JP2016202775A - Drum-type washing machine and laundry dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a laundry dryer capable of efficiently warming the laundry by independently controlling the amount of warm air and the amount of steam generated.SOLUTION: A drum is provided with a warm air jet nozzle and a steam exhaust port separately. On an as needed basis, the warm air jet nozzle is arranged in a direction such that the laundry in the drum is directly exposed to the warm air, and the steam exhaust port from steam generation means is arranged in a position shifted from the hot air jet direction in the circumferential direction of the drum such that the steam is ejected toward a door.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine for washing clothes and the like, and more particularly to a drum-type washing machine and a washing / drying machine including a drum that is inclined substantially horizontally or forwards upward.

  The drum type washing machine performs washing, rinsing, and dehydrating processes by putting clothes in a drum having a rotating shaft that is substantially horizontal or inclined with the front facing upward. In addition to the above, a drying process is further provided. In the washing process and the rinsing process, the drum is rotated at a low speed, the garments accumulated below the drum are lifted and dropped from above the drum. By this tumbling operation, washing and rinsing are performed by applying mechanical force to the clothes. In particular, this cleaning operation is called tapping. At the time of the dehydration process, the drum is rotated at a high speed, and centrifugal dehydration is performed by pushing out moisture from the clothes by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation.

  Further, in the washing process, a circulation pump is provided to enhance the washing effect, and the washing water in the washing tub (outer tub) is pumped up and applied to the clothing so that the washing water in which the detergent is dissolved is uniformly permeated into the clothing. As described above, the drum type washing machine can save water even with a small amount of water by the tumbling operation and the circulation of the washing water by the circulation pump, so that it can save water compared to the vertical washing machine. .

  One way to increase the cleaning power is to increase the cleaning temperature. That is, the washing power can be enhanced by increasing the temperature of the laundry and the washing water, thereby enhancing the function of the detergent enzyme and promoting the diffusion of the surfactant and the like in the washing water. In general, a heater is provided at the bottom of the outer tub, and the washing water at the bottom of the outer tub is pumped up with a circulation pump while warming with the heater, and is hung on the laundry from above the drum. There is a way to warm the whole system. On the other hand, there is a method using steam as a method for efficiently warming only the laundry. Patent Document 1 states that “a washing / dehydrating tub, driving means for driving the washing / dehydrating tub, and a steam supply port above the washing / dehydrating tub have been provided. Steam supply means for directing steam toward the laundry, water supply means for supplying water into the washing and dewatering tub, and control means for controlling the operation of the steam supply means, water supply means, etc. By means of the steam supply step of directly applying steam to the laundry from above the laundry in the washing and dewatering tank and driving the drive means, and after this steam supply step, water is supplied to a predetermined water level by the water supply means, There is disclosed a “washing machine configured to drive a driving means to perform a washing process” (see claim 1). Further, Patent Document 2 discloses that “the garment accommodated in the rotating drum is directly provided with an air blowing means having an air volume and a wind speed for extending the wrinkle of the garment, and the air blowing means includes an air blowing means and a discharge side of the air blowing means. A detergent solution having a high-concentration detergent solution generated by the high-concentration detergent solution generating unit upstream of the nozzle and having a nozzle provided on the downstream side of the heating unit and a nozzle provided on the downstream side of the heating unit It is disclosed that it is characterized by having supply means.

Japanese Patent No. 4784029 JP 2011-245035 A

  In general, after separating and decomposing dirt from the laundry, in order to keep the dirt dispersed and retained without recontamination of the laundry, the laundry is immersed in a detergent solution or a sufficient amount of detergent liquid is retained. It is necessary to keep. In order to efficiently warm the laundry in this state, it is desirable to uniformly heat the whole in a shorter time. In order to further improve the cleaning performance, it is preferable to always reduce the concentration of dirt components in the moisture retained by the laundry.

  In Patent Document 1, it is necessary to increase the momentum of the steam at the steam outlet in order to distribute the steam to the laundry located on the back side (main motor side) of the drum. However, there is no mention of specific measures such as increasing the steam jet pressure. In addition, in order to heat the laundry uniformly, it is preferable that the laundry is folded as much as possible and the laundry is spread out. However, the laundry is spread as much as possible to spread steam over a wider area. There is no mention of specific measures to be taken.

  On the other hand, in Patent Document 2, the detergent liquid is heated at the time when the warm air and the detergent liquid are in contact with each other in the vicinity of the warm air blowing nozzle, and a part of the detergent liquid can be steam. For this reason, the amount of steam generated depends on the hot air temperature, the amount of detergent liquid, and the size of the droplets, and since there is a heating means on the discharge side of the air blowing means, the hot air temperature is also affected by the intake air temperature of the air blowing means. The Therefore, the amount of warm air supplied to the drum and the amount of steam generated cannot be adjusted independently, and they interfere with each other thermally. That is, it is a problem to provide a washing machine or a washing dryer that can adjust the amount of hot air and the amount of steam generated independently to efficiently warm the laundry efficiently in a short time.

  In order to solve such problems, as an example, a washing machine and a washing and drying machine according to the present invention include an outer tub that can store liquid therein, and is rotatably supported in the outer tub so that the laundry is A generally cylindrical drum to be housed, a drum motor for rotationally driving the drum, a door for putting laundry into and out of the opposite end of the drum so as to face the drum motor, and the inside of the outer tub Water supply means for supplying water, a circulation pump for sucking water from the outer tank and circulating the water toward the inside of the drum, a water receiving part for storing water on the suction side of the circulation pump, the drum motor, and the water supply Means and operation control means for controlling the circulation pump, steam generating means for heating a part of water supplied from the water supplying means to generate steam, and hot air generating means for sending hot air into the drum or the outer tub And An outlet for sending the heating medium from the steam generating means into the drum or the outer tub, and an outlet for blowing the hot air from the hot air generating means into the drum or the outer tub. Alternatively, it is provided separately for the outer tub.

  Further, if necessary, the hot air blowing nozzle is provided in a direction in which the hot air is directly applied to the laundry in the drum, and the steam outlet from the steam generating means deviates in the drum circumferential direction from the hot air blowing direction. It is arranged at the position where it is placed so that it can be ejected toward the door.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to push the laundry into the drum while stirring it with warm air blowing force. Further, in the steam, the laundry is once applied to the door and diffused into the drum, so that the laundry can be seen from a wide angle. Since the steam can be uniformly permeated, the laundry can be heated efficiently and uniformly by the hot air and the heat of the steam. Along with this, it is possible to uniformly spray and condense steam onto the laundry, thereby increasing the water retention amount of the cloth. If the moisture content exceeds the limit moisture content of the cloth, a part of the water retention amount already containing dirt can be replaced with condensed water to reduce the soil concentration in the retention water.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the laundry can be heated efficiently and uniformly, and when the steam is condensed in the laundry, the amount of water retention can be increased, and the stain concentration in the water retention water can be increased even if the washing progresses. Can be lowered. Even if the water content exceeds the limit, the part of the water content containing dirt can be replaced with condensed water, so that the concentration of dirt components in the water can be lowered, and the separation and elution of dirt from the laundry is continued and promoted. it can. Thereby, efficient uniform heating and the dirt concentration in the water retention of the cloth accompanying this can be lowered more uniformly, and the cleaning performance can be further improved.

It is an external appearance perspective view which shows the drum type washing-drying machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional view of the right side surface showing the internal structure of the drum type washing and drying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) shows the appearance of the drying process with the duct air holes being opened, b) shows the state of the drying process with the duct air supply hole closed. It is a drum type washing-dryer upper part perspective view of the steam generator periphery which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view shown about the positional relationship of the steam injection direction and door glass which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which imaged the blowing direction of the warm air from the steam from the steam generator which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and a drying apparatus. It is a schematic perspective view from the outer tub of the drum type washing / drying machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention to a circulation pump. It is sectional drawing of the steam generator which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a graph about the influence on the evaporation amount and outlet pressure with respect to the inclination of a steam generator, (a) shows about evaporation amount ratio, (b) shows about outlet pressure ratio. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the upper left side which shows the internal structure of the drum type washing-drying machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. 1 is a plan (cross-sectional) view of a drum type washing / drying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a front (cross section) figure of the upper left side of the drum type washing-drying machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the outer tub in the drum type washing and drying machine concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control apparatus of the drum type washing-drying machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is process drawing explaining the driving | operation process of the washing operation in the drum type washing / drying machine which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that the high concentration detergent liquid which concerns on embodiment of this invention is sprayed. It is the schematic diagram which showed the relationship between the suction side water level of the circulation pump which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention, and a head, (a) shows the state which is continuing to rotate the circulation pump in the state where detergent liquid is insufficient. Yes. (b) has shown the state which supplied additional water to the circulation pump suction side from the state of (a). FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a cleaning flow of a steam generator according to the first embodiment of the present invention, (a) showing a state of a steam flow when steam is generated, and (b) a steam cleaning step. (C) shows the state of drainage of the cleaning water from the steam generator after the steam cleaning process has been stopped or all operations have been completed. is there. It is process drawing explaining fan rotation speed control of the steam generator used for a present Example. It is sectional drawing which showed the modification of the steam generator used for a present Example.

  Hereinafter, examples will be described with reference to the drawings. Since the washing process is the same for both the drum-type washing machine and the washing / drying machine, the following examples will be described using a drum-type washing / drying machine.

Example 1
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drum type washer / dryer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 relates to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view as seen from the side of the drum type washer / dryer. FIG. 2 (a) shows a state in which the air supply holes 206 of the air duct 29 are opened. FIG. 5 shows a drying process, showing the flow of air that is blown from the blower fan 29 of the drying device to the drum 3 and exhausted to the drain hole 240, and FIG. A drying process is shown, in which air blown from the blower fan 29 of the drying device to the drum 3 passes through the drum 3 and is returned from the outer tub 2 to the suction side of the blower fan 20 through the blower duct 29. It becomes a flow. The flow of warm air in the steam cleaning process described later is mainly the circulation flow (b). FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the drum type washer / dryer around the steam generator 230. First, the appearance will be described. On the upper part of the base 1h, a skeleton is constructed by combining a side plate 1a mainly made of a steel plate and a resin molded product and a reinforcing material (not shown), and further, a front cover 1c, a lower front cover 1f, and an upper surface are formed thereon. The housing 1 is formed by attaching the cover 1e. The front cover 1c is provided with a door 9 for taking in and out the laundry 207, and a back cover 1d is attached to the back.

  Next, the schematic structure of the washing / drying machine and the process from washing to drying will be briefly described. As shown in FIG. 2, an outer tub 2 is provided almost at the center inside the housing 1 shown in FIG. 1. The outer tub 2 is supported by a plurality of lower dampers 5. On the drum 3 rotatably provided inside the outer tub 2, the door 9 is opened and the laundry 207 is put in. The door 9 itself is obtained by fixing a door glass 9a to a door frame 9b, and is attached to the housing by a hinge 9c. A fluid balancer 208 is provided on the outer periphery of the opening of the rotatable drum 3 in order to reduce vibration due to unbalance of the laundry 207 during dehydration. In addition, a plurality of lifters 209 for scraping the laundry 207 is provided inside the drum 3. The rotatable drum 3 is directly connected to a drum driving motor M10a via a main shaft 211 connected to a metal flange 210 for the rotating drum. A rubber bellows 10 made of an elastic body is attached to the opening of the outer tub 2. The rubber bellows 10 serves to maintain the watertightness between the outer tub 2 and the door 9. This prevents water leakage during washing, rinsing and dehydration. The rotatable drum 3 has a large number of small holes (not shown) for centrifugal dehydration and ventilation in a cylindrical portion which is a side wall.

  The circulation pump 18 for pumping the washing water up to the upper part of the outer tub 2 and spraying the washing water on the laundry 207 in the drum 3 is fixed to the housing base 1 h side below the outer tub 2. The washing water enters the suction port side of the circulation pump 18 through the waste thread filter 222 from the drain port 21 of the water receiving portion 54 provided in the lower part of the outer tub, and is boosted by the circulation pump 18 and is then discharged from the watering nozzle 231 to the drum. Water is sprayed toward the inside. Further, the drain port 21 opened at the bottom of the water receiving portion 54 is connected to the drain hose 26 via the drain valve V1 after passing through the waste thread filter 222.

  On the other hand, the overflow hose 205 is attached to the air duct 29 on the rear surface of the drum, and joins with a connecting hose (not shown) from the drain port 21 before the drain valve V1. That is, when the drain valve V1 is opened, the drain hose 26 is communicated.

The drying device 201 including the air duct 29 that guides air to the laundry 207 in the drum 3, the air blowing fan 20 that is the air blowing means, and the warm air heater 213 is fixed to the housing 1 away from the outer tub 2 (not shown). ) The blow-out nozzle 203 is fixed to the outer tub 2 at a position on the upper side of the drum 3 that is rotatable when viewed from the front of the washing / drying machine and on the front side of the washing / drying machine as viewed from the side. The outlet of the blowout nozzle 203 and the warm air heater 213 is a flexible bellows tube 212 made of a flexible structure, and is connected so that its longitudinal expansion and contraction direction is substantially perpendicular to the outer tub 2. Absorbs vibration. Temperature sensors (not shown) are provided at the drain port 21, the intake port (not shown) and the discharge port (not shown) of the blower fan 20. The hot air heater 213 which is a heating means of the present embodiment is used to adjust the air blowing temperature as necessary.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the steam generator is provided at the upper part in the housing by being supported by the upper reinforcing member 36. Water is supplied from the water supply port by opening and closing a solenoid valve (not shown), and is evaporated when passing through the heating unit 233 to generate steam. Steam is ejected into the drum 3 from the ejection hole 245. The blowout hole 245 is fixed to the outer tub 2 in the same manner as the blowout nozzle 203 at a position above the center axis of the drum 3 that can be rotated when viewed from the front of the washer / dryer and near the front as viewed from the side of the washer / dryer. However, by providing it at a position different from the blowing nozzle 207 in the circumferential direction of the drum 3, the air volume and the steam volume can be adjusted completely independently. Furthermore, the ejection direction from the ejection hole 245 is set to a direction to be applied to the door glass 9a. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the steam ejection direction and the door glass. Further, FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing the circulation of warm air and the state of steam ejection. The steam ejected from the ejection holes 245 hits the door glass 9 a and diffuses into the drum 3. At this time, the warm air from the blowing nozzle 203 directly hits the laundry 207 in the drum 3, so that the laundry 207 is spread. That is, the steam is applied to the door glass 9a and reflected at a wide angle, so that heat exchange is avoided by directly interfering with the air blown from the blowing nozzle 203, and the steam is uniformly distributed to every corner of the laundry 207 in the drum 3. Can be made. Moreover, since the door glass 9a itself can also be warmed at this time, the heating by the heat conduction from the door glass 9a to the laundry 207 when the laundry 207 contacts the door glass 9a can also be used for uniform heating.

  In the drum-type washing and drying machine configured as described above, in the washing process, the laundry 207 is put into the rotatable drum 3 and water is supplied with the drain valve V1 closed, and the drum 3 is rotated to perform washing. The item 207 is washed. The washing process further includes a detergent dissolving process, a steam washing process, and a main washing process. The detergent dissolving process is a process of presenting by cloth amount sensing at the start of washing, dissolving the introduced detergent with water, and spraying it on the laundry 207 in the drum 3. The water supplied to the detergent charging part is guided to the water receiving part 54 located at the lower part of the drum together with the detergent. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing how the water in the water receiving portion 54 is circulated by the circulation pump 18. When the circulation pump 18 is driven, the water in the water receiving portion 54 enters the suction port (not shown) of the circulation pump 18 through the waste thread filter 222 from the drain port 21. The washing water whose pressure has been increased by the circulation pump 18 is returned to the water receiving portion 54 again from the circulation discharge port 54b communicating with the outlet of the circulation pump 18 (circulation path in the detergent dissolving step). By repeating this circulation, a high-concentration detergent solution in which the detergent is dissolved with a small amount of water is generated. The output of the circulation pump 18 has a specification sufficient to pump up the washing water corresponding to the maximum washing load up to the watering nozzle 231 provided above the outer tub. For this reason, if it circulates in the circulation path of the above-mentioned detergent dissolution process, the required power of the circulation pump 18 will eventually be replaced with heat energy and raise the temperature of the high concentration detergent solution. The generated high-concentration detergent liquid is pumped up to the watering nozzle 231 provided above the outer tub, and sprayed onto the laundry 207 in the drum 3 (see FIG. 15). At this time, at the outlet of the circulation pump 18, a route leading up to the upper part of the outer tub 2 and a route returning to the water receiving portion 54 without being sprayed as described above are required. Discharge ports (not shown) connected to the respective routes are provided on the outer periphery of the casing, and by changing the rotation direction of the circulation pump 18, the routes are discharged by discharging from the discharge port side communicating first according to the rotation direction. Switching. Alternatively, there is no problem in function even if the outlet of the circulation pump 18 is provided at one location and branched on the downstream side to switch the flow path.

  In the steam cleaning process, steam from the steam generator 230 is jetted toward the door glass 9a while blowing warm air from the blower fan 20 onto the laundry 207 on which the high-concentration detergent solution is sprayed. The steam, the spraying direction of which is dispersed by hitting the door glass 9a, diffuses so as to wrap the laundry 207 spread by the hot air, and is heated in contact with the laundry 207. Since the laundry 207 is in a state of retaining a high-concentration detergent solution, heat conduction is better than air occupying the fiber gap of the laundry 207, and heating can be performed efficiently. Further, by raising the temperature, the surface tension of the highly concentrated detergent liquid that is retained can be lowered. Further, when the temperature of the laundry 207 rises, the air in the fibers swells the fibers, so that the penetration of the high concentration detergent solution into the fibers can be further promoted. As a result, more dirt can be separated from the fibers in a short time. The separated dirt can be quickly dispersed in the high-concentration detergent solution that has been retained in water, so that it can be prevented from aggregating and reattaching again. Furthermore, steam uniformly condenses on the laundry 207, so that the water retention amount can be increased and the dirt concentration in the water retention can be lowered.

  Further, depending on the dirt, there are dirt that falls more when the amount of washing water applied to the laundry 207 is smaller (the detergent concentration is higher), and on the contrary, dirt that falls better when the amount of washing water is larger (the detergent concentration is lower). There is a difference in the driving force for removing dirt acting on both, which can be interpreted as follows. The surfactant, which is one of the main components of the detergent, has a function of accelerating the wetting of the fibers and further attracting the surface potential of dirt and cloth to the negative polarity of the surfactant to make it negatively charged. Thereby, there exists an effect which increases the repulsive force between the stain | pollution | contamination floated from the laundry, and a fiber and stain | pollution | contamination. For this reason, the higher the concentration of the surfactant, the stronger the repulsive force against the van der Waals force can be obtained when cleaning solid dirt adhering mainly with van der Waals force. Therefore, solid stains and the like are generally better removed when the surfactant concentration is higher. On the other hand, the dissolution rate of so-called water-soluble soil that is easily dissolved in water or washing water varies depending on the concentration of the soil that becomes a solute with respect to the washing water as a solvent. The solution with a low concentration of dirt has a high dissolution rate, but the solution with a high concentration decreases the dissolution rate. For this reason, if the density | concentration of the stain | pollution | concentration currently disperse | distributed in the wash water which the laundry 207 retains is made thin, a stain | pollution | contamination will also fall from the laundry 207 further. In other words, the washing water retained by the laundry 207 needs to be replaced with washing water having a very low concentration of dirt, or a measure to reduce the concentration of dirt is necessary. That is, the role of the surfactant for this type of dirt is to largely hold the dirt peeled off from the laundry 207 and prevent aggregation and re-adhesion, so if a certain detergent concentration is satisfied, The dependence of detergent concentration on soil removal is small.

  Moreover, raising the cleaning temperature for both stains results in an increase in cleaning power. As for the former, since the molecular diffusion in the washing water is promoted by raising the temperature, more surfactant can be adhered to the cloth surface and the dirt surface, and the repulsive force can be enhanced. Also for the latter, the diffusion of the surfactant in the detergent solution is improved, and wetting of the cloth surface can be promoted. Furthermore, the separated dirt can be effectively diffused. Therefore, it can be understood that raising the washing temperature with steam can improve the washing effect for both types of dirt.

  In the subsequent main washing process, when the steam cleaning is completed, water is further supplied, the amount of water in the water receiving portion 54 is increased, and the water level is raised. This water level is maintained at a level sufficient to draw up washing water from the water receiving portion 54 by the circulation pump 18 and continuously spray it from the watering nozzle 231 at the upper part of the outer tub. The spraying from the watering nozzle 231 may be continuous or intermittent. Specifically, while a lot of dirt is still attached to the backside of the laundry 207, the washing water that the laundry 207 retains is always kept by continuously spraying and promoting stirring of the washing water. It can be replaced with low-contamination washing water. After that, after most of the dirt has been removed, the cleaning efficiency is better if the remaining dirt is removed mainly by the mechanical force of tapping washing. Therefore, it is preferable that the latter half of the spraying is intermittent so as not to disturb the mechanical force. Moreover, since the amount of power consumption can be suppressed by making the driving force of the circulation pump 18 intermittent, it is preferable from the viewpoint of energy saving. The watering nozzle 231 is fixed to the outer tub 2 at a position on the upper side of the drum 3 that is rotatable when viewed from the front of the washing and drying machine and at a front side near the front when viewed from the side of the washing and drying machine. The spraying range from the nozzle 231 is spread at a wide angle with respect to the radial direction of the drum 3. In this main washing step, the mechanical force is applied to the laundry 207 by spreading the wide area and lifting the laundry 207 accumulated in the lower part of the drum 3 by the rotation of the drum 3 and dropping it from the upper part in the drum 3. Wash with a wash. As the drum diameter is larger, a synergistic effect of widespreading and tapping is obtained, and the time of the main washing process can be shortened.

  Further, if necessary, the main washing step includes a first main washing step and a second main washing step that is executed after the first main washing step. The amount of water in the second main washing step is larger than the amount of water in the first main washing step, and the circulation flow rate of the circulation pump 18 in the second main washing step is the circulation pump in the first main washing step. It is made larger than the circulation flow rate of 18. Furthermore, the rotational speed of the drum-driven motor M10a in the second main washing process is set lower than the rotational speed of the motor M10a in the first main washing process.

  The main washing process is mainly performed to remove dirt on the inside of clothes and pockets where steam is difficult to reach. For this reason, in order to remove various stains, it is more preferable to combine the two processes in which the amount of water and the rotational speed of the drum driving motor M10a are changed as described above. In the first main washing process, in order to increase the rotation speed of the drum 3, the laundry 207 lifted upward with the rotation of the drum 3 is not struck down entirely, but most of the laundry 207 is caused by centrifugal force. The drum 3 rotates with the inner wall stuck to the inner wall. Since the washing water is sprayed there from the circulation pump 18, the flow speed of the washing water passing through the laundry 207 is increased. This makes it easier to dissolve dirt from the laundry. In the subsequent second main washing step, the rotational speed of the drum 3 is made lower than that in the first main washing step, the centrifugal force is weakened, and the sticking of the laundry 207 to the drum 3 is suppressed as much as possible. This is a process that places emphasis on tapping which knocks down from above. Accordingly, it is possible to easily remove mainly hydrophobic dirt by applying mechanical force to the laundry 207. Under the drum 3 that is knocked down, by increasing the level of the washing water that is stopped and increasing the amount of circulating water, the laundry 207 directly collides more than necessary and presses the fibers. It can also be prevented.

  In the rinsing process, the drain valve V1 is opened to drain the washing water, the drain valve V1 is closed, and the outer tank 2 is supplied with rinse water up to a predetermined water level. Thereafter, the drum 3 is rotated, and the laundry 207 and the rinse water are stirred and rinsed. The details of the process will be described in detail in the description (described later) of the operation process of this embodiment.

  In the dehydration step, the drain valve V1 is opened to drain the rinse water in the outer tub 2, and the drum 3 is rotated to centrifugally dehydrate the laundry 207. The dehydration speed is increased to a set speed according to the load unless the laundry 207 is balanced and the current value of the motor M10a exceeds the upper limit. Even if a part of the dehydrated water is wound up to the air duct 29 side, the bellows hose 215 and the outer tank side mounting portion 216 connecting the back surface portion of the outer tank 2 and the bottom portion of the air duct 29 are connected to the outer tank 2 from the air duct 29. Since it is inclined downward toward the back surface, it can be quickly returned to the outer tub 2 side. When the dehydration speed is increased and the drum 3 rotates at high speed, vibration is transmitted to the outer tub 2 and the outer tub 2 itself vibrates slightly. Since the air duct 29 is fixed to the housing 1, the bellows hose 215 that connects the back surface of the outer tub 2 and the bottom of the air duct 29 is interlocked to absorb part of the vibration.

  In the drying process, the air supply valve 204 and the drain valve V1 are opened. By opening the intake valve 204 on the suction side of the blower fan 20, the air in the housing outside the blower duct 29 is sucked and blown into the drum 3. In FIG. 2A, the air supply valve 204 is opened inside the air duct 29 (the intake valve 204) so that the air supply valve 204 completely blocks the air path in the air duct 29 (ignoring the leakage level). It is fully open). Therefore, all the air pushed out from the drum 3 passes through the drain hose 26 via the drain port 21 or the overflow hose 205, breaks the water seal of the drain trap 202, and is discharged to the drain hole 240. In the case of a general drain trap, since the water seal height is about 50 to 80 mm, the pressure on the drain hose 26 side is required to be about 1000 Pa or more to break the water seal. Moreover, in order to suppress the odor from the drain hole 240, it is necessary to ensure a high pressure (pressure higher than a predetermined pressure) even after the water seal is broken, and the high pressure is maintained during the drying process by exhaust from the drain hose 26. Thus, the blower fan 20 is controlled. As described above, the exhaust from the drum 3 is exhausted through the path leading from the drain outlet 21 via the drain valve V1 to the drain hose 26 and the path leading from the overflow hose 205 to the drain hose 26. On the other hand, the air supplied mainly into the housing from the bottom of the housing passes through the periphery of the drum driving motor M10a and the fan motor 214 between the air supply holes 206 at the top of the housing. After being warmed by exhaust heat, it is taken into the air passage from the air supply valve 204. For this reason, normally, the warm air heater 213 provided at the outlet of the blower fan 20 does not need to be energized. The exhaust path from the drum 3 through the overflow hose 205 to the drain valve V1 includes an outer tank side mounting part 216 and a bellows hose 215 on the rear part of the outer tank 2. On the other hand, because of the upward inclination, the inflow angle of the exhaust into the air blowing duct 29 becomes an obtuse angle larger than 90 degrees, and the air path loss in the exhaust path can be reduced. In the drying process when the load is small, the opening of the air supply valve is set between the fully closed state and the fully opened state so that a part of the air flow is supplied and exhausted. The temperature and humidity of the air blow are optimized so that less power consumption, dryness, and good finish can be achieved according to the load level. Here, the dryness is a percentage value obtained by dividing the original mass of a completely dried fabric by the mass of the fabric after the test.

  In addition, when it is desired to shorten the drying time, a heating drying process using the warm air heater 213 as described below is performed before the drying process using the exhaust described above. FIG. 2B shows the drying process when the air supply valve 204 is closed. As shown in FIG. 2 (b), air heated by the hot air heater 213 is blown into the drum 3 through the outlet 203a of the nozzle 203 to exchange heat with the laundry 207 and washing. Water is evaporated from the object 207. The air that has become highly humid including the evaporated water is led to the suction port of the blower fan 20 through the blower duct 29 and heated again by the hot air heater 213 provided at the blower fan outlet as needed. It is blown to. The air supply valve 204 forms a part of the wall surface of the air duct 29 and is in a fully closed state in which the inside and the outside of the air duct 29 are isolated. When the humid air at the outlet of the drum 3 passes through the outer tub 2 and the air duct 29, the outer tub 2 and the air duct 29 exchange heat with the outer tub 2 to reduce the saturated vapor pressure. And condensing on the wall surface of the air duct 29. Moisture condensed in the air duct 29 eventually accumulates in the bellows hose 215 from the bottom of the air duct, but since it is inclined downward from the air duct 29 toward the back surface of the outer tub 2, the condensed water is also removed from the outer tub. 2 to the vicinity of the drain outlet 21. The above is the heat drying process using the warm air heater 213.

  After the drying is completed, the pressure on the drainage hose 26 side is kept higher than the pressure on the drainage hole 240 side, the rotational speed of the blower fan 20 is lowered to a pressure level that does not break the water seal, and the water supply solenoid valve 16 is opened to supply water. Then, the water sealing of the drain trap 202 is recovered and the drying process is completed.

  In this way, after the drying is completed, water is supplied to the drainage hole 240 via the drainage hose 26 while maintaining the pressure on the drainage hose 26 side at a predetermined level or more, thereby suppressing the odor from the drainage hole 240 and the drainage trap 202. The water seal can be restored. The drain trap 202 may be recovered at the end of the drying operation or after the end of the drying operation as long as the pressure on the drain hose 26 side is kept high.

  As described above, according to the washing / drying machine that can be operated from washing to drying and the washing machine that performs washing, the laundry 207 is heated in a part of the washing process, and the laundry 207 is condensed by heating. By providing a steam cleaning process that combines steam that can increase the amount of water retained or replace part of the water already retained, and warm air from warm air means that can heat the laundry while spreading it, it is efficient The laundry can be heated evenly. Furthermore, since the concentration of dirt components in the water retention can be lowered by increasing the amount of water retained when the steam condenses on the cloth or by replacing a part of the amount of water already retained, the cleaning performance can be improved. The steam cleaning process can be canceled according to the cloth quality and load.

  Next, components related to the washing process will be described in order. First, the steam generator in a present Example is demonstrated.

  FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of the steam generator 230, and FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the steam generator 230 of this embodiment. The steam generator 230 is a once-through heater, and includes a heating unit 234 provided with a heater, a water supply port 232 through which water is passed over the heat transfer surface 233, and an outlet 238 through which the generated steam is jetted. The water supply port is directed to the back side of the outer tub 2 to which the motor M10a is attached, and the jet port is directed to the front side of the housing with the door glass 9a. The water feed port 232, the heating unit 234, and the jet port 238 are flowed in this order. Heat. The main body of the steam generator 230 is fixed to the upper part of the washing machine like the detergent charging unit 7 and the drying device 201, and is higher from the water supply port 232 side to the jet port 238 side with respect to the floor surface where the housing is installed. The heat transfer surface 233 is fixed in the casing so as to be inclined with respect to the casing installation floor surface.

  The water supply electromagnetic valve 16 and the steam generator 230 are both fixed to the upper reinforcing member 36 which is fixed to the casing and forms the skeleton of the washing machine. The steam generator 230 and the outer tub 2 are Since the movements are different during operation, the hose 246 has good flexibility and can withstand the steam temperature. Since the steam generator 230 is preferably as compact as possible with emphasis on installation properties, the upper and lower surfaces and the left and right surfaces of the flow path cross section are used as the heat transfer surface 233. When steam is generated, the feed water flow rate is adjusted by, for example, intermittently opening the electromagnetic valve 6, and when supplying hot water to the outer tub 2, the flow rate is increased to fill the flow path with water. The through-flow heater 235 as a heating source is preferably a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater that can self-suppress input when water is shut off and the heat transfer surface 233 is overheated.

  Since the steam generator 230 is configured to generate steam by passing water through the heat transfer surface 233 as described above, it can be generated as steam or hot water, or a combination of steam and hot water by adjusting the amount of water flow. .

  The influence of the inclination of the heating unit 234 when steam is generated will be described. FIG. 8 shows the effect on the evaporation amount and the ejection pressure when the water supply amount is constant when the heating unit 234 of the steam generator 230 is inclined with respect to the installation floor surface. Assuming that the inclination angle at which the heat transfer surface 233 is higher on the jet outlet 238 side than the water supply port 232 side is positive, if the evaporation amount is within a range of about 10 degrees with respect to the inclination of the heating unit 234, It can be generated almost the same as the amount of evaporation. If the inclination is larger than that, the evaporation amount tends to decrease with respect to the evaporation amount in the horizontal state. Further, when the tilt angle is tilted to the negative side, the evaporation amount decreases more rapidly than in the horizontal state, and the amount of droplets taken away by steam increases rapidly. On the other hand, the ejection pressure tends to increase monotonously with an increase in the inclination of the heating unit 234, and if it is a negative inclination, it tends to decrease compared to the horizontal state.

  When steam is generated, it is preferable to increase the amount of steam generated with respect to the input of the once-through heater 235 to generate steam efficiently. On the other hand, the ejection pressure is preferably set to a pressure sufficient to stably eject steam without being affected by the discharge pressure of the blower fan 20 that sends warm air to the drum. Furthermore, it is preferable to ensure an ejection pressure that can be stably ejected into the drum 3 even if the inclination of the steam generator 230 varies due to vibration during operation of the washing machine casing.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, as is apparent from FIG. 8, the inclination of the heating unit 234 of the steam generator 230 is preferably held horizontally or within a range of about 10 degrees.

  Next, the steam generation at the time of steam generation and the mechanism when the steam takes away the droplets will be described. FIG. 7 shows an image in which water is evaporated and steam is generated. When the solenoid valve opens, the water flowing into the high temperature heat transfer surface 233 is instantly evaporated, the volume becomes about 1000 times, and when the steam is ejected from the ejection port 238, the nearby water is also taken away as droplets. To go. By installing the heat transfer surface 233 inclined so that the jet outlet 238 side is higher than the water supply port 232 side with respect to the housing installation floor surface, the wetted surface area of the heat transfer surface in contact with water is reduced and moisture evaporation occurs. The heat transfer area that directly works on is reduced. On the other hand, the flow direction component of gravity acting on the water droplet acts as a resistance force when it is carried out to the steam, and the residence time of the droplet in the steam generator 230 increases. Therefore, the rate at which the droplets can be evaporated by radiation from the heat transfer surface 233 or heat exchange with the superheated steam increases. As a result, when the amount of steam directly evaporated from the heat transfer surface 233 and the total amount of steam evaporated by removing the droplets carried away by the steam into the steam is installed on the heat transfer surface 233 substantially horizontally The amount of power per unit time consumed for evaporation is almost the same. In addition, the amount of evaporation relative to the amount of water supplied does not decrease. Further, by inclining the heat transfer surface 233, the heat transfer area directly acting on moisture evaporation is reduced as described above, and the evaporation amount per unit area is increased. Since the water supply also concentrates near the heat transfer surface where evaporation occurs, the amount of droplets taken away from the heat transfer surface 233 by the evaporated steam also increases (see FIG. 7). As the amount of droplets carried away by the steam increases, the flow resistance in the steam heating unit 234 also increases, so the steam residence time increases. Since the residence time is increased without changing the steam generation amount, the jet pressure is increased.

  When the heating unit 234 of the steam generator 230 is disposed horizontally, the evaporation region is dispersed in the flow direction of the steam generator 230, so that the steam is sequentially ejected from the steam evaporated in the vicinity of the ejection port 238. When inclined, the evaporation area is biased toward the water supply port 232 as shown in FIG. 7, and the evaporation area is not dispersed in the flow direction toward the injection port 238. Therefore, the heat transfer surface 233 away from the injection port 238 is used. The amount of evaporation in the tank is large and does not create a smooth flow of steam. This further increases the ejection pressure.

As described above, since the inclination of the heat transfer surface 233 is dominant with respect to the evaporation amount and the ejection pressure, the height relationship between the ejection port 238 and the water supply port 232 itself can be determined from a shape that is easy to install. . In this embodiment, since the height of the jet outlet 238 and the water supply port 232 are the same height, when the heat transfer surface 233 is negatively inclined due to housing vibration or the like, more droplets than necessary are required. For the purpose of preventing the outflow, the shielding plate 237 is provided in front of the jet port 238. However, if it is not necessary, the shielding plate 237 may be omitted. In addition, this characteristic is based on a method of heating uniformly through the inner peripheral wall in the cross section of the heating unit 234. However, as shown in FIG. 8, when a steam generator having a heat transfer area of about 6 × 10 ⁻³ m ² and a Curie temperature of PTC heater of about 230 ° C. is used, if the inclination exceeds 10 degrees, It decreases rapidly (5% / deg or more) with respect to the change in the inclination angle of 234. This is because the decrease in the heat transfer amount due to the decrease in the heat transfer surface 233 that directly works for evaporation exceeds the increase in the heat transfer amount due to the increase in the residence time of the droplets and steam, and the temperature of the PTC heater rises and the heater input decreases. Yes, installation beyond 10 degrees should be avoided.

  The configuration of the detergent charging unit will be described. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the detergent charging portion 7 on the upper left side toward the main body. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the upper part of the washing / drying machine as seen from above, and FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view around the detergent container 72 as seen from the front of the main body. The detergent charging part 7 is a part where a detergent such as powder detergent, liquid detergent (or bleaching agent), softening agent (soft finishing agent) and the like is charged. ing. The detergent charging unit 7 includes a drawer-type tray 71, a detergent container 72 provided in the tray 71, a powder detergent charging chamber 73, a liquid detergent charging chamber 74, and a soft finish loading chamber 75 formed in the detergent container 72. An outlet 76 and a siphon 77 provided at the bottom of the detergent container 72, water supply pipes P1 and P2 for supplying water into the detergent charging unit 7, and the detergent and water in the detergent charging unit 7 in the outer tub 2 Detergent supply pipe P3 to be supplied to water, water supply unit 15 and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the detergent container 72 includes a powder detergent charging chamber 73 into which powder detergent is charged, a liquid detergent charging chamber 74 into which liquid detergent (or bleaching agent) is charged, and a soft finishing into which a soft finish is charged. It is divided into an agent charging chamber 75. On the rear side of the detergent container 72, components related to water supply such as a water supply electromagnetic valve 16, a bath water supply pump 17, and a water level sensor 34 are provided. The upper opening of the detergent container 72 includes a water supply unit 15 to which the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 is attached.

Here, the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 is composed of four electromagnetic valves, one of which controls the water supply to the powder detergent charging chamber 73 and the liquid detergent charging chamber 74 via the water supply pipe P1 by opening and closing. Controls the opening and closing of the water supply to the flexible finishing agent charging chamber 75 via the water supply pipe P2, and one is the water supply to the water supply port 2a (see FIG. 9) of the outer tub 2 via the water supply pipe (not shown). One is for controlling the water supply to the water cooling / dehumidifying mechanism (not shown) of the drying duct 29 via the water supply hose 32.

  Further, in the outer tub 2, a water spray 247 (see FIG. 15) for spraying water on the upper part of the outer tub 2 or the upper part of the drum 3 is provided and branched from an electromagnetic valve for controlling water supply to the water supply port 2a of the outer tub 2. A part of the water supply may be supplied to the water spray. Thereby, water can be stored in the outer tank 2 and the upper part of the outer tank 2 or the upper part of the drum 3 can be washed. Furthermore, the drum 3 and the outer tub 2 can be washed evenly by sprinkling water to the upper part of the drum 3 while rotating the drum 3 and splashing and splashing to the upper part of the outer tub 2. The water spray may be provided so as to sprinkle the inside of the drum 3, whereby a part of the water supply can be directly sprayed onto the laundry in the drum 3, so that the rinsing efficiency in the rinsing process can be improved.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the detergent container 72 has an upper opening 72c and a front opening 72b, and a drawer-type tray 71 is attached to the front opening 72b. When putting detergents, the tray 71 is pulled out as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. The detergent container 72 is fixed to the upper reinforcing member 36 of the housing 1. The detergent container 72 has a bottom surface that is obliquely cut to prevent interference with the outer tub 2, and when viewed from the front, the right side is shallow and the left side is deep. Further, a water outlet 72 a is provided on the left side of the detergent container 72 and slightly behind it. Therefore, the bottom surface of the detergent container 72 is formed in a mortar shape such that the position of the water outlet 72a is the lowest. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, in the powder detergent charging chamber 73, an outlet 76 communicating with the detergent delivery pipe P3 and the water supply port 2a is formed in the inner bottom. The water supplied from the water supply pipe P1 into the powder detergent charging chamber 73 flows so as to swirl clockwise, melts the powder detergent, flows into the outlet 76, and flows into the detergent delivery pipe P3. In the liquid detergent charging chamber 74, a siphon 77 communicating with the outflow port 76 and the detergent delivery pipe P3 (see FIG. 10) is provided at the inner bottom. The water supplied from the water supply pipe P1 into the liquid detergent charging chamber 74 flows so as to vortex counterclockwise, dilutes the liquid detergent, flows into the siphon 77, and flows into the detergent delivery pipe P3. In the soft finishing agent charging chamber 75, a siphon 78 communicating with the outflow port 76 and the detergent delivery pipe P3 is provided on the inner bottom. The water supplied from the water supply pipe P2 into the soft finishing agent charging chamber 75 flows so as to vortex in the clockwise direction, dilutes the soft finishing agent, flows into the siphon 78, and flows into the detergent delivery pipe P3.

  Next, the configuration of the water supply unit will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, the water supply unit 15 (water supply means) is a device for supplying water to the water supply port 2 a provided outside the outer tank 2 and supplying the water into the outer tank 2. The water supply unit 15 is provided on the back side of the top cover 1e (see FIG. 9).

  As shown in FIG. 10, the water supply unit 15 includes a water supply hose 32, a water supply hose connection port 16a, a water supply electromagnetic valve 16, a bath water supply pump 17, the water absorption hose connection port 17a, and the water level sensor 34. The tube 35 is installed.

  The water supply hose 32 is a hose for supplying tap water to the detergent charging unit 7 into which detergent, soft finish, etc. are charged, and is connected to the water supply hose connection port 16a.

  The water supply hose connection port 16a is a connection part to which the other end of a hose (not shown) having one end attached to a tap water tap is connected.

  The water supply electromagnetic valve 16 injects tap water into the water supply pipe P1 that communicates with the powder detergent introduction chamber 73 and the liquid detergent introduction chamber 74 of the detergent introduction unit 7 and the water supply pipe P2 that communicates with the softener introduction chamber 75. It is a valve that performs opening / closing control of the valve body by electromagnetic force. As shown in FIG. 9, the tap water supplied into the powder detergent charging chamber 73, the liquid detergent charging chamber 74, and the soft finishing agent charging chamber 75 passes through the detergent delivery pipe P3 and the water supply port 2a together with the detergents and the soft finishing agent. Then, water is poured into the outer tub 2.

  The bath water supply pump 17 is a pump that sucks and takes in remaining hot water (bath water) of the bath and injects water into the outer tub 2. The water absorption hose connection port 17a (see FIG. 10) is a connection portion to which a hose for supplying bath water is connected, and communicates with the bath water supply pump 17.

As shown in FIG. 2, on the rear bottom surface of the outer tub 2, the drum 3 is rotatably supported in one end side, and the rotation shaft of the motor M10a is supported on the other end side. Inside the outer tub 2, a drum 3 having the rotating shaft fixed to the rear bottom surface is housed in a rotatable state. The outer tub 2 has a front surface,
By supporting the lower surface portion and the upper surface portion as follows, shaking and falling are prevented. The front surface portion is elastically supported on the front inner wall of the housing 1 by a rubber bellows 10, and the lower surface portion is elastically supported by vibration damping by a damper 5 fixed to the base 1h. Further, the upper surface portion is elastically suspended from and supported by the ceiling surface of the housing 1 by an auxiliary spring 33 (see FIG. 10) attached to the upper reinforcing member 36.

  As shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 11, on the upper left side of the rear side of the outer tub 2, a water supply port 2 a (for supplying liquid containing water, detergent, bleach, softener, etc. into the outer tub 2 ( Supply port) is provided. A detergent container 72 is provided on the upper left side in the housing 1, and the water supply port 2a and the water outlet 72a of the detergent container 72 are connected by a rubber bellows tube P4.

  A tube 35 is connected to the bottom of the rear end face of the outer tub 2 via an air trap (not shown). The upper end of the tube is connected to a water level sensor 34 (see FIG. 10). Detect the water level inside.

  Next, the water supply path 50 and the conductivity detection means 4 will be described. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the outer tub 2 as viewed from the front side of the main body. The outer tub 2 has an outer peripheral wall 51 and a bottom wall 52.

  On the back surface 53 (inner surface) of the bottom wall 52 of the outer tub 2, a water supply path 50 (groove 55) for guiding a liquid containing water, detergent, bleach, etc. from the water supply port 2 a to the lower part of the outer tub 2 is formed. Has been. Here, it is assumed that the connecting portion where the inner diameter of the cylindrical outer peripheral wall 51 from the outer peripheral wall 51 to the bottom wall 52 gradually decreases is included in the bottom wall 52.

  The water supply path 50 is a path for guiding the water supplied to the upper part in the outer tub 2 so as to flow to the water receiving part 54 formed in the inner bottom part 56 of the outer tub 2. The water supply path 50 is formed, for example, in the upper part of the outer tub 2, and is formed in a water supply port 2 a that supplies liquid into the outer tub 2 and a bottom wall 52 of the outer tub 2, and liquid is supplied from the water supply port 2 a to the outer tub. 2, and a cover member 61 that covers a portion other than the lower end portion 55 a of the groove 55 to form a pipe line. Note that the cover member 61 may not be provided.

  The groove 55 includes a flow path (water supply path 50) that extends downward from the water supply port 2 a in the vertical direction and is formed in a substantially arc shape that is gently curved toward a lower portion of the outer tub 2. The groove 55 is formed in a U-shape when viewed in a vertical cross section, and water supplied from the water supply port 2 a into the outer tub 2 flows in the vicinity of the inner corner of the rectangular cross section and spreads from the groove 55 into the outer tub 2. Never leave. The cover member 61 is a belt-like plate body that is curved on a plane corresponding to the shape of the groove 55. As the material of the cover member 61, for example, the same PP (polypropylene) as that of the outer tub 2 is used.

  On both sides of the groove 55 of the outer tub 2, stepped portions (not shown) that are retracted rearward from the back surface 53 are formed, and the cover member 61 is disposed on the stepped portions (not shown). The upper surface (front surface) of the cover member 61 does not protrude forward from the rear surface 53. The cover member 61 is fixed to the outer tub 2 by screw members (not shown) or the like in screw holes 62 provided at a plurality of positions on both sides of the belt-like plate body, and a pipe line of the water supply path 50 is formed.

  The conductivity detection means 4 is provided at a position where the water supplied from the water supply port 2a is first touched. That is, the water supplied from the water supply port 2 a is provided at a position where it flows down from the groove 55 to the water receiving portion 54. For this reason, the electrical conductivity detection means 4 can measure the electrical conductivity of water correctly when tap water is supplied. Even when a detergent or a soft finish is supplied, the conductivity detection means 4 can detect that the detergent or soft finish is contained in the water. Moreover, since the electrical conductivity detection means 4 is arrange | positioned inside the water receiving part 54, it can detect the electrical conductivity of the water by which the detergent was melt | dissolved in the detergent melt | dissolution process mentioned later.

  The conductivity detection means 4 is a sensor for detecting the conductivity of tap water before washing and washing water at the time of washing (washing, rinsing, dehydrating). A pair of electrodes (not shown) is provided on a sensor base made of synthetic resin. Z)).

  By forming the electrode into a flat plate shape, the electrode area can be secured wider than that of the rod-shaped electrode, and stable electric conductivity can be detected.

  Next, the configuration of the control device and the drive device will be described. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 100 for the drum type washer / dryer according to the embodiment of the present invention. The control device 100 (operation control means) controls the motor M10a (drive device M10), the water supply unit 15 and the heating means so that the washing operation can be performed, and is detected by the conductivity detection means 4 (see FIG. 12). Calculation of electrical conductivity from the electrical conductivity of the liquid in the outer tub 2, determination of the presence or absence of a soft finish contained in the liquid (discrimination relative to the reference concentration), determination of shortening of the dehydration process, determination of shortening of the rinsing process, etc. It is a device that performs. As shown in FIG. 13, the control device 100 includes a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as “microcomputer”) 110, a drive circuit, operation switches 12 and 13, conductivity detection means 4, input circuits from various sensors, and the like. . The microcomputer 110 receives various information signals in a user operation, a washing process, and a drying process. The microcomputer 110 is connected to the drive device M10 (motor M10a), the water supply electromagnetic valve 16, the drain valve V1, the blower fan 20, and the like through the drive circuit, and controls the opening / closing, rotation, and energization thereof. In addition, the display 14 and the buzzer (not shown) are controlled in order to inform the user of information related to the drum type washing machine.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the driving device M <b> 10 is a device that rotationally drives the drum 3, and is installed at the outer center of the bottom surface of the outer tub 2. The drive device M10 has a motor M10a and a fixture M10b (see FIG. 2). The rotating shaft of the motor M10a passes through the outer tub 2 and is coupled to the drum 3. The motor M10a includes a rotation detection device 28 configured by a Hall element or a photo interrupter that detects the rotation, and a motor current detection device 25 (not shown) that detects a current flowing through the motor M10a.

  Thus, the control apparatus 100 is comprised centering on the microcomputer 110. FIG. The microcomputer 110 includes an operation pattern database 111, a process control unit 112, a rotation speed calculation unit 113, a clothing weight calculation unit 114, an electrical conductivity measurement unit 115, a detergent amount / wash time determination unit 116, and a turbidity determination. Unit 117 and a threshold storage unit 118.

  The operation switches 12 and 13 are configured to allow the user to input a driving course, and output the input signal to the microcomputer 110.

  The water level sensor 34 can detect the water level of water stored in the outer tub 2 and outputs the detected signal to the microcomputer 110.

  The temperature sensor T <b> 1 is provided in the lower part (for example, the drain port 21) of the outer tub 2 and can detect the temperature of the water stored in the outer tub 2. The temperature sensor T <b> 2 is provided on the intake side of the blower fan 20, and can detect the temperature of the air taken into the blower fan 20 from the outer tub 2. The temperature sensor T3 is provided on the exhaust side of the blower fan 20 and on the downstream side of the hot air heater 213, and can detect the temperature of the air blown out from the blower fan 20 into the drum 3. The signals detected by the temperature sensors T1 to T3 are output to the microcomputer 110. The acceleration sensor 27 is attached to the outer tub 2 and detects vibration of the outer tub 2 (drum 3). A signal detected by the acceleration sensor is output to the microcomputer 110.

  The rotation detection device 28 is composed of, for example, a resolver (a kind of rotation angle sensor), can detect the rotation of the motor M10a, and the detected signal is output to the microcomputer 110. The motor current detection device 25 can detect the current value of the motor M10a, and the detected signal is output to the microcomputer 110. The conductivity detection unit 4 can detect the conductivity of the water stored in the outer tub 2, and the detected signal is output to the microcomputer 110.

  The microcomputer 110 has a function of calling an operation pattern corresponding to the operation course input from the operation switches 12 and 13 from the operation pattern database 111 and starting from any of washing, rinsing, dehydration, and drying. The process control unit 112 has a function of performing operation control of each process of the washing process, the rinsing process, the dehydration process, and the drying process based on the operation pattern called from the operation pattern database 111. In each process, the process control unit 112 has a function of controlling the indicator 14, the water supply unit 15, the water supply electromagnetic valve 16, and the drain valve V1. Further, the process control unit 112 controls driving of the hot air heater 213 by controlling the ON / OFF of the hot air heater switch 123 by controlling the driving of the motor M10a of the driving device M10 via the motor driving circuit 121. In addition, the blower fan 20 is controlled via the fan drive circuit 124 and the circulation pump 18 is driven and controlled via the circulation pump drive circuit 125.

Here, the circulation pump 18 is provided at the opening of the outer tub 2 with the detergent melting operation for discharging the water sucked from the drain port 21 from the circulation discharge port 54b of the recess 54 and the water sucked from the drain port 21. The circulation operation of discharging the water from the water spray nozzle 231 into the drum 3 can be switched. The configuration of the circulation pump 18 capable of switching the operation may be constituted by a circulation pump 18 and a switching valve (not shown), or by switching the rotation direction of the circulation pump 18. The structure which can switch a discharge direction may be sufficient.

  The rotation speed calculation unit 113 has a function of calculating the rotation speed of the motor M10a based on the detection value from the rotation detection device 28 that detects the rotation of the motor M10a.

  The clothing weight calculator 114 calculates the weight of the laundry 207 in the drum 3 (see FIG. 2) based on the rotational speed calculated by the rotational speed calculator 113 and the detection value of the motor current detector 25. Have As the weight of the laundry 207 increases, a load for rotating the drum 3 increases, and a large motor current flows through the motor M10a. Therefore, the weight of the laundry 207 depends on the motor current and the rotation speed of the motor M10a. Can be calculated.

  The conductivity measuring unit 115 has a function of measuring the conductivity of tap water and washing water using the detection value from the conductivity detecting means 4.

  The detergent amount / washing time determining unit 116 has a function of determining the amount of detergent and the rinsing time of the laundry based on the conductivity measured by the conductivity measuring unit 115 and will be described in detail later.

  The turbidity determination unit 117 has a function of determining the degree of dirt on clothing (hereinafter referred to as turbidity) based on the conductivity measured by the conductivity measurement unit 115. The threshold value storage unit 118 has a function of storing a threshold value used when the turbidity determination unit 117 determines the degree of dirt (turbidity) of clothes. Incidentally, the turbidity determination unit 117 and the threshold storage unit 118 are used for the control during the main washing process as follows in this embodiment. Before and after the first main washing step, the conductivity measuring unit 115 measures the conductivity EC1 of the washing water. When measuring the conductivity, it is desirable that the water supply to the outer tub 2 by the water supply electromagnetic valve 16, the circulation by the circulation pump 18, and the rotation of the drum 3 by the motor M10a are stopped. The turbidity determination unit 117 determines whether or not the difference in the conductivity EC1 measured before and after the first main washing process is greater than or equal to the threshold value stored in the threshold value storage unit 118. If NO (lower than the threshold), it is determined that there is little dirt, and if yes, it is determined that there is much dirt, and the process proceeds to the subsequent second main washing step. In the second main washing process, as described above, the water level is set higher than that in the first main washing process, and the circulation flow rate of the circulation pump 18 is further increased. That is, when the laundry 207 is lifted above the drum 3 and knocked downward, the laundry 207 collides with each other and prevents the fibers from being pressed. However, the longer this process is, the greater the tendency of the laundry 207 to become stiff. Therefore, when there is relatively little dirt, it is desirable to shorten the second main washing process as much as possible. Therefore, when it can be determined that there is little dirt, the operation time of the second main washing process is adjusted to be short. The determination of turbidity can also be used for reviewing the switching timing between other processes and the operation time of each process.

  Next, the operation process of the drum type washing / drying machine according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 14 is a process diagram illustrating an operation process of a washing operation (washing-rinsing-dehydration) in the drum type washing / drying machine according to the first embodiment.

  In step S <b> 1, the process control unit 112 receives a course selection input for the operation process of the drum type washing and drying machine (course selection). Here, the user opens the door 9, puts the laundry 207 to be washed inside the drum 3, and closes the door 9. And a user selects and inputs the course of a driving process by operating the operation switches 12 and 13. By operating the operation switches 12 and 13, the course of the selected operation process is input to the process control unit 112. The process control unit 112 reads the corresponding operation pattern from the operation pattern database 111 based on the input operation process course, and proceeds to step S2. In the following description, it is assumed that the steam washing course (washing-twice rinsing-dehydration) is selected.

In step S2, the process control unit 112 executes a process of detecting the weight (cloth amount) of the laundry put into the drum 3 (cloth amount sensing). Specifically, the process control unit 112 drives the motor M10a to rotate the drum 3, and the clothing weight calculation unit 114 calculates the weight (cloth amount) of the laundry 207 before water injection.

  In step S3, the process control unit 112 executes a process of calculating the detergent amount / operation time (determination of detergent amount operation time). Specifically, the process control unit 112 controls the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 (for example, opens the third electromagnetic valve) and supplies water directly to the water supply port 2 a of the outer tub 2. The conductivity measuring unit 115 detects the conductivity (hardness) of the supplied water. Further, the temperature of the supplied water is detected by the sensor T1. Thereafter, the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 is controlled to end the water supply to the outer tub 2.

  The detergent amount / washing time determination unit 116 determines the amount of detergent to be put in and the operation time through map search based on the amount of cloth detected in step S2, the electrical conductivity (hardness) of water, and the temperature of water. Then, the process control unit 112 displays the determined amount of detergent and operating time on the display unit 14. Here, the map for determining the detergent amount may be a map dedicated to the steam washing course. In the steam washing course, the concentration of the detergent liquid retained by the laundry 207 greatly affects the removal of dirt. If the machine has a strong mechanical force due to the balance between the drum diameter and the motor torque, the amount of detergent is small and clear in a normal washing course. However, when the steam washing course is less dependent on mechanical force, the amount of detergent is too small, and the concentration level should be set according to normal mechanical force.

  In addition, although it demonstrated as supplying water to the outer tank 2 and detecting the electrical conductivity (hardness) and water temperature of water, it is not restricted to this. For example, the electrical conductivity (hardness) and water temperature of water at the previous operation may be stored in a storage unit (not shown) of the microcomputer 110 and used.

  In step S4, the process control unit 112 executes a detergent charging waiting process (detergent charging waiting process). For example, the process control unit 112 waits for a predetermined time and proceeds to step S5. Note that the process control unit 112 determines that the detergent has been thrown in by step S5 if the detergent throwing unit 7 is closed after being opened by means (not shown) for detecting the opening and closing of the detergent throwing unit 7. The structure which advances may be sufficient.

  In step S5, the process control unit 112 executes a detergent dissolving process (detergent dissolving process). For example, the process control unit 112 controls the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 to supply water to the powder detergent charging chamber 73 and the liquid detergent charging chamber 74 via the water supply pipe P1. The detergent and water in the powder detergent charging chamber 73 and the liquid detergent charging chamber 74 flow into the water receiving portion 54 of the outer tub 2 from the outlet 50a through the detergent delivery pipe P3, the bellows pipe P4, the water supply port 2a, and the water supply path 50. To do. When water is supplied to a predetermined amount of water, the process control unit 112 controls the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 (for example, closes the first electromagnetic valve) to stop water supply. Then, the process control unit 112 executes a detergent melting operation (detergent melting operation). Specifically, the process control unit 112 controls the circulation pump 18 to discharge water and detergent sucked from the drain port 21 from the circulation discharge port 54 b of the water receiving unit 54. The water and the detergent discharged from the circulation discharge port 54b flow through the water receiving portion 54, move toward the drain port 21, and circulate (see FIG. 12). Thereby, water and a detergent are stirred and a detergent is melt | dissolved in water. After a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) has elapsed, the generated high-concentration detergent solution is pumped up to the watering nozzle 231 at the upper part of the outer tank and sprayed. FIG. 15 shows the manner of dispersion. In order to spread a small amount of high-concentration detergent solution as uniformly as possible on the laundry 207, the drum 3 is rotated at a high speed immediately before spreading, and the laundry 207 is stuck to the inner surface of the drum 3 by centrifugal force. While maintaining the rotation of the drum 3, the high-concentration detergent solution pumped up to the watering nozzle 231 at the upper part of the outer tub 2 by the circulation pump 18 is sprayed. The high-concentration detergent liquid permeates the laundry 207 toward the inner wall of the drum 3 by the speed energy at the time of watering and the centrifugal force that works after reaching the laundry 207. Further, since the drum 3 rotates at a rotational speed at which the laundry 207 sticks with centrifugal force, for example, when the drum 3 is rotated at 80 r / min, even if the spraying time is 20 seconds, about 26 times with respect to the same point on the drum. Can be bathed in sprinkled water.

  FIG. 13 schematically shows the relationship between the suction-side water level of the circulating pump 18 and the head when spraying the high-concentration detergent solution, and the relationship with the additional water added to the suction side in the latter half of the spraying. This is schematically shown (FIG. 16B). Since the generated high-concentration detergent liquid is small, the high-concentration detergent liquid sprinkled from the sprinkling nozzle 231 at the top of the outer tub 2 by moving the circulation pump 18 almost infiltrates into the laundry 207 and thus does not return to the water receiving portion 54. The high concentration detergent solution at the suction port of the circulation pump 18 will eventually become insufficient. FIG. 16A shows a state where the circulation pump 18 is continuously rotated in a state where a sufficient amount for pumping up the high-concentration detergent liquid to the watering nozzle 231 cannot be secured. Since the suction port of the circulation pump 18 is not sufficiently filled with the high-concentration detergent solution, the circulation pump 18 cannot secure the head, and the high-concentration detergent solution remains in the path to the watering nozzle 231. FIG. 16B shows a state where additional water is supplied from the state of FIG. 16A to the suction side of the circulation pump 18. In this state, when additional water is supplied to the water receiving portion 54, the suction side of the circulation pump 18 is filled with the high-concentration detergent liquid and the added water, and the head can be secured again, so that it is possible to continuously pump up. Become. As a result, the remaining high-concentration detergent solution remaining in the path from the outlet of the circulation pump 18 to the watering nozzle 231 can be sprayed on the laundry 207 with the detergent concentration as generated in the first half of the detergent-melting step. As described above, the high-concentration detergent solution produced in the first half of the detergent dissolving step can be efficiently immersed in the laundry. After the high-concentration detergent solution is soaked in the laundry 207, the cleaning power can be improved by spraying steam in the next step.

  In step S6, the process control unit 112 executes a steam cleaning process (steam cleaning process). In the steam cleaning process, hot air from a hot air fan is applied to the laundry 207 sprayed with a high-concentration detergent solution, and the steam is spouted toward the door glass. Spread in the drum at an angle to allow the steam to penetrate uniformly into the laundry. FIG. 5 shows the circulation of warm air and the state of steam ejection. Since the laundry 207 is in a state where a high-concentration detergent solution is retained, the apparent thermal conductivity of the laundry 207 is high and can be efficiently heated. In addition, by raising the temperature, the surface tension and viscosity of the high-concentration detergent liquid that is held in water can be reduced, and the fibers of the laundry 207 are further swollen, further promoting the penetration of the high-concentration detergent liquid into the fibers. it can. Thereby, dirt can be efficiently separated from the fiber. The separated dirt can be quickly dispersed in the high-concentration detergent solution that has been retained in water, so that it can be prevented from aggregating and reattaching again. When a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the process, the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 is controlled to raise the level of the washing water in the outer tub 2. And if the water level of the washing water in the outer tub 2 rises to a predetermined water level WL1 (WL0 <WL1) with respect to the water level WL0 at the time of the detergent dissolving process, the water supply is stopped, the steam cleaning process is terminated, and the process goes to step S7. move on.

  When the steam cleaning process in step S6 is completed, the process control unit 112 executes the main cleaning process. Here, the main washing step refers to applying a mechanical force to the laundry 207 by lifting the laundry 207 accumulated in the lower part of the drum 3 by the rotation of the drum 3 and dropping it from the upper part in the drum 3. It is a process of scrubbing. The main washing process includes one main washing process (first main washing process) in step S7 and two main washing processes (second main washing process) in step S8.

  In step S7, the process control unit 112 executes a first main washing process (first main washing process).

  Specifically, the process control unit 112 controls the circulation pump 18 to have a predetermined flow rate PF1, and the washing water sucked from the drain port 21 is supplied from a watering nozzle 231 provided at the opening of the outer tub 2. Water is sprinkled inside the drum 3, and the drum M is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed DR1 by controlling the motor M10a, thereby washing the laundry 207 inside the drum 3. If predetermined time (T1) passes, the process control part 112 will complete | finish a 1st main washing process, and will progress to step S8. In step S8, the process control unit 112 executes a second main washing process (second main washing process).

Specifically, the process control unit 112 controls the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 to supply water to the outer tub 2 up to a predetermined water level WL2 (WL1 <WL2). In addition, the process control unit 112 controls the circulation pump 18 to have a predetermined flow rate PF2 (PF1 <PF2), and the water spray nozzle provided in the opening of the outer tub 2 for the washing water sucked from the drain port 21 Water is sprayed into the drum 3 from 231 and the drum M is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed DR2 (DR1> DR2) by controlling the motor M10a, thereby washing the laundry 207 inside the drum 3. When the predetermined time (T2) elapses, the process control unit 112 stops the motor M10a and the circulation pump 18, opens the drain valve V1, and drains the washing water in the outer tub 2.

  In step S9, the process control unit 112 performs the first rinsing process (first rinsing process). For example, in the first rinsing step, the process control unit 112 controls the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 and the drain valve V1 to repeat water supply and drainage, and also controls the motor M10a to rotate the drum 3 to turn the circulation pump 18 on. The rinsing water sucked from the drain port 21 is controlled and sprinkled from the water nozzle 231 provided in the opening of the outer tub 2 into the drum 3 to rinse the clothes. And when predetermined time passes, the process control part 112 will stop the motor M10a and the circulation pump 18, open the drain valve V1, and will drain the rinse water in the outer tank 2. FIG.

  In step S10, the process control unit 112 executes a second rinsing process (second rinsing process). For example, in the second rinsing process, the process control unit 112 closes the drain valve V1 and controls the water supply electromagnetic valve 16 to supply water to the outer tub 2 to a predetermined water level. Further, the process control unit 112 controls the motor M10a to rotate the drum 3 and controls the circulation pump 18, and the rinsing water sucked from the drain port 21 is supplied from the watering nozzle 231 provided at the opening of the outer tub 2. Rinse the laundry 207 by sprinkling water inside the drum 3. And when predetermined time passes, the process control part 112 will stop the motor M10a and the circulation pump 18, open the drain valve V1, and will drain the rinse water in the outer tank 2. FIG.

  In step S11, the process control unit 112 executes a dehydration process (dehydration process). Specifically, the process control unit 112 opens the drain valve V1, and controls the motor M10a to rotate the drum 3 at a higher speed than during the main washing process, thereby centrifugally dehydrating the laundry 207. Then, when the predetermined time has elapsed, the process control unit 112 stops the motor M10a, closes the drain valve V1, and ends the washing course (washing-rinsing-dehydration).

  In addition, in the main washing process in step S7 and step S8, it is set as the driving | running characteristic which suppresses the blackening of the laundry 207, and a wrinkle, and it demonstrates focusing on the mechanism below. After the first main washing process (step S7), the second main washing process (step S8) is performed, and the water level WL2 in the second main washing process is higher than the water level WL1 in the first main washing process (WL1). <WL2). That is, by increasing the amount of washing water in the outer tub 2, the dirt peeled off from the laundry 207 can be dispersed in the washing water, and the dirt peeled off from the laundry 207 adheres to the laundry 207 again. It is possible to suppress “darkening of laundry” caused by the above.

Further, the rotational speed DR2 of the drum 3 in the second main washing process is lower than the rotational speed DR1 of the drum 3 in the first main washing process (DR1> DR2). The position at which the fall starts when the laundry 207 accumulated in the lower part of the drum 3 is lifted and dropped from above in the drum 3 by making the rotational speed DR2 of the drum 3 slower than the rotational speed DR1. Becomes lower. That is, a drop impact (mechanical force) applied to the laundry 207 to be washed is suppressed, and “stiffness of the laundry” can be suppressed. Also, by raising the water level WL2, the drop impact (mechanical force) can be suppressed, and "stiffness of the laundry" can be suppressed. On the other hand, the rotational speed DR1 of the drum 3 is rotated at a rotational speed faster than the laundry 207 attached to the inner wall of the drum 3 by centrifugal force is lifted upward by gravity (centrifugal force> (Gravity), it can be used as an operation that does not cause all laundry to fall like tapping. In other words, the washing operation may be performed by allowing the laundry 207 to pass a larger amount of circulation than the normal washing operation while suppressing tapping washing as much as possible. However, there is a possibility that the washing performance by tapping washing may be lowered. On the other hand, the flow rate PF2 of the circulation pump 18 in the second main washing step is made larger than the flow rate PF1 of the circulation pump 18 in the first main washing step. (PF1 <PF2), it is possible to ensure the cleaning performance by the water flow. For example, the circulation flow rate of the circulation pump 18 is desirably 30 (L / min) or more and 52 (L / min) or less. Further, the operation time (T1) of the first main washing process and the operation time (T2) of the second main washing process are longer than the operation time (T2) of the second main washing process (T2). It is desirable to set it to be longer than T1) (T1 <T2). By doing so, it is possible to further suppress the “stiffness of the laundry”.

  As described above, according to the operation process of the drum type washing / drying machine according to the first embodiment, it is possible to improve the cleaning performance by steam, and further, it is possible to suppress the darkening of clothes and the wrinkling of clothes.

  In addition, a normal washing course can be selected for a laundry in which discoloration or fading is a concern with respect to temperature, or for a laundry in which the shrinkage of the fibers becomes conspicuous due to heating. In this case, the power consumption is small. In addition, you can choose a water-saving washing course for laundry that wants to save water, except for white goods and thin patterns that are darkened, and towels that are worried about wrinkles. In this case, the water level in the entire washing can be suppressed by setting the circulating flow rate to 15 to 20 L / min without raising the water level in the main washing step.

  FIG. 5 shows the positional relationship between the foam detection means 241b during the steam cleaning process used in this embodiment and the foam detection means 241a during normal washing. If excessive foam is generated at the time of washing, the foam becomes a cushioning material against the fall of the wash laundry 207, and the mechanical force is relieved. For this reason, when excessive foam is generated, the process of adding water to the drum 3 to eliminate the foam is started. The general bubble detection means 241 at this time provides a bipolar electrode in the air duct that communicates with the drum 3, and determines the presence or absence of bubbles from conduction by the generated bubbles. That is, if the generated bubble fills the gap between the two electrodes, it becomes conductive and can be detected.

  In the steam cleaning process, since the cleaning temperature is raised, bubbles are easily generated during circulation by the circulation pump 18. In particular, bubbles are likely to occur after water supply when shifting from the steam cleaning to the main cleaning process. However, if water is added to perform the foam eliminating process, the cleaning temperature level is greatly reduced, and the steam cleaning effect cannot be obtained. Therefore, in the steam cleaning process, the reduction in cleaning performance due to the decrease in cleaning temperature and detergent concentration due to the water added for foam extinction exceeds the reduction in cleaning performance due to the decrease in mechanical force due to foam generation. The conditions that occur are different from those in the normal cleaning process. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the foam detection means for the steam cleaning process is provided.

  When hard water containing a large amount of calcium ions and magnesium ions is heated, it is deposited on the heat transfer surface 233. If it is repeated without removing, it will gradually accumulate and form a strong scale (not shown). When hard water is used for the steam generator 230 in the present embodiment, the cleaning shown in FIG. 17 is performed in order to prevent the scale from adhering and accumulating on the same principle. FIG. 17 is a scale cleaning flowchart of the steam generator 230 in the present embodiment. (A) shows the flow of steam when steam is generated, (b) shows the flow of washing water for scale washing after the steam washing process, and (c) stops the steam washing process or performs all operations. The flow of the drainage of the washing water from the steam generator after finishing is shown. In this embodiment, the steam is continuously passed through the heating unit 234 after the steam is generated, and the scale adhering to each operation is washed away and drained from the washing machine drain valve V1 together with the scale washing water to the outside of the casing. Specifically, a bypass flow path 239 is provided in parallel with the steam generator 230, and a high resistance pipe portion 236 that increases flow resistance especially against wet steam is provided in the bypass flow path 239. Yes. Further, the outlet of the steam generator 230 is divided into a downstream flow path 243 that can flow down by gravity and an ejection flow path 242 that can overcome the gravity and spray into the drum, and the downstream flow path 243 that can flow down by gravity is a bypass flow path. 239 and the drainage valve V1 of the washing machine. At the time of steam generation in (a), the steam tends to flow in both the flow channel 243 that can flow down on the outlet side of the steam generator 230 and the jet flow channel 242 that sprays into the drum 3. The drain valve V1 is closed and attempts to reversely flow the bypass channel 239 back to the water supply port 232 due to a pressure difference. Is ejected. At the time of the scale cleaning after the steam generation in (b), the input to the heating unit 234 is cut off and the water supply is continued. The scale washing water passes through the steam generator 230 and is led to the drain valve V1. When the washing / drying operation is stopped, the scale washing water remaining in the steam generator 230 gradually flows from the bypass channel 239 to the drain valve V1 as shown in (c).

  By adopting such a configuration, the scale adhering to the heat transfer unit can be washed away without being deposited every operation, and the scale cleaning water is drained from the drain valve V1 to the outside of the housing without flowing into the drum 3. it can.

  When hot air and steam are introduced into the drum to raise the cleaning temperature, the steam temperature is 100 ° C. under atmospheric pressure, but the temperature of the hot air is determined by the air volume and the heater input level. If hot air lower than the washing temperature of the laundry 207 is applied, the temperature of the laundry 207 will be lowered. FIG. 18 is a hot air control flow chart in the steam cleaning process of the present embodiment. In this embodiment, in order to send warm air having a temperature always higher than the temperature of the laundry 207 in the drum, the fan input and the input of the warm air heater 213 are set so as to be higher by α ° C. than the suction temperature of the blower fan 20. Adjust within the range below the current threshold. Hereinafter, description will be given in accordance with the flow of control. In the steam cleaning process, when the blower fan 20 is driven and warm air is sent into the drum 3, first, in step F1, the blower fan 20 is driven at the initial rotational speed R1. Next, in Step F2, the PTC heater which is the warm air heater 213 is energized. At this time, since the resistance at normal temperature is small due to the characteristics of the PTC heater, the input of the PTC heater increases under a constant voltage. However, if the initial rotation speed of the fan is reduced, the heat of the PTC heater and the air blows. Replacement is suppressed and the element temperature of the PTC heater rises. If the Curie point is exceeded, the resistance increases rapidly and the heater input cannot be entered. In step F3, a determination is made as to whether or not the difference between the hot air temperature T2 at the outlet of the blower fan 20 and the fan suction temperature T1 is greater than or equal to α ° C. every predetermined time. If α ° C. or higher can be maintained, in step F4, it is compared and determined whether or not the total current values of the blower fan and the hot air heater 213 are smaller than the current threshold value Aset. If the current threshold value Aset has already been reached, the process proceeds to step F5, the fan speed is decreased by a predetermined increment (β speed), and the process returns to step F3 (comparison between warm air and fan suction temperature). If the total current value of the blower fan 20 and the warm air heater 213 does not exceed the current threshold value Aset, in step F6, the fan rotation speed is increased, the warm air amount is increased, and the heat input into the drum 3 is increased. To go. At this time, the rotation speed of the blower fan 20 is controlled to be within the range of the upper limit value Rmax of the rotation speed in step F7.

  In the steam cleaning process of the present embodiment, since the amount of steam generated and the amount of hot air heat can be individually adjusted, it is necessary to always adjust the hot air temperature T2 to a temperature higher than the temperature of the laundry.

  As described above, the laundry can be efficiently heated by setting the hot air temperature to the maximum value within a range that does not always exceed the current threshold value and the fan rotation speed.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the steam generator 230 in this embodiment. The heating unit 234 of the steam generator 230 is inclined so as to increase the jet outlet 238 side from the horizontal position with respect to the housing installation surface, as described in the graph showing the influence of the inclination on the steam generation amount in FIG. Until about 10 °, there is almost no effect on the amount of steam generated. On the other hand, the amount of steam generated abruptly decreases with respect to the inclination of lowering the ejection port 238 side. For this reason, it is preferable to provide an inclination for increasing the jet port 238 side. However, when the upper reinforcing member 36 that supports the steam generator 230 has a fluctuation exceeding about 10 °, it cannot be operated stably, and particularly when the jet outlet 238 side becomes low, the amount of steam generated It will greatly affect. Therefore, in this embodiment, the steam generator 230 is configured to be attached to the upper reinforcing member 36 via the movable support portion 244. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to always maintain an inclined posture of several degrees with the horizontal or slightly elevated jet port 238 side. As a result, the steam generation amount and the ejection pressure can be stabilized, so that the laundry 207 can always be efficiently heated.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Case 1a, 1b Side plate 1c Front cover 1d Back cover 1e on the back Upper cover 1f on the upper surface Lower front cover 1i Clothing input 1h Base 2 Outer tub 2
2a Water supply port 2d Screw hole 3 Drum 3a Opening 3b Through hole 3d Outer peripheral wall 3e Bottom wall 3f Circular concave part 4 Conductivity detection means 4
4a Flow channel 4b Side wall 5 Damper 6 Operation panel 7 Detergent input part 8 Drying filter 8a Mesh type filter 9 Door 9a Door glass 9b Door frame 9c Hinge 9d Door opening button 10 Rubber bellows M10 Driving device
M10a Motor M10b Mounting tool
12, 13 Operation switch 14 Display 15 Water supply unit (water supply means)
16 Water supply solenoid valve 16a Water supply hose connection port 17 Bath water supply pump 17a Water absorption hose connection port 18 for remaining hot water in the bath 18 Circulation pump 20 Blower fan 21 Drain port 22 Hose 26 Drain hose 28 Rotation detector 29 Air blow duct 31 Hot air duct 32 Water supply hose 33 Auxiliary spring 34 Water level sensor 35 Tube 36 Upper reinforcement 37 Front reinforcement 38 Air trap 39 Power switch 41 Sensor base 41a made of synthetic resin Electrode support 41c1 Cylindrical part 41c2 Upper surface 41d Groove 41d1 Inclined wall 41d4 Bottom 41e Rib 41f Mounting portion 41f1 Screw insertion holes 42A, 42B A pair of electrodes 42a Detection portion 42b Resin fixing portion 42b1 First fixing portion 42b3 Through hole 42c Connector connection portion 50 Water supply path 50a Outlet 51 Outer wall 51 Outer wall 52 Bottom wall 53 Back (Inner surface)
54 Water receiver
54a Bottom surface 55 Groove 57 First inclined surface (inclined surface)
57a Sensor installation hole 58 Second inclined surface 59 Rib 61 Cover member 62 Screw hole 71 Pull-out tray 72 Detergent container 72b Front opening 72c Upper opening 73 Powder detergent charging chamber 74 Liquid detergent charging chamber 75 Soft finish agent charging chamber 76 Exit 77 Siphon

100 Control device (operation control means)

110 Microcomputer 111 Operation pattern database 112 Process control unit 113 Rotational speed calculation unit 114 Clothing weight calculation unit 115 Conductivity measurement unit 116 Detergent amount / wash time determination unit 117 Turbidity determination unit 118 Threshold storage unit

122 Water heater switch 123 Hot air heater switch 124 Fan drive circuit

P1, P2 Water supply pipe P3 Detergent delivery pipe

V1 Drain valve T1-T3 Temperature sensor


201 Drying device 202 Drain trap 203 Blowout nozzle 203a Outlet A of blowout nozzle
203b Outlet B of outlet nozzle
204 Air supply valve 205 Overflow hose 206 Air supply hole 207 Laundry 208 Fluid balancer 209 Lifter 210 Metal flange 211 Main shaft 212 Rubber bellows pipe 213 Hot air heater 214 Fan motor 215 Bellows hose 216 Outer tub mounting portion

222 Waste thread filter

230 Steam generator
231 Water nozzle
232 Water supply port 233 Heat transfer surface 234 Heating unit 235 Cross-flow heater
236 High resistance piping
237 Shield plate
238 Jet outlet 239 Bypass flow path 240 Drain hole 241 Foam detection means 241a Bubble detection means 241b during normal cleaning Foam detection means 242 during steam cleaning Spout flow path 243 Downflow flow path 244 Movable support portion 245 Spout hole 246 Hose 247 Watering spray

EC1 Conductivity (electric conductivity) (before the first main washing process)
EC2 conductivity (after the first main washing process)

Claims (4)

An outer tank capable of storing liquid inside,
A substantially cylindrical drum that is rotatably supported in the outer tub and accommodates laundry;
A drum motor for rotating the drum;
A door for putting laundry into and out of the opposite end of the drum facing the drum motor;
Water supply means for supplying water into the outer tub;
A circulation pump for sucking water from the outer tub and circulating the water into the drum;
A water receiver for storing water on the suction side of the circulation pump;
Operation control means for controlling the drum motor, the water supply means and the circulation pump; steam generation means for heating the water supplied from the water supply means to generate steam;
Hot air generating means for sending hot air into the drum or the outer tub, and
An outlet for sending the heating medium from the steam generating means into the drum or the outer tub, and an outlet for blowing the hot air from the hot air generating means into the drum or the outer tub. A drum-type washing machine or a washing and drying machine provided separately for the outer tub. In the drum type washing machine or the washing and drying machine according to claim 1,
A drum-type washing machine or a washing and drying machine, wherein a heating medium from the outlet is blown toward the side, and hot air from the hot air generating means is blown toward the laundry. In the drum type washing machine or the washing and drying machine according to claim 1 or 2,
A drum type washing machine or a washing and drying machine, wherein the steam generating means is inclined to the heating portion of the steam generating means so that the outflow side is higher than the water supply side with respect to the housing installation surface. In the drum-type washing machine or the washing and drying machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A drum-type washing machine or a washing and drying machine, wherein the steam generating means is installed in the casing with a degree of freedom so that the same angle can be maintained with respect to the casing installation surface.

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