JP7122515B2 - washing machine - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to washing machines.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a washing machine equipped with an automatic detergent dispenser.

The washing machine disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes an outer frame, an outer tub supported by the outer frame for vibration isolation, a washing and dewatering tub rotatably disposed in the outer tub, and an upper portion of the outer frame. An upper frame, a detergent tank for storing liquid detergent disposed inside the upper frame, and an automatic detergent dispenser connected to the detergent tank for sucking the liquid detergent and inputting it into the washing and dehydrating tank. And prepare.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-313234

In the conventional washing machine, the detergent tank and the automatic detergent dispenser are fixedly connected.

The present disclosure provides a washing machine provided with a detachable liquid tank, capable of coping with the case where air enters the interior of a connecting portion with a liquid material injection device.

A washing machine according to the present disclosure includes a housing, a water tank disposed inside the housing, a bottomed cylindrical washing and dehydrating tank disposed rotatably inside the water tank, and the housing. a liquid agent tank that is accommodated in a tank accommodating portion formed in the body and stores liquid; and a liquid agent tank that is positioned outside the liquid agent tank and sucks the liquid stored in the liquid agent tank and supplies it to the water tank or the washing and dehydrating tank. and a control device, wherein the liquid agent tank has a liquid agent tank side connection portion that connects the liquid agent introducing device and the inside of the liquid agent tank, and the liquid agent introducing device includes the liquid agent It has a liquid material introduction device side connection portion connected to the tank side connection portion. The connection portion is formed to extend from the height of the liquid agent introduction device side connection portion toward the inner bottom surface of the liquid agent tank, and the control device controls the liquid agent tank side connection portion during an automatic liquid agent injection operation. is estimated to be empty, the liquid injection device is driven for the time for sucking the amount of liquid that fills the connection part on the liquid agent tank side in addition to the time for sucking the specified injection amount. Let

The washing machine according to the present disclosure can cope with the case where air enters the interior of the connecting portion with the liquid agent injection device in the washing machine provided with the removable liquid agent tank.

Longitudinal sectional view of the washing machine according to Embodiment 1 Appearance perspective view of the washing machine with the lid closed Appearance perspective view of the washing machine with the lid open Appearance front view of the washing machine with the lid open Appearance front view of the state in which the liquid agent tank is removed from the tank accommodating portion in FIG. Schematic diagram showing the position of the automatic liquid injection device of the same washing machine Disassembled perspective view of the liquid agent tank of the washing machine FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a housing state of a liquid agent tank and a tank housing portion of the washing machine; Schematic diagram showing the connection between the automatic fluid injection device and the fluid tank of the washing machine (a) Front view of the filter of the liquid tank of the washing machine, (b) Side view of the filter of the liquid tank of the washing machine A vertical cross-sectional view of a state in which the drawer portion of the liquid agent tank of the washing machine is housed. A vertical cross-sectional view of the liquid agent tank of the washing machine in a state where the drawer part is pulled out. Appearance front view of the washing machine with the drawer portion of the liquid agent tank pulled out Timing chart showing the maintenance course of the washing machine Flowchart showing processing related to the air vent function of the washing machine

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited by the accompanying drawings and the following description.

(Embodiment 1)
Embodiment 1 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 15. FIG.

(Basic configuration of washing machine)
1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a washing machine according to Embodiment 1, FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the washing machine with the lid closed, and FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the washing machine with the lid open. It is a diagram.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , washing machine 100 includes outer frame 101 , upper frame 102 , and lid 103 . The upper frame 102 is fixed to the upper part of the outer frame 101, and a laundry inlet 104 is formed substantially in the center. The lid 103 is arranged so as to be openable and closable so as to cover the laundry inlet 104 of the upper frame 102 .

As shown in FIG. 1, a bottomed cylindrical water tank 106 is elastically supported inside the outer frame 101 . Water can be stored inside the water tank 106, and the stored water is discharged from a drain pipe (not shown) by opening a drain valve (not shown). A washing and dehydrating tub 109 is rotatably held inside the tub 106 . The water tub 106 and the washing/dehydrating tub 109 are collectively referred to as a tub unit (not shown). A balancer 115 is arranged above the washing and dewatering tub 109 . The balancer 115 reduces rattling caused by the rotation of the washing and dehydrating tub 109 during dehydration.

The pulsator 110 is provided at the bottom of the washing/dehydrating tub 109 . By rotating the pulsator 110, the laundry inside the washing and dehydrating tub 109 can be agitated.

A motor 112 is held at the bottom of the water tank 106 . The motor 112 rotates the pulsator 110 alone, or rotates the pulsator 110 and the washing/spin-drying tub 109 simultaneously.

Behind the upper frame 102, a rear space 119 is provided to accommodate the automatic liquid injection device 130 and the like. The rear space 119 will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 2, an operation display section 105 is provided on the rear side of the upper frame 102, and the operation display section 105 includes a display section and an operation section. The user confirms the information displayed on the display unit while operating the operation unit, and sets the operating conditions of the washing machine.

The top of the water tank 106 is covered with a water tank cover 107 . A part of the water tank cover 107 is opened, and an inner lid 108 is provided so as to cover the opening so as to be openable and closable. Before the washing operation, the user opens the inner lid 108 together with the lid 103 and puts the laundry inside the washing/dehydrating tub 109 .

(Component configuration accommodated in the rear space)
4 is an external front view of the washing machine according to Embodiment 1 with the lid opened, and FIG. 5 is an external front view of the state in which the liquid agent tank is removed from the tank accommodating portion in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a softener tank 140b, a detergent tank 140a, a detergent container 121, and a drying filter section 117 are arranged behind the laundry inlet 104 from the left.

As shown in FIG. 5, the left rear portion of the upper frame 102 is provided with a tank housing portion 131 formed in a substantially box shape that opens forward. A softener tank 140b and a detergent tank 140a are detachably housed on the left side of the tank housing section 131 and the right side of the tank housing section 131, respectively. The front sides of the detergent tank 140a and the softener tank 140b are exposed to the laundry inlet 104, and the user can visually recognize the detergent tank 140a and the softener tank 140b with the lid 103 open. Behind the softener tank 140b and the detergent tank 140a, an automatic liquid agent injection device 130 is arranged.

Detergent container 121 is housed inside manual detergent input unit 120 so as to be able to be pulled out. The user can pull out the detergent container 121 and put the detergent inside to perform washing. The water injection hose 122 connects the detergent manual input part 120 and the rear part of the water tank cover, and supplies liquid agent and water to the inside of the washing and dewatering tank 109 .

A drying device (not shown) is arranged behind the drying filter section 117 . The drying device heats the air filtered by the drying filter unit 117 and blows warm air to the laundry accommodated inside the washing and dehydrating tub 109 through the drying air hose 118 attached to the tub cover 107 . do.

(liquid agent automatic injection device)
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the position of the automatic liquid agent injection device of the washing machine according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

The liquid agent automatic injection device 130 includes a tank housing portion side connection portion 132 and an automatic injection driving portion (not shown) that sucks and discharges the liquid agent from the tank housing portion side connection portion 132 . As shown in FIG. 6 , the liquid agent automatic injection device 130 is connected to the liquid agent tank 140 via the tank housing portion side connection portion 132 and is also connected to the detergent manual injection portion 120 . The automatic injection drive unit sucks the liquid agent stored in the liquid agent tank 140 and feeds it into the manual detergent injection unit 120 through the path in the automatic liquid agent injection device 130 .

(tank housing part)
The tank housing portion 131 is formed as a substantially box-shaped space that opens toward the laundry inlet 104 . On the surface of the tank housing portion 131 into which the detergent tank 140a and the softener tank 140b are inserted, tank housing portion-side connecting portions 132 for detergent and softener are respectively provided. The tank housing portion side connection portion 132 is formed so as to protrude forward.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the tank housing portion side connection portion 132 is surrounded by a cylindrical connection portion protection rib 134 . The connecting portion protection rib 134 prevents the user from touching the tank housing portion side connecting portion 132 and prevents foreign matter from adhering to the tank housing portion side connecting portion 132 .

(External shape of liquid tank)
7 is an exploded perspective view of the liquid agent tank of the washing machine according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

Since detergent tank 140a and softener tank 140b have substantially the same configuration, the configuration of detergent tank 140a will be described as an example.

As shown in FIG. 7, the tank main body 141 is made of a transparent material such as resin and has a substantially box-like shape with an open upper surface. The front surface of the tank body 141 is covered with a decorative plate 142 of the same color as the upper frame 102, giving a sense of unity in appearance. An opening 143 is formed in the central portion of the decorative plate 142 , and the portion exposed from the opening 143 of the tank body 141 serves as a transparent window 144 . The user can see the inside of the tank body 141 through the transparent window 144 with the lid 103 open. The transparent window 144 and the decorative plate 142 are formed flush with the upper frame 102 when the detergent tank 140 a is housed in the tank housing portion 131 .

A scale display 145 is engraved on the transparent window 144 , and the user can check the remaining amount of the detergent stored in the tank body 141 by looking at the scale display 145 . The interval of the scale display 145 is configured to be an interval at which it is possible to visually recognize that the liquid level has dropped in one washing operation. Furthermore, the scale display 145 in this embodiment is formed so that the capacity of one scale corresponds to the average amount of detergent consumed when the washing operation is performed twice, except for the bottom scale. there is The scale at the bottom will be described later.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a housing state of the liquid agent tank and the tank housing portion of the washing machine according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 8, the bottom surface of the tank housing portion 131 is formed with a claw 137 that protrudes upward. On the other hand, a groove 146 is formed in the bottom of the tank main body 141 at a position facing the claw 137 when the detergent tank 140 a is housed in the tank housing portion 131 . The rear surface of the claw 137 abuts on the groove 146 when the detergent tank 140 a is housed in the tank housing portion 131 , and locks the tank main body 141 to the tank housing portion 131 . The engagement between the claw 137 and the groove 146 can be released only by lifting the detergent tank 140a upward.

A lower end of the decorative plate 142 is formed with a tank body grip portion 147 projecting downward from the bottom surface of the tank body 141 . On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5 , the front end of the bottom surface of the tank housing portion 131 is notched, and the notched portion serves as a housing portion bottom surface notch 138 . When the user removes the detergent tank 140 a , the user puts his or her hand into the housing bottom notch 138 from below the tank body gripping portion 147 and puts the hand on the tank body gripping portion 147 . When the user lifts the tank body gripping portion 147 upward, the engagement between the groove 146 and the claw 137 is released, and the detergent tank is removed by pulling the tank body gripping portion 147 forward.

(Connecting part on liquid tank side)
9 is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the liquid agent automatic injection device and the liquid agent tank of the washing machine in Embodiment 1, FIG. 10(a) is a front view of the filter of the liquid agent tank of the washing machine, and FIG. 10(b). ) is a side view of the filter of the liquid agent tank of the washing machine.

As shown in FIG. 9 , on the rear surface of the tank main body 141 , a liquid agent tank side connection portion 150 that connects with the tank housing portion side connection portion 132 arranged in the tank housing portion 131 is provided. The liquid agent tank side connection portion 150 is cylindrical and bent into a substantially inverted L shape with an obtuse angle. When attached to the tank main body 141 , the tubular portion 151 protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the tank main body 141 , and the suction pipe portion 154 extends from the inner side surface to the inner bottom surface of the tank main body 141 .

The cylindrical portion 151 is located at the end side of the central portion of the rear surface of the tank body 141 and higher than the bottom surface. The tubular portion 151 has a flange 158 formed at the boundary with the suction pipe portion 154 , and is screwed to the rear surface of the tank main body 141 at the flange 158 . The cylindrical portion 151 positions the connection between the tank housing portion side connection portion 132 and the liquid agent tank side connection portion 150 when the liquid agent tank side connection portion 150 is inserted. A check valve 152 is arranged inside the cylindrical portion 151 . The check valve 152 is normally closed to prevent the detergent stored in the detergent tank 140a from leaking to the outside. The check valve 152 opens only when it is pushed forward by the tank housing section side connection section 132, and allows the detergent stored in the detergent tank 140a to be sucked into the automatic liquid injection device 130. .

The suction pipe portion 154 communicates with the tubular portion 151 and extends obliquely toward the vicinity of the inner bottom surface of the tank body 141 . The suction pipe part 154 is provided to suck up the liquid medicine when the liquid level of the liquid medicine stored in the tank main body 141 is lower than the tank housing part side connection part 132 . By providing the suction pipe portion 154, it becomes possible to install the tank main body 141 below the liquid agent automatic injection device 130, thereby improving the degree of freedom in design.

A filter 155 is arranged on the inner bottom of the tank body 141 so as to cover the suction pipe portion 154 . The filter 155 is formed in an inverted L shape, and is configured to abut on the inner side surface and the inner bottom surface in the short direction inside the tank body 141 .

As shown in FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b), the filter 155 is formed in a grid pattern so that substantially square holes 155a are arranged at regular intervals. A rib 155b is formed on the surface side of the filter 155 so as to protrude from the hole 155a from the upper surface to the lower surface.

(Overview of liquid material guide)
11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a state in which the drawer portion of the liquid agent tank of the washing machine according to Embodiment 1 is accommodated, and FIG. 12 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the state in which the drawer portion of the liquid agent tank of the washing machine is pulled out; FIG. 13 is an external front view of the washing machine in a state where the drawer portion of the liquid agent tank is pulled out.

The liquid agent guide portion 160 in the present embodiment includes a drawer portion 161 that guides the liquid agent, and a drawer receiving portion 162 that is attached to the upper portion of the tank body 141 and slides on the drawer portion 161 . As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , the drawer portion 161 is configured to be able to be pulled out in the front-rear direction with respect to the drawer receiving portion 162 , and the front surface of the drawer portion 161 accommodates the drawer portion 161 in the drawer receiving portion 162 . It is flush with the upper frame body 102 in this state. When the user puts his/her finger on the finger hook portion 169 and pulls the drawer portion 161 forward, the sliding portion 161a provided on the drawer portion 161 and the rail portion 162b formed on the drawer receiving portion 162 move forward and backward. As it slides, the drawer portion 161 is drawn out from the drawer receiving portion 162 .

When the user replenishes the liquid medicine, the drawer part 161 of the liquid agent guide part 160 is drawn forward to create a space in front and below the drawer part 161 . As a result, the user can hold the opening of the container of the commercially available detergent near the drawer 161 and tilt the container little by little to put the detergent into the drawer 161 . By making the drawer part drawable in this way, the user can adjust the amount of detergent that flows down from the mouth of the bottle and the flow-down position, so that the detergent is less likely to spill.

As shown in FIG. 11, inside the drawer portion 161, a first inclined surface 166 and a second inclined surface 170 which are inclined downward from the front to the rear are formed. The second slanted surface 170 is gentler than the first slanted surface 166 .

Behind the second inclined surface 170 , a liquid agent inlet 171 that opens to the inside of the tank body 141 is arranged, and the liquid agent inlet 171 allows the inside and outside of the tank body 141 to communicate with each other. The filter 155 is arranged behind the liquid agent inlet 171 when the drawer portion 161 is pulled out forward, so that the detergent flowing down from the liquid agent inlet 171 does not fall on the horizontal surface of the filter 155 . ing. As a result, the detergent flowing down from the liquid agent inlet 171 drops onto the inner bottom surface of the tank main body 141 and flows into the inside of the filter 155 from the front side of the filter 155 .

The lowest scale provided on the scale display 145 is a lower limit display 145a. The lower limit display 145a is used as a guide when removing the detergent tank 140a and cleaning the inside. The lower limit display 145a is set so that the sum of the amount of detergent remaining inside the suction pipe portion 154 and the amount of detergent stored up to the lower limit display 145a is the amount of detergent that is consumed by executing the washing operation once. Configured. By providing the lower limit display 145a in consideration of the amount of detergent remaining inside the suction pipe portion 154, it is possible to reduce the waste when cleaning the inside of the tank body 141. FIG. Further, since the lower limit display 145a is arranged at a position higher than the lower end of the suction pipe portion 154, air does not enter from the lower end of the suction pipe portion 154. As shown in FIG.

The operation of washing machine 100 configured as described above will be described below.

(Washing operation with automatic input operation)
The washing operation when the automatic loading function is ON will be described. The user opens the lid 103, puts the laundry into the washing and dewatering tub 109 through the laundry inlet 104, and operates the operation display unit 105 to turn on the power. Subsequently, the user operates the operation display unit 105 to select various courses and start the washing operation. The automatic charging operation will be described below using the detergent tank 140a as an example, but the automatic charging operation for the softener tank 140b is the same.

First, a laundry amount detection operation is performed to detect the amount of laundry that has been put in, and the control device 114 calculates a reference liquid suction time T1 according to the detected amount of laundry, and automatically feeds it into the automatic liquid material injection device 130 . start the action.

When the automatic injection operation starts, the automatic injection drive unit is driven to suck the detergent stored in the detergent tank 140a during the reference liquid agent suction time T1. As described above, the check valve 152 is open when the detergent tank 140a is housed in the tank housing portion 131. As shown in FIG. Accordingly, the liquid agent is sucked into the automatic liquid agent injection device 130 via the liquid agent tank side connection portion 150 and discharged into the manual detergent injection portion 120 . The control device 114 opens the water supply valve to inject water into the path in the automatic liquid agent injection device 130 through which the discharged liquid agent has passed. The injected water washes away the path through which the liquid agent has passed, reaches the manual detergent injection unit 120, dissolves the detergent in the manual detergent injection unit 120, and is supplied to the washing and dewatering tub 109 through the water injection hose 122. be. When a predetermined amount of water is supplied, the washing process starts. When a series of steps in the set course is finished, the washing operation is finished.

(Care course)
14 is a timing chart showing cleaning courses of the washing machine according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

The user operates the operation display unit 105 to turn on the power. When the detergent tank 140a or the softener tank 140b is at or below a predetermined amount (for example, the liquid level is at or below the lower limit display 145a), the user selects the detergent tank maintenance course or the softener tank maintenance course from the operation display unit 105. Select to start driving. Here, the cleaning course for the detergent tank 140a will be described as an example, but the operations for the cleaning course for the softener tank are substantially the same.

As shown in FIG. 14, when the cleaning course starts, a water supply process is performed to supply water to the washing and dehydrating tub 109 to a water level at which the pulsator 110 is completely submerged. Next, the controller 114
A forced discharge process is performed by driving the automatic input drive unit 133 for a predetermined time, and the detergent remaining in the liquid agent tank side connection portion 150 and the tank housing portion side connection portion 132 is sucked and discharged into the washing and dehydrating tub 109. be done. At this time, since the washing/drying tub 109 contains water accumulated in the water supply process, the discharged detergent falls to the surface of the water and does not adhere to the washing/drying tub 109 or the pulsator 110 . The predetermined time for the discharge operation is set such that the predetermined time for cleaning detergent tank 140a is longer than the predetermined time for cleaning softener tank 140b. After a predetermined period of time has passed, the forced discharge process ends, the lid lock portion 116 locks the lid 103, and the drain process starts.

In the drain process, the drain valve is opened to drain the water in the washing/drying tub 109 containing the detergent discharged in the forced discharge process. When the draining process ends, the lid lock portion 116 is unlocked. The user can remove the detergent tank 140a from the tank housing part 131 and clean the inside of the detergent tank 140a.

After cleaning the inside of the detergent tank 140 a , the user puts a predetermined amount of washing liquid into the detergent tank 140 a and inserts it into the tank accommodating portion 131 . The washing liquid for maintenance is tap water, an aqueous solution of citric acid, or the like. When the user operates the operation display unit 105 while the detergent tank 140a is housed in the tank housing part 131, washing with the washing liquid is started.

When cleaning with the cleaning liquid starts, the control device 114 performs a cleaning liquid discharging process in which the automatic input drive unit 133 is driven for a predetermined time, and the cleaning cleaning liquid contained in the detergent tank is sucked and discharged into the washing and dehydrating tank 109 . be done.

When the washing liquid discharging process is finished, the lid lock portion 116 locks the lid 103 to shift to the draining process, and the drain valve is opened to discharge the washing liquid for care in the washing and spin-drying tub 109 . When the draining process ends, the lid lock part 116 is unlocked and the maintenance course ends. When the cleaning course is finished, the user can pull out the drawer receiving portion 162 to replenish the detergent tank 140a with detergent.

(air release function)
The liquid agent tank side connection portion 150 is formed by bending in an inverted L shape, and a check valve 152 in the cylindrical portion 151 blocks communication between the inside and the outside. Therefore, before the liquid agent is supplied to the tank main body 141 or when the liquid level falls below the lower end of the suction pipe portion 154, the inside of the suction pipe portion 154 is filled with air. If the liquid is supplied to the tank main body 141 while the inside of the suction pipe portion 154 is filled with air, the specific gravity of the air is lighter than that of the liquid. cannot be replaced. Therefore, the liquid medicine is injected up to the upper limit display 172a of the tank main body 141 while the inside of the suction pipe portion 154 is filled with air, and the air is sucked and discharged during the next automatic injection operation. Become. Then, in the next automatic injection operation, an amount of the liquid agent that is smaller than the specified injection amount will be injected, and the intended effect of the liquid agent cannot be obtained. Therefore, when it is estimated that the inside of the suction pipe portion 154 is filled with air, an air venting function is performed to suck the volume of the air in addition to the predetermined input amount.

When the suction pipe portion 154 is filled with air, when the automatic input operation is performed for the first time after shipment from the factory, when the automatic input operation is performed for the first time after using the care course, or after the washing machine 100 is transferred. For example, when the automatic input operation is performed for the first time. In the present embodiment, it is estimated whether or not the air is filled inside the intake pipe portion 154 based on the history of past operating conditions stored in an operating condition storage unit (not shown).

When the automatic closing operation is performed for the first time after shipment from the factory, since the washing machine 100 has never performed the automatic closing operation in the past, the past operation history is not stored in the operation status storage unit. Control device 114 estimates that air is filled in intake pipe portion 154 when past operating conditions are not stored in the operating condition storage unit.

After using the maintenance course, the history of using the maintenance course is stored in the driving situation storage unit. The control device 114 determines whether or not the maintenance course was performed during the previous operation of the automatic liquid injection device 130 based on the history of past operating conditions. The control device 114 estimates that the suction tube portion 154 is filled with air when the maintenance course was performed when the automatic liquid injection device 130 was operated last time.

When the washing machine 100 is transferred from the previous user, it is assumed that the washing machine 100 was transferred with the tank main body 141 of the washing machine 100 cleaned and with the operating state storage unit initialized. When the driving situation storage unit is initialized, the past driving history is not stored in the driving situation storage unit. Therefore, it is presumed that the suction pipe portion 154 is filled with air, as in the case where the automatic input operation is performed for the first time after shipment from the factory.

(Processing related to the air release function)
15 is a flow chart showing processing relating to the air vent function of the washing machine according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

The user operates the operation display unit 105 to turn on the power. The user puts the laundry into the washing/dehydrating tub 109 through the laundry inlet 104 and closes the inner lid 108 and the lid 103 . The user operates the operation display unit 105 to select various courses and start the washing operation. Along with the start of the washing operation, processing relating to the air vent function is started. Hereinafter, the processing related to the air venting function will be described by taking the detergent tank 140a as an example, but the processing related to the air venting function in the softener tank 140b is the same.

When the washing operation is started, a laundry amount detection operation is performed to detect the amount of laundry put in, and the control device 114 calculates the amount of water according to the detected amount of laundry (S01). Next, the control device 114 calculates a reference liquid material suction time T1 according to the calculated amount of cloth (S02). Next, the control device 114 refers to the driving condition storage unit and determines whether or not there is a history of past driving conditions (S03). If there is no history of performing an automatic injection operation in the past (S03, Yes), the control device 114 adds the dry suction time T2 to the reference liquid material suction time T1 to determine the liquid material suction time T (S06).

Note that the dry suction time T2 in the present embodiment is a predetermined time set in advance in consideration of the capacity of the suction pipe portion 154 . After determining the liquid agent suction time T, the control device 114 ends the processing relating to the air vent function and starts the liquid agent suction operation. The liquid agent suction operation is as described above.

In S03, if there is a history of performing the automatic injection operation in the past (S03, No), whether or not the maintenance course was performed during the previous operation of the automatic liquid agent injection device 130 is stored in the operation status storage unit. Judgment is made based on the history of past driving conditions. If it is the first operation after the maintenance course (S04, Yes), the controller 114 adds the dry suction time T2 to the reference liquid suction time T1 to determine the liquid suction time T (S06). After determining the liquid material suction time T, the processing relating to the air venting function is terminated, and the liquid material suction operation is started.

In S04, if the cleaning course was not performed when the automatic liquid injection device 130 was operated last time, it is determined that it is not the first operation after the cleaning course (S04, No), and the liquid material suction time T is set to the reference liquid material. The suction time T1 is determined (S05). After the liquid material suction time T is determined, the processing relating to the air vent function is terminated, and the liquid material suction is started.

(action, etc.)
As described above, in the present embodiment, washing machine 100 includes outer frame 101, upper frame body 102 provided on top of outer frame 101, water tank 106 provided inside outer frame 101, A washing and dewatering tub 109 formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom and rotatably disposed inside the tub 106, and a liquid agent tank 140 accommodated in a tank accommodating portion 131 formed in the upper frame 102 and storing liquid. , a liquid agent automatic injection device 130 for sucking the liquid stored in the liquid agent tank 140 and supplying it to the washing and dewatering tub 109; The liquid agent tank 140 has a liquid agent tank side connection portion 150 that connects the liquid agent automatic injection device 130 and the inside of the liquid agent tank 140, and the controller 114 presumes that the inside of the liquid agent tank side connection portion 150 is empty. In this case, the liquid agent automatic injection device 130 is driven for a period of time during which the liquid agent tank-side connection portion 150 is sucked with an amount of liquid agent that substantially fills the liquid agent.

As a result, when the inside of the liquid agent tank side connection portion 150 is estimated to be empty, the inside of the liquid agent tank side connection portion 150 is almost filled with the liquid agent, and then the specified amount of liquid agent is started to be sucked. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the liquid agent from being introduced in an amount smaller than the prescribed amount.

As in the present embodiment, the liquid agent tank side connection portion 150 is fixed to the side surface of the liquid agent tank 140 at a position higher than the bottom portion of the liquid agent tank 140 , and the liquid agent tank side connection portion 150 is fixed to the inner bottom surface of the liquid agent tank 140 . You may form so that it may extend|stretch toward.

As in the present embodiment, the control device 114 is provided with an operating condition storage unit that stores past operating conditions. You may make it presume that it is.

As a result, it is possible to estimate the situation in which the inside of the liquid agent tank side connection portion 150 is empty from the past operating conditions. Therefore, even if a new component such as a sensor is not provided in washing machine 100, it is possible to easily estimate that the inside of liquid agent tank side connection portion 150 is empty.

As in the present embodiment, control device 114 may estimate that the interior of liquid agent tank side connection portion 150 is empty when the washing operation is performed by automatic liquid agent injection device 130 for the first time.

As in the present embodiment, the control device 114 is provided with an operating condition storage unit that stores past operating conditions, and the control device 114 drives the liquid agent automatic injection device 130 in a state in which the liquid agent tank 140 contains cleaning liquid for maintenance. The control device 114 is configured to be able to perform a cleaning course in which the cleaning liquid for cleaning is sucked and discharged, and the control device 114 starts the washing operation by the liquid agent automatic injection device 130 after the cleaning course is performed based on the operating conditions stored in the operating condition storage unit. is performed for the first time, it may be estimated that the inside of the liquid agent tank side connection portion 150 is empty.

(Other embodiments)
As described above, Embodiment 1 has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this.

Therefore, other embodiments will be exemplified below.

In Embodiment 1, washing machine 100, which is a vertical washing machine, has been described as an example of the washing machine. The washing machine may be a drum type washing machine or a two-tank type washing machine, as long as it performs washing using a liquid agent.

In Embodiment 1, as an example of the washing machine, the washing machine 100 equipped with a drying function and including the drying device, the water tank cover 107, the water injection hose 122 and the like has been described. As long as the washing machine performs washing using a liquid agent, it may be a washing machine that does not have a drying function.

In the first embodiment, the detergent manual injection unit 120 has been described as an example of a place where the liquid agent discharged from the automatic injection driving unit is sent. Further, it has been explained that the liquid agent fed into the detergent manual input unit 120 is poured into the washing/dehydration tub 109 together with water through the water injection hose 122 . The liquid agent ejected from the automatic injection drive unit should finally reach the tank unit, so the location to which the liquid agent is sent is not limited to the above. For example, the detergent may be sent between the washing/dehydrating tub 109 and the tub 106 without going through the manual detergent input unit 120 . Further, the liquid agent fed into the detergent manual input unit 120 may be poured together with water between the washing/dehydrating tub 109 and the tub 106 .

In Embodiment 1, as an example of the liquid agent tank side connection portion, the liquid agent tank side connection portion 150 that is fixed to the side surface of the liquid agent tank 140, communicates the inside and outside of the liquid agent tank 140, and extends to the inner bottom surface of the liquid agent tank 140 will be described. did. The liquid agent tank side connection part 150 does not need to be fixed to the side surface of the liquid agent tank 140 as long as it is connected to the automatic liquid agent injection device 130 . For example, it may be fixed to the upper surface of the liquid agent tank 140 and extended to the inner bottom surface of the liquid agent tank 140 .

In the first embodiment, as an example of a method for estimating that the inside of the liquid agent tank side connection portion is empty, an operating condition storage unit that stores past operating conditions is provided, and the operating condition stored in the operating condition storage unit is used. We explained how to estimate based on The method of estimating that the inside of the liquid tank side connection is empty should be able to estimate that the inside of the liquid tank side connection is empty, so the method of estimating based on the operating conditions stored in the operating condition storage unit. not limited to For example, if a detection unit that detects the liquid level is provided in the liquid tank, and the detected liquid level falls below the lower end of the liquid tank side connection, the inside of the liquid tank side connection will be empty in the next automatic feeding operation. It can be assumed that there are Further, when the attachment/detachment of the liquid agent tank is detected and the liquid agent tank is removed, it may be estimated that the inside of the liquid agent tank side connection portion is empty in the next automatic input operation.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present disclosure is applicable to a washing machine equipped with an automatic fluid injection device. Specifically, the present disclosure is applicable to vertical washing machines, drum washing machines, twin-tub washing machines, and the like.

100 washing machine 101 outer frame (casing)
102 upper frame (casing)
103 lid 104 laundry slot 105 operation display unit 106 water tub 107 water tub cover 108 inner lid 109 washing and dewatering tub 110 pulsator 112 motor 114 control device 115 balancer 116 lid lock unit 117 dry filter unit 118 dry air hose 119 rear space 120 Detergent manual input part 121 Detergent container 122 Water injection hose 130 Liquid material automatic input device 131 Tank housing part 132 Tank housing part side connecting part 134 Connecting part protection rib 137 Claw 138 Receiving part bottom notch 140 Liquid material tank 140a Detergent tank 140b Softener tank 141 Tank main body 142 Decorative plate 143 Opening 144 Transparent window 145 Scale display 145a Lower limit display 146 Groove 147 Tank main body grip part 150 Liquid material tank side connecting part 151 Cylindrical part 152 Check valve 154 Suction pipe part 155 Filter 155a Hole 155b Rib 160 Liquid material guide part 161 drawer portion 162 drawer receiving portion 166 first inclined surface 169 finger hook portion 170 second inclined surface 171 liquid material inlet

Claims (4)

a housing, a water tank arranged inside the housing, a washing and dehydrating water tank formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom and rotatably arranged inside the water tank, and a tank housing formed in the housing a liquid agent tank that is housed in a part and stores a liquid; and a liquid agent input device that is positioned outside the liquid agent tank and sucks the liquid stored in the liquid agent tank and supplies it to the water tank or the washing and dehydrating water tank; a controller;
The liquid agent tank has a liquid agent tank side connection portion that connects the liquid agent input device and the inside of the liquid agent tank,
The liquid material introduction device has a liquid material introduction device side connection portion connected to the liquid material tank side connection portion, and the liquid material tank is positioned so that the inner bottom surface of the liquid material tank is lower than the liquid material introduction device side connection portion. wherein the liquid material tank side connection part is formed to extend from the height of the liquid material introduction device side connection part toward the inner bottom surface of the liquid material tank,
When it is estimated that the inside of the liquid agent tank-side connection portion is empty during the automatic liquid injection operation, the control device sets the liquid agent tank-side connection portion to a specified amount of time to be sucked, and the liquid agent tank-side connection portion to A washing machine, wherein the liquid injection device is driven during a time for sucking an amount of the liquid which is almost filled with the liquid. The liquid agent tank side connecting portion includes a cylinder portion positioned higher than the bottom surface of the liquid agent tank, and a suction tube portion formed to extend toward the inner bottom surface of the liquid agent tank. The portion cuts off the communication between the inside and the outside when the liquid agent tank is not accommodated in the tank accommodating portion, and the liquid agent feeding device is arranged in the liquid agent tank when the liquid agent tank is accommodated in the tank accommodating portion. 2. The washing machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a check valve that allows the liquid agent to be sucked . Equipped with a storage unit that stores past driving conditions,
3. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the control device estimates that the inside of the liquid agent tank side connection portion is empty based on the operating conditions stored in the storage portion. The control device is
Based on the operating conditions stored in the storage unit, the washing operation is performed for the first time by the liquid injection device.
4. The washing machine according to claim 3 , wherein the interior of the liquid agent tank side connection portion is estimated to be empty when the liquid agent input device performs the washing operation for the first time after the maintenance course is performed.

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