JP7469825B2 - washing machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a washing machine.

Conventionally, washing machines such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 below have been provided. The washing machine in Patent Document 1 includes a drum rotatably arranged in a water tub, a motor for rotating the drum, a water supply valve for supplying water into the water tub, a drain valve for draining water from the water tub, an air duct connected to an outlet and an inlet in the water tub, a blower fan for blowing air into the water tub through the air duct, a mist generator for generating mist, a heater for heating the air blown into the water tub, and a controller for controlling the washing operation. This washing machine performs a tub cleaning operation for cleaning the water tub and drum under the control of the controller, and during the tub cleaning operation, air heated by the heater and mist generated by the mist generator are supplied into the water tub.

JP 2020-14703 A

However, the washing machine of Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it has to have a complicated configuration to perform the tub cleaning operation. Specifically, the washing machine of Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which mist is generated in the mist generating section, heated air (heated air) is generated by a heater, and the mist and heated air are each supplied into the water tub by operating the blower fan. In this way, the washing machine of Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it has to have a complicated operation and configuration to clean the water tub and the washing and spin-drying tub.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a washing machine that has a simple structure and can keep the washing tub hygienic.

The washing machine of the present invention, which is provided to solve the above-mentioned problems, is characterized by having a washing tub including a water tub and a rotating tub rotatably arranged within the water tub, a water supply unit that supplies water to the water tub, a heater that heats the water supplied to the water tub, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the water heated by the heater, a storage unit that can store the water supplied by the water supply unit so that the heater is submerged, and a control unit that performs a maintenance operation to rotate the rotating tub while heating the water stored in the storage unit with the heater.

The washing machine of the present invention can perform a maintenance operation to generate steam by heating the water supplied by the water supply unit and stored in the storage unit with the heater, while rotating the rotating tub to distribute the steam throughout the washing tub. Therefore, the washing machine of the present invention can increase the internal temperature and humidity of the washing tub approximately uniformly by performing a maintenance operation. This can suppress the occurrence and proliferation of mold in the washing tub. In addition, the washing machine of the present invention generates steam by operating a heater submerged in the storage unit, and can ensure the amount of steam required for the maintenance operation with a simple configuration and minimize the time required for steam generation. Maintenance operation can be performed smoothly without requiring complex operations or configurations as in the washing machines of the prior art. Therefore, according to the present invention, a washing machine can be provided that has a simple configuration and can maintain the washing tub hygienically.

The present invention provides a washing machine that has a simple configuration and is capable of keeping the washing tub hygienic.

1 is a perspective view showing a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the washing machine shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a perspective view showing a water tub, a spin tub, and an exhaust side communication part of an air blowing path provided in the washing machine of FIG. 1 . FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the members shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from a different angle. FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing the attachment state of a heating unit, a temperature sensor, and a storage unit to a water tank, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the attachment position of the heating unit, etc. in the water tank shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a heat generating portion and a temperature sensor. 1 is a perspective view showing a portion forming an intermediate portion of an air blowing path and an intake side communicating portion, as well as a filter device and a hot air supply portion, etc., associated therewith. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the members shown in FIG. 7 as viewed from a different angle. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a hot air supply unit and its surroundings provided in the washing machine of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control unit. 10 is a flowchart showing an operation flow of a maintenance operation.

Hereinafter, a washing machine 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the basic configuration of the washing machine 10 will be described first, and a detailed description of the outline of the configuration will be provided separately for parts that require a detailed description, and parts that require further explanation will be described in detail after the outline description. In addition, the description of the positional relationship such as up, down, left, right, etc. is based on the state in which the washing machine 10 is normally installed, unless otherwise specified.
<Overall configuration of washing machine 10>

As shown in FIG. 1, the washing machine 10 is a so-called drum-type washing machine. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the washing machine 10 includes, inside the housing 12, a washing tub 20 including a water tub 30 and a rotating tub 40, an air blowing path 50, a hot air supply section 70, a water supply and drainage section 80, a filter section 100, a control section 110, and the like. The basic configuration of the washing machine 10 will be described in detail below.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the housing 12 houses the water tub 30, spin tub 40, air passage 50, hot air supply section 70, water supply and drainage section 80, filter section 100, etc. that constitute the washing machine 10. The housing 12 has a front surface 12a, a back surface 12b, a left side surface 12c, a right side surface 12d, a top surface 12e, and a bottom surface 12f, and is shaped like a substantially rectangular parallelepiped that is long in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 12 has an opening/closing section 14 on the front surface 12a. The opening/closing section 14 may have a door that is substantially circular in front view, as in the illustrated example. The opening/closing section 14 is supported so as to be openable and closable, for example, by a hinge provided at the end on the side (left side in the illustrated example) when viewed from the front surface 12a. The opening/closing section 14 also has a lock mechanism 18 (see FIG. 10) on the opposite side to the hinge. The housing 12 also has an operation panel section 16 on the front surface 12a side, on the top surface 12e side. The operation panel section 16 is located above the opening/closing section 14. The operation panel section 16 is provided with a power switch, a switch for selecting a washing mode, etc., a display section, etc.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the washing tub 20 has a water tub 30 and a rotating tub 40 housed therein. The washing tub 20 also includes a heating section 22, a temperature sensor 24, a storage section 26, etc.

The water tub 30 is accommodated and supported in the housing 12 by a suspension structure such as a damper. The water tub 30 is cylindrical, with one axial end open and the other end closed. The water tub 30 is arranged inside the housing 12 with its axis extending from the front side to the back side of the housing 12 and opening to the front side. That is, the water tub 30 is arranged so that it opens at a position corresponding to the opening and closing part 14 provided on the front side 12a of the housing 12. The water tub 30 is connected by piping to the water supply and drainage part 80 (water supply part 82 and drainage part 84) which will be described later in detail. As a result, the water tub 30 can store water supplied from the outside by the water supply part 82 inside the water tub 30, and can discharge water inside the water tub 30 to the outside via the drainage part 84. The water tub 30 is equipped with a washing tub intake part 32 and a washing tub exhaust part 34.

The washing tub intake section 32 is provided at a position on the front 12a side of the water tub 30. In this embodiment, the water tub 30 has a gasket 36 on the front 12a side, and the washing tub intake section 32 is provided on this gasket 36. The washing tub exhaust section 34 is provided at a position on the rear 12b side of the water tub 30. The water tub 30 is connected to the air blowing path 50, which will be described later, via the washing tub intake section 32 and the washing tub exhaust section 34. This allows the water tub 30 to introduce air flowing through the air blowing path 50 from the washing tub intake section 32 on the front 12a side and exhaust it from the washing tub exhaust section 34 on the rear 12b side. Note that the washing tub intake section 32 is provided on the gasket 36, and a configuration in which air is sucked into the rotating tub 40 has been described as an example, but it may also be configured to blow air into the rotating tub 40 via the washing tub intake section 32.

The rotating tub 40 is a tub accommodated in the water tub 30 so as to be rotatable. The rotating tub 40 is cylindrical and has a bottom. The rotating tub 40 is arranged so as to open at a position corresponding to the opening/closing part 14 provided on the front surface 12a of the housing 12, like the water tub 30. Therefore, the washing machine 10 is capable of putting laundry into and taking out of the rotating tub 40 by opening the opening/closing part 14. The rotating tub 40 is rotatably driven by a rotating tub drive part 42 (see FIG. 10) consisting of a drive machine such as a motor arranged at the rear of the water tub 30. The rotating tub 40 has a plurality of openings on its periphery that communicate the inside and outside. Therefore, the washing machine 10 can introduce water into the rotating tub 40 by storing water in the water tub 30. The washing machine 10 can also discharge water from the rotating tub 40 by draining water from the water tub 30.

As shown in FIG. 5, the heating unit 22, temperature sensor 24, and storage unit 26 are provided in the water tank 30. The heating unit 22 is disposed in a space formed between the inner circumferential surface of the water tank 30 and the outer circumferential surface of the rotating tank 40. The heating unit 22 is disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the water tank 30, at a position on the bottom surface 12f side inside the housing 12, in a state of being housed inside the storage unit 26 described later. As a result, the heating unit 22 is disposed in a portion where water is preferentially stored when water is introduced inside the water tank 30. For convenience, the heating unit 22 and the temperature sensor 24 are illustrated as in FIG. 5(a), but they may be disposed by changing the longitudinal direction of the heating unit 22 as long as they are in the direction along the generatrix direction of the water tank 30.

As shown in FIG. 6, the heat generating section 22 is formed by bending a heater 22a that generates heat when electricity is applied. The heater 22a is, for example, a PTC heater. The heat generating section 22 has a terminal section 22b on the base end side of the heater 22a. The heat generating section 22 is arranged so that its longitudinal direction is oriented along the bus line direction of the water tank 30.

The temperature sensor 24 is disposed near the heat generating portion 22. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the temperature sensor 24 is provided so as to protrude from the terminal portion 22b of the heat generating portion 22 in the same direction as the heater 22a. This makes it possible to measure the temperature near the heater 22a.

The storage section 26 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the water tank 30, at a position on the bottom side inside the housing 12. As shown in FIG. 5(b), the storage section 26 accommodates the heater 22a of the heat generating section 22 described above, and is capable of storing water supplied to the inside of the water tank 30 by the water supply section 82. The storage section 26 is sized to accommodate the heater 22a of the heat generating section 22. In this embodiment, the heater 22a is provided in the middle of the storage section 26 in the height direction. Therefore, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5(b), when water is stored up to the water level that fills the storage section 26, the heater 22a is completely submerged.

The size (capacity) of the storage section 26 may be changed as appropriate according to the washing capacity of the washing machine 10. The storage section 26 may have a capacity in the range of 1.0 [L] to 2.5 [L], and more preferably in the range of 1.5 [L] to 2.0 [L]. The storage section 26 is arranged so that its longitudinal direction faces the direction along the bus line of the water tub 30, similar to the heat generating section 22. The storage section 26 is sized so that the heater 22a of the heat generating section 22 can be submerged by storing water inside. The heater 22a of the heat generating section 22 is positioned and fixed at the middle position in the height direction of the storage section 26. In addition, the storage section 26 is provided with a drain hole (not shown) and a valve (not shown). Therefore, water can be stored in the storage section 26 when performing a maintenance operation described in detail later, and the water can be drained after the maintenance operation is completed to suppress the growth of mold, etc.

2 and 3, the airflow path 50 is a path for blowing air from the washing tub exhaust section 34 of the water tub 30 to the washing tub intake section 32 outside the water tub 30. That is, as shown by the dashed arrows in Figs. 3, 7, and 8, the airflow path 50 is a path for blowing air from the washing tub exhaust section 34 of the water tub 30 on the upstream side to the washing tub intake section 32 of the water tub 30 on the downstream side in the airflow direction. By blowing air through the airflow path 50, an airflow can be generated inside the water tub 30 from the front side to the back side. The airflow path 50 can be roughly divided into three parts, the exhaust side communication section 52 (communication section), the middle section 54, and the intake side communication section 56, from the upstream side (the washing tub exhaust section 34 side) to the downstream side (the washing tub intake section 32 side) in the airflow direction outside the water tub 30.

The exhaust side communication part 52 is a part that communicates with the washing tub exhaust part 34 of the water tub 30. The exhaust side communication part 52 has a communication part 58 and a water receiving part 60. The communication part 58 is a passage formed to rise on the rear surface 12b side of the water tub 30. The communication part 58 is connected to the washing tub exhaust part 34 at one end side (lower end side). As a result, the communication part 58 can flow the air discharged from the washing tub exhaust part 34 in a direction from below to above. In addition, the other end side of the communication part 58 is connected to the water receiving part 60. The water receiving part 60 is for receiving water supplied by the water supply part 82 described in detail later, and for dropping the received water into the communication part 58 to clean the inner surface of the communication part 58.

The intermediate section 54 is located in the middle of the airflow direction of the airflow flowing to the washing tub intake section 32 of the water tub 30, with the washing tub exhaust section 34 of the water tub 30 on the upstream side in the airflow path 50. That is, the intermediate section 54 is a part of the airflow path 50 that is located downstream of the exhaust side communication section 52 connected to the washing tub exhaust section 34 of the water tub 30 in the airflow direction of the airflow path 50. The intermediate section 54 is located on the top surface 12e side of the water tub 30. The intermediate section 54 is arranged so as to extend from the back surface 12b side of the housing 12 to the front surface 12a side. The filter section 100, which will be described later, is arranged in the intermediate section 54. This makes it possible to remove foreign matter such as lint contained in the air passing through the airflow path 50. In addition, the middle section 54 can introduce outside air into the air passage 50 and exhaust air flowing through the air passage 50 via the outside air inlet section 140 and the inside air exhaust section 130 provided in the filter section 100.

The intake side communication part 56 is located on the downstream side of the air flow direction flowing to the washing tub intake part 32 of the water tub 30, with the washing tub exhaust part 34 of the water tub 30 on the upstream side in the airflow path 50. That is, the intake side communication part 56 is connected to the downstream side of the intermediate part 54 in the airflow path 50 and is connected to the washing tub intake part 32 of the water tub 30. The intake side communication part 56 is located on the top surface 12e side of the water tub 30, similar to the intermediate part 54. The hot air supply part 70, which will be described in detail later, is arranged in the intake side communication part 56. As a result, the air from which foreign matter has been removed by the filter part 100 in the intermediate part 54 can be heated by the heating device 74 provided in the hot air supply part 70. The intake side communication part 56 is connected to the washing tub intake part 32 at the end part.

The hot air supply unit 70 is for supplying hot air to the washing tub air intake unit 32 provided in the water tub 30. As shown in FIG. 9, the hot air supply unit 70 has an air blower 72 and a heating device 74. The air blower 72 is for forming an air flow in the air blowing path, and can be configured, for example, by a conventionally known air blower fan. The heating device 74 heats the air flowing through the air blowing path 50 by the operation of the air blower 72. The heating device 74 can be configured by a conventionally known electric heater.

2 and 3, the water supply and drainage unit 80 has a water supply unit 82 and a drainage unit 84. The water supply unit 82 has a water supply channel connected to an external water supply source and is capable of supplying water to the water tank 30. The water supply unit 82 can be, for example, capable of supplying water supplied from the water supply source directly to the water tank 30, or capable of supplying mixed water to the water tank 30 in the form of water mixed with detergent, fabric softener, etc., which are added in a separately provided input section in the middle of the water supply channel leading to the water tank 30. The drainage unit 84 has a drainage channel connected to the water tank 30 separately from the water supply unit 82. The drainage unit 84 is capable of discharging water from within the water tank 30 via the aforementioned drainage channel.

The filter section 100 is disposed in the intermediate section 54 located midway along the air flow path 50. The filter section 100 is intended to capture foreign matter such as lint contained in the air.

The control unit 110 controls the operation of the washing machine 10. The control unit 110 is electrically connected to each part of the washing machine 10 as shown in FIG. 10. This allows each part to input information to the control unit 110 and output control signals to each part from the control unit 110. Specifically, the control unit 110 is connected to each part constituting the washing machine 10, such as the above-mentioned operation panel unit 16, lock mechanism 18, rotating tub drive unit 42, heating unit 22, temperature sensor 24, hot air supply unit 70, etc. The control unit 110 is also connected to the memory unit 112, timer 114, notification unit 116, water supply control unit 118, drainage control unit 120, heat control unit 122, etc. The control unit 110 is composed of a microcomputer.

The memory unit 112 includes an EEPROM, a RAM, and the like, and is provided to store information. The memory unit 112 stores computer programs for executing processes included in various operation courses. The memory unit 112 also stores various parameters and various control flags used in executing the computer programs. The timer 114 is used in situations where time measurement is required when operating the washing machine 10, such as the operation time of a washing operation or a drying operation. The notification unit 116 is for notifying the operating state of the washing machine 10, etc. The notification unit 116 is capable of notifying the operating state of the washing machine 10, for example, by display or sound. The water supply control unit 118 and the drain control unit 120 control the supply and drainage of water to the washing tub 20, etc., by controlling the operation of valves (not shown) provided in the water supply unit 82 and the drain unit 84. The heat generation control unit 122 adjusts the output of the heat generation unit 22 by controlling the supply of electricity to the heater 22a.

The control unit 110 controls the overall operation of the washing machine 10 by executing a computer program stored in the memory unit 112. That is, the control unit 110 executes the computer program stored in the memory unit 112 based on a request received from the user via the operation panel unit 16 and detection signals received from sensors provided in each unit, including the temperature sensor 24. As a result, the control unit 110 outputs control signals to the lock mechanism 18, the heating unit 22, the rotating tub drive unit 42, the hot air supply unit 70, the timer 114, the alarm unit 116, the water supply control unit 118, the drain control unit 120, and the like, and controls the operation of each unit. As a result, the control unit 110 operates each unit to perform an operation according to the request received from the user via the operation panel unit 16.

The washing machine 10 is generally configured as described above. The operation of the washing machine 10, which is performed under the control of the control unit 110 described above, will be described below. In the following description, an overview of the operation of the washing machine 10 will be first described, followed by a detailed description of operations unique to the washing machine 10.

<<Overview of operation of washing machine 10>>
The washing machine 10 can perform an operation (washing operation) to wash and rinse the laundry placed in the spin tub 40 by supplying water to the washing tub 20 through the water supply and drainage unit 80 and rotating the spin tub 40 inside the water tub 30. In addition, the washing machine 10 can perform an operation (spin operation) to spin the laundry by rotating the spin tub 40 inside the water tub 30 with the water drained from the washing tub 20. Furthermore, the washing machine 10 can perform an operation (drying operation) to dry the laundry in the spin tub 40 by circulating hot air through the air supply path 50 connected to the water tub 30 by operating the hot air supply unit 70.

The washing machine 10 can perform each of the above-mentioned operations individually in response to a request received from a user via the operation panel unit 16, but can also perform a series of operations from washing, rinsing, spin-drying, and drying by performing each operation in a predetermined order. In addition to these operations, the washing machine 10 of this embodiment can perform a maintenance operation by rotating the spin tub 40 while generating steam inside the washing tub 20. The maintenance operation can also be performed independently of other operations, or can be performed as a series of operations following another operation (spin-drying operation in the illustrated example). The maintenance operation will be described in detail below.

<About maintenance operations>
The maintenance operation is an operation performed to keep the washing tub 20 hygienic. The maintenance operation is performed by rotating the rotating tub 40 while generating steam by operating the heating unit 22 with water stored in the storage unit 26 provided in the washing tub 20. By performing the maintenance operation, the internal temperature of the washing tub 20 can be raised substantially uniformly. In addition, in the washing machine 10, the maintenance operation is continued until the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 24 exceeds the predetermined temperature T. Specifically, the predetermined temperature T is specified to be equal to or higher than the optimum temperature in consideration of the suppression of the generation and proliferation of the causes of contamination of the washing tub 20, including fungi such as mold, from the viewpoint of suppressing contamination of the washing tub 20. In this embodiment, the predetermined temperature T is set to 50° C. or higher, assuming that mold is to be sterilized.

The rotation speed Rm of the spin tub 40 during the maintenance operation is set to be slower than the maximum rotation speed Rw, which is the maximum rotation speed of the spin tub 40 during the washing operation, rinsing operation, and spin-drying operation. The rotation speed Rm during the maintenance operation is preferably within the range of 60 to 100% of the maximum rotation speed Rw, and more preferably within the range of 70 to 90%. In this embodiment, the rotation speed Rm is set to 80% of the maximum rotation speed Rw.

The washing machine 10 performs a maintenance operation in a state where the blowing of air by the blower 72 is stopped. In addition, when the washing machine 10 performs a maintenance operation in addition to a washing operation, a spin-drying operation, a drying operation, etc., which are performed with laundry loaded in the rotating tub 40, rather than performing the maintenance operation alone, the washing machine 10 performs the maintenance operation after the operation performed with laundry loaded (hereinafter also referred to as "laundry loading operation"). In addition, the washing machine 10 performs a maintenance operation in a state where it is assumed that there is no laundry inside the rotating tub 40. In this embodiment, when performing a maintenance operation after a laundry loading operation, the opening and closing part 14 is once opened, and then the opening and closing part 14 is returned to the closed state again, it is assumed that the operation of removing the laundry from the rotating tub 40 is completed, and the maintenance operation is performed. In addition, the washing machine 10 assumes a case where the maintenance operation is started even though the laundry is not completely removed, and is configured so that, for example, the user can press the pause button to stop the maintenance operation once, remove the laundry from the rotating tub 40, and start the maintenance operation again. After the maintenance operation, the washing machine 10 controls the operation of the drainage unit 84 under the control of the drainage control unit 120 to drain the water inside the washing tub 20. After the maintenance operation, the washing machine 10 controls the control unit 110 to supply hot air from the hot air supply unit 70 to the washing tub 20 to dry the washing tub 20.

The operation of the washing machine 10 when performing a maintenance operation will be described in detail below with reference to the flowchart in Figure 11.

(Step 1)
In step 1, the control unit 110 checks whether or not there is a request to perform a maintenance operation. Specifically, the control unit 110 checks whether or not the user has set to perform a maintenance operation via the operation panel unit 16. If the control unit 110 determines that there is a request to perform a maintenance operation, it advances the control flow to step 2.

(Step 2)
In step 2, the control unit 110 checks whether the operation is set to perform the maintenance operation alone, or whether the operation is set to perform the maintenance operation in addition to the operation in which laundry is loaded into the spin tub 40 (laundry loading operation). If the operation is set to perform the maintenance operation alone, the control unit 110 advances the control flow to step 5, and if not, the control flow advances to step 3.

(Step 3)
In step 3, the control unit 110 checks whether the laundry loading operation has been completed. If the completion of the laundry loading operation is confirmed, the control unit 110 advances the control flow to step 4.

(Step 4)
In step 4, the control unit 110 checks whether the laundry has been removed from the spin tub 40. The removal of the laundry can be checked by, for example, checking whether a button operation indicating that the laundry has been removed by the user has been performed after the user has removed the laundry, detecting a weight change in the spin tub 40 using a weight sensor, or checking whether there is laundry in the spin tub 40 from the motor load (current value) when the spin tub 40 is rotated. In this embodiment, as described above, it is presumed that the operation of removing the laundry from the spin tub 40 is completed on the condition that the opening/closing unit 14 is once opened and then returned to the closed state. If it is confirmed in step 4 that the laundry has been removed, the control unit 110 advances the control flow to step 5.

(Step 5)
In step 5, the control unit 110, under the control of the water supply control unit 118, supplies water to the storage unit 26. When the amount of water supplied to the storage unit 26 reaches a predetermined amount, the heater 22a of the heat generating unit 22 becomes submerged inside the storage unit 26. When this state is reached, the control unit 110 advances the control flow to step 6.

(Step 6)
In step 6, the control unit 110, under the control of the heat generation control unit 122, energizes the heater 22a to generate heat. This starts heating the water stored in the storage unit 26. This causes steam to be formed from the water stored in the storage unit 26. Also, in step 6, the control unit 110 rotates the spin tub 40 under the control of the spin tub drive unit 42. At this time, the control unit 110 rotates the spin tub 40 at a lower rotation speed than in the case of a washing operation or the like. Specifically, the control unit 110 rotates the spin tub 40 by adjusting the rotation speed so that the rotation speed Rm in the maintenance operation is within the range of 60 to 100% of the maximum rotation speed Rw, which is the maximum of the rotation speeds of the spin tub 40 in the washing operation, rinsing operation, and spin-drying operation (in this embodiment, 80% of the maximum rotation speed Rw). This allows steam to spread to each part of the washing tub 20. Thereafter, the control unit 110 advances the control flow to step 7.

(Step 7)
In step 7, the control unit 110 checks whether the temperature t detected by the temperature sensor 24 is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature T. When it is confirmed that the detected temperature t is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature T (50° C. in this embodiment), the control unit 110 advances the control flow to step 8.

(Step 8)
In step 8, the control unit 110 stops the power supply to the heater 22a and stops the rotation of the rotating tub 40. Thereafter, the control unit 110 advances the control flow to step 9.

(Step 9)
In step 9, under the control of drain control unit 120, control unit 110 opens a valve provided in drain unit 84 to drain water from washing tub 20. This causes moisture produced by the steam generated in step 6 to be discharged from washing tub 20. Thereafter, control unit 110 closes the valve under the control of drain control unit 120, and the control flow proceeds to step 10.

(Step 10)
In step 10, the control unit 110 operates the hot air supply unit 70 to supply hot air to the washing tub 20 and dry the washing tub 20. When the supply of hot air to the washing tub 20 continues for a predetermined time or longer and the washing tub 20 is assumed to be dry, the control unit 110 stops the hot air supply unit 70. This completes a series of control flows.

The washing machine 10 described above has the following configuration and is effective in solving various problems in the prior art.

(1) The washing machine 10 of this embodiment is characterized by having a washing tub 20 including a water tub 30 and a rotating tub 40 rotatably arranged within the water tub 30, a water supply unit 82 that supplies water to the water tub 30, a heater 22a that heats the water supplied to the water tub 30, a temperature sensor 24 that detects the temperature of the water heated by the heater 22a, a storage unit 26 that can store the water supplied by the water supply unit 82 so that the heater 22a is submerged, and a control unit 110 that performs a maintenance operation to rotate the rotating tub 40 while heating the water stored in the storage unit 26 with the heater 22a.

In the washing machine 10 of this embodiment, the water supplied by the water supply unit 82 and stored in the storage unit 26 is heated by the heater 22a to generate steam, while the rotating tub 40 is rotated to distribute the steam to each part of the washing tub 20. Therefore, the washing machine 10 of this embodiment can increase the internal temperature and humidity of the washing tub 20 approximately uniformly by performing the maintenance operation. In addition, in the washing machine 10 of this embodiment, the maintenance operation is continued until the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 24 exceeds the predetermined temperature T. In this way, the washing machine 10 of this embodiment can suppress the occurrence and proliferation of mold by performing the maintenance operation to reliably bring each part of the washing tub 20 into a high temperature and high humidity (high humidity and heat) state. In addition, the washing machine 10 of this embodiment generates steam by operating the heater 22a submerged in the storage unit 26, so that the amount of steam required for the maintenance operation can be secured with a simple configuration, and the time required for steam generation can be minimized. Therefore, the washing machine 10 of this embodiment can maintain the washing tub 20 hygienic while having a simple configuration.

(2) In this embodiment, the washing machine 10 continues maintenance operation until the temperature t detected by the temperature sensor 24 exceeds the predetermined temperature T.

As a result of this configuration, the washing machine 10 reliably places each part of the washing tub 20 in a high humidity and heat state during maintenance operation, thereby suppressing the occurrence and proliferation of mold.

In the above embodiment, the condition for terminating the maintenance operation is that the temperature t detected by the temperature sensor 24 exceeds the predetermined temperature T. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the washing machine 10 may continue the maintenance operation from a predetermined timing after the start of the maintenance operation until a predetermined time (e.g., 30 minutes from immediately after the start of the maintenance operation) has elapsed, or the operation time of the maintenance operation may be changed according to the room temperature (e.g., if the room temperature is low, the operation time may be longer than if the room temperature is high). In addition, as an end condition for terminating the maintenance operation, multiple conditions may be set as the end condition for the maintenance operation, for example, in addition to the temperature t detected by the temperature sensor 24 exceeding the predetermined temperature T, the operation time of the maintenance operation may exceed a predetermined time (e.g., 30 minutes).

In addition, the washing machine 10 of this embodiment has been shown as an example in which the user sets the operating conditions via the operation panel unit 16 to perform a maintenance operation, but the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, in addition to or instead of the user setting the operating conditions, the maintenance operation may be performed automatically at a predetermined timing. More specifically, the control unit 110 may count and store the number of times the washing operation has been performed, and when the number of times the washing operation has been performed reaches a predetermined number (e.g., 5 times), the maintenance operation may be performed regardless of whether or not the user has set it, or the maintenance operation may be performed automatically at a predetermined cycle (e.g., once a week).

(3) The washing machine 10 of this embodiment can perform a washing operation to wash laundry placed in the spin tub 40, a rinsing operation to rinse the laundry, and a spin-drying operation to spin-dry the laundry, and is characterized in that the control unit 110 controls the rotation speed Rm of the spin tub 40 during the maintenance operation to be slower than the maximum rotation speed Rw, which is the maximum of the rotation speeds of the spin tub 40 during the washing operation, the rinsing operation, and the spin-drying operation.

By adopting this configuration, the steam generated by heating the water supplied by the heater 22a can be distributed approximately evenly inside the washing tub 20, enhancing the sterilization effect.

In this embodiment, the rotation speed Rm of the rotating tub 40 during the maintenance operation is controlled to be slower than the maximum rotation speed Rw, but the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, for example, in cases where steam can be distributed approximately evenly inside the washing tub 20 without setting the rotation speed Rm to be slower than the maximum rotation speed Rw, or in cases where other configurations are provided for distributing steam to each part of the washing tub 20, the rotation speed Rm may be set to be approximately the same as the maximum rotation speed Rw.

(4) The washing machine 10 of this embodiment has an air blowing section (air blowing device 72) capable of blowing air into the washing tub 20, and the maintenance operation is performed in a state in which the air blowing section (air blowing device 72) is stopped from blowing air.

The washing machine 10 of this embodiment does not need to operate the air blower 72 to send heated air or humidified air as in the conventional technology, so there is no need to provide a complex configuration or operational control required for performing maintenance operations.

In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the maintenance operation is performed with the blower 72 stopping blowing air, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the blower 72 may be configured to blow air as necessary.

When performing the above-mentioned maintenance operation, if laundry that has been washed or otherwise left inside the rotating tub 40, there is a concern that the sterilization effect of the maintenance operation will be reduced.

(5) Based on this knowledge, the washing machine 10 of this embodiment has an opening/closing unit 14 that opens and closes the laundry inlet to the spin tub 40, and the maintenance operation is performed after the washing operation, rinsing operation, and spin-drying operation that are performed with laundry loaded into the spin tub 40, on the condition that the opening/closing unit 14 is opened and then returned to the closed state.

With this configuration, the washing machine 10 is configured as described above, so that maintenance operation can be prevented from being performed with laundry still in the spin tub 40. This can further improve the cleaning and sterilization effects of the maintenance operation.

In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the opening/closing unit 14 is opened once, and then the operation of removing laundry from the spin tub 40 is assumed to be completed when the opening/closing unit 14 is returned to the closed state, and a maintenance operation is performed, but the present invention is not limited to this.

Specifically, the washing machine 10 may perform a maintenance operation after confirming that the laundry has been removed by, for example, detecting a change in weight of the spin tub 40 using a weight sensor. The washing machine 10 may also perform a combination of the above-mentioned methods to confirm that the laundry has been removed. For example, the washing machine 10 may determine that the operation of removing the laundry from the spin tub 40 is completed and perform a maintenance operation on the condition that the opening/closing unit 14 is once opened, the weight sensor confirms that the weight of the spin tub 40 has decreased, and the opening/closing unit 14 is then returned to the closed state. The washing machine 10 may also output a sound, a display, or the like prior to the maintenance operation to notify the user to remove the laundry. Note that if the maintenance operation is started despite the laundry not being completely removed, the user may press the pause button to stop the maintenance operation, remove the laundry from the spin tub 40, and then start the maintenance operation again.

(6) The washing machine 10 of this embodiment is characterized in that the maintenance operation is performed after the rinse operation, which rinses the laundry placed in the spin tub 40.

The washing machine 10 of this embodiment can perform a maintenance operation after the rinsing operation that rinses the laundry removes detergent residue that can be a source of contamination for the washing tub. This can further enhance the cleaning and sterilizing effects of the washing tub 20 by the maintenance operation.

When the washing machine 10 performs a rinse operation immediately before a maintenance operation, it is recommended that the rinse operation be performed using warm water. Furthermore, when performing rinse operations multiple times (e.g., twice), it is recommended that at least the rinse operation performed before the maintenance operation be performed using warm water. In this case, by using warm water in the temperature range of 30°C to 60°C, it is possible to select warm water at an appropriate temperature according to the type of clothes, fabric characteristics, etc., and it is also possible to start the maintenance operation with the temperature and humidity inside the washing tub 20 increased, which further enhances the cleaning and sterilizing effects of the washing tub 20 by the maintenance operation.

In addition, if a spin-dry operation is performed after the washing and rinsing operations are completed, and then a maintenance operation is performed, it is recommended that the spin-dry operation be performed while supplying warm air to the washing tub 20. This allows the maintenance operation to be started with the temperature and humidity inside the washing tub 20 already increased by air that is at a temperature higher than room temperature, further enhancing the cleaning and sterilizing effects of the washing tub 20 by the maintenance operation.

If moisture remains inside the washing tub 20 after the above-mentioned maintenance operation is performed, it may cause new mold to grow.

(7) Based on this knowledge, the washing machine 10 of this embodiment is designed to drain the water inside the washing tub 20 after the maintenance operation.

This configuration prevents moisture from remaining inside the washing tub 20 after maintenance operations, suppressing the growth of new mold.

(8) In addition, the washing machine 10 of this embodiment has a hot air supply unit 70 that can supply hot air to the washing tub 20, and is characterized in that hot air is supplied from the hot air supply unit 70 to the washing tub 20 after a maintenance operation.

With this configuration, the hot air supplied from the hot air supply unit 70 can promote drying of the washing tub 20. This prevents moisture from remaining inside the washing tub 20 after the maintenance operation, and suppresses the growth of new mold.

In this embodiment, the example is shown in which water is drained from the washing tub 20 after the maintenance operation and hot air is supplied to the washing tub 20 from the hot air supply unit 70 after the maintenance operation, taking into consideration the occurrence of mold due to moisture remaining inside the washing tub 20 after the maintenance operation, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the washing machine 10 may omit either or both of draining water from the washing tub 20 and supplying hot air to the washing tub 20 from the hot air supply unit 70 after the maintenance operation. In addition, if both draining water from the washing tub 20 and supplying hot air to the washing tub 20 are not performed, it is desirable to provide other configurations so that the occurrence of mold due to moisture remaining in the washing tub 20 can be suppressed. In addition, instead of heating air by the heating device 74 in the hot air supply unit 70 and supplying it as hot air, the heating device 74 may not be operated and only the blower device 72 may be operated to supply air at about room temperature to the washing tub 20.

Here, it is believed that the lint generated during the washing operation of the washing machine 10 can be a breeding ground for the growth and proliferation of mold. Therefore, in addition to performing maintenance of the washing tub 20 with steam during the maintenance operation of the washing machine 10, it is recommended that an operation for removing the lint be performed. Furthermore, by removing the lint prior to the maintenance operation, the cleaning effect and sterilization effect of the washing tub 20 by the maintenance operation can be further improved.

(9) Based on the above findings, the washing machine 10 of this embodiment has an air blowing section capable of blowing air into the washing tub 20 and a communication section 58 that is connected to the exhaust side of the washing tub 20, and it is preferable to allow water to flow from the water supply section 82 to the communication section 58 before a maintenance operation.

With this configuration, lint adhering to the communication part 58 can be washed away with water before the maintenance operation, further enhancing the cleaning and sterilizing effects of the washing tub 20 during the maintenance operation.

In addition, when lint is washed away by flowing water through the communication part 58 as described above, it is advisable to provide an electrode for generating ozone in the water supply part 82, so that ozone water of a predetermined concentration (preferably 0.3 ppm to 1.5 ppm, more preferably 0.5 ppm to 1.0 ppm) can be generated at the same time as water is passed through the electrode, and the ozone water can be supplied to the communication part 58. This makes it possible to more effectively suppress the occurrence and proliferation of mold in the communication part 58.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and variations, and other embodiments may be possible within the scope of the claims, based on the teachings and spirit of the invention. The components of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily selected and combined. Any component of the embodiment may also be arbitrarily combined with any component described in the means for solving the invention or any component that embodies any component described in the means for solving the invention. We intend to obtain rights to these as well through amendments to this application or divisional applications, etc.

This invention can be used effectively in washing machines in general.

10: Washing machine 14: Opening/closing section 16: Operation panel section 20: Washing tub 22a: Heater 24: Temperature sensor 26: Storage section 30: Water tub 40: Rotating tub 58: Communication section 70: Hot air supply section 72: Air blower 74: Heating device 82: Water supply section 110: Control section Rm: Rotation speed Rw: Rotation speed T: Predetermined temperature t: Detected temperature

Claims (6)

A washing tub including a water tub having a washing tub exhaust part and a washing tub intake part, and a rotating tub rotatably provided in the water tub;
A water supply unit that supplies water to the water tank;
a heater for heating the water supplied to the water tank;
a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the water heated by the heater;
a reservoir capable of storing water supplied by the water supply unit so that the heater is submerged;
a control unit that executes a maintenance operation in which the water stored in the storage unit is heated by the heater to generate steam and rotate the rotating tub; and
A blower capable of blowing air to the washing tub;
a blowing path through which the air blown out by the blowing unit flows, the blowing path being a path from the washing tub exhaust part to the washing tub intake part;
A communication part communicating with an exhaust side of the washing tub is included in the air blowing path,
the water is caused to flow from the water supply section to the communication section before the rotation of the spin tub is started during the maintenance operation. A washing tub including a water tub having a washing tub exhaust part and a washing tub intake part, and a rotating tub rotatably provided in the water tub;
A water supply unit that supplies water to the water tank;
a heater for heating the water supplied to the water tank;
a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the water heated by the heater;
a reservoir capable of storing water supplied by the water supply unit so that the heater is submerged;
a control unit that executes a maintenance operation in which the water stored in the storage unit is heated by the heater to generate steam and rotate the rotating tub; and
A blower capable of blowing air to the washing tub;
a blowing path through which the air blown out by the blowing unit flows, the blowing path being a path from the washing tub exhaust part to the washing tub intake part;
A communication part communicating with an exhaust side of the washing tub is included in the air blowing path,
The washing machine is characterized in that water is caused to flow from the water supply part to the communication part before the maintenance operation. The communication portion is connected to a water receiving portion,
3. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the water supplied by the water supply section is received in the water receiving section, and the water received in the water receiving section is caused to flow into the communication section. The water supply section is provided with an electrode for generating ozone,
4. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein ozone water is supplied to the communication part by generating ozone water simultaneously with passing water through the electrode. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein water inside the washing tub is drained after the maintenance operation. A hot air supply unit capable of supplying hot air to the washing tub,
The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein hot air is supplied from the hot air supply unit to the washing tub after the maintenance operation.

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