EP2216437A1 - Washing machine - Google Patents

Washing machine Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2216437A1
EP2216437A1 EP08855213A EP08855213A EP2216437A1 EP 2216437 A1 EP2216437 A1 EP 2216437A1 EP 08855213 A EP08855213 A EP 08855213A EP 08855213 A EP08855213 A EP 08855213A EP 2216437 A1 EP2216437 A1 EP 2216437A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
water
drying
passage
washing tub
washing
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP08855213A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Takahiro Tsuji
Yoshikazu Bamba
Kenichiro Dohi
Hiroyuki Tanaka
Satoshi Hirose
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sanyo Electric Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Sanyo Electric Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Sanyo Electric Co Ltd filed Critical Sanyo Electric Co Ltd
Publication of EP2216437A1 publication Critical patent/EP2216437A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F39/00—Details of washing machines not specific to a single type of machines covered by groups D06F9/00 - D06F27/00 
    • D06F39/08—Liquid supply or discharge arrangements
    • D06F39/083—Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F25/00—Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air 
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F35/00—Washing machines, apparatus, or methods not otherwise provided for
    • D06F35/001—Washing machines, apparatus, or methods not otherwise provided for using ozone
    • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
    • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
    • D06F35/00—Washing machines, apparatus, or methods not otherwise provided for
    • D06F35/002—Washing machines, apparatus, or methods not otherwise provided for using bubbles

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a washing machine and, particularly, to a washing machine which performs a laundry process while cleaning water to be used for the laundry process.
  • the applicant of the present invention previously proposed a washing machine including a mechanism capable of cleaning water used for a laundry process with ozone (see Patent Document 1).
  • the washing machine disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a water storage tank, and is configured to clean water stored in the water storage tank with ozone.
  • Patent Document 1 which is configured to store the water used for the laundry process in the water storage tank and clean the stored water with ozone for recycling, is advantageous for water saving.
  • a washing machine including: a washing tub; a water circulation passage disposed outside the washing tub and having opposite ends connected to the washing tub; a pump provided in the water circulation passage for pumping water out of the washing tub through one of the opposite ends of the water circulation passage and feeding the pumped water back into the washing tub through the other end of the water circulation passage; a cleaning air generator which generates cleaning air; and a gas-liquid mixer provided downstream of the pump with respect to a water flow direction in the water circulation passage for mixing the cleaning air generated by the cleaning air generator with water flowing through the water circulation passage; the gas-liquid mixer including a venturi tube having a restrictive flow passage through which water flows, and an air supply passage connected to the restrictive flow passage of the venturi tube for supplying the cleaning air to the restrictive flow passage.
  • a washing machine including: a washing tub; a water circulation passage disposed outside the washing tub and having opposite ends connected to the washing tub; a pump provided in the water circulation passage for pumping water out of the washing tub through one of the opposite ends of the water circulation passage and feeding the pumped water back into the washing tub through the other end of the water circulation passage; a cleaning air generator which generates cleaning air; and a gas-liquid mixer provided downstream of the pump with respect to a water flow direction in the water circulation passage for mixing the cleaning air generated by the cleaning air generator with water flowing through the water circulation passage; the gas-liquid mixer including a venturi tube having a restrictive flow passage through which water flows, and an air supply passage connected to the restrictive flow passage of the venturi tube for supplying the cleaning air to the restrictive flow passage; the venturi tube being located at a position higher than the level of water retained in the washing tub so that water flows down from an upper side; the water circulation passage including a water passage which guides the water pumped by the pump to an upper portion of the vent
  • a washing machine including: a washing tub; a water circulation passage disposed outside the washing tub and having opposite ends connected to the washing tub; a pump provided in the water circulation passage for pumping water out of the washing tub through one of the opposite ends of the water circulation passage and feeding the pumped water back into the washing tub through the other end of the water circulation passage; a filter provided upstream of the pump with respect a water flow direction in the water circulation passage for filtering the pumped water to trap dust; a cleaning air generator which generates cleaning air; and a gas-liquid mixer provided downstream of the pump with respect to the water flow direction in the water circulation passage for mixing the cleaning air generated by the cleaning air generator with water flowing through the water circulation passage; the gas-liquid mixer including a venturi tube having a restrictive flow passage through which water flows, and an air supply passage connected to the restrictive flow passage of the venturi tube for supplying the cleaning air to the restrictive flow passage; the restrictive flow passage of the venturi tube having an inner diameter that is greater than a filtering hole size of the
  • a washing machine including: a washing tub; a water circulation passage disposed outside the washing tub and having opposite ends connected to the washing tub; a pump provided in the water circulation passage for pumping water out of the washing tub through one of the opposite ends of the water circulation passage and feeding the pumped water back into the washing tub through the other end of the water circulation passage; a filter provided upstream of the pump with respect a water flow direction in the water circulation passage for filtering the pumped water to trap dust; a cleaning air generator which generates cleaning air; and a gas-liquid mixer provided downstream of the pump with respect to the water flow direction in the water circulation passage for mixing the cleaning air generated by the cleaning air generator with water flowing through the water circulation passage; the gas-liquid mixer including a venturi tube having a restrictive flow passage through which water flows, and an air supply passage connected to the restrictive flow passage of the venturi tube for supplying the cleaning air to the restrictive flow passage; the water circulation passage including a water passage through which water containing the cleaning air mixed therewith by the gas-liquid
  • a washing machine including: a washing tub; a water circulation passage disposed outside the washing tub and having opposite ends connected to the washing tub; a pump provided in the water circulation passage for pumping water out of the washing tub through one of the opposite ends of the water circulation passage and feeding the pumped water back into the washing tub through the other end of the water circulation passage; a filter provided upstream of the pump with respect a water flow direction in the water circulation passage for filtering the pumped water to trap foreign matter; a cleaning air generator which generates cleaning air; and a gas-liquid mixer provided downstream of the pump with respect to the water flow direction in the water circulation passage for mixing the cleaning air generated by the cleaning air generator with water flowing through the water circulation passage; the gas-liquid mixer including a venturi tube having a restrictive flow passage through which water flows, and an air supply passage connected to the restrictive flow passage of the venturi tube for supplying the cleaning air to the restrictive flow passage; the restrictive flow passage of the venturi tube having an inner diameter that is greater than a filtering hole size of
  • the gas-liquid mixer includes a check valve provided in the air supply passage connected to the restrictive flow passage of the venturi tube for preventing steam generated in a drying process from flowing through the venturi tube in a direction opposite to an air supply direction in the washing machine of any of claims 1 to 5.
  • the gas-liquid mixer is fixed to an outer surface of the washing tub, and a projection is provided adjacent the gas-liquid mixer as projecting from the outer surface of the washing tub for protecting the gas-liquid mixer in the washing machine of any of claims 1 to 6.
  • the filter includes a case and a filtering member removably accommodated in the case in the washing machine of any of claims 3 to 5.
  • the case has an inlet port through which the water flowing out of the washing tub is caused to flow into the case, an outlet port through which the filtered water is caused to flow out of the case as recycling water, and a drain port through which the water in the case is drained outside the machine.
  • the filtering member has a recycling water filtering wall portion formed with a smaller filtering hole and a drain water filtering wall portion formed with a larger filtering hole, and a part of the water flowing into the case through the inlet port flows through the recycling water filtering wall portion and flows out of the case through the outlet port.
  • the outlet port is provided at an upper portion of the case, and the drain port is provided at a lower portion of the case in the washing machine of claim 8. Further, the recycling water filtering wall portion of the filtering member is located at a higher position than the drain water filtering wall portion in the case.
  • the case includes a longitudinal portion, and the longitudinal portion is inclined with respect to a horizontal direction in the washing machine of claim 9. Further, the outlet port is provided at an upper portion of the longitudinal portion, and the drain port is provided at a lower portion of the longitudinal portion.
  • the filtering member includes a rib projecting outward from a periphery of the recycling water filtering wall portion to space the filtering member from an interior wall of the case by not greater than a predetermined distance so that water not flowing through the recycling water filtering wall portion is prevented from flowing toward the outlet port in the washing machine of any of claims 8 to 10.
  • the water is cleaned by circulating the water from the washing tub through the water circulation passage and mixing the cleaning air with the circulated water in a laundry process.
  • the water is cleaned by circulating the water from the washing tub and mixing the cleaning air with the circulated water in the laundry process.
  • the venturi tube of the gas-liquid mixer is located at the position higher than the level of water retained in the washing tub so that the water flows down from the upper side. Therefore, the cleaning air is efficiently mixed with the water in the venturi tube.
  • the inventive aspect of claim 3 provides the same effect as the inventive aspect of claim 1.
  • the inner diameter of the restrictive flow passage of the venturi tube is greater than the filtering hole size of the filter. Therefore, the circulated water is first filtered by the filter, so that foreign matter having a size greater than the filtering hole size is trapped by the filter. Since foreign matter flowing through the filter has a size smaller than the inner diameter of the restrictive flow passage of the venturi tube, there is no possibility that the restrictive flow passage of the venturi tube is clogged with the foreign matter to reduce the water circulation efficiency.
  • the water pumped out of the washing tub and cleaned by mixing the cleaning air with the water is fed back into the washing tube from the lower portion of the washing tub. Therefore, minute bubbles of the cleaning air mixed with the water float upward from the lower side in the water retained in the washing tube, and rapidly spread throughout the water retained in the washing tub, whereby the cleaning of the water retained in the washing tub and the cleaning of the garment contained in the washing tub can be efficiently achieved.
  • the inventive aspect of claim 5 it is possible to clean the water by circulating the water from the washing tub through the water circulation passage, filtering the circulated water by the filter and mixing the cleaning air (e.g., ozone-containing air) with the water by the gas-liquid mixer when the laundry process (a washing step and a rinsing step) is performed with the garment being contained in the washing tub in which the water is retained.
  • the cleaning air e.g., ozone-containing air
  • the gas-liquid mixer includes the venturi tube having the restrictive flow passage, and the air supply passage connected to the restrictive flow passage of the venturi tube for supplying the cleaning air, and the venturi tube is located at the position higher than the level of water retained in the washing tub so that the water flows down from the upper side. Therefore, the circulated water swiftly flows through the venturi tube, so that a negative pressure occurs due to the venturi effect, making it possible to efficiently mix the cleaning air with the water.
  • the water circulated through the venturi tube is filtered by the filter. This eliminates the possibility that the restrictive flow passage of the venturi tube is clogged with lint and other foreign matter contained in the water.
  • the steam generated in the washing tub in the drying process can be prevented from flowing back through the air supply passage connected to the restrictive flow passage of the venturi tube.
  • the washing machine is free from breakdown of the gas-liquid mixer which may otherwise occur when the washing tub is wobbled to bump against a housing of the washing machine in the laundry process.
  • the water pumped out of the washing tub can be circulated after being filtered through the proper filtering hole to be recycled.
  • the water pumped out of the washing tub to be circulated is efficiently filtered by the filter. That is, the recycling water filtering wall portion which traps smaller foreign matter is located at the higher position than the drain water filtering wall portion which traps larger foreign matter. Therefore, larger foreign matter contained in the circulated water is liable to sink down in the case, and less liable to adhere to the recycling water filtering wall portion. Thus, the water to be recycled by the filtering can efficiently pass through the recycling water filtering wall portion.
  • the larger foreign matter contained in the circulated water is less liable to adhere to the recycling water filtering wall portion, because the foreign matter tends to sink down in the water. This improves the filtering efficiency.
  • Fig. 1 is a right side view illustrating, in vertical section, the washing/drying machine 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
  • the washing/drying machine 1 includes a washing tub 3 disposed obliquely in a housing 2.
  • the washing tub 3 includes an outer tub 4 in which water is retained in a laundry process, and a drum 5 rotatably accommodated in the outer tub 4.
  • the drum 5 is rotated about a rotation shaft 7 by a DD motor 6 provided rearward of the outer tub 4.
  • the rotation shaft 7 extends obliquely upward toward the front to provide a so-called oblique drum structure.
  • An opening 8 of the drum 5 and an opening 9 of the outer tub 4 are covered and uncovered with a round door 10 attached to the housing 2. With the door 10 being opened, garment (laundry) is loaded into and unloaded from the drum 5 through the openings 8, 9.
  • this washing/drying machine 1 One feature of this washing/drying machine 1 is that a tank 11 is provided below the washing tub 3 for storing used water (recycling water).
  • the tank 11 has an internal volume of about 8.5 liters.
  • water used for a rinsing operation is stored in the tank 11, and is used as heat-exchange water and cleaning water for removing lint and the like from an air circulation duct in a drying process.
  • An electrical component 12 including a main control board is provided in a lower front portion of the housing 2, and an electrical component 13 for display and input operation is provided in an upper front portion of the housing 2.
  • the lower electrical component 12 includes a board temperature sensor 123 to be described later.
  • Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal construction of the washing/drying machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention with the housing 2 removed as seen obliquely from the front side.
  • Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the internal construction of the washing/drying machine 1 with the housing 2 removed as seen obliquely from the rear side.
  • the reference numeral 3 denotes the washing tub, which includes the outer tub 4 and the drum 5.
  • the washing tub 3 is supported by resilient support members 14 each including a coil spring and a damper.
  • the tank 11 is disposed below the washing tub 3.
  • a filter unit 15 is disposed on a front right side of the tank 11, and connected to the washing tub 3 and the tank 11 through predetermined hoses and pipes.
  • a water plug 16, a water supply valve 17 for controlling supply of water flowing from the water plug 16 into a water passage, a water supply port unit 18, an ozone generator 19 which generates ozone for preparation of the cleaning air, the blower 21 for circulating air through a drying air duct 20 in the drying process, and a drying filter unit 22 for trapping foreign matter such as lint contained in the air circulated through the drying air duct 20 by the blower 21 are provided above the washing tub 3.
  • a gas-liquid mixer 27 is provided in the water circulation passage, and the ozone generated by the ozone generator 19 is mixed with the water flowing down from the upper side in the gas-liquid mixer 27. With the ozone mixed with the water, the water is cleaned by the strong oxidation and sterilization power of the ozone. That is, the water in the washing tub 3 is circulated in the laundry process, and cleaned by mixing the ozone with the circulated water for use in the laundry process.
  • a projection 82 is provided in the vicinity of the gas-liquid mixer 27 as projecting rearward from a rear face of the outer tub 4 for protecting the gas-liquid mixer 27 attached to the rear face of the outer tub 4 when the outer tub 4 is wobbled to bump against the housing.
  • the washing/drying machine is configured such that water is pumped up from the tank 11 by a drying pump 23, and supplied to a predetermined portion (first position) of the drying air duct 20 via a duct water supply passage 24 such as of a hose.
  • a water passage for supplying the tap water into the drying air duct 20 from the water plug 16 via the water supply valve 17 as required is also provided.
  • a dehumidification water temperature sensor 122 for detecting the temperature of dehumidification water (resulting from the dehumidification of the circulated air through the heat exchange) falling through the drying air duct 20 is provided at a lower end of the drying air duct 20.
  • a drum outlet temperature sensor 121 for detecting the temperature of the circulated air after the heat exchange is provided above the drying air duct 20. The functions of the dehumidification water temperature sensor 122 and the drum outlet temperature sensor 121 will be detailed later.
  • Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram mainly illustrating the water passages and the air passages of the washing/drying machine 1.
  • the water plug 16 is connected to an inlet of the water supply valve 17.
  • the water supply valve 17 has four outlets through which the water is selectively caused to flow out.
  • a first outlet port 28 of the water supply valve 17 is connected to the water supply port unit 18, so that the water flows through the detergent container 29 provided in the water supply port unit 18.
  • a second outlet port 31 of the water supply valve 17 is also connected to the water supply port unit 18. Water supplied from the second outlet port does not flow through the detergent container 20, but flows into the washing tub 3 through a water supply passage 32.
  • the water flowing into the water supply port unit 18 from the second outlet port 31 is partly supplied as priming water into a bathwater pump 34 through a priming water passage 33.
  • bathwater pump 34 When the bathwater pump 34 is driven, bathwater in a bathtub 35 is pumped up into the water supply port unit 18 through a water passage 37, and flows into the washing tub 3 through the water supply passage 30 or the water supply passage 32.
  • a third outlet port 38 of the water supply valve 17 is connected to a predetermined portion of the drying air duct 20 via a water passage 39.
  • a fourth outlet port 40 of the water supply valve 17 is connected to a predetermined portion of the drying air duct 20 via a water passage 41.
  • the third outlet port 38 has a relatively small diameter, while the fourth outlet port 40 has a relatively great diameter. With the third outlet port 38 being open, therefore, a relatively small amount of water is supplied into the drying air duct 20 through the water passage 39. This water is brought into contact with the circulated high-temperature high-humidity air in the drying air duct 20 for the heat exchange. With the fourth outlet port 40 being open, a relatively great amount of water is supplied into the drying air duct 20 through the water passage 41. This water is used for washing away lint and other foreign matter contained in the air circulated upward in the drying air duct 20 and for washing away lint and other foreign matter adhering to an inner wall of the drying air duct 20.
  • a drain port 42 is provided in a lowermost bottom portion of the washing tub 3 (more specifically, in a lowermost bottom portion of the outer tub 4).
  • An inlet port of a first drain valve 44 is connected to the drain port 42 via a water passage 43, and an outlet port of the first drain valve 44 is connected to an inlet port 151 of the filter unit 15 via a water passage 45. With the first drain valve 44 being closed, water can be retained in the washing tub 3 (outer tub 4).
  • a water level in the washing tub 3 is detected by a water level sensor 47 based on a change in pressure in an air hose 46 branched from the water passage 43 and extending upward.
  • the filter unit 15 includes a case 150, and a filter body 83 accommodated in the case 150 for trapping foreign matter.
  • the case 150 has a drain port 152, a first outlet port 153 and a second outlet port 154 in addition to the aforementioned inlet port 151.
  • An inlet port of a second drain valve 48 is connected to the drain port 152, and an outlet port of the second drain valve 48 is connected to an external drain hose 50 and a drain trap 51 via a water passage 49.
  • the water in the washing tub 3 is drained into the drain trap 51 through the drain port 42, the water passage 43, the first drain valve 44, the water passage 45, the filter unit 15, the drain port 152, the second drain valve 48, the water passage 49 and the external drain hose 50.
  • One end (lower end) of an overflow water passage 52 is connected to the water passage 49.
  • the other end (upper end) of the overflow water passage 52 communicates with an overflow port 53 of the outer tub 4.
  • An air pressure adjusting hose 54 is connected to a vertically middle portion of the overflow water passage 52 and the inlet port 151 of the filter unit 15. With the provision of the hose 54, the internal air pressure of the washing tub 3 is equal to an air pressure on the side of the inlet port 151 of the filter unit 15, thereby preventing the back flow of water in the filter unit 15 and other trouble.
  • One end of a first water circulation passage 55 is connected to the first outlet port 153 of the filter unit 15, and the other end of the first water circulation passage 55 is connected to a suction port of the circulation pump 25.
  • One end of the second water circulation passage 57 is connected to an outlet port of the circulation pump 25.
  • the second water circulation passage 57 extends upward to a position higher than an ordinary water level up to which the water is retained in the washing tub 3, and the other end of the second water circulation passage 57 is connected to a U-turn portion 26 which is U-turned from an upward direction to a downward direction.
  • An upper end of a venturi tube 58 of the gas-liquid mixer 27 is connected to the U-turn portion 26.
  • One end (upper end) of a third water circulation passage 59 is connected to a lower end of the venturi tube 58, and the other end (lower end) of the third water circulation passage 59 is connected to the lower portion of the rear face of the washing tub 3 (outer tub 4).
  • the circulation pump 25 is driven with the first drain valve 44 being open and with the second drain valve 48 being closed in the washing step and/or the rinsing step, whereby the water retained in the washing tub 3 is circulated from the drain port 42 through the water passage 43, the first drain valve 44, the water passage 45, the inlet port 151, the case 150, the first outlet port 153, the first water circulation passage 55, the circulation pump 25, the second water circulation passage 57, the U-turn portion 26, the venturi tube 58 and the third water circulation passage 59 into the washing tub 3.
  • the venturi tube 58 has an air inlet port 60, and the ozone generator 19 is connected to the air inlet port 60 via an air tube 61. If the ozone generator 19 is actuated when water flows through the venturi tube 58, the cleaning air containing the ozone generated by the ozone generator 19 flows through the air tube 61 and then into the venturi tube 58 through the air inlet port 60. A fundamental reason for the flow of the cleaning air into the venturi tube 58 is that there is a pressure difference (negative pressure) caused by the water flowing through the venturi tube 58. When the ozone is mixed with the circulated water, the circulated water is cleaned by the strong oxidation and sterilization power of the ozone. Thus, the laundry process can be performed in the washing tub 3 with the use of the cleaned water.
  • One end (upper end) of a storage water passage 62 is connected to the second outlet port 154 of the filter unit 15, and the other end (lower end) of the storage water passage 62 is connected to an inlet port of a water storage valve 63.
  • An outlet port of the water storage valve 63 is connected to the tank 11.
  • the water used for the rinsing operation and retained in the washing tub 3 flows into the tank 11 from the drain port 42 through the water passage 43, the first drain valve 44, the water passage 45, the inlet port 151, the case 150, the second outlet port 154, the storage water passage 62 and the water storage valve 63 by gravity (natural falling) .
  • the water used for the rinsing operation is stored as recycling water in the tank 11.
  • An overflow port 64 is provided at an upper portion of the tank 11.
  • One end of a water passage 65 is connected to the overflow port 64, and the other end of the water passage 65 is connected to a middle portion of the overflow water passage 52. If water is retained in the tank 11 to a water level not lower than a predetermined level, the water overflows to the drain trap 51 from the overflow port 64 through the water passage 65, the overflow water passage 52, the water passage 49 and the external drain hose 50.
  • the used water is retained in the tank 11, and reused as the recycling water in the drying process.
  • the washing/drying machine 1 includes the drying air duct 20 for a drying function.
  • the drying air duct 20 is disposed outside the washing tub 3 (outer tub 4) .
  • the drying air duct 20 is an air duct through which air sucked out of the washing tub 3 through the lower portion of the rear face of the outer tub 4 is circulated to flow into the washing tub 3 from a front upper portion of the outer tub 4.
  • the drying air duct 20 includes a connection pipe 66, a filter blower unit 70 (including the blower 21 and the drying filter unit 22), and a connection pipe 67. As described with reference to Fig.
  • the drying heater A 124 and the drying heater B 125 are provided in the air duct extending from the filter blower unit 70 to the connection pipe 67 for heating the circulated air.
  • semiconductor heaters may be used as the drying heaters.
  • the air sucked out of the washing tub 3 is dehumidified in the drying air duct 20. Further, the foreign matter such as lint contained in the air circulated through the drying air duct 20 and the foreign matter adhering to the inner wall of the drying air duct 20 are washed away. For this purpose, the recycling water retained in the tank 11 is circulated to flow through the drying air duct 20.
  • a suction port of the drying pump 23 is connected to the tank 11.
  • One end of the duct water supply passage 24 is connected to an outlet port of the drying pump 23, and the other end of the duct water supply passage 24 is connected to the first position of the drying air duct 20.
  • the supplied water is heat-exchanged with the air circulated upward from the lower side in the drying air duct 20, and washes away the lint and other foreign matter contained in the air and the foreign matter adhering to the inner wall of the drying air duct 20.
  • Water flowing down together with the lint and other foreign matter in the drying air duct 20 further flows into the filter unit 15 from the lower portion of the outer tub 4 through the drain port 42, the water passage 43, the first drain valve 44 and the water passage 45. Then, the lint and other foreign matter are trapped and filtered away in the filter unit 15, and water free from the foreign matter flows back into the tank 11 from the second outlet port 154 through the storage water passage 62 and the water storage valve 63.
  • the washing/drying machine may be configured such that the water flowing down in the drying air duct 20 is drained, for example, from a lower end (second position) of the drying air duct 20 and flows back into the tank 11 rather than into the outer tub 4.
  • the washing/drying machine 1 is configured such that the used water stored in the tank 11 is recycled to be used for the heat exchange and the removal of the foreign matter. Thus, drastic water saving can be achieved. Since the water is circulated from the tank 11, the volume of the tank 11 is reduced. Even with the provision of the tank 11, the outer size of the washing/drying machine is not increased.
  • the ozone generator 19 is connected to the filter blower unit 70 via an air tube 71.
  • the cleaning air containing the ozone generated by the ozone generator 19 is sucked into the filter blower unit 70 upon actuation of the ozone generator 19, and mixed with the air to be circulated into the washing tub 3.
  • the garment to be dried can be deodorized and sterilized.
  • Fig. 5 is a rear view of the washing/drying machine 1 for explaining a water circulation passage structure including the first water circulation passage 55, the circulation pump 25, the second water circulation passage 57, the U-turn portion 26, the ga-s-liquid mixer 27 (venturi tube 58) and the third water circulation passage 59.
  • a water circulation passage structure including the first water circulation passage 55, the circulation pump 25, the second water circulation passage 57, the U-turn portion 26, the ga-s-liquid mixer 27 (venturi tube 58) and the third water circulation passage 59.
  • Fig. 5 only components required for the explanation are shown.
  • Water resulting from the filtering by the filter unit 15 is sucked into the circulation pump 25 through the first water circulation passage 55 and ejected into the second water circulation passage 57 by driving the circulation pump 25.
  • the second water circulation passage 57 extends upward from the lower side to guide the water to the position higher than the ordinary water level (indicated by a one-dot-and-dash line 72) up to which the water is retained in the outer tub 4.
  • the water flows into the gas-liquid mixer 27 with its flow direction reversed from the upward direction to the downward direction by the U-turn portion 26.
  • the water flows down from the upper side in the gas-liquid mixer 27.
  • the gas-liquid mixer 27 is also disposed at a position higher than the ordinary water level 72 up to which the water is retained in the outer tub 4. Therefore, the flow direction of the water pumped into the second water circulation passage 57 by the circulation pump 25 is reversed at the position higher than the water level 72.
  • the water swiftly flows down through the gas-liquid mixer 27, because the water falls down from the position higher than the water level 72 through the gas-liquid mixer 27. Then, the water flows through the third water circulation passage 59, and then into the outer tub 4 from the lower portion of the rear face of the outer tub 4.
  • the water circulation passage structure thus includes the second water circulation passage 57 for guiding the water to the position higher than the water level 72 in the outer tub 4, and the U-turn portion 26 for reversing the flow direction of the water guided upward. Therefore, the gas-liquid mixer 27 can be located at the position that is higher than the water level 72 in the outer tub 4. In addition, the gas-liquid mixer 27 can be disposed as extending vertically. Thus, a water pressure occurring due to the water level 72 does not hinder the flow of the water in the gas-liquid mixer 27, but the water swiftly flows down from the upper side due to the pumping force of the circulation pump 25 as well as the gravity. As a result, a negative pressure occurs in the flow passage, so that the ozone-containing cleaning air can be efficiently mixed with the water in the gas-liquid mixer 27.
  • the water falling down through the gas-liquid mixer 27 is guided downward through the third water circulation passage 59, and circulated into the outer tub 4 from the lower portion of the rear face of the outer tub 4.
  • the circulated water which contains minute bubbles of the ozone-containing cleaning air, flows back into the washing tub 3 from the lower portion of the outer tub 4.
  • the minute bubbles of the cleaning air contained in the water move upward from the lower side in the washing tub 3, whereby the garment is efficiently cleaned, sterilized and deodorized in the washing tub 3.
  • the third water circulation passage 59 is not necessarily required to extend to the lower portion of the outer tub 4, but may be configured to cause the water to flow into the outer tub 4 from a vertically middle portion of the rear face of the outer tub 4 for the circulation.
  • a reference numeral 61 denotes the air tube.
  • the ozone-containing cleaning air is supplied into the gas-liquid mixer 27 through the air tube 61.
  • Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing specific structures of the U-turn portion 26 and the gas-liquid mixer 27.
  • the U-turn portion 26 and the gas-liquid mixer 27 are provided by connecting resin pipes to each other.
  • the gas-liquid mixer 27 includes the venturi tube 58, an air intake port 74 and a buffer chamber 75.
  • Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view showing the internal structure of the gas-liquid mixer 27.
  • the gas-liquid mixer 27 includes the venturi tube 58.
  • the venturi tube 58 extends vertically, and includes three types of flow passages having different flow passage diameters and connected to one another, i.e., an upstream flow passage 78 provided on an upper side and having a greater flow passage diameter, a restrictive flow passage 77 provided on a lower side of the upstream flow passage 78 and having a smaller flow passage diameter, and a downstream flow passage 79 provided on a lower side of the restrictive flow passage 77 and having a progressively increased flow passage diameter.
  • an inner wall of the restrictive flow passage 77 is formed with a small hole 80 for air intake.
  • the small hole 80 communicates with the buffer chamber 75 connected to an outer surface of the venturi tube 58. Air is supplied into the buffer chamber 75 from the air intake port 74.
  • a check valve 81 such as of a rubber is disposed at an inlet of the buffer chamber 75. The check valve 81 permits the flow of the air into the buffer chamber 75 from the air intake port 74, but prevents the flow of gas and liquid from the inside of the buffer chamber 75 to the air intake port 74.
  • the water falling down from the U-turn portion 26 swiftly flows into the upstream flow passage 78, and its flow rate is increased in the restrictive flow passage 77. Therefore, a negative pressure occurs to permit the air intake from the buffer chamber 75 through the air intake hole 80.
  • the negative pressure causes the ozone-containing cleaning air to flow into the restrictive flow passage 77 from the buffer chamber 75 through the air intake hole 80, whereby the cleaning air is mixed in the form of minute air bubbles with the flowing water.
  • the inner diameter ⁇ is greater than a filtering hole diameter of the filter unit 15.
  • the filter unit 15 is provided in the front lower right portion of the washing/drying machine 1.
  • the filter unit 15 includes the case 150, the inlet port 151, the drain port 152, the first outlet port 153 and the second outlet port 154 as described with reference to Fig. 4 .
  • Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the filter unit 15 as seen obliquely from the front side of the washing/drying machine 1.
  • the filter unit 15 includes the case 150, an inlet pipe 155, a drain pipe 156, outlet pipes 157, 158, a front fixture plate 159 and fixture legs 160. These components are composed of a resin (e.g., polypropylene).
  • the front fixture plate 159 and the fixture legs 160 are formed integrally with the case 150, and the drain pipe 156, the inlet pipe 155 and the outlet pipes 157, 158 which are separately formed are liquid-tightly connected to the case 150.
  • the case 150 With the front fixture plate 159 and the fixture legs 160 attached to the housing 2 of the washing/drying machine 1, the case 150 has an elongated shape extending obliquely downward rearward from the front side.
  • the case 150 has a hole (not shown) provided in an upper surface 150a thereof, and the inlet pipe 155 is attached to the upper surface 150a for communication with the hole.
  • the water passage 45 is connected to an upper open end of the inlet pipe 155 serving as the inlet port 151.
  • the hose 54 described with reference to Fig. 4 is connected to a tubular projection 161 projecting from a middle portion of the inlet pipe 155.
  • the case 150 has right and left side surfaces and a bottom surface which collectively define a seamless case lateral/bottom surface 150b arcuately bulged downward.
  • the drain pipe 156 projects laterally from the case lateral/bottom surface 150b in a direction crossing a longitudinal axis of the case 150, more specifically perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the case 150, and its distal end serves as the drain port 152.
  • the drain pipe 156 projects from an innermost longitudinal end portion of the case 150 (from a lower end portion of the obliquely extending case 150).
  • the outlet pipe 157 has a longitudinally middle portion which is generally perpendicularly bent, and is fixed to a portion of the case 150 intermediate between a fixing position of the inlet pipe 155 and a fixing position of the drain pipe 156 as seen longitudinally of the case 150.
  • the outlet pipe 157 is fixed to the case 150 as projecting laterally from the lateral/bottom surface 150b of the case 150, and a distal end of the portion bent at about 90 degrees is defined as the second outlet port 154.
  • the outlet pipe 158 is connected to the outlet pipe 157 as being branched from the outlet pipe 157, and a distal end of the pipe 158 is defined as the first outlet port 153.
  • the suction port of the second drain valve 48, the first water circulation passage 55 and the storage water passage 62 are connected to the drain port 152, the first outlet port 153 and the second outlet port 154, respectively.
  • the front fixture plate 159 has a filter insertion port 162.
  • the filter insertion port 162 communicates with the inside space of the case 150.
  • the filter body 83 (see Fig. 9 ) is inserted into the case 150 through the filter insertion port 162, and an operable lid 85 is turned to a state as shown in Fig. 8 . In this state, the filter unit 15 can function normally.
  • Ribs 113 are provided on the front fixture plate 159 on lower opposite sides of the filter insertion port 162 as projecting forward.
  • the ribs 113 respectively have engagement holes 114 in which a movable member (see Fig. 21 ) to be described later is pivotally fitted.
  • Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the structure of the filter body 83.
  • the filter body 83 includes a basket 84 serving as a filtering member, and the operable lid 85.
  • the basket 84 is composed of a resin, and has an open top, and a multiplicity of filtering holes and filtering slits formed in a predetermined arrangement in side walls and a bottom wall thereof.
  • Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the structure of the basket 84 with the operable lid 85 removed from the filter body 83.
  • the filtering holes of the basket 84 include smaller filtering holes 86 each having a size (maximum diameter) not greater than a predetermined level, larger filtering holes 87 each having a greater size, and slits 89 defined between comb-like rods 88.
  • the smaller filtering holes 86 are provided in front portions of the left side wall and the bottom wall of the basket 84.
  • the wall portions formed with the smaller filtering holes 86 are collectively defined as a recycling water filtering wall portion 90.
  • a rear portion of the left side wall, a rear wall, a portion of the bottom wall and a portion of the right side wall of the basket 84 formed with the larger filtering holes 87, and a wall portion of the basket 84 having the slits 89 defined between the rods 88 are collectively defined as a drain water filtering wall portion 91.
  • Partitioning ribs 92, 93 are provided along a boundary between the recycling water filtering wall portion 90 and the drain water filtering wall portion 91 as projecting from an outer surface of the basket 84.
  • a front face of the basket 84 is closed with a sealing wall 94, and an annular flange 95 projects from the periphery of the sealing wall 94 (see Fig. 10 ).
  • the operable lid 85 is rotatably fitted on the flange 95 shown in Fig. 10 .
  • the operable lid 85 and the basket 84 are rotatable relative to each other.
  • a seal ring 96 such as of a rubber is provided on a rear peripheral surface of the operable lid 85.
  • the basket 84 of the filter body 83 is inserted into the case 150 from the filter insertion port 162 shown in Fig. 8 .
  • the operable lid 85 is turned, whereby a gap between the filter insertion port 162 and the operable lid 85 is liquid-tightly sealed by the seal ring 96.
  • the inner wall of the case 150 has a specific configuration such that the basket 84 can be accommodated in a predetermined orientation in the case 150.
  • Fig. 11 is a plan view of the filter unit 15.
  • Fig. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of the filter unit 15 taken along a line A-A in Fig. 11 .
  • Fig. 13 is a transverse sectional view of the filter unit 15 taken along a line B-B in Fig. 11 .
  • Fig. 14 is a transverse sectional view of the filter unit 15 taken along a line C-C in Fig. 11 .
  • the rib 93 is provided on the basket 84 as projecting downward from the bottom wall and extending anteroposteriorly (longitudinally of the case 150).
  • the rib 93 is configured so that the basket 84 set in the case 150 is spaced a distance d (mm) (which is not greater than the size (maximum diameter) of the smaller filtering holes) from an inner bottom surface 150c of the case 150.
  • a part 931 of the rib 93 is brought into contact with the inner bottom surface 150c of the case 150, thereby functioning to position the basket 84 in the case 150.
  • the rib 93 prevents the foreign matter from flowing into the inlet port 157a of the outlet pipe 157.
  • the rib 92 projecting from the outer surface of the basket 84 spaces the basket 84 a predetermined distance d (mm) (which is not greater than the size (maximum diameter) of the smaller filtering holes) from the inner side surface and the inner bottom surface 150c of the case with the filter body 83 being set in the case 150.
  • the rib 92 prevents the foreign matter from flowing into the outlet pipe 157.
  • the ribs 92, 93 are provided as surrounding the recycling water filtering wall portion 90 formed with the smaller filtering holes 86.
  • the ribs 92, 93 are opposed to the inner surfaces of the case 150 so as not to form a gap larger than the size of the smaller filtering holes 86 around the recycling water filtering wall portion 90.
  • the water flowing into the basket 84 is filtered through the recycling water filtering wall portion 90 formed with the smaller filtering holes 86, and the water flowing through the recycling water filtering wall portion 90 and the water flowing through the gap defined between the ribs 92, 93 and the inner surfaces of the case 150 are permitted to flow into the outlet pipe 157.
  • the water flowing into the outlet pipe 157 does not contain foreign matter greater in size than the smaller filtering holes 86.
  • the size (maximum diameter) of the smaller filtering holes 86 is set smaller than the inner diameter ⁇ of the restrictive flow passage 77 of the venturi tube 58 of the gas-liquid mixer 27, so that foreign matter having a size greater than the inner diameter ⁇ of the restrictive flow passage 77 is not present in the water flowing through the venturi tube 58. This prevents slow-down or stop of the water flow in the venturi tube 58, which may otherwise occur when the restrictive flow passage 77 having a reduced flow diameter is clogged with the foreign matter.
  • the case 150 of the filter unit 15 has an elongated shape extending obliquely downward rearward from the front, and the basket 84 of the filter body 83 is accommodated in the case 150.
  • the outlet pipe 157 is located forward of the drain pipe 156, i.e., is attached to the case 150 at a higher position than the drain pipe 156.
  • the recycling water filtering wall portion 90 is located on a forward (upper) side, while the drain water filtering wall portion 91 is located on a rearward (lower) side.
  • Fig. 15 is a partial front view of the washing/drying machine 1.
  • the washing/drying machine 1 has a window 100 provided in a lower right portion of a front face of the housing 2 thereof.
  • the window 100 has a rectangular shape having rounded corners, but may have any shape.
  • a cover 101 is attached to the window 100, so that the window 100 is covered and uncovered with the cover 101.
  • Fig. 16 is a partial perspective view of a lower portion of the washing/drying machine 1 as seen obliquely from the front side.
  • the cover 101 is pivotal forward about an axis extending between opposite lower ends, so that the cover 101 can be shifted from a window covering state as shown in Fig. 15 to a window uncovering state as shown in Fig. 16 .
  • the user For opening the cover 101, the user inserts his finger into a finger-hooking recess 102 formed in an upper edge portion of the cover 101 and pulls forward the cover 101.
  • the operable lid 85 of the filter unit 15 disposed behind the cover 101 is exposed.
  • the front fixture plate 159 of the case 150 is present around the operable lid 85 to close the inside of the window 100. Therefore, the entire structure of the filter unit 15 present behind the front fixture plate 159 cannot be seen through the window 100.
  • a movable member 103 is provided between the cover 101 and the operable lid 85.
  • the cover 101 is opened as shown in Fig. 16 , the movable member 103 is pivoted forward by its own weight.
  • the movable member 103 pivoted forward does not hinder the operation of the operable lid 85.
  • the operable lid 85 fitted in the filter insertion port 162 is turned left to be loosened, and then the filter body 83 is pulled forward.
  • a maintenance operation can be performed on the filter body 83, for example, for removing foreign matter from the filter body 83, particularly, from the basket 84.
  • the basket 84 is inserted through the filter insertion port 162, and then the operable lid 85 is turned right.
  • the filter body 83 is fitted in the case 150.
  • an operation rib 104 of the operable lid 85 is oriented horizontally.
  • the movable member 103 can be pivoted upward. That is, the operation rib 104 of the operable lid 85 extends horizontally and, therefore, does not prevent the upward pivoting of the movable member 103.
  • the movable member 103 can be pivoted upward.
  • the operation rib 104 is not oriented horizontally, but oriented vertically or obliquely with respect to the horizontal direction as shown in Fig. 19 .
  • the operation rib 104 interferes with the movable member 103, making it impossible to pivot the movable member 103 to the predetermined upper position.
  • the movable member 103 prevents the cover 101 from being completely closed as shown in a right side partial sectional view of the lower portion of the washing/drying machine 1 of Fig. 20 . That is, the movable member 103 hits against the inner surface of the cover 101, making it impossible to close the cover 101.
  • the user checks the state of the operable lid 85, and becomes aware that the operable lid 85 has been improperly operated.
  • Figs. 21A, 21B and 21C are a plan view, a front view and a right side view showing a specific structure of the movable member 103
  • Figs. 21D and 21E are perspective views of the movable member 103 as seen obliquely from an upper side and a lower side, respectively.
  • the movable member 103 includes a right arm plate 105 and a left arm plate 106 extending vertically and anteroposteriorly, and an interference plate 107 provided between the right arm plate 105 and the left arm plate 106 as extending transversely to connect the right arm plate 105 and the left arm plate 106 to each other.
  • An engagement pivot boss 108 projects from a rear lower portion of the right arm plate 105 toward the left arm plate 106 (inward).
  • an engagement pivot boss 109 projects from a rear lower portion of the left arm plate 106 toward the right arm plate 105 (inward). The engagement pivot bosses 108, 109 align with each other.
  • the movable member 103 With the engagement pivot bosses 108, 109 fitted in engagement holes 114 of the front fixture plate 159 of the case 150 of the filter unit 15 (see Fig. 8 ), the movable member 103 is attached to the case 150 in a vertically pivotal manner.
  • the right arm plate 105 has a greater length than the left arm plate 106 as measured anteroposteriorly and, therefore, a distal end portion of the right arm plate 105 projects farther forward than a distal end portion of the left arm plate 106. Therefore, the interference plate 107 has a distal edge extending obliquely from the right to the left as seen in plan and, hence, has a width which is greater on the right side than on the left side. The interference plate 107 has a rear edge which is curved arcuately forward. Since the right arm plate 105 is greater in length than the left arm plate 106, only the distal end portion of the right arm plate 105 of the movable member 103 is brought into contact with the inner surface of the cover 101 (see Fig. 16 ). With the movable member 103 in contact with the inner surface of the cover 101 only at the distal end portion of the right arm plate 105, the movable member 103 is more smoothly pivoted correspondingly to the closing movement of the cover 101.
  • the interference plate 107 interferes with (or hits against) the operation rib 104 of the operable lid 85 to prevent the movable member 103 from being pivoted further upward.
  • Reinforcement bars 110 are respectively provided at junctions between laterally opposite ends of the interference plate 107 and the right and left arm plates 105, 106 as extending perpendicularly to surfaces of the interference plate 107, the right arm plate 105 and the left arm plate 106 so as to prevent easy flexure and deformation of the interference plate 107 even if the interference plate 107 hits against the operation rib 104.
  • the interference plate 107 is located in generally parallel adjacent relation to the operation rib 104 of the operable lid 85 to prevent the movement of the operation rib 104.
  • the interference plate 107 functions to prevent the operable lid 85 from being turned to be loosened due to vibrations and the like.
  • the movable member 103 is pivotal about the engagement support bosses 108, 109.
  • Gravity center adjusting members 111 for adjusting the gravity center of the movable member 103 respectively project from outer surfaces of the right arm plate 105 and the left arm plate 106, so that the movable member 103 can be pivoted forward away from the operable lid 85 by its own weight, as described above, when the cover 101 is opened.
  • a stopper projection 112 is provided adjacent the engagement pivot boss 108 so as to stop the movable member 103 at a predetermined pivoting angular position when the movable member 103 is pivoted forward about the engagement pivot bosses 108, 109.
  • the stopper projection 112 abuts against the front fixture plate 159, for example, functioning to restrict the pivoting angular position of the movable member 103. This makes it possible to stop the movable member 103 at the predetermined angular position.
  • the movable member 103 is prevented from being pivoted to hit against the cover 101. If the movable member 103 were adapted to stop in abutment against the cover 101, the movable member 103 would serve like a prop, making it difficult to close the cover 101.
  • Fig. 22 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of an electric control circuit of the washing/drying machine 1. In the block diagram of Fig. 22 , only components required for performing the drying process in the washing/drying machine 1 are shown.
  • a control section 120 is a control center of the washing/drying machine 1, and includes a microcomputer and the like.
  • the control section 120 is provided, for example, in the electrical component 12 (see Fig. 1 ).
  • Temperatures detected by the drum outlet temperature sensor 121, the dehumidification water temperature sensor 122 and the board temperature sensor 123 are inputted to the control section 120.
  • the drum outlet temperature sensor 121 is disposed upstream of the blower 21 with respect to the air flow direction in the drying air duct 20.
  • the drum outlet temperature sensor 121 detects the temperature of the air flowing out of the washing tub 3 and then through the drying air duct 20 and heat-exchanged with water in the drying air duct 20.
  • the dehumidification water temperature sensor 122 is disposed at the lower end of the drying air duct 20 connected to the lower portion of the rear face of the outer tub 4.
  • the dehumidification water temperature sensor 122 detects the temperature of the water heat-exchanged with the air flowing out of the washing tub in the drying air duct 20.
  • the board temperature sensor 123 is disposed on a circuit board incorporated in the electrical component 12 disposed in the front lower portion of the housing 2.
  • the board temperature sensor 123 detects an ambient temperature around the washing/drying machine 1 (a temperature proportional to a room temperature and generally equal to the room temperature plus 10°C).
  • the drying heater A 124, the drying heater B 125, a blower motor 126, the drying pump 23, the water supply valve 17, the second drain valve 48 and the DD motor 6 are connected to the control section 120.
  • the control section 120 controls the driving of these components connected thereto.
  • the drying heater A 124 and the drying heater B 125 are disposed downstream of the blower 21 in the drying air duct 20 for heating the circulated air.
  • the drying heater A 124 and the drying heater B 125 are, for example, semiconductor heaters, which have the same heat generation capacity in this embodiment. For control, whether either or both of the drying heaters 124, 125 are energized is determined according to the progress of the drying process as will be described later.
  • the blower motor 126 is driven for circulating the air through the drying air duct 20 in the drying process.
  • the blower 21 is rotated by the blower motor 126.
  • the drying pump 23 is driven for circulating the water from the tank 11 through the drying air duct 20 in the drying process.
  • the water pumped up from the tank 11 by the drying pump 23 is supplied to the drying air duct 20 for the heat-exchange, the cooling and the cleaning.
  • the supplied water flows down through the drying air duct 20 to be circulated from the drain port 42 of the outer tub 4 back into the tank 11 through the water passage 43, the first drain valve 44, the water passage 45, the filter unit 15, the storage water passage 62 and the water storage valve 63.
  • the volume of the tank 11 (or the amount of the water to be stored in the tank 11) is not necessarily required to be sufficient to store all the water to be supplied to the drying air duct 20 in the drying process, but the tank 11 may have a smaller volume.
  • the water saving can be achieved for the water supply in the drying process.
  • the water supply valve 17 is controlled to supply colder tap water as the heat exchange water instead of the recycling water circulated from the tank 11 at the final stage of the drying process.
  • the second drain valve 48 is controlled to drain the water from the tank 11 at the end of the drying process.
  • the DD motor 6 is controlled to rotate the drum 5 of the washing tub 3.
  • Fig. 23 is a timing chart for explaining operation control of the washing/drying machine 1 to be performed in the drying process. With reference to the timing chart of Fig. 23 , a control operation to be performed in the drying process in the washing/drying machine 1 will be described.
  • the drying heater A 124 is energized upon the start of the drying process, and the drying heater B 125 is energized, for example, with a delay of about 30 seconds. In order to suppress rush current, the two drying heaters 124, 125 are not simultaneously energized.
  • the drying pump 23 is driven at a higher driving level. In order to check if water is stored in the tank 11, the drying pump 23 is driven at the higher driving level for a predetermined period upon the start of the drying process.
  • the blower motor 126 is driven at a lower driving level. With the second drain valve 48 being closed, the water circulated from the tank 11 by the drying pump 23 is not drained to the external drain hose 50 (see Fig. 4 ) through the water passage 49.
  • the drying heater A 124, the drying heater B 125, the drying pump 23 and the blower motor 126 are driven in the aforementioned manner, whereby the air from the washing tub 3 slowly flows through the drying air duct 20, and is heated by the drying heater A 124 and the drying heater B 125 and circulated into the washing tub 3. Since the circulated air is heated by energizing the two drying heaters 124, 125, a drum outlet temperature T DO detected by the drum outlet temperature sensor 121 is relatively steeply increased.
  • a dehumidification water temperature T w detected by the dehumidification water temperature sensor 122 is hardly increased, because the drying pump 23 is driven at the higher driving level to cause a greater amount of water to fall through the drying air duct 20 and the air flowing out of the washing tub 3 is not sufficiently heated.
  • this control state is continued, for example, for about 25 minutes.
  • the driving of the blower motor 126 is switched from the lower driving level to an intermediate driving level and further to a higher driving level to increase the circulation rate of the air circulated through the drying air duct 20.
  • the drying heater A 124 and the drying heater B 125 are continuously energized, and the blower motor 126 is driven at the higher driving level. Further, the driving of the drying pump 23 is stopped. After the stop of the driving of the drying pump 23, the air circulated through the drying air duct 20 is not dehumidified, but heated by the drying heater A 124 and the drying heater B 125, so that the temperature of the circulated air, i.e., the drum outlet temperature T DO detected by the drum outlet temperature sensor 121, is increased.
  • the dehumidification water temperature sensor 122 does not detect the temperature of the dehumidification water, but mainly detects the moisture temperature of high-temperature high-humidity air flowing out of the washing tub 3, because the drying pump 23 is stopped. Since the air is heated, the detected dehumidification water temperature T W is steeply increased.
  • the drying heater A 124 and the drying heater B 125 are continuously energized, and the driving of the blower motor 126 is switched to the intermediate level to slightly reduce the flow rate of the circulated air. Further, the drying pump 23 is driven at a lower driving level to circulate the water from the tank 11 for the heat exchange in the drying air duct 20. The drying pump 23 is driven to supply the dehumidification water from the tank 11 into the drying air duct 20, whereby the dehumidification water temperature T W detected by the dehumidification water temperature sensor 122 is steeply reduced and then gradually increased. This is because the heat of the circulated air is removed by the water due to the heat exchange between the water and the air in the drying air duct 20 to increase the temperature of the water.
  • the drum outlet temperature T DO detected by the drum outlet temperature sensor 121 is once reduced by the removal of the heat due to the heat exchange of the circulated air in a first half of the intermediate drying period, but the temperature of the circulated air is gradually increased with the gradual increase of the dehumidification water temperature.
  • the intermediate drying period ends, for example, after a lapse of 130 minutes from the start of the drying process, and is followed by a final drying period.
  • An operation to be performed in the final drying period differs from the operation to be performed in the intermediate drying period in that the driving of the drying pump 23 is switched to the higher driving level and the driving of the blower motor 126 is switched to the lower driving level.
  • the amount of the dehumidification water flowing through the drying air duct 20 is increased by driving the drying pump 23 at the higher driving level.
  • the dehumidification water temperature T W detected by the dehumidification water temperature sensor 122 is once reduced.
  • the dehumidification water temperature is gradually increased by the continuous heat exchange between the dehumidification water and the circulated air.
  • the flow rate of the air circulated through the drying air duct 20 is reduced because the driving of the blower motor 126 is switched to the lower driving level. Even if the temperature of the circulated air is reduced by the heat exchange, the drum outlet temperature T DO detected by the drum outlet temperature sensor 121 is generally leveled off and then gradually increased, because the circulated air is sufficiently heated by the drying heater A 124 and the drying heater B 125.
  • the drying heater A 124, the drying heater B 125 and the blower motor 126 are de-energized in synchronism for a predetermined period (e.g., 2 to 3 minutes) in the intermediate drying period and in the final drying period.
  • a predetermined period e.g. 2 to 3 minutes
  • a factor affecting the drying capability in the drying process is the temperature of the air circulated through the drying air duct 20, and it is desirable to keep the drum outlet temperature T DO at a predetermined higher temperature level.
  • the circulation of the air is stopped by de-energizing the blower motor 126 in synchronism with the de-energization of the drying heater A124 and the drying heater B 125.
  • the temperature of the circulated air is not reduced, but kept at a generally constant level.
  • a control operation is performed so as to once de-energize the drying heater A 124, the drying heater B 125 and the blower motor 126 in synchronism for several minutes in the intermediate drying period and in the final drying period.
  • the energy saving operation can be achieved without impairing the drying capability.
  • the drying period varies depending upon the amount and the type of the garment to be dried. Therefore, the end of the drying operation is not controlled based on the elapsed time, but automatically determined through a temperature-based control operation as will be described below.
  • a temperature curve T DO + T W indicated by a solid line on an upper side represents a sum of the drum outlet temperature T DO and the dehumidification water temperature T w .
  • a value of T DO + T W is stored in a memory in the control section 120 after a lapse of 10 minutes from the start of the drying process. This temperature value is herein defined, for example, as T 1 .
  • a room temperature T B detected as the board temperature by the board temperature sensor 123 is generally constant during the drying process, but is gently increased by a temperature increase occurring due to the operation of the washing/drying machine 1.
  • the temperature of the circulated air heated by the drying heater A 124 and the drying heater B 125 is detected as the drum outlet temperature T DO by the drum outlet temperature sensor 121. Further, the temperature of the circulated air is indirectly detected as the dehumidification water temperature T W by the dehumidification water temperature sensor 122. As the drying process progresses, these two temperatures T DO , T W are increased. Therefore, the sum T 2 of the drum outlet temperature T DO and the dehumidification water temperature T W is drastically increased with the drying operation time. Therefore, the end of the drying operation can be relatively accurately determined by detecting an increase in the sum T 2 . For reference, the determination of the end of the drying operation is based only on the temperature detected by the drum outlet temperature sensor 121 in the prior art.
  • the drying heater B 125 Upon the determination of the end of the drying operation, the drying heater B 125 is once turned off as shown in Fig. 23 . However, the turn-off of the drying heater B 125 is not necessarily required.
  • the drying heater A 124 is first de-energized, and the drying heater B 125 is de-energized with a delay of several minutes. Simultaneously with the de-energization of the drying heater B 125, the drying pump 23 is stopped, and the second drain valve 48 is switched from a closed state to an open state. As a result, the water supplied from the tank 11 for the heat exchange is drained outside the machine through the water passage 49 and the external drain hose 50. The water can be entirely drained from the tank 11 by continuously driving the drying pump 23 for a short period of time after the opening of the second drain valve 48.
  • a predetermined period e.g., 5 minutes
  • the driving of the blower motor 126 is switched to the higher driving level to increase the flow rate of the air circulated through the drying air duct 20 for a cool-down operation.
  • the cool-down operation is performed for a predetermined period (e.g., about 10 minutes).
  • the cool-down operation reduces the temperature of the garment dried in the washing tub 3.
  • the water supply valve 17 is preferably controlled to supply tap water into the drying air duct 20 through the water passage 39.
  • the circulated air is heat-exchanged with the tap water during the cool-down operation to quickly reduce the temperature.
  • Fig. 24 is a control flow chart showing a control sequence to be performed in conformity with the timing chart shown in Fig. 23 .
  • the control sequence is performed by the control section 120 shown in Fig. 22 .
  • the control section 120 energizes the DD motor 6, the drying pump 23, the blower motor 126, the drying heater A 124 and the drying heater B 125 in this order (Step S1). Then, it is judged if the drying process is in the drying startup period, for example, before a lapse of 25 minutes after the start of the operation (Step S2). In the drying startup period, the two drying heaters 124, 125 are both energized to be driven at the higher driving level.
  • the drying pump 23 is also driven at the higher driving level to circulate the cooling water at a higher flow rate.
  • the blower motor 126 is driven at the lower driving level to circulate the air at a lower flow rate (Step S3).
  • the drying startup period ends and, in the initial drying period from 25 minutes to 70 minutes after the start of the drying process (YES in Step S4), the two drying heaters 124, 125 are kept energized. Further, the drying pump 23 is stopped to stop the circulation of the water from the tank 11, and the blower motor 126 is driven at the higher driving level (Step S5). Thus, the air in the washing tub 3 is quickly heated, so that the air temperature is increased in a short period of time. This control operation is efficient for the drying, thereby reducing the drying period.
  • Step S6 it is judged if the drying process is in the intermediate drying period from 70 minutes to 130 minutes after the start of the drying process. If the drying process is in the intermediate drying period, it is judged if time elapsed after the start of the drying process is from 120 minutes to 123 minutes (Step S7) .
  • the control operation is performed through Steps S6, S7 and S9. That is, the two drying heaters 124, 125 are kept energized to be driven at the higher driving level, and the drying pump 23 is driven at the lower driving level to circulate the recycling water at a lower flow rate. Further, the blower motor 126 is driven at the intermediate driving level to circulate the air at an intermediate flow rate (Step S9).
  • the circulated air is quickly heated to steeply increase the temperature of the air in the washing tub 3, whereby the drying of the garment is promoted for reduction of the drying operation period.
  • Step S7 If the result of the judgment in Step S7 is YES in the intermediate drying period, the energization of the two drying heaters 124, 125 and the blower motor 126 are interrupted in synchronism (Step S8).
  • the interruption of the energization of the heaters 124, 125 and the blower motor 126 makes it possible to achieve the energy saving in performing the drying process substantially without reduction in the temperature of the air in the drying air duct 20.
  • Step S10 the control operation is performed through Step S10 and, if it is judged that the cool-down operation is performed, the two drying heaters 124, 125 are de-energized. Further, the driving of the drying pump 23 is stopped, and the tap water is supplied as the dehumidification water into the drying air duct 20 by the water supply valve 17. Then, the blower motor 126 is driven at the higher driving level to circulate the air at an increased flow rate. Thus, the heated air is rapidly circulated from the washing tub 3 to be thereby cooled. This correspondingly reduces the temperature of the garment in the washing tub 3 (Step S11) .
  • Step S12 If it is judged that the cool-down operation ends after being performed for a predetermined period (Step S12), the drying process ends.
  • Step S10 If it is judged in Step S10 that the cool-down operation is not performed, the two drying heaters 124, 125 are kept energized, and the drying pump 23 is driven at the higher driving level to supply a greater amount of water into the drying air duct 20. Further, the driving of the blower motor 126 is switched to the lower driving level to circulate the air at a reduced flow rate (Step S13).
  • the drying pump 23 By supplying the greater amount of water into the drying air duct 20 by means of the drying pump 23, foreign matter such as lint adhering to the inner surface of the drying air duct 20 is washed away. Thus, the drying air duct is cleaned at the end of the drying process.
  • Fig. 25 is a timing chart showing a modification of the drying control to be performed in the drying process.
  • the temperature of the air heated by the drying heater A 124 and the drying heater B 125 is defined as a heater outlet temperature, and indicated by a solid line on an upper side. Below the air temperature curve, the energization states of the drying heater A 124 and the drying heater B 125 and the driving state of the blower motor 126 are shown.
  • the change in heater outlet temperature herein shown is affected only by the drying heater A 124 and the drying heater B 125, but not by the heat exchange between the circulated air and the cooling water.
  • the heater outlet temperature is steeply increased.
  • the driving of the blower motor 126 is switched from the lower driving level to the higher driving level to increase the flow rate of the air circulated through the drying air duct 20 in the initial drying period, the heater outlet temperature is once reduced and then gradually increased with the drying operation time.
  • a predetermined period e.g., several minutes to about 10 minutes.
  • the blower motor 126 is driven at the lower driving level.
  • the drying process can be continuously performed without substantial change in heater outlet temperature in the final drying period as shown in Fig. 25 .
  • a temperature change observed when only the drying heater B 125 is de-energized and the blower motor 126 is continuously driven at the higher driving level is shown by a broken line. If only the drying heater B 125 is once de-energized, the heater outlet temperature (drying air temperature) is significantly reduced. The significant reduction in air temperature reduces the drying efficiency, thereby increasing the drying period. By switching the driving of the blower motor 126 to the lower driving level in synchronism with the switching of the drying heaters to the lower driving level as in this embodiment, the electric energy consumption is reduced without reduction in drying air temperature, thereby achieving the energy saving operation.
  • Fig. 26 shows another modification of the control to be performed in the drying process.
  • the heater outlet temperature (the temperature of the circulated air to be supplied into the washing tub 3 after passing through the drying heater A 124 and the drying heater B 125) is indicated by a solid line on an upper side, and the board temperature (room temperature) T B gradually increased in the drying process is shown below the heater outlet temperature curve.
  • the board temperature is proportional to the room temperature, and is generally equal to the room temperature plus 10°C.
  • the board temperature T B is gently increased with the drying operation time.
  • the drying pump 23 is driven to circulate the water from the tank 11.
  • the drying pump 23 is driven at the higher driving level in the drying startup period to check if the water is stored in the tank 11.
  • the driving of the drying pump 23 is stopped mainly for increasing the heater outlet temperature (the temperature of the circulated air).
  • the drying pump 23 is driven at the lower driving level to dehumidify the circulated drying air.
  • the drying pump 23 is driven at the higher driving level, whereby the heat exchange with the air is promoted to increase the drying efficiency.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Detail Structures Of Washing Machines And Dryers (AREA)
  • Accessory Of Washing/Drying Machine, Commercial Washing/Drying Machine, Other Washing/Drying Machine (AREA)
  • Treatment Of Water By Oxidation Or Reduction (AREA)
  • Cleaning By Liquid Or Steam (AREA)
EP08855213A 2007-11-29 2008-11-28 Washing machine Withdrawn EP2216437A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2007309192A JP2009131401A (ja) 2007-11-29 2007-11-29 洗濯機
PCT/JP2008/071728 WO2009069784A1 (ja) 2007-11-29 2008-11-28 洗濯機

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2216437A1 true EP2216437A1 (en) 2010-08-11

Family

ID=40678673

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP08855213A Withdrawn EP2216437A1 (en) 2007-11-29 2008-11-28 Washing machine

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP2216437A1 (ja)
JP (1) JP2009131401A (ja)
TW (1) TWI361237B (ja)
WO (1) WO2009069784A1 (ja)

Cited By (5)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2479336A1 (en) * 2011-01-21 2012-07-25 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Washing machine and pump filter thereof
WO2013092400A1 (de) * 2011-12-20 2013-06-27 BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH Haushaltsgerät mit einem speicherbehälter und einem oxidationsmittelgenerator sowie verfahren zu seinem betrieb
EP2886704A1 (en) * 2013-12-23 2015-06-24 Electrolux Appliances Aktiebolag Laundry washing machine comprising a filter assembly
US20170167069A1 (en) * 2015-12-09 2017-06-15 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Water supply device and washing machine having the same
WO2022146384A3 (en) * 2020-12-31 2022-08-25 Yagcilar Ali Manually adjusting the gas concentration in the washing machine

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EP2325377A1 (en) * 2009-11-23 2011-05-25 Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V. Washing machine with improved filter for the draining circuit
CN108797055B (zh) * 2017-04-28 2021-08-10 无锡小天鹅电器有限公司 热泵底壳和洗衣机
CN110453437B (zh) * 2018-05-08 2021-07-20 无锡小天鹅电器有限公司 衣物处理装置
CN110578244B (zh) * 2018-06-08 2023-01-31 青岛海尔洗涤电器有限公司 一种衣物处理装置
CN111549491A (zh) * 2020-04-17 2020-08-18 珠海格力电器股份有限公司 一种基于微纳米气泡的洗涤方法及洗涤设备

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Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2479336A1 (en) * 2011-01-21 2012-07-25 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Washing machine and pump filter thereof
EP2792783A3 (en) * 2011-01-21 2015-01-28 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Washing machine and pump filter thereof
WO2013092400A1 (de) * 2011-12-20 2013-06-27 BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH Haushaltsgerät mit einem speicherbehälter und einem oxidationsmittelgenerator sowie verfahren zu seinem betrieb
CN104185702A (zh) * 2011-12-20 2014-12-03 Bsh博世和西门子家用电器有限公司 具有存储容器和氧化剂发生器的家用器具以及用于其运行的方法
RU2580501C2 (ru) * 2011-12-20 2016-04-10 Бсх Хаусгерете Гмбх Бытовой прибор с накопительным резервуаром и генератором окисляющего средства и способ эксплуатации такого прибора
CN104185702B (zh) * 2011-12-20 2016-06-01 Bsh家用电器有限公司 具有存储容器和氧化剂发生器的家用器具以及用于其运行的方法
EP2886704A1 (en) * 2013-12-23 2015-06-24 Electrolux Appliances Aktiebolag Laundry washing machine comprising a filter assembly
WO2015096983A1 (en) * 2013-12-23 2015-07-02 Electrolux Appliances Aktiebolag Laundry washing machine comprising a filter assembly
US20170167069A1 (en) * 2015-12-09 2017-06-15 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Water supply device and washing machine having the same
US10760200B2 (en) * 2015-12-09 2020-09-01 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Water supply device and washing machine having the same
WO2022146384A3 (en) * 2020-12-31 2022-08-25 Yagcilar Ali Manually adjusting the gas concentration in the washing machine
GB2616395A (en) * 2020-12-31 2023-09-06 Yagcilar Ali Manually adjusting the gas concentration in the washing machine

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP2009131401A (ja) 2009-06-18
TWI361237B (en) 2012-04-01
WO2009069784A1 (ja) 2009-06-04
TW200940776A (en) 2009-10-01

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