. In addition, compared with the configuration in which the ion elution module 300 is provided with the extraction unit for extracting the 2 nd filter, since such an extraction unit is not required,the number of parts can be suppressed by the amount, and since the sealing required for the extraction unit is not required, there is no fear of water leakage.

The 2 nd filter may be provided on the downstream side in the water flow direction of the electrodes 311 and 312 and on the upstream side in the water flow direction of the detection unit 315. That is, the 2 nd filter may be provided between the electrodes 311 and 312 and the detection unit 315 on the downstream side in the water flow direction. In this case, since the 2 nd filter can prevent the metal fragments of the electrodes 311 and 312 from flowing downstream, the metal fragments can be prevented from colliding with the detection unit 315 to cause a malfunction of the detection unit 315.

(3-5-6 separation of the 1 st connection part and the 2 nd connection part from the module main body)

The 1 st connecting portion 302 may be provided so as to be separable from the module main body 301 including the electrodes 311 and 312 therein. The 2 nd connecting portion 303 may be provided so as to be separable from the module main body 301. In this case, for example, even when the replacement of the assembly main body 301 is required due to the consumption of the electrodes 311, 312, the 1 st connection portion 302 and the 2 nd connection portion 303 may not be necessary to be replaced. As a result, the 1 st connection portion 302 and the 2 nd connection portion 303 can be effectively used, and the cost for replacing the module can be reduced.

(3-5-7. Generator)

The ion elution module 300 of the present embodiment may incorporate a generator that generates electricity by rotation of a rotor caused by water flow in the module main body 301. In this case, the rotor may be the rotor 316 of the detection unit 315. In the case of such a configuration, only when water flows throughthe module main body 301, the self-power generation can be performed, and the voltage is automatically applied to the electrodes 311 and 312, thereby automatically eluting the metal ions.

(3-5-8. other structures of ion generating section)

Although the ion elution unit 300 including the electrodes 311 and 312 for eluting metal ions has been described as an example of the ion generating unit, the present invention is not limited thereto. The ion elution unit may be a device in which a metal ion elution material (silver sulfide in the case of a silver elution material) is filled in a cartridge and then metal ions are eluted only by passing water (without applying a voltage) into the cartridge.

(4. drive assembly)

Next, the detailed structure of the driving assembly 400 will be described.

Fig. 27A to 27D are a plan view, a front view, a side view, and a rear view showing an external configuration of the driving unit 400, respectively. Fig. 28 is a block diagram showing a detailed internal configuration of the drive unit 400. The basic circuit configuration of the inside of the driver module 400 is basically the same as that of the driver circuit 120 of the power module 101 shown in fig. 9 according to embodiment 1.

The driving module 400 is a device for driving the ion elution module 300, and includes an operation unit 401, a state display unit 402, a voltage generation unit 403, a voltage transformation circuit 404, a power supply voltage detection unit 405, a current detection circuit 406, and a control unit 407. The control unit 407 controls the operations of the above-described respective units. Further, a hole 400a (see fig. 27C and 27D) is provided in the rear surface of the driving unit 400, and the hole 400a is used for inserting and attaching a hook to a wall or the washing machine 1. Next, the detailed structureof each structure will be explained.

(4-1. operation part)

The operation unit 401 is a member for a user to switch on/off the operation of the drive unit 400, and is constituted by a knob, a lever, a push button, and the like. By providing such an operation unit 401 to the drive unit 400, the user can set the drive unit 400 in a place which is easy to operate and which is preferred by the user, and can freely switch the operation of the drive unit 400.

In particular, in the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 27B, the operation portion 401 is constituted by a rotary knob. Thus, the operating state of the drive unit 400 can be easily checked by a change in the physical state of the operation unit 401 as by rotation. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide an LED or the like for displaying the on/off operation state of the operation, and electric power is not wasted by such display. In particular, in the case of battery driving, the electric energy consumed wastefully can be effectively used in battery driving.

The operation unit 401 may be a device that physically changes its state without using electric power, so that the operating state of the drive unit 400 can be easily visually confirmed. As such a physical state change, in addition to the rotation of the knob, a concave-convex shape of the button, a depression of the lever, a change in color or characters of the button, and the like may be considered.

(4-2. status display part)

The state display unit 402 is a device for displaying the operating state of the driving unit 400, and is formed of, for example, an LED. Specifically, the state display unit 402 is composed of a battery life display lamp 402a and a silver ion elution lamp 402 b. The turning on and off of these lamps is controlled by a control unit 407 described later. The batterylife lamp 402a blinks when the battery life of the voltage generator 403 is detected by a power supply voltage detector 405, which will be described later. In addition, in the case where the battery remains in the on state and the off state of the operation of the driving unit 400, the battery life lamp 402a is kept in the off state in order to suppress the consumption of the battery.

The silver ion display lamp 402b is a lamp that blinks when silver ions, which are metal ions, are applied to the electrodes 311 and 312 of the ion elution unit 300 by a voltage generated by a voltage generation unit 403, which will be described later, and are eluted. Since the elution of silver ions is not normally seen by the human eye, the user can reliably elute silver ions and easily confirm the elution timing by providing such a silver ion display lamp 402b and notifying the user of the elution of silver ions, and can use the antibacterial treatment device 200 of the present invention with ease.

Here, the electrodes 311 and 312 of the ion elution unit 300 are consumed by elution of silver ions, and for the above reason, if the current flowing through the electrodes 311 and 312 is reduced, the life (replacement time) of the electrodes 311 and 312 can be determined. When the current detection circuit 406, which will be described later, detects that the current flowing through the electrodes 311, 312 is smaller than the threshold value, the control unit 407 determines that the electrodes 311, 312 are consumed and needs to be replaced, and quickly blinks the silver ion display lamp 402 b. This allows the user to know that the ion elution assembly 300 (the assembly main body 301) needs to be replaced, and to urge the user to perform the replacement operation.

Further, when the electrodes 311 and 312 are worn out, it is necessary to urge the user to replace the ion elution unit 300 with priority over the battery depletion in order to avoid the user from being aware that the desired antibacterial treatment cannot be performed and to continue the use. Therefore, the control unit 407 continues the blinking display of the silver ion display lamp 402b until the operation of the drive unit 400 is turned off by operating the operation unit 401 or until the battery is depleted.

In addition, when the electric wire 500 connecting the driving unit 400 and the ion elution unit 300 is disconnected for some reason, no voltage is applied to the electrodes 311 and 312 of the ion elution unit 300 via the electric wire 500 regardless of whether the driving unit 400 is turned on, and thus, no current flows through the electrodes 311 and 312. Therefore, this state is also the same as described above, and the control section 407 causes the silver ion indicator lamp 402 to flash rapidly in response to the detection signal from the current detection circuit 406, thereby notifying the user that the abnormal state is present.

In this way, when the elution of the metal ions of the ion elution module 300 is abnormal (battery life, consumption of the electrodes 311 and 312, and falling of the electric wire 500), the control unit 407 can cause the battery life indicator lamp 402a and the silver ion elution lamp 402b to continue displaying (blinking or blinking rapidly) until the main power supply (battery) is turned off. This makes it possible to reliably notify the user of an abnormality and urge the user to take appropriate measures (replacement of the battery, replacement of the module body 301, and reconnection of the electric wire 500).

It is to be noted that, of course, the drive unit 400 may be provided with an alarm device (for example, a buzzer) for emitting an alarm sound, and the control unit 407 may cause the alarm device to emit an alarm sound to notify the user of the abnormality based on the abnormality detection signal (battery life detection signal) from the power supply voltage detection unit 405 and the abnormality detection signal (current reduction signal of the electrodes 311 and 312) from the current detection circuit 406 when the elution of the metal ions is failed.

As described above, since the driving module 400 includes the state display unit 402, the user can easily grasp the operation state of the ion elution module 300 by the display of the state display unit 402. The state display unit 402 may be configured as a display unit separated from the driving unit 400. In this case, for example, the display unit may be provided only at a visually preferable position so that the drive unit 400 is provided on the side surface of the washing machine 1 and the display unit is provided on the front surface of the washing machine 1. Therefore, the user can immediately grasp the operation state of the ion elution unit 300.

In addition, the display module may be disposed on the ion elution module 300. By providing the display unit on the ion elution unit 300, which is the target to monitor the operation state, the user can directly recognize the operation state of the ion elution unit 300.

As described above, the state display unit 402 includes a plurality of display lamps corresponding to the respective operation states, i.e., the battery life display lamp 402a and the silver ion elution lamp 402 b. However, the state display unit 402 may also display a plurality of states by changing the display mode in accordance with each operation state by one display unit (display lamp).

That is, the state display unit 402 may change the display mode by turning on, blinking, flashing quickly, and the like 1 indicator lamp in accordance with each operation state. For example, the silver ion elution lamp 402b may be turned on when the power supply is turned on, may blink during the elution of silver ions, or may blink rapidly in an abnormal state of silver ions. In this case, since a plurality of operating states can be expressed by a single component, the number of parts (for example, the number of LEDs used for a display lamp) can be reduced, and the cost of the drive unit 400 and the power consumption can be reduced. In addition, the user does not need to confirm a plurality of display parts, and the operation state is easy to confirm. Further, in the case of a single display unit, the driving unit 400 does not occupy a display space, and therefore the driving unit 400 can be configured compactly.

If the state display is excessively shared by 1 indicator lamp, it may be difficult for the user to confirm the operation state, and therefore the number of indicator lamps may be set in consideration of, for example, the number of operation states to be displayed and the visibility of the user. In this regard, the configuration of fig. 27B in which 2 display lamps are provided can maintain a balance between the number of operation states to be displayed and the visibility of the user.

The silver ion elution lamp 402b of the state display unit 402 may be turned off after a predetermined time (for example, 2 seconds) has elapsed from the start of lighting or blinking. Thus, when the voltage generator 403 described later is constituted by the dry cells (batteries) 403a, wasteful power consumption of the dry cells 403a can be suppressed, and the dry cells 403a can be used for a long period of time.

For example, in order to elute a predetermined amount of silver ions from the electrodes 311 and 312, a current of about 20mA needs to be applied to the electrodes 311 and 312. In response to this, in order to turn on the LED, a considerable current of about 3mA is required even for 1 LED. Therefore, if the LED is turned on for a long time, the battery may be exhausted at a burst. As a result, the dry cell 403aoriginally used for the elution of silver ions in the ion elution module 300 is also used for other purposes (LED display) other than the above, and the dry cell 403a is consumed too quickly, thereby hindering the elution of silver ions.

However, by turning off the silver ion elution lamp 402b of the state display unit 402 after a predetermined time has elapsed, the limited energy of the dry cell 403a can be effectively used only for the elution of the metal ions, and the running cost can be reduced.

In particular, if the lighting is turned on and off immediately after the power supply is turned on, when the power supply check confirms whether the metal ions can be normally eluted, the user can confirm whether the metal ions can be normally used when the power supply is turned on, and the wasteful power consumption can be suppressed by turning off the light thereafter. In addition, if an abnormality is found at this time, the abnormality can be immediately notified to the user by a quick flash or the like, and the user can be reliably made aware of the abnormality.

(4-3. Voltage generating section)

The voltage generator 403 is a device that generates a voltage to be applied to the electrodes 311, 312 of the ion elution assembly 300. More specifically, the voltage generator 403 may be a dry battery 403a, a plug (power connector) and a connecting wire 403b that are inserted into a household outlet (commercial power source), an AC adapter that converts AC to dc, or the like. The application of the voltage generated by the voltage generator 403 to the electrodes 311 and 312 is controlled by the controller 407.

The voltage generated by the voltage generator 403 is applied to the electrodes 311 and 312 of the ion elution unit 300 via the voltage transformation circuit 404 and the lead 500, which will be described later, so that the metal ions can be eluted from the electrodes 311 and 312 by the ion elution unit 300.

Further, by constituting the voltage generating unit by the dry battery 403a as the battery driving device, the driving unit 400 can be installed without selecting a place to use. For example, the drive unit 400 can be used even in a place where commercial power cannot be used or a place where the number of outlet holes is insufficient although commercial power can be used. That is, the ion elution unit 300 can be driven without using the driving unit 400 at a place preferred by the user with or without commercial power.

The voltage generator 403 may be configured to include all of the dry batteries 403a, the plug and connecting wire 403b, and the AC adapter. Thereby, the ion elution assembly 300 can be driven by both the battery drive and the commercial power supply drive. That is, for example, in an environment where commercial power cannot be used, the ion elution unit 300 can be driven by the dry battery 403a, while in an environment where commercial power can be used, commercial power can be used by the plug, the connection wire 403b, and the AC adapter. Therefore, the user can select the most suitable power source to drive the ion elution assembly 300 according to the power source environment.

Further, since the ion elution unit 300 can be driven not only by a battery but also by a commercial power source, the running cost can be suppressed, and there is no problem that the driving unit 400 cannot be operated due to exhaustion of the battery.

The voltage generator 403 may be configured by a battery, and the battery may be automatically charged by the plug, the connection wire 403b, and the AC adapter. In this case, since it is not necessary to separately prepare a charger, the usability of the user can be further improved.

The plug serving as the voltage generator 403 may be connected to the drive unit 400 via a connection wire 403b, but may be provided integrally with the main body of the drive unit 400. In this case, since the connection lead 403b is not required, the entire drive unit 400 can be made compact, and thus the installation space of the entire drive unit 400 can be reduced.

(4-4. transformation circuit)

The voltage transformation circuit 404 is a circuit that transforms (boosts or lowers) the voltage generated by the voltage generation unit 403 and supplies the voltage to the ion elution module 300. By including such a voltage transformation circuit 404, the drive module 400 can obtain a sufficient voltage (for example, about 20V) to elute metal ions by the ion elution module 300 even when the voltage generation unit 403 is configured by a general dry cell 403a that outputs a voltage of 1.5V.

That is, for example, although the voltage generator 403 may be constituted by the dry cell 403a having an output of 9V or 12V, these dry cells are expensive and have a higher running cost than the generally used dry cell having an output of 1.5V, and thus are difficult to be continuously used. However, by providing the voltage conversion circuit 404 in the driving module 400 as described above, it is possible to output a higher voltage as needed while avoiding such a problem.

In addition, when a commercial power source or the like is used as the voltage generator 403, the voltage suitable for eluting the metal ions by the ion elution module 300 can be obtained by stepping down the AC100V to, for example, about 20V by the voltage transformation circuit 404.

In addition, the voltage transformation circuit 404 may have a structure in which an applied voltage is changed in accordance with a load (resistance of the electrodes 311 and 312). Since the electrodes 311 and 312 are driven by a constant current, if a high voltage is always output, a residual voltage of the voltage applied to the electrodes 311 and 312, which is required for eluting the metal ions, is removed, and heat generated by the constant current circuit is consumed, thereby wasting electric energy. However, as described above, by changing the applied voltage in accordance with the load, it is possible to suppress such electric energy loss, and to efficiently use the battery electric energy.

(4-5. supply voltage detecting part)

The power supply voltage detection unit 405 is a device that monitors the output voltage of the voltage generation unit 403 to detect a battery life or a power supply abnormality. More specifically, when the output voltage of the voltage generator 403 is lower than a predetermined voltage, the power supply voltage detector 405 determines that the battery is in a life or the power supply is abnormal, and outputs a signal to the controller 407. In this case, the control unit 407 blinks the battery life lamp 402a of the state display unit 402 to display it, and notifies the user of the occurrence of an abnormality.

Thus, when the voltage generator 403 is constituted by the dry cell 403a, the user can be prompted to: battery life has come and is now a replacement time. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the adverse effects such as liquid leakage due to the continued use of the dry batteries 403a in this state.

In addition, regardless of whether the voltage generating source of the voltage generating unit 403 is the dry battery 403a or the commercial power supply, if the output voltage of the voltage generating unit 403 is reduced for some reason, for example, the amount of metal ions to be eluted may be reduced, and the plasma eluting module 300 may not be able to operate properly. However, since the output voltage of the voltage generator 403 is constantly monitored by the power supply voltage detector 405, such a problem can be prevented and the ion elution module 300 can be operated appropriately.

(4-6. Current detection Circuit)

The current detection circuit 406 detects a current flowing through the electrodes 311 and 312 of the ion elution unit 300, and outputs a signal to the control unit 407 when the current is smaller than a threshold value. When the current is less than the threshold value, it can be judged that the electrodes 311 and 312 are consumed by the elution of the metal ions and the lifetime is close. Therefore, the control unit 407 causes the silver ion indicator lamp 402b to flash rapidly, thereby notifying the user that the life of the electrodes 311 and 312 has been reached, and thereby urging the user to replace the ion elution module 300 (the module main body 301).

Therefore, problems due to consumption of the electrodes 311, 312 can be avoided: the amount of elution of the metal ions from the electrodes 311 and 312 is reduced, and a desired effect (for example, an antibacterial effect) by the metal ions cannot be obtained or the effect is reduced.

When the current detected by the current detection circuit 406 is larger than the threshold value, it can be determined that the circuit or the electrodes 311 and 312 are in an abnormal state such as a short circuit. Therefore, in this case, the current detection circuit 406 outputs the signal to the control unit 407, and the abnormal state can be reported to the user by the control of the control unit 407.

(4-7. control section)

(4-7-1. control No. 1)

As described above, the control unit 407 is a device for controlling the operation of each part of the drive module 400, and in the present embodiment, further performs control to apply the voltage generated by the voltage generation unit 403 to the electrodes 311 and 312 of the ion elution module 300 in accordance with the presence or absence of the water flow in the module main body 301 detected by the magnetic detection unit 318 of the ion detection module 300.

More specifically, the control unit 407 controls the voltage generated by the voltage generation unit 403 to be applied to the electrodes 311 and 312 of the ion elution module 300 when the magnetic detection unit 318 of the ion elution module 300 detects the water flow in the module body 301, and stops the application of the voltage to the electrodes 311 and 312 when the magnetic detection unit 318 does not detect the water flow.

When there is no water flow in the module main body 301, the user or the apparatus does not need to add water to the metal ions and does not flow water, or the module main body 301 does not have water therein, so that there is no need to elute the metal ions (silver ions) from the electrodes 311 and 312 by applying a voltage. Therefore, in the case of setting the above-described situation to apply the voltage to the electrodes 311, 312 irrespective of the situation, the electric power is wasted in the driving assembly 400.

However, when the control unit 407 performs the above control, it is possible to apply a voltage to the electrodes 311 and 312 and elute the metal ions from the electrodes 311 and 312 only when water starts to flow through the module main body 301, that is, when water is required to be added to the metal ions and water is present or flows in the module main body 301. Since the voltage is applied to the electrodes 311, 312 to elute the metal ions only when such elution of the metal ions is really needed, it is possible to avoid wasting electric energy in the driving assembly 400.

In addition, when a voltage is applied to the electrodes 311 and 312 in a statewhere there is no water flow in the module main body 301, the metal ions eluted around the electrodes 311 and 312 are in a high concentration state, and elution of the metal ions below may be inhibited. Further, there is a possibility that water containing a large amount of metal ions is wastefully generated, which results in a problem that expensive metal of the electrodes 311 and 312 is wasted, or that water containing unnecessary metal ions at a high concentration is generated, which results in a problem that an adverse effect is generated.

However, according to the above control, since no voltage is applied to the electrodes 311 and 312 in a state where the water does not flow, there is no such a possibility. Further, in an apparatus that automatically supplies water, such as the washing machine 1, since metal ions corresponding to the water supply to the apparatus can be automatically eluted, the user can save the operation of controlling the elution of metal in accordance with the water supply to the apparatus.

(4-7-2. control 2.)

When the magnetic detection unit 318 detects the flow rate of water flowing through the module main body 301, the control unit 407 may perform control to change the voltage applied to the electrodes 311 and 312 or the current flowing through the currents 311 and 312 in accordance with the detected flow rate.

The flow rate of water supplied from the tap 201 for tap water varies depending on the region and place where the washing machine 1 is installed. Even if a voltage is applied to the electrodes 311, 312 to elute the same amount of metal ions at a large flow rate and a small flow rate, the concentration of metal ions eluted by the amount of water differs depending on the amount of water in the same time. Therefore, when the amount of laundry and the amount of water to be supplied to the laundry are constant, there is a problem that the metal compound adheres to the laundry to contaminate the laundry because the amount of the metal ion is small and a sufficient effect (for example, an antibacterial effect) on the laundry cannot be obtained or the amount of the metal ion is too large depending on the installation position of the washing machine 1 because the amount of the metal ion is small.

However, by the control unit 407 performing the above control, metal ions of an amount corresponding to the flow rate of water flowing through the module main body 301 can be eluted from the electrodes 311 and 312. Thus, the metal ion concentration of the metal ion-added water can be kept substantially constant without being restricted by the installation position of the washing machine 1, and the amount of the metal ions to be eluted is not excessively insufficient. As a result, the desired treatment of the metal ions corresponding to the amount of the laundry can be appropriately performed without being restricted by the installation position of the washing machine 1, and the laundry can be prevented from being contaminated by the excessive metal ions eluted.

Further, by changing the amount of metal ions eluted per unit time in accordance with the flow rate of water in the module main body 301, the user can obtain metal ion added water having a predetermined metal ion concentration without being affected by the flow rate change. As a result, if the metal ion is silver ion, the user can obtain a stable antibacterial effect.

(4-7-3. control No. 3)

The control unit 407 performs control to stop the application of the voltage to the electrodes 311 and 312 after a predetermined time has elapsed since the voltage generation unit 403 started the application of the voltage to the electrodes 311 and 312.

For example, when the flow rate of water flowing through the module main body 301 is small,if the metal ions are continuously eluted from the electrodes 311 and 312, the concentration of the metal ions in the metal ion-added water becomes extremely high, and the electrodes 311 and 312 may be rapidly consumed, and the laundry may be contaminated by the metal compounds adhering thereto.

However, according to the above control by the control unit 407, even if the flow rate is small, since the elution of the metal ions can be stopped at an appropriate time, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the elution amount of the metal ions is too large, the concentration becomes too high, and the life of the electrodes 311 and 312 is extremely shortened.

In addition, when the time for which the voltage application is stopped is equal to or longer than the predetermined time, the count of the elapsed predetermined time may be reset. At this time, even when the water is supplied in a plurality of times so that the water amount in the washing tub 30 reaches a predetermined water amount, or the user temporarily stops the water supply in the middle of the water supply, the time cannot be set arbitrarily, and therefore, there is no fear that: the specified time is too long, and the metal ions are excessively eluted, resulting in too high a concentration.

(4-8. other structures)

In the antibacterial treatment apparatus 200 of the present invention, the driving unit 400' shown in fig. 29 may be used instead of the driving unit 400 shown in fig. 28. The drive unit 400' may have at least one of a concentration setting unit 408, a feed water amount setting unit 409, an elution number counting unit 410, a feed water number counting unit 411, an elution start feed water number setting unit 412, a storage unit 413, and a vibration sensor 414, in addition to the configuration of the drive unit 400.

(4-8-1. concentration setting section)

The concentration setting unit 408 is a device for setting the concentration of metal ions (silver ions) by the user. In this case, the control unit 407 performs the following control: the voltage generated by the voltage generator 403 is changed in accordance with the concentration set by the concentration setting unit 408 and applied to the electrodes 311, 312. The control unit 407 may change the current flowing through the electrodes 311 and 312 or the time for which the voltage generated by the voltage generation unit 403 is applied to the electrodes 311 and 312 in accordance with the concentration set by the concentration setting unit 408.

In the case of such a configuration, the concentration setting of the concentration setting unit 408 allows the user to freely change the concentration of the metal ions in the metal ion-added water, and for example, the metal ion concentration can be adjusted to the antibacterial ability desired by the user. This can expand the usability and application range of the antibacterial treatment apparatus 200 of the present invention.

(4-8-2. Water supply amount setting section)

The supplied water amount setting unit 409 is a device for setting the amount of water to be supplied to the washing machine 1 as a water supply device. In this case, the control unit 407 performs the following control: the elution time of the metal ions (silver ions), that is, the time during which the voltage generated by the voltage generator 403 is applied to the electrodes 311 and 312 (the time during which the current flows through the electrodes 311 and 312) is changed in accordance with the feed water amount set by the feed water amount setting unit 409.

The amount of metal ions to be eluted for obtaining a predetermined concentration required for the antibacterial treatment of the laundry is determined based on the amount of water to be supplied to the washing machine 1. Since the amount of metal ions eluted is basically based on faraday's law, if the time for which the predetermined current is applied to the electrodes 311 and 312 is changed in accordance with the amount of feed water by applying a voltage, the metal ions at a desired concentration can be stably supplied to the washing machine 1 by adding water without providing a cost-increasing device such as a flow rate detection device (detection unit 315).

The elution time of the metal ions may be changed to change the total time when the voltage is applied to the electrodes 311 and 312, or may be changed to change the ratio (time) between the on time and the off time when the voltage applied to the electrodes 311 and 312 is alternately turned on and off.

(4-8-3. elution times counting section)

The elution number counting unit 410 is a device for counting the number of times of elution of metal ions (silver ions) in the ion elution module 300. Here, as the number of elution times of the metal ions, (a) when a voltage is alternately applied from the voltage generation section 403 to the electrodes 311 and 312, the number of times either one is turned on may be used; (b) the number of times may be set to one time as a whole from the start to the end of the elution of the metal ions from the electrodes 311 and 312.

In this case, the controller 407 causes the silver ion indicator lamp 402b of the status indicator 402 to flash rapidly when the number of elution times of the metal ions exceeds a predetermined value. Since the electrodes 311 and 312 are gradually consumed as the number of elution times of the metal ions increases, the number of elution times of the metal ions is counted by the counting unit 408, and the lives of the electrodes 311 and 312 can be predicted to some extent.

Therefore, the control unit 407 causes the silver ion display lamp 402b to flash rapidly, thereby prompting the user to recognize the life of the electrodes 311 and 312 and to replace the module main body 301. Further, such an effect can be easily obtained by providing a simple configuration of the elution number counting section 410.

(4-8-4. Water supply frequency counting part)

The water supply frequency counting unit 411 is a device including: the number of times water is supplied from the ion elution unit 300 to the washing machine 1 as a water supply device is counted according to the presence or absence of water flow detected by the detection unit 315 of the ion elution unit 300. For example, when the detection unit 315 first detects the water flow in the module main body 301, the water supply frequency counting unit 411 counts the water supply frequency as the 1 st time, and when the detection unit 315 detects no water flow until the water flow is detected again, counts the water supply frequency as the 2 nd time.

In the case where such a water supply frequency counting unit 411 is provided, the control unit 407 applies the voltage generated by the voltage generation unit 403 to the electrodes 311 and 312 of the ion elution module 300 to elute the metal ions from the electrodes 311 and 312 after the water supply frequency counted by the water supply frequency counting unit 411 reaches a frequency corresponding to a time at which elution of the metal ions is necessary (a frequency corresponding to a washing process at which elution of the metal ions is necessary) (for example, after the 3 rd time of the water supply frequency).

In the washing machine 1, generally, when the washing process is performed, the washing process is performed first, and then the rinsing process is performed. Although the water supply to the washing machine 1 is performed by main water supply for supplying a predeterminedamount of water to each step and additional water supply for additionally supplying additional water in the middle of each step in order to compensate for a drop in water level caused by water permeating into the cloth in each washing step, for example, even if metal ions are supplied to the washing machine 1 in the washing step, the metal ions are lost together with water containing a large amount of clothes dirt and detergent components, and the metal ions cannot sufficiently act on the clothes, resulting in waste.

However, by applying a voltage to the electrodes 311 and 312 after the water supply times are 3 rd (main water supply) and 2 nd (additional water supply) in the cleaning step in which the water supply times are 1 st (main water supply) and 2 nd (additional water supply), the voltage is applied to the electrodes 311 and 312 after the water supply times are 3 rd, that is, after the next rinsing step, and the metal ions are eluted from the electrodes 311 and 312, waste of the eluted metal ions can be avoided, and the metal ions can be effectively used. In addition, since the dirt of the laundry is substantially removed in the washing step, the metal ions can be easily made to act on the laundry by supplying water to the laundry after the washing step.

(4-8-5 elution Water supply frequency setting section)

The elution start water supply frequency setting unit 412 is a means for setting the water supply frequency at which the elution of the metal ions from the electrodes 311, 312 of the ion elution module 300 is started. When the elution start water supply frequency setting unit 412 is provided, the controller 407 applies the voltage generated by the voltage generator 403 to the electrodes 311 and 312 of the ion elution module 300 to elute the metal ions from the electrodes 311 and 312 when the water supply frequency counted by the water supply frequency counting unit 411 reaches thewater supply frequency set by the elution start water supply frequency setting unit 412.

For example, when the rinsing step after the washing step is composed of a plurality of rinsing steps (for example, 3 rinsing steps), water is supplied to the washing machine 1 in each rinsing step. Here, since metal ions are attached to clothes in order to exert an antibacterial effect and water can be supplied to washing machine 1 at least in the final rinsing step, it is not always necessary to supply water to washing machine 1 in the rinsing step before the final rinsing step. This is because the metal ions rinsed before the final rinsing step are more likely to run off than the metal ions rinsed in the final rinsing step, and thus cannot be sufficiently used, resulting in waste of metal ions.

However, according to the above control by the controller 407, since the metal ion water is supplied when the number of times of water supply is set by the elution-start water supply number setting unit 412, even when the rinsing step is composed of a plurality of rinsing steps, the metal ion water can be supplied to the washing machine 1 only in the final rinsing step, for example, only by setting the number of times of water supply corresponding to the final rinsing step. Therefore, since the metal ions are not eluted in the other steps (the cleaning step and the rinsing step other than the final rinsing step) in which the addition of water to the metal ions is not required, the waste of the metal ions can be prevented, and the metal ions can be effectively used.

In addition, in the case where the elution-starting water supply frequency setting unit 412 is provided, the controller 407 may continue to apply the voltage generated by the voltage generator 403 to the electrodes 311 and 312 of the ion elution module 300 after the water supply frequency counted by the water supply frequency counter 411 reaches the water supply frequency set by the elution-starting water supply frequency setting unit 412, thereby eluting the metal ions from the electrodes 311 and 312.

As shown in fig. 5, although the dehydration step is performed at the beginning of the rinsing step, imbalance may occur in the washing tub 30 in the dehydration step. The unbalance is a phenomenon in which the laundry is unevenly disposed in the washing tub 30, so that the rotation balance is not properly obtained at the time of starting the dehydration, and the washing tub 30 and the washing machine 1 themselves vibrate largely.

When the detection device (not shown) of the washing machine 1 detects such an imbalance, the control device of the washing machine 1 performs control for supplying water into the washing tub 30 and kneading the laundry to correct the imbalance.

Therefore, when water supply is performed to correct such an imbalance, the water supply frequency counting unit 411 counts this as the number of water supplies of 1 time, and therefore, even if the number of water supplies to start elution is set by the elution start water supply frequency setting unit 412 at first, there is a case where the number of water supplies set by the elution start water supply frequency setting unit 412 deviates from the number of water supplies corresponding to the final rinsing step in the middle of the imbalance correction. That is, before the first rinsing step, the actual water supply frequency may reach the water supply frequency set by the elution start water supply frequency setting unit 412, and the metal ion water addition may start to be supplied.

However, since the metal ion added water can be continuously supplied to the washing machine 1 after the number of times of water supply set by the elution-start water supply number setting unit 412 is reached by the above-described control of the control unit 407, even in the eventof an unexpected event such as an increase in the number of times of water supply due to imbalance, the metal ion added water can be supplied to the washing machine 1 in the final rinsing step without fail. As a result, a desired antimicrobial treatment can be performed in the final rinsing step. That is, the following problems can be reliably avoided: since water containing no metal ions is supplied in the final rinsing step, the amount of metal ions previously supplied adhering to clothes is reduced, and the user cannot obtain the desired antibacterial ability.

Further, after the rinsing step, that is, in the dewatering step after the final rinsing step, an imbalance phenomenon may occur, and in this case, a step of correcting the imbalance is also performed. Even in this case, the metal ion-added water is continuously supplied to the washing machine 1 after the number of water supplies set by the elution-start water supply number setting unit 412 by the above-described control of the control unit 407, and therefore the same problem as described above caused by the supply of water containing no metal ion after the final rinsing step can be reliably avoided.

(4-8-6. storage section)

The storage unit 413 is a storage device that stores in advance the water supply time at which the metal ions are required to be supplied to the washing machine 1. In fig. 29, the storage unit 413 is provided separately from the control unit 407, but may be configured as a memory in the control unit 407.

The water supply time may be stored in the storage unit 413 as an initial value, or a water supply time setting unit, not shown, may be provided, and the water supply time set by the water supply time setting unit may be stored in the storage unit 413. The water supply amount setting unit 409 and the elution start water supply number setting unit 412 shown in fig. 29 may be used asthe water supply time setting unit.

When the storage unit 413 is provided, the control unit 407 may drive the voltage generation unit 403 according to the water supply timing of the metal ion water stored in the storage unit 413, and may apply a voltage to the electrodes 311 and 312 of the ion elution module 300.

For example, when "the time until the metal ion water is supplied" is stored in the storage unit 413 as the water supply time, the control unit 407 drives the voltage generation unit 403 to apply the voltage to the electrodes 311 and 312 after the time elapses from the turning on of the drive unit 400 by the operation unit 401.

Further, when the storage unit 413 stores, for example, "a predetermined supply water flow rate" as the supply water timing, the control unit 407 drives the voltage generation unit 403 to apply a voltage to the electrodes 311 and 312 when the flow rate detected by the detection unit 315 reaches the supply water flow rate.

Further, when "the number of times of water supply until the rinsing step" is stored in the storage unit 413 as the above-described water supply timing, the control unit 407 drives the voltage generating unit 403 to apply a voltage to the electrodes 311 and 312 when the current number of times of water supply reaches the number of times of water supply stored in the storage unit 413.

In this way, since the storage unit 413 stores the water supply time to the washing machine 1 and can elute the metal ions from the electrodes 311 and 312 at the water supply time, the metal ions can be supplied to the water only when the metal ions are actually required to be supplied to the water.

For example, in the washing machine 1, although the washing step, the rinsing step, the dehydration step, the drying step, and the like are performed as the washing step, even if water is supplied with metal ions in the washing step, the metal ions are not attached to the laundry but are lost together with the washing agent, resulting in waste of the supplied metal ions.

However, if the metal ion water is supplied according to the water supply timing, the metal ion water is supplied to the washing machine 1, for example, by starting the elution of the metal ion for the first time when the rinsing process is started, without immediately eluting the metal ion even if the drive unit 400 is turned on by the operation unit 401. Therefore, even if the drive unit 400 is turned on earlier at the start of washing, for example, unnecessary metal ions are not eluted from the electrodes 311 and 312. As a result, the electrodes 311 and 312 can be effectively used, and unnecessary consumption can be reduced. In addition, the eluted metal ions can be effectively utilized to effectively act on the laundry.

Further, according to the above configuration, by causing controller 407 to supply water containing metal ions to washing machine 1 at a predetermined water supply timing, when the water containing metal ions needs to be supplied, the metal ions can be automatically eluted and supplied to washing machine 1. Thus, the user does not have to manually operate the operation unit 401 when the user needs to supply water containing metal ions. Therefore, when starting washing, for example, the driving assembly 400 is simply turned on, and thereafter, the user may go to do something else even if the user is not at all near the driving assembly 400, thereby improving the user's convenience.

Further, although there is a risk that the water supply timing of the metal ion added water will be missed if the operation of the operation unit 401 is forgotten when the metal ion added water is supplied by the manual input of the operation unit 401, the metal ion added water is automatically supplied at a predetermined timing when necessary according to the above configuration, and therefore there is no fear as described above.

The storage unit 413 may store a necessary water supply time or a necessary water supply flow rate of the metal ion water, and the control unit 407 may perform control to automatically stop the voltage application from the voltage generation unit 403 to the electrodes 311 and 312 after the water supply time elapses from the start of the metal ion water supply or after only the metal ion water at the water supply flow rate is supplied. Accordingly, even if the user forgets to turn off the drive of the drive unit 400 by the operation unit 401, wasteful power consumption and wasteful elution of metal ions can be avoided.

(4-8-7. vibration sensor)

The vibration sensor 414 is a detection device that detects the timing (for example, a rinsing process) at which metal ions need to be eluted, based on the vibration of the washing machine 1 as a water supply device. When the vibration sensor 414 detects the above-described timing, the control unit 407 controls to apply the voltage generated by the voltage generation unit 403 to the electrodes 311 and 312 of the ion elution module 300.

For example, in the washing step and the rinsing step, the washing machine 1 vibrates differently depending on factors such as the rotation speed of the washing tub 30, the amount of water in the washing tub 30, and the rotation speed of the paddle 33. More specifically, in the agitation step of the washing step and the rinsing step, the agitation blade 33 rotates at about 100rpm (the motor also rotates at about 100 rpm), and in the intermediate dehydration step therebetween, the washing tub 30 rotates at about 900rpm (the motor also rotates at about 900 rpm). Therefore, there is a significant difference in the vibration period (frequency) between these steps. Thus, the vibration sensor 414 can detect a washing step (for example, a rinsing step) in which metal ions need to be eluted with a high degree of certainty by a difference in vibration cycle caused by a difference in rotation speed of the washing tank 30, the paddle 33, the motor, or the like.

Accordingly, when the control unit 407 performs the control described above, the voltage is applied to the electrodes 311 and 312 to elute the metal ions, starting when the washing step enters the rinsing step. Therefore, even if the drive unit 400 is turned on earlier, unnecessary metal ions are not eluted from the electrodes 311 and 312. As a result, the following effects can be obtained: the electrodes 311 and 312 are effectively used, and wasteful consumption thereof is reduced, and the configuration is completely the same as the configuration in which the storage unit 413 is provided and water is supplied with metal ions at a predetermined water supply timing.

The detection of the time when the metal ions need to be eluted can be performed in the following manner. That is, the range of the vibration amplitude of the washing machine 1 in the washing step (for example, rinsing step) in which the metal ions need to be eluted may be stored in the storage unit 413 in advance, and the control unit 407 may detect the vibration amplitude of the washing machine 1 by determining whether or not the vibration amplitude is within the above range. For example, the range of the vibration amplitude in the washing process may be stored in the storage unit 413, and the control unit 407 may detect the vibration amplitude of the washing machine 1 by determining whether the vibration amplitude is out of the range.

In addition, the vibration sensor 414 may detect vibration of the water supply valve 50. Thus, the vibration sensor 414 can detect the timing of driving the water supply valve 50, that is, the timing of supplying water, and therefore, by the control of the control unit 407 based on such detection, metal ions can be eluted at the time of supplying water, and water can be added to the metal ions.

When vibration sensor 414 detects vibration of washing machine 1 during the spin-drying process, controller 407 may control to automatically stop the application of voltage from voltage generator 403 to electrodes 311 and 312. In this case, even if the user forgets to turn off the drive of the drive unit 400 by the operation unit 401, wasteful power consumption and wasteful elution of metal ions can be avoided.

(4-9. Effect)

The drive unit 400 having the above-described structure is removably disposed outside the washing machine 1 as a water supply device. Accordingly, since the driving unit 400 can be attached together with the ion elution unit 300, the washing machine 1 can be easily implemented as a washing machine equivalent to a washing machine having an ion generation unit even if it is an existing washing machine having no ion elution unit. Therefore, the existing washing machine 1 can be effectively used without purchasing the washing machine 1 having the ion generating part again wastefully. In addition, since the driving assembly 400 is provided outside the washing machine 1, repair of the driving assembly 400 and replacement of the battery can be easily performed when a malfunction occurs or the battery life expires.

(5. other)

While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The object of the antibacterial treatment apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the fully automatic washing machine described in the above embodiments. The present invention can be applied to all types of washing machines such as horizontal drums (drum type), oblique drums, and devices that also function as dryers, or twin-tub washing machines.

The antibacterial treatment device of the invention can work independently, has simple arrangement and does not need special technology for operation, thereby not only being applied to washing machines, but also being applied to wide application by utilizing the characteristics of the antibacterial treatment device. For example, the antibacterial treatment device of the present invention can be easily disposed in a water supply passage of a household appliance (a dishwasher, a water purifier, etc.) using water other than a washing machine. In this case, the specification and model of the equipment are not limited.

Further, by sterilizing water used by the antibacterial treatment apparatus of the present invention and immersing the object to be washed in the water, the antibacterial treatment can be performed on kitchen utensils, chopping boards, spoons, dish washing sponges, brooms, and other kitchen utensils, bathtubs, and toiletries with water containing metal ions in addition to clothes. When a method of storing water containing metal ions in a container and immersing objects to be washed therein is used, instead of a method of pouring water containing metal ions into objects to be washed, various objects to be washed can be effectively subjected to antibacterial treatment with a small amount of water.

The antibacterial treatment apparatus of the present invention may be used to sterilize water in a bathtub or rainwater accumulated in a rainwater tank, thereby preventing infection during bathing or sterilizing the inside of a tank for fish. The place of use of the antibacterial treatment apparatus of the present invention is not limited to general households. It can be used in medical institutions and public facilities for sterilization or antimicrobial treatmentof various articles to prevent infection of human bodies by pathogenic bacteria.

The antibacterial treatment device can be used in the field, and does not need special training when in use. Therefore, in a place where the facility is far away from the water supply facility or where the facility cannot be used although the water supply facility has the water supply (for example, a mountain camping site, a disaster site, a refugee tent, or the like), the water on hand can be sterilized on site by using the antibacterial treatment apparatus of the present invention. The water can be used for sterilizing water and also can be used for performing antibacterial treatment on various articles, so that the water can be used by general people no matter in tourist resorts or disaster sites, and a certain sanitation level can be kept without being limited by regions.

In addition, the water sterilized by the antibacterial treatment apparatus of the present invention does not destroy the ecosystem in water, unlike the water sterilized with chloride, even if it flows into a river or a marsh.

In this way, when the antibacterial treatment apparatus of the present invention is used in the field, it is preferable to use a battery as a power source as described above. The type of battery is not limited to a dry battery, but is preferably a secondary battery, a solar battery, or a combination thereof.

The configurations described in embodiments 1 and 2 can be applied to the antibacterial treatment apparatus 200 according to embodiment 3, as a matter of course. Therefore, for example, the drive module 400 may have a timer for setting the energization time to the electrodes 311 and 312, or at least a part of the module main body 301 may be a see-through part in which the electrodes 311 and 312 are visible.

Industrial applicability

The antibacterial treatment device of the present invention can be used for household appliances (dish washing machines, water purifiers) using water other than washing machines and washing machines. The antibacterial treatment apparatus of the present invention can be used for antibacterial treatment of kitchen supplies, bathtubs, toilet supplies, and the like, and for sterilization or antibacterial treatment of various articles in medical institutions, public facilities, and the field.

Claims (35)

1. An antibacterial treatment apparatus comprising an ion elution unit for generating metal ions by applying a voltage between electrodes and a power supply unit for the ion elution unit,

the shell of the ion elution component comprises an inflow port connected with a water supply hose and an outflow port connected with a water supply valve of the washing machine in a detachable and communicated manner.

2. The antimicrobial processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power module includes a battery as a power source.

3. The antimicrobial processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power supply assembly includes a timer for setting a time for which the counter electrode is energized.

4. The antibacterial treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the housing is a see-through portion in which the internal electrode can be visually confirmed.

5. An antibacterial treatment apparatus comprising an ion elution unit for generating metal ions by applying a voltage between electrodes and a power supply unit for the ion elution unit,

the ion elution unit includes a housing at least a part of which is submersible in water, and the housing has a water passage port for introducing water to the electrode at the part submersible in water.

6. An antibacterial treatment apparatus comprising an ion generation unit that generates metal ions to be added to water supplied to a water supply target by a water supply apparatus, wherein the ion generation unit is provided outside the water supply apparatus and is detachable from a supply passage through which water is supplied to the water supply apparatus.

7. The antibacterial treatment apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the ion generating section is constituted by an ion eluting module having a module body in which an electrode is built and the water flows.

8. The antibacterial treatment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said ion elution module further comprises a 1 st connection part and a 2 nd connection part, said 1 st connection part being for connecting said module main body and a 1 st hose through which water supplied from a water tap flows or said tap; the 2 nd connecting part is used for connecting the assembly main body and a 2 nd hose or the water supply device through which water supplied to the water supply device flows.

9. The antimicrobial processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the electrode is integrally formed with the assembly body.

10. The antibacterial treatment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the module body is formed in a shape in which water flows out in a direction different from the inflow direction of the water.

11. The antibacterial treatment apparatus according to claim 7,

further comprises a driving component for driving the ion elution component,

the drive assembly includes a voltage generator that generates a voltage to be applied to the electrodes of the ion elution assembly.

12. The antibacterial treatment apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the ion elution unit further includes a detection unit for detecting at least one of presence and flow rate of the water flow in the unit body.

13. The antimicrobial processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the detection means comprises:

a rotor rotated by the flow of the water;

a magnet built in the rotor;

and a magnetic detection unit for detecting at least one of the presence and flow rate of the water flow based on a magnetic change of the magnet caused by rotation of the rotor.

14. The antibiotic treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said driving unit further includes a control section for controlling application of a voltage to said electrode, said voltage being generated by said voltage generation section,

when the magnetic detection unit detects the water flow, the control unit applies the voltage to the electrode.

15. The antibiotic treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said driving unit further includes a control section for controlling application of a voltage to said electrode, said voltage being generated by said voltage generation section,

the control unit changes the voltage applied to the electrode or the current flowing through the electrode in accordance with the detected flow rate when the magnetic detection unit detects the flow rate.

16. The antibiotic treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the detection means is provided to be separable with respect to the module body.

17. The antimicrobial processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the drive assembly is disposed on an outer surface of the water supply and further comprises: a vibration sensor for detecting the time when the metal ions need to be eluted according to the vibration of the water supply device;

and a control unit for controlling application of a voltage to the electrode, the voltage being generated by the voltage generation unit;

the control unit applies the voltage to the electrode when the vibration sensor detects the time.

18. The antibacterial treatment apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the drive unit is removably provided outside the water supply apparatus.

19. The antibacterial treatment apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said water supply device is a washing machine for supplying water to laundry as said water supply target.

20. The antibiotic treatment apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the module body is configured such that the water flowing through the inside flows obliquely with respect to a vertical direction.

21. The antibacterial treatment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the ion elution unit further comprises an outflow direction variable portion which changes an outflow direction of the water from the unit main body.

22. The antibacterial treatment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the ion elution unit further comprises a 1 st filter, and the 1 st filter is provided on an upstream side of the electrode in the unit main body in the water flow direction to remove impurities in the water.

23. The antibacterial treatment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the ion elution unit further comprises a 2 nd filter, and the 2 nd filter is provided on a downstream side in a water flow direction of the electrode in the unit main body to remove impurities in the water.

24. The antimicrobial processing apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a drive assembly for driving the ion elution assembly,

the aforementioned drive assembly further comprises:

a state display part for displaying the operation state,

and a control unit that controls the state display unit to continue blinking until the power supply is turned off when an abnormal condition occurs, in which the elution of the metal ions in the ion elution module is interrupted.

25. The antibacterial treatment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the 1 st connection part and the 2 nd connection part is provided to be separable from the module main body.

26. The antibacterial treatment apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the drive module further comprises a control section which performs control to stop the application of the voltage to the electrode of the ion elution module after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the application of the voltage to the electrode by the voltage generation section.

27. The antibacterial treatment apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the drive unit further comprises a voltage transformation circuit which changes the voltage generated by the voltage generation unit in accordance with the resistance of the electrode of the ion elution unit.

28. The antimicrobial processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the drive assembly further comprises:

a concentration setting unit for setting a concentration of metal ions, and a control unit for performing the following control: the voltage generated by the voltage generator is changed in accordance with the concentration set by the concentration setting unit, and the voltage is applied to the electrode of the ion elution module.

29. The antimicrobial processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the drive assembly further comprises:

a supply water amount setting section for setting an amount of water to be supplied to the water supply device, and a control section that performs control of: the time for applying the voltage generated by the voltage generator to the electrodes of the ion elution module is changed in accordance with the amount of water supplied set by the water supply amount setting unit.

30. The antibacterial treatment apparatus according to claim 7,

further comprising a drive assembly for drivingthe ion elution assembly, the drive assembly further comprising:

a state display part for displaying the operation state,

An elution frequency counting part for counting the elution frequency of the metal ions of the ion elution assembly,

And a control unit that performs control to cause the state display unit to flash display when the number of elution times of the metal ions exceeds a predetermined value.

31. The antimicrobial processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the detection means comprises:

a movable body which moves in accordance with the flow of water,

A magnet built in the moving body,

And a magnetism detection unit that detects the presence or absence of water flow by detecting magnetism of the magnet at a position where the moving body moves.

32. The antimicrobial processing apparatus of claim 12,

the driving assembly further comprises a water supply frequency counting part and a control part, wherein the water supply frequency counting part counts the frequency of water supply from the ion elution assembly to the water supply device according to the existence of the water quantity detected by the detection device; the control unit controls the voltage generated by the voltage generation unit to be applied to the electrodes of the ion elution unit after the number of times of water supply counted by the water supply number counting unit reaches a number of times corresponding to a time at which the metal ions are required to be eluted.

33. The antimicrobial processing apparatus of claim 12,

the aforementioned drive assembly further comprises:

a water supply frequency counting unit that counts the frequency of water supply from the ion elution unit to the water supply device based on the presence or absence of the water amount detected by the detection device;

an elution start water supply frequency setting unit for setting a water supply frequency for starting elution of the metal ions from the electrodes of the ion elution module;

and a control unit for controlling the voltage generated by the voltage generation unit to be applied to the electrodes of the ion elution module when the number of times of water supply counted by the water supply number counting unit reaches the number of times of water supply set by the elution start water supply number setting unit.

34. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the controller continues to control the voltage generator to apply the voltage generated by the voltage generator to the electrode of the ion elution module after the water supply frequency counted by the water supply frequency counter reaches the water supply frequency set by the elution start water supply frequency setting unit.

35. The antimicrobial processing apparatus of claim 11,

the aforementioned drive assembly further comprises:

a storage device which stores in advance a water supply time at which the water supply device needs to be supplied with water containing metal ions;

and a control unit for controlling the voltage generated by the voltage generation unit to be applied to the electrodes of the ion elution unit in accordance with the water supply timing stored in the storage device.

Images