KR200341200Y1 - Ion elution unit, device mounting the ion elution unit, and washing machine mounting the ion elution unit - Google Patents

Abstract

The ion eluting unit of the present invention generates metal ions by applying a voltage between the electrodes. Strainers are disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side of the electrode. The strainer provided in the water supply valve of the washing machine also serves as the upstream strainer of the ion elution unit. A water feed valve is comprised by the main water feed valve which set the flow volume large, and the sub water feed valve which set the flow volume small, and an ion elution unit is arrange | positioned in the feed water path | route which continues to a main water feed valve.

Description

ION ELUTION UNIT, DEVICE MOUNTING THE ION ELUTION UNIT, AND WASHING MACHINE MOUNTING THE ION ELUTION UNIT}

The present invention relates to an ion eluting unit for eluting metal ions having an antibacterial effect in water, and a device for adding and using metal ions generated by the ion eluting unit to water. The device relates in particular to a washing machine.

When washing in a washing machine, it is often done to add a finishing substance to water, in particular rinsing water. Common finishing materials are softeners and glues. In addition, in recent years, the necessity of the finishing process which gives antibacterial property to laundry is increasing.

It is preferable that laundry washes sundry from a sanitary viewpoint. In recent years, however, there has been an increase in the number of households where no one is at home all day long due to the improvement of the employment rate of women and the progress of nuclear family. In these homes, it is inevitable to rely on indoor drying. Even in homes where someone is at home all day, they are allowed to dry indoors during rainy weather.

In the case of indoor drying, bacteria and mold are more likely to propagate in laundry compared to sun drying. This tendency is remarkable when it takes time to dry laundry, such as during high humidity or low temperature, such as during the rainy season. If you breed a lot, your laundry may smell strange. For this reason, in the household which is forced to dry indoors routinely, there is a strong request to perform antibacterial treatment on fabrics in order to suppress the growth of bacteria and mold.

In recent years, the clothing which gave antibacterial deodorization process and the disinfection process to a fiber is increasing. However, it is difficult to equip all the textile products in a home with the antibacterial deodorization process. Moreover, the effect of antibacterial deodorization process falls as washing is repeated.

Thus, the invention has been devised to antibacterial laundry laundry every time. For example, JP-A-5-74487 discloses an electric washing machine equipped with an ion generating device that generates metal ions having sterilizing power such as silver ions and copper ions. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-93691 describes a washing machine in which a cleaning liquid is sterilized by generation of an electric field. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-276484 discloses a washing machine equipped with a silver ion addition unit for adding silver ions to washing water.

The present invention is an ion eluting unit used to obtain metal ions having an antibacterial action. An ion eluting unit which can be used without damaging the electrode and which does not affect the downstream side even if the electrode is insufficient due to fall. It aims to provide. In addition, by adding and using the metal ions generated by the ion eluting unit to water, the adverse effects caused by bacterial propagation can be avoided, and the ion eluting unit can be operated efficiently without damaging the ion eluting unit. An object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine. In addition, by installing an ion eluting unit upstream of the detergent chamber in which the detergent is mixed with water, water containing the detergent does not pass through the ion eluting unit, and the scale due to the detergent component is attached to the electrode, thereby degrading the performance of the ion eluting unit. It is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine so as not to cause.

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, the ion eluting unit is configured as follows. That is, in the ion eluting unit which generates metal ions by applying a voltage between the electrodes, a strainer is arranged upstream of the electrode. According to this configuration, even if solid foreign matter exists in the water supplied to the ion elution unit, the foreign matter is trapped by the strainer and does not reach the electrode. Therefore, the foreign matter does not damage the electrodes, and there is no short circuit between the electrodes with the foreign matter and excessive current flows or there is no shortage of metal ions.

Moreover, in this invention, the ion eluting unit was comprised as follows. That is, in the ion eluting unit which generates metal ions by applying a voltage between the electrodes, a strainer is disposed downstream of the electrode. According to this configuration, even if the electrode is worn out or weakened due to prolonged use, the fragments may be folded and spilled, and the fragments are captured by the strainer and do not flow downstream. Therefore, the debris of the electrode does not damage the article on the downstream side.

In the present invention, the ion eluting unit was configured as follows. That is, in the ion eluting unit which generates metal ions by applying a voltage between the electrodes, a strainer is disposed upstream and downstream of the electrode. According to this configuration, even if solid foreign matter exists in the water supplied to the ion elution unit, the foreign matter is trapped by the upstream strainer and does not reach the electrode. Therefore, the foreign matter does not damage the electrodes, and there is no short circuit between the electrodes with the foreign matter, and excessive current flows or there is no shortage of metal ions. In addition, even if the electrode wears or becomes weak due to prolonged use, the fragments may be folded and the fragments may leak out. However, the fragments are captured by the strainer and do not flow downstream. Therefore, the debris of the electrode does not damage the article on the downstream side.

In the present invention, the above-described ion eluting unit is mounted in an apparatus, and the metal ions generated by the ion eluting unit are added to water and used. According to this configuration, since the metal ion produced by the ion eluting unit can be added to water and used, for example, when the machine is a washing machine, the laundry is antibacterial treated with metal ions to prevent the growth of bacteria or mold, and the generation of odors is prevented. Can also be prevented. If the appliance is a dishwasher, the hygiene can be enhanced by antibacterial treatment of the dish with metal ions. If the device is a humidifier, it can prevent the growth of bacteria and algae in the water in the water tank, and the spores of bacteria and algae can be scattered in the air, preventing the person who inhales it from causing infection or allergic symptoms. . In such a device, when a strainer is disposed upstream of an electrode, even if a solid foreign matter exists in the water supplied to the ion elution unit, the foreign matter is trapped by the strainer and damages the electrode, or between the electrodes. The ion eluting unit can be stably operated in the apparatus without shorting out. In the case where the strainer is disposed downstream of the electrode, even if the electrode is worn or weakened due to prolonged use, the fragment may be folded and the fragments may leak out, but the fragments are captured by the strainer and do not flow downstream. . Therefore, the debris of the electrode does not damage the article on the downstream side.

In the present invention, in the device configured as described above, the device is assumed to be a washing machine. According to this configuration, foreign matter contained in the water or debris of the electrode adheres to the laundry, thereby preventing the laundry from being contaminated or damaged. In addition, dehydration drying is performed while foreign matter or debris of the electrode is attached, so that a person who wears the laundry does not come into contact with foreign matter or debris and feel uncomfortable or injured.

In the present invention, the apparatus is configured as follows. That is, in an apparatus in which an ion eluting unit is applied to generate a metal ion by applying a voltage between the electrodes, and the metal ion generated by the ion eluting unit can be added to and used in water, The ion elution unit was connected to the downstream side, and the strainer provided in the water feed valve was combined with the upstream strainer of the ion elution unit. According to this configuration, intrusion of foreign matter into the ion elution unit is also prevented by a strainer that prevents foreign matter from entering the water supply valve. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately prepare a strainer for arranging upstream of the ion elution unit, so that the configuration of the device can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

In the present invention, in the device configured as described above, the device is assumed to be a washing machine. According to this configuration, foreign matter enters from the water supply valve and does not damage the water supply valve itself or the ion eluting unit downstream thereof. Foreign matter contained in the water or debris of the electrode adheres to the laundry so that the laundry is not contaminated or damaged. In addition, dehydration drying is performed in a state in which foreign matter or debris of the electrode is attached, so that a person who wears it subsequently touches the foreign matter and feels uncomfortable or injured.

In the present invention, the device is configured as follows. That is, in the apparatus which mounts the above-mentioned ion elution unit in an apparatus, and makes it possible to add and use the metal ion produced | generated by this ion elution unit to water, the main water supply path with a large flow volume and the sub water supply with a small flow volume to an apparatus The path was set and the ion eluting unit was placed in the main water feed path. According to this configuration, since the water flow with a large flow rate and the water flow with a small flow rate can be distinguished and used as needed in an apparatus, a water flow with a large flow rate flows to an ion elution unit, and it carries metal ions. Ions do not return back to an electrode. Therefore, the ion elution unit can be operated efficiently.

In the present invention, in the apparatus configured as described above, the apparatus is assumed to be a washing machine. According to this configuration, a large flow rate and a small flow rate can be used as needed, and a large flow rate flows in the ion elution unit to carry metal ions, so that the metal ions are returned to the electrode. There is nothing to do. Therefore, the metal ions required for antibacterial treatment of laundry can be efficiently generated.

In the present invention, the apparatus configured as described above and the washing machine further include a detergent chamber and a finisher compartment in a water supply port for watering the washing tank, and water from the main water supply path is stored in the detergent chamber. It was assumed that water from the sub water feed passage was introduced into the finishing chamber. According to this configuration, the path for injecting the metal ions into the washing tank and the path for injecting the finishing agent into the washing tank are different systems, and the metal ions are brought into contact with the high concentration of the finishing agent present in the path for adding the finishing agent. It becomes a compound and does not lose antimicrobial power.

In the present invention, in the device configured as described above, the ion eluting unit includes an inlet for water at one end in the longitudinal direction of the case and an outlet for water at the other end, and the length direction of the case is substantially horizontal. It was supposed to be arranged. According to this structure, the ion elution unit and the piping of water for this can be arrange | positioned in the compact form which does not extend in a height direction.

In the present invention, the device is configured as follows. That is, a washing machine equipped with an ion eluting unit for generating metal ions by applying a voltage between the electrodes and using the metal ion generated by the ion eluting unit in water, upstream of the water inlet for injecting water into the washing tank, Further, the ion elution unit was disposed downstream of the water supply valve, and the water from the water supply valve was supplied to the water supply port via the ion elution unit, and a detergent chamber was provided at the water supply port. According to this configuration, since the ion eluting unit is located upstream of the detergent chamber in which the detergent is mixed with water, water containing the detergent does not pass through the ion eluting unit or water containing the detergent flows back from the detergent chamber side. Therefore, the detergent component does not come into contact with the electrode and adhere in the form of scale, resulting in deterioration of the performance of the ion eluting unit.

1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a model vertical cross-sectional view of a water inlet.

3 is a partial top view inside the washing machine.

4 is a top view of the ion elution unit.

5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 4; FIG.

7 is a horizontal sectional view of the ion elution unit.

8 is a perspective view of an electrode.

9 is a drive circuit diagram of an ion elution unit.

10 is a flowchart of the entire washing process.

11 is a flowchart of a washing process.

12 is a flowchart of a rinsing process.

13 is a flowchart of a dehydration process.

14 is a flow chart of the final rinse process.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

1: washing machine

10: outer box

11: top plate

12: back panel

13: base

15: laundry slot

16: cover

20: countertop

30: washing tub

31: Dewatering Hole

33: pulse generator

40: drive unit

50: water supply valve

50a: main water supply valve

50b: sub feed valve

53: water inlet

54: detergent room

55: finishing

60: drain hose

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

1 is a vertical sectional view showing the overall configuration of the washing machine 1. The washing machine 1 is fully automatic and has an outer box 10. The outer box 10 is formed in a rectangular shape by metal or synthetic resin, and its upper and lower surfaces are openings. A top plate 11 made of synthetic resin is superimposed on the top opening of the outer box 10 and screwed to the outer box 10. In FIG. 1, the left side is the front side of the washing machine 1, the right side is the back side, and the said back panel 12 made of synthetic resin was superimposed on the upper surface of the top plate 11 located in the back side, and the outer box 10 was carried out. Or fix it to the upper plate 11 with a screw. A base 13 made of synthetic resin is superimposed on the bottom opening of the outer box 10 and screwed to the outer box 10. All the screws described so far are not shown.

Four corners of the base 13 are provided with leg portions 14a and 14b for supporting the outer box 10 on the floor. The rear leg 14b is a fixed leg integrally formed with the base 13. The front leg 14a is a screw leg of variable height, which is turned to perform level adjustment of the washing machine 1.

The upper plate 11 is provided with a laundry inlet 15 for injecting laundry into a washing tank to be described later. The lid 16 covers the laundry inlet 15 from the top. The cover 16 is coupled to the hinge plate 17 to the top plate 11 to rotate in the vertical plane.

Inside the outer box 10, the washing tank 30 which serves as the water tank 20 and a dehydration tank is arrange | positioned. Both the water tank 20 and the washing tank 30 also form a cylindrical cup shape with an open top surface, and concentrically arranged in such a manner that the water tank 20 is placed outward and the washing tank 30 is placed inward with the axis being vertical. do. The suspension member 21 suspends the water tank 20. The suspension member 21 is provided in all four parts in the form which connects the lower part of the outer surface of the water tank 20 and the inner surface corner part of the outer box 10, and supports the water tank 20 so that it may oscillate in a horizontal plane.

The washing tub 30 has a circumferential wall that widens with a gentle taper upward. There is no opening in this peripheral wall except for the plurality of dewatering holes 31 arranged in an annular shape at the top thereof. That is, the washing tank 30 is a so-called "pore" type. At the corners of the upper opening of the washing tub 30, an annular balancer 32, which serves to suppress vibrations when the washing tub 30 is rotated at high speed for dewatering the laundry, is mounted. On the inner bottom surface of the washing tank 30 is arranged a pulse generator 33 for generating a flow of washing water or rinsing water in the tank.

The driving unit 40 is mounted on the lower surface of the water tank 20. The drive unit 40 includes a motor 41, a clutch mechanism 42, and a brake mechanism 43, and projects the dehydration shaft 44 and the pulse generator shaft 45 upward from the center thereof. The dehydration shaft 44 and the pulse generator shaft 45 have a double shaft structure having the dehydration shaft 44 at the outside and the pulse generator shaft 45 at the inside, and after entering the water tank 20, the dehydration shaft 44 ) Is connected to the washing tub 30 to support it. The pulse generator shaft 45 also enters the washing tub 30 and is connected to and supports the pulse generator 33. Sealing members for preventing leakage are disposed between the dewatering shaft 44 and the water tank 20 and between the pulse generator shaft 45 and the washing tank 30, respectively.

In the lower space of the back panel 12, a water supply valve 50 that is electromagnetically opened and closed is disposed. The water supply valve 50 has a connecting pipe 51 which penetrates the back panel 12 and projects upward. A water supply hose (not shown) for supplying constants such as tap water is connected to the connecting pipe 51. The water supply valve 50 supplies water to the container-type water supply port 53 provided at a position facing the inside of the washing tub 30. The water supply port 53 has the structure shown in FIG.

2 is a model vertical cross-sectional view of the water inlet 53. The water supply port 53 is open at the front side, and the drawer 53a is inserted from the opening. The inside of the drawer 53a is divided into a plurality (two left and right in the embodiment). The compartment on the left side is a detergent room 54, which is a preparation space for putting detergent. The compartment on the right side is the finishing agent room 55, and becomes a preparation space in which the finishing agent for washing is put. At the bottom of the detergent chamber 54, a water injection hole 54a which opens toward the inside of the water supply port 53 is provided. The siphon part 57 is provided in the finishing agent room 55. The water inlet 53 is a water inlet 56 in which the lower part of the drawer 53a waters the washing tub 30.

The siphon part 57 consists of an inner tube 57a which rises perpendicularly from the bottom surface of the finishing agent chamber 55, and the cap-shaped outer case 57b covered by the inner tube 57a. A gap through which water passes is formed between the inner tube 57a and the outer tube 57b. The bottom of the inner tube 57a is opened toward the bottom of the water inlet 53. The lower end portion of the exterior 57b maintains a predetermined gap with the bottom surface of the finishing agent chamber 55, and the excitation becomes an inlet of water. When water is injected into the finisher chamber 55 to a level above the upper end of the inner tube 57a, a siphon action occurs, and water is extracted from the finisher chamber 55 through the siphon portion 57, and the bottom of the water supply port 53 is provided. From there, it falls to the washing tank 30 through the water hole 56 from there.

The water supply valve 50 consists of the main water supply valve 50a and the sub water supply valve 50b. The flow rate of the main water feed valve 50a is set relatively large, and the flow rate of the sub water feed valve 50b is set relatively small. The magnitude setting of the flow rate can be realized by differentiating the internal structures of the main feed water valve 50a and the sub feed water valve 50b, and by combining the flow rate limiting members having the same structure and having different throttling ratios. You may realize it. The connection pipe 51 is common to both the main water supply valve 50a and the sub water feed valve 50b.

The main water supply valve 50a is connected to the opening of the ceiling of the water supply port 53 via the main water supply path 52a. This opening is opened toward the detergent chamber 54, so that a large flow of water flowing out from the main water supply valve 50a is injected into the detergent chamber 54 from the main water supply path 52a. The sub water feed valve 50b is connected to the ceiling opening of the water supply port 53 via the sub water feed path 52b. This opening is open toward the finisher chamber 55, so that the small flow of water flowing out from the subwater feed valve 50b is injected into the finisher chamber 55 from the subwater feed passage 52b. That is, a path for injecting the washing tub 30 from the main water supply valve 50a through the detergent chamber 54 and a path for injecting the washing tub 30 from the sub water feed valve 50b through the finishing agent chamber 55 are different from each other. to be.

In addition, in the washing machine, the water supply valve is not divided into the main water supply valve and the sub water supply valve, and the water supply port also has only a detergent chamber and there is no finishing agent chamber. In such a washing machine, all the water from the water supply valve is injected into the detergent chamber.

Returning to Fig. 1, the description will continue. At the bottom of the water tank 20, a drain hose 60 is attached to drain the water in the water tank 20 and the washing tank 30 out of the outer box 10. Water is introduced into the drain hose 60 from the drain pipe 61 and the drain pipe 62. The drain pipe 61 is connected to the site | part which shifted to the outer periphery of the bottom surface of the water tank 20. As shown in FIG. The drain pipe 62 is connected to the site | part which shifted to the center of the bottom surface of the water tank 20. As shown in FIG.

The annular partition 63 is fixed to the inner bottom surface of the water tank 20 so that the connection site | part of the drain pipe 62 may be enclosed inside. An annular sealing member 64 is attached to the upper part of the partition 63. When the sealing member 64 is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the disk 65 fixed to the bottom outer surface of the washing tub 30, an independent drainage space 66 is formed between the water tank 20 and the washing tub 30. The drainage space 66 communicates with the inside of the washing tub 30 via a drain port 67 formed at the bottom of the washing tub 30.

The drain pipe 62 is provided with a drain valve 68 that is opened and closed electromagnetically. An air trap 69 is provided at a portion corresponding to an upstream side of the drain valve 68 of the drain pipe 62. The pressure pipe 70 protrudes from the air trap 69. The water level switch 71 is connected to the upper end of the pressure pipe 70.

The control unit 80 is disposed on the front side of the outer box 10. The control unit 80 is disposed under the upper plate 11 and receives an operation command from the user through an operation / display unit 81 provided on the upper surface of the upper plate 11. 50) and an operation command to the drain valve 68. In addition, the control unit 80 issues a display command to the operation / display unit 81. The control part 80 contains the drive circuit of an ion elution unit mentioned later.

The operation of the washing machine 1 will be described. The cover 16 is opened to inject laundry into the washing tub 30 from the laundry inlet 15. The drawer 53a is taken out from the water supply port 53, and detergent is put into the detergent chamber 54 therein. The finishing agent chamber 55 is filled with a finishing agent (softener). A finishing agent (softening agent) may be put in the middle of a washing process, and it is not necessary to add it, if it is not needed. When the set of detergent and finishing agent (softener) is finished, the drawer 53a is pushed into the water supply port 53.

After preparing the preparation of the detergent and the finishing agent (softener), the lid 16 is closed and the operation button group of the operation / indicator 81 is operated to select washing conditions. Finally, when the start button is pressed, the washing process is performed according to the flowcharts of FIGS. 10 to 13.

10 is a flowchart showing the overall process of washing. In step S201, it is checked whether the reservation operation which starts washing at the set time is made. If reserved operation is selected, the flow proceeds to step S206. If no selection is made, the process proceeds to step S202.

When it progresses to step S206, it is confirmed whether operation start time reached. When the operation start time comes, the process proceeds to step S202.

In step S202, it is checked whether the washing process is selected. If a selection is made, the flow proceeds to step S300. The content of the washing process of step S300 is demonstrated separately by the flowchart of FIG. After completion of the washing process, the flow proceeds to step S203. If the washing process is not selected, the flow proceeds directly to step S203 from step S202.

In step S203, it is checked whether the rinsing process is selected. If it is selected, the flow proceeds to step S400. The contents of the rinsing step in step S400 will be described separately with the flowchart in FIG. 12. In Fig. 10, the rinsing step is performed three times, and the step numbers of each step are denoted by the detailed numbers "S400-1", "S400-2" and "S400-3". The number of times of the rinsing process can be arbitrarily set by the user. In this case, "S400-3" is the final rinsing step.

After completion of the rinsing step, the process proceeds to step S204. If no rinsing step is selected, the flow proceeds directly from step S203 to step S204.

In step S204, it is checked whether the dehydration process is selected. If so, the flow proceeds to step S500. The contents of the dehydration process of step S500 are separately explained by the flowchart of FIG. After completion of the dehydration step, the flow proceeds to step S205. If no dehydration step is selected, the flow proceeds directly to step S205 from step S204.

In step S205, the termination process of the control part 80, especially the computing device (microcomputer) contained in it, advances automatically according to the order. In addition, the completion of the washing process to inform the end sound. After finishing all, the washing machine 1 returns to the standby state in preparation for the next washing process.

Subsequently, the contents of each individual process of washing, rinsing, and dehydration will be described based on FIGS. 11 to 13.

11 is a flowchart of a washing process. In step S301, the water level data in the washing tank 30 detected by the water level switch 71 is performed. In step S302, it is checked whether the capacity sensing is selected. If it is selected, the flow proceeds to step S308. If it is not selected, the flow proceeds directly to step S303 from step S302.

In step S308, the amount of the laundry is measured by the rotational load of the pulse generator 33. After capacitive sensing, the flow advances to step S303.

In step S303, the main water feed valve 50a is opened, and water is injected into the washing tank 30 through the water supply port 53. Since the flow volume of the main water feed valve 50a is set large, the water fills the washing tank 30 promptly. The detergent contained in the detergent chamber 54 also flows without leaving a large amount of water, and is injected into the washing tank 30 in a state of being mixed with water. The drain valve 68 is closed. When the water level switch 71 detects the set water level, the main water feed valve 50a is closed. The flow then advances to step S304.

In step S304, a break-in operation is performed. The pulse generator 33 reverses rotation and stirs the laundry and the water to tame the laundry. This sufficiently absorbs water into the laundry. In addition, the air trapped in each part of the laundry is evacuated. As a result of the break-in operation, when the water level at which the water level switch 71 is detected is lower than the initial stage, the main water supply valve 50a is opened in step S305, and water is supplied to restore the set water level.

If the washing course which performs "cloth material sensing" is selected, cloth material sensing is performed with a break-in operation. After the break-in operation is performed, a change in the water level from the set water level is detected, and if the water level is lower than the prescribed value, it is determined that the cloth material is highly absorbent.

After a stable set water level is obtained in step S305, the routine advances to step S306. In accordance with the setting of the user, the motor 41 rotates the pulse generator 33 in a predetermined pattern, and forms a main water flow for washing in the washing tank 30. Washing of laundry is performed by this mainstream. Braking is applied to the dehydration shaft 44 by the brake device 43, and even if the wash water and the laundry move, the washing tub 30 does not rotate.

After the period of main water flow has passed, the process proceeds to step S307. In step S307, the pulse generator 33 is reversed little by little to loosen the laundry, so that the laundry is well distributed in the washing tank 30. This is to prepare for the dewatering rotation of the washing tub (30).

Subsequently, the contents of the rinsing step will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG. Although the dehydration process of step S500 enters initially, it demonstrates with the flowchart of FIG. After dehydration, the flow proceeds to step S401. In step S401, the main water feed valve 50a is opened to supply water to the set water level.

After water supply, the flow proceeds to step S402. In step S402, a taming operation is performed. In the breaking-in operation of step S402, the laundry adhering to the washing tank 30 is peeled off in step S500 (dehydration process), it is tamed with water, and water is fully absorbed by the laundry.

After the break-in operation, the flow proceeds to step S403. As a result of the break-in operation, when the water level detected by the water level switch 71 is lower than the original time, the main water supply valve 50a is opened to replenish water and restore the set water level.

After the set water level is restored in step S403, the flow advances to step S404. According to the setting of the user, the motor 41 rotates the pulse generator 33 in a predetermined pattern, and forms a main water flow for rinsing in the washing tank 30. Washing of laundry is performed by this main stream. Braking is applied to the dehydration shaft 44 by the brake device 43, so even if the rinsing water and the laundry move, the washing tub 30 does not rotate.

After the main water flow period has passed, the process proceeds to step S406. In step S406, the pulse generator 33 is reversed little by little to unload the laundry. As a result, the laundry is well distributed in the washing tank 30 to prepare for the dehydration rotation.

In the above description, the "water rinsing" in which rinsing water is contained in the washing tank 30 and rinsing is performed. The shower rinse may be performed by injecting water into the laundry.

In the final rinse, a slightly different sequence is executed, which will be described later in detail.

Subsequently, the contents of the dehydration step will be described based on the flowchart in FIG. First, the drain valve 68 is opened in step S501. Washing water in the washing tub 30 is drained through the drainage space (66). The drain valve 68 is open during the dehydration process.

After most of the washing water is removed from the laundry, the clutch device 42 and the brake device 43 are switched. The switching timing of the clutch device 42 and the brake device 43 may be before or at the same time as the drainage. The motor 41 this time rotates the dehydration shaft 44. Thereby, the washing tank 30 performs dehydration rotation. The pulse generator 33 also rotates at the same time as the washing tank 30.

When the washing tub 30 rotates at a high speed, the laundry is pushed to the inner circumferential wall of the washing tub 30 by centrifugal force. The washing water contained in the laundry is also concentrated on the inner wall inner surface of the washing tank 30, but as described above, since the washing tank 30 is widened upward in a tapered shape, the washing water subjected to centrifugal force forms an inner surface of the washing tank 30. Raise. The washing water arrives at the upper end of the washing tub 30 and is discharged from the dehydration hole 31. The wash water exiting the dehydration hole 31 is lowered to the inner surface of the water tank 20 and flows down to the bottom of the water tank 20 via the inner surface of the water tank 20. Then, it is discharged out of the outer box 10 through the drain pipe 61 and the drain hose 60 subsequent thereto.

In the flow of Fig. 13, the dewatering operation is performed at a relatively low speed in step S502, and then the high speed dewatering operation is performed in step S503. After step S503, the routine proceeds to step S504. In step S504, the energization to the motor 41 is cut off and a stop process is performed.

By the way, the washing machine 1 is equipped with the ion elution unit 100. The ion eluting unit 100 is connected to the downstream side of the main water supply pipe 52a. 3 to 9, the structure and function of the ion elution unit 100 and the role mounted on the washing machine 1 will be described.

3 is a partial top view showing the arrangement relationship of the water supply valve 50, the ion elution unit 100, and the water supply port 53. Both ends of the ion elution unit 100 are directly connected to the main water supply valve 50a and the water supply port 53. That is, the ion eluting unit 100 alone constitutes the entire main water feed passage 52a. The sub water feed path 52b is configured by connecting a pipe protruding from the water feed port 53 and the sub water feed valve 50b with a hose. In addition, in the model representation of FIG. 1, for convenience of description, the water supply valve 50, the ion elution unit 100, and the water supply port 53 are shown arranged in the front-back direction of the washing machine 1, but in actual washing machines, It is arranged in a form arranged along the left and right directions rather than the front and rear directions.

In the case of a washing machine in which a water supply valve is not divided into a main water supply valve and a sub water supply valve, and the water supply port has only a detergent chamber and no finishing agent chamber, simply connect the water supply valve and the water supply port via the ion elution unit 100. do.

The water supply valve 50, the ion elution unit 100, and the water supply port 53 are moved from the upstream water supply valve 50 to the downstream ion dissolution unit 100 and further upstream from the ion elution unit 100. The height is lowered little by little so that water flows into the detergent chamber 54 of the downstream water supply port 50, and from there through the water supply port 56 to the washing tank 30 in order. For this reason, water does not flow back from the detergent chamber 54 toward the ion eluting unit 100. Therefore, the detergent component does not come into contact with the electrodes 113 and 114 and adhere in the form of scale, resulting in deterioration of the performance of the ion elution unit 100.

4 to 8 show the structure of the ion elution unit. 4 is a top view. FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view. 8 is a perspective view of an electrode.

The ion eluting unit 100 has a case 110 made of transparent or translucent synthetic resin (colorless or colored) or opaque synthetic resin. The case 110 is comprised by the case main body 110a which the upper surface opened, and the cover 110b which closes the upper surface opening (refer FIG. 5). The case main body 110a has an elongated shape, and is provided with the water inlet 111 of one end in the longitudinal direction, and the water outlet 112 of the other end. Inlet 111 and outlet 112 both form a pipe. The cross-sectional area of the outlet 112 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the inlet 111.

The case 110 is arranged with the longitudinal direction in the horizontal direction, but the bottom surface of the case main body 110a arranged horizontally as described above is an inclined surface that gradually descends toward the outlet 112 (see FIG. 5). That is, the outlet 112 is provided at the lowest position in the inner space of the case 110.

The lid 110b is fixed to the case main body 110a by four screws 170 (see Fig. 4). A sealing ring 171 is sandwiched between the case body 110a and the lid 110b (see FIG. 5).

In the case 110, two plate-shaped electrodes 113 and 114 are disposed to face each other in a form corresponding to the flow of water from the inlet 111 to the outlet 112. When a predetermined voltage is applied to the electrodes 113 and 114 while water is present in the case 110, metal ions of the electrode constituent metal are eluted from the anode side of the electrodes 113 and 114. As an example, the electrodes 113 and 114 can have a structure in which a silver plate of about 2 cm × 5 cm and a thickness of about 1 mm is arranged at a distance of about 5 mm.

The material of the electrodes 113 and 114 is not limited to silver. What is necessary is just the metal used as the base of the metal ion which has antibacterial property. In addition to silver, copper, silver and copper alloys, zinc, etc. can be selected. The silver ions eluted from the silver electrode, the copper ions eluted from the copper electrode, and the zinc ions eluted from the zinc electrode exhibit excellent sterilization and mold prevention effects. Silver and copper ions can be eluted simultaneously from silver and copper alloys.

In the ion eluting unit 100, the elution / non-elution of metal ions can be selected with or without voltage application. In addition, the amount of metal ions eluted can be controlled by controlling the current or voltage application time. When compared with the method of eluting metal ions from a metal ion carrier such as zeolite, both the selection of whether or not to inject metal ions and the adjustment of the concentration of metal ions can be performed electrically.

The electrodes 113 and 114 are not arranged completely parallel. In plan view, the taper is disposed so as to narrow the gap between the electrodes toward the water flow flowing in the case 110 from the upstream side to the downstream side, in other words, from the inlet port 111 to the outlet port 112 direction. (See Fig. 7).

The planar shape of the case main body 110a also narrows toward the end where the inflow port 112 exists from the end where the inflow port 111 exists. That is, the cross-sectional area of the inner space of the case 110 gradually decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side.

The electrodes 113 and 114 are rectangular in front shape, and terminals 115 and 116 are provided, respectively. The terminals 115 and 116 are vertically descended from the lower edges of the electrodes 113 and 114, respectively, and are formed in the portion which enters inward from the electrode end on the upstream side.

The electrode 113, the terminal 115, and the electrode 114 and the terminal 116 are each integrally formed by the same metal material. The electrodes 115 and 116 are led to the bottom surface of the case body 110a through the through holes provided in the bottom wall of the case body 110a. The watertight seal 172 process is given to the site | part which the terminal 115, 116 penetrates through the case main body 110a as shown to the enlarged view in the figure of FIG. The watertight seal 172 forms a double sealing structure together with the 2nd sleeve 175 mentioned later, and prevents the leakage from here.

The insulating wall 173 which separates the terminals 115 and 116 is integrally formed in the lower surface of the case main body 110a (refer FIG. 6). The terminals 115 and 116 are connected to a drive circuit attached to the control unit 80 via a cable (not shown).

Among the terminals 115 and 116, the portion remaining in the case 110 is protected by a sleeve made of an insulating material. Two kinds of sleeves are used. The first sleeve 174 is made of synthetic resin and is fitted to the portion where the terminals 115 and 116 are attached. The first sleeve 174 has a form in which part thereof spreads to one side of the electrodes 113 and 114, and a projection is provided on the side of this portion, and a through hole in which the protrusion is provided in the electrodes 113 and 114. (See Figs. 6 and 7). As a result, the dropping of the electrodes 113 and 114 from the sleeve 174 is prevented. The second sleeve 175 is made of soft rubber and fills the gap between the first sleeve 174 and the bottom wall of the case main body 110a, and at the same time, the gap between the self and the case main body 110a and the self and the electrodes 113 and 114. Prevent leakage from gaps with

As described above, the terminals 115 and 116 are located at an upstream side of the electrodes 113 and 114, and the electrodes 113 and 114 are formed by the first sleeve 174 fitted to the terminals 115 and 116. The support is constructed in the upstream portion of the. A fork-shaped support 176 is formed on the inner surface of the lid 110b in accordance with the position of the first sleeve 174 (see FIG. 6), and this support 176 forms an upper edge of the first sleeve 174. In between, the second sleeve 175 fills the gap between the first sleeve 174 and the case body 110a, and reliably constitutes the support. The fork-shaped support portion 176 sandwiches the electrodes 113 and 114 with long and short fingers, so that the gaps between the electrodes 113 and 114 are properly maintained on the side of the lid 110b.

The downstream part of the electrodes 113 and 114 is also supported by the support part provided in the inner surface of the case 110. As shown in FIG. A fork-shaped support 177 rises vertically from the bottom wall of the case body 110a, and the fork-shaped support 178 is perpendicular to the support 177 from the ceiling surface of the lid 110b. It is descending (refer FIG. 5 and FIG. 8). The electrodes 113 and 114 are held so as not to move the lower and upper corners of the downstream portion by the support portions 177 and 178, respectively.

As shown in Fig. 7, the electrodes 113 and 114 are arranged in such a manner that a surface opposite to each other and a surface opposite to each other generate a space between the inner surfaces of the case 110. 5, the electrodes 113 and 114 are arrange | positioned so that a space may generate | occur | produce between the upper and lower edges, and the inner surface of the case 110 (contact part with the support parts 176, 177, and 178). Exceptions]. 7 and 5, there is a space between the upstream and downstream edges of the electrodes 113 and 114 and the inner surface of the case 110. As shown in FIG.

Moreover, when the width | variety of the case 110 should be made narrower, the structure which makes the surface of the electrode 113 and 114 opposite to the surface of the side opposite to each other close to the inner wall of the case 110 is also possible.

In order to prevent foreign substances from contacting the electrodes 113 and 114, a strainer made of a metal mesh is disposed on the upstream side of the electrodes 113 and 114. In the case of the embodiment, the strainer 180 is provided in the connection pipe 51 as shown in FIG. The strainer 180 is for preventing foreign matter from entering the water supply valve 50, but also serves as an upstream strainer of the ion elution unit 100.

The strainer 181 made of a metal net is arrange | positioned also downstream of the electrodes 113 and 114. FIG. Strainer 181 prevents the fragments from being folded when they are thinned by prolonged use when they are thinned. As an arrangement place of the strainer 181, the outlet 112 can be selected, for example.

The location of the strainers 180 and 181 is not limited to the above locations. As long as the conditions of "upstream side of the electrode" and "downstream side of the electrode" are satisfied, you may arrange | position in any of a water supply path | route. In addition, the strainers 180 and 181 can be removed to remove the trapped foreign matter or to clean the substance causing the blockage.

9, the drive circuit 120 of the ion elution unit 100 is shown. The transformer 122 is connected to the commercial power supply 121, and 100V is stepped down to a predetermined voltage. The output voltage of the transformer 122 is rectified by the full-wave rectifier circuit 123 and then becomes a constant voltage by the constant voltage circuit 124. The constant current circuit 125 is connected to the constant voltage circuit 124. The constant current circuit 125 operates to supply a constant current to the electrode driving circuit 150 described later regardless of the change in the resistance value in the electrode driving circuit 150.

The rectifier diode 126 is connected to the commercial power supply 121 in parallel with the transformer 122. The output voltage of the rectifying diode 126 is smoothed by the condenser 127 and then supplied to the microcomputer 130 by being a constant voltage by the constant voltage circuit 128. The microcomputer 130 controls start-up of a triac 129 connected between one end of the primary coil of the transformer 122 and the commercial power source 121.

The electrode driving circuit 150 is configured by connecting NPN transistors Q1 to Q4, diodes D1 and D2, and resistors R1 to R7 as shown. Transistor Q1 and diode D1 form photo coupler 151, and transistor Q2 and diode D2 form photo coupler 152. That is, the diodes D1 and D2 are photodiodes, and the transistors Q1 and Q2 are phototransistors.

Now, when the high level voltage is applied from the microcomputer 130 to the line L1, the low level voltage or the OFF (0 voltage) is applied to the line L2, the diode D2 is turned ON. In conjunction with this, the transistor Q2 is also turned on. When transistor Q2 is turned on, a current flows through resistors R3, R4, and R7, and a bias is applied to the base of transistor Q3, and transistor Q3 is turned on.

On the other hand, since the diode D1 is off, the transistor Q1 is off and the transistor Q4 is also off. In this state, a current flows from the electrode 113 on the anode side toward the electrode 114 on the cathode side. As a result, metal ions and anions which are cations are generated in the ion elution unit 100.

When the current flows in one direction for a long time to the ion eluting unit 100, the electrode 113 on the anode side is worn out in FIG. 9, and impurities such as calcium in water are accumulated on the electrode 114 on the cathode side as a scale. Sticks. In addition, chlorides and sulfides of the component metals of the electrode are generated on the electrode surface. Since this causes the deterioration of the ion eluting unit 100, the electrode driving circuit 150 can be operated by reversing the polarity of the electrode.

In reversing the polarity of the electrode, the microcomputer 130 switches the control so that a current flows in the reverse direction of the electrodes 113 and 114 with the voltages of the lines L1 and L2 reversed. In this case, the transistors Q1 and Q4 are turned on and the transistors Q2 and Q3 are turned off. The microcomputer 130 has a counter function and performs the above-mentioned switching every time the predetermined count number is reached.

When a situation such as a decrease in the current value flowing between the electrodes occurs due to a change in resistance in the electrode driving circuit 150, in particular, a change in resistance of the electrodes 113 and 114, the constant current circuit 125 raises the output voltage. Prevent the reduction of current. However, if the cumulative use time becomes longer, the ion elution unit 100 may reach the end of its service life, switching to the electrode cleaning mode forcibly removing impurities attached to the electrode by prolonging the polarity reversal of the electrode or having a specific polarity longer than usual. Even if the output voltage of the constant current circuit 125 is increased, the current decrease is not prevented.

Therefore, in this circuit, the current flowing between the electrodes 113 and 114 of the ion elution unit 100 is monitored by the voltage generated in the resistor R7, and when the current reaches a predetermined minimum current value, the current detection circuit means This is to be detected. The current detection circuit 160 is the current detection means. Information that the minimum current value has been detected is transmitted from the photodiode D3 constituting the photo coupler 163 to the microcomputer 130 via the photo transistor Q5. The microcomputer 130 drives the notification means via the line L3, and causes the predetermined warning notification to be made. Alert notification means 131 is the notification means. The warning notification means 131 is disposed in the operation / display section 81 or the control section 80.

In addition, in the event of an accident such as a short in the electrode drive circuit 150, current detection means for detecting that the current has become equal to or greater than a predetermined maximum current value is prepared, and the microcomputer is based on the output of the current detection means. 130 drives the warning notification means 131. The current detection circuit 161 is its current detection means. In addition, when the output voltage of the constant current circuit 125 is less than or equal to a predetermined minimum value, the voltage detection circuit 162 detects it, and the microcomputer 130 similarly drives the warning notification means 131.

The metal ions generated by the ion eluting unit 100 are charged into the washing tank 30 as follows.

Softeners used as metal ions and finishing agents are charged in the final rinse step. 14 is a flowchart showing a sequence of final rinsing. In the final rinsing, the process proceeds to step S420 after the dehydration process in step S500. In step S420, it is checked whether the input of the finishing material is selected. If "input of finishing substance" is selected in the setting operation by the operation / display unit 81, the flow proceeds to step S421. If it is not selected, the flow advances to step S401 of FIG. 12, and the final rinsing is performed in the same manner as the rinsing process up to that point.

In step S421, it is checked whether the finishing substance to be added is two kinds of metal ions and a softening agent. If "metal ions and softening agent" is selected in the setting operation by the operation / display section 81, the flow proceeds to step S422. If no selection is made, the process proceeds to step S426.

In step S422, both the main water supply valve 50a and the sub water feed valve 50b are opened, and water flows in both the main water feed path 52a and the sub water feed path 52b.

Step S422 is a metal ion elution step. A predetermined amount of water flow more than the amount set in the sub water feed valve 50b set in the main feed valve 50a flows while filling the internal space of the ion elution unit 100. At the same time, the drive circuit 120 applies a voltage between the electrodes 113 and 114 to elute ions of the electrode constituent metal in water. When the electrode constituent metal saver, in the electrode of the cathode-side Ag → Ag ^{+ +} e ^- up of the reaction in water is eluted ions (Ag ^+). The current flowing between the electrodes is a direct current. Water to which metal ions have been added enters the detergent chamber 54 and is injected into the washing tank 30 from the water inlet 54a via the water inlet 56.

A small amount of water flows out from the sub water feed valve 50b rather than from the main water feed valve 50a, and is injected into the finishing agent chamber 55 through the sub water feed path 52b. If the finishing agent chamber 55 contains a finishing agent (softener), the finishing agent (softener) is introduced into the washing tank 30 together with water from the siphon portion 57. It is co-injected with metal ions. Since the water level in the finishing chamber 55 begins to reach a predetermined height and a siphon effect occurs, the liquid finishing agent (softener) is kept in the finishing chamber 55 until the time comes to inject the water into the finishing chamber 55. Can be.

The sub water feed valve 50b is closed as a result of injecting a predetermined amount of water (or more than enough to cause a siphon action to the siphon portion 57) into the finishing chamber 55. As shown in FIG. In addition, this water injection process, that is, a finishing agent addition operation | movement is automatically performed if "the addition of a finishing agent" is selected, regardless of whether the finishing agent (softener) is contained in the finishing agent chamber 55 or not.

When a predetermined amount of the metal ion-added water is introduced into the washing tank 30, and then the metal ion non-added water is injected to the set level, it is determined that the metal ion concentration of the rinsing water reaches a predetermined value. Voltage application stops. Even after the ion eluting unit 100 does not generate metal ions, the main water feed valve 50a continues to feed water, and stops water supply when the water level inside the washing tank 30 reaches the set water level.

As described above, the metal ions and the finishing agent (softener) are simultaneously added in step S422, but this is necessarily the time when the ion eluting unit 100 generates the metal ions. This does not mean that the time spent in 30) must overlap completely. It does not matter which one shifts back and forth. After the ion eluting unit 100 stops the production of metal ions, a finish agent (softener) may be added when the metal ion non-additive water is additionally injected. In short, the addition of metal ions and the addition of a finishing agent (softener) may be performed in one sequence, respectively.

As described above, the terminal 115 is integrally formed of the same metal material with the electrode 113 and the terminal 116 with the electrode 114, respectively. For this reason, unlike the case where the other metal parts are joined together, a potential difference does not arise between an electrode and a terminal, and corrosion does not arise. Furthermore, by integrating, the manufacturing process can be simplified.

The space | interval of the electrodes 113 and 114 is set to taper type so that it may become narrow from an upstream side to a downstream side. For this reason, when an electrode wears with the flow of water, and a plate | board thickness becomes thin, it is hard to produce a chatter vibration, and it is hard to produce a defect. In addition, there is no fear of excessive deformation and short-circuit.

The electrodes 113 and 114 are supported in a form that creates a space between the inner surfaces of the case 110. For this reason, the metal layer grows from the electrodes 113 and 114 to the inner surface of the case 110, and does not cause a short circuit phenomenon between the other electrodes.

Although the terminals 115 and 116 are integrated with the electrodes 113 and 114, it is inevitable that the electrodes 113 and 114 wear with use, but it is difficult to wear the terminals 115 and 116. In the present embodiment, the portions of the terminals 115 and 116 located in the case 110 are protected by sleeves 174 and 175 made of an insulating material, so that wear due to energization is reduced. This prevents the situation where the terminals 115 and 116 are folded during use.

In the electrodes 113 and 114, the site | part in which the terminals 115 and 116 are provided is a site | part which entered inward from the upstream end part. The electrodes 113 and 114 wear away from the part where the space | interval narrowed mutually. The wear of the end portion is also fast, but the terminals 115 and 116 are upstream of the electrodes 113 and 114, but are not entirely end portions, and are provided at a portion that enters from the inside thereof. The situation that the terminal is reached and the terminal is folded from the source is completed without concern.

The upstream sides of the electrodes 113 and 114 are supported by the first sleeve 174 and the support 176. The downstream side of the other electrodes 113 and 114 is supported by the support parts 177 and 178. As shown in FIG. Thus, since it is reliably supported upstream and downstream, the electrodes 113 and 114 do not vibrate even during water flow. Therefore, the electrodes 113 and 114 are not folded because of vibration.

The terminals 115 and 116 protrude downward through the bottom wall of the case body 110a. For this reason, when the steam contacts the case 110a (when washing is performed using the bath water, steam easily enters the inside of the washing machine 1), the case 110 becomes cold by water passage, and the case 110 Even if condensation has formed on the outer surface of the c), the condensation water flows down through the cable connected to the terminals 115 and 116 and does not stay at the boundary between the terminals 115 and 116 and the case 110. Therefore, it does not generate | occur | produce in the situation where the terminal 115 and 116 are short-circuited by the dew condensation number. Since the case main body 110a is arrange | positioned horizontally, the terminal 115 and 116 provided in the side surface of the electrodes 113 and 114 are projected downward from the bottom wall of the case main body 110a. Is easy.

The outlet 112 of the ion elution unit 100 has a smaller cross-sectional area than the inlet 111 and has a large flow path resistance. Thus, the water entering the case 110 from the inlet 111 overflows without making an air reservoir inside the case 110 to completely immerse the electrodes 113 and 114. Therefore, a portion of the electrodes 113 and 114 that does not participate in the generation of metal ions is formed, and such a situation that the portion does not melt does not occur.

Not only is the cross-sectional area of the outlet port 112 smaller than that of the inlet port 111, but the cross-sectional area of the internal space of the case 110 is also gradually decreasing from the upstream side to the downstream side. For this reason, turbulence or bubbles are hardly generated inside the case 110, and the water flow is smooth. Bubbles do not cause molten residue in the electrode. Since metal ions do not quickly separate the electrodes 113 and 114 and return back to the electrodes 113 and 114, the ion dissolution efficiency is improved.

The ion eluting unit 100 is disposed in the main water feed passage 52a having a large flow rate, and has a large amount of flowing water. For this reason, the metal ions are immediately removed from the case 110 and do not return back to the electrodes 113 and 114. Therefore, ion dissolution efficiency is improved.

The outlet 112 is provided at the lowest position in the internal space of the case 110. For this reason, when the water flow to the ion eluting unit 100 is stopped, all the water in the ion eluting unit 100 flows out from the outlet 112. As a result, the remaining water in the case 110 is frozen in cold weather, and the ion elution unit 100 is not broken or destroyed.

A strainer 180 exists on the upstream side of the electrodes 113 and 114. For this reason, even if solid foreign matter exists in the water supplied to the ion elution unit 100, the foreign matter is trapped by the strainer 180 and does not reach the electrodes 113 and 114. Therefore, the foreign matter does not damage the electrodes 113 and 114, and there is no short-circuit between the electrodes with the foreign matter and excessive current flows or the generation of metal ions is insufficient.

On the downstream side of the electrodes 113 and 114, a strainer 181 is present. Even if the electrodes 113 and 114 wear or become weak due to prolonged use, they may be folded and the debris may leak out. However, the debris is captured by the strainer 181 and does not flow downstream. Therefore, the fragments of the electrodes 113 and 114 do not damage the downstream articles.

As in the present embodiment, when the ion elution unit 100 is mounted in the washing machine 1, when the strainers 180 and 181 are not present, foreign matter or debris of the electrode may be attached to the laundry. If foreign matter or debris of the electrode may contaminate or scratch the laundry, and if dehydration and drying are carried out with the foreign matter or electrode debris attached to the laundry, the person wearing the laundry will then come into contact with them and cause discomfort. May be associated with a situation such as feeling injured or injured in extreme cases, but such a situation can be avoided with strainers 180 and 181.

In addition, the strainers 180 and 181 are not necessarily arranged both. If you can determine that the problem does not occur, you can abolish one or both of them.

Returning to the flowchart in FIG. 14, the description will continue. In step S423, the rinsing water into which the metal ions and the finishing agent (softener) are added is stirred with a strong water stream (precipitation water) to promote contact between the laundry and the metal ions and adhesion of the finishing agent (softener) to the laundry.

By sufficiently agitating with precipitation, the metal ions and the finishing agent (softener) can be uniformly dissolved in water and evenly spread to every corner of the laundry. After stirring for precipitation for a predetermined time, the flow proceeds to step S424.

In step S424, stirring is performed in a weak water flow (weak water flow) by one rotation. The object is to attach metal ions to the surface of laundry and to exert its effects. If the water flow is weak, but the water flow is generated, the user does not worry that the operation of the washing machine 1 has ended, so the stirring is performed gently. However, if there is a means for the user to recognize that it is in the middle of the rinsing process, for example, if the display can be brought to the attention of the user by displaying the operation / display unit 81, the stirring may be stopped and the water may be stopped.

After the weak water flow period set to a degree sufficient for the laundry to adsorb metal ions, the flow proceeds to step S425. Here, stirring is carried out again and again with strong water flow (precipitation). As a result, the metal ions are fed to the portion of the laundry where the metal ions are not evenly distributed, and are reliably attached.

After performing step S425, the routine proceeds to step S406. In step S406, the pulse generator 33 is reversed little by little to unload the laundry. As a result, the laundry is well distributed in the washing tank 30 to prepare for the dehydration rotation.

An example of time distribution of each step is given. Step S423 (precipitation) is 4 minutes, step S424 (precipitation) is 4 minutes 15 seconds, step S425 (precipitation) is 5 seconds, and step S406 (balance) is 1 minute 40 seconds. The total time from step S423 to step S406 is 10 minutes.

It is preferable to throw in a metal ion and a finishing agent (softening agent) separately originally. This is because when the metal ions come into contact with the softener component, they are converted into compounds and the antimicrobial effect of the metal ions is attenuated. However, significant amounts of metal ions remain in the rinse water until the end. In addition, the effect reduction content can be compensated to some extent by setting the concentration of metal ions. Therefore, the metal ion and the finishing agent (softener) are simultaneously added, and the effect of imparting antimicrobial effect is slightly lowered, but the rinsing time is shortened compared to the case where the rinsing is carried out separately and the efficiency of housework is achieved.

Although it is inevitable that the metal ion and the finishing agent (softener) meet in the washing tank 30, it is preferable to avoid contact until entering the washing tank 30. In the present embodiment, the metal ions are introduced into the washing tank 30 from the main water supply path 52a through the detergent chamber 54. The finishing agent (softening agent) is introduced into the washing tank 30 from the finishing room 55. As described above, since the path for introducing metal ions into the rinsing water and the path for introducing the finishing agent into the rinsing water are different systems, the contact between the metal ions and the finishing agent (softener) is not satisfied until they are met in the washing tank 30. It does not occur, and metal ions do not come into contact with a high concentration of a finishing agent (softener) to form a compound or lose antibacterial activity.

Also, in the case of the final rinsing, the explanation has been made by carrying out "water rinsing" in which the rinsing water is contained in the washing tank 30 and rinsing. However, the final rinsing may be performed by "liquid rinsing". In that case, the water to be injected shall be metal ion addition water.

In addition, even when a balance cannot be obtained satisfactorily in step S406, and water is injected again and a "balance correction rinse" is performed, metal ion addition water shall be used.

By the way, the addition of the metal ion which is a 1st finishing material, and the addition of the finishing agent (softener) which is a 2nd finishing material are all optional. Either one input can be stopped or both can be stopped. When both inputs are stopped, the process proceeds from step S420 to step S401, which has been described above. Hereafter, the case where only one of two types of finishing materials is added will be described.

In step S421, when the finishing substance to be thrown in is not two kinds of metal ions and a softening agent, it means that only one of them is selected. In this case, the flow advances to step S426.

In step S426, it is checked whether the finishing substance to be added is metal ion. If it is a metal ion, it progresses to step S427. Otherwise, the flow advances to step S428.

In step S427, the main water feed valve 50a is opened, and water flows through the main water feed path 52a. The sub water feed valve 50b is not open. When water flows into the ion eluting unit 100, the driving circuit 120 applies a voltage between the electrodes 113 and 114 to elute ions of the electrode constituent metal into the water. When a predetermined amount of the metal ion-added water is introduced into the washing tank 30, and then the metal ion non-added water is injected to the set level, it is determined that the metal ion concentration of the rinsing water reaches a predetermined value. Voltage application stops. Even after the ion eluting unit 100 does not generate metal ions, the main water feed valve 50a continues to feed water and stops water supply as a result of the water level inside the washing tank 30 reaching the set water level.

After performing step S427, the flow proceeds to step S423. Subsequently, the process proceeds to step S423 (precipitation) → step S424 (weak flow) → step S425 (precipitation) → step S406 (balance) as in the same manner as when the metal ions and the finishing agent (softener) are simultaneously added.

In step S426, when the finishing substance which should be thrown in does not become a metal ion, a finishing agent (softener) is thrown in independently. In this case, the flow advances to step S428.

In step S428, both the main water supply valve 50a and the sub water feed valve 50b are opened, and water flows in both the main water feed path 52a and the sub water feed path 52b. However, the ion eluting unit 100 is not driven and no metal ions are generated. In order to cause the siphon action, after sufficient water is injected into the finish chamber 55 and the finish agent (softener) is introduced into the washing tank 30 through the siphon portion 57, the sub water feed valve 50b is closed.

The main water supply valve 50a continues to supply water even after the sub water supply valve 50b is closed, and the water supply stops when the water level inside the washing tank 30 reaches the set level.

After performing step S428, the flow proceeds to step S423. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S423 (precipitation) → step S424 (weak flow) → step S425 (precipitation) → step S406 (balance) in the same manner as when the metal ions and the finishing agent (softener) are simultaneously added.

In this way, even when only one kind of the finishing material is added, the steps of precipitation, weak water, and precipitation are performed to ensure that the finishing material adheres to the laundry. However, since the time distribution of each step does not need to be the same as metal ion and a finishing agent (softening | curing agent), it adjusts and sets to suit each.

In the case of a finishing agent (softener), it is not necessary to take as long as metal ions to adhere to the laundry. Therefore, after performing step S428, only step S423 (precipitation) and S406 (balance) can be provided, and step S423 (precipitation) can be completed in a short time of, for example, two minutes.

In driving the ion eluting unit 100, the constant current circuit 125 of the drive circuit 120 controls the voltage so that the value of the current flowing between the electrodes 113 and 114 is constant. Thereby, the amount of metal ion elution per unit time becomes constant. When the metal ion elution amount per unit time becomes constant, the metal ion concentration in the washing tank 30 can be controlled by controlling the amount of water flowing through the ion elution unit 100 and the ion elution time, thereby making it easy to obtain a desired metal ion concentration. .

At this time, the current flowing between the electrodes 113 and 114 is direct current. If this is an exchange, the following occurs: That is, in the case where the metal ions are silver ions, for example, once the eluted silver ions are reversed in polarity, they are returned to the electrode by a reverse reaction of Ag ⁺ + e ^- Ag. There is no such thing as direct current.

The scale precipitates on the side used as a cathode among the electrodes 113 and 114. If the direct current continues to flow without reversing the polarity and the deposition amount of the scale increases, current becomes difficult to flow, and it is difficult to elute metal ions at a predetermined ratio. In addition, a problem of "abrasion wear" occurs in which wear is faster than that of the electrode used as the anode. Thus, the polarities of the electrodes 113 and 114 are periodically reversed.

The electrodes 113 and 114 are gradually worn out while the elution of the metal ions is continued, thereby reducing the amount of elution of the metal ions. In the long term, the elution amount of metal ions becomes unstable, or a predetermined elution amount cannot be secured. Therefore, the ion eluting unit 100 becomes replaceable, and when the lifetime of the electrodes 113 and 114 expires, it can be replaced with a new unit. In addition, the operation / display unit 81 informs the user that the electrodes 113 and 114 have reached the content limit, and facilitates maintenance such as replacement of the ion elution unit 100.

As mentioned above, although the Example of this invention was described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, A various change can be added and implemented in the range which does not deviate from the main idea.

In addition, the present invention is applicable to equipment other than a washing machine, for example, a dish washer or a humidifier. The washing machine can be applied to all types of washing machines, such as horizontal drums (tumbler type), inclined drums, dryers, or two-stage type, in addition to the automatic washing machines of the type taken in the above embodiment.

The present invention is widely available in the aspect of using the antibacterial action of metal ions. The apparatus which is effective by combining the ion eluting unit of this invention is not limited to a washing machine. It is effective in the whole apparatus which needs to suppress generation | occurrence | production of bacteria and mold, such as a dishwasher and a humidifier.

Claims (14)

An ion eluting unit for generating metal ions by applying a voltage between electrodes, An ion elution unit, wherein a strainer is disposed upstream of the electrode. An ion eluting unit for generating metal ions by applying a voltage between electrodes, An ion elution unit, wherein a strainer is disposed downstream of the electrode. An ion eluting unit for generating metal ions by applying a voltage between electrodes, An ion elution unit, wherein a strainer is disposed on an upstream side and a downstream side of the electrode. An apparatus comprising the ion eluting unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the metal ion generated by the ion eluting unit is added to water and used. The device of claim 4, wherein the device is a washing machine. In an apparatus in which an ion eluting unit is mounted to apply a voltage between electrodes to generate metal ions, and the metal ion generated by the ion eluting unit can be added to and used in water. The said ion elution unit was connected to the downstream of the water supply valve provided in this apparatus, and the strainer provided in the said water supply valve was used as the upstream strainer of the said ion elution unit. 7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the device is a washing machine. An apparatus in which the ion eluting unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is mounted, and the metal ions generated by the ion eluting unit can be added to water and used. A main water supply path having a large flow rate and a sub water supply path having a low flow rate are set in the device, and the ion dissolution unit is disposed in the main water supply path. The device of claim 8, wherein the device is a washing machine. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the detergent compartment and the finisher compartment are divided into a water inlet to the washing tank so that water from the main water supply path is introduced into the detergent room, and water from the sub water supply path is introduced into the finisher room. Featured equipment. The device according to claim 4, wherein the ion eluting unit has an inlet for water at one end in the longitudinal direction of the case and an outlet for water at the other end, and is disposed with the longitudinal direction of the case being substantially horizontal. 7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the ion eluting unit has an inlet for water at one end in the longitudinal direction of the case, and an outlet for water at the other end, and is disposed with the longitudinal direction of the case being substantially horizontal. The device according to claim 8, wherein the ion eluting unit has an inlet for water at one end in the longitudinal direction of the case and an outlet for water at the other end, and is disposed with the longitudinal direction of the case being substantially horizontal. A washing machine equipped with an ion eluting unit for generating metal ions by applying a voltage between electrodes, and using the metal ion generated by the ion eluting unit by adding it to water, The ion eluting unit is disposed upstream of the water supply port for injecting water into the washing tank and downstream of the water supply valve, and supplies water from the water supply valve to the water supply port via the ion elution unit. Washing machine characterized in that the detergent room is installed in.