JP2007181597A - Washing machine and rinsing method of washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rinsing method capable of rinsing off stain on clothes and a detergent component in the small number of times of rinsing, a washing machine with improved water saving property, and a washing machine capable of effectively purifying water having used for washing till becoming one suited for being reused for washing. <P>SOLUTION: A circulation channel is formed of an outer tub 5, a drain pipe 11, a branch pipe 15, a tank 4, a tank water supply pipe 55 and a tank water through pipe 61. This washing machine, in the rinsing process, purifies the rinse water with a purifying device 6 and circulates it in the circulation channel to repeatedly use rinsing water for rinsing, reduce the quantity of water for use in the rinsing and complete the rinsing process by just once. Porous materials 71 contained in the purifying device 6 adsorb the stain and the detergent component to effectively purify the rinsing water. The porous materials 71 can store microorganisms to decompose the stain and the detergent component adsorbed by the porous materials 71 by microbial treatment. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine and a washing machine rinsing method for purifying water used for washing and reusing it for washing.

Conventionally, a washing machine that purifies water used for washing and uses it for washing is known. In the invention described in Patent Document 1, an outer tub is provided in a housing, and a drum is provided in the outer tub. In the drum-type washing machine provided, a water storage tank is provided at the lower part of the outer tub, and lint (thread waste) provided in the water storage tank is used to capture the thread waste contained in the water used for washing. It has been proposed to store water in a water tank and reuse this water.
JP 2005-124626 A

However, the drum-type washing machine described in Patent Document 1 efficiently purifies water used for washing clothes with a lot of dirt or washing with excessive supply of detergent until it is suitable for reuse because it is easy to wash. Difficult to do. In addition, if rinsing is not performed twice or more, there is a problem that dirt and detergent components of clothes peeled off by washing cannot be rinsed off.
The main object of the present invention based on such a background is to provide a washing machine with improved water-saving performance, which can rinse dirt and detergent components of clothes with a small number of rinses.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine that can effectively purify water used for washing until it is suitable for reuse in washing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a rinsing method capable of rinsing clothes stains and detergent components with a small number of rinses.

The invention according to claim 1 is provided with a washing tub, a circulation water channel for pumping out water from the washing tub and returning it to the washing tub again, and dirt and water contained in the water flowing in the circulation water channel. And a purification device having a porous material for adsorbing detergent components and the like.
The invention according to claim 2 is the washing machine according to claim 1, further comprising a circulation control means for controlling the water in the washing tub to circulate through the circulation channel in the rinsing step. .

The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in the circulation channel, the filter medium and the porous substance disposed adjacent to the filter medium downstream in the water circulation direction, Is a washing machine.
A fourth aspect of the present invention is the washing machine according to the second or third aspect, wherein the purifying device has different types of porous substances arranged in two stages along the circulation direction. .

Invention of Claim 5 is a washing machine in any one of Claims 2-4 characterized by including the tank for temporarily storing the water which is inserted in the said circulation water channel and flows through the said circulation water channel. .
A sixth aspect of the present invention is the washing machine according to the fifth aspect, wherein the purification device is inserted between the washing tub and the tank in the circulation channel.

A seventh aspect of the present invention is the washing machine according to the fifth aspect, wherein the purification device is provided in the tank.
The invention according to claim 8 further includes ozone generation means and ozone supply means for supplying ozone generated by the ozone generation means to water circulating in the circulation channel. The washing machine according to any one of Items 5 to 7.

The invention according to claim 9 is the washing machine according to claim 8, wherein the ozone supply means supplies ozone to the water stored in the tank.
The invention according to claim 10 is the washing machine according to any one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the porous substance includes a carrier for microbial treatment.
The invention according to claim 11 is the washing machine according to claim 10, further comprising means for supplying air to the carrier.

A twelfth aspect of the invention is the washing machine according to any one of the third to eleventh aspects, wherein the circulation channel has means for flowing water in a direction opposite to the circulation direction.
The invention according to claim 13 is the washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the porous material contains at least one of alumina, silica and carbon.
The invention according to claim 14 includes refresh means for refreshing the porous material by supplying tap water or a softener component to the purification device and causing the adsorbed material to be separated from the porous material. It is a washing machine in any one of Claims 1-13 characterized by the above-mentioned.

  The invention described in claim 15 is a washing tub, a circulating water channel for pumping out water from the washing tub and returning it to the washing tub again, and a water which is inserted into the circulating water channel and temporarily flows through the circulating water channel. A tank, and foam separating means for supplying fine bubbles to the water stored in the tank and separating dirt and detergent components contained in the water stored in the tank. This is a washing machine that is characterized.

  In the rinsing step, the invention described in claim 16 performs rinsing while circulating water so that the water in the washing tub is pumped out, passed through a purification device having a porous material, and returned to the washing tub. This is a method of rinsing a washing machine.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the water pumped out of the washing tub and flowing in the circulation channel is returned to the washing tub after the dirt and detergent components are removed by the purifier, that is, circulated while being purified. Therefore, this water can be reused for washing. Therefore, the water saving performance of the washing machine can be improved. In addition, the porous material of the purification device can effectively purify the water flowing in the circulation channel until it is suitable for reuse in washing.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the rinsing step, the water used for rinsing is circulated by the circulation control means so as to be purified by the purifier and then returned to the washing tub and used again for rinsing. Therefore, since the amount of water used for rinsing can be reduced, the number of rinsing steps can be reduced, and the water-saving performance of the washing machine can be improved. Moreover, since the water used in the rinsing process is less contaminated, detergent components, etc. than the water used in the washing process, it is possible to improve the water purification efficiency.

  According to invention of Claim 3, foreign materials, such as a thread waste which cannot be coped with with a porous substance, can be removed from the circulating water with a filter medium. Thereby, an apparatus intended to remove the original lint such as a lint filter can be omitted. In addition, dirt, detergent components, and the like are removed from the water from which foreign matter such as lint has been removed by the filter medium, by the porous material that is disposed adjacent to the downstream side of the filter medium in the circulation direction. Therefore, the water that has passed through the filter medium and the porous substance is effectively purified and can be reused for washing including rinsing in the washing tub.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, since different types of porous substances are arranged in two stages along the circulation direction, dirt, detergent components, etc. contained in water are shared with each porous substance. Can be adsorbed. For example, dirt can be adsorbed on one porous material and detergent components can be adsorbed on the other porous material. Thereby, the circulated water can be effectively purified.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the water flowing through the circulation channel can be temporarily stored in the tank, it can be reused in the next washing, for example, other than the rinsing step. Therefore, the water saving performance of the washing machine can be improved.
According to the invention described in claim 6, since the purification device is inserted between the washing tub and the tank, the water purified by the purification device is stored in the tank and returned to the washing tub, or The collected water can be purified by the purification device and returned to the washing tub. Thereby, the water-saving performance of the washing machine can be improved.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the purification device is provided in the tank, the water stored in the tank is reliably purified by the purification device. The purified water can be circulated so as to be returned to the washing tub and reused for washing, or can be stored in the tank and used for the next washing or the like. Thereby, the water-saving performance of the washing machine can be improved.
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the ozone generated by the ozone generating means is supplied by the ozone supplying means to the water that circulates in the circulation channel and removes dirt, detergent components, and the like by the purification device. This water is further decolorized, deodorized and sterilized. Thereby, the water which circulates through a circulation channel is reliably purified. Further, since the purified water circulates in the circulation channel, the purification device is also decolored, deodorized and sterilized by the ozone mixed in the water. Thereby, in addition to the purification | cleaning of the water which flows through a circulation channel, a circulation channel and a purification apparatus can also be kept clean. Therefore, the circulated water can be purified effectively.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since the ozone stored in the tank is supplied with ozone by the ozone supply means, the water is decolorized, deodorized and sterilized. The tank is also decolored, deodorized and sterilized by ozone mixed in the water. Thereby, in addition to purification of water in the tank, the tank can be kept clean. Therefore, the water in the tank can be effectively purified.

  According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, microorganisms can be stored in the carrier contained in the porous material, and dirt, detergent components and the like adsorbed on the porous material are decomposed by the microorganisms. Therefore, the adsorption performance of the porous material is recovered, and the purification of water by the porous material can be promoted. Further, the carrier eliminates the need for providing means for separating dirt and detergent components from the porous material.

According to the eleventh aspect of the invention, since air is supplied to the carrier, microorganisms in the carrier become active, and it is possible to promote the decomposition of dirt and detergent components adsorbed on the porous material by the microorganisms. it can. Therefore, the adsorption performance of the porous material is recovered, and the purification of water by the porous material can be promoted.
According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the normal circulation, the water flows in the normal circulation direction, that is, in the direction opposite to the water circulation direction when purifying the water in the circulation water channel. It is possible to refresh the filter medium by removing the lint etc. captured by the filter medium from the filter medium. Thereby, purification of water by the filter medium can be promoted, and troubles such as replacement of the filter medium can be saved.

According to the invention of claim 13, the porous material contains at least one of alumina, silica, and carbon, which are relatively inexpensive and easily available. Therefore, water can be easily purified by the porous material having such a configuration.
According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the porous material can be refreshed by separating the dirt or detergent component adsorbed on the porous material by the tap water or the softener component supplied by the refresh member. Thereby, purification of water by the porous material can be promoted, and troubles such as replacement of the porous material can be saved.

According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, by separating the dirt and detergent components together with the fine bubbles from the water pumped out of the washing tub by the foam separating means and flowing in the circulating water channel and stored in the tank. Water can be purified effectively and returned to the washing layer for reuse in washing.
According to the invention described in claim 16, in the rinsing step, rinsing is performed while circulating the water pumped out of the washing tub so as to be purified by the purification device having a porous substance and returned to the washing tub. Therefore, since the amount of water used for rinsing can be reduced, the number of rinsing steps can also be reduced, and water saving can be achieved in rinsing.

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front obliquely upward.
In the washing machine 1, an outer shell is constituted by a slightly vertically long housing 2. A water supply port 9 is provided on the upper surface of the housing 2, and a water supply facility such as a water supply is connected to the water supply port 9. An operation panel 75 is disposed above the front surface of the housing 1. By operating the operation panel 75, the user can cause the washing machine 1 to perform a desired operation.

On the left side of the operation panel 75, an accommodating portion 7 for accommodating the detergent and the flexible material is disposed so as to be drawable.
When viewed from the bottom to the top, the front surface of the housing 2 is a surface in which a lower portion rises vertically and is inclined gently and obliquely backward from the middle. A door 27 is provided near the center of the front surface. The door 27 has a square shape with rounded corners when viewed from the front side, and a circular seal packing (not shown) for closing the outer tub 5 described later is provided inside the door 27. A front panel 2a that can be independently detached is provided below the front surface of the housing 2, and by removing the front panel 2a, the lower front portion of the washing machine 1 is exposed and provided at the lower front portion. Maintenance of a pump, a switching valve, a filter, and the like (which will be described later) can be easily performed.

Further, a window 80 is formed on the right side of the front panel 2 a, and the window 80 is covered with a lid 81. When the lid 81 is removed, the lint filter 14 (described later) is exposed, and the lint etc. captured by the lint filter 14 can be easily removed.
The rear of the upper surface of the housing 2 is a low step surface 2b that is lowered by one step. In the washing machine 1, since the height of the housing 2 is relatively high, the upper portion of the housing 2 may interfere with the water tap when it is installed. Therefore, even when the water tap is low, a low-level step surface 2b is formed at the upper rear portion so that the washing machine 1 can be arranged without hindrance.

FIG. 2 is a configuration block diagram of the washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.
The washing machine 1 has an outer shell partitioned by a housing 2. A drum 3 is disposed in the housing 2.
The drum 3 has a cylindrical shape, and is coaxially accommodated in the cylindrical outer tub 5. In this embodiment, the drum 3 and the outer tub 5 constitute a washing tub. The drum 3 is rotated around the central axis of the drum 3 by a motor (not shown).

  A water supply pipe 8 disposed in the housing 2 is connected to the water supply port 9 via a unit valve 44 (described later). In the water supply pipe 8, the aforementioned accommodating portion 7 is inserted downstream of the unit valve 44 in the water flow direction. The water supply pipe 8 branches into a detergent water supply pipe 42 and a softener water supply pipe 43 between the unit valve 44 and the accommodating portion 7. The other end of the water supply pipe 8 opposite to the one connected to the unit valve 44 is connected to the uppermost part of the peripheral wall of the outer tub 5, and the water supply port 9 and the outer tub 5 are connected via the water supply pipe 8. The inside communicates.

  The accommodating portion 7 has a box (not shown) that can be pulled out forward of the housing 2, and the inside of the box is partitioned into a detergent accommodating chamber and a softener accommodating chamber. The box is pulled out, the detergent and softener are stored in the respective storage chambers, and the box is pushed in to complete the setting of the detergent and softener. When water is supplied to the storage unit 7 from the water supply pipe 8, the detergent and / or softener stored in the detergent storage room and the softener storage room respectively are supplied to the water supplied via the water supply pipe 8. Dissolved and supplied into the outer tub 5.

In addition, one end of a first priming water pipe 48 and a second priming water pipe 50 is connected to the accommodating portion 7.
The other end of the first priming water pipe 48 is connected to a supply pump 57 provided in the housing 2. When the supply pump 57 is driven to pump out water in the housing 2, the first priming water pipe 48 is supplied from the housing portion 7. The priming water is supplied to the pump 57.

The other end of the second priming water pipe 50 is connected to a bath water supply pump 52 provided in the housing 2. When the bath water supply pump 52 is driven to pump out the bath water, The priming water is supplied to the bath water supply pump 52.
Note that one end of a bath water supply pipe 41 is connected to the bath water supply pump 52. The other end of the bath water supply pipe 41 is connected to the water supply pipe 8 via the accommodating portion 7. Therefore, bath water from a bath tank (not shown) can be pumped out by the bath water supply pump 52 and supplied into the outer tank 5 through the bath water supply pipe 41 and the water supply pipe 8.

  The unit valve 44 is a so-called four-unit valve in which four valves sharing an inlet through which water from the water supply port 9 flows are unitized, and includes a first water outlet 45 for the detergent connected to the detergent water supply pipe 42. A second valve having a softener water outlet 46 connected to the valve, a softener water supply pipe 43, a third valve having a direct outlet 65 connected to the tap water direct pipe 63, and a heat exchange water supply pipe 49 And a fourth valve provided with a water supply outlet 82. The tap water direct pipe 63 has a check valve 64 inserted in the middle and is connected to the uppermost part of the peripheral wall of the outer tub 5. The heat exchange water supply pipe 49 is connected to the dehumidifying pipe 19 (described later) with the check valve 20 interposed in the middle. In the state where the unit valve 44 is reset, the first, second, third and fourth valves are closed.

  Therefore, by opening the first valve in the unit valve 44, the tap water flowing in from the inlet of the unit valve 44 is supplied from the detergent water outlet 45 through the detergent water supply pipe 42 as described above. Flowing into the detergent storage chamber or by opening the second valve, it is possible to selectively flow from the softener water outlet 46 to the softener storage chamber of the storage section 7 through the softener water supply pipe 43. Is possible. Further, by opening the third valve, tap water flowing in from the inlet of the unit valve 44 is supplied directly from the direct outlet 65 to the outer tub 5 via the tap water direct pipe 63, and the fourth valve is opened. Accordingly, it is possible to supply the dehumidifying pipe 19 from the water supply outlet 82 through the heat exchange water supply pipe 49.

  A drain outlet 10 is formed at the lowermost end of the outer tub 5, and a drain pipe 11 (see FIG. 1) extending outside the housing 2 is connected to the drain outlet 10. A drain valve 12 and a first switching valve 13 are interposed in the middle of the drain pipe 11. The lint filter 14 described above is interposed between the drain valve 12 and the first switching valve 13. A branch pipe 15 into which a water storage valve 25 is inserted is connected to the lint filter 14 in addition to the drain pipe 11, and water passing through the lint filter 14 is changed by switching the first switching valve 13. Then, it is possible to select whether to continue discharging along the drain pipe 11 to the outside of the housing 2 or to flow out to the branch pipe 15. The branch pipe 15 is connected to the tank 4 (described later), and the water flowing into the branch pipe 15 can be supplied to the tank 4 by opening the water storage valve 25.

  Below the outer tub 5, an outlet 17 of the drying air passage 16 is connected. The drying air passage 16 extends upward along the peripheral surface of the outer tub 5, and the tip thereof is connected to the upper portion of the peripheral surface of the outer tub 5 as an inlet 18. Thereby, the inside of the outer tub 5 and the dry air passage 16 communicate with each other. In the dry air passage 16, a region extending upward along the peripheral surface of the outer tub 5 functions as a dehumidifying pipe 19. When the clothes are dried, the moisture contained in the clothes is vaporized into steam, and the hot and humid air in the drum 3 containing the steam exits from the outlet 17 and moves upward in the dehumidifying pipe 19. At this time, the water supplied from the heat exchange water supply pipe 49 is dropped in the dehumidifying pipe 19. In addition to the heat exchange water supply pipe 49, water can also be supplied into the dehumidifying pipe 19 from the heat exchange tank water water supply pipe 24 connected in the middle of the heat exchange water supply pipe 49. The water and the water liquefied when the air in the dehumidifying pipe 19 is dehumidified falls through the dehumidifying pipe 19 and then reaches the drain outlet 10 through the outer tank 5 from the outlet 17.

  A filter (not shown) is inserted in the drying air passage 16 on the downstream side of the dehumidifying pipe 19 when viewed in the air flow direction, and a blower 21 is further provided on the downstream side. By rotating the blower 21, the air in the drum 3 exits from the outlet 17, moves in the drying air passage 16, and is supplied again into the drum 3 from the inlet 18. A heater 22 is inserted downstream of the blower 21 in the drying air passage 16. The air passing through the drying air passage 16 is dehumidified in the dehumidifying pipe 19, and then heated by the heater 22 and supplied from the inlet 18 to the drum 3.

A sealed tank 4 is provided below the outer tub 5. The other end of the branch pipe 15 opposite to the one connected to the lint filter 14 is open in the tank 4.
Further, one end of an air bleeding hose 51 is connected to the tank 4. The air bleeding hose 51 extends upward from the tank 4, and the other end is connected to the dehumidifying pipe 19. Thereby, the inside of the tank 4 and the dry air path 16 are connected.

The tank 4 is provided with a pressure adjusting drain pipe 29 as an overflow channel having an inlet 26 opened in the tank 4. A check valve 28 is interposed in the middle of the pressure adjusting drain pipe 29. The outlet side of the pressure adjusting drain pipe 29 is joined to the downstream side of the first switching valve 13 of the drain pipe 11.
An overflow pipe 23 is also connected to the pressure adjusting drain pipe 29. Therefore, when a predetermined amount or more of water is supplied into the outer tub 5, the predetermined amount or more of the water overflows to the outside of the outer tub 5 through the overflow pipe 23 and is discharged outside the machine through the drain pipe 11. The

  In order to circulate the water stored in the tank 4, the tank 4 is provided with a circulation path 32 that communicates between the outlet 31 and the inlet 30 that are formed on the side of the tank 4. A circulation pump 33 and an ejector 35 as ozone supply means are inserted in the circulation path 32 in order from the outlet 31 toward the inlet 30 so as to follow the water circulation direction. Therefore, the water in the tank 4 can be pumped out by the circulation pump 33 and circulated through the circulation path 32.

One end of a tank water supply pipe 55 is connected to a drain outlet 67 provided on the bottom surface of the tank 4, and a second switching valve 56 is connected to the other end.
A supply pump 57 and a third switching valve 34 are sequentially inserted between the tank 4 and the second switching valve 56 in the tank water supply pipe 55 along the direction of water flow.
The third switching valve 34 is a three-way valve and switches so that the water in the tank 4 discharged from the supply pump 57 and flowing in from one direction flows out in either one of the two directions. That is, a supply outlet 58 and a drain outlet 59 for continuously flowing along the tank water supply pipe 55 to the second switching valve 56 are provided.

A tank drain pipe 40 is connected to the drain outlet 59, and the tank drain pipe 40 is joined downstream of the check valve 28 of the pressure adjusting drain pipe 29.
Therefore, by switching the third switching valve 34, the water in the tank 4 can be pumped by the supply pump 57 and can flow from the supply outlet 58 along the tank water supply pipe 55 to the second switching valve 56.

Further, by switching the third switching valve 34, the water in the tank 4 is pumped out by the supply pump 57 and is discharged from the drain outlet 59 through the tank drain pipe 40, the pressure adjusting drain pipe 29 and the drain pipe 11. Can be drained.
The second switching valve 56 is a four-way valve, and switches so that water that passes through the tank water supply pipe 55 and flows in from one direction flows out in any of the three directions. That is, the first outlet 36, the second outlet 37, and the third outlet 38 are provided.

One end of the heat exchange tank water supply pipe 24 described above is connected to the first outlet 36. The other end of the heat exchange tank water supply pipe 24 is connected in the middle of the heat exchange supply pipe 49.
One end of a tank water direct pipe 61 is connected to the second outlet 37. The other end of the tank water direct pipe 61 is connected to the uppermost part of the peripheral wall of the outer tub 5.
One end of a tank water supply pipe 60 is connected to the third outlet 38. The other end of the tank water supply pipe 60 is connected to the water supply pipe 8 via the accommodating portion 7.

Therefore, by switching the second switching valve 56, the water in the tank 4 can be supplied from the first outlet 36 to the dehumidifying pipe 19 via the heat exchange tank water supply pipe 24, and tap water and bath water can be supplied. Instead of this, the water and the hot and humid air in the dehumidifying pipe 19 can be heat-exchanged to cool and dehumidify the hot and humid air.
Further, by switching the second switching valve 56, the water in the tank 4 is sent from the third outlet 38 to the water supply pipe 8 through the tank water supply pipe 60 and is stored in the outer tub 5 for reuse in washing. be able to.

Further, by switching the second switching valve 56, the water in the tank 4 can be directly flowed from the second outlet 37 to the outer tank 5 through the tank water direct pipe 61.
In the vicinity of the tank 4, an ozone generator 47 as an ozone generator is provided. The ozone generator 47 is a device that generates ozone by performing silent discharge (creeping discharge) on the air taken in through the filter 62. The air that has passed through the ozone generator 47 contains ozone.

  In this embodiment, the air containing ozone output from the ozone generator 47 is given to the ejector 35 using the first supply path 53 in which a check valve 39 is inserted midway. The ozone supplied through the first supply path 53 is mixed with the water in the circulating tank 4 in the ejector 35. More specifically, in the ejector 35, the air containing ozone supplied from the first supply path 53 is mixed as fine bubbles in the water due to the negative pressure generated when water passes through the ejector 35. And when the pigment | dye, the odor component, and various germs are contained in water, these are oxidized by ozone and the water in the tank 4 is decolored, deodorized, and disinfected.

  The air containing ozone generated by the ozone generator 47 is further supplied to the drying air passage 16 by the second supply passage 54. The given position is the upstream side of the blower 21 in the drying air passage 16 (the suction side of the blower 21). This ozone is supplied to the clothes to be dried, and the odor components and various germ components attached to the clothes are oxidized, deodorized, or sterilized.

  In such a washing machine 1, by opening the drain valve 12 and the water storage valve 25, closing the first switching valve 13 and switching the third switching valve 34 and the second switching valve 56, the outer tub 5, the drain pipe 11, The circulation pipe can be formed by the branch pipe 15, the tank 4, the tank water supply pipe 55 and the tank water direct pipe 61, and the water stored in the outer tub 5 from the water supply pipe 8 circulates through this circulation water path. be able to. The purification device 6 is inserted between the lint filter 14 and the water storage valve 25 of the branch pipe 15. The water passing through the purification device 6 is purified by removing dirt, detergent components and the like by the purification device 6. The purification device 6 will be described in detail later. Therefore, the water in the outer tub 5 is circulated through the circulation channel while being purified by the purification device 6, and thus this water can be repeatedly used for washing in the outer tub 5. In particular, in the rinsing step, the rinsing water can be purified during the rinsing by circulating the rinsing water in the outer tub 5, so that the rinsing step can be completed only once. Thereby, the water-saving performance of the washing machine 1 can be improved. In addition, since the rinse water used for a rinse process has less dirt, a detergent component, etc. than the wash water used at a washing process, the purification efficiency of the water by the purification apparatus 6 becomes high. Further, since the water flowing through the circulation channel can be once stored in the tank 4, it can be reused in the next washing, for example, other than the rinsing step. Therefore, the water saving performance of the washing machine 1 can be improved.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control circuit configuration in the washing machine 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
As shown in FIG. 3, the washing machine 1 is provided with a control unit 74 as a circulation control unit, which is configured by a microcomputer or the like, for example. The control unit 74 performs operation control according to the operation of the operation panel 75. At that time, the control unit 74 includes the drain valve 12, the first switching valve 13, the blower 21, the heater 22, the water storage valve 25, the circulation pump 33, the third switching valve 34, the unit valve 44, the ozone generator 47, the bath. Switching control of the water supply pump 52, the second switching valve 56, and the supply pump 57 is performed.
(Washing process)
In response to the operation of the operation panel 75, the controller 74 closes the drain valve 12 and then opens the first, second or third valve of the unit valve 44 as shown in FIG. Tap water from a water tap (not shown) is stored in the outer tub 5 via the water supply pipe 8 or the tap water direct pipe 63, and the detergent stored in the storage section 7 is dissolved in the tap water in the outer tub 5 And a motor (not shown) is driven to rotate the drum 3 to wash the clothes. The control unit 74 may supply bath water to the outer tub 5 by driving the bath water pump 52.

After completion of the washing process, the control unit 74 closes the water storage valve 25 and then opens the drain valve 12 and the first switching valve 13 to supply the washing water in the outer tub 5 used in the washing process from the drain pipe 11. Perform dehydration to the outside. In the dehydration, the control unit 74 rotates the drum 3 at a high speed, so that the washing water contained in the clothes is also discharged outside the apparatus.
(Rinsing process)
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the rinsing process.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the rinsing process is started after dehydration, the control unit 74 closes the drain valve 12 (S1).
And the control part 74 opens the 1st, 2nd or 3rd valve | bulb mentioned above of the unit valve 44, tap water from a tap (not shown) is supplied to the water supply pipe 8 or the tap water direct pipe 63. Is stored in the outer tub 5 (S2).

When a predetermined amount of water is supplied into the outer tub 5 (YES in S3), the supply of tap water to the outer tub 5 is stopped (S4).
Thereafter, the controller 74 drives a motor (not shown) to rotate the drum 3 and rinses clothes (S5).
When the drum 3 is rotated for a predetermined time, the first switching valve 13 is closed (S6), and the drain valve 12 and the water storage valve 25 are opened (S7). Thereby, the rinsing water in the outer tub 5 is guided to the tank 4.

And the 3rd switching valve 34 is switched, the supply outlet 58 and the tank water supply pipe 55 are connected, the 2nd switching valve 56 is switched, the 2nd outlet 37 and the tank water direct passage pipe 61 are connected, and the above-mentioned. A circulating water channel is created (S8).
Thereafter, the supply pump 57 is driven (S9), and the water guided to the tank 4 in S7 is supplied to the outer tub 5 via the tank water supply pipe 55 and the tank water direct pipe 61. Further, after this water is supplied to the outer tub 5 and used for rinsing clothes, it is circulated through the circulation channel for 10 to 30 minutes, for example, until the rinsing process is completed. It should be noted that while the rinse water circulates in the circulation channel, there is no fluctuation difference between the amount of rinse water supplied to the outer tub 5 and the amount of rinse water discharged from the outer tub 5 to the tank 4. In addition, the drain valve 12, the water storage valve 25, the second switching valve 56, the third switching valve 34, and the supply pump 57 are appropriately controlled by the control unit 74. Moreover, you may add control which replenishes tap water to the outer tank 5 as needed.

As described above, the rinsing water circulating in the circulation channel passes through the purification device 6.
5 and 6 are schematic side cross-sectional views of the purification device 6.
As shown in FIG. 2 and as described above, the purification device 6 is interposed between the lint filter 14 and the water storage valve 25 of the branch pipe 15. 5 and 6, the upper side of the drawing is the lint filter 14 side, and the lower side of the drawing is the water storage valve 25 side. Thereafter, the flow from the lint filter 14 to the water storage valve 25 (FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 (a) solid arrow direction) is the circulation direction, and the flow from the water storage valve 25 to the lint filter 14 (FIG. 6 (b) broken line arrow direction). The reverse circulation direction.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the purification device 6 includes a hollow cylindrical housing 68. A casing inlet 69 is formed at the upstream end of the casing 68 in the circulation direction, and a casing outlet 70 is formed at the downstream end of the circulation direction. The inner and outer diameters of the casing 68 gradually increase from the casing inlet 69 along the circulation direction, become constant in the middle, and then gradually decrease and continue to the casing outlet 70.

In such a purification device 6, a large number of porous substances 71 are filled therein.
The porous material 71 is a substantially spherical body containing at least one of alumina, silica, and carbon.
Alumina and silica are components contained in ceramics and are also contained in commercially available glass, so that they can be obtained relatively inexpensively and easily. Alumina and silica have a property of adsorbing clothes dyes as dirt, anionic surfactants (LAS: linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid) as a detergent component, etc. contained in water used for washing.

Carbon has an adsorptive power to the above-mentioned dirt and detergent components by oxidizing relatively inexpensive materials such as activated coal, coconut shell activated carbon and activated charcoal.
A large number of concave portions 72 having minute pores are formed on the surface of the porous material 71, thereby increasing the surface area of the porous material 71. Adsorption performance is high, and water flowing in the circulation channel can be effectively purified until it is suitable for reuse in washing.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, in the purification device 6, a porous material 71 is loaded on the downstream half in the circulation direction inside the housing 68, and the porous material 71 is more porous on the upstream side in the circulation direction than the porous material 71. A large number of filter media 73, which are substantially spherical bodies having a smaller diameter than the porous material 71, may be loaded adjacent to the porous material 71. The surface of the filter medium 73 may be smooth, and a recess such as the recess 72 of the porous material 71 may be formed.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6A, when water used for washing flows in the circulation direction, the filter medium 73 can filter this water and remove relatively large foreign matters such as yarn waste. . These foreign substances remain on the filter medium 73.
Then, the water from which the lint and the like have been removed is removed by adsorbing the above-described dirt and detergent components contained therein in the concave portion 72 of the porous material 71 on the downstream side in the circulation direction from the filter medium 73. From the outlet 70, it is led into the tank 4 through the branch pipe 15.

  With such a filter medium 73, the lint filter 14 can be omitted. Further, a porous material may be used in place of the filter medium 73 and the porous material may be arranged in two stages along the circulation direction. Thereby, foreign substances such as lint can be adsorbed on the porous material on the upstream side in the circulation direction, and dirt and detergent components can be adsorbed on the porous material 71 on the downstream side in the circulation direction. Thereby, the circulated water can be effectively purified.

The rinsing water flows in the above-described circulation direction (see FIG. 6) by passing through the purification device 6, so that lint and the like are removed by the filter medium 73, and dirt and detergent components are removed by the porous material 71. , Guided into the tank 4. Thereby, in the rinse water purified by the purification apparatus 6, the detergent component is kept at a low concentration, for example, 10 to 20 ppm.
When the amount of dirt and detergent components contained in the rinsing water is too large to be dealt with by the purification device 6, the control unit 74 supplies air to the ejector 35 as foam separation means as shown in FIG. In the tank 4, dirt and detergent components can be foamed and separated from the rinse water by the air bubbles. It should be noted that the dirt and detergent components separated in the foam and contained in the air bubbles are discharged from the inlet 26 to the outside through the pressure adjusting drain pipe 29 and the drain pipe 11. Thereby, it becomes possible to purify the rinse water effectively.

  The controller 74 operates the ozone generator 47 and drives the circulation pump 33 to mix ozone into the rinse water introduced into the tank 4 through the ejector 35 and the circulation path 32. The rinse water can be decolorized, deodorized and sterilized. The tank 4 is also deodorized and sterilized by the ozone mixed in the rinse water. Thereby, in addition to purification of water in the tank 4, the tank 4 can be kept clean. Therefore, the water in the tank 4 can be purified effectively.

The ozone mixed in the rinsing water in the tank 4 circulates in the circulation channel together with the rinsing water. In the purification device 6, the porous material 71 and the filter medium 73 can be deodorized and sterilized to keep them clean.
As described above, in the rinse water, dirt and detergent components contained therein are adsorbed by the porous material 71 of the purification device 6. For this reason, when a certain amount of dirt and detergent components are adsorbed, the adsorption performance of the porous material 71 is lowered, and it is necessary to restore this adsorption performance.

Therefore, according to the operation of the operation panel 75 by the user or according to the predetermined number of times of washing, the control unit 74 performs the refresh operation of the porous material 71 described below. The refresh operation is performed separately from washing.
The control unit 74 supplies the softening agent stored in the storage unit 7 into the outer tub 5 while dissolving it in tap water, and circulates tap water as refresh means or tap water in which the softening agent is dissolved in the circulation channel. Let

The softening agent is, for example, a cationic surfactant, and binds with an anionic surfactant as a detergent component adsorbed on the porous material 71 of the purification device 6 when circulating in the circulation channel, and this is porous. It is possible to efficiently deviate from the substance 71. In addition, the detergent component can be separated from the porous material 71 even with tap water in which the softening agent is not dissolved.
Therefore, the adsorption performance of the porous material 71 can be recovered (refreshed) by such refresh operation. Therefore, purification of water by the porous material 71 can be promoted. Further, the trouble of exchanging the porous material 71 can be saved.

  Further, in the purification device 6 in which the filter medium 73 is loaded in the circulation direction upstream of the porous material 71 in the housing 68 as shown in FIG. Then, the drain valve 12 is closed, the first switching valve 13 and the water storage valve 25 are opened, and the supply pump 57 is rotated (reversely rotated) in the direction opposite to normal (when water flows in the circulation direction), and the tank water supply pipe 55 and the water in the tank 4 are reversely circulated as shown in FIG. At this time, the supply pump 57 functions as a means for flowing water in the reverse direction. Thereby, relatively large foreign matter 78 such as lint remaining on the filter medium 73 can be discharged out of the machine via the branch pipe 15 and the drain pipe 11 (see FIG. 2). It is possible to recover (refresh) the performance of removing (capturing) the material. Further, the trouble of replacing the filter medium 73 can be saved.

After the rinsing process is completed, the control unit 74 dehydrates the rinse water, and after the dehydration is completed, performs the drying process described below. The rinse water may be stored in the tank 4 and used for the next washing. This rinsing water may be purified by ozone as described above after being stored in the tank 4.
(Drying process)
In the drying process, as shown in FIG. 2, the controller 74 turns on the heater 22, rotates the blower 21 and the drum 3, circulates hot air in the drying air passage 16, the drum 3 and the outer tub 5, The moisture contained in the clothes in 3 is vaporized and the clothes are dried. At this time, the control unit 74 opens the above-described fourth valve of the unit valve 44 and drops the tap water from the tap (not shown) from the heat exchange water supply pipe 49 into the dehumidifying pipe 19. As a result, the vaporized water (water vapor) is liquefied as described above. In response to the operation of the operation panel 75, the control unit 74 drives the supply pump 57, switches the third switching valve 34 and the second switching valve 56, and supplies the water stored in the tank 4 to the tap water described above. Instead of water, the heat exchange tank water supply pipe 24 may be dropped into the dehumidifying pipe 19. Then, the control unit 74 opens the drain valve 12 and opens the water storage valve 25 or the first switching valve 13 in accordance with the operation of the operation panel 75 to store the water dropped into the dehumidifying pipe 19 and the liquefied water. When the valve 25 is opened, it is stored in the tank 4, and when the first switching valve 13 is opened, it is discharged out of the machine.

  Further, in the drying process, the control unit 74 determines the degree of drying of the clothes based on the temperature of the outlet 17 measured by a sensor (not shown), operates the ozone generator 47 with the predetermined degree of drying, and as described above. The ozone generated by the ozone generator 47 is supplied to the clothes in the drum 3 for a predetermined time through the second supply path 54 and the drying air path 16 to decolorize, deodorize and disinfect the clothes.

Further, during the ozone supply, the door 27 is locked and is not opened carelessly, so there is no fear that the ozone supplied into the drum 3 leaks out.
And after supplying ozone in the drum 3 for the above-mentioned predetermined time, the control part 74 stops the action | operation of the ozone generator 47, turns off the heater 22, and stops supply of ozone. The rotation of the blower 21 and the drum 3 is continued, and a so-called cool-down operation is performed for a predetermined time in which unheated air is supplied into the drum 3 and the clothing is cooled to a predetermined temperature. During this cool-down operation, all ozone in the housing 2 including the drum 3 is extinguished by the oxidation reaction, and the ozone concentration is lowered to a level that does not affect the human body. In addition, the door 27 continues to be locked for a predetermined time after the cool-down operation from the start of ozone supply into the drum 3 and is not opened carelessly. And control of ozone is safe. Thereafter, the blower 21 and the drum 3 stop rotating, and the drying process ends. For this reason, when the user opens a door (not shown) after the drying process, ozone odor or the like does not drift outside, which is safe. Moreover, since clothes are also cooled, they can be taken out comfortably.
(Modification)
FIG. 7 is a configuration block diagram of the washing machine 1 to which the first modification is applied. FIG. 8 shows the tank 4 and the purification device 6 of the washing machine 1 to which the first modification is applied. FIG. 9 is a configuration block diagram of the washing machine 1 to which the second modification is applied. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the member similar to the member demonstrated above, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the first modified example, as shown in FIG. 7, in the washing machine 1, the purification device 6 is disposed in the tank 4. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the purification device 6 is disposed so that the housing 68 is in contact with the bottom surface and the side surface of the tank 4 near the drain outlet 67. The housing 68 does not have to have a hollow cylindrical shape as shown in FIG. 5 and is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape in a mesh shape in which a large number of holes are provided on the surface as the housing inlet 69 as shown in FIG. Has been. The housing outlet 70 is connected to the drain outlet 67.

  Therefore, the water in the tank 4 flows into the housing 68 from the housing inlet 69 and is reliably purified by the porous material 71 inside the housing 68, and then the tank water is discharged from the housing outlet 70 and the drain outlet 67. It flows into the supply pipe 55 and circulates through the circulation channel. The purified water can be stored in the tank 4 and used for the next washing or the like. In addition, the casing 68 is filled with the water in the tank 4 under normal conditions. Even if the refresh operation described above is not performed, if the tap water is stored in the tank 4 for a certain time, for example, about one day, the adsorption performance of the porous material 71 can be recovered due to the osmotic pressure. Specifically, the tap water having a low concentration (low foreign matter) permeates into the recess 73 of the porous material 71 having a relatively high concentration (large foreign matter) adsorbed by dirt and detergent components, and the tap water becomes dirty and detergent. The component is separated from the porous material 71. Of course, as described above, when the softening agent is supplied, the adsorption performance of the porous material 71 can be efficiently recovered.

In the second modification, as shown in FIG. 9, the purification device 6 having the same form as that of the embodiment is arranged between the drain outlet 67 and the supply pump 57 of the tank water supply pipe 55. In a normal state, the inside of the casing 68 of the purification device 6 is filled with water in the tank water supply pipe 55.
Further, the circulation path 32 and the circulation pump 33 are not provided, and the ejector 35 is interposed between the third switching valve 34 and the supply pump 57 of the tank water supply pipe 55.

  A fifth switching valve 76, which is a three-way valve, is inserted in the middle of the tank drain pipe 40 connected to the third switching valve 34. In addition to the tank drain pipe 40, the fifth switching valve 76 is inserted. One end of the re-water storage pipe 77 is connected. The other end of the re-water storage pipe 77 is connected to the tank 4, and the water of the tank 4 is changed from the tank drain pipe 40 through the pressure adjusting drain pipe 29 and the drain pipe 11 by switching the fifth switching valve 76. It is possible to selectively discharge to the outside of the apparatus or to re-store in the tank 4 from the re-water storage pipe 77. The tank water supply pipe 55, the tank drain pipe 40 and the re-water storage pipe 77 replace the circulation path 32, and the supply pump 57 replaces the circulation pump 33. Circulation is performed between the supply pipe 55, the tank drain pipe 40 and the re-water storage pipe 77. The circulating water can be mixed with ozone from the first supply path 53 via the ejector 35 to purify the water in the tank 4 as described above.

  In the second modification, the purification device 6 can store microorganisms in the recess 72 (see FIG. 5) of the porous material 71. This microorganism decomposes the dirt component and the detergent component adsorbed on the porous material 71 described above. As described above, in the normal state, the inside of the casing 68 of the purification device 6 is filled with the water in the tank water supply pipe 55, and the microorganisms are supplied with moisture necessary to maintain their lives. , Can survive in the porous material 71. Further, the porous material 71 contains carbon, and the activity of microorganisms becomes active. Therefore, the adsorption | suction performance of the porous substance 71 is recovered | restored by the decomposition | disassembly of the stain | pollution | contamination and detergent component by microorganisms, and the purification | cleaning of water by the porous substance 71 can be accelerated | stimulated. In addition, since microorganisms are stored in the porous material 71, it is not necessary to provide means for separating dirt, detergent components, and the like from the porous material 71.

  In addition, since the detergent component includes a component that kills the microorganism (hereinafter referred to as a killed component), the cleaning device 6 has a configuration as shown in FIG. It is desirable to use a material loaded with a porous material containing. The ceramic has an action of adsorbing dead components, and the water flowing into the porous material 71 along the circulation direction by the porous material including the ceramic upstream of the porous material 71 in which microorganisms are stored. The dead component can be removed from the detergent component, and the activity of microorganisms becomes active. Therefore, the adsorption performance of the porous material 73 can be efficiently recovered. Further, the filter medium 73 may be loaded in the casing 68 on the upstream side in the circulation direction of the porous material containing ceramic.

  In the second modification, when water circulates in the circulation channel, the microorganisms in the purification device 6 circulate in the circulation channel together with the water in the tank 4 that has passed through the purification device 6 as shown in FIG. Note that the ozone generator 47 is not operating during circulation. Microorganisms are effective in decomposing the above-described dirt and detergent components, but it is not preferable that the microorganisms themselves adhere to the clothes in the drum 3. Therefore, when supplying the water in the tank 4 to the outer tank 5 from the tank water supply pipe 55 without circulating the water in the tank 4, it is necessary to remove microorganisms, so that the controller 74 generates ozone in the ozone generator 47. Then, by mixing the ozone with the water passing through the ejector 35, the microorganisms flowing along with the water can be killed. On the other hand, in order for microorganisms to survive in the porous material 71, air is also necessary together with the moisture described above. Therefore, the control unit 74 stops the ozone generator 47 and then drives the supply pump 57 to mix air with water passing through the ejector 35 instead of ozone. The ejector 35 functions as a means for supplying air. The control unit 74 further switches the third switching valve 34 and the fifth switching valve 76 to supply water mixed with air into the tank 4 through the tank drain pipe 40 and the re-water storage pipe 77, and drain the water. It is supplied from the outlet 67 to the porous substance 71 (see FIG. 6) of the purification device 6 through the tank water supply pipe 55. Thereby, the microorganisms become active when air is supplied, and the microorganisms can promote the decomposition of dirt, detergent components and the like adsorbed on the porous material 71. Therefore, the adsorption performance of the porous material 71 is recovered, and the purification of water by the porous material 71 can be promoted.

Such a purification device 6 can recover the adsorption performance of the porous material 71 without performing the above-described refresh operation.
In the modified example 2, the purification device 6 is provided in the housing 2 of the washing machine 1. However, when a plurality of the washing machines 1 are used for business use, the purification device 6 is disposed outside the housing 2. A configuration may be adopted in which the water discharged from the plurality of washing machines 1 is collectively purified.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. In this embodiment, a washing machine with a clothes drying function has been described. However, the present invention can also be applied to a drum having a diagonal arrangement, a horizontal arrangement, or a vertical arrangement. It can also be applied to machines.

It is a perspective view of the washing machine concerning one embodiment of this invention, and is the figure seen from the front slanting upper part. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a control circuit block diagram in the washing machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating a rinse process. 3 is a schematic side sectional view of the purification device 6. FIG. It is a schematic sectional side view of the purification apparatus 6 in which the filter medium 73 is loaded on the upstream side in the circulation direction of the porous material 71, (a) is an aspect in which water flows in the circulation direction, and (b) is the reverse water. The aspect which is flowing in the circulation direction is shown. It is a block diagram of the washing machine 1 to which the first modification is applied. The tank 4 and the purification apparatus 6 of the washing machine 1 to which the 1st modification is applied are shown. It is a block diagram of the configuration of the washing machine 1 to which the second modification is applied.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Washing machine 3 Drum 4 Tank 5 Outer tank 6 Purifier 11 Drain pipe 15 Branch pipe 33 Circulation pump 35 Ejector 47 Ozone generator 55 Tank water supply pipe 61 Tank water direct pipe 71 Porous substance 73 Filter material 74 Control part

Claims (16)

A washing tub,
A circulation channel for pumping out water from the washing tub and returning it to the washing tub again;
A purification device having a porous material for adsorbing dirt, detergent components, and the like contained in water flowing in the circulation channel, provided in the circulation channel;
A washing machine comprising:   The washing machine according to claim 1, further comprising a circulation control means for controlling the water in the washing tub to circulate through the circulation channel in the rinsing step. In the circulation channel,
Filter media,
The porous material disposed adjacent to the filter medium downstream in the direction of water circulation;
The washing machine according to claim 2, comprising:   The washing machine according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the purifying device includes two kinds of porous substances arranged in two stages along the circulation direction.   The washing machine according to any one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising a tank that is inserted into the circulation channel and temporarily stores water flowing through the circulation channel.   The washing machine according to claim 5, wherein the purification device is inserted between the washing tub and the tank in the circulation channel.   The washing machine according to claim 5, wherein the purification device is provided in the tank. Ozone generation means;
Ozone supply means for supplying ozone generated by the ozone generation means to water circulating in the circulation channel;
The washing machine according to any one of claims 5 to 7, further comprising:   The washing machine according to claim 8, wherein the ozone supply means supplies ozone to water stored in the tank.   The washing machine according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein the porous material includes a carrier for microbial treatment.   11. The washing machine according to claim 10, further comprising means for supplying air to the carrier.   The washing machine according to any one of claims 3 to 11, further comprising means for flowing water in a direction opposite to the circulation direction in the circulation channel.   The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the porous material includes at least one of alumina, silica, and carbon.   A refresh means for refreshing the porous material by supplying tap water or a softener component to the purification device and separating the adsorbed material from the porous material. The washing machine according to any one of 1 to 13. A washing tub,
A circulation channel for pumping out water from the washing tub and returning it to the washing tub again;
A tank inserted into the circulation channel and temporarily storing water flowing through the circulation channel;
Foam separating means for supplying fine bubbles to the water stored in the tank and separating dirt and detergent components contained in the water stored in the tank;
A washing machine comprising:   In the rinsing process, the water of the washing tub is pumped out, passed through a purification device having a porous material, and then rinsed while circulating water so as to return to the washing tub. Rinse method.

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