JPS644798B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

The present invention relates to a fully automatic washing machine that improves the cleaning effect by providing an effective pre-soaking process before the main washing process. Traditionally, the process of a washing machine can be roughly divided into two stages: sudden main washing (so-called normal washing),
In most cases, the process begins with stirring under the appropriate load, appropriate amount of water, and appropriate detergent concentration, followed by a rinsing process and dehydration, completing the entire process. By the way, the washing mechanism in a washing machine is achieved by two things: the agitation power generated by the rotation of the rotor blades - this is mechanical cleaning power - and the chemical cleaning power of the detergent. If you want to wash clothes without damaging them as much as possible, it is better to increase the weight of the chemical cleaning power of the detergent. However, simply increasing the detergency of detergents is not desirable because it is accompanied by adverse effects such as rough skin on hands, pollution due to deterioration of wastewater quality, and increased detergent costs. For this reason, recently, a small number of fully automatic washing machines have been proposed in which a pre-soaking process is installed before the main washing process, and the main washing process is started after soaking in water or detergent solution for a certain period of time. It's starting to be done. However, even if they are pre-soaked with a detergent solution of the same concentration as the main washing, or the water level is lowered during pre-soaking and pre-soaked with a concentrated detergent solution, it is possible to use a washing/dehydration tank (hereinafter referred to as Since the washing tank (called a washing tank) is stopped and the clothes to be washed are circulated using rotary blades, there is not enough water, so the washing tank and the clothes to be washed come into contact with each other, causing damage to the clothes. In view of the current situation, the present invention improves the above-mentioned pre-soaking process, uses the same detergent as before, and maintains the same amount of detergent required for one wash as before, while still achieving sufficient cleaning effect. It is an object of the present invention to provide a fully automatic washing machine that can be easily obtained and causes less damage to clothes. The purpose of this is to approximately double the concentration of the detergent solution by reducing the amount of water in the pre-soaking process compared to the main washing, and after the pre-soaking process, additional water is supplied to create a detergent solution with the appropriate amount of water and concentration. This is achieved by entering the main washing step and intermittently rotating the washing tank during pre-soaking. Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an example of a fully automatic washing machine according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is an outer frame, 2 is a water receiving tank, 3 is a washing tank provided with a dewatering hole 4, and 5 is a rotary blade. It is located at the bottom of the washing tank, and the rotation of the motor 6 is transmitted via a belt 7, a pulley 8, and a rotation mechanism section 9. 10 is a suspension, 11 is an operation panel equipped with an automatic time switch 12, etc.
13 is an electromagnetic drain valve, 14 is a clutch boss, 15 is a clutch lever, and 16 is a magnet for clutch operation. Here, when the clutch operation magnet 16 is not energized, the clutch boss 14 and the clutch lever 15 are engaged, and the rotation of the motor 6 is transmitted to the rotary blade 5, and when energized, the clutch boss 14 and the clutch lever 15 are engaged. is disengaged, and a clutch spring (not shown) in the rotating mechanism section 9 winds and engages with the dehydration shaft to rotate the washing tub 3. 17 is the air trap, from here air hose 1
8 and 19, pressure switch 2 for pre-soaking water level setting
The pressure is transmitted to the main washing water level setting pressure switch 21 and the main washing water level setting pressure switch 21 to control the respective water levels. Reference numerals 22 and 23 are knobs for adjusting the water level of the pressure switches 20 and 21, respectively, on the operation panel 1.
The user can adjust the water level from one section. In addition, 24 indicates the water level set at a high level during main washing, and 25 indicates the water supply level for the pre-soaking process, but each water level is set so that it can be adjusted slightly from this water level. Basically, the water level 25 during pre-soaking is set lower than the water level 24 during main washing. It is shown that when the washing tank 3 is rotated in the pre-soaking process, the water surface changes as shown by the water surface 26. Next, the operation of the fully automatic washing machine of the present invention described above will be explained. First of all, when washing the automatic time switch 1.
2 is the position (or course) where the pre-soaking process starts
and start from the pre-soaking process. At this time,
Pour clothes and detergent equivalent to the appropriate concentration for conventional washing (concentration of 0.14% of general detergent for the amount of water used for conventional washing). The stage before the pre-soaking process is water supply, and the water supply at this time is controlled by a pressure switch 20 for setting the pre-soaking water level, and the water supply stops at a point considerably lower than the water level during the subsequent main washing. Therefore, if the water level at this time is set to 1/2 of the water level during main washing, the detergent concentration in this pre-soaking process will be approximately twice that during main washing. Here, at the beginning and middle of the presoaking process,
The clutch operation magnet 16 and the motor 6 are energized to rotate the washing tank 3. This means that the detergent is sufficiently dissolved and distributed all over the clothes and deep inside, usually for a few seconds (5 to 6 seconds).
When the water is rotated (second), a water surface 26 as shown in FIG. By repeating this ON-OFF cycle several times (creating water levels 25 and 26 several times), the detergent molecules will penetrate well into the clothes. Note that the water level 25 at this time is set low, so water will not overflow, and since the washing tank is rotated, clothes will not be damaged even if the water level is low. The pre-soaking process is usually set for 1 to 3 hours, and the washing tank rotation is repeated several times at the beginning and intermediate points during this period. During this time, the detergent solution is allowed to penetrate well into the stains that are difficult to remove with the main wash (usually about 10 minutes), creating a base that can be removed sufficiently with the next main wash. After this pre-soaking process, proceed to the main washing. Water supply for main washing starts at the beginning of this process, and additional water is supplied from the water level of the pre-soaking process to the so-called normal washing water level. At this time, press the pressure switch 21 for setting the main washing water level.
The water level is controlled by the water level set by the pressure switch 21. Then, when the main washing water level is reached, the motor 6 rotates (at this time, the clutch operation magnet 16 is not energized), and the original washing is performed by rotating the rotary blade. At this time, the detergent concentration has reached its original concentration. Although an example has been shown in which two pressure switches are used to control the water level, if a control means such as a water level sensor is used, it is also possible to control the pre-soaking water level and the main washing water level with one sensor. In this way, the main washing is completed, draining, dehydrating,
The washing process is completed after rinsing and dehydration. The table shows the water level in the washing tank for each process above.
This table summarizes the detergent concentration, stirring by rotary blades, rotation of the washing tank, etc.

[Table] Figure 2 is a graph of the experimental results of the cleaning effects of each washing method, with the vertical axis representing the degree of cleaning and the horizontal axis representing the pre-soaking time. In this case, b indicates the case where the main washing was performed after pre-soaking with the same detergent concentration as the main washing, and c indicates the case where the main washing was performed after pre-soaking with twice the detergent concentration during the main washing. There is. As is clear from this experimental result, in the case of c,
That is, the best cleaning effect can be obtained using the present invention. Regarding the cleaning power of detergents, please refer to detergents (surfactants)
The mechanism is that the molecules adsorb and penetrate the dirt, causing the dirt to swell, emulsify, and fall off.At this time, if the concentration of the detergent is high, the swelling and emulsifying power will become stronger, making it easier for the dirt to fall off during the subsequent main washing. This makes it easier. In addition, in the present invention, the amount of water during pre-soaking is small and stirring is not performed as during main washing, but in pre-soaking, it is sufficient that the detergent penetrates into the stain and swells, so as described above. Turning the washing tank from time to time is sufficient to accomplish the purpose. In recent years, the types of stains have become more complex due to changes in dietary habits, and it has become clear that they are no longer simply separated into organic or inorganic stains, but include inorganic stains, oil stains, protein stains, etc. ,
It has become impossible to solve the problem simply by increasing mechanical cleaning power. In order to deal with such situations, the washing machine of the present invention maximizes the chemical cleaning power of the detergent, so it can sufficiently deal with complex stains such as those mentioned above, and it can also be used in a single wash. The amount of detergent used for washing is the same as before, so you can avoid rough skin on your hands.
Since the washing tank is rotated during pre-soaking without causing any negative effects such as pollution due to deterioration of the water quality of the wastewater or increase in detergent costs, it has excellent effects such as less damage to clothes.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a fully automatic washing machine showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a graph showing the experimental results of the cleaning effects of various washing methods. 1...Outer frame, 2...Water tank, 3...Washing and dewatering tank,
4... Dehydration hole, 5... Rotating blade, 6... Motor, 12... Automatic time switch, 17... Air trap, 18,
19...Air hose, 20,21...Pressure switch,
22, 23...Water level adjustment knob.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A rotatable washing and dehydrating tank, a stirring device for stirring the clothes to be washed, an automatic water supply device that automatically supplies water into the washing and dehydrating tank, and an automatic programming device, the automatic programming device In accordance with the program, the washing and dehydration tank is supplied with water at a pre-soaking level, and the clothes to be washed are immersed for a certain period of time in the highly concentrated detergent solution obtained by the water supply, and the washing and dehydration tank is intermittently operated. A rotationally driven pre-soaking process, a process of supplying additional water to the washing/dehydrating tank after the specified period of time to raise the water level from the pre-soaking water level to the main washing water level, and a detergent solution with an appropriate concentration obtained by the additional water supply. A fully automatic washing machine characterized in that a main washing process in which the clothes to be washed are agitated by the agitation device, and a normal rinsing and dehydration process after the main washing are sequentially performed automatically.