JP2775083B2 - Washing machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly to a washing machine provided with a means for detecting the permeability of washing water.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 is a sectional view schematically showing the structure of a conventional fully automatic washing machine of this kind. In the drawing, reference numeral 41 denotes an outer box. A washing tub 43 is provided in the outer box 41, and an inner tub 42 for washing and dehydrating laundry is provided in the washing tub 43. A stirring blade 44 is provided on the bottom of the inner tub 42, and a motor 45 for rotating the stirring wing 44 and the inner tub 42 is provided below the washing tub 43.
And a deceleration unit 46 for selectively transmitting the force of the motor 45 to either the stirring blade 44 or the inner tank 42 and controlling each of them to rotate at an appropriate speed.

On the other hand, four inner corners of the outer box 41 and a washing tub 43
An anti-vibration device 47 that suspends the washing tub 43 between the outer bottom and the outer bottom is configured. A drain pipe 48 is connected to the bottom of the washing tub 43, and a drain valve 49 is provided in the middle of the drain pipe 48, and a pair of light-emitting elements are provided on the outer periphery of the drain pipe 48 between the washing tub 43 and the drain valve 49. A transmissivity detector 50 composed of a unit and a light receiving unit is provided while being held by a holder 54. Further, a water supply valve 51 for supplying water into the washing tub 43 is provided at an upper portion inside the outer box 41, and one branch pipe 53a branched from the water supply valve 51 is connected to a water supply port 52, and the other is provided. The branch pipe 53b is connected to the upper part of the drain pipe 48 in which the transmittance detector 50 is disposed.

In a washing machine constructed as described above, for example, during a washing operation, laundry is put into the inner tub 42, and the water is supplied from the water supply valve 51 to the washing tub 4 through the water supply port 52 and the branch pipe 53b.
Water is supplied in 3. The water that has entered from the branch pipe 53b at the time of water supply always cleans the upper part of the drain pipe 48 and the inner wall of the retainer 54 with fresh water. After the water supply with a predetermined amount of water is completed, the initial transmittance is detected by the transmittance detector 50. After the detection, a predetermined amount of detergent is supplied into the washing tub 43, and the stirring blades 44 are driven to perform washing.

At this time, the permeability of the washing water in the washing tub 43 changes depending on the detergent supplied and the stain on the laundry. The change in the transmittance is detected by the transmittance detector 50, and the washing operation is controlled so that the washing is terminated when the rate of change in the transmittance decreases and falls below a predetermined value.

In addition to the above-mentioned conventional example, there is a fully automatic washing machine of this type disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-38878. FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a schematic structure of a main part of the washing machine. In the figure, reference numeral 61 denotes a washing tub,
A stirring blade 63 is provided on the bottom surface of 1. Washing tub 6
A communication pipe 78 communicating with the drainage port 77 is provided below 1, and a barrier 79 is fixed at the bottom of the washing tub 61 and near the communication pipe 78, and the washing water is rotated by the rotation of the stirring blade 63. To the communication pipe 78 is made effective. Drain 77
A drain valve 69 having a valve body 66 and an elastic body 67 for urging the valve body 66 in the direction of arrow B is disposed above the drain valve 69. A container section 80 having a slope is formed in the middle of the communication pipe 78 so as to temporarily store air bubbles and return to the washing tub 61, and a conducting pipe for communicating the two between the lower part of the communication pipe 78 and the lower part of the washing tub 61. 65 are provided. A window 74 facing each other is formed in the middle of the conductive tube 65, and a transmittance detector 81 having a light emitting element 72 and a light receiving element 73 is provided outside the window 74.

A rod 76 is fixed to the valve body 66, and a sponge 75 is fixed to the tip of the rod 76 so as to contact the surface of the window 74. An actuator 71 of a solenoid 70 is locked to a rod 68 fixed to a side surface of the valve body 66 on the elastic body 67 side.

During washing in the washing machine constructed as described above, the space between the communication pipe 78 and the drainage port 77 is closed by the valve body 66, and the washing water is rotated by the rotation of the stirring blade 63.
8 and the circulation pipe 65. When the washing water passes between the light emitting element 72 and the light receiving element 73 of the transmittance detector 81, a change in the transmittance is detected. The change in the transmittance is detected by the transmittance detector 81, and the washing operation is controlled so that the washing is terminated when the change rate of the transmittance decreases and becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value. At this time, the air bubbles generated by the stirring blade 63 temporarily accumulate in the container portion 80 and are returned to the washing tub 61 by the inclined surface 80a on the upper portion of the container portion 80.

When draining the washing water, the solenoid 70 is driven and the actuator 71 moves in the direction of arrow A. As a result, the valve body 66 moves in the direction of arrow A,
The space between the communication pipe 78 and the drain port 77 is opened. After the drainage is completed, the solenoid 70 is stopped so that the elastic body 67 is stopped.
The valve body 66 is moved by the elastic force in the direction of arrow B, and the space between the communication pipe 78 and the drain port 77 is closed. The sponge 75 moves by the movement of the valve body 66 in the direction of the arrow A or B, slides on the window 74, and cleans the surface of the window 74.

[0010]

In the above-mentioned washing machine, the transmittance detector 50 having a pair of light-emitting portion and light-receiving portion is provided with a holder 54 made of a transparent or translucent material.
And the permeability of the washing water guided between the walls is detected. Therefore, when detecting the permeability of the washing water during washing, it is necessary to guide the washing water in the washing tub 43 and the inner tub 42 to the permeability detector 50. However, since the installation location of the transmittance detector 50 is far from the stirring blade 44 and is formed in a concave portion where the flow of the washing water is small, the guide of the washing water becomes unstable, and the dispersion is large. There was a problem that accuracy was poor.

On the other hand, in the case of the latter, similarly to the former, the installation location of the permeability detector 81 is separated from the stirring blade 63, and the washing water is guided by the stirring blade 63, and Since the detection is carried out at 81, there is a problem that the guide of the washing water becomes unstable, the dispersion is large and the accuracy is poor.

In the former, the accuracy of the transmittance detector 50 is improved as the distance between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion is smaller,
Although the cost of the transmittance detector 50 is reduced, a certain interval or more is required in the detection portion to guide the washing water to the detection portion. For this reason, there has been a problem that the sensitivity of the light emitting unit or the light receiving unit is required to be improved, and the cost of the transmittance detector 50 is increased in order to obtain the accuracy.

Further, the holder 54, which is a detecting portion, is formed of a transparent or translucent material, and needs to be cleaned in order to prevent adhesion of dirt due to washing water. In this case, since the cleaning of the retainer 54 is performed by supplying water from the branch pipe 53b, parts dedicated to cleaning such as the branch pipe 53b are required, and there is a problem that an increase in the number of parts dedicated to cleaning leads to an increase in cost. .

In the latter case, a sponge 75 is disposed inside the conduit 65, and the sponge
The diameter of 5 must be at least 15 to 20 mm. As a result, the sensitivity of the light-emitting element 72 or the light-receiving element 73 is required to be improved, and a high-precision transmittance detector 81 is required to obtain the sensitivity.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and can sufficiently guide washing water into the permeability detector, and has high accuracy and does not increase the cost. It aims to provide a washing machine.

[0016]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, a washing machine according to the present invention comprises an air pump for forcing air into a washing tub and a blowing path, and the inside of the washing tub is provided in the middle of the blowing path. And a transmittance detecting means for detecting the transmittance of water.

Further, in the above-mentioned washing machine, an inclined portion is formed in the nozzle provided with the transmittance detecting means, and the inclined portion is higher on the air pump side.

[0018]

According to the above construction, since the air pump and the air blowing path for feeding air into the washing tub are provided, when the air pump is operated, the washing water in the air blowing path is discharged by the air blowing pressure and the air pump is discharged. When the operation is stopped, the washing water is stably and sufficiently guided into the air blowing path by the water pressure. Further, since a transparency detecting means for detecting the transparency of the washing water is provided in the middle of the blowing path, when the operation of the air pump is stopped, the permeability of the washing water in the washing tub guided into the blowing path is reduced. Is detected by the transmittance detecting means. Then, during the rinsing step, the water in the washing tub increases its permeability, and the water is discharged and sucked into the blowing path by operating or stopping the air pump. Therefore, the inside of the ventilation path is cleaned by operating and stopping the pump.

In the above-mentioned washing machine, since the inclined portion is formed in the nozzle, air bubbles do not stay in the nozzle, so that a more accurate transmittance can be measured without being affected by the air bubbles. Becomes possible.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a washing machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that components having the same functions as those of the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view schematically showing the structure of a fully automatic washing machine according to an embodiment, in which 41 indicates an outer box. A washing tub 43 is provided in the outer box 41, and an inner tub 4 for washing and dehydrating laundry is further provided in the washing tub 43.
2 are provided. Further, a stirring blade 44 is disposed on the bottom of the inner tub 42, and a motor 45 for rotating the stirring wing 44 and the inner tub 42 is provided below the washing tub 43.
A deceleration unit 46 is provided for selectively transmitting the force of the motor 45 to either the stirring blade 44 or the inner tank 42 and controlling each of them to rotate at an appropriate speed.

On the other hand, the upper inner four corners of the outer box 41 and the washing tub 43
An anti-vibration device 47 that suspends the washing tub 43 between the outer bottom and the outer bottom is configured. Further, a washing tub 43 is provided on the upper inside of the outer box 41.
A water supply valve 51 and an air pump 11 for supplying water into the inside are provided. The air pump 11 sucks or discharges air by the operation of an internal diaphragm (not shown), and discharge port (not shown) and suction port (not shown) of the transmittance detector 11. Is a valve (not shown)
However, the pressure in the diaphragm is maintained at the atmospheric pressure except during operation. This air pump 11 has a blowing path 12
It is connected to the. This blowing path 12 is connected to the blowing pipe section 1
2a and a nozzle portion 12b, and the nozzle portion 12b is disposed on the bottom of the washing tub 43 in a watertight manner. A transmittance detector 10 is attached to a transparent portion at one end of the nozzle portion 12b.

While the air pump 11 is operating, air is blown through the air blowing path 12. However, if the pressure in the diaphragm is maintained at the atmospheric pressure after the air pump 11 is stopped, the washing water becomes large. Ventilation pipe part 1 by air pressure
It rises to the same height as the water surface of the washing tub 43 within 2a.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the vicinity where the transmittance detector 10 is mounted. As shown in FIG. 2, the transmittance detector 10 has a light emitting portion 10a and a light receiving portion 10b, and is provided around a nozzle portion 12b made of a transparent or translucent material fixed to the outer bottom of the washing tub 43. It is attached so that it may oppose.

FIG. 3 is a control chart showing the operation of the air pump 11, the operation of the permeability detector 10, and the operation of the washing and rinsing operations in the washing machine constructed as described above.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a general process of the washing machine. The operation of the washing machine will be described with reference to FIGS. When the washing operation is started, a predetermined amount of water is supplied to the washing tub 43 from the water supply valve 51. After the water supply completion, measurement of T ₃ hours as an initial permeability is performed by the permeability detector 10. Next, the operation of the stirring blade 44 and the air pump 11 is started. As the stirring blades 44 rotate, the detergent begins to melt and the laundry becomes dirty, the washing water is contaminated, and the permeability changes with the elapse of the operation time. Further, air is pumped by the air pump 11 for t ₁ time, and the washing water in the air blowing path 12 is discharged to generate bubbles in the washing water, and the washing efficiency is improved by the bubble washing. The air pump 11, ₁ hour after the operation t, intermittent operation such stops t ₂ hours is performed. When the operation of the air pump 11 is stopped for t ₂ hours, the pressure in the air pump 11 becomes the same as the outside air pressure, and the washing water flows into the blowing path 12 due to the water pressure in the washing tub 43 each time. After the intermittent operation of the air pump 2 has been performed for the time T ₁ , the air pump 11 is stopped for the time T ₂ , and at this time, the permeability of the washing water is detected by the permeability detector 10 attached to the ventilation path 12. After detection, the operation time T ₁ the air pump 11 again, permeability rate of change operation is repeated to stop T ₂ hours is calculated by the control unit (not shown), the control of the washing operation is performed.

After the washing operation, in the rinsing step, the operation of the air pump 11 and the detection of the transmittance by the transmittance detector 10 are performed in the same manner as in the washing. Detection of the permeability in the rinsing step is performed at the start of washing, that is, in order to control the rinsing operation by comparison with the permeability of fresh water immediately after water supply.

On the other hand, in the rinsing which is the final rinsing step, the air pump 11 is operated intermittently,
Suction of rinsing water in a state close to fresh water into the blowing path 12;
Discharge is repeated. Thus, rinsing is performed and, at the same time, the inside of the air passage 12 is cleaned.

If the nozzle 12b provided with the transmittance detector 10 is provided horizontally, the nozzle 12b
In some cases, air bubbles may stay inside, and due to the influence of the air bubbles, an error may occur in a measured transmittance value, and an accurate transmittance may not be measured.

Therefore, in order to perform more accurate measurement, as shown in FIG. 5, the nozzle 12b provided with the transmittance detector 10 is provided with an inclination, and the air pump 1 of the nozzle 12b is provided.
It is preferable to make one side higher.

As described above, since the washing machine according to the present embodiment is provided with the air pump 11 and the air passage 12, the intermittent operation of the air pump 11 facilitates sufficient washing water in the air passage 12. , And the transmittance can be detected accurately by the transmittance detector 10. Also, the light emitting unit 10a and the light receiving unit 1 of the transmittance detector 10
The interval from 0b may be as large as the pressure of air can be sent (about 10 mm in diameter), and a more accurate measurement than the inexpensive transmittance detector 10 can be used. Further, the air pump 11 is also used for cleaning bubbles to enhance the cleaning effect, and is not provided exclusively for cleaning the transmittance detector 10. Therefore, the cost may be increased due to an increase in the number of cleaning dedicated parts. Absent.

By providing the nozzle 12b with the inclination as described above, the air bubbles in the nozzle 12b rise in the direction of the blower pipe 12a and do not stay in the nozzle 12b, and only the washing water flows in the nozzle 12b. Accumulation can be measured more accurately without being affected by bubbles.

[0032]

As described in detail above, in the washing machine according to the present invention, an air pump for pumping air into the washing tub,
A ventilation path, and a permeability detection means for detecting the permeability of water in the washing tub is provided in the middle of the ventilation path, so that the intermittent operation of the air pump is performed, thereby facilitating the ventilation. Washing water is sufficiently guided in the path, and the transmittance can be accurately detected by the transmittance detector. Further, the air blowing path is formed to such an extent that air can be sent under pressure, so that a more accurate and inexpensive air path can be used.
Further, the air pump is also used for bubble cleaning for enhancing the cleaning effect, and is not provided exclusively for cleaning the transmittance detector. Therefore, the cost may be increased due to an increase in parts dedicated for cleaning. Absent.

In the above-mentioned washing machine, when an inclined portion is formed in the nozzle, air bubbles do not stay in the nozzle, so that a more accurate transmittance can be measured without being affected by the air bubbles. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an embodiment of a washing machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view schematically showing the vicinity of a mounting portion of a transmittance detector according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a control chart showing control of an air pump and a transparency detector during a washing and rinsing operation according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process of a general washing machine.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view schematically showing the vicinity of a mounting portion of a transmittance detector according to another embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view showing a conventional washing machine.

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view showing another conventional washing machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 Transmittance detector (transmittance detecting means) 11 Air pump 12 Ventilation path 43 Washing tub

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) D06F 33/00-41/00 D06F 17/12

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An air pump for pressure-feeding air into a washing tub, and a blowing path, and a permeability detecting means for detecting the permeability of water in the washing tub is provided in the middle of the blowing path. A washing machine characterized by the following. 2. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein an inclined portion is formed in the nozzle provided with the transmittance detecting means, and the inclined portion is higher on the air pump side.