JP7169790B2 - washing machine - Google Patents

Description

This embodiment relates to a washing machine.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a washing machine equipped with an automatic loading device for automatically providing a laundry treatment agent, such as detergent, to the laundry (Patent Document 1). In the case of Patent Literature 1, the controller of the washing machine adds a laundry treatment agent when it determines that the supplied laundry treatment agent is insufficient after a predetermined amount of the laundry treatment agent is added in advance. In this case, the washing machine detects the light transmittance of the laundry liquid, which is a mixture of the laundry treatment agent and water, using an optical sensor or the like that detects the intensity of light. Then, the washing machine judges the degree of soiling of the laundry based on the detected light transmittance of the washing liquid, and judges whether or not it is necessary to add the laundry treatment agent.

However, even if the laundry treatment agent is added to the washing liquid, the added laundry treatment agent does not always dissolve in the water. A laundry treatment agent does not exhibit a sufficient effect unless it is dissolved in a washing liquid. Therefore, the addition of the laundry treatment agent based on the light transmittance does not take into consideration the solubility in water, which leads to the problem of waste of the laundry treatment agent.

JP-A-8-141273

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine that reduces waste of the laundry treatment agent by adjusting the amount of the laundry treatment agent added according to the dirtiness of the laundry.

In order to solve the above problems, the washing machine of this embodiment includes a water tank, an input section, a saturation determination section, and a control section. The water tank accommodates a rotary tank that rotates. The loading unit automatically loads the laundry processing agent for treating the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub. The saturation determining unit determines the degree of saturation of the surfactant contained in the washing liquid generated from the water and the laundry treating agent. The control unit controls the input unit based on the degree of saturation of the surfactant contained in the washing liquid determined by the saturation determining unit. Further, when the saturation determination unit determines that the surfactant in the washing liquid in the water tank is saturated, the control unit does not add the laundry treatment agent to the water tank, and the saturation determination is performed. adding the laundry treatment agent to the water tank when it is determined in part that the surfactant in the washing liquid in the water tank is not saturated.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a washing machine according to a first embodiment; FIG. Schematic cross-sectional view showing the washing machine according to the first embodiment Schematic diagram showing an example of saturation data used in the washing machine according to the first embodiment Schematic diagram showing the flow of processing in the washing machine according to the first embodiment Schematic diagram showing the flow of the detergent input process in the washing machine according to the first embodiment Schematic diagram showing an example of the relationship between the weight of the laundry and the amount of detergent used in the washing machine according to the first embodiment. Schematic diagram showing the flow of the detergent addition process in the washing machine according to the first embodiment Schematic diagram showing an example of the relationship between the output value of conductivity and the degree of saturation in the washing machine according to the second embodiment Schematic diagram showing the flow of the detergent addition process in the washing machine according to the second embodiment Schematic diagram showing the flow of the detergent addition process in the washing machine according to the third embodiment Schematic diagram showing the flow of the detergent addition process in the washing machine according to the fourth embodiment Schematic diagram showing the flow of processing in the washing machine according to the fifth embodiment Schematic diagram showing the flow of processing in the washing machine according to the sixth embodiment Schematic diagram showing the flow of processing in the washing machine according to the seventh embodiment Schematic diagram showing the flow of the detergent input process in the washing machine according to the eighth embodiment Schematic diagram showing the flow of processing in the washing machine according to the ninth embodiment Schematic diagram showing the flow of diagnostic result notification process in the washing machine according to the ninth embodiment

A plurality of embodiments of the washing machine will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the substantially common site|part in several embodiment, and description is abbreviate|omitted.
(First embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 2, the washing machine 10 includes an outer casing 11, a door 12, a water tub 13, a rotating tub 14, a motor 15, a water supply valve portion 16, a water discharge valve portion 17, and a drying mechanism portion 18. The washing machine 10 of this embodiment is a so-called drum-type washing machine in which both the central axis of the tub 13 and the axis of rotation of the rotating tub 14 are inclined with respect to the ground. Specifically, the water tub 13 and the rotating tub 14 are inclined so that the front side of the open door 12 is positioned upward. Note that the washing machine 10 is not limited to a drum-type washing machine, and may be a vertical washing machine in which the axes of the tub 13 and the rotating tub 14 are perpendicular to the ground.

The outer case 11 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape, for example, from a steel plate or the like. The water tank 13 is housed inside the outer box 11 and supported by suspensions 19 . The rotating tank 14 is rotatably accommodated inside the water tank 13 . Both the water tub 13 and the rotary tub 14 are formed in a cylindrical shape having a bottom with one axially open front end and a rear end closed. The rotating tub 14 is rotationally driven by a motor 15 inside the water tub 13 .

The water supply valve unit 16 is connected to a water pipe (not shown) and interrupts the introduction of water from the water pipe to the water tank 13 . When the water supply valve portion 16 is opened, water is introduced into the water tank 13 . The water supply valve portion 16 is provided above the outer casing 11 . The drain valve part 17 intermittently discharges water from the water tank 13 . When the drain valve portion 17 is opened, the water in the water tank 13 is discharged to the outside. Washing machine 10 may also include a water circulation unit (not shown). The water circulation unit circulates part or all of the water discharged from the water tank 13 to the water tank 13 . The drying mechanism unit 18 has, for example, a heater and a heat pump, and dehumidifies and dries the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 14 .

In addition to the above, the washing machine 10 includes a control section 20 as shown in FIG. The control unit 20 has a microcomputer 21 composed of a CPU, ROM and RAM. The control unit 20 executes a computer program preset by the microcomputer 21 . The control unit 20 controls the motor 15 , the water supply valve unit 16 , the drain valve unit 17 , the supply unit 22 , the hot water heater 23 and the notification unit 24 . Also, the control unit 20 is electrically connected to the water temperature detection unit 31 , the water amount detection unit 32 , the conductivity sensor 33 , the operation unit 34 , the storage unit 35 and the weight detection unit 36 .

Motor 15 is driven by controller 20 through drive circuit 41 . Thereby, the rotating tub 14 rotates inside the tub 13 . Also, the rotation of the rotary tub 14 is detected by a rotation sensor 42 . The controller 20 controls the motor 15 based on the rotation of the rotating tub 14 detected by the rotation sensor 42 . The water supply valve section 16 is driven by the control section 20 through the drive circuit 43 . The water supply valve section 16 has an electromagnetic valve 44 . The control unit 20 controls opening and closing of the water supply valve unit 16 by driving the electromagnetic valve 44 through the drive circuit 43 . The drain valve section 17 is driven by the control section 20 through the drive circuit 45 . The drain valve section 17 has an electromagnetic valve 46 . The control unit 20 controls opening and closing of the drain valve unit 17 by driving the solenoid valve 46 through the drive circuit 45 .

The input section 22 is driven by the control section 20 through the drive circuit 47 . The input unit 22 automatically inputs a laundry treatment agent for treating the laundry. Specifically, the input part 22 is provided between the outer box 11 and the water tank 13 . The charging section 22 has a charging mechanism section 48 and a processing agent tank (not shown). The treatment tank stores one or more laundry treatments. The input mechanism unit 48 measures the laundry processing agent stored in the processing agent tank using, for example, an actuator or a valve device (not shown), and loads it onto the laundry. In this case, the loading mechanism 48 directly or indirectly supplies the laundry processing agent to the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 14 . In the case of directly providing the laundry treatment agent, the injection mechanism 48 injects the laundry treatment agent inside the rotating tub 14 . On the other hand, when the laundry treatment agent is indirectly provided, the injection mechanism unit 48 supplies the laundry treatment agent to the laundry by, for example, injecting the laundry treatment agent into water flowing through a water channel (not shown) from the water supply valve unit 16 to the water tank 13. offer. Laundry processing agents include, for example, detergents for washing laundry, softeners, bleaches, and the like. The input unit 22 has two or more processing agent tanks when automatically inputting two or more types of laundry processing agents.

The hot water heater 23 constitutes a heating section and is driven by the control section 20 through the drive circuit 51 . Thereby, the hot water heater 23 heats the water in the water tank 13 . In this case, the hot water heater 23 may be provided in the water tank 13 to heat the water stored in the water tank 13 . Further, the hot water heater 23 may heat the water supplied to the water tank 13 by heating the water flowing through a water channel (not shown) from the water supply valve portion 16 to the water tank 13 . The notification section 24 is driven by the control section 20 through the drive circuit 52 . The notification unit 24 has a display unit 53 and a sound unit 54 . The display unit 53 visually notifies information by, for example, a lamp or a display. The display unit 53 is provided on the upper surface of the outer casing 11 in front of the door 12 side, and displays arbitrary information such as the driving state and the course to be selected. Also, the ringing unit 54 audibly notifies information by, for example, a buzzer or a speaker. Through these, the notification unit 24 notifies completion of various operation courses such as a washing course and a drying course, errors, and the like.

The water temperature detector 31 has a temperature sensor 61 and detects the temperature of water stored in the water tank 13 . Also, the water temperature detection unit 31 may detect the temperature of the water supplied from the water supply valve unit 16 to the water tank 13 . The water temperature detection unit 31 outputs the water temperature detected by the temperature sensor 61 to the control unit 20 as an electric signal. The water amount detection unit 32 has a water level sensor 62 and detects the amount of water stored in the water tank 13 as the water level. Moreover, the water amount detection unit 32 may detect the amount of water supplied from the water supply valve unit 16 to the water tank 13 . The water amount detection unit 32 outputs the amount of water detected by the water level sensor 62 to the control unit 20 as an electric signal.

Conductivity sensor 33 is provided in water tank 13 . The conductivity sensor 33 detects the conductivity of water stored in the water tank 13 . The water stored in the water tank 13 is a washing liquid in which a washing treatment agent and water are mixed. The electrical conductivity of the washing liquid varies depending on the concentration of the laundry treating agent contained in the washing liquid, particularly the surfactant of the laundry treating agent. The conductivity sensor 33 detects the conductivity of the washing liquid containing the surfactant, and outputs it to the controller 20 as an electric signal. The operation unit 34 has selection buttons, non-contact switches, and the like (not shown). A user inputs, for example, a driving course or desired processing to the control unit 20 through the operation unit 34 . The operation unit 34 outputs information operated by the user to the control unit 20 as an electric signal.

The storage unit 35 has, for example, a nonvolatile memory. The storage unit 35 stores computer programs, data necessary for operating the washing machine 10, and the like. Specifically, the storage unit 35 stores preset saturation data. The saturation data is data indicating the relationship between the water temperature detected by the water temperature detection unit 31, the amount of water detected by the water amount detection unit 32, and the upper limit of the input amount of the laundry treatment agent. The storage unit 35 stores saturation data created as a table as shown in FIG. 3, for example. In this case, the saturation data may be created for each commercially available laundry treatment agent applied to the washing machine 10, for example. That is, the control unit 2 can extract and use the saturation data of the laundry treatment agents used in the washing machine 10 among commercially available laundry treatment agents. Note that the data shown in FIG. 3 is only an example, and may be arbitrarily changed according to the performance of the washing machine 10, the type of laundry treatment agent, and the like. Also, the storage unit 35 may be shared with the ROM and RAM of the microcomputer 21 .

Weight detector 36 detects the weight of the laundry accommodated in rotating tub 14 . The weight detection unit 36 detects the weight of laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 14 by a weight sensor (not shown). Further, the weight detection unit 36 may be configured to detect the weight of the laundry based on the load of the motor 15 when the rotation tub 14 is driven after the laundry is accommodated in the rotation tub 14 . The weight detection unit 36 outputs the detected weight of laundry to the control unit 20 as an electric signal.

The control unit 20 implements the contamination detection unit 71 and the saturation determination unit 72 in software by executing a computer program. The contamination detection unit 71 and the saturation determination unit 72 may be realized by hardware, or may be realized by cooperation between hardware and software. The dirt detector 71 detects how dirty the laundry is. Specifically, the contamination detection unit 71 has, for example, an optical sensor or an electrical conductivity sensor 33 or the like. The stain detection unit 71 detects stains on the laundry in a short-time simple preliminary washing process that is executed prior to the full-scale washing process of washing the laundry. The contamination detection unit 71 detects the degree of contamination of the washing liquid based on, for example, the turbidity of the washing liquid detected by the optical sensor or the conductivity of the washing liquid detected by the conductivity sensor 33 . The control unit 20 determines whether or not it is necessary to add additional laundry treatment agent based on the degree of contamination of the washing liquid detected by the contamination detection unit 71 .

The saturation judging section 72 judges the degree of saturation of the surfactant contained in the washing liquid generated from the water and the laundry treatment agent. Washing of laundry is aided by surfactants. On the other hand, if the amount of laundry processing agent contained in the laundry liquid is excessive, adding the laundry processing agent to the laundry liquid does not improve the cleaning performance, and the added laundry processing agent is wasted. That is, the surfactants contained in the wash liquor become saturated at a certain concentration in the wash liquor. Further, adding a laundry treating agent to the washing liquid saturated with the surfactant does not lead to an improvement in the cleaning ability. The saturation determining unit 72 determines the degree of saturation of the surfactant in this washing liquid. Here, the degree of saturation is an index indicating how much more laundry processing agent can be dissolved in the washing liquid. Specifically, it is assumed that the surfactant of the washing liquid is saturated when Ng of laundry treating agent is added to the washing liquid at a specific temperature and amount of water. At this particular temperature and amount of water, the saturation degree of the wash liquor containing Ng of laundry treatment agent is 100. On the other hand, if the degree of saturation of the washing liquid containing the Mg laundry treatment agent is 0 to 100, then (NM) g of the laundry treatment agent can be additionally added to the washing liquid. The saturation judging section 72 judges the amount of laundry treatment agent that can be added additionally as the degree of saturation.

In the case of the first embodiment, the saturation determination unit 72 is based on the water temperature detected by the water temperature detection unit 31, the water amount detected by the water amount detection unit 32, and the saturation data shown in FIG. 3 stored in the storage unit 35. Determine the saturation of the wash liquor. That is, the saturation determination unit 72 acquires the temperature of the washing liquid from the water temperature detection unit 31 . Also, the saturation determination unit 72 acquires the water amount of the washing liquid with the water amount detection unit 32 . Furthermore, the saturation determination unit 72 acquires the input amount of the laundry treatment agent input from the input unit 22 . The saturation judging unit 72 judges the degree of saturation of the washing liquid with the surfactant contained in the applied laundry treatment agent based on the obtained temperature and water volume of the washing liquid and the amount of the applied laundry treatment agent. That is, the saturation determination unit 72 refers to the saturation data stored in the storage unit 35 based on the latest temperature and water amount of the washing liquid and the actual input amount of the laundry treatment agent. Then, the saturation determination unit 72 determines the degree of saturation of the surfactant contained in the laundry treatment agent supplied from the input unit 22 . Based on the determination by the saturation determination unit 72, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the laundry treatment agent is added.
The operation flow of the washing machine 10 configured as above will be described. In addition, the following description demonstrates the example using a detergent as a laundry processing agent.

(Operating process of washing machine)
First, based on FIG. 4, the operating process of the washing machine 10 will be described.
When the washing machine 10 is powered on, the controller 20 sequentially performs a detergent loading step (S101), a washing step (S102), a rinsing step (S103), and a dehydration step (S104). That is, when the laundry is washed as a series of automatic flows, the control unit 20 first executes a detergent input step of inputting the detergent as the laundry treatment agent. Then, the control unit 20 executes a washing process of washing the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 14 . When the washing process is completed, the control unit 20 performs a rinsing process to wash the laundry. Finally, the control unit 20 executes a dehydration process to remove water contained in the laundry. In this case, the control unit 20 may be configured to execute one or more of the washing process, the rinsing process, and the dewatering process twice or more.

(Detergent injection step)
Next, based on FIG. 5, the detergent introduction step included in the series of operation steps shown in FIG. 4 will be described in detail.
The detergent loading step is a step of providing detergent to the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 14 . In the case of the present embodiment, the controller 20 detects the soiling of the laundry after adding a predetermined amount of detergent based on the weight of the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 14 . Based on the dirt detected by the dirt detector 71, the controller 20 determines whether or not to add detergent.

The controller 20 detects the weight of the laundry when shifting to the detergent input step of S101 in FIG. 4 (S201). That is, the weight detector 36 detects the weight of the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 14 . As described above, the weight detector 36 detects the weight of laundry based on the weight sensor or the load of the motor 15, for example. The control unit 20 acquires the weight of laundry from the weight detection unit 36 .

The control unit 20 supplies water to the water tank 13 based on the obtained weight of the laundry (S202). The control unit 20 sets the amount of water supply based on the weight of the laundry obtained in S201. The control unit 20 sets the amount of water supply using the relationship between the weight of the laundry and the amount of water supply stored in the storage unit 35, for example. After setting the water supply amount, the control unit 20 drives the electromagnetic valve 44 to open the water supply valve unit 16 . As a result, water is supplied from the water supply valve portion 16 to the water tank 13 . When the amount of water supplied from the water supply valve unit 16 to the water tank 13 reaches the set water supply amount, the control unit 20 drives the electromagnetic valve 44 to close the water supply valve unit 16 . This stops the water supply.

The controller 20 supplies water to the water tank 13 and also supplies detergent (S203). The control unit 20 sets the amount of detergent to be supplied based on one or both of the weight of the laundry acquired in S201 and the amount of water supply set in S202. In the case of this embodiment, the storage unit 35 stores the relationship between the laundry weight m and the amount of detergent as data, as shown in FIG. The controller 20 uses the relationship shown in FIG. 6 to set the dosage of the detergent. After setting the input amount of the detergent, the control unit 20 drives the input mechanism unit 48 to input the set amount of detergent. Detergent is put into the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 14 . In this case, the amount of detergent to be added may be set to a small amount in consideration of the addition of detergent in subsequent steps.

When the detergent is added, the controller 20 executes the preliminary washing process (S204). The control unit 20 starts preliminary washing of the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 14 using the water supplied in S202 and the detergent added in S203. In this case, the control unit 20 executes a simple washing process for a short time as the preliminary washing process. The time and details of the preliminary washing process can be arbitrarily set according to the performance of washing machine 10, the amount of laundry put into rotating tub 14, and the like.

After executing the preliminary washing step, the control unit 20 detects the degree of dirt in the wash water through the dirt detection unit 71 (S205). The control unit 20 detects the degree of contamination of the washing liquid in the contamination detection unit 71 based on, for example, the turbidity or conductivity of the washing liquid. Based on the degree of contamination of the washing liquid acquired in S205, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the degree of contamination of the washing liquid is equal to or greater than a preset value (S206). That is, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the turbidity or conductivity of the washing liquid is equal to or higher than a preset value. This set value is arbitrarily set in advance according to, for example, the performance of the washing machine 10 and stored in the storage unit 35 .

When the dirtiness of the washing liquid is less than the set value (S206: No), the control unit 20 returns to the washing process shown in S102 of FIG. 4, and executes the processes after S102. On the other hand, when the degree of contamination of the washing liquid is equal to or greater than the set value (S206: Yes), the controller 20 proceeds to the detergent addition step (S207).

(Detergent addition step)
The additional detergent addition step in S207 of FIG. 5 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
When the controller 20 shifts to the detergent addition step in S207, it detects the temperature of water (S301) and the amount of water (S302). Specifically, the controller 20 acquires the temperature of the water stored in the water tank 13 through the water temperature detector 31 . Also, the control unit 20 acquires the amount of water stored in the water tank 13 through the water amount detection unit 32 . Then, the controller 20 calculates the allowable amount of detergent to be added based on the water temperature detected in S301 and the amount of water detected in S302 (S303). That is, the control unit 20 calculates the allowable input amount, which is the upper limit of the input amount of the detergent, from the saturation data stored in the storage unit 35 using the latest acquired water temperature and water amount.

The saturation determination unit 72 determines whether or not the allowable input amount calculated in S303 is larger than the input amount of detergent (S304). That is, the saturation determination unit 72 compares the allowable input amount calculated in S303 with the input amount of detergent set in S203 shown in FIG. 5, and determines whether or not the allowable input amount is larger than the input amount. Dosage capacity is the upper limit of detergent dosage, ie, the amount at which the surfactant saturates. Therefore, even if detergent is added in excess of the allowable input amount, the surfactant is in a saturated state, and the cleaning performance is not improved. In other words, when the degree of contamination of the washing liquid is equal to or greater than the predetermined value in S206, even if detergent exceeding the allowable input amount is added, the washing performance is not improved. Therefore, the saturation determining unit 72 compares the allowable input amount with the actual input amount of detergent to determine the degree of saturation of the surfactant in the washing liquid.

When the saturation determination unit 72 determines that the allowable input amount is larger than the input amount of the detergent (S304: Yes), the control unit 20 additionally inputs the detergent (S305). That is, the control unit 20 drives the input mechanism unit 48 to additionally input the detergent to be supplied to the laundry. The control unit 20 determines whether or not the total amount of added detergent has reached the allowable input amount by adding the detergent in S305 (S306). That is, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the total amount of detergent added in step S203 and the amount of detergent added in step S305 has reached the allowable amount.

When the control unit 20 determines that the total amount of detergent added has not reached the allowable amount (S306: No), it returns to S305 and continues to add detergent until the allowable amount is reached. On the other hand, when the controller 20 determines that the total amount of added detergent has reached the allowable amount of added detergent (S306: Yes), it stops adding additional detergent (S307). That is, the control unit 20 stops the input mechanism unit 48 and ends the additional input of detergent. Then, the control unit 20 returns to the washing step shown in S102 of FIG. If the saturation determination unit 72 determines that the allowable input amount is equal to or less than the input amount of detergent (S304: No), the control unit 20 does not add additional detergent (S308), and proceeds to S102 of FIG. Return to the washing process shown.
Through the above procedure, the control unit 20 determines whether or not to add additional detergent according to the degree of saturation of the surfactant contained in the washing liquid.

In the first embodiment, the saturation judging section 72 judges the degree of saturation of the surfactant contained in the washing liquid. Accordingly, the control unit 20 determines whether or not to add detergent, which is a laundry treatment agent, to the washing liquid. Then, the control unit 20 determines whether or not to add the laundry treatment agent based on the degree of saturation of the surfactant in the washing liquid determined by the saturation determining unit 72 . That is, the control unit 20 calculates how much laundry processing agent can be added until the surfactant is saturated in the washing liquid, and sets the amount of the laundry processing agent to be added. Therefore, the addition of detergent-containing laundry treatments is avoided when the surfactant is saturated. As a result, consumption of useless laundry treatment agents is reduced. On the other hand, when the surfactant is not saturated, a detergent containing laundry treatment is added. As a result, the washing ability of the washing liquid is improved. Therefore, the amount of the laundry treatment agent added according to the soiling of the laundry can be made appropriate, and the waste of the laundry treatment agent can be reduced.

Further, in the first embodiment, the relationship between the water temperature and amount of water in the water tank 13 and the amount of detergent supplied is stored as saturation data. Then, the saturation determining unit 72 uses this saturation data to determine the degree of saturation of the surfactant in the washing liquid from the actual amount of detergent input and the latest water temperature and water amount obtained. Accordingly, the saturation determining unit 72 determines the degree of saturation of the surfactant in the washing liquid without requiring any additional configuration. In addition, by using the saturation data, the control unit 20 and the saturation determination unit 72 set the amount of laundry processing agent that can be added according to the environment, such as water temperature, which changes each time the washing process is performed. . Therefore, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of addition of detergent with a simple configuration without requiring a device for detecting the degree of saturation, and to set the optimum amount of laundry processing agent for each washing process.

(Second embodiment)
In the second embodiment, the washing machine 10 has an electrical conductivity sensor 33 as an electrical conductivity detection unit. The conductivity sensor 33 detects the conductivity of the water stored in the water tank 13 as the water conductivity.
In the case of the second embodiment, the saturation determination unit 72 determines the degree of saturation of the washing liquid based on the degree of saturation of the surfactant contained in the washing liquid based on the water conductivity detected by the conductivity sensor 33 . As shown in FIG. 8, the water conductivity output value E detected by the conductivity sensor 33 varies depending on the saturation of the surfactant. Saturation data indicating the relationship between the output value E of the conductivity sensor 33 and the degree of saturation of the surfactant is stored in the storage unit 35 . Note that the saturation data shown in FIG. 8 is an example, and can be arbitrarily changed according to the type of surfactant, the performance of the conductivity sensor 33, and the like. Thus, in the second embodiment, the saturation determination unit 72 determines the degree of saturation of the washing liquid using the water conductivity output value E instead of the saturation data in the first embodiment. As used herein, the degree of saturation is an indicator of how much more surfactant can be dissolved in the washing liquid as described above. On the other hand, the degree of saturation is a value derived based on the output value E of the water conductivity detected by the conductivity sensor 33, and is an index indicating how much the surfactant is dissolved in the washing liquid.

Next, a detergent addition process in the washing machine 10 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. It should be noted that description of processing common to the first embodiment will be omitted. In addition, in the second embodiment, the flow of the operation process of the washing machine 10 and the detergent input process are common to those in the first embodiment, so the description thereof will be omitted.

(Detergent addition step)
When the control unit 20 shifts to the detergent addition step in S207, the water conductivity is detected (S401). Specifically, the control unit 20 acquires the electrical conductivity of the water stored in the water tub 13, that is, the washing liquid, as the output value E. As shown in FIG. Then, the control unit 20 acquires the saturation degree of the surfactant based on the output value E of the water conductivity detected in S401 (S402). That is, the control unit 20 obtains the saturation degree of the surfactant using the saturation data stored in the storage unit 35 and the output value E of the conductivity.

The saturation determination unit 72 determines whether the degree of saturation obtained in S402 is less than 100% (S403). In this case, the saturation determining unit 72 determines the degree of saturation of the surfactant contained in the washing liquid from the water conductivity of the washing liquid without referring to the input amount of detergent set in S203.

When the saturation determination unit 72 determines that the saturation level is less than 100% (S403: Yes), the control unit 20 adds detergent (S404). That is, the control unit 20 drives the input mechanism unit 48 to additionally input the detergent to be supplied to the laundry. When the detergent is added in S404, the controller 20 again detects the water conductivity of the washing liquid (S405), and acquires the saturation based on the detected water conductivity output value E (S406). That is, the control unit 20 detects the output value E of the water conductivity that changes due to the addition of the detergent in S404, and acquires the degree of saturation based on this output value E. FIG. The saturation determination unit 72 determines whether the degree of saturation acquired in S406 has reached 100% (S407). In this case as well, the saturation judging unit 72 judges the degree of saturation of the surfactant contained in the washing liquid from the output value E of the water conductivity of the washing liquid without referring to the input amount of detergent set in S203. .

When the control unit 20 determines that the saturation level has not reached 100% (S407: No), it returns to S404 and repeats the processing after adding detergent until the saturation level reaches 100%. On the other hand, when the controller 20 determines that the degree of saturation has reached 100% (S407: Yes), it stops adding detergent (S408). That is, the control unit 20 stops the input mechanism unit 48 to stop the additional input of detergent. Then, the control unit 20 returns to the washing step shown in S102 of FIG. Further, when the saturation determination unit 72 determines that the saturation degree is 100% (S403: No), the control unit 20 does not add detergent (S409), and the washing process shown in S102 of FIG. return to
Through the above procedure, the control unit 20 determines whether or not to add additional detergent according to the degree of saturation of the surfactant contained in the detergent.

In the second embodiment, the water conductivity of the water in the water tank 13, that is, the washing liquid is detected. The saturation judging section 72 detects the degree of saturation of the surfactant in the washing liquid based on the output value E of the water conductivity of the washing liquid, and judges the degree of saturation of the washing liquid. That is, in the second embodiment, the degree of saturation of the surfactant contained in the washing liquid is determined based on the actually measured water conductivity. Therefore, a saturation level that matches the current state of the washing liquid is obtained without reference to the initial dose or additional amount of detergent. Therefore, the accuracy of determination of the degree of saturation is improved, and the additional amount of detergent based on the degree of saturation can be controlled with high precision. That is, an appropriate amount of laundry treatment agent can be added according to the degree of soiling of the laundry, and the cleaning performance of the laundry can be further improved.

(Third embodiment)
The flow of processing in the washing machine according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The third embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and differs from the first embodiment in the processing after it is determined in S304 of the first embodiment that the allowable input amount is equal to or less than the detergent input amount. Since other processes are common to the first embodiment, only differences will be described, and descriptions of common processes will be omitted.

When the saturation determination unit 72 determines that the allowable input amount is equal to or less than the input amount of detergent (S504: No), the control unit 20 supplies water to the water tub 13 (S508). That is, the control unit 20 drives the electromagnetic valve 44 to open the water supply valve unit 16 and supply water to the water tank 13 . At this time, the controller 20 supplies a preset additional amount of water to the water tank 13 . When starting to supply water to the water tank 13, the control unit 20 detects the amount of water in the water tank 13 (S509). That is, the control unit 20 acquires the water level of the water stored in the water tank 13 through the water amount detection unit 32 . The control unit 20 determines whether or not the amount of water detected in S509 has reached the additional amount of water (S510). The amount of additional water is arbitrarily set according to, for example, the capacity of the water tank 13 and the initial water supply amount.

If the controller 20 determines that the amount of added water has not reached the additional water amount (S510: No), it returns to S508 and continues water supply until the additional water amount is reached. On the other hand, when the controller 20 determines that the amount of added water has reached the additional amount of water (S510: Yes), it stops supplying water (S511). That is, the control unit 20 drives the solenoid valve 44 to close the water supply valve unit 16 and terminate the water supply to the water tank 13 .

When the amount of water reaches the additional amount of water, the controller 20 adds detergent (S512). That is, the control unit 20 drives the input mechanism unit 48 to additionally input the detergent to be supplied to the laundry. The control unit 20 determines whether or not the amount of added detergent has reached the additional input amount by adding the detergent in S512 (S513). The additional input amount is set according to, for example, the additional water amount set in S508.

If the control unit 20 determines that the added amount of detergent has not reached the additional input amount (S513: No), the control unit 20 returns to S512 and continues inputting the detergent until the additional input amount is reached. On the other hand, when the control unit 20 determines that the amount of added detergent has reached the additional input amount (S513: Yes), it stops the additional input of detergent (S514). That is, the control unit 20 stops driving the input mechanism unit 48 and ends the additional input of detergent. When the control unit 20 stops adding detergent in S507 or stops adding detergent in S514, it returns to the washing step shown in S102 of FIG.

According to the above procedure, in the third embodiment, when the amount of detergent to be added exceeds the allowable amount of detergent to be added, the controller 20 supplies water to the water tank 13 and then adds detergent. That is, when the surfactant contained in the detergent is saturated, the controller 20 adds water to the water tank 13 . As a result, the detergent exceeding the allowable input amount is used without waste by adding water to the water tank 13. - 特許庁Therefore, the surfactant contained in the saturated washing liquid can be effectively used. Further, when the allowable amount of detergent to be added increases due to the addition of water to the water tank 13, the controller 20 additionally adds detergent. Thereby, even if the laundry is strongly soiled, the laundry is washed with a sufficient amount of detergent and a washing liquid made up of water. Therefore, the cleaning power can be recovered without wasting the detergent, and the cleaning power can be improved.

(Fourth embodiment)
The flow of processing in the washing machine according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The fourth embodiment is a modification of the second embodiment, and differs from the second embodiment in the processing after it is determined that the saturation of the washing liquid is 100% in S403 of the second embodiment. Since other processes are common to the second embodiment, only differences will be described, and descriptions of common processes will be omitted.

When the saturation determination unit 72 determines that the saturation level is 100% (S603: No), the control unit 20 supplies water to the water tank 13 (S609). That is, the control unit 20 drives the electromagnetic valve 44 to open the water supply valve unit 16 and supply water to the water tank 13 . After supplying water to the water tank 13 in S609, the control unit 20 detects the water conductivity again (S610), and acquires the saturation degree based on the detected output value E of the water conductivity (S611). That is, the control unit 20 detects the water conductivity that changes due to the addition of water in S609, and acquires the degree of saturation based on the output value E of this water conductivity. The saturation determination unit 72 determines whether the degree of saturation acquired in S611 has decreased to 90% (S612). That is, the saturation determining unit 72 determines whether the saturated state has been resolved by the water supply in S609 and the degree of saturation has decreased to 90%.

When the control unit 20 determines that the saturation level has not decreased to 90% (S612: No), it returns to S609 and repeats the processes after water supply until the saturation level decreases to 90%. On the other hand, when the controller 20 determines that the degree of saturation has decreased to 90% (S612: Yes), it stops supplying water to the water tank 13 (S613). That is, the control unit 20 drives the solenoid valve 44 to close the water supply valve unit 16 and terminate the water supply to the water tank 13 .

After stopping the water supply, the control unit 20 adds detergent (S614). That is, the control unit 20 drives the input mechanism unit 48 to additionally input the detergent to be supplied to the laundry. After adding the detergent in S614, the control unit 20 detects the water conductivity again (S615), and acquires the degree of saturation based on the detected output value E of the water conductivity (S616). That is, the control unit 20 detects the water conductivity that changes due to the addition of the detergent in S614, and acquires the degree of saturation based on the output value E of this water conductivity. The saturation determination unit 72 determines whether the degree of saturation acquired in S616 has reached 100% (S617). That is, the saturation determination unit 72 determines whether or not the addition of the detergent in S614 has again reached 100% saturation in the washing liquid.

If the control unit 20 determines that the saturation level has not reached 100% even with the addition of the detergent (S617: No), it returns to S614 to continue adding the detergent, detecting the water conductivity, and acquiring the saturation level. do. On the other hand, when the control unit 20 determines that the addition of the detergent has reached 100% saturation (S617: Yes), it stops adding the detergent (S618). That is, the control unit 20 stops driving the input mechanism unit 48 and ends the additional input of detergent. When the controller 20 stops adding detergent in S608 or stops adding detergent in S618, it returns to the washing step shown in S102 of FIG.

According to the above procedure, in the fourth embodiment, when the saturation degree of the washing liquid based on the water conductivity reaches 100%, the controller 20 supplies water to the water tub 13 and additionally adds the detergent. . That is, when the surfactant contained in the detergent is saturated, the controller 20 adds water to the water tank 13 . As a result, the detergent having a degree of saturation of 100% and exceeding the allowable amount is used without waste by adding water to the water tank 13 . Therefore, the surfactant contained in the saturated washing liquid can be effectively used. Further, when the addition of water to the water tank 13 lowers the degree of saturation, the controller 20 adds detergent. Thereby, even if the laundry is strongly soiled, the laundry is washed with a sufficient amount of detergent and a washing liquid made up of water. Therefore, the cleaning power can be recovered without wasting the detergent, and the cleaning power can be improved.

(Fifth embodiment)
The flow of processing in the washing machine according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The fifth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and differs from the first embodiment in the processing after it is determined in S304 of the first embodiment that the allowable input amount is equal to or less than the detergent input amount. FIG. 12 shows only the processing when it is determined in S304 that the allowable input amount is equal to or less than the input amount of detergent.

When the saturation determination unit 72 determines that the allowable input amount is equal to or less than the input amount of detergent (S304: No), the control unit 20 detects the amount of water (S701). That is, the control unit 20 acquires the water level of the water stored in the water tank 13 through the water amount detection unit 32 . Then, the control unit 20 determines whether additional water supply to the water tank 13 is possible (S702). There is an upper limit to the amount of water that can be stored in the water tank 13, and the capacity is a known value. Therefore, the control unit 20 determines whether additional water supply is possible based on the latest amount of water in the water tank 13 detected in S701. When the controller 20 determines that additional water supply to the water tank 13 is possible (S702: Yes), it supplies water and adds detergent (S703). That is, the control unit 20 drives the electromagnetic valve 44 of the water supply valve unit 16 to supply water to the water tank 13 when additional water supply to the water tank 13 is possible. At this time, the controller 20 sets the amount of water to be added based on the amount of water detected in S701. Along with this, the control unit 20 sets the amount of detergent according to the amount of water to be added, and additionally injects the set detergent by the injection mechanism unit 48 .

On the other hand, when the controller 20 determines that additional water supply is impossible (S702: No), the water tank 13 is drained (S704). That is, the control unit 20 drives the solenoid valve 46 to open the drain valve unit 17 . At this time, the control unit 20 may drain all or part of the water stored in the water tank 13 . When starting to drain water from the water tank 13, the control unit 20 detects the amount of water in the water tank 13 (S705). That is, the control unit 20 detects the water level of the water stored in the water tank 13 through the water amount detection unit 32 .

Based on the water level detected in S705, the control unit 20 determines whether the drainage is completed (S706). That is, the control unit 20 determines whether or not all of the water stored in the water tank 13 or a set amount of the stored water has been drained. When the controller 20 determines that the water discharge is not completed (S706: No), it returns to S704 and continues the water discharge from the water tank 13 until the desired water level is reached. On the other hand, when the controller 20 determines that the drainage is completed (S706: Yes), it stops the drainage (S707). That is, the control unit 20 drives the solenoid valve 46 to close the drain valve unit 17 .

When the drainage is completed, the controller 20 supplies water to the water tank 13 (S708). That is, the control unit 20 drives the solenoid valve 44 to open the water supply valve unit 16 . Water is thereby supplied to the water tank 13 . When starting to supply water to the water tank 13, the control unit 20 detects the amount of water in the water tank 13 (S709). That is, the control unit 20 detects the water level of the water stored in the water tank 13 through the water amount detection unit 32 .

Based on the water level detected in S709, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the target amount of water has been reached (S710). That is, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the amount of water stored in the water tank 13 has reached the target amount of water. This target amount of water corresponds to the amount of water discharged from S704 to S707. Also, the target amount of water may be set to an amount smaller than the amount of water discharged from S704 to S707.

If the control unit 20 determines that the target water volume has not been reached (S710: No), it returns to S708 and continues to supply water to the water tank 13 until the desired water level, that is, until the target water volume is reached. On the other hand, when determining that the target water level has been reached (S710: Yes), the control unit 20 stops water supply (S711). That is, the control unit 20 drives the electromagnetic valve 44 to close the water supply valve unit 16 .

When the water supply is stopped, the controller 20 adds detergent (S712). That is, the control unit 20 drives the input mechanism unit 48 to additionally input the detergent to be supplied to the laundry. The controller 20 determines whether or not the added detergent has reached the target input amount by adding the detergent in S712 (S713). The target input amount is set according to, for example, the target water amount set in S710.

If the control unit 20 determines that the amount of added detergent has not reached the additional input amount (S713: No), it returns to S712 and continues inputting the detergent until the additional input amount is reached. On the other hand, when the control unit 20 determines that the amount of added detergent has reached the additional input amount (S713: Yes), it stops the additional input of detergent (S714). That is, the control unit 20 stops driving the input mechanism unit 48 and ends the additional input of detergent. When the controller 20 executes water supply and addition of detergent in S703, or stops adding detergent in S714, the controller 20 returns to the washing step shown in S102 of FIG.

According to the above procedure, in the fifth embodiment, the controller 20 determines whether or not additional water supply to the water tub 13 is possible when the input amount of detergent as the laundry treatment agent exceeds the input allowable amount. . Then, when additional water supply to water tank 13 is possible, controller 20 supplies water and additionally supplies detergent. On the other hand, when additional water cannot be supplied to the water tank 13 , the control unit 20 drains part or all of the water stored in the water tank 13 and then supplies water to the water tank 13 . In addition to this, the controller 20 additionally injects detergent according to the amount of water supplied. Therefore, regardless of the capacity of the water tank 13, water can be supplied to the water tank 13 and additional detergent can be added, thereby improving the detergency without wasting the detergent.

(Sixth embodiment)
The flow of processing in the washing machine according to the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The sixth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and differs from the first embodiment in the processing after it is determined in S304 of the first embodiment that the allowable input amount is equal to or less than the detergent input amount. FIG. 13 shows only the processing when it is determined in S304 that the allowable input amount is equal to or less than the input detergent amount.

When the saturation determination unit 72 determines that the allowable input amount is equal to or less than the input amount of detergent (S304: No), the control unit 20 turns on the hot water heater 23 (S801). That is, the controller 20 energizes the hot water heater 23 through the drive circuit 51 . As a result, the washing liquid stored in the water tub 13 is heated by the hot water heater 23 . When the hot water heater 23 is turned on, the controller 20 detects the water temperature (S802). That is, the controller 20 acquires the temperature of the water stored in the water tank 13 through the water temperature detector 31 . Based on the detected water temperature, the control unit 20 determines whether the temperature of the water stored in the water tank 13 has reached the target temperature (S803). That is, the controller 20 determines whether or not the washing liquid in the water tub 13 has been heated by the hot water heater 23 and has reached the target temperature. In this case, the target temperature is arbitrarily set according to the performance of washing machine 10 and the detergent to be applied.

When the controller 20 determines that the water temperature has not reached the target temperature (S803: No), it returns to S801 and continues heating by the hot water heater 23 until the target temperature is reached. On the other hand, when the controller 20 determines that the water temperature has reached the target temperature (S803: Yes), it turns off the hot water heater 23 (S804). That is, the controller 20 stops energizing the hot water heater 23 and finishes heating the washing liquid stored in the water tub 13 .

After stopping the heating of the washing liquid, the control unit 20 adds detergent (S805). That is, the control unit 20 drives the input mechanism unit 48 to additionally input the detergent to be supplied to the laundry. The control unit 20 determines whether or not the added detergent has reached the target input amount by adding the detergent in S805 (S806). The target input amount is set according to, for example, the target temperature set in S803. The solubility of the detergent, ie the concentration of the detergent contained in the washing liquid, varies with the temperature of the washing liquid. In other words, the higher the temperature of the wash liquor, the higher the concentration of the detergent that saturates the surfactant. Therefore, the controller 20 heats the washing water to increase the solubility of the detergent, that is, the concentration at which the surfactant is saturated. By heating the washing liquid in this way, more detergent can be dissolved in the washing liquid.

If the control unit 20 determines that the amount of added detergent has not reached the additional input amount (S806: No), it returns to S805 and continues inputting the detergent until the additional input amount is reached. On the other hand, when the control unit 20 determines that the amount of added detergent has reached the additional input amount (S806: Yes), it stops the additional input of detergent (S807). That is, the control unit 20 stops driving the input mechanism unit 48 and ends the additional input of detergent. After stopping the addition of the detergent in S807, the control unit 20 returns to the washing step shown in S102 in FIG.
Note that the control unit 20 may maintain the temperature of the water stored in the water tank 13 at the target temperature without turning off the hot water heater 23 after the temperature of the water tank 13 reaches the target temperature.

According to the above procedure, in the sixth embodiment, the controller 20 heats the washing liquid stored in the water tub 13 when the amount of detergent added exceeds the allowable amount of detergent. Then, the controller 20 adds detergent to the washing liquid whose solubility is increased by heating. Therefore, additional detergent can be added, and the detergency can be improved without wasting the detergent.

(Seventh embodiment)
The flow of processing in the washing machine according to the seventh embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The seventh embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, and differs from the first embodiment in the processing after it is determined in S304 of the first embodiment that the allowable input amount is equal to or less than the detergent input amount. FIG. 14 shows only the processing when it is determined in S304 that the allowable input amount is equal to or less than the input detergent amount.

When the saturation determination unit 72 determines that the allowable input amount is equal to or less than the input amount of detergent (S304: No), the control unit 20 sets extension of the washing process (S901). That is, when the allowable input amount is less than or equal to the input amount of detergent, the control unit 20 extends the time required in the washing step of S102 following the detergent input step of S101 shown in FIG. The control unit 20 extends the time required for the washing process, for example, 5 minutes or 10 minutes. As a result, the laundry stored in the rotating tub 14 is subjected to the washing process for an extended period of time. By extending the time required for the washing process in this way, detergency is ensured.

In the seventh embodiment, detergency is ensured by extending the time required for the washing process. Therefore, the detergency can be improved without adding detergent. Therefore, the detergency can be improved without wasting the detergent.

(Eighth embodiment)
The flow of processing in the washing machine according to the eighth embodiment will be described.
The eighth embodiment is a modification applicable to each of the above embodiments. In the eighth embodiment, the flow of processing in the detergent input step of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is different from that of the first embodiment. In the case of the eighth embodiment, the control unit 20 detects the electrical conductivity of the washing liquid after adding a predetermined amount of detergent based on the weight of the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 14 . Based on the electrical conductivity of the washing liquid detected by the electrical conductivity sensor 33, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the introduced detergent is sufficiently dissolved, and determines whether or not to add additional detergent.

(Detergent injection step)
The processing flow of the detergent input step according to the eighth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 15 .
When the controller 20 shifts to the detergent input step of S101 in FIG. 15, it detects the weight of the laundry (S1001). Then, the control unit 20 supplies water to the water tank based on the obtained weight of the laundry (S1002). The controller 20 supplies water to the water tank 13 and also introduces detergent (S1003).

When the detergent is added, the controller 20 detects the electrical conductivity using the electrical conductivity sensor 33 (S1004). Based on the electrical conductivity of the washing liquid acquired in S1004, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the electrical conductivity is equal to or greater than a preset value (S1005). That is, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the electrical conductivity of the washing liquid is equal to or higher than a preset value. This set value is arbitrarily set in advance according to, for example, the performance of the washing machine 10 and the type of detergent, and is stored in the storage unit 35 . For example, when the temperature of the water supplied to the water tank 13 is low, the detergent may not dissolve sufficiently in the water as the washing liquid. In addition, the amount of detergent contained in the washing liquid may be insufficient, for example, when the hardness of the water is high, or when there is a foreign object between the input mechanism part 48 and the water tank 13 and the amount of detergent input is insufficient. There is Therefore, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the washing liquid contains a sufficient amount of detergent based on the electrical conductivity of the washing liquid.

When the electrical conductivity of the washing liquid is less than the set value (S1005: No), the control unit 20 returns to the washing process shown in FIG. 4, and executes the processes after S102. On the other hand, when the electrical conductivity of the washing liquid is equal to or higher than the set value (S1005: Yes), the controller 20 proceeds to the detergent addition step (S1006).

In the eighth embodiment, the electrical conductivity of the washing liquid is detected instead of detecting the dirtiness of the washing liquid in the preliminary washing step. Based on the detected electrical conductivity of the washing liquid, the control unit 20 determines whether or not to add additional detergent. As a result, whether or not to add detergent to the washing liquid is determined not only by the degree of soiling of the laundry, but also when the amount of detergent is insufficient due to, for example, water temperature, water quality, or malfunction of the input mechanism 48 . Therefore, the detergent can be appropriately added, and the detergency can be improved.

(Ninth embodiment)
The flow of processing in the washing machine according to the ninth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The ninth embodiment is a modification applicable to each of the above embodiments. In the ninth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, a diagnostic result notification step is included after the dehydration step in the first embodiment (S105). In the diagnosis result notification step, it is notified whether or not the amount of detergent as the laundry treatment agent supplied from the input unit 22 is appropriate. The amount of laundry treatment agent to be input from the input unit 22 is automatically set based on the amount of laundry accommodated in the rotating tub 14, and can be arbitrarily set by the user, for example, "more" or "less". You can also Thus, when the amount of laundry treatment agent is set by the user, the control unit 20 notifies through the notification unit 24 whether or not the amount of laundry treatment agent is appropriate. In addition, when the water temperature or the washing environment changes, such as when the seasons change, the amount of the conventional laundry treatment agent added may become excessive or insufficient. Also in this case, the control unit 20 notifies through the notification unit 24 whether or not the amount of laundry treatment agent is appropriate.

Hereinafter, the flow of processing in the washing machine according to the ninth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 17, using detergent as a laundry processing agent.
16, the control unit 20 determines whether or not it has been determined that it is below saturation (S1101). That is, in the flow of processing in each embodiment, the control unit 20 determines that "the amount of detergent added has exceeded the allowable amount of input" or that "the degree of saturation of the surfactant is 100%." Determine whether or not In other words, in the flow of processing in each embodiment, it is determined whether or not the amount of detergent added was appropriate.

When the control unit 20 determines that the amount of detergent is below saturation (S1101: Yes), the control unit 20 notifies that the amount of detergent can be increased through the notification unit 24 (S1102). That is, the notification unit 24 notifies the user that the detergent is not wasted and that detergent can be added to enhance the cleaning effect. The notification unit 24 notifies the user, for example, through display of characters or patterns on the display unit 53 or through sound from the sound unit 54 . On the other hand, if the control unit 20 determines that there is no determination that the state is below saturation, that is, if it determines that there is a determination that the state is saturated (S1102: No), the control unit 20 notifies that the amount of detergent is excessive through the notification unit 24 (S1103). ). That is, the notification unit 24 notifies the user that the detergent that has been put in is excessive and wasted.

Here, the reporting unit 24 may report advice for eliminating wastage of detergent (S1104). Also in this case, the notification unit 24 provides advice to the user through the display unit 53 or the sound unit 54 . At this time, the contents of the advice given by the notification unit 24 include, for example, "reduce the amount of detergent input", "increase the amount of detergent input", "reduce the amount of water", "increase the amount of water", "lower the water temperature", and so on. For example, "raise the water temperature". In addition, the notification unit 24 may provide, for example, "You can add more XX grams of detergent." You may give more concrete information such as ".

After being informed in S1102 or S1104, the control unit 20 accepts whether or not to change the settings from the next time onwards (S1105). The user can refer to the notification in S1102 or S1104 to determine whether or not to change the setting regarding the amount of detergent to be supplied. The control unit 20 receives an input of the user's intention to change the setting through the operation unit 34 . When the user inputs a determination to keep the settings (S1105: Yes), the control unit 20 keeps the conventional settings (S1106). That is, the control unit 20 does not change the amount of detergent to be supplied by the user. On the other hand, when the user inputs determination to change the settings (S1105: No), the control unit 20 changes and stores the conventional settings (S1107). That is, the control unit 20 changes the setting of the amount of detergent to be supplied by the user and stores it in the storage unit 35 . In this case, the control unit 20 may be configured to accept changes in settings related to not only the detergent input amount but also the water amount and water temperature. Also, the control unit 20 may be configured to change the setting according to the content of the advice notified in S1104.

In the ninth embodiment, the user is notified of this through the notification unit 24 when there is an excess or deficiency of laundry treatment agents such as detergent. The user can determine whether to increase or decrease the amount of detergent to be supplied by referring to the notified content. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the waste of detergent and other laundry treatment agents, and to maximize the performance of the laundry treatment agents.

Further, in the ninth embodiment, the user refers to the notified content and changes the settings for the subsequent operation of the washing machine 10 . This allows the user to change the laundry settings according to, for example, his/her own preference or the surrounding environment such as the season. Therefore, it is possible to secure the washing state desired by the user while utilizing the automatic feeding of the laundry processing agent.

While several embodiments of the invention have been described above, these embodiments are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.
For example, in the above-described embodiments, the example in which the saturation determination unit 72 determines the degree of saturation of the surfactant and then adds the laundry treatment agent up to the allowable input amount has been described. However, the laundry processing agent may be configured such that the amount to be added is set according to the degree of saturation of the surfactant in the laundry liquid. As an example, when the degree of saturation is less than 30%, the control unit 20 sets 50% of the amount of the laundry treatment agent that was initially put in as the additional amount. In addition, the control unit 20 sets 30% of the input amount of the laundry treatment agent initially input when the saturation degree is 30% or more to less than 60% as the additional input amount, and when the saturation degree is 60% or more, the first 10% of the input amount of the laundry treatment agent may be set as the additional input amount.

In the drawings, 10 is a washing machine, 13 is a water tank, 14 is a rotating tub, 16 is a water supply valve, 17 is a drain valve, 20 is a control part, 22 is an input part, 23 is a hot water heater (heating part), and 24 is 31 is a water temperature detector; 32 is a water volume detector; 33 is an electric conductivity sensor (electrical conductivity detector); 35 is a memory;

Claims (9)

a water tank containing a rotating rotating tank;
an input unit for automatically inputting a laundry processing agent for treating the laundry accommodated in the rotating tub;
a saturation judging unit for judging the degree of saturation of the surfactant contained in the washing liquid generated from the water and the washing treatment agent;
a control unit that controls the input unit based on the degree of saturation of the surfactant contained in the washing liquid determined by the saturation determination unit;
The control unit
when the saturation judging unit judges that the surfactant in the washing liquid in the water tank is in a saturated state, the washing treatment agent is not added to the water tank;
A washing machine for adding the laundry treatment agent to the water tank when the saturation determining unit determines that the surfactant in the washing liquid in the water tank is not saturated. a water temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the water in the water tank as the water temperature;
a water volume detection unit that detects the volume of water in the water tank as the volume of water;
a storage unit that stores, as saturation data, a relationship between the preset water temperature and water amount and the amount of the laundry treatment agent to be added,
The saturation judging section detects the water temperature detected by the water temperature detecting section, the water amount detected by the water amount detecting section, and the saturation data stored in the storage section. 2. The washing machine of claim 1, wherein the degree of saturation of the surfactant is determined. further comprising a conductivity detection unit that detects the conductivity of the water in the water tank as the conductivity of the water,
2. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the saturation judging section judges the degree of saturation of the surfactant contained in the washing liquid based on the water conductivity detected by the conductivity detecting section. 2. The control unit sets an input amount of the laundry treatment agent to be added to the water tank based on the degree of saturation of the surfactant contained in the washing liquid determined by the saturation determination unit. 3. The washing machine according to any one of 3. further comprising a water supply valve unit that intermittently introduces water into the water tank;
When the saturation determination unit determines that the surfactant in the washing liquid in the water tank is saturated, the control unit opens the water supply valve to supply water to the water tank. Item 5. The washing machine according to any one of Items 1 to 4. a water supply valve unit that intermittently introduces water into the water tank;
a drain valve unit that intermittently discharges water from the water tank,
When the saturation determination unit determines that the surfactant in the washing liquid in the water tank is saturated and determines that further water cannot be supplied to the water tank,
5. The laundry according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the drain valve section is opened to discharge part or all of the water in the water tank, and the water supply valve section is opened to supply water to the water tank. machine. further comprising a heating unit for heating water in the water tank or water supplied to the water tank,
When the saturation determination unit determines that the surfactant in the washing liquid in the water tank is saturated, the controller controls water in the water tank or water supplied to the water tank by the heating part. 5. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the is heated. 5. The controller according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit extends the operation time of the water tank when the saturation determination unit determines that the surfactant in the washing liquid in the water tank is saturated. A washing machine according to paragraph 1. 9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a notification unit for notifying an increase or decrease in amount of the laundry treatment agent based on the degree of saturation of the surfactant contained in the washing liquid determined by the saturation determination unit. Washing machine as described.

Images