JP2003199991A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To hardly receive influence of noise by shortening the length of a lead wire from an inverter substrate to an electrolytic unit and to attain simplification of the electrolytic unit and its attaching structure and improvement of the durability thereof by attaching the electrolytic unit to a frame or a leg at the lower part of a washing machine to which vibrations are hardly transmitted. <P>SOLUTION: The electrolytic unit 31 is attached to the frame 20 or the leg part 20 at the lower part of the washing machine. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly to a washing machine in which washing power is improved by electrolyzing water and using it for washing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A washing machine for electrolyzing water for washing is known. This washing machine includes an electrolysis unit for electrolyzing water, and active oxygen, hypochlorous acid (HClO), and hypochlorite ion (ClO ⁻ ) contained in water electrolyzed in an electrolyzer in the electrolysis unit. ) Use the detergency and sterilizing power to wash.

[0003]

(A) The substrate of the power supply circuit for supplying power to the electrodes installed in the electrolytic cell is also used as an inverter substrate for driving the washing motor in order to reduce the number of parts and downsize. It is possible. Since the inverter board for driving the washing motor is arranged at the bottom of the casing of the washing machine, it is necessary to connect it to the electrode of the electrolytic cell with a lead wire. When the electrolytic cell is attached to the upper part of the washing machine case, the lead wire has to be drawn long, and noise generated from the lead wire may affect the microcomputer of the operation unit on the upper part of the washing machine. . Therefore, it is necessary to suppress this noise, but suppressing the noise generated from the long lead wire leads to a significant increase in cost.

It has been practiced to attach the electrolytic bath to an outer bath having a washing and dehydrating bath therein. In this case, since large vibration is applied to the outer tank, the electrodes may come into contact with each other unless the electrodes are firmly fixed in the electrolytic tank, so that the structure for fixing the electrodes in the electrolytic tank becomes complicated. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine in which the generation of noise from the lead wire is suppressed and the vibration applied to the electrolytic cell is small when the power source used for electrolysis is also used as the power source for driving the motor. And

(B) Conventionally, a technique has been known in which alkaline water and acidic water are generated by electrolysis and used for washing and rinsing (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-185187). However, with this technology, the pH of the alkaline water and the acidic water used for washing and rinsing could not be adjusted, so when washing clothes with a small amount of dirt or a small amount of clothes, the pH was too strong and the clothes were damaged and P for large amount of clothes and large amount of clothes
There was a problem that H was weak and dirt was not removed sufficiently. In particular, in the above technique, there is a problem that strong acidic water having a pH of 2.7 or less may be directly poured into clothes during rinsing, which has a high bactericidal effect, but the clothes are also greatly damaged, which is not practical.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the pH of the alkaline water and the acid water can be set to appropriate ranges, respectively, so that a high cleaning effect can be obtained and the clothes can be damaged depending on the dirt and amount of the clothes. The purpose of the present invention is to realize a washing machine that can be rinsed without sterilization and has high sterilization and bleaching effects. (C) Tap water contains metal ions such as Ca ²⁺ and Mg ^2+, and when detergent is used, these components react with soap to produce insoluble metal soap (fatty acid calcium and fatty acid magnesium) To do. Therefore, the amount of detergent that contributes to washing clothes is reduced, and the washing power is reduced. In addition, the generated metallic soap adheres to the cloth and becomes “stains”. It also adversely affects the fabric.

In order to prevent this, various components are blended in the detergent as a builder (auxiliary agent), but it is still insufficient depending on the water quality, and the detergent ability is 100%.
It is the current situation that it has not been able to demonstrate it. To soften the tap water used for washing, ion exchange resin equipment is required, but if the washing machine is equipped with ion exchange resin equipment, the volume will become large and a large installation space will be required. Manufacturing costs also increase. There is also a problem that a large amount of salt is required to regenerate the capacity of the ion exchange resin.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine which can trap metal ions in water by electrolysis with a simple structure to improve the cleaning effect. (D) A washing machine capable of "electrolytic washing" in which water poured into a washing tub is electrolyzed and used for washing is known. In this electrolytic cleaning, conventionally, depending on the degree of soiling of the laundry,
He did not change the operating conditions of the washing machine, such as washing time and number of rinses. Therefore, in the case of clothes with less stains that require shorter washing times and fewer rinses, the clothes are damaged and the power consumption is wasted, resulting in electrode consumption. In the case of clothes with a lot of stains, there was a problem that stains would not be removed sufficiently.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine capable of determining operating conditions such as washing time and the number of rinses by detecting the amount of stains on laundry in electrolytic washing.

[0010]

(A) The washing machine of the present invention comprises a washing tub for containing an article to be washed and an electrolysis for electrolyzing water used for washing in the washing tub. In a washing machine including a unit, an inverter board for driving a motor is installed in a place apart from the operation board, and
The electrolysis unit is provided in the vicinity of the inverter board, and the power supply of the electrolysis unit is shared with the power supply for driving the motor (claim 1).

According to the above construction, since the electrolysis unit is provided near the inverter board, the length of the lead wire from the inverter board to the electrolysis unit can be shortened and the influence of noise can be reduced. it can. Since the length of the lead wire is short, the noise suppression cost can also be reduced. Also, the cost of the lead wire itself can be reduced. Further, it is possible to reduce noise mixing in the operation board on which electronic components such as a microcomputer are mounted.

Further, in the washing machine of the present invention, the electrolysis unit is attached to the frame or the leg portion under the washing machine (claim 2). When the electrolysis unit is attached to the frame or leg of the washing machine, the frame or leg of the lower part of the washing machine is a portion where vibration is hard to be transmitted, so that the electrolysis unit and its attachment structure can be simplified and the durability can be improved. The vibration amplitude of the frame or legs is 1/50 to 1/10 that of the outer tank.
It is about 0. (B) The washing machine of the present invention is equipped with an electrolysis means capable of electrolyzing water used for washing to generate alkaline water and acidic water, and pouring either water into the washing tub. Therefore, the pH (pH) of the alkaline water to be injected is variable (claim 3).

According to this structure, the user can wash the clothes by selecting the optimum pH or a parameter similar to the optimum pH in accordance with the amount of the clothes and the dirt attached to the clothes, so that the washing efficiency of the clothes is improved. For example, when the amount of laundry or the degree of soiling is light, if the alkalinity is set to be weak (pH is low), the electrolysis time can be shortened, so that the washing time can be shortened. It also saves the electricity bill used for electrolysis. The washing machine of the present invention is equipped with an electrolysis means for electrolyzing water used for washing to generate alkaline water and acidic water, and pouring either water into a washing tub, and pouring acidic water for rinsing. The pH (pH) is variable (claim 4).

According to this structure, the user can select the optimum pH or a parameter similar to it to perform rinsing in accordance with the amount of clothes and the stains attached thereto, so that the sterilization and bleaching effects of the clothes are improved. To do. For example, when the amount of laundry or the degree of soiling is light, if the acidity is set to be weak (pH is high), the electrolysis time can be shortened, so that the rinse time can be shortened. It also saves the electricity bill used for electrolysis. (C) The washing machine of the present invention is a washing machine in which laundry and water are put in a washing tub for washing, and the washing machine is equipped with an electrode for electrolysis for electrolyzing water poured into the washing tub. The present invention is characterized in that water is softened by removing metal ions in water by applying electricity (claim 5).

By energizing the electrode for electrolysis, metal ions in water adhere to the electrode for electrolysis to soften water,
The cleaning power can be improved. The present invention is effective not only when the water used for washing is hard water but also when it is soft water. (D) Further, the washing machine of the present invention includes an electrolyzing unit for electrolyzing water poured into the washing tub and a dirt detecting unit for detecting dirt on the laundry, and the dirt detected by the dirt detecting unit. The operating conditions such as the cleaning time and the number of times of rinsing in electrolytic cleaning are determined according to the amount of the above (claim 6).

With the washing machine of this construction, in electrolytic washing, the optimum operating conditions can be determined according to the amount of laundry and the degree of dirt. Therefore, when washing clothes with a small amount of dirt or a small amount of clothes, the clothes will not be damaged and power consumption will not be wasted and the electrodes will not be consumed. It doesn't stop falling. The dirt detection unit can detect the degree of dirt by determining the water quality based on the value of the energizing current for electrolysis (claim 7).
Even if it is possible to determine the water quality using electrolysis means, it is not necessary to provide new means for water quality determination,
Easy to configure.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing the structure of a washing machine of this embodiment. Inside the casing 1 of this washing machine, a bottomed cylindrical outer tub 2 is provided with a front suspension rod 3 and a rear suspension rod 4.
(In the figure, each one is visible, but in reality, there are two each), so that they are suspended and supported so as to incline toward the front. Corresponding to the forward protrusion of the outer tank 2,
The front upper part of the housing 1 also projects. The front surface of the housing 1 has a large opening. Reference numeral 18 denotes a top plate of the housing 1,
Reference numeral 19 denotes an upper lid that is opened when loading and unloading laundry.

The casing 1 is a frame 2 mainly made of metal.
It is assembled by 0 and the leg part 22 made of resin. An operation panel 16 is provided with operation keys and a display. An electronic component (not shown) such as a microcomputer is provided below the operation panel 16 to perform various controls necessary for washing. You can set the washing course such as elaborate course and standard course by operating the operation keys. Careful course is the number of washing and rinsing,
This is a course where laundry is carefully done with more time than the standard course.

Inside the outer tub 2, a washing and dewatering tub 5 having a large number of dewatering holes on its peripheral wall is rotatably supported around a dewatering tub shaft 6. The outer tub 2 and the washing / dehydrating tub 5 form a washing tub. A pulsator 7 is provided at the bottom of the washing / dehydrating tub 5 for agitating the laundry by generating a water flow in the outer tub 2.
Are arranged. A drive mechanism 10 that drives the pulsator 7 and the washing / dehydrating tub 5 is provided at the bottom of the outer tub 2. The drive mechanism 10 includes a dehydration tank shaft 6 and a dehydration tank shaft 6
A blade shaft 9, which is a rotation shaft of the pulsator 7, a dehydration tank shaft 6, and a motor 8 provided coaxially with the blade shaft 9,
A clutch is provided that switches between transmitting the power of the motor 8 to only the blade shaft 9 or transmitting both the blade shaft 9 and the dehydration tank shaft 6. The drive mechanism 10 mainly rotates only the pulsator 7 in one or both directions during the washing operation and the rinsing operation, and during the dehydration operation, the washing / dehydrating tub 5 and the pulsator 7 are integrated in one direction (the forward rotation direction). And)
Rotate to. The washing / dehydrating tank 5 has a motor 8 of 1
It rotates once by rotating. On the other hand, since a reduction mechanism (not shown) is provided in the middle of the blade shaft 9, the pulsator 7 rotates according to the reduction ratio of the reduction mechanism.

An inverter board 17 for supplying driving power to the motor 8 and the like is installed below the frame 20 of the housing 1 and apart from the operation panel 16 (see FIG. 2).
The inverter board 17 is on the left side when viewed from the front, and is the housing 1
It is fixed to the corner of. A water injection port 11 equipped with a detergent container 11a for putting a detergent or the like behind the upper part of the outer tub 2.
Is provided. A water supply pipe 12 provided with a three-way valve 13 on the way is connected to the water injection port 11. When the three-way valve 13 is opened to the detergent container 11a side, the water injection port is passed through the water supply pipe 12 from an external water tap or the like. Tap water flows into 11, and tap water is discharged from the water injection port 11 toward the lower outer tub 2. When the three-way valve 13 is opened to the other side, tap water flows into the electrolytic cell 32 of the electrolytic unit 31 described later.

One end of a drain pipe 14 is connected to the front end of the bottom of the outer tub 2, that is, the bottom, and the drain pipe 14 is opened and closed by a drain valve 15. Although not shown, the other end of the drain pipe 14 is connected to an external drain groove via a drain hose that can stand upright. Drain valve 1
The opening / closing operation of No. 5 is associated with the above-mentioned clutch switching operation, and an attached torque motor (not shown in FIG. 1)
Is not operating, the drain valve 15 is closed, the pulsator 7 is separated from the washing / dehydrating tub 5 and can be rotated independently, and the torque motor is operated to move the wire (not shown) midway. When the wire is pulled, the pulsator 7 and the washing / dehydrating tank 5 are connected with the drain valve 15 closed, and when the wire is further pulled, the pulsator 7 is pulled.
The drain valve 15 is opened while the washing and dehydrating tub 5 is connected.

On the front side of the washing machine, below the frame 20 of the housing 1, there is provided an electrolytic unit 31 made of synthetic resin. As shown in FIG. 2, the electrolysis unit 31 is attached to the frame 20 of the housing 1 to the left in a front view by a screw or the like, and the electrolysis unit 31 includes an electrolysis tank 32.
have. The electrolytic cell 32 has two chambers 32a and 32b separated by a diaphragm 37 (made of, for example, polyethylene chloride).
It is divided into The two chambers 32a and 32b are connected to a water conduit 35 described later at the bottom of the electrolytic cell 32. Room 32a
Inside the first electrolysis electrode (hereinafter simply referred to as "electrode") 3
3a is arranged, and the second electrode 33b is arranged in the chamber 32b. Hereinafter, the first electrode 33a and the second electrode 33b
Are collectively referred to as “electrodes 33a and 33b” or “electrode 33”.

Further, the electrolysis unit 31 is connected to the chamber 32b and extends to the upper part of the outer tub 2 to supply water to the outer tub 2, and drainage for connecting the chamber 32a to drain water in the chamber 32a to the outside. It has a channel 36 and a water conduit 35 that connects the bottoms of the two chambers 32 a and 32 b and the three-way valve 13. Each of the electrodes 33a and 33b has a rectangular thin plate shape. The electrodes 33a and 33b are made of metal (for example, titanium Ti), and the surfaces thereof are coated with platinum, iridium, or the like.

The electrolysis unit 31 is arranged by utilizing an empty space between the housing 1 and the outer tank 2. The electrolysis unit 31 is formed in a thin box shape having a short depth so that it can be arranged in a narrow space between the outer tank 2 and the housing 1. With such a configuration, it is possible to suppress the amount of protrusion of the electrolysis unit 31 from the housing 1 to the inside. Therefore, during dehydration, the electrolysis unit 31 is vibrated when the outer tank 2 vibrates.
Can be prevented from colliding with the outer tub 2. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the size of the entire washing machine from increasing.

The terminals 331 of the electrodes 33 are exposed and held on the bottom surface of the electrolysis unit 31, as shown in FIG. The lead wire 21 is pulled out from each terminal 331,
1 is a power supply circuit 2 mounted on the inverter board 17
3 electrically connected. The power supply circuit 23 has lead wires 2
A DC voltage is applied to the electrode 33 through 1. Since the frame 20 in the lower portion of the washing machine is a portion where vibration is difficult to be transmitted, the mounting structure of the electrolytic unit 31 can be simplified and the durability thereof can be improved. In addition, the inverter board 1
Since the distance from 7 to the electrode 33 is short, the length of the lead wire 21 can be shortened and the influence of noise can be reduced. Further, it is possible to reduce noise mixing into the electronic components mounted on the operation panel 16.

Further, since the frame 20 in the lower portion of the washing machine to which the electrolysis unit 31 is attached is mainly made of metal, a shielding effect by the metal can be expected, and noise can be suppressed at low cost (in the upper portion of the washing machine). For example, resin is the main component, and a separate shield is required, which increases the cost). Although the electrolysis unit 31 is attached to the lower portion of the frame 20 of the housing 1 in the above description, the electrolysis unit 31 is not limited to this attachment position. For example, in FIG.
It may be attached to the leg portion 22 connected from the lowermost portion of the frame 20, as shown in FIG. Even when it is attached to the leg portion 22, since the distance from the inverter board 17 to the electrode 33 is short, the length of the lead wire 21 can be shortened and the influence of noise can be reduced. Operation panel 16
It is possible to reduce noise mixing into the electronic components mounted on the. Further, since the leg portion 22 at the lower portion of the washing machine is a portion where vibration is difficult to be transmitted, the mounting structure of the electrolysis unit 31 is simplified and its durability can be improved.

The electrolysis unit 31 includes the frame 2 of the housing 1.
It is also possible to install it in the water injection port 11 arranged in the upper part of the outer tub 2 instead of being attached to 0 or the leg part 22. Figure 4
[Fig. 3] is a side sectional view of an essential part showing an example in which an electrolysis unit 31 is installed in a water inlet of the outer tank 2. A valve 13a is provided midway behind the upper portion of the outer tub 2, and a water supply pipe 12 is connected to the valve 13a. The valve 13a is connected to the water conduit 35. At the tip of the water conduit 35, a detergent container (not shown) for putting detergent and the like, and an electrolysis unit 31 are arranged. The electrolysis unit 31 has an electrolysis tank 32, and the electrolysis tank 32 is divided into two chambers 32 a, 3 separated by a diaphragm 37.
2b. In each room 32a, 32b
One electrode 33a and the second electrode 33b are arranged. The electrolysis unit 31 has a water supply port 34b connected to the chamber 32b for supplying water to the upper part of the outer tub 2, and a drainage channel 36 connected to the chamber 32a for draining to the outside.

When the valve 13a is opened to the electrolysis unit 31 side, tap water flows into the electrolysis tank 32 of the electrolysis unit 31 from the external water tap or the like through the water supply pipe 12. The water flowing into the chambers 32a and 32b of the electrolytic cell 32 is electrolyzed by the electrode 33 to which a voltage is applied. With this structure, when attached to the frame 20 or the leg portion 22,
The benefits of preventing noise from being mixed in with short lead wires and reducing the effects of vibration are reduced. However, electrolysis unit 3
By installing 1 on the upper part of the outer tank 2, the water supply channel 34
Since the water conduit 35 and the water conduit 35 do not need to be run around inside the washing machine for a long time, the structure is simplified.

Next, a washing process using alkaline water or acidic water will be described using the washing machine having the structure shown in FIGS. Tap water supplied from the valve 13 or 13a flows into the chambers 32a and 32b of the electrolytic cell 32. In the chamber on the anode side (for example, 32a), due to the oxidation reaction, hypochlorous acid HClO, chlorine Cl ₂ , chlorate ion C
lO ^- acidic water containing the generated cathode side of the chamber (e.g. 3
2b), alkaline water containing hydroxide ion OH ⁻ is generated. As described above, the chamber 32b has the water supply passage 3
4 or the water supply port 34b, the alkaline water generated in the chamber 32b is supplied to the outer tub 2. Room 32
The acidic water generated in a is drained to the outside of the washing machine through the drainage channel 36. If the ratio of the size of each chamber 32a, 32b is set and the generation ratio of water after treatment is adjusted to about 5: 1, the water injection efficiency at the time of water supply is improved.

Central processing unit (MPU) in the power supply circuit 23
The polarity of the power supply can be reversed by the instruction of MPU,
In that case, the anode and the cathode are reversed, the acidic water is supplied to the outer tub 2, and the alkalinity is drained to the outside of the washing machine. 5 and 6 are flowcharts for explaining a washing procedure controlled by the central processing unit (MPU). When a signal to start washing is input from the operation panel 16, the central processing circuit (MPU) determines whether the elaborate course is set (step S1) or the standard course is set (step S2). When the careful course is set, the water quality of the wash water is set to pH 11 and relatively strong alkaline, and the water quality of the rinse water is set to pH 4 and relatively strong acidic (step S3). In particular,
The voltage is increased and the current is increased, or the amount of water is decreased by adjusting the valve 13 or 13a, the electrolysis time is sufficient, and the pH is adjusted to be strong. Whether to supply the alkaline water or the acidic water is determined by the polarity setting of the electrode 33 as described above.

When the standard course is set, the water quality of the wash water is set to pH 10 and a medium alkalinity, and the water quality of the rinse water is set to pH 5 and a medium acidity (step S).
4). Specifically, the voltage or current is set to a standard value, or the three-way valve 13 is adjusted to standardize the amount of water, and the pH is adjusted. If it is neither a careful course nor a standard course, it is judged to be a short course and the voltage is lowered to reduce the current, or the amount of water is sufficiently increased to reduce the electrolysis time, and the water quality of the wash water is adjusted to pH 9 and slightly alkaline, and rinse water is used. Water quality of pH 6
And weakly acidic (step S5).

As described above, the pH of the alkaline water can be changed from 9 to 11, and the pH of the acidic water can be changed from 6 to 4, so that the optimum pH according to the load amount and the degree of contamination can be obtained. It is water quality and can be washed and rinsed.
In particular, when the acidic water is in the range of pH 4 to pH 6, the production ratio of hypochlorous acid HClO having a high sterilization and bleaching effect is chlorine Cl 2.
₂ , which is much higher than the production ratio of hypochlorite ion ClO ⁻ , which is convenient.

As described above, by preliminarily storing the relationship between the course and the voltage, the amount of water, etc. in the central processing unit (MPU), it is possible to generate alkaline water or acidic water having a pH value according to the course. It is possible. The generation ratio is
As mentioned above, 5 times alkaline water and 1 hour acidic water are used for cleaning.
The ratio is 1 for alkaline water and 5 for acidic water.
It becomes the ratio of. Next, the clothes and the detergent are put into the washing / dehydrating tank 5 to start the washing process. The alkaline water having the set pH is poured into the outer tank 2, the motor 8 is driven, and the pulsator 7 is rotated to wash (step S6). When the washing is completed, drainage (step S7) and dehydration (step S8) are performed to reverse the polarity of the electrode 33, and then acidic water is supplied to perform shower rinsing (step S).
9). By reversing the polarity of the electrode 33, stains such as calcium and magnesium attached to the electrode can be self-cleaned, so that the life of the electrode can be extended.

After that, drainage (step S10) and dehydration (step S11) are performed, and acidic water is poured to perform rinsing (step S12). Since the amount of acidic water produced is large, the rinsing time can be shortened. After that, drainage (step S13) and dehydration (step S14) are performed to complete the washing process. In this way, when washing, wash using alkaline water of desired pH, and then rinse water with acidic water of desired pH to sterilize and bleach the laundry. Optimal cleaning and rinsing according to In particular, by using acidic water for rinsing, not only bacteria can be sterilized by the effect of hypochlorous acid, but also alkaline components in the clothes can be neutralized, which makes it possible to provide clothes that are kind to the body. . In addition, it is possible to reduce the amount of detergent. Particularly, in rinsing, bleaching and sterilizing effects which are safer and superior to those of various bleaching agents can be obtained by the action of oxidative decomposition of acidic water and the action of hypochlorous acid which has a bactericidal action.

In the above description, when the alkaline water is used for cleaning, the generated acidic water is drained, and when the acidic water is used for rinsing, the generated alkaline water is drained. Was there. However, by providing a tank (not shown), for example, a small amount of acidic water generated when making alkaline water (the ratio of alkaline water to acidic water is about 5 to 1 as described above) The structure of storing in a tank can also be adopted. By doing this, when washing with alkaline water and then rinsing, the acidic water stored in the tank is poured onto the clothes, and the effect of hypochlorous acid is effective in disinfecting and bleaching the laundry. Can be done on a regular basis. At this time, since the pH of the acidic water is not a strong acid as in the conventional case, it is possible to safely wash colored clothing.

In the shower rinsing step of step S9, the alkaline water may be shower rinsed without inverting the electrodes. For example, when the dirt is terrible, it is possible to effectively remove the dirt in a short time by shower rinsing the dirt that cannot be sufficiently removed by washing with alkaline water. <Second Embodiment> The electrolysis unit 31 described so far.
Was a two-chamber type, but in the second embodiment,
The first electrode 33a and the second electrode 3 are provided in the electrolytic cell 32 which is composed of one chamber.
The one-chamber type electrolysis unit 31 in which 3b and 3b are arranged is adopted.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing the structure of a washing machine in which the one-chamber type electrolysis unit 31 is attached to the frame 20. An electrode 33 is provided in the electrolytic cell 32 of the electrolysis unit 31.
a and 33b are arranged to face each other. The electrolytic bath 32 and the outer bath 2 are connected by two upper and lower water passages 38 and 39. The water passages 38 and 39 are constituted by, for example, bellows hoses made of flexible resin. The water stored in the outer tank 2 moves to the electrolytic tank 32 through the lower water passage 39, and is electrolyzed in the electrolytic tank 32. The water treated in the electrolytic bath 32 flows out to the outer bath 2 through the upper water passage 38. Such a flow can be generated by, for example, a water flow in the outer tub 2 due to the rotation of the pulsator 7. The way in which the water flows in the water passages 38 and 39 is not particularly limited and may be opposite to the above-described flow direction. In addition, a pair of water passages 3 corresponding to inflow and outflow.
It is also conceivable that at least one of the water passages 8 and 39 is configured by a plurality of water passages and, for example, three or more water passages are provided. It is also possible to provide a single waterway. For example, it is conceivable that a pair of water channels for inflow and outflow are provided in a single water channel without being partitioned, and the water channel is commonly used for inflow and outflow.

Further, when necessary, an air hose (not shown) is passed through the electrolytic cell 32 to generate a bubble / water supply device 8.
The bubbles generated in 8 are blown in. In the example of FIG. 7, the electrolysis unit 31 is attached to the frame 20 of the housing 1, but the electrolysis unit 31 is not limited to this attachment position. For example, as in FIG. 3, the frame 20
You may attach to the leg part 22 connected from the lowermost part. 8 to 12 are flowcharts for explaining the washing procedure of electrolytic washing controlled by the central processing unit (MPU).

This washing procedure employs a control procedure for automatically determining the pH of water, the number of times of washing, and the number of times of rinsing in the washing step according to the degree of stains on the laundry. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a pre-process of washing. The load amount of the laundry is detected (steps T1 and T2), the water level is determined according to the load amount (step T3), and water supply is started from the water inlet 11 (step T4). When the water reaches the detected water level reaching the electrolytic bath 32, "wash water quality determination 1" is performed (step T5). The details will be described later. When the "cleaning water quality judgment 1" is completed, a judgment 1 end flag is set (step T6).

Next, the water supply process is started. This will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Water is supplied until the set water level according to the load amount is reached (steps T7 and S8). When the set water level is reached, the water supply is turned off (step T9). next,
Perform a washing step. This will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. A voltage is applied to the electrodes (step T10), the motor 8 is driven, and the pulsator 7 is rotated to perform cleaning (step T11). Then, after a lapse of a fixed time after the start of washing (step T14), "wash water quality judgment 2" is performed (step T15). When this "wash water quality determination 2" is completed, a determination 2 end flag is set (step T13), the washing time is set based on the result of the "wash water quality determination 2", and the washing is continued. Then, when the set washing time has elapsed (YES in step T12), the washing is finished and the normal draining process is started.

After the drainage, the rinsing step is carried out, and the rinsing time and number of times are also determined based on the result of the "wash water quality judgment 2". Here, the procedure of "wash water quality determination 1" will be described with reference to the flowchart (FIG. 11). The "cleaning water quality determination 1" is a process in which the conductivity value when electrolyzing water varies depending on the water quality, and therefore, a reference energizing current value before cleaning is measured and stored in advance.

When the detected water level is reached (FIG. 11; step U)
1), a voltage is applied to the electrode 33 to perform electrolysis (step U2). The flowing current is detected, and the current value is stored in the memory as the current value 1 (step U4). The voltage application is stopped (step U5), and the judgment 1 end flag is set (step U6). FIG. 12 shows "cleaning water quality judgment 2".
3 is a flowchart for explaining the procedure of. The more dirty the laundry is, the higher the conductivity of the washing water and the larger the energizing current value are, so that the difference from the energizing current value which is a reference before washing is large. "Cleaning water quality determination 2" is a procedure of measuring the difference from this energizing current value and determining the degree of contamination.

The rotating motor 8 is turned off (FIG. 12;
In step V1), the flowing current is detected, and the current value is stored as a current value 2 in the memory (step V2). The difference between the current value 2 and the previously stored current value 1 (called current value 3; current value 3 is usually a positive value) is calculated and stored in the memory (step V3). Then, the washing time, the number of times of rinsing, and the rinsing time are determined by the current value 3 and the load amount of the laundry. The guidelines for the determination are shown in Table 1 and Table 2.

When the current value 3 is larger than the reference value, it is judged that the dirt is severe and the load amount is divided into large, medium and small, and the washing time, the number of rinsing times and the rinsing time in electrolytic washing are set for each load amount. , As shown in Table 1. here,
The "reference value" is a reference value for judging stains, and is set to an optimal value empirically.

[0045]

[Table 1]

When the current value 3 is smaller than the reference value, it is determined that the amount of dirt is small, and the washing time, the number of times of rinsing, and the rinsing time are determined for each load amount category as shown in Table 2.

[0047]

[Table 2]

Comparing Tables 1 and 2, when the stain is severe, the washing time, the number of rinses, and the rinse time are shorter than when the stain is small. In this way, the degree of soiling of the laundry can be easily determined by the value of the applied current. <Third Embodiment> In this embodiment, the electrolysis unit 3
A washing machine in which 1 is a single-chamber type and the electrolytic unit 31 is installed above the outer tub 2 will be described.

FIG. 13 is a side sectional view showing the structure of the washing machine of this embodiment. An electrolytic unit 31 is arranged behind the upper part of the outer tub 2 together with a detergent container (not shown) for putting a detergent or the like. The electrolysis unit 31 includes a first electrode 33a and a second electrode 33b in an electrolysis tank 32 formed of one chamber.
And are arranged. A water supply port 34b for pouring electrolyzed water into the outer tank is provided at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the electrolysis unit 31.

A water conduit 35 is connected to the electrolysis unit 31, and the water conduit 35 is connected to the valve 13a. Further, the water supply pipe 12 is connected to the valve 13a. When the valve 13a is opened to the electrolysis unit 31 side, tap water flows into the electrolysis tank 32 of the electrolysis unit 31 from the external water tap or the like through the water supply pipe 12. Electrolyzer 32
The water that has flowed into is electrolyzed by the electrode 33 to which a voltage is applied. In this process, calcium ions and magnesium ions in tap water adhere to the negative electrode, and the water is softened. The softened water is supplied to the outer tub 2 through the water supply port 34b.

Therefore, when washing with a detergent or rinsing, the softened water can be used, so that the washing effect is improved. In addition, since washing water and rinse water contain hypochlorous acid HClO, sterilization and bleaching effects of hypochlorous acid HClO can be expected. In addition,
Since ions are attached to the electrodes after long-term use, it is preferable to periodically perform maintenance such as electrode replacement.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a structure of a washing machine in which a two-chamber type electrolytic unit is attached to a frame.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view of the washing machine.

FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a washing machine in which a two-chamber type electrolytic unit is attached to legs.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of an essential part showing an example in which a two-chamber electrolysis unit is installed in a water inlet.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining a washing procedure controlled by a central processing unit (MPU).

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining a washing procedure controlled by a central processing unit (MPU) (continued from FIG. 5).
Is.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing a configuration of a washing machine in which a one-chamber electrolysis unit is attached to a frame.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a pre-washing process.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a water supply process.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a cleaning process.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining a procedure of “wash water quality determination 1”.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the procedure of “wash water quality determination 2”.

FIG. 13 is a side sectional view showing a configuration of a washing machine in which a one-chamber electrolysis unit is installed in an upper part of an outer tub.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 case 2 outer tank 5 washing and dewatering tank 16 Operation panel 17 Inverter board 20 frames 21 lead wire 22 legs 23 Power circuit 31 Electrolysis unit 32 Electrolyzer 32a, 32b two chambers 33 electrodes 33a First electrode 33b Second electrode 34 water supply channel 34b Water supply port 35 headrace 36 drainage 37 septum 38,39 waterways 331 terminal

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Masanori Omachi             2-5-3 Keihan Hondori, Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture             Within Yo Denki Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Haruo Mamiya             2-5-3 Keihan Hondori, Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture             Within Yo Denki Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Katsushi Onishi             2-5-3 Keihan Hondori, Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture             Within Yo Denki Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hironobu Furuya             2-5-3 Keihan Hondori, Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture             Within Yo Denki Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 3B155 AA01 AA03 AA11 AA15 AA17                       BB08 BB09 BB14 CA06 CA16                       CB06 CB28 CB32 CB38 CB42                       FA02 FA07 FA15 FA36 KA06                       KA13 KB08 KB27 LB04 LC07                       LC28 MA01 MA02 MA06

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A washing machine comprising a washing tub for accommodating an article to be washed and an electrolysis unit for electrolyzing water used for washing in the washing tub, wherein an inverter board for driving a motor is provided from an operation board. A washing machine characterized in that the washing machine is installed in a remote place, the electrolysis unit is provided in the vicinity of the inverter board, and the power supply of the electrolysis unit is shared with the power supply for driving the motor. 2. A washing machine comprising a washing tub for containing an article to be washed and an electrolysis unit for electrolyzing water used for washing in the washing tub, wherein the electrolysis unit is a frame or legs at the bottom of the washing machine. Washing machine characterized by being attached to the part. 3. A washing machine in which laundry and water are put into a washing tub for washing, in which water used for washing is electrolyzed to generate alkaline water and acidic water, and either water is washed in the washing tub. A washing machine characterized in that the pH (pH) of alkaline water to be poured for washing is variable, provided with an electrolysis means capable of pouring water into the washing machine. 4. A washing machine for laundering laundry and water in a washing tub for washing, wherein the water used for washing is electrolyzed to generate alkaline water and acidic water, and either of the water is washed in the washing tub. PH of acidic water to be poured for rinsing (pH)
A washing machine characterized by being variable. 5. A washing machine for putting laundry and water in a washing tub for washing, comprising an electrolysis electrode for electrolyzing water to be poured into the washing tub, and energizing the electrolysis electrode A washing machine characterized by softening water by removing metal ions. 6. A washing machine for putting laundry and washing water into a washing tub for washing, an electrolysis means for electrolyzing water poured into the washing tub, and a dirt detection means for detecting dirt on the laundry. And a washing machine which determines operating conditions such as a washing time in electrolytic washing and the number of rinses according to the amount of dirt detected by the dirt detecting means. 7. The washing machine according to claim 6, wherein the dirt detecting means detects the degree of dirt by judging the water quality based on the value of a current supplied for electrolysis.