JP2019097865A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a washing machine capable of achieving both maintenance of washing performance in washing performed by using fine air bubble water and convenience for a user.SOLUTION: A washing machine includes: a water tub; a plurality of fine air bubble water generation units provided in a path for performing water supply to the water tub from an external water source, and for generating fine air bubble water containing fine air bubbles; a water supply control unit for controlling the water supply to the water tub performed via the plurality of fine air bubble water generation units; and a plurality of water supply valves provided corresponding to the plurality of fine air bubble water generation units. The water supply control part changes the number of the water supply valves which become control targets according to the state of the washing operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to a washing machine having a function of generating micro-bubble water including micro-bubbles.

  A washing machine has been proposed in which washing performance is improved by generating fine bubble water containing fine bubbles generally called fine bubbles and performing washing. Fine bubble water is generated by mixing fine bubbles into water supplied from a water source, so the actual amount of water is smaller than normal water, and it takes time to generate. Therefore, the water supply time to the water tank will be prolonged.

Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2017-113395

  In order to shorten the water supply time, it may be considered to increase the number of generation units for generating fine bubble water. However, in this case, although the water supply time is shortened, the amount of water supplied to the respective micro bubble generating portions is reduced, so the amount of micro bubbles generated is reduced. In particular, the lower the flow rate from the water source, the more noticeable the tendency.

  Further, depending on the setting of the washing operation and the operation environment such as the temperature, it may be assumed that micro bubbles are excessively supplied to the realization of the cleaning performance desired by the user. Therefore, it can not be said that simply increasing the number of fine bubble generating parts is simply good. In addition, depending on individual users, because they want to reduce driving time or operate in different settings and environments, they need to take flexible measures in consideration of them.

  Then, the washing machine which can make compatible maintenance of the cleaning performance in the washing performed using fine bubble water, and the convenience to a user is provided.

The washing machine of the embodiment includes a water tank,
A plurality of micro-bubble water generating units provided in a path for supplying water to the water tank from an external water source and generating micro-bubble water containing micro bubbles;
A water supply control unit configured to control water supply to the water tank performed through the plurality of fine bubble water generating units;
And a plurality of water supply valves provided corresponding to the plurality of fine bubble water generating units,
The water supply control unit changes the number of water supply valves to be controlled according to the state of the washing operation.

1 is a first embodiment and is a sectional view showing the structure of a washing machine (part 1) Sectional drawing which shows the structure of a washing machine (the 2) Functional block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the washing machine according to the main part Flowchart showing process contents of water supply control (part 1) Flowchart showing process contents of water supply control (part 2) A flowchart showing the processing content of the water supply control corresponding to the water supply path configuration (1) in the second embodiment Flowchart showing processing contents of water supply control corresponding to water supply route configuration (2) It is 3rd Embodiment and is a flowchart which shows the processing content of water supply control. It is 4th Embodiment and is a flowchart which shows the processing content of water supply control. It is 5th Embodiment and is a flowchart which shows the processing content of water supply control. It is a sixth embodiment, and is a flowchart showing the processing content of the water supply control

First Embodiment
The first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. The washing machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes an outer case 12, a water tank 14, a rotary tank 16, a pulsator 18, and a motor 20. The installation surface side of the washing machine 10, that is, the vertically lower side is the lower side of the washing machine 10, and the opposite side to the installation surface, that is, the vertically upper side is the upper side of the washing machine 10.

  The washing machine 10 is a so-called vertical axis type washing machine in which the rotation axis of the rotation tank 16 is directed in the vertical direction. The outer box 12 constitutes the outer shell of the washing machine 10. The outer case 12 is formed of, for example, a steel plate or the like in a substantially rectangular box shape, and has an opening at the top. The water tank 14 is housed inside the outer case 12. The rotating tank 16 is housed inside the water tank 14. The water tank 14 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape having an opening on the upper side and a water tank bottom on the lower side. Similarly, the rotary tank 16 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape having an opening on the upper side and a rotary tank bottom on the lower side.

  The water tank 14 has a drain port (not shown) provided at the bottom of the water tank. The washing machine 10 also includes a drainage valve 11 and a drainage hose 13 connected thereto. The drain valve 11 is, for example, an electronically controlled solenoid valve, and is driven and controlled by the control circuit 46. By opening the drain valve 11, the water in the water tank 14 is drained from the drain port to the outside of the washing machine 10 via the drain valve 11.

  The rotation tank 16 has a plurality of holes (not shown), and communicates the inside and the outside of the rotation tank 16. The hole is formed in the whole area of the peripheral wall which mainly constitutes a cylindrical cylindrical portion of the rotation tank 16. The water supplied into the water tank 14 passes in and out of the rotary tank 16 through the holes.

  The pulsator 18 is provided near the bottom of the rotary tank in the rotary tank 16. The pulsator 18 is rotatable relative to the rotary tank 16. The motor 20 is provided outside the water tank 14 and provided at the bottom of the water tank. The motor 20 is, for example, an outer rotor type DC brushless motor. The motor 20, the rotary tank 16 and the pulsator 18 are connected by a clutch (not shown). The clutch (not shown) can selectively switch between a mode in which only the pulsator 18 rotates and a mode in which the pulsator 18 and the rotary tank 16 integrally rotate. The pulsator 18 rotates the relative to the rotation tank 16 to agitate the laundry stored inside the rotation tank 16.

  The washing machine 10 is provided with a water supply pipe 30 at its upper part. The water supply pipe 30 is branched into three, and each of the branch pipes 30 (1) to 30 (3) has a water supply valve 32 (1) to 32 (3), and a fine bubble generator 40 (1) to 40 (3) are respectively provided and connected to the detergent case 44. For example, a tap of tap water and a water intake means of bath water are connected to the water supply pipe 30, and the source water 22 to be used for washing is supplied. The water passing through the detergent case 44 is supplied from the water supply port 45 into the water tank 14.

  The micro-bubble generator 40 is a device that generates fine bubbles in the liquid, in this case water, passing through the flow path provided inside. The micro-bubble generator 40 can adopt, for example, a cavitation method that generates micro-bubbles by rapidly reducing the pressure of the liquid flowing through the internal flow path. In addition, for example, methods such as a pressure dissolution method, a high-speed swirl liquid flow method, a fine hole method, and a gas-liquid two-phase flow swirl method may be used. Moreover, you may utilize the micro-bubble generator disclosed by Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2016-7308. The micro-bubble generator 40 mainly generates bubbles including ultra-fine bubbles having a bubble equivalent diameter of about 50 nm to 1 μm. The fine bubbles in the present embodiment include ultra fine bubbles having a bubble equivalent diameter of 50 nm to 1 μm. The properties of the fine bubbles and the fine bubble water containing the bubbles are described in JP-A-2017-113395.

  FIG. 2 shows a washing machine 10 ′ which is a variation of the structure of the washing machine 10. The washing machine 10 ′ is the washing machine 10 from which the fine bubble generator 40 (3) is removed. Hereinafter, the water supply path configuration of the washing machine 10 will be referred to as a water supply path configuration 31 (1), and the corresponding configuration of the washing machine 10 'will be referred to as a water supply path configuration 31 (2).

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the electrical configuration of the washing machine, showing parts related to the gist of the present embodiment. The washing machine 10 includes an operation panel 48 for operating the contents of the washing course, a water level sensor 50 for detecting the water level in the water tank 14, a temperature sensor 51, and a non-volatile memory 52. The control circuit 46 is mainly configured of the microcomputer 47. The control circuit 46 has a function of controlling the washing operation of washing, rinsing and dewatering of the laundry.

  Signals from the operation panel 48, the water level sensor 50, the temperature sensor 51 such as a thermistor, and the rotation sensor 53 disposed in the motor 20 are input to the control circuit 46. The control circuit 46 controls the rotation of the motor 20 and the opening and closing of the water supply valve 32 and the drain valve 11 based on these input signals and a control program provided in advance. In addition, the control circuit 46 controls display of various information in the display circuit 54, ringing of notification sound by the buzzer 55, and the like.

  Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process performed by the control circuit 46 at the time of water supply. The control circuit 46 measures, for example, the flow rate of water by comparing the water supply time between predetermined water levels in the water supply operation with a preset threshold value. The control circuit 46 corresponds to a water supply control unit and a flow rate measuring unit. First, the water supply valve 32 (1) is opened to start water supply (S01), and the flow rate is measured (S02). When the measurement is completed (YES), the measured flow rate is stored in the non-volatile memory 52 (S03).

  Then, if the measured flow rate is, for example, less than 5 L / min (S2: YES), the water supply by the water supply valve 32 (1) is continued as it is (S3). That is, fine bubble water is supplied only by the fine bubble generator 40 (1). When the water level in the rotary tank 16 reaches the target value (S4; YES), the water supply valve 32 (1) is closed (S5) to end the water supply.

  On the other hand, if the measured flow rate is 5 L / min or more (S2; NO), water supply valve 32 (2) is opened in addition to water supply valve 32 (1) to supply water (S6). In this case, fine bubble water is supplied by the fine bubble generators 40 (1) and 40 (2). When the water level reaches the target value (S7; YES), the water supply valve 32 (1) is closed (S8) to end the water supply. This process is common to the water supply path configurations 31 (1) and 31 (2).

  That is, when water is allowed to pass through the plurality of microbubble generators 40 when the flow rate is small, the small flow rate of water is further dispersed, so the number of microbubbles generated is reduced, and the cleaning performance is reduced. Therefore, it is avoided that water is allowed to pass through only the micro bubble generator 40 (1) to reduce the supply amount of the micro bubbles. On the other hand, when the flow rate is high, the number of microbubbles does not significantly decrease even when the microbubble generators 40 (1) and 40 (2) are used in combination, so the water supply time is shortened by the combination.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart in the case of using the flow volume measured in the past, and it changes to steps S01-S03, and performs judgment step S1 of "flow volume measurement completed?". If the flow rate has not been measured (NO), the process proceeds to step S6.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the plurality of micro-bubble generators 40 are provided in the channel for supplying water to the water tank 14 from the water tank 14 and the external water source, and generate the micro-bubble water containing the micro bubbles. A control circuit 46 for controlling water supply to the water tank through the generator 40 and a plurality of water supply valves 32 provided corresponding to the plurality of micro-bubble water generating units 40 are provided.

  Then, the control circuit 46 changes the number of water supply valves 32 to be controlled in accordance with the state of the washing operation. Thus, the cleaning performance and the user's convenience can be adjusted according to the state of the washing operation. Specifically, the control circuit 46 can avoid the decrease in the cleaning performance by reducing the number of the water supply valves 32 to be controlled in accordance with the decrease in the flow rate of water.

Second Embodiment
Hereinafter, the same parts as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted, and different parts will be described. In the second embodiment, water supply control is performed according to the outside air temperature or the water temperature measured by the temperature sensor 51. When measuring the outside air temperature, the temperature sensor 51 is disposed, for example, between the outer case 12 and the water tank 14. In the case of measuring the water temperature, the temperature sensor 51 is disposed, for example, in the middle of the water supply path, the bottom of the water tank 14 or the like.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart in the case of using the water supply path configuration 31 (1). If the temperature has already been measured (S11; YES), it is determined whether the temperature exceeds, for example, 30 ° C. (S12). If the temperature exceeds 30 ° C. (YES), all the water supply valves 32 (1) to 32 (3) are opened to generate fine bubbles by the fine bubble generators 40 (1) to 40 (3), and fine bubbles Supply water (S13). When the water level in the rotary tank 16 reaches the target value (S14; YES), the water supply valves 32 (1) to 32 (3) are closed (S15) to end the water supply. On the other hand, when the temperature has not been measured (S11; NO), or when the temperature is 30 ° C. or less, steps S6 to S8 are executed.

  Further, in the process shown in FIG. 7 corresponding to the case where the water supply path configuration 31 (2) is used, step S16 is executed instead of step S13 to open the water supply valves 32 (1) and 32 (3). Fine bubbles are generated only by the generator 40 (1) to supply fine bubble water, and water not containing fine bubbles is supplied from the water supply valve 32 (3). When the water level in the rotary tank 16 reaches the target value (S17; YES), the water supply valves 32 (1) and 32 (3) are closed (S18) to end the water supply.

  That is, the higher the water temperature, the higher the cleaning effect by the detergent, so the effect on the cleaning performance is small even if the number of fine bubbles is small. Therefore, when using the water supply path configuration 31 (1), all the water supply valves 32 (1) to 32 (3) are operated to reduce the water supply time, and hence the operation time, without reducing the cleaning performance. When using the water supply path configuration 31 (2), most of the water flows through the water supply valve 32 (3) by opening the water supply valve 32 (3). As a result, although the supply amount of fine bubbles is also reduced, the operation time is shortened without affecting the cleaning performance.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the control circuit 46 increases the number of water supply valves 32 to be controlled according to the increase of the water temperature or the outside air temperature measured by the temperature sensor 51. As a result, the operation time can be shortened without lowering the cleaning performance.

Third Embodiment
In the third embodiment, the washing machine is set in advance, and the water supply control is performed according to the operation time of the operation course selected by the user. The third to sixth embodiments are common to the water supply path configurations 31 (1) and 31 (2). The control circuit 46 corresponds to a course selection unit. As shown in FIG. 8, when the user selects a "standard course" set in advance (S31; YES), steps S16 to S18 are executed, and the user is set to have a shorter operation time than the "standard course". If a certain "speed course" is selected (S32; YES), steps S13 to S15 are executed.

  That is, when the user selects the "speed course", it is assumed that the user wants the laundry operation to be completed quickly. Therefore, the water supply valves 32 (1) to 32 (3) are all opened to shorten the operation time. A range may be given to the extent that the driving time of the "speed course" is judged to be "shorter" than the "standard course". For example, when the operation time of "wash" in "standard course" is 10 minutes, if the operation time in "speed course" is 6 minutes or less, "YES" is determined in step S32, and the same operation If the time is about 9 minutes, it may be determined as "NO".

  As described above, according to the third embodiment, the control circuit 46 is a control object if the driving time of the driving course selected by the user is shorter than the driving time of the “standard course” set in advance. Since the number of water supply valves 32 is increased, the operation time can be shortened to meet the user's expectation.

Fourth Embodiment
In the fourth embodiment, the user can manually set the operation time for each of the washing, rinsing, and dewatering processes, and the water supply control is performed according to the set operation time length. The control circuit 46 corresponds to an operation time setting unit. As shown in FIG. 9, when the setting of the operation time is manually performed for any of the washing, rinsing, and dewatering steps (S41; YES), the set operation time is "standard course" as shown in FIG. It is determined whether it is shorter than S (S42). If the driving time is shorter than the "standard course" (YES), steps S13 to S15 are executed.

  If the set operation time is not shorter than the "standard course" (S42; NO), it is determined whether the operation time is longer than the "standard course" (S43). If the operation time is longer than the "standard course" (YES), steps S3 to S5 are executed. If the operation time is not longer than the "standard course" (NO), steps S16 to S18 are executed because the operation time corresponds to the "standard course". The extent to which the operation time is determined to be “short” may have a width similar to that described in the third embodiment.

  As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the control circuit 46 has an operation time set for any of the washing, rinsing, and dewatering processes shorter than the operation time of the “standard course” set in advance. If this is the case, the number of water supply valves 32 to be controlled is increased. As a result, as in the third embodiment, the operation time can be shortened to meet the user's expectation.

Fifth Embodiment
In the fifth embodiment, the washing machine has a function of performing a reserved operation, and controls the water supply according to the presence or absence of the setting. The control circuit 46 corresponds to a reservation operation setting unit. As shown in FIG. 10, when the reserved operation is set (S61; YES), the control circuit 46 calculates the operation time when only the water supply valve 32 (1) is opened to supply water (S62) . Then, if the calculated driving time is shorter than the end time of the reserved driving (S63; YES), steps S3 to S5 are executed. On the other hand, when the reservation operation is not set (S61; NO), or when the calculated operation time is equal to or more than the end time of the reservation operation (S63; NO), steps S16 to S18 are executed.

  That is, within the time up to the end of the operation set by the reserved operation, there is no problem even if it takes time for the washing operation. In such a case, only the water supply valve 32 (1) is opened to supply water, and the amount of fine air bubbles supplied is increased to improve the cleaning performance.

  As described above, according to the fifth embodiment, even when the number of the water supply valves 32 to be controlled is reduced when the reserved operation is set by the user, the control circuit 46 sets the end time of the washing operation. If it is judged that the operation can be finished inside, the number of feed valves 32 is reduced. Thus, the cleaning performance can be improved without impairing the convenience of the user.

Sixth Embodiment
In the sixth embodiment, the control circuit 46 rotates the pulsator 18 by, for example, comparing the amount of rotation with a preset threshold value when the pulsator 18 is rotated in the forward direction and the reverse direction for a predetermined time, for example 1 second. Measure the weight of the clothes introduced in 16. The amount of rotation is determined, for example, with reference to the number of input pulse signals from the rotation sensor 53. The control circuit 46 corresponds to a weight measuring unit. Moreover, the water level setting in the rotation tank 16 at the time of washing | cleaning and a rinse operation is possible also by the user's manual operation. Then, the control circuit 46 controls the water supply based on the relationship between the measured weight of the clothes and the set water level.

  As shown in FIG. 11, when the water level is set by manual operation (S71; YES), it is determined whether the set water level and water amount exceed the water amount suitable for the measured weight of the clothing ( S72). If the amount of water suitable for the weight of the clothing is exceeded (YES), steps S13 to S15 are executed. On the other hand, if the water level is not set manually (S71; NO) or less than the amount of water suitable for the weight of the clothes (S72; NO), steps S16 to S18 are executed.

  That is, when the amount of water is large relative to the weight of the clothes, the influence on the cleaning performance is small even if the number of fine bubbles is small. Therefore, all the water supply valves 32 (1) to 32 (3) are opened to shorten the operation time.

  As described above, according to the sixth embodiment, the control circuit 46 increases the number of the water supply valves 32 to be controlled when the measured weight with respect to the amount of water used in the washing and rinsing steps is light. As a result, the operation time can be shortened without lowering the cleaning performance.

(Other embodiments)
The embodiments may be implemented in combination.
You may apply to a drum type washing machine.
While certain embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and the gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

  In the drawing, 10 is a washing machine, 14 is a water tank, 16 is a rotating tank, 18 is a pulsator, 20 is a motor, 32 is a water supply valve, 40 is a fine bubble generator, 46 is a control circuit, 50 is a water level sensor, 51 is a temperature Reference numeral 53 denotes a rotation sensor.

Claims (7)

With the water tank,
A plurality of micro-bubble water generating units provided in a path for supplying water to the water tank from an external water source and generating micro-bubble water containing micro bubbles;
A water supply control unit configured to control water supply to the water tank performed through the plurality of fine bubble water generating units;
And a plurality of water supply valves provided corresponding to the plurality of fine bubble water generating units,
The water supply control unit changes the number of control of the plurality of water supply valves according to the state of the washing operation. A flow rate measuring unit configured to measure a flow rate of water in the path;
The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the water supply control unit reduces the number of water supply valves to be controlled according to the decrease in the flow rate. It has a temperature measurement unit that measures the temperature of ambient air or water,
3. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the water supply control unit increases the number of water supply valves to be controlled as the temperature rises. The user is provided with a course selection unit for selecting a plurality of operation courses having different operation times for each washing, rinsing and dewatering process;
The water supply control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the number of water supply valves to be controlled is increased when an operation course whose operation time is shorter than a preset standard course is selected. Washing machine. The user has an operation time setting unit for setting an operation time for each washing, rinsing and dewatering process;
5. The water supply control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the number of water supply valves to be controlled is increased when an operation time shorter than an operation time preset for each of the strokes is set. Washing machine described. The user has a reserved operation setting unit for setting the end time of the laundry operation or the time until the laundry operation is ended as the reserved operation,
When the water supply control unit determines that the operation can be completed within the set laundry operation end time even if the number of water supply valves to be controlled is reduced when the reserved operation is set, the number of water supply valves is set. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which reduces. A weight measuring unit for measuring the weight of the clothes introduced into the water tank;
The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the water supply control unit increases the number of water supply valves to be controlled when the measured weight is light relative to the amount of water used in the washing and rinsing steps.

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