KR20050075428A - Ion eluting unit and device provided with same - Google Patents

Abstract

A laundry machine (1) in which metal ions produced by an ion eluting unit (100) can be input into water at the last rinsing step. The time for the last rinsing step at which metal ions are input is longer than that for the step at which no metal ions are input. When metal ions are input, in the rinsing step, a strong flow time and a weak flow time are provided, or a strong flow time and a rest time are provided. If any imbalance during drying rotation of the washing tub (30) after metal ion input is detected, a processing different from that carried out if an imbalance is detected when no metal ions are input is carried out.

Description

ION ELUTING UNIT AND DEVICE PROVIDED WITH SAME}

The present invention relates to a washing machine capable of sterilizing each part of a washing machine such as laundry and a washing tank with metal ions having an antibacterial action. In particular, it is related with the washing machine provided with the ion eluting unit which elutes a metal ion by applying a voltage between electrodes.

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 to this, in recent years, the necessity of the finishing treatment which gives antibacterial property to laundry is increasing.

It is preferable to wash the laundry from the viewpoint of hygiene. Recently, however, the number of families with no one at home during the day is increasing due to the improvement of the employment rate of women and the progress of nuclear family. In such a home, there is no choice but to rely on indoor drying. Even in homes where someone is at home during the daytime, indoors are dry.

In the case of indoor drying, bacteria and mold are more likely to grow in laundry than in the sun. 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, sometimes your laundry smells strange. For this reason, there is a strong demand for the antibacterial treatment of natural streams in order to suppress the propagation of bacteria and fungi in households that are inadequately dried indoors.

In recent years, the clothing which gave antibacterial deodorization process and the disinfection process to fiber is increasing. However, it is difficult to equip all the textile products in a household with the antibacterial deodorization process. In addition, the effect of the antibacterial deodorizing process goes off along the lather.

Thus, the invention has been devised to antibacterial laundry. 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 Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-276484 discloses a washing machine having a silver ion addition unit for adding silver ions to washing water.

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

2 is a model vertical sectional view of the 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 the line B-B in FIG.

7 is a horizontal sectional view of the ion eluting 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 laundry process.

11 is a flow chart of a rinsing process.

12 is a flow chart of a rinsing process.

13 is a flowchart of the dehydration process.

14 is a flow chart of the final rinse process.

15 is a sequence diagram of the final rinse process.

16 is a sequence diagram of a balance corrected rinse.

An object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine capable of sufficiently exhibiting the effect of introducing metal ions in a washing machine in which metal ions having antimicrobial properties can be introduced into water at a predetermined step in the washing step. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine in which a balance correction process is performed in consideration of the presence of the metal ions which have been added when the unbalance is detected during the dehydration rotation of the washing tank performed after the metal ions are added.

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, a washing machine was configured as follows. That is, in the washing machine in which the metal ion which has antimicrobial property can be thrown in water at the predetermined process during a washing process, the time of the said predetermined process at the time of making a metal ion inject is longer than the case where no metal ion is added. It was. Although it takes a certain amount of time for the metal ions to be sufficiently adsorbed to the laundry from the beginning, according to this constitution, when the metal ions are added, the time of the process is longer than the case where the metal ions are not added. It can be sufficiently attached to the laundry to exhibit the desired antibacterial effect.

In the present invention, the washing machine is configured as follows. That is, in the washing machine in which the metal ion having antimicrobial activity can be introduced into the water in a predetermined step during the washing step, the strong water flow period and the weak water flow period or the strong water flow period and the stop period are set to the predetermined step. From the beginning, it is not necessary to stir the water vigorously to attach the metal ions to the laundry. According to this configuration, in addition to the strong water flow period for uniformly dispersing the metal ions in the water and making the metal ions reach the corners of the laundry well, the period of weak water flow quietly waiting for the metal ions to adhere to the laundry or Since the suspension period is provided, it does not accelerate the damage to the cloth of the laundry and does not increase the power consumption. In addition, since the weak water flow is generated, the user can know that the washing machine is in operation and ends without worrying whether the washing machine is broken.

In the present invention, in the washing machine configured as described above, the time ratio between the strong water flow period and the weak water flow period or the strong water flow period and the stop period is made constant regardless of the quantity and / or the amount of the laundry in the washing tank. . According to this configuration, programming of the control becomes easy.

In the present invention, in the washing machine configured as described above, the time ratio between the strong water flow period and the weak water flow period or the strong water flow period and the stop period is changed according to the quantity and / or the amount of the laundry in the washing tank. . According to this configuration, the ratio of the strong water flow period and the weak water flow period or the strong water flow period and the stop period can be appropriately set according to the quantity or the amount of laundry, and the cloth damage is reduced and power is not consumed unnecessarily. It can be done.

In the present invention, the washing machine is configured as follows. In other words, in a washing machine capable of rinsing with water, metal ions having antimicrobial properties can be introduced into water injected during rinsing of water. According to this configuration, even when the rinse is rinsed, the metal ion concentration in the water is not lowered, and the required amount of metal ions can be attached to the laundry.

In the present invention, the washing machine is configured as follows. In other words, in a washing machine in which a metal ion having antimicrobial activity can be introduced into water in a predetermined step during a washing step, when unbalance is detected during the dehydration rotation of the washing tank performed after the metal ion is added, the metal ion is not added. It is assumed that different processing from that at the time of unbalance detection is performed. According to this structure, when unbalance is detected by dehydration rotation after metal ion input, the balance correction process which considered the antimicrobial effect of metal ion can be performed.

In the present invention, in the washing machine configured as described above, it is assumed that the other treatment is a balance corrected rinsing in which water is supplied by supplying metal ion-added water and stirred. According to this configuration, even when fresh water is poured and the balance corrective rinsing is carried out, since the water contains metal ions, the effect of the antibacterial treatment on the laundry is not weakened.

In the present invention, in the washing machine configured as described above, when the balance correction rinsing is performed by supplying the metal ion-added water, the metal ion input amount is made smaller than the metal ion input amount in the previous step. According to this configuration, consumption of metal ions can be suppressed without unnecessarily replenishing a large amount of metal ions to the laundry once treated with metal ions.

In the present invention, it is assumed that the washing machine configured as described above is a balanced crystal rinsing in which water is supplied to the metal ion non-added water and agitated while displaying and / or notifying that the other water is supplied to the metal ion non-added water. . If metal ionized water is used to correct the balance from the outset, there is a possibility that the metal will be consumed faster than the design life and the metal ion cannot be used soon. According to this structure, when the balance correction rinsing is performed with the metal ion non-addition water in order to suppress the consumption of metal ions, the effect is displayed and / or notified so that the user may not be able to obtain the desired antibacterial effect. .

In the present invention, it is assumed that in the washing machine configured as described above, the other processing is a display and / or a notification indicating that the dehydration rotation is stopped and the unbalance is detected. According to this configuration, it is possible to obtain the antibacterial effect expected by the user while suppressing the consumption of metal ions by notifying the user that an unbalance has occurred and correcting the balance of the laundry with the user's hand, without performing balance correction rinsing or the like. have.

In the present invention, in the washing machine configured as described above, in the case where the unbalance detection is applied to a plurality of times, it is assumed that the processing to be executed is changed depending on the times. Whenever unbalance is detected from the beginning, when the balance correction is performed with the metal ion-added water, the metal serving as the basis of the metal ions is rapidly reduced. According to this structure, the wear of a metal can be suppressed by the process of the unbalance correction which does not use metal ion addition water.

In the present invention, in the washing machine configured as described above, a plurality of types of processes after unbalance detection are prepared, and the type and / or order of the processes to be executed can be selected. According to this configuration, the treatment according to the user's intention, such as whether to preferentially use the metal ions to maintain the antimicrobial effect or to preferentially save the metal ions.

In the present invention, it is assumed that in the washing machine configured as described above, the metal ion is generated by an ion eluting unit that elutes metal ions by applying a voltage between electrodes. According to this configuration, the concentration of metal ions in the water can be easily adjusted by controlling the voltage and the current or controlling the voltage application time, thereby producing the desired antibacterial effect on the laundry.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, one Embodiment of this invention is described based on drawing.

1 is a vertical sectional view showing the overall configuration of the washing machine 1. The washing machine 1 is a fully automatic type and includes an outer box 10. The outer box 10 is a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is shape | molded by metal or synthetic resin, and the upper surface and the bottom surface are opening parts. 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 face of the washing machine 1 and the right side is the back face, and the rear panel 12 made of synthetic resin is similarly superimposed on the top face of the top face plate 11 located on the back side with screws on the top face plate 11. Fix it. The 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 leg part 14b of the back side is a fixed leg integrally formed with the base 13. The leg portion 14a on the front side is a screw leg whose height can be changed, and by rotating it, the level washing of the washing machine 1 is performed.

The upper plate 11 is provided with a laundry inlet 15 for inserting 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, a water tank 20 and a washing tank 30 serving as a dehydration tank are disposed. Both the water tank 20 and the washing tank 30 also have the shape of a cylindrical cup with an open top surface, and each of them has a shape in which the water tank 20 is on the outside and the washing tank 30 is on the inside, with the axes perpendicular to each other. Is placed. The suspension member 21 suspends the water tank 20. The suspension member 21 is arranged in four places to connect the lower portion of the outer surface of the water tank 20 and the inner corner of the outer box 10 to support the water tank 20 so as to swing in the horizontal plane.

The washing tub 30 has a circumferential wall that widens with a tapered taper upward. There is no opening in the circumferential 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 "holeless" 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. A pulsator 33 is disposed on the inner bottom surface of the washing tank 30 to generate 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 the motor 41, the clutch mechanism 42, and the brake mechanism 43, and protrudes the dehydration shaft 44 and the pulsator shaft 45 upward from the center thereof. The dehydration shaft 44 and the pulsator shaft 45 have a double-shaft structure having the dehydration shaft 44 at the outside and the pulsator shaft 45 at the inside, and after being introduced into the water tank 20, the dehydration shaft ( 44 is connected to and supports the washing tub (30). The pulsator shaft 45 also draws into the wash tub 30 and connects to and supports the pulsator 33. Sealing members for preventing water leakage are disposed between the dehydration shaft 44 and the water tank 20, and between the pulsator shaft 45 and the washing tank 30, respectively.

In the space below the rear panel 12, a water supply valve 50 that is opened and closed electronically is disposed. The water supply valve 50 has a connecting pipe 51 that protrudes upward through the rear panel 12. A water supply hose (not shown) for supplying constant water such as tap water is connected to the connection pipe 51. The water supply valve 50 supplies water to the container-shaped water supply port 53 provided at a position facing the inside of the washing tub 30. The water supply port 53 has a 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 that is opened toward the inside of the water supply port 53 is provided. The siphon part 57 is provided in the finishing room 55. The water inlet 53 is a water inlet 56 in which the lower part of the drawer 53a waters with 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 outer appearance 57b of the cap shape 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 inside of the washing tub 30. 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 finishing chamber 55 to a level above the upper end of the inner tube 57a, the siphon action occurs, and the water is drawn out of the finishing chamber 55 through the siphon portion 57 to supply the water to the water inlet 53. 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 main water feed valve 50a has a relatively large flow rate, and the sub water feed valve 50b has a relatively small flow rate. The magnitude of the flow rate can be set by different internal structures of the main water supply valve 50a and the sub water feed valve 50b, and the structure of the valve itself is the same. You may implement by combining. 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 open toward the detergent chamber 54, so that the flow of water with a large flow rate 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 opening of the ceiling of the water supply port 53 via the sub water feed path 52b. This opening is open toward the finish agent chamber 55, and therefore, the flow of water having a small flow rate flowing out from the sub feed water valve 50b is injected into the finish agent chamber 55 from the sub feed water passage 52b. That is, the path injected into the washing tank 30 from the main water supply valve 50a through the detergent chamber 54 and the path injected into the washing tank 30 from the sub water feed valve 50b through the finishing agent chamber 55 are separate systems. to be.

Returning to Fig. 1, the description will continue. The bottom of the water tank 20 is attached to the drain hose 60 for draining 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 part of the outer periphery vicinity of the bottom surface of the water tank 20. The drain pipe 62 is connected to a site near the center of the bottom surface of the water tank 20.

The annular partition 63 is fixed to the inner bottom surface of the water tank 20 so that the connection 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. The sealing member 64 comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the disk 65 fixed to the bottom outer surface of the washing tub 30, so that 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 in the bottom of the washing tub 30.

The drain pipe 62 is provided with a drain valve 68 that is opened and closed electronically. An air trap 69 is provided at a portion of the drain pipe 62 that reaches the upstream side of the drain valve 68. The pressure pipe 70 extends 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 placed under the upper plate 11 and receives an operation command from the user via the operation / display unit 81 provided on the upper surface of the upper plate 11. And an operation command to the drain valve 68. The control unit 80 also 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 and the laundry is introduced into the washing tank 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 among them. 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 | cleaning process, and it is not necessary to put it if it is not necessary. When the set of detergent and finishing agent (softener) is finished, the drawer 53a is press-fitted into the water supply port 53.

After arrange | positioning preparation of detergent and a finishing agent (softening | curing agent), the cover 16 is closed and the operation | movement button group of the operation / display part 81 is operated, and washing conditions are selected. When the start button is pressed last, the washing process is performed according to the flowcharts of FIGS. 10 to 13.

10 is a flowchart showing the entire 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 the 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 separately demonstrated by the flowchart of FIG. After completion of the rinsing step, the process proceeds to step S203. If no washing process is selected, the process proceeds directly from step S202 to step S203.

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 of step S400 are separately described in the flowchart of FIG. 12. In Fig. 10, the rinsing step is performed three times, and each step number is denoted by "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 in 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 from step S204 to step S205.

In step S205, the termination process of the control part 80, especially the arithmetic unit (microcomputer) contained in it, progresses automatically in order. Moreover, it is notified by the end sound that the washing process is completed. After all are finished, 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 which detects 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 from step S302 to step S303.

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

In step S303, the main water supply valve 50a is opened, and water is poured into the washing tank 30 through the water supply port 53. Since the flow rate of the main water supply valve 50a is large, water is quickly filled in the washing tank 30. The detergent put into the detergent chamber 54 is also pushed out by a large amount of water, and is introduced 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, the lock operation is performed. The pulsator 33 is rotated halfway to swing the laundry in water and to immerse the laundry in water. This sufficiently absorbs water into the laundry. In addition, the trapped air is released in each part of the laundry. As a result of the locking 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 in step S305 to replenish water to restore the set water level.

If the washing course which performs "type sensing of cloth" is selected, the type sensing of cloth is performed with locking operation. After the locking operation, 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 is highly absorbent.

After a stable set water level is obtained in step S305, the flow advances to step S306. According to the user's setting, the motor 41 rotates the pulsator 33 in a predetermined pattern to form a flow of water for washing in the washing tank 30. Washing of laundry is performed by this flow of water. The dehydration shaft 44 is braked by the brake device 43, and even when the laundry and the laundry move, the washing tub 30 does not rotate.

After the period of hot water flow has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S307. In step S307, the pulsator 33 is inverted little by little to loosen the laundry, and the laundry is distributed in the washing tank 30 in a balanced manner. 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 first, this is demonstrated in 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, lock operation is performed. In the locking operation of step S402, the laundry adhering to the washing tank 30 is peeled off in step S500 (dehydration step), and the water is immersed in water to sufficiently absorb the water.

After the locked operation, the flow advances to step S403. As a result of the locked 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 supply water to restore the set water level.

After the set water level is restored in step S403, the flow advances to step S404. According to the user's setting, the motor 41 rotates the pulsator 33 in a predetermined pattern to form a flow of water for rinsing in the washing tub 30. Washing of laundry is performed by this flow of drinking water. The dehydration shaft 44 is braked by the brake device 43, and even when the rinsing water and the laundry move, the washing tub 30 does not rotate.

After the period of hot water flow has elapsed, the process moves to step S406. In step S406, the pulsator 33 reverses little by little to loosen the laundry. As a result, the laundry is distributed in the washing tank 30 in a balanced manner to prepare for the dehydration rotation.

In the above description, "storage rinsing" in which rinsing water is collected in the washing tank 30 and rinsing is performed, but the "water rinsing" for always replenishing fresh water or the water inlet 53 while rotating the washing tank 30 at a low speed. May be performed by "shower rinsing" in which water is injected into the laundry.

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

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

Shortly 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 pulsator 33 also rotates with the washing tank 30.

When the washing tub 30 rotates at a high speed, the laundry is pressed against the inner circumferential wall of the washing tub 30 by centrifugal force. The wash water contained in the laundry is also collected on the inner surface of the main wall 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 raises the inner surface of the washing tank 30. do. The wash water is discharged from the dewatering hole 31 not long after reaching the upper end of the washing tank 30. The wash water dropped from the dehydration hole 31 is dropped on the inner surface of the water tank 20, and flows down to the bottom of the water tank 20 by riding on the inner surface of the water tank 20. And it is discharged out of the outer box 10 through the drain pipe 61 and the drain hose 60 connected to it.

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 advances to step S504. In step S504, the electricity supply to the motor 41 is cut off and the stop processing 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 eluting unit 100 and the role played in the washing machine 1 will be described.

3 is a partial top view showing the arrangement relationship between the water supply valve 50, the ion eluting 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. In other words, 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 drawn side by side in the front-back direction of the washing machine 1, In actual washing machines, It is arranged in a line along the left and right directions instead of the directions.

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 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 body 110a which opened on the upper surface, and the cover 110b which closes the upper surface opening (refer FIG. 5). The case main body 110a has an elongate shape, and is provided with the water inlet 111 at one end in the longitudinal direction and the water outlet 112 at 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 inserted between the case body 110a and the lid 110b (see FIG. 5).

In the case 110, two plate-shaped electrodes 113 and 114 are arranged to face each other in a shape 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 be set so that a silver plate of 2 cm x 5 cm and a thickness of about 1 mm can be 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, an alloy of silver and copper, zinc and the like 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. From the alloy of silver and copper, silver ion and copper ion can be eluted simultaneously.

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. The planar view relates to the flow of water flowing in the case 110, and is arranged in a tapered shape so that the gap between the electrodes is narrowed from the upstream side to the downstream side, in other words, from the inlet port 111 to the direction of the outlet port 112. (See Fig. 7).

The planar shape of the case main body 110a is also tightened toward the end where the outlet 112 exists from the end where the inlet 111 exists. In other words, the cross-sectional area of the internal space of the case 110 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 descending from the lower edges of the electrodes 113 and 114, respectively, and are installed in a portion drawn inward from the electrode end portion 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 lower surface of the case main body 110a through the through-hole provided in the bottom wall of the case main body 110a. In the portion where the terminals 115 and 116 penetrate the case main body 110a, the watertight sealing 172 is processed as shown in the enlarged view of FIG. The watertight seal 172 forms a double sealing structure together with the second sleeve 175 described later, and prevents water leakage from there.

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).

The remaining portion of the terminals 115 and 116 in the case 110 is protected by a sleeve made of an insulating material. Two types 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 shape in which a part thereof protrudes to one side of the electrodes 113 and 114, and forms a projection on the side of this portion, and provides the projection to the electrodes 113 and 114. It engages with a through hole (refer FIG. 6, FIG. 7). As a result, the falling 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 itself and the case main body 110a and the self and the electrode 113. , 114) to prevent water leakage.

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 part of the upstream part of is comprised. On the inner surface of the lid 110b, a fork-shaped support 176 is formed 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. The second sleeve 175 sandwiches the gap between the first sleeve 174 and the case main body 110a, and forms a support portion that is secured. In addition, the fork-shaped support portion 176 sandwiches the electrodes 113 and 114 with the fingertips of long and short portions, whereby the distance between the electrodes 113 and 114 is 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. The fork-shaped support 177 rises vertically from the bottom wall of the case body 110a, and the fork-shaped support 178 is similarly perpendicular to the support 177 from the ceiling surface of the lid 110b. It is descending (refer FIG. 5, FIG. 8). The electrodes 113 and 114 respectively sandwich the lower and upper corners of the downstream portion with the supporting portions 177 and 178 and are held so as not to move.

As shown in Fig. 7, the electrodes 113 and 114 are arranged in such a manner that a space is formed between the surfaces facing each other and the surfaces opposite to the inner surface of the case 110. 5, the electrodes 113 and 114 are arrange | positioned so that space may arise also between the upper and lower edges, and the inner surface of the case 110 (support parts 176, 177, 178). Except for contact with 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.

In addition, when the width of the case 110 is inevitably narrower, a structure in which the surfaces of the electrodes 113 and 114 on the opposite side of the case 110 are opposite to the inner wall of the case 110 may be in close contact.

In order to prevent foreign matter from contacting the electrodes 113 and 114, a strainer made of a wire mesh is disposed upstream of the electrodes 113 and 114. In the case of embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, 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.

A wire mesh strainer 181 is also disposed on the downstream side of the electrodes 113 and 114. The strainer 181 prevents the fragments from being broken when the electrodes 113 and 114 are tapered by prolonged use. As an arrangement place of the strainer 181, the outlet 112 can be selected, for example.

The arrangement place of the strainers 180 and 181 is not limited to the place mentioned above. As long as the conditions of "upstream of electrode" and "downstream of electrode" are satisfied, it may be placed in any of the water supply paths. In addition, the strainers 180 and 181 can be removed to remove the trapped foreign matter or to clean the material causing the blockage.

Shown in FIG. 9 is the drive circuit 120 of the ion elution unit 100. A transformer 122 is connected to the commercial power supply 121 to step down 100V 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 to 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 the triac 129 connected between one end of the primary coil of the transformer 122 and the commercial power source 121.

The electrode drive circuit 150 is configured by connecting NPN transistors Q1 to Q4, diodes D1 and D2, and resistors R1 to R7 as shown in the figure. 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 OFF (zero voltage) is applied to the line L2, the diode D2 is turned on. Incidentally, the transistor Q2 is also turned on. When transistor Q2 is turned on, current flows through resistors R3, R4, and R7, biasing the base of transistor Q3, and transistor Q3 is turned on.

On the other hand, since diode D1 is off, transistor Q1 is off and 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, cation metal ions and anions are generated in the ion eluting unit 100.

When current flows in one direction for a long time in the ion eluting unit 100, the electrode 113 on the anode side is consumed in FIG. 9, and impurities in water are fixedly attached to the electrode 114 on the cathode side as a scale. This causes the performance of the ion eluting unit 100 to deteriorate, so that the electrode driving circuit 150 can be operated in a forced electrode cleaning mode.

In the forced electrode cleaning mode, the microcomputer 130 switches the control mode so that the current flowing between the electrodes 113 and 114 flows in the reverse direction by reversing the voltage between the lines L1 and L2. 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.

In the event that a change in the resistance in the electrode driving circuit 150, in particular, a change in the resistance of the electrodes 113 and 114, causes a decrease in the current value flowing between the electrodes, the constant current circuit 125 raises the output voltage to increase the current. To prevent the reduction. However, if the cumulative use time becomes longer, the current dissolution is not prevented even when the ion eluting unit 100 reaches its end of life and switches to the forced electrode cleaning mode or increases the output voltage of the constant current circuit 125.

Thus, 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. When the current reaches a predetermined minimum current value, the current detection circuit 160 ) Is detected. Information that the minimum current value has been detected is transferred from the photodiode D3 constituting the photocoupler 163 to the microcomputer 130 via the phototransistor Q5. The microcomputer 130 drives the warning notification means 131 via the line 13 to cause a predetermined warning display. The warning notification means 131 is arranged 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 driving circuit 150, a current detection circuit 161 is provided for detecting that the current has become equal to or greater than a predetermined maximum current value. On the basis of this, the microcomputer 130 drives the warning notification means 131. In addition, when the output voltage of the constant current circuit 125 falls below a predetermined minimum value, the voltage detection circuit 162 detects this, and the microcomputer 130 drives the warning notification means 131 in the same manner.

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

Softeners used as metal ions and finishing agents are added at the stage of the final rinse. 14 is a flowchart showing the sequence of the final rinse. 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 " inserting finished material " is selected as the setting operation by the operation / display unit 81, the process proceeds to step S421. If not selected, the flow advances to step S401 of FIG. 12 to perform the final rinsing in the same manner as the rinsing process up to there.

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 ion and softening agent" is selected as the setting operation by the operation / display unit 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 flows larger than the amount set in the sub water feed valve 50b set in the main feed valve 50a while filling the internal space of the ion elution unit 100. At the same time, the driving circuit 120 applies a voltage between the electrodes 113 and 114 to elute ions of the electrode constituent metal in the mole. When the electrode constituent metal saver, in the electrode of the cathode-side Ag → Ag ⁺ → e ^- This reaction blossomed in the water is the Ag ⁺ ion is eluted. The current flowing between the electrodes is a direct current. Water into which the metal ions are added enters the detergent chamber 54 and is injected into the washing tank 30 from the water inlet 54a via the water inlet 56.

From the sub water feed valve 50b, a small amount of water flows out from the main water feed valve 50a and is injected into the finishing agent chamber 55 through the sub water feed path 52b. When a finishing agent (softener) enters the finishing agent chamber 55, the finishing agent (softener) is injected into the washing tank 30 together with water from the siphon portion 57. It is co-injected with metal ions. Since the siphon effect does not occur until the water level in the finishing agent chamber 55 reaches a predetermined height, a liquid finishing agent (softener) is added to the finishing agent chamber 55 until the water is injected into the finishing agent chamber 55. I can hold it.

Subsequently, the sub water feed valve 50b is closed shortly after a predetermined amount (or an amount sufficient to cause a siphon action in the siphon portion 57 or more) is injected into the finishing chamber 55. In addition, this water injection process, that is, the operation of adding the finishing agent, is automatically performed when " the addition of the finishing agent " is selected regardless of whether or not the finishing agent (softener) enters the finishing agent chamber 55.

When a predetermined amount of the metal ion-added water is introduced into the washing tank 30, and then the metal ion-free addition water is injected to the set level, the electrode 113 and 114 are shortly determined that the metal ion concentration of the rinsing water has reached a predetermined value. Application of the voltage is stopped. After the ion eluting unit 100 does not generate metal ions, the main water feed valve 50a continues to feed water, and the water supply is stopped shortly after 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 introduced in step S422, but this is necessarily performed by the siphon action at the time when the ion eluting unit 100 generates the metal ions. This does not mean that the time spent on) must overlap completely. Either side may shift 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 other words, the addition of metal ions and the addition of a finishing agent (softening agent) may be performed in one sequence.

As described above, the terminal 115 is formed integrally with the electrode 113 and the terminal 116 is formed with the same metal material as 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. In addition, by integrating, the manufacturing process can be simplified.

The intervals between the electrodes 113 and 114 are set in a tapered shape so as to narrow from the upstream side to the downstream side. For this reason, when an electrode is worn down according to the flow of water and the plate | board thickness becomes thin, it is hard to generate | occur | produce a vibration and it is hard to become a defect. Also, there is no fear of excessive deformation and short circuit.

The electrodes 113 and 114 are supported in the form of 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.

Even if the terminals 115 and 116 are integrated with the electrodes 113 and 114, it is inevitable that the electrodes 113 and 114 wear down with use, but it is difficult to reduce the terminals 115 and 116. In the case of this embodiment, the part located in the case 110 of the terminals 115 and 116 is protected by the sleeves 174 and 175 made of an insulating material, and there is little abrasion by electricity supply. This prevents a situation such as bending of the terminals 115 and 116 during use.

In the electrodes 113 and 114, the site | part in which the terminals 115 and 116 are provided is a site | part led inward rather than the edge part of an upstream. The electrodes 113 and 114 are worn down rather than the part where the space | interval became narrow. Although the abrasion of the end portion is also fast, the terminals 115 and 116, although the upstream portion among the electrodes 113 and 114, are not completely end portions, and are formed in a portion drawn in from the electrode. The feeling started from the end reaches the terminal and ends without worrying that the terminal is bent from the source.

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 by the upstream and downstream, the electrodes 113 and 114 do not vibrate even in the flow of water. Therefore, the electrodes 113 and 114 are not bent 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 is filled with water, or Even if condensation occurs on the outer surface of the case 110, the condensation water flows down 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 number of dew condensation. Since the case main body 110a is arranged horizontally in the longitudinal direction, the terminal 115 and 116 provided on the side surfaces of the electrodes 113 and 114 are projected downward from the bottom wall of the case main body 110a. It 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. As a result, water introduced into the case 110 from the inlet 111 overflows without making an air storage unit inside the case 110 and completely soaks the electrodes 113 and 114. There is no occurrence of a site that does not participate in the generation of ions and the site melts.

Not only is the cross-sectional area of the outlet port 112 smaller than that of the inlet port 11, but the cross-sectional area of the internal space of the case 110 is also gradually reduced from the upstream side to the downstream side. For this reason, turbulence and bubbles are hardly generated inside the case 110, and water flows smoothly. Bubbles do not melt on the electrodes, resulting in residues. Since metal ions are also rapidly separated from the electrodes 113 and 114 and are not returned back to the electrodes 113 and 114, ion elution 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. As a result, the metal ions are immediately carried out from the case 110 and are not returned back to the electrodes 113 and 114. Therefore, ion dissolution efficiency is improved.

The outlet 112 is provided at the lowest position in the inner space of the case 110. For this reason, when the passage of water to the ion eluting unit 100 is stopped, all the water in the ion eluting unit 100 flows out from the outlet 112. Therefore, a situation in which the residual amount of water in the case 110 freezes during the cold and the ion eluting unit 100 is broken or destroyed does not occur.

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 there is no shortage of metal ions.

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 soft due to prolonged use, the fragments may leak out and the fragments are leaked out by the strainer 181, thereby not flowing downstream. Therefore, the fragments of the electrodes 113 and 114 do not damage the articles on the downstream side.

When the ion eluting unit 100 is mounted in the washing machine 1 as in the present embodiment, when the strainers 180 and 181 are not present, foreign matter or debris of the electrode may adhere to the laundry. If foreign matter or debris of the electrode may contaminate or damage the laundry, and dehydration drying is performed while the foreign matter or electrode debris is attached to the laundry, the person who wears the laundry touches them and feels uncomfortable. In the extreme case, it does not lead to an injury or the like, but if the strainers 180 and 181 are present, such a situation can be avoided.

In addition, the strainers 180 and 181 do not necessarily have to be arranged at both sides. If it is judged that a problem does not occur even if it is not arrange | positioned at all, one or both can be abolished.

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 by the flow of strong water to promote contact between the laundry and the metal ions and adhesion of the finishing agent (softener) to the laundry.

By sufficiently stirring with a strong flow of water, the metal ions and the finishing agent (softener) can be uniformly infiltrated into water and spread to every corner of the laundry. After stirring for a predetermined time by the flow of strong water, the flow proceeds to step S424.

In step S424, one revolution is performed to stir in the flow of weak water. The object is to attach metal ions to the surface of laundry to exert its effect. Even if it is weak, if the flow of water is generated, there is no possibility that the user may misunderstand that the operation of the washing machine 1 is finished, and the stirring is performed slowly. However, if there is a method of letting the user recognize that it is in the middle of the rinsing process, for example, the operation / display unit 81 can be displayed to call the user's attention, the stirring may be stopped to leave the water in a stopped state. .

The flow proceeds to step S425 after a period of flow of weak water set to a degree sufficient for the laundry to adsorb metal ions. Here, stirring is performed again by the flow of strong water. As a result, the metal ions are fed to and securely adhered to the site where the metal ions are not widely spread in the laundry.

After step S425, the routine proceeds to step S406. In step S406, the pulsator 33 reverses little by little to loosen the laundry. As a result, the laundry is distributed in the washing tank 30 in a balanced manner to prepare for the dehydration rotation.

Fig. 15 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of each component in step S422 to step S406.

Post an example of the time allocation for each step. Step S423 (flow of strong water) is 4 minutes, step S424 (flow of weak water) is 4 minutes 15 seconds, step S425 (flow of strong water) is 5 seconds and step S406 (balance) is 1 minute 40 seconds. The total time from step S423 to step S406 is 10 minutes. The period of weak water flow may be replaced by the period of stopping water flow.

When the rinse water rinse is selected, step S425 (flow of strong water) extends from 5 seconds to 1 minute, and as shown by the dashed-dotted line, the main water supply valve 50a is opened to supply water. In addition, step S406 (balance) becomes 45 second at this time.

When generating the flow of water, the motor 41 periodically repeats on (forward rotation), off, on (reverse rotation), and off. The ratio of on time and off time depends on the quantity and / or the amount of laundry. For example, the time ratio (on / off) at rated load is as follows (unit is seconds).

Step S423 (Strong Water Flow): 1.9 / 0.7

Step S424 (weak water flow): 0.6 / 10.0

Step S425 (strong water flow): 1.4 / 1.0

Step S406 (Balance): 0.9 / 0.4

In the case where the metal ions are added in the final rinsing step, the total time of the process is longer than in the case where the metal ions are not added. Since the metal ions require some time to be sufficiently adsorbed to the laundry, such a program is used. As a result, the metal ions can be sufficiently attached to the laundry to exhibit the desired antibacterial effect.

The time distribution of step S423 (flow of strong water) and step S424 (flow of weak water) can be made constant regardless of the quantity and / or amount of laundry in the washing tank 30. This facilitates programming of the control.

The time distribution of step S423 (flow of strong water) and step S424 (flow of weak water) may be changed according to the quantity of water and / or the quantity of laundry in the washing tank 30. In this way, the ratio between the period of strong water flow and the period of weak water flow can be set appropriately according to the quantity of water and the amount of laundry, and the damage to the cloth can be reduced, and the electric power is not consumed unnecessarily.

It is preferable to inject metal ion and a finishing agent (softener) separately separately. This is because when the metal ions come into contact with the softener component, they are converted into compounds, thereby reducing the antimicrobial effect of the metal ions. However, a significant amount of metal ions remain in the rinse water until the end. In addition, the effect reduction can be compensated to some extent by setting the concentration of metal ions. Therefore, the effect of imparting antimicrobial activity is slightly reduced by simultaneously adding a metal ion and a finishing agent (softener), but the rinsing time is shortened compared to the case where rinsing is performed separately and added separately, thereby improving the efficiency of housework.

Although it is inevitable that the metal ions and the finishing agent (softener) touch in the washing tank 30, it is preferable to avoid contact until the metal ions enter the washing tank 30. In the case of this embodiment, metal ion is thrown in to the washing tank 30 from the main water supply path 52a via the detergent chamber 54. The finishing agent (softening agent) is introduced into the washing tank 30 from the finishing room 55. As such, the path for injecting the metal ions into the rinsing water and the path for injecting the finishing agent into the rinsing water are separate systems, so that the contact between the metal ions and the finishing agent (softener) is not reached until it reaches the washing tank 30. It does not occur, and the metal ion does not come into contact with a high concentration of a finishing agent (softener) to form a compound, and the antibacterial activity is not lost.

In the case of the final rinsing, the explanation was given as "storage rinsing" in which rinsing water is collected in the washing tank 30 and rinsing. However, the final rinsing may be performed in "liquid rinsing". In that case, the water to be injected is made of metal ion-added water.

In the case of "rinse water", metal ions can be introduced into the injected water. In this way, even when the rinse is rinsed, the metal ion concentration in the water is not lowered, and the required amount of metal ions can be attached to the laundry. When the emphasis is not placed on the antimicrobial effect, the metal ion-free water is injected, so that the consumption of the electrodes 113 and 114 can be suppressed.

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 input may be stopped or both may be stopped. In the case where both of the feeding stops, the process proceeds from step S420 to step S401, which has been described above. The case where only one of two kinds of finishing materials is added will now be described.

In step S421, when the finishing substance which should be thrown in is not two kinds of metal ions and a softening agent, injecting 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-free addition water is injected to the set level, the electrode 113 and 114 are shortly determined that the metal ion concentration of the rinsing water has reached a predetermined value. Application of the voltage is stopped. Even after the ion eluting unit 100 does not generate metal ions, the main water feed valve 50a continues to feed water, and the water supply stops shortly after the water level inside the washing tank 30 reaches the set water level.

After step S427, the flow advances to step S423. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S423 (flow of strong water) → step S424 (flow of weak water) → step S425 (flow of strong water) → step S406 (balance) as when the metal ions and the finishing agent (softener) are simultaneously added. The period of weak water flow can be replaced by the period of stopping water flow.

When the finishing material to be added in step S426 is not metal ion, the finishing agent (softening agent) is added alone. 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. Water sufficient to cause the siphon action is injected into the finishing chamber 55, and after the finishing agent (softener) is introduced into the washing tub 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 stops water supply shortly after the water level inside the washing tank 30 reaches the set water level.

After step S428, the flow proceeds to step S423. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S423 (flow of strong water) → step S424 (flow of weak water) → step S425 (flow of strong water) → step S406 (balance) as when the metal ions and the finishing agent (softener) are simultaneously added. The period of weak water flow can be replaced by the period of stopping water flow.

In this manner, even when only one type of finishing material is added, each step of strong water flow → weak water flow → strong water flow is 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 a 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 spend as long as metal ions to adhere to the laundry. Therefore, after step S428, only step S423 (flow of strong water) and S406 (balance) can be completed, and step S423 (flow of strong water) can also be completed by a short time, for example, for 2 minutes.

If the balance is not satisfactorily taken in step S406, the washing machine 1 vibrates greatly in the dehydration process following it. The vibration due to unbalance of the laundry is detected by physical detection means such as a touch sensor, a shock sensor, an acceleration sensor, or by software detection means such as analyzing a voltage / current pattern of the motor 41.

When unbalance is detected, the dehydration rotation of the washing tank 30 is stopped, water is poured again and stirred, and "balance correction rinsing" which rebalances is performed.

Fig. 16 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of each component in "balance correction rinse". After the water supply, the stirring 1 is reliably performed to change the arrangement state of the laundry. Subsequently, a small stirring is performed in stirring 2 to prepare a balance of laundry in preparation for rehydration rotation. As for time allocation, a water supply will be 2 minutes 5 second, the stirring 1 will be 1 minute, and the stirring 2 will be 30 seconds.

At the time of stirring, the motor 41 periodically repeats on (forward rotation), off, on (reverse rotation), and off. The ratio of on time and off time depends on the quantity and / or the amount of laundry. For example, the time ratio (on / off) at rated load is as follows (unit is seconds).

Stirring 1: 1.9 / 0.7

Stirring 2: 0.9 / 0.4

When unbalance is detected in the dehydration step after the metal ions have been added in the final rinsing step, a process different from the unbalance detection when no metal ions have been added is performed.

The first "other treatment" is "water supply of metal ion-added water to perform balanced correction rinsing". In this case, even when fresh water is poured and the balance correction rinsing is performed, since the metal ions are added to the water, the effect of the antibacterial treatment on the laundry is not weakened.

Thus, when carrying out balance correction rinsing by supplying metal ion addition water, what is necessary is just to make metal ion input amount less than the metal ion input amount in the previous process. In this manner, consumption of metal ions can be suppressed without unnecessarily replenishing a large amount of metal ions to the laundry once treated with metal ions.

The second "other treatment" is "balance corrected rinsing in which water is supplied by stirring the metal ion non-added water while displaying and / or notifying that the water being supplied is metal ion non-added water".

If metal ion-added water is used at the time of balance correction, there is a possibility that a time when the metal of the electrodes 113 and 114 is consumed earlier than the design life and metal ions cannot be used arrives sooner. In this way, when the balance correction rinsing is performed with a metal ion-free water in order to suppress the consumption of metal ions, the user is notified to the user by means such as the operation / display unit 81 or a voice notification. It can be seen that there is a possibility that the desired antibacterial effect cannot be obtained.

The third " other processing " is " stopping dehydration rotation and displaying and / or notifying that unbalance is detected. &Quot;

In this way, by notifying the user that an unbalance has occurred without performing a balance correction rinse or the like, the antibacterial effect expected by the user can be obtained while suppressing the consumption of metal ions by correcting the balance of the laundry with the user's hand. .

When the unbalance detection takes place a plurality of times, the processing to be executed can be changed depending on the times.

Whenever the unbalance is detected, if the balance correction rinse is performed with the metal ion-added water, the metal serving as the basis of the metal ions, that is, the electrodes 113 and 114, is rapidly worn down. By doing so, it is possible to suppress the wear of the electrodes 113 and 114 by taking and mixing a balance correction process or the like that does not involve the use of the metal ion-added water.

In the choice of the operation of the washing machine 1, it is possible to select the types and / or the order of the processes to be executed by preparing a plurality of types of options of the "process after unbalance detection".

In this way, the treatment according to the user's intention, such as whether to preferentially use the metal ions to maintain the antimicrobial effect or to preferentially save the metal ions.

In driving the ion eluting unit 100, the constant current circuit 125 of the drive circuit 120 controls the voltage so that the current value flowing between the electrodes 113 and 114 becomes constant. Thereby, the amount of metal ion elution per unit time becomes constant. If the metal ion elution amount per unit time is 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, so that the desired metal ion concentration can be easily obtained. .

At this time, the current flowing between the electrodes 113 and 114 is direct current. If this is an exchange, the following phenomenon occurs. That is, the metal ion is, for example, when the ion, Ag ⁺ + e, when one of the eluted silver ions the polarity of the electrodes is reversed ^- would have been returned to the electrodes by reverse reaction of 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 the polarity being reversed, and the amount of scale accumulation increases, current becomes difficult to flow, and it is difficult to elute metal ions at a predetermined ratio. In addition, a problem of "fragment reduction" occurs in which the hair loss 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 down while elution of metal ions continues, and the amount of elution of metal ions is reduced. If the use is prolonged, the elution amount of metal ions may become unstable, or a predetermined elution amount may not 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 is notified to the user that the electrodes 113 and 114 have reached the content limit, thereby prompting maintenance such as replacement of the ion elution unit 100.

As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, It can implement by making a various change in the range which does not deviate from the main point of invention.

Moreover, this invention is applicable to the washing machine of all types, such as a horizontal drum (tumbler type), an inclination drum, a dryer combined use, or a two-layer type, besides the fully automatic washing machine of the type taken in the said embodiment.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used when a washing machine is provided to a textile product to provide antibacterial action to metal fibers regardless of whether it is for home or business use.

Claims (14)

A washing machine in which metal ions having antimicrobial properties can be introduced into water in a predetermined step of a washing step, The washing machine which made the time of the said predetermined process at the time of making metal ion into a lot longer compared with the case where metal ion was not added. A washing machine in which metal ions having antimicrobial properties can be introduced into water in a predetermined step of a washing step, A washing machine comprising the strong water flow period and the weak water flow period, or the strong water flow period and the stop period in the predetermined process. The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the ratio of the time period between the strong water flow period and the weak water flow period or the strong water flow period and the stop period is constant regardless of the quantity and / or amount of laundry in the washing tank. The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the time ratio between the strong water flow period and the weak water flow period or the strong water flow period and the stop period is changed according to the quantity and / or the amount of the laundry in the washing tank. In the washing machine which can rinse with water, Washing machine made possible to put antibacterial metal ions into the water injected during rinsing. A washing machine in which metal ions having antimicrobial properties can be introduced into water in a predetermined step of a washing step, When unbalance is detected at the time of spin-drying of the washing tank performed after the addition of metal ions, the washing machine is to perform a different process from the detection of unbalance when no metal ions are added. The washing machine according to claim 6, wherein the other treatment is a balance corrected rinsing in which water is fed with metal ion-added water and stirred. The washing machine according to claim 7, wherein when the balance correction rinsing is performed by supplying the metal ion-added water, the amount of metal ions added is less than the amount of metal ions added in the previous step. 7. The washing machine according to claim 6, wherein the other process is a balanced crystal rinsing in which water is supplied to the metal ion non-added water and agitated while displaying and / or notifying that the water is supplied. 7. The washing machine according to claim 6, wherein the other processing is a stop of the dehydration rotation and an indication and / or notification of the detection of unbalance. The washing machine according to claim 6, wherein when the unbalance detection is applied to a plurality of times, the processing to be performed varies depending on the times. The washing machine according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of types of processes after unbalance detection are prepared, and a type and / or order of processes to be executed can be selected. The washing machine according to claim 11, wherein a plurality of types of processes after unbalance detection are prepared, and a type and / or order of processes to be executed are selectable. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the metal ions are generated by an ion eluting unit that elutes metal ions by applying a voltage between electrodes.