JP7394291B2 - washing machine - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to washing machines.

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

The washing machine in Patent Document 1 includes an outer frame, an outer tank that is vibration-proofly supported by the outer frame, a washing and dewatering tank that is rotatably disposed in the outer tank, and a washing and dewatering tank that is disposed above the outer frame. An upper frame body, a detergent tank disposed inside the side of the upper frame body to store liquid detergent, and an automatic detergent dosing device that connects to the detergent tank, sucks up the liquid detergent, and puts it into the washing and dehydrating tank. and.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-313234

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

The present disclosure provides a washing machine that is equipped with a removable liquid tank and is capable of suppressing air from entering the inside of a connecting part with a liquid dispensing device and sucking in or discharging air during the next automatic dispensing operation. I will provide a.

A washing machine according to the present disclosure includes a casing, a water tank disposed inside the casing, a washing/dehydration tank rotatably disposed inside the water tank, and a tank housing section for storing liquid. and a liquid supply device that sucks the liquid stored in the liquid tank and supplies it to the water tank or the washing and dehydrating tank. The liquid agent tank has a liquid agent tank side connection part that removably connects the liquid agent input device and the inside of the liquid agent tank, and the liquid agent input device protrudes in a horizontal direction and connects to the liquid agent tank side connection part. The liquid agent tank has a connection portion on the side of the liquid injection device, and the inner bottom surface of the liquid agent tank is located below the connection portion on the side of the liquid injection device, and the connection portion on the side of the liquid agent tank has a height of the connection portion on the side of the liquid injection device. a cylindrical portion formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the horizontal direction; a suction pipe portion extending from the cylindrical portion toward the inner bottom surface of the liquid agent tank ; and a suction pipe portion provided inside the cylindrical portion. , a check valve that closes the liquid agent tank side connection portion when not pushed in, and opens the liquid agent tank side connection portion when pushed by the liquid agent tank side connection portion.

The washing machine according to the present disclosure is a washing machine equipped with a removable liquid tank, and prevents air from entering the connection part with the liquid dosing device and sucking in or discharging the air during the next automatic dosing operation. can.

Vertical cross-sectional view of the washing machine in Embodiment 1 External perspective view of the washing machine with the lid closed Perspective view of the washing machine with the lid open Front view of the washing machine with the lid open External front view with the liquid agent tank removed from the tank accommodating part in Figure 4 Schematic diagram showing the location of the automatic liquid dispensing device of the same washing machine Exploded perspective view of the washing machine's liquid tank A vertical cross-sectional view showing the housing state of the liquid agent tank and tank housing part of the same washing machine. Schematic diagram showing the connection between the automatic liquid dosing device and the liquid tank of the same washing machine (a) Front view of the filter in the liquid tank of the same washing machine, (b) Side view of the filter in the liquid tank of the same washing machine Vertical cross-sectional view of the same washing machine with the liquid tank drawer accommodated Vertical cross-sectional view of the same washing machine with the drawer part of the liquid tank pulled out Front view of the washing machine with the liquid tank drawer pulled out Timing chart showing the washing machine's maintenance course A flowchart showing the process related to the air venting function of the washing machine.

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

(Embodiment 1)
Embodiment 1 will be described below using FIGS. 1 to 15.

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

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

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

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

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

A rear space 119 is provided at the rear of the upper frame 102 to accommodate an automatic liquid injection device 130 and the like. The rear space 119 will be described later.

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

The upper part of the water tank 106 is covered by a water tank cover 107. A portion of the aquarium cover 107 is open, and an inner lid 108 is provided to cover the opening so as to be openable and closable. Before a washing operation, the user opens the lid 103 and the inner lid 108 and throws the laundry into the washing/dehydration tank 109.

(Component configuration housed in the rear space)
FIG. 4 is an external front view of the washing machine according to the first embodiment with the lid opened, and FIG. 5 is an external front view of the washing machine in FIG. 4 with the liquid agent tank removed from the tank accommodating section.

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

As shown in FIG. 5, a tank accommodating portion 131 having a substantially box shape and opening forward is provided at the left rear portion of the upper frame 102. As shown in FIG. A softener tank 140b is removably housed on the left side of the tank housing part 131, and a detergent tank 140a is housed on the right side of the tank housing part 131, respectively. The front sides of the detergent tank 140a and the softener tank 140b are exposed to the laundry input port 104, and the user can visually check the detergent tank 140a and the softener tank 140b with the lid 103 open. A liquid agent automatic injection device 130 is disposed behind the softener tank 140b and the detergent tank 140a.

The detergent container 121 is housed inside the manual detergent input section 120 so as to be able to be pulled out. The user can perform laundry by pulling out the detergent container 121 and putting detergent inside. The water injection hose 122 connects the manual detergent injection part 120 and the rear part of the water tank cover, and supplies liquid and water to the inside of the washing and dehydrating tank 109.

A drying device (not shown) is provided behind the drying filter section 117. The drying device heats the air filtered by the drying filter section 117 and blows hot air to the laundry stored in the washing/spin-drying tank 109 via a drying air hose 118 attached to the water tank cover 107. do.

(Liquid automatic dosing device)
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the position of the automatic liquid injection device of the washing machine according to the first embodiment.

The liquid agent automatic dosing device 130 includes a tank accommodating section side connection section 132 and an automatic dosing drive section (not shown) that sucks the liquid agent from the tank accommodating section side connection section 132 and discharges it. As shown in FIG. 6, the liquid agent automatic dosing device 130 is connected to a liquid agent tank 140 via a tank accommodating section side connection section 132, and is also connected to the detergent manual dosing section 120. The automatic dosing driver sucks the liquid stored in the liquid tank 140 and sends it to the manual detergent dosing unit 120 through a path within the automatic liquid dosing device 130 .

(Tank housing part)
The tank accommodating portion 131 is formed as a substantially box-shaped space that opens toward the laundry input port 104. On the surface of the tank accommodating part 131 into which the detergent tank 140a and the softener tank 140b are inserted, tank accommodating part side connection parts 132 for detergent and softener are respectively provided. The tank accommodating part side connection part 132 is formed to be convex toward the front.

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

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

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

As shown in FIG. 7, the tank body 141 is formed of a transparent material such as resin into a substantially box shape with an open top. The front surface of the tank body 141 is covered with a decorative plate 142 of the same color as the upper frame 102, giving a uniform appearance. Further, an opening 143 is formed in the center of the decorative board 142, and the portion exposed through the opening 143 of the tank body 141 serves as a transparent window 144. The user can visually check the inside of the tank body 141 through the transparent window 144 with the lid 103 open. The transparent window 144 and the decorative board 142 are formed flush with the upper frame 102 when the detergent tank 140a is accommodated in the tank accommodating portion 131.

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

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a state in which the liquid agent tank and the tank accommodating portion of the washing machine according to the first embodiment are accommodated.

As shown in FIG. 8, an upwardly convex claw 137 is formed on the bottom surface of the tank accommodating portion 131. On the other hand, a groove 146 is formed in the bottom of the tank body 141 at a position facing the claw 137 when the detergent tank 140a is accommodated in the tank accommodating portion 131. The rear surface of the claw 137 comes into contact with the groove 146 when the detergent tank 140a is housed in the tank accommodating part 131, and locks the tank body 141 in the tank accommodating part 131. The engagement between the claw 137 and the groove 146 can be released only by lifting the detergent tank 140a upward.

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

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

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

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

The suction pipe portion 154 communicates with the cylinder portion 151 and extends obliquely toward the vicinity of the inner bottom surface of the tank body 141. The suction pipe section 154 is provided for sucking up the liquid agent when the liquid level of the liquid agent stored in the tank body 141 is lower than the tank storage section side connection section 132. By providing the suction pipe portion 154, it becomes possible to install the tank body 141 below the automatic liquid injection device 130, and the degree of freedom in design is improved.

A filter 155 is disposed at the inner bottom of the tank body 141 so as to cover the suction pipe section 154. The filter 155 is formed in an inverted L shape and is configured to abut against the inner surface and inner bottom surface of the tank body 141 in the transverse direction.

As shown in FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b), the filter 155 is formed in a lattice shape with substantially square holes 155a lined up at equal intervals. Ribs 155b are formed on the front surface of the filter 155 so as to protrude beyond the holes 155a from the upper surface to the lower surface.

(Summary of liquid guide section)
FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the washing machine according to Embodiment 1 in which the drawer part of the liquid agent tank is accommodated, and FIG. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of the washing machine in which the drawer part of the liquid agent tank is pulled out. FIG. 13 is an external front view of the washing machine with the drawer portion of the liquid agent tank pulled out.

The liquid agent guide section 160 in this embodiment includes a drawer section 161 that guides the liquid agent, and a drawer receiving section 162 that is attached to the upper part of the tank body 141 and slides on the drawer section 161. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the drawer part 161 is configured to be able to be pulled out in the front and rear directions relative to the drawer receiver 162, and the front surface of the drawer part 161 accommodates the drawer part 161 in the drawer receiver 162. In this state, it is flush with the upper frame 102. When the user places his or her finger on the finger rest 169 and pulls the drawer 161 forward, the sliding portion 161a provided in the drawer 161 and the rail portion 162b formed in the drawer receiver 162 move in the front-rear direction. The drawer portion 161 is slid and pulled out from the drawer receiving portion 162.

The liquid agent guide portion 160 creates a space below the front of the drawer portion 161 by pulling the drawer portion 161 forward when the user replenishes the liquid. Thereby, the user can hold the opening of the commercially available detergent container near the drawer part 161 and gradually tilt the container to pour the detergent into the drawer part 161. By configuring the drawer to be pulled out in this way, the user can adjust the amount of detergent flowing down from the mouth of the bottle and the position at which the detergent flows down, making it difficult for the detergent to spill.

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

A liquid agent input port 171 that opens into the inside of the tank body 141 is arranged behind the second inclined surface 170, and the liquid agent input port 171 communicates the inside and outside of the tank body 141. Drawer part 1
When the filter 61 is pulled forward, the filter 155 is arranged so as to be behind the liquid inlet 171, and the detergent flowing down from the liquid inlet 171 is configured so as not to fall onto the horizontal surface of the filter 155. . As a result, the detergent flowing down from the liquid agent input port 171 falls on the inner bottom surface of the tank body 141 and flows into the inside of the filter 155 from the front side of the filter 155.

Further, the lowest scale provided on the scale display 145 is a lower limit display 145a. The lower limit display 145a is used as a guide when removing the detergent tank 140a and cleaning the inside. The lower limit display 145a is such that the detergent remaining inside the suction pipe section 154 and the amount of detergent stored up to the lower limit display 145a together equals the amount of detergent consumed by executing one washing operation. configured. By providing the lower limit display 145a in consideration of the amount of detergent remaining inside the suction pipe portion 154, it is possible to reduce the amount of detergent that is discarded when cleaning the inside of the tank body 141. Further, the lower limit display 145a is arranged at a higher position than the lower end of the suction pipe section 154, thereby preventing air from entering from the lower end of the suction pipe section 154.

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

(Washing operation with automatic loading operation)
The washing operation when the automatic loading function is turned on will be explained. The user opens the lid 103, throws laundry into the washing and dehydrating tub 109 through the laundry input port 104, and operates the operation display section 105 to turn on the power. Next, the user operates the operation display section 105 to select various courses and starts the washing operation. The automatic loading operation will be described below by taking the detergent tank 140a as an example, but the automatic loading operation in the softener tank 140b is also the same.

First, a cloth amount detection operation is performed to detect the amount of laundry that has been thrown in, and the control device 114 calculates a reference liquid suction time T1 according to the detected amount of laundry, and automatically injects the liquid into the automatic liquid loading device 130. Start the action.

When the automatic injection operation starts, the automatic injection drive section is driven to suck the detergent stored in the detergent tank 140a during the reference liquid agent suction time T1. As described above, the check valve 152 is open when the detergent tank 140a is accommodated in the tank accommodating portion 131. Therefore, the liquid agent is sucked into the automatic liquid agent dosing device 130 via the liquid agent tank side connection part 150 and is discharged into the interior of the manual detergent dosing section 120. The control device 114 opens the water supply valve and injects water into the path in the automatic liquid injection device 130 through which the discharged liquid has passed. The injected water washes away the path through which the liquid has passed, reaches the detergent manual input section 120, dissolves the detergent in the detergent manual input section 120, and is supplied into the washing/dehydration tank 109 via the water injection hose 122. Ru. When a predetermined amount of water has been supplied, the washing process begins. When a series of steps in the set course is completed, the washing operation ends.

(Care course)
FIG. 14 is a timing chart showing a washing machine maintenance course in the first embodiment.

The user operates the operation display section 105 to turn on the power. When the amount in the detergent tank 140a or the softener tank 140b is below a predetermined level (for example, the liquid level is below the lower limit display 145a), the user can select a detergent tank maintenance course or a softener tank maintenance course using the operation display unit 105. Select and start driving. Here, the cleaning course for the detergent tank 140a will be explained as an example, but the operation of the cleaning course for the softener tank is also substantially the same.

As shown in FIG. 14, when the care course starts, a water supply process is performed in which water is supplied to the washing and dehydrating tank 109 to a level at which the pulsator 110 is completely immersed in water. Next, the control device 114 performs a forced discharge process in which the automatic dosing drive section 133 is driven for a predetermined period of time, and the detergent remaining in the liquid agent tank side connection section 150 and the tank storage section side connection section 132 is sucked out, and the detergent is also used as a washing machine. It is discharged into the dehydration tank 109. At this time, since water stored in the water supply process is present in the washing and dehydrating tank 109, the discharged detergent falls onto the water surface and does not adhere to the washing and dehydrating tank 109 or the pulsator 110. Note that the predetermined time in the discharge operation is set such that the predetermined time for the cleaning course for the detergent tank 140a is longer than the predetermined time for the cleaning course for the softener tank 140b. When a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the forced discharge stroke ends, the lid 103 is locked by the lid locking portion 116, and the draining stroke begins.

In the draining process, the drain valve is opened and the water in the washing and dehydrating tank 109 containing the detergent discharged in the forced discharge process is drained. When the draining process is completed, the lid lock portion 116 is unlocked. The user can remove the detergent tank 140a from the tank accommodating part 131 and clean the inside of the detergent tank 140a.

When cleaning of the inside of the detergent tank 140a is completed, the user fills the detergent tank 140a with a predetermined amount of cleaning liquid and inserts it into the tank accommodating portion 131. The cleaning liquid for cleaning is tap water, an aqueous solution of citric acid, or the like. When the user operates the operation display section 105 with the detergent tank 140a housed in the tank accommodating section 131, cleaning with the cleaning liquid is started.

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

When the cleaning liquid discharging process is completed, the lid 103 is locked by the lid locking part 116 and the draining process begins, and the drain valve is opened to discharge the cleaning liquid in the washing and dewatering tank 109. When the draining process is completed, the lid lock portion 116 is unlocked and the care course is completed. When the care course is completed, the user can pull out the drawer receiving part 162 and replenish the detergent tank 140a with detergent.

(air release function)
The liquid agent tank side connecting portion 150 is bent into an inverted L shape, and communication between the inside and the outside is blocked by a check valve 152 in the cylindrical portion 151 . Therefore, before the liquid agent is supplied to the tank body 141, or when the liquid level falls below the lower end of the suction pipe section 154, the inside of the suction pipe section 154 is filled with air. When the liquid is supplied to the tank body 141 with the suction pipe section 154 filled with air, the specific gravity of the air is lighter than that of the liquid, so even if the liquid level exceeds the lower end of the suction pipe section 154, the air and the liquid do not mix. cannot be replaced. Therefore, the liquid agent will be injected up to the upper limit indicator 172a of the tank body 141 while the inside of the suction pipe section 154 remains filled with air, and air will be sucked in and discharged during the next automatic injection operation. Become. Then, during the next automatic dosing operation, a smaller amount of liquid than the prescribed amount will be dispensed, making it impossible to obtain the intended effect of the liquid. Therefore, when it is estimated that the inside of the suction pipe section 154 is filled with air, an air purge function is performed to suck in the volume of air in addition to the predetermined input amount.

The suction pipe section 154 is filled with air when the automatic loading operation is performed for the first time after shipment from the factory, when the automatic loading operation is performed for the first time after using a maintenance course, or after the washing machine 100 is transferred. Possible cases include when performing an automatic loading operation for the first time. In the present embodiment, it is estimated whether or not the inside of the suction pipe section 154 is filled with air based on the history of past driving conditions stored in a driving condition storage section (not shown).

When the washing machine 100 performs the automatic loading operation for the first time after being shipped from the factory, the past operating history is not stored in the operating status storage unit because the washing machine 100 has never performed an automatic loading operation in the past. If the past driving situation is not stored in the driving situation storage section, the control device 114 estimates that the intake pipe section 154 is filled with air.

After using the maintenance course, the history of using the maintenance course is stored in the driving status storage section. The control device 114 determines from the history of past operating conditions whether or not a maintenance course was performed during the previous operation of the liquid agent automatic injection device 130. The control device 114 estimates that the inside of the suction pipe section 154 is filled with air if the maintenance course was carried out when the liquid agent automatic injection device 130 was operated last time.

When the washing machine 100 is transferred from a previous user, it is assumed that the washing machine 100 is transferred with the tank body 141 of the washing machine 100 cleaned and the operating status storage unit initialized. When the driving situation storage section is initialized, no past driving history is stored in the driving situation storage section. Therefore, it is presumed that the inside of the suction pipe section 154 is filled with air, similar to when the automatic closing operation is performed for the first time after shipment from the factory.

(Processing related to air venting function)
FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing processing related to the air venting function of the washing machine in the first embodiment.

The user operates the operation display section 105 to turn on the power. The user puts the laundry into the washing/dehydration tank 109 from the laundry input port 104 and closes the inner lid 108 and the lid 103. The user operates the operation display section 105 to select various courses and starts the washing operation. At the start of the washing operation, processing related to the air venting function is started. Hereinafter, the processing related to the air venting function will be explained using the detergent tank 140a as an example, but the processing related to the air venting function in the softener tank 140b is also the same.

When the washing operation is started, a cloth amount detection operation is performed to detect the amount of loaded laundry, and the control device 114 calculates the amount of water according to the detected amount of laundry (S01). Next, the control device 114 calculates a reference liquid agent suction time T1 according to the calculated amount of cloth (S02). Next, the control device 114 refers to the driving situation storage unit and determines whether there is a history of past driving situations (S03). If there is no history of automatic injection operations performed in the past (S03, Yes), the control device 114 adds the empty suction time T2 to the reference liquid agent suction time T1 to determine the liquid agent suction time T (S06).

Note that the empty suction time T2 in this embodiment is a predetermined time set in consideration of the capacity of the suction pipe section 154. After determining the liquid agent suction time T, the control device 114 ends the process related to the air venting function and starts the liquid agent suction operation. The liquid agent suction operation is as described above.

In S03, if there is a history of automatic dosing operations performed in the past (S03, No), whether or not a maintenance course was performed during the previous operation of the automatic liquid dosing device 130 is stored in the operating status storage unit. Judgment is made based on the history of past driving conditions. If this is the first operation after implementing the maintenance course (S04, Yes), the control device 114 adds the dry suction time T2 to the reference liquid suction time T1 to determine the liquid agent suction time T (S06). After determining the liquid agent suction time T, the process related to the air purge function is completed and the liquid agent suction operation is started.

In S04, if the maintenance course was not performed when the automatic liquid dispenser 130 operated last time, it is determined that this is not the first operation after the maintenance course (S04, No), and the liquid suction time T is set as the reference liquid. The suction time is determined to be T1 (S05). After determining the liquid agent suction time T, the process related to the air purge function is completed, and liquid agent suction is started.

(effect, etc.)
As described above, in the present embodiment, washing machine 100 includes outer frame 101, upper frame body 102 disposed above outer frame 101, and water tank 106 disposed inside outer frame 101. A washing/dehydration tank 109 formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom and rotatably disposed inside the water tank 106, and a liquid agent tank 140 that is housed in a tank accommodating portion 131 formed in the upper frame 102 and stores liquid. , a liquid agent automatic injection device 130 that sucks liquid stored in a liquid agent tank 140 and supplies it to a washing and dehydrating tank 109, and a control device 114. The liquid agent tank 140 has a liquid agent tank side connection part 150 that connects the liquid agent automatic input device 130 and the inside of the liquid agent tank 140, and the control device 114 estimates that the inside of the liquid agent tank side connection part 150 is empty. In this case, the automatic liquid injection device 130 is driven for a period of time to aspirate enough liquid to almost fill the liquid agent tank side connection part 150 with the liquid.

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

As in the present embodiment, the liquid agent tank side connecting portion 150 is fixed to the side surface of the liquid agent tank 140 at a position higher than the bottom of the liquid agent tank 140, and the liquid agent tank side connecting portion 150 is fixed to the inner bottom surface of the liquid agent tank 140. It may be formed so as to extend toward the other direction.

As in the present embodiment, the control device 114 is provided with a driving condition storage section that stores past driving conditions, and the control device 114 determines whether the inside of the liquid agent tank side connection section 150 is empty based on the driving condition stored in the driving condition storage section. It may be estimated that

Thereby, it is possible to estimate the situation in which the interior of the liquid agent tank-side connection section 150 becomes empty from the past operating conditions. Therefore, it is possible to easily estimate that the inside of the liquid agent tank side connection part 150 is empty without installing a new component such as a sensor in the washing machine 100.

As in the present embodiment, the control device 114 may estimate that the inside of the liquid agent tank-side connection section 150 is empty when the automatic liquid agent dispensing device 130 performs a washing operation for the first time.

As in the present embodiment, the control device 114 is provided with an operation status storage unit that stores past operation statuses, and the control device 114 drives the liquid agent automatic injection device 130 in a state where the cleaning liquid for cleaning is stored in the liquid agent tank 140. The control device 114 is configured to be able to carry out a care course in which cleaning liquid is sucked and discharged, and the control device 114 starts the washing operation using the liquid agent automatic injection device 130 after carrying out the care course based on the operating condition stored in the operating condition storage unit. When performing this for the first time, it may be assumed that the inside of the liquid agent tank side connection section 150 is empty.

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

Therefore, other embodiments will be illustrated below.

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

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

In the first embodiment, the manual detergent injection section 120 has been described as an example of a place where the liquid agent discharged from the automatic injection drive section is sent. Furthermore, it has been explained that the liquid agent fed into the manual detergent injection section 120 is poured into the washing and dehydrating tank 109 together with water via the water injection hose 122. The liquid agent discharged from the automatic injection drive unit only needs to reach the tank unit eventually, so the location where the liquid agent is sent is not limited to the above. For example, the detergent may be fed between the washing/dehydration tank 109 and the water tank 106 without passing through the manual detergent injection section 120. Alternatively, the liquid agent fed into the manual detergent injection section 120 may be poured into the space between the washing and dehydrating tank 109 and the water tank 106 together with water.

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

In Embodiment 1, as an example of a method for estimating that the inside of the liquid agent tank side connection part is empty, a driving situation storage unit that stores past driving conditions is provided, and the driving situation stored in the driving situation storage unit is We have explained how to estimate based on The method for estimating that the inside of the liquid agent tank side connection part is empty is based on the driving status stored in the driving status storage unit, since it is sufficient to be able to estimate that the inside of the liquid agent tank side connection part is empty. Not limited to. For example, if a detection part is installed in the liquid tank to detect the liquid level, and the detected liquid level falls below the lower end of the connection part on the liquid tank side, the inside of the connection part on the liquid tank side will be empty during the next automatic dosing operation. It can be assumed that there is. Furthermore, if attachment or detachment of the liquid agent tank is detected and the liquid agent tank is removed, it may be assumed that the inside of the liquid agent tank side connection portion is empty in the next automatic injection operation.

The present disclosure is applicable to a washing machine equipped with an automatic liquid dispenser. Specifically, the present disclosure is applicable to vertical washing machines, drum washing machines, two-tub washing machines, and the like.

100 Washing machine 101 Outer frame (casing)
102 Upper frame (casing)
103 Lid 104 Laundry slot 105 Operation display section 106 Water tank 107 Water tank cover 108 Inner lid 109 Washing/dehydration tank 110 Pulsator 112 Motor 114 Control device 115 Balancer 116 Lid lock section 117 Dry filter section 118 Hose for dry air 119 Rear space 120 Detergent manual injection part 121 Detergent container 122 Water injection hose 130 Liquid agent automatic dosing device 131 Tank storage part 132 Tank storage part side connection part 134 Connection part protection rib 137 Claw 138 Bottom notch of storage part 140 Liquid agent tank 140a Detergent tank 140b Softener tank 141 Tank body 142 Decorative board 143 Opening 144 Transparent window 145 Scale display 145a Lower limit display 146 Groove 147 Tank body grip part 150 Liquid agent tank side connection part 151 Cylindrical part 152 Check valve 154 Suction pipe part 155 Filter 155a Hole 155b Rib 160 Liquid agent guide part 161 Drawer part 162 Drawer receiving part 166 First inclined surface 169 Finger rest part 170 Second inclined surface 171 Liquid agent inlet

Claims (5)

A casing, a water tank disposed inside the casing, a washing/dehydration tank rotatably disposed inside the water tank, a liquid agent tank accommodated in a tank housing section for storing liquid, and the liquid agent. a liquid injection device that sucks liquid stored in a tank and supplies it to the water tank or the washing and dehydration tank,
The liquid agent tank has a liquid agent tank side connection part that removably connects the liquid agent input device and the inside of the liquid agent tank,
The liquid agent input device has a liquid agent input device side connection portion that protrudes in the horizontal direction and connects to the liquid agent tank side connection portion,
The inner bottom surface of the liquid agent tank is located below the connection part on the side of the liquid injection device,
The liquid agent tank side connection portion includes a cylindrical portion that is provided at the height of the liquid injection device side connection portion and is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the horizontal direction, and a cylindrical portion that extends from the cylindrical portion toward the inner bottom surface of the liquid agent tank. and a suction pipe section that is provided inside the cylindrical section, which closes the liquid tank side connection part when it is not pushed in, and is pushed into the liquid tank side connection part by being pushed in by the liquid tank side connection part. and a check valve for opening the washing machine. comprising a control device , and a cloth amount detection unit that detects the amount of laundry inside the washing and dehydration tank,
When the liquid level detection unit detects that the liquid level of the liquid tank has fallen below the lower end of the liquid tank side connection part, or when the attachment/detachment detection unit detects that the liquid tank is attached or detached, the control device During the automatic dosing operation, suction is applied to the liquid dosing device for a time that is the sum of the first liquid suction time and the second suction time, which is the amount to be put in according to the amount of cloth detected by the cloth amount detection section. The washing machine according to claim 1, which is operated. comprising a control device, a storage unit that stores a history of operating conditions , and a cloth amount detection unit that detects the amount of laundry inside the washing and dehydrating tub,
The control device is configured to perform an automatic liquid injection operation for the first time based on the history of the operating conditions stored in the storage unit, or to drive the liquid injection device to suck and discharge cleaning liquid for cleaning. When performing the automatic liquid dispensing operation for the first time after carrying out the maintenance course, the first liquid suction time is the amount of input corresponding to the amount of cloth detected by the cloth amount detection section during the automatic liquid dispensing operation. 2. The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid agent feeding device is caused to perform a suction operation for a time period obtained by adding a second suction time to the time period. The washing machine according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the second suction time corresponds to a capacity of air that can fill the suction pipe section. Any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the liquid agent injection device side connection part is located inside the cylindrical part in a state where it is connected to the liquid agent tank side connection part, and the check valve is pushed in and opened. The washing machine described in paragraph 1.