JP7141054B2 - vertical washing machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to vertical washing machines.

The washing machine described in Patent Document 1 below includes a box-shaped housing, a bottomed cylindrical outer tub housed in the housing, and a bottomed cylindrical housing housed in the outer tub to accommodate laundry. A vertical washing machine including a spin-drying tub and a rotor disposed within the spin-drying tub along the bottom wall of the spin-drying tub. An upper surface of the housing is provided with an opening and an outer door for opening and closing the opening. The upper end of the outer tank is provided with a doorway facing the opening of the housing from below and an inner door for opening and closing the doorway. The upper end of the dehydration tank is provided with an entrance facing the entrance of the outer tank from below. The respective entrances and exits of the outer tank and the dewatering tank are collectively opened and closed by an inner door. In the washing operation of the washing machine, the laundry in the spin-drying tub is agitated by the rotating blades.

Japanese Patent No. 6350874

In the washing process of a vertical washing machine, the rotating blades try to push up the laundry. Therefore, in the washing machine described in Patent Document 1, an inner door is provided to close the entrance of the dehydration tub in order to prevent the laundry on the upper side from jumping out from the entrance of the spin-drying tub as the rotor blades rotate. In this case, it is difficult to increase the capacity of the laundry because the laundry cannot be stored at a position higher than the inner door in the dehydrating tub.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a vertical washing machine capable of increasing the capacity of laundry while preventing the laundry from jumping out.

The present invention comprises an outer tub for storing water, a driving means for generating a driving force, and a washing tub for storing laundry arranged in the outer tub, wherein the entrance and exit of the laundry is always open. a washing tub formed at the upper end and a bottom wall provided at the lower end thereof and rotated by receiving the driving force of the driving means; a water supply nozzle facing the inlet/outlet; water supply means for supplying water into the washing tub from at least the water supply nozzle; and control means for controlling the driving means and the water supply means, wherein the control means is a jetting process of jetting water from the water supply nozzle onto the laundry on the inlet/outlet side in the washing tub by the water supply means, a tub rotation process of rotating the washing tub by the drive means, the jetting process and the a water supply process including a final process of accumulating water in the washing tub by means of the water supply means after the tub rotation process; and a washing step of agitating the laundry in the washing tub by rotating the washing tub , further comprising detection means for detecting the load amount of the laundry in the washing tub before the water supply step, The control means is a vertical washing machine that omits the injection process and the tub rotation process in the water supply process when the detection means detects a load amount less than a predetermined value .

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the water injection ports of the water supply nozzle are provided on the side surface of the water supply nozzle on the rotation axis side of the washing tub and on the bottom surface of the water supply nozzle.

According to the present invention, in the vertical washing machine, the doorway formed at the upper end of the washing tub for storing laundry is always open. In other words, since the vertical washing machine does not have an inner door for opening and closing the entrance, the laundry can be accommodated in the washing tub up to the upper end of the entrance. Therefore, in the vertical washing machine, it is possible to increase the laundry capacity while maintaining the external dimensions.
In a vertical washing machine, in the water supply process prior to the washing process, water is sprayed from the water supply nozzle onto the laundry on the inlet/outlet side of the washing tub by the jetting process, and the washing tub is rotated by the tub rotation process. The laundry located on the doorway side in the washing tub is evenly wetted by the jetting process and the tub rotating process, and thus shifted downward from the doorway and functions as a lid like the inner door described above. Therefore, even if the rotating blade tries to push up the laundry in the washing tub in the washing process after the water supplying process, the laundry in the washing tub can be prevented from jumping out of the entrance.

In addition, according to the present invention, the water injection port is provided on the side surface of the washing tub on the rotation axis side and the bottom surface of the water supply nozzle, so that the laundry located on the entrance side of the washing tub can be ejected. is easily exposed to water from the nozzle. Therefore, in the jetting process, the laundry located on the entrance/exit side of the washing tub can be effectively wetted with water from the jet port of the water supply nozzle.

Further, according to the present invention, when the load of the laundry in the washing tub is less than a predetermined value, the injection process and the tub rotation process are omitted in the water supply process. In other words, when the load of the laundry is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, the injection process and the tub rotation process are executed in the water supply process, so that the laundry in the washing tub can be prevented from jumping out of the entrance. .

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional right side view of a vertical washing machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a water supply nozzle included in the vertical washing machine. FIG. 3 is a front view of the water supply nozzle. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a washing tub and a water supply nozzle included in the vertical washing machine. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the vertical washing machine. FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the washing operation performed in the vertical washing machine. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the water supply process in the washing operation. FIG. 8 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional right side view of the vertical washing machine during washing operation.

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional right side view of a vertical washing machine 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The vertical direction in FIG. 1 is called the vertical direction Z of the vertical washing machine 1, the horizontal direction in FIG. is referred to as the left-right direction X. In the vertical direction Z, the upper side is called an upper side Z1, and the lower side is called a lower side Z2. In the longitudinal direction Y, the left side in FIG. 1 is called the front side Y1, and the right side in FIG. 1 is called the rear side Y2. In the horizontal direction X, the far side of the paper surface of FIG. 1 is called the left side X1, and the near side of the paper surface of FIG. 1 is called the right side X2.

The vertical washing machine 1 includes a housing 2, an outer tub 3, a washing tub 4, a rotating blade 5, a motor 6 as an example of driving means, a transmission mechanism 7, a guide cover 8, and a drainage channel 9. , a drain valve 10, a water supply path 11, a water supply nozzle 12, and a water supply valve 13 as an example of water supply means.

The housing 2 is made of metal, for example, and formed in a box shape. A portion forming the upper surface 2A and the upper end portion of the rear surface 2B in the housing 2 is an upper plate, which may be detachable from the housing 2 . An opening 14 that allows communication between the inside and outside of the housing 2 is formed in a front region of the upper surface 2A. The housing 2 is provided with a cylindrical portion 15 that borders the opening 14 and extends downward Z2. The internal space of the cylindrical portion 15 is part of the opening portion 14 . A door 16 for opening and closing the opening 14 is provided on the upper surface 2A. A display operation unit 17 configured by a liquid crystal operation panel or the like is provided in a region around the opening 14 on the upper surface 2A. By operating the display operation unit 17, the user of the vertical washing machine 1 can freely select the operating conditions for the washing operation performed by the vertical washing machine 1, It is possible to instruct the start and stop of the washing operation. Information for the user is displayed on the display operation unit 17 .

The outer tank 3 is made of resin, for example, and formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom. The outer tub 3 is arranged inside the housing 2 and elastically supported by the housing 2 via hanging rods (not shown). The outer tank 3 includes a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall 3A arranged along the vertical direction Z, a bottom wall 3B closing the hollow portion of the peripheral wall 3A from the lower side Z2, and bordering the upper edge of the peripheral wall 3A. and a ring-shaped annular wall 3C projecting toward the circle center side of the peripheral wall 3A. Inside the annular wall 3C, an inlet/outlet 18 is formed that communicates with the hollow portion of the circumferential wall 3A from the upper side Z1. The doorway 18 faces the opening 14 of the housing 2 from the lower side Z2 and communicates with the opening 14 . The annular wall 3C is not provided with an inner door for opening and closing the doorway 18, and the doorway 18 is always open. The bottom wall 3B is formed in a disk shape extending substantially horizontally, and a through hole 3D is formed through the bottom wall 3B at the center position of the circle of the bottom wall 3B. Water is stored in the outer tank 3 .

The washing tub 4 is made of metal, for example, and is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom that is one size smaller than the outer tub 3 , and is coaxially arranged in the outer tub 3 . The washing tub 4 housed in the outer tub 3 is rotatable around a rotation axis J extending in the vertical direction Z through its center. The rotation axis J is also the center of the outer tub 3 , and the rotation direction of the washing tub 4 coincides with the circumferential direction P around the rotation axis J. Hereinafter, the radial direction centered on the rotation axis J will be referred to as the radial direction R, the rotation axis J side of the radial direction R will be referred to as the radial inner side R1, and the side away from the rotation axis J will be referred to as the radial outer side R2.

The washing tub 4 can accommodate the laundry Q inside. The washing tub 4 has a substantially cylindrical circumferential wall 4A arranged along the vertical direction Z, and a bottom wall 4B provided at the lower end of the washing tub 4 and blocking the hollow portion of the circumferential wall 4A from the lower side Z2. have.

The inner peripheral surface of the circumferential wall 4A of the washing tub 4 is the inner peripheral surface of the washing tub 4 . An annular balance ring 19 extending in the circumferential direction P is attached to the upper end portion of the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 4A. The balance ring 19 is, for example, a resin hollow body. A liquid for balancing the rotation of the washing tub 4 is contained in the balancing ring 19 so as to flow freely. An annular rib 20 that protrudes upward Z1 and extends in the circumferential direction P is provided on the upper end surface of the balance ring 19 . The upper end of the rib 20 is inserted through the inlet/outlet 18 of the outer tank 3, and the upper end of the rib 20 protrudes from the inlet/outlet 18 to the upper side Z1. A balancing ring 19 and ribs 20 constitute the upper end of the washing tub 4 . An area surrounded by the balance ring 19 and the ribs 20 is a doorway 21 formed at the upper end of the washing tub 4 . The entrance/exit 21 faces the opening 14 of the housing 2 from the lower side Z2 and communicates with it. The upper end of the doorway 21 is at the same height position as the doorway 18 . The user takes the laundry Q into and out of the washing tub 4 from the upper side Z1 through the opened opening 14 and the entrances 18 and 21. As shown in FIG.

The doorway 21 of the washing tub 4 is always open like the doorway 18 of the outer tub 3 . That is, since the vertical washing machine 1 does not have an inner door for opening and closing the entrance 21 , the laundry Q can be accommodated in the washing tub 4 up to the upper end of the entrance 21 , that is, the upper end of the rib 20 . As a result, 1 kg to 2 kg more laundry Q can be accommodated in the washing tub 4 than when the inner door is present. Therefore, in the vertical washing machine 1, the capacity of the laundry Q can be increased while maintaining the outer dimensions. That is, in the vertical washing machine 1, both compactness and large capacity can be achieved. In addition, the rib 20 functions as a mark indicating the upper limit position of the laundry Q that can be accommodated.

The bottom wall 4B of the washing tub 4 is formed in a disc shape extending substantially parallel to the bottom wall 3B of the outer tub 3 with a space therebetween on the upper side Z1. is formed with a through hole 4C penetrating through the bottom wall 4B. The bottom wall 4B is provided with a tubular support shaft 25 extending downward Z2 along the rotation axis J while surrounding the through hole 4C. The support shaft 25 is inserted through the through hole 3D of the bottom wall 3B of the outer tank 3, and the lower end of the support shaft 25 is located on the lower side Z2 of the bottom wall 3B. A plurality of through holes 4D different from the through holes 4C are formed in the circumferential wall 4A and the bottom wall 4B of the washing tub 4. As shown in FIG. Water in the outer tub 3 can come and go between the outer tub 3 and the washing tub 4 via the through hole 4D. Therefore, the water level in the outer tub 3 and the water level in the washing tub 4 match. In addition, the through hole 4D may be provided only in the bottom wall 4B without being provided in the circumferential wall 4A.

The rotor blade 5 is a so-called pulsator, is formed in a disc shape with the rotation axis J as the center of a circle, and is arranged on the bottom wall 4B inside the washing tub 4 . The upper surface of the rotary blade 5 facing the entrance 21 of the washing tub 4 is provided with a plurality of protuberances 5A which protrude upward Z1 and are radially arranged with the rotation axis J as the center of a circle. A plurality of rear blades 5B are provided on the lower surface of the rotor blade 5 and are radially arranged with the rotation axis J as the center of the circle. The rotary blade 5 is provided with a rotary shaft 26 extending from the center of the circle along the rotary axis J to the lower side Z2. The rotary shaft 26 is inserted through the hollow portion of the support shaft 25 , and the lower end of the rotary shaft 26 is located below the bottom wall 3</b>B of the outer tank 3 on the lower side Z<b>2 .

The motor 6 is an electric motor such as an inverter motor. The motor 6 is arranged on the lower side Z2 of the outer tub 3 inside the housing 2 . The motor 6 has an output shaft 27 that rotates about the rotation axis J, and generates and outputs driving force from the output shaft 27 .

A known clutch is used as the transmission mechanism 7 . The transmission mechanism 7 is interposed between the lower ends of the support shaft 25 and the rotating shaft 26 and the upper end of the output shaft 27 projecting upward Z1 from the motor 6 . The transmission mechanism 7 selectively transmits the driving force output from the output shaft 27 by the motor 6 to one or both of the support shaft 25 and the rotating shaft 26 . When the driving force from the motor 6 is transmitted to the support shaft 25 , the washing tub 4 rotates around the rotation axis J by receiving the driving force of the motor 6 . When the driving force from the motor 6 is transmitted to the rotary shaft 26 , the rotor blades 5 rotate around the rotation axis J by receiving the driving force of the motor 6 .

The guide cover 8 has a gutter-like shape extending upward Z1 from the lower end of the circumferential wall 4A of the washing tub 4, and is made of, for example, resin. be. The upper end of the guide cover 8 is positioned at a height just before the balance ring 19 . The guide cover 8 is fixed to the circumferential wall 4A so as to cover the portion of the circumferential wall 4A where the through hole 4C is not formed from the radial inner side R1. As a result, between the guide cover 8 and the peripheral wall 4A, a pumping channel 28 is formed that extends upward Z1 from the lower end of the peripheral wall 4A to the upper end of the guide cover 8 in the washing tub 4. As shown in FIG. A plurality of guide covers 8 may be provided, and in this case, a plurality of pumping channels 28 are also provided.

The lower end of the pumping channel 28 is connected from the radially outer side R2 to the space S at the lower end of the inner space of the washing tub 4 where the back blades 5B of the rotor blades 5 are arranged. A lower end of the pumping channel 28 is an inlet 28A communicating with the space S. A through hole 8A penetrating through the guide cover 8 in the radial direction R is formed in the upper end portion of the guide cover 8 . A portion exposed radially inward R1 from the through hole 8A at the upper end portion of the pumping channel 28 is an outlet 28B.

The drainage channel 9 is a hose connected to the bottom wall 3B of the outer tank 3 from the lower side Z2. The water in the outer tank 3 is discharged to the outside of the machine through the drainage channel 9 . The drain valve 10 is provided in the middle of the drain channel 22 . The drain valve 10 is opened and closed to start and stop draining. An open drain valve 10 is in the ON state and a closed drain valve 10 is in the OFF state. Vertical washing machine 1 includes one torque motor 30 that opens and closes drain valve 10 . The operation of the torque motor 30 and the rotation of the washing tub 4 are interlocked.

The water supply channel 11 is a hose, one end of which is connected to a faucet of tap water. The other end of the water supply path 11 is arranged inside the housing 2 and connected to the water supply nozzle 12 .

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the water supply nozzle 12. FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view of the water supply nozzle 12 viewed from the radially inner side R1, specifically from the front side Y1. The water supply nozzle 12 is formed in a box shape elongated in the horizontal direction X and has a plurality of injection ports 29 . The water supply nozzle 12 is configured by combining a lower portion forming a substantially lower half and an upper portion forming a substantially upper half. The plurality of injection ports 29 are provided in a plurality of lower injection ports 29A provided so as to be distributed over the entire area of the lower surface portion 12A of the water supply nozzle 12, and in substantially the lower half of the front surface portion 12B on the radially inner side R1 of the water supply nozzle 12. and a plurality of lateral injection ports 29B provided. For example, three rows of 19 lower injection ports 29A arranged in the left-right direction X are arranged in the front-rear direction Y. As shown in FIG. For example, one row configured by 19 lateral injection ports 29B arranged in the left-right direction X is provided. The diameter of each injection port 29 is, for example, 5 mm or less.

At the right end of the rear surface of the water supply nozzle 12, a substantially triangular projecting portion 12C projecting to the rear side Y2 in bottom view is provided. A lower surface portion of the projecting portion 12C is flush with the lower surface portion 12A of the water supply nozzle 12, and an upper surface portion of the projecting portion 12C is flush with the upper surface portion 12D of the water supply nozzle 12. A cylindrical connecting portion 12E that protrudes upward Z1 is provided on the upper surface portion of the projecting portion 12C. The other end of the water supply path 11 is connected to the connecting portion 12E.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the washing tub 4 and the water supply nozzle 12. As shown in FIG. The water supply nozzle 12 is fixed to, for example, the above-described top plate within the housing 2 . The water supply nozzle 12 is positioned in the vicinity of the doorway 21 of the washing tub 4 in the vertical direction Z, and is arranged to overlap the rear half area of the doorway 21 in plan view. That is, the water supply nozzle 12 is arranged facing the entrance 21 from the upper side Z1. The water supply valve 13 (see FIG. 1) is composed of, for example, an electromagnetic valve. The water supply valve 13 is provided in the middle of the water supply path 11 and is opened and closed to start and stop water supply. The open water supply valve 13 is in the ON state, and the closed water supply valve 13 is in the OFF state. When the water supply valve 13 opens, tap water from the faucet flows through the water supply passage 11 into the water supply nozzle 12 and is injected from each injection port 29 of the water supply nozzle 12 to be supplied into the washing tub 4 . That is, water is supplied from the water supply nozzle 12 into the washing tub 4 .

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the vertical washing machine 1. As shown in FIG. The vertical washing machine 1 includes a control section 35 as an example of control means and detection means. The control unit 35 is configured as a microcomputer including, for example, a CPU 36, a memory 37 such as ROM and RAM, and a timer 38 for timekeeping, and is built in the housing 2 (see FIG. 1).

The vertical washing machine 1 further includes a rotation speed reading device 39 as an example of detection means and a water level sensor 40 . Rotation speed reading device 39 and water level sensor 40 , as well as motor 6 , transmission mechanism 7 , drain valve 10 , water supply valve 13 and display operation unit 17 are electrically connected to control unit 35 .

The rotation speed reading device 39 is a device for reading the rotation speed of the motor 6, strictly speaking, the rotation speed of the output shaft 27 of the motor 6, and is composed of, for example, a Hall IC. The rotation speed read by the rotation speed reading device 39 is input to the control unit 35 in real time. The control unit 35 controls the motor 6 to rotate at a desired rotation speed by controlling the duty ratio of the voltage applied to the motor 6 based on the input rotation speed. In this embodiment, the number of revolutions of the washing tub 4 is the same as the number of revolutions of the motor 6, and the number of revolutions of the rotor blades 5 is determined by a predetermined constant such as the speed reduction ratio of the transmission mechanism 7. It is a value obtained by multiplying a number. In any case, by reading the number of rotations of the motor 6, the number of rotations reading device 39 also reads the number of rotations of the washing tub 4 and the rotor blades 5, respectively.

The water level sensor 40 is a sensor that detects the water levels of the outer tub 3 and the washing tub 4, and the detection result of the water level sensor 40 is input to the control section 35 in real time. As an example of the water level sensor 40, a pressure type water level sensor that detects the water level in the washing tub 4 based on the pressure in the outer tub 3 can be employed.

The control unit 35 controls the transmission mechanism 7 to switch the transmission destination of the driving force of the motor 6 to one or both of the washing tub 4 and the rotary blades 5 . The control unit 35 controls opening and closing of the drain valve 10 and the water supply valve 13 . When the user operates the display/operation unit 17 to select an operating condition or the like, the control unit 35 accepts the selection. The control unit 35 controls display contents of the display operation unit 17 .

The control unit 35 performs the washing operation by controlling the operations of the motor 6, the transmission mechanism 7, the drain valve 10 and the water supply valve 13. The washing operation includes a water supply step of supplying water to the washing tub 4, a washing step of washing the laundry Q in the washing tub 4, a rinsing step of rinsing the laundry Q after the washing step, and rotating the washing tub 4 after the rinsing step. and a dehydration step for dehydrating the laundry Q. Note that the vertical washing machine 1 may be a washing and drying machine that also executes a drying process for drying the laundry Q after the dehydration process. In this embodiment, the rinsing process is performed twice, the first rinsing process is referred to as the first rinsing process, and the second rinsing process is referred to as the second rinsing process.

When the user puts the laundry Q into the washing tub 4 and instructs the start of the washing operation, the controller 35 starts the washing operation. Incidentally, the user may put the detergent into the washing tub 4 before or after putting the laundry Q into the washing tub 4 . Referring to the flowchart of FIG. 6, first, control unit 35 detects the amount of laundry Q in washing tub 4, that is, the amount of load (step S1). As an example of load amount detection, the control unit 35 detects the load amount from variations in the rotation speed of the motor 6 read by the rotation speed reading device 39 when the washing tub 4 is steadily rotated at a low speed. The control unit 35 determines the water level of the water to be supplied from now on and stored in the washing tub 4 based on the load amount detected earlier. This water level is called the washing water level. The relationship between the washing water level and the load amount is obtained in advance by experiments or the like and stored in the memory 37 .

After detecting the load amount, the control unit 35 executes the water supply process (step S2). Specifically, referring to the flowchart of FIG. 7, first, the control unit 35 confirms whether or not the load amount detected earlier is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step S21). When the load amount is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the amount of laundry Q in the washing tub 4 is large, and among the laundry Q, the laundry Q1 on the upper side Z1 is the upper end of the entrance 21 of the washing tub 4, that is, , located near the upper ends of the aforementioned ribs 20 (see FIG. 1).

If the load amount is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (YES in step S21), the controller 35 repeats the injection process (step S22) and the tank rotation process (step S23) a predetermined number of times (for example, four times). As an example of the jetting process, the control unit 35 opens the water supply valve 13 for 20 seconds while the washing tub 4 and the rotor blade 5 are stationary. As a result, the tap water from the faucet is sprayed from each injection port 29 of the water supply nozzle 12 onto the laundry Q1 on the inlet/outlet 21 side in the washing tub 4 . As a result, of the laundry Q in the washing tub 4, only the laundry Q1 on the upper side Z1 is wet. Specifically, in the laundry Q1, the area directly below the lower injection port 29A of the water supply nozzle 12 is the water that is injected from the lower injection port 29A to the lower side Z2 (the thick dashed-dotted arrow in FIG. 8). ). In addition, in the laundry Q1, the front region located around the horizontal injection port 29B of the water supply nozzle 12 is the water that is injected forward and downward from the horizontal injection port 29B (see the thick two-dot chain line arrow in FIG. 8). bathe in The front area is located on the front side of the directly below area. The water from the lower jet port 29A may splash onto the front region, or the water from the lateral jet port 29B may splash onto the directly below region.

The water injection pressure from each injection port 29 is set to such an extent that the water injected from the injection port 29 onto the laundry Q1 does not rebound from the entrance 21 to the outside of the washing tub 4 . Therefore, relatively weak shower-like water is jetted from each jet port 29 . As an example of the tub rotation process, the control unit 35 switches the transmission mechanism 7 as necessary so that the driving force of the motor 6 is transmitted to the washing tub 4, and then drives the motor 6 to rotate the washing tub 4. For example, rotate 1/4. Due to the tub rotation process, the area of the laundry Q1 that is exposed to the water from the injection port 29 shifts in the circumferential direction P, so that the area of the laundry Q1 that was not wetted by the previous injection process moves to the position where the water from the water supply nozzle 12 is exposed. placed. Therefore, by repeating the jetting process and the tub rotation process, the wet area of the laundry Q1 changes, so that the entire laundry Q1 is evenly wetted.

During the tub rotation process, the torque motor 30 operates in conjunction with the rotation of the washing tub 4 to open the drain valve 10. - 特許庁The amount of water jetted from the water supply nozzle 12 in the jetting process is set to a small amount enough to wet only the laundry Q1. As an example, about 1/4 of the water supply amount corresponding to the washing water level described above is allocated as the water supply amount in the injection process, and in this case, the amount of water injected from the water supply nozzle 12 in one injection process is For example, it is about 4L. Therefore, all the water jetted from the water supply nozzle 12 in the jetting process is absorbed by the laundry Q1. Therefore, even if the drain valve 10 is opened during the tub rotation process, the water sprayed from the water supply nozzle 12 is not discharged from the drain path 9, so the detergent that has been put into the washing tub 4 in advance rides on the sprayed water. It is possible to prevent the water from flowing out of the drainage channel 9.

After repeating the injection process and the tank rotation process four times each (YES in step S24), the control unit 35 executes the final process (step S25). On the other hand, when the load amount of the laundry Q is less than the predetermined value (NO in step S21), the control unit 35 omits the injection process and the tub rotation process and executes only the final process. As a final process, the controller 35 continuously opens the water supply valve 13 while the drain valve 10 is closed. As a result, full-scale water supply into the washing tub 4 is executed, and the water level in the washing tub 4 rises. For example, a branch passage (not shown) branched from the water supply passage 11 and connected to the outer tub 3 may be provided, and in the final treatment, water may be supplied from this branch passage to the washing tub 4 instead of from the water supply nozzle 12. good. When the water level in the washing tub 4 rises to the previously determined washing water level, the control unit 35 closes the water supply valve 13 and ends the final processing. When water is accumulated in the washing tub 4 by the final treatment, the water supplying process is completed.

Next, in a state where the washing tub 4 is filled with water, referring to FIG. 6, the control unit 35 executes the washing process (step S3). Specifically, the control unit 35 switches the transmission mechanism 7 as necessary so that the driving force of the motor 6 is transmitted to the rotor blades 5, and then drives the motor 6 in a state where the washing tub 4 is desired to be stationary. The rotary blade 5 is rotated by rotating. As a result, the laundry Q in the washing tub 4 is agitated and washed by the rotating rotor blades 5 . Further, dirt on the laundry Q is decomposed by the detergent dissolved in water.

During the washing process, the water in the space S on the bottom wall 4B side in the washing tub 4 is pushed radially outward R2 by the back blade 5B of the rotating rotor blade 5 and sent to the inlet 28A of the water pumping channel 28, where it is pumped. It is pumped up in the path 28 and poured from above onto the laundry Q1 in the washing tub 4 from the outlet 28B (see the thick dashed arrow in FIG. 8). This removes or decomposes the dirt present in the portion of the laundry Q1 protruding above the water surface in the washing tub 4 . The water that has been poured onto the laundry Q1 flows down into the space S and circulates again through the pumping channel 28 so as to be poured onto the laundry Q1.

Then, after a predetermined washing time has elapsed, the control unit 35 opens the drain valve 10 to drain the washing tub 4 . When the washing tub 4 is completely drained, the washing process ends.

As shown in FIG. 8, the laundry Q1 positioned on the side of the entrance 21 in the washing tub 4 is evenly wetted by the jetting process and the tub rotation process in the water supply process, so that the laundry Q1 is wetted more than the entrance 21, more specifically, the lower end of the balance ring 19. It shifts to the lower side Z2 and functions as a lid like the inner door described above. Therefore, even if the rotating blade 5 tries to push up the laundry Q in the washing tub 4 in the washing process after the water supply process, the laundry Q1 functioning as a lid prevents the laundry Q in the washing tub 4 from entering the entrance 21. You can prevent it from popping out.

In particular, since the water injection port 29 is provided on the front side surface portion 12B and the lower surface portion 12A of the water supply nozzle 12, the laundry Q1 positioned on the side of the entrance 21 in the washing tub 4 receives water from the injection port 29. Easy to get. Therefore, in the injection process, the laundry Q1 positioned on the doorway 21 side of the washing tub 4 can be effectively wetted with water from the injection port 29 of the water supply nozzle 12 .

On the other hand, when the load amount of the laundry Q in the washing tub 4 is less than the predetermined value (NO in step S21), the injection process and the tub rotation process are omitted in the water supply process. In other words, only when the load amount of the laundry Q is large enough to be equal to or greater than a predetermined value, that is, when there is a high possibility that the laundry Q will jump out of the entrance 21 (YES in step S21), the jetting process and A tank rotation process is executed. Therefore, even when a large amount of laundry Q is stored in the washing tub 4 of the compact vertical washing machine 1, the laundry Q in the washing tub 4 can be prevented from jumping out of the entrance 21 during the washing process. . Note that the injection process and the tub rotation process may be performed even when the load amount of the laundry Q is less than the predetermined value.

Referring to FIG. 6, control unit 35 rotates washing tub 4 at high speed as a dehydration process after the washing process, that is, an intermediate dehydration process (step S4). During the dehydration process, the torque motor 30 operates in conjunction with the rotation of the washing tub 4 to open the drain valve 10. - 特許庁The laundry in the washing tub 4 is dehydrated by the centrifugal force generated by the high-speed rotation of the washing tub 4 . Water oozing from the laundry due to dehydration is discharged outside the machine through a drainage channel 9. - 特許庁At the final stage of the intermediate dehydration process, the control unit 35 switches the transmission mechanism 7 so that the driving force of the motor 6 is not transmitted to the washing tub 4 and stops the motor 6, so that the washing tub 4 rotates by inertia. At the end of the intermediate dehydration process, the controller 35 closes the drain valve 10 .

Next, the controller 35 performs, for example, shower rinsing as the first rinsing step (step S5). Specifically, the controller 35 intermittently opens the water supply valve 13 while the water discharge valve 10 is closed, thereby showering water from the water supply nozzle 12 into the washing tub 4 . In this state, the control unit 35 rotates the washing tub 4 at a low speed of, for example, 30 rpm so that the laundry Q is showered all over. As a result, the laundry Q in the washing tub 4 is evenly rinsed. After that, the control unit 35 executes the same intermediate dehydration process as in step S4 (step S6). Note that each intermediate dehydration step may be regarded as a part of the rinsing step immediately after.

Next, the control part 35 performs a 2nd rinsing process (step S7). As an example of the second rinsing process, the control unit 35 may perform shower rinsing as in the first rinsing process, or by supplying water to the washing water level in the washing tub 4 and then rotating the rotor blade 5. The laundry Q in the washing tub 4 may be stirred and rinsed.

Finally, the controller 35 executes a final dehydration process similar to the intermediate dehydration process (step S8). However, the rotation conditions of the washing tub 4 may be different between the intermediate dehydration process and the final dehydration process. higher than The washing operation ends when the final dehydration step ends.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

The rotation axis J of the washing tub 4 in the vertical washing machine 1 is arranged so as to extend vertically along the vertical direction Z in the above-described embodiment (see FIG. 1). A configuration in which the axis J is slightly inclined with respect to the vertical direction Z is also included.

1 Upright washing machine 3 Outer tub 4 Washing tub 4B Bottom wall 5 Rotor 6 Motor 12 Water supply nozzle 12A Lower surface 12B Front surface 13 Water supply valve 21 Doorway 29 Injection port 35 Control unit 39 Revolution reading device J Washing tub 4 Axis of rotation Q Laundry Q1 Laundry on doorway 21 side

Claims (2)

an outer tank in which water is stored;
a driving means for generating a driving force;
A washing tub disposed in the outer tub for storing laundry, the entrance and exit of which is always open for laundry is formed at the upper end and a bottom wall is provided at the lower end, and the driving force of the driving means is provided. a washing tub that receives and rotates;
a rotary blade disposed on the bottom wall in the washing tub and rotated by receiving the driving force of the driving means;
a water supply nozzle facing the entrance;
water supply means for supplying water from at least the water supply nozzle into the washing tub;
and a control means for controlling the drive means and the water supply means,
The control means is
A jetting process of jetting water from the water supply nozzle onto the laundry on the inlet/outlet side in the washing tub by the water supply means, a tub rotation process of rotating the washing tub by the driving means, the jetting process and the tub rotation. a water supply step including a final treatment of accumulating water in the washing tub by the water supply means after treatment;
After the water supplying step, a washing step of agitating the laundry in the washing tub by rotating the rotor with the driving means while the washing tub is filled with water.is and
Further comprising detecting means for detecting the load of the laundry in the washing tub before the water supply step,
When the detection means detects a load amount less than a predetermined value, the control means omits the injection process and the tank rotation process in the water supply process. , vertical washing machine. 2. The vertical washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the water injection port of the water supply nozzle is provided on a side surface portion of the water supply nozzle on the rotation axis side of the washing tub and a lower surface portion of the water supply nozzle.

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