JP2011087697A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing machine capable of starting a reservation operation with the inside of the machine kept hygienic. <P>SOLUTION: The washing machine, which includes a reservation function to start or end operation at a desired time, blows an ion with a bactericidal and deodorant action in a dewatering bin at a reservation operation standby. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine.

  Conventionally, an ion generator that generates ions having a sterilizing / deodorizing action is provided, and ions having a sterilizing / deodorizing action are supplied into a dewatering tank (drum) containing laundry such as clothes. Thus, a washing machine has been proposed that has a function of deodorizing odors adhering to the laundry and sterilizing bacteria and the like (see Patent Document 1). Unlike ozone, these ions are odorless and harmless to the human body, and it has been confirmed that they are effective in removing odors and fungi such as mold that have grown on (attached to) walls.

  In recent years, the number of dual-income families has increased, and as a result, the efficiency of housework has been demanded. The demand for reservation operation functions installed in washing machines is increasing as a response to that need. Here, the reserved operation function installed in the washing machine is that the laundry is put in the dehydration tank in advance, the lid is closed, and it waits until the set time, and starts the operation from the set time or starts the operation. It is common to end. The dehydration tub has a lot of moisture and smells because dirty laundry is put in, wet laundry such as towels after use is also put in at the same time, and the lid is closed. And the environment is prone to mold.

JP 2009-66217 A

  However, in the washing machine of Patent Document 1 described above, the user wishes to disinfect and deodorize the laundry by storing the laundry to be sterilized and deodorized in the dehydration tank and driving a dedicated course. Therefore, it is not expected to be effective for sterilization and deodorization in the dehydration tank during the standby operation. At present, when a lot of reserved driving is used, there are many situations in which dirty laundry or wet laundry is left in the dehydration tank for a long time, and there is a problem that hygiene in the machine deteriorates.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a washing machine capable of starting a reserved operation while keeping the inside of the machine in a sanitary state.

  In order to achieve the above object, a washing machine of the present invention includes a dehydrating tank, an ion generator that is arranged in a blowing path leading to the dehydrating tank and generates ions having a sterilizing and deodorizing action, and the ion generator. A blower that blows the generated ions, a blower path to the dehydration tank, and a controller that operates the ion generator and the blower in a predetermined manner, and starts or ends operation at a desired time. A washing machine having a reservation function is characterized in that an ion blowing operation is performed to blow ions into the dehydration tank during standby for standby operation.

  According to this structure, the inside of the dehydration tank in the reserved operation standby state is sterilized and deodorized by blowing the ions having the sterilizing / deodorizing action generated from the ion generator in the reserved operation standby state by the blowing means. Can do. Therefore, the cabin in the reserved operation standby state can be kept clean by the action of ions having a sterilizing / deodorizing action.

  The washing machine according to the present invention further includes capacity determining means for determining the capacity of the laundry stored in the dewatering tub in the above configuration, and the intensity or time of the ion blowing operation based on the determined laundry capacity. Is automatically calculated. According to this configuration, it is possible to control the degree of sterilization and deodorization in the dehydration tank during the reserved operation standby based on the laundry capacity.

  Further, the washing machine of the present invention, in the above configuration, includes a humidity detection means for detecting the humidity in the dehydration tank, and a means for calculating the humidity change amount in the dehydration tank, and based on the calculated humidity change amount, It is characterized in that the intensity or time of the ion blowing operation is automatically calculated. According to this configuration, it is possible to control the degree of sterilization / deodorization in the dehydrating tank during the standby operation based on the humidity change amount in the dehydrating tank.

  Further, the washing machine of the present invention, in the above configuration, includes a temperature detection means for detecting the temperature in the dehydration tank, and a means for calculating the temperature change amount in the dehydration tank, and based on the calculated temperature change amount, It is characterized in that the intensity or time of the ion blowing operation is automatically calculated. According to this configuration, it is possible to control the degree of sterilization / deodorization in the dehydrating tank during the standby operation based on the amount of temperature change in the dehydrating tank.

  Further, the washing machine of the present invention, in the above configuration, includes odor detection means for detecting the odor in the dehydration tank, and means for calculating the odor change amount in the dehydration tank, based on the calculated odor change amount, It is characterized in that the intensity or time of the ion blowing operation is automatically calculated. According to this configuration, it is possible to control the degree of sterilization / deodorization in the dehydration tank during the standby operation based on the amount of odor change in the dehydration tank.

  Further, the washing machine of the present invention, in the above-described configuration, includes a time measuring unit that measures a reserved operation standby time from the reserved operation standby start time to the reserved operation start time, and the ion blower is based on the measured reserved operation standby time. It is characterized by automatically calculating the number of operations. According to this configuration, it is possible to control the degree of sterilization / deodorization in the dehydration tank during the standby for the reserved operation based on the reserved operation standby time.

  In addition, if the intensity | strength, time, or frequency | count of the said ion ventilation operation can be changed by a user's arbitrary, usability improves.

  Further, the washing machine of the present invention has a humidity detecting means for detecting the humidity of the space in the dewatering tub during the reserved operation standby in the above configuration, and performs the ion blowing operation when the humidity at which bacteria are likely to grow is detected. It is characterized by executing. According to this configuration, it is possible to periodically sterilize and deodorize the inside of the dehydration tank during standby for standby operation by detecting the humidity at which bacteria are likely to grow and automatically performing the ion blowing operation immediately.

  Further, the washing machine of the present invention has a temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the space in the dehydration tank at the time of reservation operation standby in the above configuration, and executes the ion blowing operation when a temperature at which bacteria are likely to grow is detected. It is characterized by doing. According to this configuration, it is possible to periodically sterilize and deodorize the inside of the dehydration tank during standby for the reserved operation by detecting the temperature at which bacteria are likely to grow and automatically performing the ion blowing operation immediately.

  The washing machine of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-described configuration, the washing machine includes odor detection means for detecting odor in the dehydration tank during standby for reservation operation, and performs the ion blowing operation when odor of a predetermined value or more is detected. Yes. According to this configuration, it is possible to periodically sterilize and deodorize the interior of the dehydration tank during standby operation by detecting the odor in the dehydration tank and automatically performing the ion blowing operation immediately.

  Further, the washing machine of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above configuration, ion blowing is performed in the dewatering tank even during the washing, dewatering or drying operation. According to this configuration, the dehydration tank can be sterilized and deodorized not only during reserved operation standby but also during washing, dehydration or drying operation, which can further contribute to the cleanliness of the cabin. It becomes.

  According to the washing machine of the present invention, ions that are harmless to the human body having a sterilizing / deodorizing action generated from the ion generator during the standby operation are released toward the inside of the dehydration tank, thereby Efficient removal of odors and germs, and dirty laundry or wet laundry must be left in the dehydration tank for a long time. Usability is improved.

The perspective view which shows the washing-drying machine of one embodiment of this invention from the front diagonally upper viewpoint Schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the washer / dryer from a lateral perspective It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the principal part periphery of the drying unit periphery of the said washing-drying machine from a side viewpoint, in-bath ion blowing operation (a), out-of-machine ion blowing operation (b), in-bath and outside ion What is shown along with the flow direction of the ion wind in the air blowing operation (c) It is a general | schematic longitudinal cross-section which shows the structure of the principal part periphery of the drying unit periphery of the said washing-drying machine from a forward viewpoint, and is an ion blowing operation in a tank (a), an ion blowing operation outside a tank (b), an ion blowing operation in a tank and an outside machine What is shown together with the flow direction of ion wind in (c) It is a perspective view which shows a drying unit from the back diagonally lower viewpoint, and shows a blower box partially cut away Cross section showing the drying unit from below Bottom view of ion generator Detailed longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the main part around the outlet of the washing and drying machine from a lateral viewpoint It is a perspective view which shows the outer case top plate of a washing-drying machine from the front diagonal viewpoint, and shows the state (a) which laid the nozzle cover and the state (b) which raised the nozzle cover The principal part enlarged view of Fig.9 (a) Explanatory drawing showing the appearance of the operation unit Block diagram showing schematic configuration of control circuit The flowchart explaining the setting procedure of the 1st operation mode of the ion ventilation operation in a tank at the time of reservation operation standby The flowchart which shows the procedure of the 1st operation mode of ion blowing operation in a tank at the time of reservation operation standby. Time chart showing an example of the first operation mode of the ion blowing operation in the tank during the reservation operation standby The flowchart which shows the procedure of the 2nd operation mode of ion blowing operation in a tank at the time of reservation operation standby. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the 3rd operation mode of ion blowing operation in a tank at the time of reservation operation standby. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the 4th operation mode of ion blowing operation in a tank at the time of reservation operation standby.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings illustrating embodiments thereof. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a washer / dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention from a front oblique upper perspective. FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the same washing and drying machine from a lateral viewpoint. The washing / drying machine having the washing function shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a left side in front and a right side in FIG. The washing / drying machine is a fully automatic type and includes an outer box 10 made of metal or synthetic resin. The outer box 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and its upper and lower sides are opened. A synthetic resin upper surface plate 11 on which an operation unit 90 or the like is mounted is fixed to the upper open portion of the outer box 10 by a male screw. An annular support plate 12 that supports the blowing means 70 is provided. The support plate 12 is provided with a through hole 13 for introducing the air in the outer box 10 into the blowing means. The top plate 11 constitutes the top plate of the outer box 10.

  On the back side of the washing and drying machine, a synthetic resin back panel 14 is fixed to the outer box 10 or the upper surface plate 11 by male screws, and the upper lid 15 is movable between the back panel 14 and the upper surface plate 11. It is arranged. The back panel 14 constitutes the top plate of the outer box 10.

  A base 16 having a rectangular shape made of synthetic resin is fixed to the lower open portion of the outer box 10 by a male screw. Legs 16 a and 16 b for supporting the outer box 10 on the floor are provided at the four corners of the base 16. The front leg 16 a is an adjustment leg whose height is variable for leveling, and the rear leg 16 b is a fixed leg integrally formed with the base 16.

  The top plate 11 is provided with a laundry input port 11a for loading the laundry into the washing / drying machine, and an upper lid 15 for opening and closing the laundry input port 11a is formed at the front end of the back panel 14. In the closed state shown in the figure, the upper lid 15 covers the laundry input port 11a from above. Inside the outer box 10, an outer water tank 20 and an inner dewatering tank 30 are arranged.

  The water tank 20 is suspended and supported by the support plate 12 by a plurality of suspension members 21 so as to be swingable in a horizontal plane. Further, the dewatering tank 30 is disposed concentrically with the water tank 20 inside the water tank 20 and also serves as a washing tank. Both the water tank 20 and the dehydration tank 30 are in the shape of a cylindrical cup with an upper opening, and each axis is in the vertical direction.

  The dewatering tank 30 has a tapered peripheral wall that gradually spreads upward. Except for the plurality of dewatering holes 31 arranged in an annular shape on the uppermost portion of the peripheral wall, no opening for allowing liquid to pass is formed, and the dewatering tank 30 is a so-called “no hole” type. . An annular balancer 32 is attached to the edge of the upper open portion of the dewatering tank 30. The balancer 32 functions to suppress vibration when the dewatering tank 30 is rotated at a high speed for dewatering the laundry. On the inner bottom surface of the dewatering tank 30, a stirring blade 33 for causing a flow of washing water or rinsing water in the tank is disposed.

  A flange portion 22 extends inwardly at the upper end portion of the water tank 20, and an inner lid 24 having an exhaust filter 23 is rotatably attached to the flange portion 22 by a hinge 24a. The inner lid 24 prevents laundry and water from jumping out of the dehydrating tank 30 during washing, rinsing, and dehydration.

  A drive unit 40 is attached to the lower part of the water tank 20. The drive unit 40 includes a drive motor 41, a belt transmission mechanism 42 that transmits output rotation of the drive motor 41, and a clutch / brake mechanism 43, and a cylindrical dewatering shaft 44 and a stirring blade shaft 45 from the center thereof. And protrude upwards.

  The dewatering shaft 44 and the stirring blade shaft 45 have a double shaft structure in which the dewatering shaft 44 is disposed outside and the stirring blade shaft 45 is disposed inside. The dehydrating shaft 44 enters the water tank 20 from below to above, and is connected to the dehydrating tank 30 to support the dehydrating tank 30. The stirring blade shaft 45 penetrates the water tank 20 from below to enter the dehydration tank 30 and is connected to the stirring blade 33 to support the stirring blade 33. The stirring blade 33 rotates at 55 to 300 rpm and performs washing or rinsing. At the time of dehydration, it is rotated at 0 to 1000 rpm together with the dehydration tank 30 to perform dehydration. Seal members for preventing water leakage are disposed between the dewatering shaft 44 and the water tank 20 and between the dewatering shaft 44 and the stirring blade shaft 45, respectively.

  The stirring blade 33 also has a function as a capacity determination sensor that detects the capacity of the laundry in the dewatering tub 30. That is, when the washing operation is started, the drive motor 41 is driven, and the stirring blade 33 is rotated intermittently for a predetermined time against the resistance of the laundry, thereby detecting the degree of decrease in the rotational speed of the drive motor 41. Can detect the capacity of the laundry.

  There is a space between the support plate 12 and the back panel 14, and a water supply valve (not shown) that opens and closes electromagnetically is disposed in this space. A water supply hose for supplying tap water such as tap water is connected to the connection pipe 50 that is connected to the water supply valve and penetrates the back panel 14 vertically and protrudes upward. The water supply valve is connected to a container-like water supply port disposed at a position facing the dehydration tank 30.

  A drain hose 60 for draining the water in the water tank 20 and the dehydration tank 30 to the outside of the outer box 10 is attached to the bottom of the water tank 20. Water flows into the drain hose 60 from a drain outlet 61 that communicates with the bottoms of the water tank 20 and the dewatering tank 30. The water that flows out from the dehydration tank 30 during dehydration is drained from the drain hose 60 through a drain pipe (not shown).

  The dewatering tank 30 is provided with four drain holes 62 on the circumference, and each drain hole 62 introduces water in the dewater tank 30 from a drain port 61 to a drain valve 63 that electromagnetically opens and closes.

  With the above-described configuration, when the rotary blade 33 rotates, the water in the dewatering tank 30 is stopped by the drain valve 63 and stored in the dewatering tank 30. When performing dehydration, the drain valve 63 is opened, and the water in the dehydration tank 30 is drained to the outside. At this time, the dehydrating shaft 44, the stirring blade shaft 45, and the dewatering tank 30 are rotated by the drive motor 41. However, the dehydrating shaft 44 and the stirring blade shaft 45 are freely rotatable and maintain a watertight structure.

  A control circuit (control means) 51 is disposed on the front side of the outer box 10. The control circuit 51 is disposed on the lower side of the upper surface plate 11, receives an operation command from the user through the operation unit 90 provided on the upper surface of the upper surface plate 11, and receives the drive unit 40, the water supply valve and the drain valve 63. An operation command is issued. Further, the control circuit 51 issues a display command signal to the operation / display unit.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the main part around the drying unit of the washing / drying machine from a side view, and FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the main part around the drying unit of the same washing / drying machine from the front viewpoint. It is a general | schematic longitudinal cross-section. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the space between the support plate 12 and the back panel 14 of the outer box 10, a drying unit K, a filter 100 as a foreign matter removing means, and a foreign matter storage box 90 are provided. It has been.

  The drying unit K includes a blowing unit 70 and a heater 80 as a heating unit, and heats the air flowing through the flow path by driving the blowing unit 70 with the heater 80 and sends the air into the dehydrating tank 30. It is composed of. The filter 100 as the foreign matter removing means prevents foreign matter such as dust from entering the air blowing box 71 from the air inlet 71a, and the foreign matter storage box 90 stores foreign matter removed by the filter 100. The filter 100 is attached to the foreign matter storage box 90, and the foreign matter storage box 90 is arranged in the air intake path of the blowing means 70.

  The blower means 70 includes a blower box 71 having an intake port 71a and an exhaust port 71b, and a blower fan 73 that is driven by a fan motor 72 and is disposed in the blower box 71 so that the rotation shaft is vertically arranged. . In the present embodiment, a centrifugal fan (for example, a sirocco fan) that sucks in the axial direction from the lower surface and supplies the air in the tangential direction of the outer periphery is used as the blower fan 73. The fan motor 72 has a variable rotational speed, and the air volume of the blower fan 73 can be varied by controlling the rotational speed of the fan motor 72.

  The intake port 71 a communicates with the through hole 13 provided in the support plate 12 and the open portion 17 provided on the back surface of the outer box 10. A heater 80 as a heating means for heating the air blown by the blower fan 73 is disposed in the flow path in the duct 71c. Further, the other end of the bellows tube 74 having one end facing the dehydrating tank 30 is connected to the exhaust port 71b at the tip of the duct 71c. One end of the bellows tube 74 is fitted into a fitting hole provided in the flange portion 22. The duct 71c and the bellows tube 74 constitute an exhaust path (blower path) leading to the dehydration tank 30.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the drying unit obliquely from the lower rear, and is a view showing the blower box partially cut away. As shown in FIG. 5, the blower box 71 includes a cylindrical portion 71d that is opened downward, and a duct 71c that is continuous to one side in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 71d. The opening part on the lower side of the cylindrical part 71d is an intake port 71a, supports the fan motor 72 outside the upper wall, and is spaced apart above the support plate 12. The intake port 71a faces the support plate 12 is doing. The exhaust port 71b opens on the lower surface of the tip of the duct 71c.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the drying unit from a lower viewpoint. As shown in FIG. 6, the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 71d of the blower box 71 is not a perfect circle, but has a spiral shape in which the distance from the center gradually increases. As a result, an arcuate flow path 71e that gradually increases in the rotation direction of the blower fan 73 is formed around the blower fan 73 in the cylindrical portion 71d. The wide downstream portion of the arcuate flow path 71e is a place where it is easy to secure the space for arranging additional parts. At this location, an ion generator 75 as ion generating means, a vent 71f as exhaust path (air blowing path) branching means, and a damper 76 as exhaust path (air blowing path) switching means are arranged in a concentrated manner. As will be described later, a blow pipe 81 having a blow outlet 81a facing the outside of the machine is fitted and connected to the vent 71f.

  Blowing means 70 (blower box 71, blower fan 73, fan motor 72), ion generating means (ion generator 75), exhaust path switching means (damper 76, damper control motor 77), exhaust path branching means (vent hole 71f) ), The exhaust path leading to the blower outlet 81a (the blower path leading to the outside of the machine) (the blowout pipe 81), and the blower outlet 81a constitute an external ion release mechanism.

  In the present embodiment, the ion generating means, the exhaust path switching means, the exhaust path of the external ion release mechanism are provided in the wide downstream portion of the arcuate flow path 71e of the air blowing box 71 that is easy to secure the arrangement space for the additional parts. The branching means are concentrated and arranged. Further, the air blowing means of the external ion release mechanism can also be used as the air blowing means 70 already installed in the drying unit K. Therefore, most of the out-of-machine ion release mechanism can be integrated into the drying unit K. The unification can be dealt with only by a slight change in the mold of the blower box 71, and the change to the overall shape and size of the drying unit K is also minimal. can do.

  FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the ion generator. As shown in FIG. 7, the ion generator 75 supplies a voltage to two ion generators 751 and 752 and ion generators 751 and 752 that are arranged separately and separated by a distance that can ensure insulation. A power supply unit (not shown), and ion generators 751 and 752 and a box-shaped holding body 753 for holding the power supply unit are provided, and the power supply unit supplies a voltage to the ion generation units 751 and 752 to thereby generate the ion generation unit. 751 and 752 are configured to corona discharge and generate ions. The principle of generation of positive ions and negative ions is as described above.

  The ion generating portions 751 and 752 have discharge electrode convex portions 751a and 752a having a sharp shape, and induction electrode rings 751b and 752b surrounding the discharge electrode convex portions 751a and 752a, and the induction electrode rings 751b and 752b are respectively provided. Discharge electrode convex portions 751a and 752a are arranged at the center, and one ion generation portion 751 generates positive ions and the other ion generation portion 752 generates negative ions.

A positive voltage is applied to the positive ion generator 751, and water molecules in the air are electrically decomposed in a plasma region due to discharge, and mainly hydrogen ions H ⁺ are generated. Then, water molecules in the air are aggregated around the generated hydrogen ions, and stable charge positive cluster ions H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _m are formed.

A negative voltage is applied to the negative ion generator 752, and oxygen molecules in the air are electrically decomposed in a plasma region due to discharge, and mainly oxygen ions O ₂ ⁻ are generated. Then, water molecules in the air aggregate around the generated oxygen ions to form cluster ions O ₂ ⁻ (H ₂ O) _n having stable negative charges. Here, m and n are arbitrary integers.

  In the present specification, the term “plus ion” means a positive cluster ion, and the term “minus ion” means a negative cluster ion. The generation of positive and negative cluster ions has been confirmed by time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

When positive ions and negative ions are released into the air at the same time, they aggregate on the surface of microorganisms such as bacteria, molds and viruses and surround them. And, momentarily, positive ions and negative ions combine to aggregate [• OH] (hydroxyl radical) and H ₂ O ₂ (hydrogen peroxide), which are highly oxidative species, on the surface of microorganisms. It is produced and decomposes the protein on the surface of the microorganism by chemical reaction to suppress its action. The hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide generated as described above also have an action of decomposing odor components.

  As shown in FIG. 5, through holes 71g corresponding to the ion generating portions 751 and 752 are formed in the peripheral portion of the upper wall of the cylindrical portion 71d of the blower box 71, and the positioning protrusions 71h and the engaging protrusions are formed around the through holes 71g. A pawl 71j is projected. The ion generator 75 is attached to the blower box 71 by fitting the holding body 753 inside the positioning protrusion 71 h and engaging the locking claw 71 j with the locking step 753 a on the side surface of the holding body 753. At this time, the ion generating parts 751 and 752 come to face the arcuate flow path 71e (see FIG. 6) through the through hole 71g.

  That is, the ion generator 75 is disposed in the upper part of the arcuate flow path 71e so that the ion generators 751, 752 (discharge regions) face downward. Thereby, even if there is overflow or splashing for washing from the upper side or side of the drying unit K, the discharge region of the ion generator 75 does not get wet, so that ions can be generated stably.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the ion generator 75 has a positive ion generator 751 and a wide downstream portion of the arcuate flow path 71e where it is easy to secure an installation space for additional parts and the air flow velocity is high. The negative ion generator 752 is arranged such that the distances from the rotation center of the blower fan 73 are different from each other. More specifically, the distance L1 from the rotation center of the blower fan 73 of the positive ion generator 751 arranged on the upstream side of the arcuate passage 71e is short, and is arranged on the downstream side of the arcuate passage 71e. The negative ion generator 752 has an orientation that is longer than the distance L2 from the rotation center of the blower fan 73.

  Accordingly, the positive ions and the negative ions are generated with the tracks shifted in the arcuate flow path 71e. In addition, the distance from the rotation center of the blower fan 73 is such that the upstream positive ion generation part 751 is short and the downstream negative ion generation part 752 is long, so that the arcuate flow path 71e gradually increases in width. It is possible to arrange the ion generator 75 along the space. Therefore, while the ion generator 75 is disposed in the drying unit K in a space-saving manner, it is possible to suppress the positive and negative ions from being neutralized and disappear, and to efficiently carry the ions on a fast air flow. .

  As shown in FIG. 5, the vent 71 f is provided as a cylindrical port that protrudes upward from the upper wall of the blower box 71. The vent hole 71f is open to the flow path on the downstream side of the ion generator 75. A blower pipe 81 having a blower outlet 81a facing the space outside the machine is fitted and connected to the vent hole 71f. The blow-out pipe 81 constitutes an exhaust path (blower path) leading to the outside of the machine. That is, the vent hole 71f constitutes an exhaust path branching unit that branches an exhaust path to the dehydration tank 30 and an exhaust path to the outside of the machine. The cross-sectional area of the flow path (exhaust path leading to the dehydrating tank 30) in the duct 71c is set to be larger than the cross-sectional area of the blowing pipe 81 (exhaust path leading to the outside of the machine). The bottom surface of the flow path in the duct 71c has a slope that decreases from directly below the vent hole 71f toward the exhaust port 71b.

  The damper 76 opens and closes the vent hole 71f. As shown in FIG. 5, the damper 76 is driven by a damper control motor 77 supported on the outer side of the peripheral wall of the cylindrical portion 71d. It is provided so as to be rotatable within a predetermined angle range. In the present embodiment, a stepping motor is preferably used as the damper control motor 77. The damper 76 and the damper control motor 77 constitute an exhaust path switching means for switching between an exhaust path leading to the dewatering tank 30 and an exhaust path leading to the outside of the machine.

  A groove 71k corresponding to the shape of the damper 76 is formed on the upper wall of the cylindrical portion 71d of the blow box 71 so that the vent hole 71f is included in the region of the groove 71k. At the position where the damper 76 closes the vent hole 71f, the damper 76 is accommodated in the groove 71k, so that no obstruction obstructs the flow in the arcuate flow path 71e, and the vent hole 71f is securely closed. I am doing so.

  The damper 76 has a cut surface 76 a along the curvature of the outer periphery of the blower fan 73 on one side, and is arranged in an orientation in which the cut surface 76 a is close to the outer periphery of the blower fan 73. Thereby, the damper 76 can be arrange | positioned in the outer periphery vicinity of the ventilation fan 73, without preventing rotation of the ventilation fan 73, and contributes to space saving.

  In addition, the damper 76 closes the vent 71f as shown in FIG. 4A and opens the exhaust passage leading to the dewatering tank 30, and opens the vent 71f as shown in FIG. 4B. For controlling the damper so as to be able to take a second posture for closing the exhaust passage leading to the dehydration tank 30 and a third posture located between the first posture and the second posture as shown in FIG. The rotation angle is controlled by the motor 77.

  The second posture in FIG. 4B is a rotation angle within 90 ° with respect to the first posture in FIG. 4A, and the angle at which the outlet flow velocity of the airflow passing through the vent hole 71f is maximized. Is set to The angle differs depending on the shape of the blower box 71 and the position of the vent 71f, and is an angle determined by a flow experiment. Accordingly, when the damper 76 is stationary at the angle of the second posture, the air flow velocity including ions released into the space outside the apparatus becomes high (maximum), and ions can be distributed far away.

  FIG. 8 is a detailed vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the main part around the outlet of the washing / drying machine from a lateral viewpoint. As shown in FIG. 8, the blowing pipe 81 has a nozzle part 81b refracted forward at the upper part, and an outlet 81a is opened at the tip of the nozzle part 81b. The disc body 82 holds the blowing pipe 81 and is fixed around the nozzle portion 81b with screws. A nozzle cover 83 as a blowout outlet cover is supported on the disc body 82 by a horizontal axis.

  The disc body 82 has a cavity 82a having an open front surface, an upper surface, and a lower surface. The nozzle portion 81b of the outlet pipe 81 is accommodated in the cavity 82a, and the nozzle cover 83 is disposed. The upper surface opening portion of the cavity 82a is blocked by the upper surface portion of the nozzle cover 83, and the front opening portion of the cavity 82a is blocked by the diffuser 83a. Since the lower surface of the nozzle cover 83 is open, it is not blocked. A shaft hole (not shown) is formed in both the left and right side walls of the cavity 82a.

  The disc body 82 has a cylinder port 82c surrounding the periphery of the lower surface opening portion, and the cylinder port 82c is formed with a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the entire disc body, so that the cylinder port 82c is formed around the lower surface of the disc body 82. The flange part 82d surrounding the periphery of is formed. The disc body 82 is attached to the disc body receiving portion 14b by the cylindrical opening 82c being loosely fitted to the inner periphery of the support wall 14c and the flange portion 82d being supported by the upper end of the support wall 14c.

  The nozzle cover 83 has a box shape with the lower surface opened, and has a diffuser 83a for diffusing ion wind blown from the air outlet 81a on the front surface. The nozzle cover 83 has a horizontal shaft (not shown) projecting from both the left and right side portions, and the horizontal shaft is fitted into a shaft hole provided in the side wall of the cavity 82a, so that It is arranged to be tiltable. The diffuser 83a faces the air outlet 81a.

  The back panel 14 is integrally provided with a cup-shaped disc body receiving portion 14b having an insertion hole 14a as a center. The disc body receiving portion 14b includes an annular support wall 14c that supports the disc body 82 with a flange portion 82d, and an annular levee wall 14d that is provided inside the support wall 14c and surrounds the insertion hole 14a. On the bottom surface of the disc body receiving portion 14b surrounded by the support wall 14c and the bank wall 14d, a water channel 14e for entering the cavity inside the disc body 81 is formed. The water channel 14e is formed with a slope that decreases toward the rear, and a drain hole 14f that opens to the outside of the machine is provided at a position where the slope is lowest.

  Accordingly, even if water enters the cavity 82a inside the disk body 82 from the gap between the nozzle cover 83 and the disk body 82 or from the diffuser 83a, the water channel 14e of the disk body receiving portion 14b can be used as long as the height of the bank wall 14d is not exceeded. Since the water is discharged from the drain hole 14f to the outside of the apparatus, water can be prevented from entering the drying unit K. In addition, since the bottom surface of the flow path in the duct 71c has a slope that decreases from directly below the vent hole 71f to the exhaust port 71b, the water flows from the water or the diffuser 83a that overflows the water channel 14e beyond the embankment wall 14d. Even if the water that directly jumps into the blower outlet 81a passes through the blower pipe 81 and enters the drying unit K, the water that has fallen directly below the vent hole 71f remains on the bottom surface of the flow passage inside the duct 71c. According to the gradient, it flows through the space formed between the lower side of the heater 80 and the bottom surface of the duct 71c, flows to the exhaust port 71b, and is discharged into the dehydration tank 30 from the exhaust port 71b. Thus, it is possible to prevent the drying unit K from being troubled such as the heater 80 being submerged.

  The insertion hole 14a is a cylindrical port protruding downward, and a fixed pipe 84 for positioning the blowout pipe 81 is attached to the insertion hole 14a by fitting and screwing. An O-ring 85 for sealing the blowing pipe 81 is fitted on the inner periphery of the fixed pipe 84. The ventilation port 71f of the drying unit K is located immediately below the insertion hole 14a. When the blowing pipe 81 assembled with the disk body 82 and the nozzle cover 83 is fitted into the fixed pipe 84, the blowing pipe 81 is It is fitted and connected to the vent 71f.

  FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the outer box top plate of the washing and drying machine from a front oblique perspective, and shows a state where the nozzle cover is laid down (a) and a state where the nozzle cover is raised (b). FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG.

  In the present embodiment, the nozzle cover 83 can tilt. When the nozzle cover 83 is tilted manually, the elevation angle of the diffuser 83a is varied. 9A and 10, when the nozzle cover 83 is laid down, the diffuser 83a faces horizontally, and the lower half of the diffuser 83a is hidden inside the disk body 82, and the exposed area of the diffuser 83a is large. Since it is halved, an ion wind with a high flow velocity is blown out horizontally. Therefore, it is suitable for spotting ions far away.

  As shown in FIG. 9B, when the nozzle cover 83 is raised, the diffuser 83a faces obliquely upward and the entire diffuser 83a is exposed, so the height of the outer box top plate (about 100 cm from the floor) ) Is diffused over a wide range from the diffuser 83a located at (1), and an ion wind is blown out. Therefore, it is suitable for evenly distributing ions throughout the space.

  The disc body 82 can be rotated 360 ° horizontally. When the disk body 82 is manually rotated, the blowout pipe 81 and the nozzle cover 83 held by the disk body 82 are also rotated. Accordingly, the azimuth angle of the air outlet 81a is varied by 360 °. When combined with the tilting of the nozzle cover 83, the elevation angle of the diffuser 83a is also variable, so that an ion wind can be blown out in any direction.

With reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, an ion blowing operation for performing sterilization and deodorization inside the dehydration tank and outside the machine performed by the washing and drying machine of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.
<Ion blowing operation in the tank>
As shown in FIG. 4A, the damper 76 is stopped in the first posture, and when the blower fan 73 is rotated, air is sucked into the blower box 71 in the direction of arrow a in FIG. Along with this, the blowing means 70 introduces outside air from the opening 17 in the direction of arrow b, and introduces inside air from the through hole 13 in the direction of arrow c. This air is sucked from the air inlet 93 of the foreign material container 90 into the foreign material container 90 and through the filter 100 to the air inlet 71a. At this time, foreign matters such as dust contained in the intake air are removed when passing through the filter 100 and adhere to and accumulate on the lower surface (entrance side) of the filter 100. The foreign matter accumulated on the filter 100 falls into the foreign matter storage box 90 due to vibration during operation or the like, and is stored in the foreign matter storage box 90.

  The air blown by the blower fan 73 is mixed with positive ions and negative ions generated from the ion generator 75 to become an ion wind. The ion wind flows through the passage in the duct 71c in the direction of the arrow d, and is sent from the bellows tube 74 into the dehydration tank 30 as indicated by the arrow e. Thereby, the space in the machine can be purified, and mold generated in the dewatering tank 30 and a strange odor in the machine can be suppressed. Thereafter, the ion wind is exhausted from the exhaust filter 23 to the outside of the dehydration tank 30. The ion blowing operation in the tank may be performed as a single operation mode independent of the washing, dehydrating or drying operation, or may be performed during the washing, dehydrating or drying operation or after completion of the washing or dehydrating operation. .

<External ion blowing operation>
As shown in FIG. 4B, the damper 76 is stopped in the second posture, and the ionic wind flows through the blowing pipe 81 in the direction of the arrow f in FIG. 4B, and from the blowing pipe 81 to FIG. 3B. The air is sent to the space outside the aircraft as indicated by the arrow g. Thereby, sanitary space, such as a washroom in which the washing-drying machine was installed, can be purified, and mold generated on the wall and off-odor from the machine can be suppressed. The external ion blowing operation may be performed as a single operation mode independent of the washing, dehydration or drying operation, or may be performed during the washing, dehydration or drying operation or after the drying operation.

<Inside and outside ion blowing operation>
As shown in FIG. 3 (c), the damper 76 is stationary in the third posture, and the ion wind flows through the flow path in the duct 71c in the direction of arrow h in FIG. 4 (c), and the direction as shown by the arrow k. Then, the air is fed into the dehydration tank 30, flows in the blow pipe 81 in the direction of arrow j, and is sent to the space outside the machine as shown by arrow m. Thereby, sterilization and deodorization inside and outside the machine can be performed at the same time, and the running cost can be reduced as compared with the case where each of the ion blowing operation inside the tank and the ion blowing operation outside the machine is continuously performed independently. Here, since the cross-sectional area of the flow path (exhaust path leading to the dehydration tank 30) in the duct 71c is set to be larger than the cross-sectional area of the blowing pipe 81 (exhaust path leading to the outside of the machine), The amount of ions released into the dehydration tank 30 can be made larger than the amount released outside the apparatus, and sterilization and deodorization in the dehydration tank 30 can be performed with priority over the space outside the apparatus. .

  FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the appearance of the operation unit 90. The operation unit 90 includes a start key 93, a power-on key 91, a power-off key 92, a washing / drying switch key 94, a course key 95, a room purification key 96, a reservation key 97, a time setting key 98, a washing key 101, and a rinsing key. Operation buttons such as 102, and course display lamps 66, indoor purification display lamps 67, time display lamps 68, regular operation display lamps 69, ion ventilation condition display lamps 100, and other LED display lamps are provided. The operation on the operation button is input to the control circuit 51, and the display content of the display lamp is updated according to the operation accepted by the control circuit 21 and the progress of washing, rinsing, dehydration and drying.

  FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the control circuit. The core of the control circuit 21 is the CPU 52 of the microcomputer 39. The microcomputer 39 includes a CPU 52, a RAM 55, a ROM 56, a count unit 53, a timer (timer) 54, a system bus 57, and a plurality of I / O ports 18. The CPU 52, RAM 55, ROM 56, and I / O port 18 include Are connected to each other by a system bus 57. The count unit 53 and the timer 54 are directly connected to the CPU 52.

  The CPU 52 includes a control unit 64 and a calculation unit 65. The control unit 64 reads a control program stored in advance in the ROM 56, decodes and executes instructions, and stores temporarily generated data in the RAM 55. The arithmetic unit 65 performs operations such as binary addition / subtraction, logical operation, and comparison on the data read from the RAM 55 and the data input from the I / O port 18. Further, the ROM 56 stores, as fixed data, means for operating various devices to be controlled, conditions set for various determinations, rules for controlling various information, and the like.

  The plurality of I / O ports 18 of the microcomputer 39 include a nonvolatile memory 34, a time measuring circuit 35, an input key circuit 36, a display device driving circuit 37, a buzzer driving circuit 38, a state detection circuit 46, and a load driving circuit 47. Connected. Each operation button of the operation unit 90 is connected to the input key circuit 36, and each display lamp of the operation unit 90 is connected to the display device drive circuit 37. The buzzer drive circuit 38 is connected to a buzzer 19 that sounds an operation / warning sound. The time measuring circuit 35 measures time. The state detection circuit 133 includes a water level sensor 25 that detects the water level in the dehydration tank 30, a temperature sensor 26 that detects the temperature outside the machine, a humidity sensor 27 that detects humidity outside the machine, and an odor intensity outside the machine. Sensors such as an odor sensor 28 and a capacity determination sensor 78 for detecting the capacity of the laundry stored in the dewatering tub 30 are connected, and a circuit for converting signals from these sensors into digital signals is included. The load drive circuit 136 drives the water supply valve 29, the drain valve 63, the drive motor 41, the fan motor 72, the ion generator 75, the damper control motor 77, and the heater 80.

  The microcomputer 39 operates when a predetermined voltage is supplied from the power supply circuit 58 to the power supply terminals Vdd and Vss, and is reset when a RESET (reset) signal is input from the reset circuit 59. When the user presses the power-on key 91 to turn on the power, the standard course is set by the initial setting of the CPU 52. Each time the user presses the wash / dry switch key 94, the washing operation from washing to dehydration (" Switching between the execution of “standard” and “washing”) or the washing / drying operation from washing to drying (“standard” and “washing” of the course lamp 66 are lit). Each time the cosky 95 is pressed, the course is switched, and the lighting location of the course display lamp 66 is switched accordingly. In the following, for the sake of simplicity, the standard course will be described as an example.

  The indoor purification key 96 is a key serving as an operation mode switching means for switching the operation mode setting of the ion blowing operation. That is, every time the air purification key 96 is pressed, whether or not to perform an ion blowing operation after the washing operation or the washing and drying operation (hereinafter also referred to as an indoor purification process) is switched, and the indoor purification display lamp 67 is switched accordingly. It is designed to switch on / off. When the indoor purification process is set (hereinafter also referred to as the washing / indoor purification mode or the washing / drying / indoor purification mode), the initial setting of the air blowing path is “in the tank” after the washing operation is finished, and “ "Out of the plane". Each time the wash / dry switch key 94 is pressed, it is switched, and the lighting location of the indoor purification display lamp 67 is also switched. This initial setting air passage cannot be changed. When the start key 93 is pressed, the washing / room purification mode or the laundry drying / room purification mode is started.

  Further, each time the indoor purification key 96 is pressed for a long time of about several seconds (so-called long pressing), an independent operation mode (hereinafter referred to as an indoor purification mode) in which the ion blowing operation is performed independently of the operation of washing, dehydration or drying. (Also referred to as “also called”) is switched. When the indoor purification mode is set, the indoor purification display lamp 67 is turned on while the course display lamp 66 is turned off. In this case, the indoor purification key 96 itself may be turned on. The initial setting of the ventilation path when the indoor purification mode is set is “outside the machine”. This initial setting air flow path can be changed.

  Even in the case where the indoor purification process is not set, during the washing, rinsing and dehydrating processes in the washing operation, the ion blowing is performed in the dehydrating tank 30 during the washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying processes in the washing and drying operation. Is done.

  The indoor purification key 96 may also serve as a ventilation path changing means for changing the setting of the ventilation path leading to the inside of the dehydration tank or the outside of the machine. That is, each time the indoor purification key 96 is pressed (not long-pressed) after the indoor purification mode is set, the “outside of the machine” / “inside of the tank” setting of the ventilation path is changed. Moreover, the lighting location of the indoor purification display lamp 67 is switched accordingly. In addition, when the indoor purification key 96 is pressed during the washing operation or the washing process, the rinsing process, and the dehydrating process in the washing / drying operation, the air passage that was initially set to “inside the tank” It is possible to switch to. When the start key 93 is pressed, the indoor purification mode is started.

  The reservation key 97 is a key for setting a reserved operation of a washing operation and a washing / drying operation. In this embodiment, the ion blowing operation into the dehydration tank 30 is performed by operating the indoor purification key 96 during standby operation. Can be set to perform.

  When the reservation key 97 is pressed when the indoor purification mode is set, it is possible to make a reservation for a periodic operation in the indoor purification mode (hereinafter also referred to as a periodic indoor purification mode). That is, the reservation key 97 has a function as a regular operation setting means for reserving regular execution of the indoor purification mode. If the reservation key 97 is pressed again, the regular indoor purification mode can be canceled. When the reservation key 97 is pressed, the time setting key 98 (the proceed key / return key) as the time setting means is operated to set the start time, and when the start key 93 is pressed, the regular indoor purification mode is started.

  Even if the start key 93 is pressed directly after setting the regular indoor purification mode without setting the time, the regular indoor purification mode is started.

  Next, the ion blowing operation in the tank at the time of reservation operation standby, which is characteristic of the washing / drying machine of the present embodiment, will be described.

<First operation mode of ion blowing operation in tank during standby for reservation operation>
FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining the procedure for setting the first operation mode of the ion blow-in operation in the tank during standby for the reservation operation. At the time of setting the first operation mode, first, the reservation key 97 is pressed in step S1 to shift to the operation of the reservation operation of the washing operation or the washing / drying operation (standard course), and in step S2, the time as time setting means The reservation time is set by operating the setting key 98. When the start key 93 is pressed in step S3, the laundry capacity is determined and the reserved operation standby state is entered. Up to this point, the operation is a normal reserved operation.

  When the key input of the indoor purification key 96 is accepted after transitioning to the reserved operation standby state (YES in step S4), the ion blowing conditions of the in-tank ion blowing operation during the reserved operation standby are automatically calculated and initialized. The Here, the ion blowing conditions are specifically three conditions of the intensity, time, and number of times of ion blowing operation.

  The calculation part 65 in CPU52 takes charge of calculation of ion ventilation conditions. As a calculation method, in addition to a specific numerical calculation formula, either a value set from a table created in advance may be used. For example, based on the laundry capacity obtained as a result of the capacity determination, the intensity or time of the ion blowing operation is set, and the reserved operation standby time from the reserved operation standby start time (the time set in step S2) to the reserved operation start time is set. Based on this, the number of times of ion blowing operation is set. As a method of setting values from a table created in advance, for example, a data table as shown in Table 1 can be used. Since it can be judged that the laundry with higher humidity is stored in the dewatering tub 30 as the laundry capacity is larger, the intensity and time of the ion blowing increases, and the reserved operation standby time becomes longer. The number of times increases.

  Or you may make it calculate by the input from various sensors, such as the temperature sensor 26, the humidity sensor 27, and the odor sensor 28. FIG. For example, taking humidity as an example, the humidity in the dehydration tank 30 is measured by the humidity sensor 27 for a certain period of time (for example, 5 minutes), the change amount Δ of the measured humidity is calculated, and the ion blowing operation is performed based on the calculated Δ. Intensity or time is set, and the number of times of ion blowing operation is set based on the reserved operation standby time. As a method for setting values from a table created in advance, for example, a data table as shown in Table 2 can be used. As Δ is larger, it can be determined that the laundry with high humidity is housed in the dewatering tub 30. Therefore, the intensity and time of the ion blowing increases, and the number of times of the ion blowing operation increases as the reserved operation standby time increases. Increased specifications. The same applies when detecting temperature and odor.

  It is desirable to display the set ion blowing conditions on the operation unit 90 so that the user can understand. As a method for displaying the ion blowing conditions, for example, in the reservation standby state, the reservation setting time is displayed on the time display lamp 68 in FIG. 12, but the two-digit 7-segment display for displaying the “minute”, Using the three digits of the one-digit 7-segment display that displays “times” on the right, the ion blowing time is displayed in the first two digits, and the number of times of ion blowing is displayed in the lower one digit.

  The ion blast intensity is displayed on the ion blast condition display section including “outside machine” and “inside machine” of the indoor purification display lamp 67. Specifically, when entering the ion blast setting state, the reservation setting time is erased, and the ion blast intensity display shows “inside” and “outside” in the indoor purification display, respectively, Display according to “Weak”.

  The ion blowing intensity means the magnitude of the amount of ions sent into the dehydration tank 30, and the air volume of the blowing fan 73 (that is, the rotation speed of the fan motor 72) is controlled in two stages, “strong” and “weak”. Thus, “large” and “small” of the ion amount, that is, “strong” and “weak” of the ion blowing intensity can be controlled.

  Since the ion blow condition is displayed when the reserved operation is waited, it is desirable to display the reservation operation content and the ion blow setting content so as not to be confused. For example, in addition to lighting the reserved operation display lamp 69, the indoor purification key 96 is pressed. It is good to make it blink. Conversely, in addition to the blinking of the reserved operation display lamp 69, the indoor purification key 96 may be lit (may be blinking at high speed).

  Ion blowing conditions can be changed to meet the detailed needs of users. For example, when the input of the indoor purification key 96 is received in the ion blast setting state, switching between the ion blast intensity switching during the reserved operation standby and whether or not to execute is switched. That is, every time the air purification key 96 is pressed, the presence of ion blowing (intensity initial value), the presence of ion blowing (strength change value), and the absence of ion blowing are switched (step S5). In addition, the ion blowing time and the number of times can be changed by assigning arbitrary operation buttons (for example, the washing time button 101 (see FIG. 11) and the number of times of rinsing button 102 (see FIG. 11)), and input from the user. (Steps S6 and S7).

  When the input of the start key 93 is received after the ion blow setting (steps S4 to S7) is completed (YES in step S8), the reservation operation standby is started.

  The operation mode of the ion blowing operation in the tank at the time of standby for standby operation performed by the washing machine of the present invention will be described. Since the details of the ion blowing operation have been described above with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the description thereof is omitted here.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the first operation mode of the ion blowing operation in the tank at the time of standby for the reservation operation. When the reserved operation standby is started as described above, the presence / absence of the ion air blowing setting (steps S4 to S7 in FIG. 13) is determined, and when the ion air blowing setting has been made (YES in step S21), it is set. The ion blowing operation in the tank is performed under the ion blowing conditions (step S22). Thereafter, when the reservation setting time comes (YES in step S23), the reserved washing operation or washing / drying operation is started.

  FIG. 15 is a time chart showing an example of the ion blowing operation in the tank at the time of standby for the reservation operation. The vertical axis represents the intensity of ion ventilation, the horizontal axis represents time, the shaded square area is the area where ion ventilation is performed, and the broken line schematically represents the amount of bacteria and odors present in the dehydration tank It is a representation. The upper row is an example of ion blowing performed when the laundry capacity is large, and the lower row represents the case where the laundry volume is small. It shows that sterilization and deodorization in the dehydration tank 30 can be performed by performing ion blowing until the reservation operation starts.

  Although it is characteristically shown in FIG. 15 that the ion blowing is intermittently operated, the ion blowing may be always performed, and the ion blowing time and the number of times of the ion blowing are set by the automatic calculation means (Table 1 and Table 2), and can be freely set by manual setting by the user (see Steps S5 to S7 in FIG. 13).

  Further, in FIG. 15, the intensity of ion blowing is expressed in two conditions. However, depending on the laundry capacity, one condition may be used regardless of the number of conditions or the laundry capacity. The intensity may vary.

  According to the first operation mode, sterilization and deodorization in the dehydration tub is performed during the standby operation, so even if dirty laundry or wet laundry is left in the dehydration tub for a long time, Reservation operation can be performed without significantly reducing the state.

  In addition, by calculating the ion blowing conditions during the reserved operation standby based on the reserved washing amount and the reserved operation standby time, it is possible to perform an inexpensive and optimal ion blowing operation without the need for other special sensors. Have.

  FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a procedure of the second operation mode of the ion blowing operation in the tank at the time of standby for the reservation operation. When the reserved operation standby is started as described above, the presence / absence of the ion air blowing setting (steps S4 to S7 in FIG. 13) is determined. If the ion air blowing setting has been made (YES in step S31), the humidity sensor 27 Thus, in-machine humidity detection is started in step S32, and when a predetermined humidity is detected in step S33, the ion blowing operation in the tank is performed under the set ion blowing conditions (step S34). Thereafter, when the reservation setting time comes (YES in step S35), the reserved washing operation or washing / drying operation is started. Here, the predetermined humidity is preferably set to a humidity condition (for example, relative humidity of 70% to 99%) at which mold is likely to occur.

  When there are many wet items (used towels, etc.) in the reserved laundry, the hygiene condition in the tub cannot be accurately estimated only by the laundry capacity. In the second operation mode, the hygienic state in the tank can be maintained with higher accuracy by starting the ion blowing operation when the humidity sensor detects a certain humidity.

  FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a procedure of the third operation mode of the ion blowing operation in the tank at the time of standby for the reservation operation. In the third operation mode, in-machine humidity detection is performed in the second operation mode, but in-step temperature detection is performed by the temperature sensor 26 in step S42. When the predetermined temperature is detected in step S43, the ion blowing operation in the tank is performed under the set ion blowing conditions (step S45). Thereafter, when the reservation setting time comes (YES in step S45), the reserved washing operation or washing and drying operation is started. Here, the predetermined temperature is preferably a room temperature condition (for example, 10 ° C. to 35 ° C.) at which mold is likely to occur.

  If the reservation is made after the drying operation has been carried out, or if the reservation is made at a time when the temperature in summer is high, the temperature of the dehydration tank is high and the environment is easy for bacteria to grow. The hygienic condition in the tank cannot be accurately estimated. In the third operation mode, when the temperature sensor detects a certain temperature, the ion blowing operation is started, so that the sanitary state in the tank can be maintained with higher accuracy.

  FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the fourth operation mode of the ion blowing operation in the tank at the time of standby for the reservation operation. In the fourth operation mode, in-machine humidity detection is performed in the second operation mode, but in-machine odor detection is performed by the odor sensor 28 in step S52. When the odor of a predetermined intensity is detected in step S53, the in-tank ion blowing operation is performed under the set ion blowing conditions (step S54). Thereafter, when the reservation setting time comes (YES in step S55), the reserved washing operation or washing / drying operation is started.

  The smell of reserved laundry cannot be accurately estimated by the laundry capacity alone. In the fourth operation mode, since the ion blowing operation is started when the odor sensor detects a certain odor, the sanitary condition in the tank can be maintained with higher accuracy.

  In the second to fourth operation modes, when conditions for generating fungus and odor are established, the inside of the tank during the reserved operation standby is cleaned by providing a function to periodically blow ions in the dehydration tank. Thus, the usability of the reservation function of the washing machine is improved.

  The scope of the present invention is not limited to the above illustration. In the first to fourth operation modes, the case where the standard course is designated by the course key 95 has been described as an example. Similarly, the ion blowing into the dehydration tank 30 is executed during the reserved operation standby in other courses. Is possible.

  In the first to fourth operation modes, the case where the reserved operation starts the operation when the set time comes is described as an example, but the reserved operation may end when the set time comes.

  Further, the first to fourth operation modes are operation modes of the ion blowing operation in the tank at the time of standby for operation reservation, but are also in the dehydration tank during the washing, dehydration or drying operation after starting the reservation operation. Ion blowing may be performed. According to this configuration, it is possible to disinfect and deodorize the inside of the dehydration tank not only during the reserved driving operation standby but also during the washing, dehydrating or drying operation, which can further contribute to the cleanliness of the cabin. It becomes possible.

  In the second to fourth operation modes, the temperature sensor 26, the humidity sensor 27, and the odor sensor 28 have been described as detecting the temperature, humidity, and odor in the dehydration tank 30, respectively. It is good also as what detects humidity and an odor.

  Moreover, although the case where each of the second to fourth operation modes is independent has been described, when two or more operation modes are arbitrarily combined, a plurality of conditions for generating mold fungus and odor are established. From this point of view, it is possible to detect more reliably and to perform sterilization and deodorization outside the apparatus more efficiently.

  The present invention can be used in a washing machine.

1 Washer / Dryer 10 Outer box 14 Back panel (outer box top plate)
14a Insertion hole 14b Disk body receiving part 14e Water channel 26 Temperature sensor 27 Humidity sensor 28 Odor sensor 71 Blower box 71a Intake port 71b Exhaust port 71e Arc-shaped passage 71f Ventilation port 72 Blower fan (centrifugal fan)
75 Ion generator 78 Capacity determination sensor 751 Positive ion generator 752 Negative ion generator 76 Damper 80 Heater 81 Air outlet 81a Air outlet 82 Disc body 83 Nozzle cover (air outlet cover)
83a Diffuser 90 Operation section

Claims (11)

  A dehydrating tank, an ion generator that generates ions having a sterilizing and deodorizing action disposed in a blowing path leading to the dehydrating tank, a blowing unit that blows ions generated from the ion generator, and a dehydrating tank In a washing machine having an air supply path and a control means for operating the ion generator and the air supply means in a predetermined manner, and having an operation reservation function for starting or ending operation at a desired time, when waiting for reservation operation A washing machine characterized by performing an ion blowing operation for blowing ions into a dehydrating tank.   A capacity determining means for determining the capacity of the laundry stored in the dewatering tank is provided, and the intensity or time of the ion blowing operation is automatically calculated based on the determined laundry capacity. The washing machine according to 1.   Humidity detection means for detecting the humidity in the dehydration tank and means for calculating the humidity change amount in the dehydration tank are provided, and the intensity or time of the ion blowing operation is automatically calculated based on the calculated humidity change amount. The washing machine according to claim 1.   It has temperature detection means for detecting the temperature in the dehydration tank and means for calculating the temperature change amount in the dehydration tank, and automatically calculates the intensity or time of the ion blowing operation based on the calculated temperature change amount. The washing machine according to claim 1.   Equipped with odor detection means for detecting the odor in the dehydration tank and means for calculating the odor change amount in the dehydration tank, and automatically calculates the intensity or time of the ion blowing operation based on the calculated odor change amount The washing machine according to claim 1.   It is characterized by comprising a timing means for measuring the reserved operation standby time from the reserved operation standby start time to the reserved operation start time, and automatically calculating the number of times of the ion blowing operation based on the measured reserved operation standby time. The washing machine according to any one of claims 2 to 5.   The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the intensity, time, or number of times of the ion blowing operation can be changed as desired by a user.   8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a humidity detection unit configured to detect humidity in the dehydration tank, wherein the ion blowing operation is executed when humidity that is likely to generate mold is detected during standby for standby operation. The washing machine described.   A temperature detection means for detecting the temperature in the dehydration tank is provided, and the ion blowing operation is executed when a temperature at which mold is likely to occur is detected during the reservation operation standby. The washing machine described.   The washing according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising an odor detecting means for detecting an odor in the dewatering tank, and performing the ion blowing operation when an odor of a predetermined value or more is detected during standby for the reservation operation. Machine.   The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein ion blowing is performed in the dehydration tank even during the operation of washing, dehydration or drying.

Images