WO2004046044A1

WO2004046044A1 - Ion generation unit, apparatus having ion generation unit, and washing machine having ion generation unit

Info

Publication number: WO2004046044A1
Application number: PCT/JP2003/014269
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hirokazu Ooe
Original assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
Priority date: 2002-11-19
Filing date: 2003-11-10
Publication date: 2004-06-03
Also published as: KR20040044148A; KR100556169B1; MY141775A; AU2003277649A1; TWI251042B; KR200341200Y1; JP2004216199A; TW200420787A

Abstract

An ion generation unit which generates metal ions by applying a voltage between electrodes is disclosed. Strainers are disposed on the upstream and downstream sides of the electrodes. A strainer disposed in a water feed valve of a washing machine doubles as the upstream side strainer of the ion generation unit. The water feed valve is composed of a main water feed valve with a high flow rate setting and a sub water feed valve with a low flow rate setting. The ion generation unit is disposed in a water supply passage communicating with the main water feed valve.

Description

Description Ion elution unit, equipment equipped with ion elution unit, and washing machine equipped with ion elution unit

The present invention relates to an ion eluting unit that elutes metal ions having an antibacterial action into water, and an apparatus that uses the metal ions generated by the ion eluting unit added to water. The equipment relates specifically to 'washing machines. Background art

When washing in a washing machine, it is common to add finishing substances to the water, especially to the rinse water. Common finishing materials are softeners and glues. In addition to this, there is a growing need for finishing treatments that provide laundry with antibacterial properties. : Laundry should be sun-dried from a hygienic point of view. However, in recent years, the number of families who have no one at home during the daytime has increased due to the increase in the employment rate of women and the development of nuclear families. In such homes, you have to rely on indoor drying. Even in a home where somebody is at home during the day, when it rains, it will dry indoors.

In the case of indoor drying, bacteria and power plants are more likely to propagate on the laundry than in the case of sun drying. This tendency is remarkable when it takes a long time to dry the laundry, such as at high humidity or low temperature during the rainy season. When the breeding amount is large, the laundry sometimes gives off a bad smell. For this reason, households who are forced to dry indoors on a daily basis are strongly demanding that fabrics be treated with antibacterial treatment to suppress the growth of bacteria and mold.

Recently, the number of garments with antibacterial and antibacterial treatments on fibers has been increasing. However, it is difficult to prepare all household textile products with antibacterial and deodorant finishes. In addition, the effect of antibacterial and deodorant processing decreases as washing is repeated.

Thus, the idea was born to wash the laundry with antibacterial treatment each time it was washed. For example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 5-744487 discloses that gold having bactericidal activity such as silver ion and copper ion is disclosed. An electric washing machine equipped with an ion generating device for generating metal ions is described. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-093691 describes a washing machine in which a cleaning liquid is sterilized by generating an electric field. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-2766484 describes a washing machine provided with a silver ion addition unit for adding silver ions to washing water. Disclosure of the invention

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention provides an ion elution unit used for obtaining metal ions having an antibacterial action, which can be used without damaging the electrode, and which does not affect the downstream side even if the electrode is chipped off. The aim is to provide an elution unit. Furthermore, by adding the metal ions generated by the ion elution unit to water and using the same, it is possible to avoid the adverse effects of bacterial growth, and not to damage the ion elution unit, and to reduce ion elution. An object of the present invention is to provide a device capable of operating the unit efficiently, particularly a washing machine. In addition, by installing an ion elution unit upstream of the detergent chamber where the detergent is mixed with water, water containing detergent is prevented from passing through the ion elution unit, and the scale due to the detergent component adheres to the electrode and ion An object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine in which the performance of the dissolution unit is not reduced.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, in the present invention, the ion elution cut is constituted as follows. That is, in an ion elution unit that generates metal ions by applying a voltage between the electrodes, a strainer is disposed upstream of the electrodes. According to this configuration, even if solid foreign matter is present in the water supplied to the ion elution unit, the foreign matter is captured by the strainer and does not reach the electrode. Therefore, the foreign matter does not damage the electrodes, and the electrodes are not short-circuited by the foreign matter, so that an excessive current does not flow or insufficient generation of metal ions occurs.

In the present invention, the ion eluting unit is configured as follows. That is, in an ion elution unit that generates metal ions by applying a voltage between the electrodes, a strainer is disposed downstream of the electrodes. According to this configuration, the electrodes may be worn out or become brittle over a long period of use, and the electrodes may break and break out. Even if it does, the debris will be caught by the strainer and will not flow downstream. Therefore, there is no force S that electrode fragments may damage downstream items.

In the present invention, the ion eluting unit is configured as follows. That is, in an ion elution unit that generates metal ions by applying a voltage between the electrodes, the strainers are arranged on the upstream and downstream sides of the electrodes. According to this configuration, even if solid foreign matter exists in the water supplied to the ion elution unit, the foreign matter is captured by the strainer on the upstream side and does not reach the electrode. Therefore, the foreign matter does not damage the electrodes, and the electrodes are not short-circuited by the foreign matter, so that an excessive current does not flow or metal ions are not generated insufficiently. Also, even if the electrodes are worn or fragile due to long-term use, and if they break and break out, they may be caught by the strainer and flow downstream. Do not go. Therefore, the fragments of the electrode do not damage the downstream articles.

Further, in the present invention, the above-described ion elution unit is mounted on a device, and the metal ions generated by the ion elution unit are added to water for use. According to this configuration, the metal ions generated by the ion eluting unit can be added to water for use. For example, when the machine is a washing machine, the laundry is subjected to antibacterial treatment with the metal ions to remove bacteria and power. It prevents the propagation of vegetation and prevents the generation of foul odors. If the equipment is a dishwasher, the tableware can be treated with metal ions for antibacterial treatment to improve hygiene. If the equipment is a humidifier, bacteria and algae are prevented from growing in the water in the water tank, and spores of bacteria and algae are scattered in the air and inhaled by people who infect the disease. Can be prevented. In such a device, when a strainer is arranged on the upstream side of the electrode, even if solid foreign matter is present in the water supplied to the ion leaching unit, the foreign matter is captured by the strainer, The ion elution unit can be operated stably in the instrument without damaging the electrodes or shorting between the electrodes. If a strainer is placed downstream of the electrode, even if the electrode is worn or brittle due to long-term use, and may be broken and leaked out, the debris will remain in the strainer. And will not flow downstream. Follow As a result, fragments of the electrode do not damage downstream articles.

Further, in the present invention, in the device configured as described above, the device is a washing machine. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent foreign matters and electrode fragments contained in the water from attaching to the laundry, thereby preventing the laundry from becoming dirty or damaged. In addition, dehydration and drying are performed with foreign matter and electrode fragments remaining attached, and when a person wearing the laundry later touches the foreign matter or electrode fragments and feels uncomfortable or is injured, Does not occur.

In the present invention, the device is configured as follows. That is, in an apparatus equipped with an ion eluting unit that generates metal ions by applying a voltage between the electrodes, the metal ions generated by the ion eluting unit can be added to water and used. The ion elution unit was connected to the downstream side of a water supply valve provided in the apparatus, and a strainer provided in the water supply valve was also used as an upstream strainer of the ion elution unit. According to this configuration, the foreign matter can be prevented from entering the ion elution unit by the strainer that prevents foreign matter from entering the water supply valve. Therefore, there is no need to separately prepare a strainer to be arranged upstream of the ion elution unit, and the configuration of the device is simplified, and the cost can be reduced.

Further, in the present invention, in the device configured as described above, the device is a washing machine. According to this configuration, foreign matter does not enter from the water supply valve and damage the water supply valve itself or the ion elution unit downstream thereof. Foreign matter and electrode fragments contained in the water do not adhere to the laundry, and the laundry does not become dirty or damaged. In addition, dehydration and drying are performed while foreign matter and electrode fragments remain attached, so that a person wearing it later does not feel discomfort or get injured by touching the foreign matter.

In the present invention, the device is configured as follows. That is, in a device in which the above-described ion-eluting unit is mounted on a device and the metal ions generated by the ion-eluting unit can be added to water and used, a main flow path for the device with a large flow rate is used. And a sub-water supply path with a small flow rate was set, and the ion elution unit was arranged in the main water supply path. According to this configuration, it is possible to selectively use a high-flow water flow and a low-flow water flow as needed in the device, A large flow of water flows through the unit and carries away the metal ions, so that the metal ions do not return to the electrodes. Therefore, the ion elution unit can be operated efficiently.

Further, in the present invention, in the device configured as described above, the device is a washing machine. According to this configuration, a high-flow water flow and a low-flow water flow can be selectively used as needed, and a high-flow water flow flows through the ion elution unit to carry away metal ions. There is no return to the electrode. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently generate metal ions necessary for antibacterial treatment of laundry.

According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus configured as described above, each of which is a washing machine, wherein a detergent room and a finish agent room are partitioned into a water supply port for injecting water into a washing tub, and the main water supply path is provided. From the sub-water supply path is introduced into the finishing agent chamber. According to this configuration, the path for introducing metal ions into the washing tub and the path for introducing the finishing agent into the washing tub are separate systems, and the high concentration existing in the path for introducing the finishing agent is present. The metal ion does not come into contact with the finishing agent to form a compound, and there is no loss of antibacterial activity.

Further, according to the present invention, in the device configured as described above, the ion eluting unit includes a water inlet at one end in a longitudinal direction of the case and a water outlet at the other end. It was arranged so that the direction was substantially horizontal. According to this configuration, the ion elution unit and the water pipe for the ion elution unit can be arranged in a compact form without being bulky in the height direction.

In the present invention, the device is configured as follows. In other words, in a washing machine that is equipped with an ion eluting unit that generates metal ions by applying a voltage between the electrodes, and in which the metal ions generated by the ion eluting unit are added to water, a water inlet that pours water into a washing tub. The ion eluting unit is arranged at a position upstream of the water supply valve and downstream of the water supply valve, and water from the water supply valve is supplied to the water supply port through the ion elution unit, and a detergent chamber is provided at the water supply port. And According to this configuration, the ion-eluting unit is located upstream of the detergent chamber where the detergent is mixed with water, so that the detergent-containing water passes through the ion-eluting unit, or the detergent-containing water flows. There is no backflow from the detergent room. Therefore, the detergent component does not come into contact with the electrode and adheres in the form of a scale, thereby preventing the performance of the ion elution unit from being reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

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

Figure 2 is a schematic vertical sectional view of the water supply port.

FIG. 3 is a partial top view of the inside of the washing machine.

Figure 4 is a top view of the ion elution unit.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG.

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

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the electrode.

FIG. 9 is a drive circuit diagram of the ion elution unit.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the entire washing process.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the washing process.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the rinsing process.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of the dehydration step.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart of the final rinsing step.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the entire configuration of the washing machine 1. The washing machine 1 is of a fully automatic type and includes an outer box 10. The outer box 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, is formed of metal or synthetic resin, and has an opening on the top and bottom surfaces. An upper surface plate 11 made of synthetic resin is stacked on the upper surface opening of the outer case 10 and fixed to the outer case 10 with screws. In Fig. 1, V is the front side of the washing machine 1 on the left side, and the back side is the right side. A synthetic resin back panel 12 is also placed on the upper surface of the upper surface plate 11 located on the back side, and the outer box 10 or Fix it to the top plate 1 with screws. A synthetic resin base 13 is overlapped on the bottom opening of the outer case 10 and fixed to the outer case 10 with screws. None of the screws mentioned so far are shown.

Four corners of the base 13 are provided with legs 14a and 14b for supporting the outer box 10 on the floor. The rear leg 14 b is a fixed leg formed of a base 13 ^ body. The front leg 14 a is a variable height screw leg, which is used to turn the washing machine 1 on.

A laundry input port 15 for inputting laundry into a washing tub described later is formed in the upper surface plate 11. The daylight 16 covers the laundry inlet 15 from above. The lid 16 is connected to the top plate 11 by a hinge 17 and rotates in a vertical plane.

A water tub 20 and a washing tub 30 also serving as a dehydration tub are arranged inside the outer box 10. Both the water tub 20 and the washing tub 30 have the shape of a cylindrical buckle with an open top, with the axes vertical to each other, with the water tub 20 outside and the washing tub 30 inside. Concentrically arranged. The suspension member 21 suspends the water tank 20. The suspension members 21 are provided at a total of four locations so as to connect the lower part of the outer surface of the water tank 20 and the inner corner of the outer box 10 and support the water tank 20 so that it can swing in a horizontal plane. The washing tub 30 has a peripheral wall that extends upward and has a gentle taper. Except for a plurality of dehydration holes 31 arranged in an annular shape at the top of this peripheral wall, there is no opening for allowing liquid to pass through. That is, the washing tub 30 is a so-called “holeless” type. At the edge of the upper opening of the washing tub 30, an annular balancer 32 that functions to suppress vibration when the washing tub 30 is rotated at a high speed for dehydrating the laundry is attached. Washing On the inner bottom surface of the tub 30, a pulsator 33 for generating a flow of washing water or rinsing water in the tub is arranged.

The drive 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 has a dewatering shaft 44 and a pulsator shaft 45 protruding upward from the center thereof. The dewatering shaft 4 4 and the pulsator shaft 4 5 have a double shaft structure with the dewatering shaft 44 outside and the pulsator shaft 45 inside, and after entering the water tank 20, the dewatering shaft 4 4 It is connected to the washing tub 30 to support it. The pulsator shaft 45 further enters the washing tub 30 and is connected to and supports the pulsator 33. Seal members are provided between the dewatering shaft 44 and the water tank 20 and between the dewatering shaft 44 and the pulsator shaft 45 to prevent water leakage.

A water supply valve 50 that opens and closes electromagnetically is arranged in a space below the pack panel 12. The water supply valve 50 has a connection pipe 51 that penetrates the back panel 12 and protrudes upward. A water supply hose (not shown) for supplying tap water or other clean water is connected to the connection pipe 51. The water supply valve 50 supplies water to a container-like 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.

FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical sectional view of the water supply port 53. The water supply port 53 is open on the front side, and a drawer 53 a is inserted through the opening. The inside of the drawer 53 a is divided into a plurality (two in the embodiment, left and right). The compartment on the left is a detergent room 54, which is a preparation space for storing detergent. The compartment on the right is the finishing agent room 55, which is a preparation space for storing the finishing agent for washing. A water inlet 54 a that opens toward the inside of the water inlet 53 is provided at the bottom of the detergent chamber 54. The finishing agent chamber 55 is provided with a siphon section 57. In the water supply port 53, a portion below the drawer 53 a is a water supply port 56 for supplying water to the washing tank 30.

The siphon section 57 includes an inner tube 57a that rises vertically from the bottom surface of the finishing agent chamber 55, and a cap-shaped outer tube 57b that covers the inner tube 57a. A gap through which water passes is formed between the inner pipe 57a and the outer pipe 57b. The bottom of the inner pipe 57 a opens toward the bottom of the water supply port 53. The lower end of the outer pipe 57b keeps a predetermined gap with the bottom of the finishing agent chamber 55, and this is the water inlet. Level exceeding the upper end of inner pipe 5 7 a When the water is poured into the finishing agent chamber 55, a siphon action occurs, and the water is drawn out of the finishing agent chamber 55 through the siphon section 57, and is then poured into the bottom of the water supply port 53 and from there. It falls into the washing tub 30 through the water spout 56.

The water supply valve 50 includes a main water supply valve 50a and a sub water supply valve 50b. The main water supply valve 50a is set to have a relatively large flow rate, and the sub water supply valve 50b is set to have a relatively small flow rate. The size of the flow rate may be set by making the internal structure of the main water supply valve 50a and the sub water supply valve 50b different from each other. It may be realized by combining members. The connecting pipe 51 is common to both the main water supply valve 50a and the sub water supply valve 50b. The main water supply valve 50a is connected to the ceiling opening of the water supply port 53 through the main water supply path 52a. This opening opens toward the detergent chamber 54, so that the large flow water flowing out of the main water supply valve 50a is poured into the detergent chamber 54 from the main water supply path 52a. The sub water supply valve 50 b is connected to the ceiling opening of the water supply port 53 through the sub water supply path 52 b. This opening opens toward the finishing agent chamber 55, so that the small flow of water flowing out from the sub water supply valve 50b is poured into the finishing agent chamber 55 from the sub water supply path 52b. That is, the path from the main water supply valve 50a to the washing tub 30 through the detergent room 54 and the path from the sub water supply valve 50b to the washing tub 30 through the finishing agent room 55 are different. It is a system gun.

In some washing machines, the water supply valve is not divided into a main water supply valve and a sub water supply valve, and the water supply port only has a detergent room and no finishing agent room. In such a washing machine, all the water from the water supply valve will be poured into the detergent room.

Returning to FIG. 1, the explanation will be continued. At the bottom of the water tub 20, a drain hose 60 for draining water in the water tub 20 and the washing tub 30 out of the outer box 10 is attached. Water flows into the drain hose 60 from the drain pipe 61 and the drain pipe 62. The drain pipe 61 is connected to a position near the outer periphery of the bottom surface of the water tank 20. The drain pipe 62 is connected to a location near the center of the bottom of the water tank 20.

An annular partition wall 63 is fixed to the inner bottom surface of the water tank 20 so as to surround the connection point of the drain pipe 62 inside. An annular seal member 6 4 is attached to the upper part of the bulkhead 63. Attached. When the sealing member 64 comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the disk 65 fixed to the outer surface of the bottom of the washing tub 30, an independent drainage space 66 is formed between the water tub 20 and the washing tub 30. Is done. The drainage space 66 communicates with the inside of the washing tub 30 through a drainage port 67 formed at the bottom of the washing tub 30.

The drain pipe 62 is provided with a drain valve 68 that opens and closes electromagnetically. An air trap 69 is provided at a location on the upstream side of the drain valve 68 of the drain pipe 62. A pressure guiding tube 70 extends from the air trap 69. A water level switch 71 is connected to the upper end of the pressure guiding tube 70.

The control unit 80 is arranged on the front side of the outer box 10. The control unit 80 is placed under the top plate 11 and receives an operation command from the user through an operation / display unit 81 provided on the top surface of the top plate 11 to drive the drive unit 40 and supply water. An operation command is issued to the valve 50 and the drain valve 68. The control unit 80 issues a display command to the operation / display unit 81. The control unit 80 includes a drive circuit for an ion elution unit described later.

The operation of the washing machine 1 will be described. Open the lid 16 and put the laundry into the washing tub 30 from the laundry inlet 15. Drawer 5 3a is pulled out from water supply port 5 3, and detergent is put in detergent room 54 inside it. Finishing agent room 5 5 A finishing agent (softening agent) is filled. Finishing agents (softeners) may be added during the washing process or may not be added if not required. When you have finished setting the detergent and finishing agent (softener), push the drawer 5 3a into the water supply port 53.

After preparing to put detergent and finishing agent (softening agent), close 篕 16 and select the washing conditions by operating the operation buttons on the operation display section 8 1. Finally, when the start button is pressed, the washing process is performed according to the flowcharts of FIGS.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the entire washing process. In step S201, it is checked whether or not the scheduled operation to start washing at the set time has been selected. If the reserved operation has been selected, the process proceeds to step S206. If not, the process proceeds to step S202.

When the process proceeds to step S206, it is confirmed whether or not the operation start time has come. When the operation start time comes, the process proceeds to step S202.

In step S202, it is confirmed whether or not a washing step has been selected. If the selection has been made, the process proceeds to step S300. The contents of the washing step in step S300 will be described separately with reference to the flowchart in FIG. After the completion of the washing process, the process proceeds to step S203. If the washing process has not been selected, the process immediately proceeds from step S202 to step S203.

In step S203, it is confirmed whether or not the rinsing step has been selected. If it has been selected, the process proceeds to step S400. The contents of the rinsing step in step S400 will be described separately with reference to the broach chart in FIG. In Fig. 10, the rinsing process is performed three times, and the step numbers of each step are "S400--1", "S400--2", "S400--3" and the branch numbers. The notation is attached. The number of rinsing steps can be set arbitrarily by the user. In this case, "S400-3J is the final rinsing step.

After the rinsing process is completed, the process proceeds to step S204. If the rinsing process has not been selected, the process immediately proceeds from step S203 to step S204.

In step S204, it is confirmed whether or not a dehydration step has been selected. If it has been selected, the process proceeds to step S500. The details of the dehydration step in step S500 will be described separately with reference to the flowchart in FIG. After the dehydration step, the process proceeds to Step S205. If the dehydration step has not been selected, the process immediately proceeds from step S204 to step S205.

In step S205, the termination process of the control unit 80, particularly the arithmetic unit (microphone computer) included therein, is automatically advanced according to the procedure. Also, the completion sound is notified that the washing process is completed. After all the operations are completed, the washing machine 1 returns to the standby state in preparation for the next washing process.

Next, the contents of the individual steps of washing, rinsing, and dehydration will be described with reference to FIGS.

Figure 11 is a flowchart of the washing process. In step S301, water level data in the washing tub 30 detected by the water level switch 71 is acquired. In step S302, it is confirmed whether or not the capacitive sensing is selected. If it has been selected, the process proceeds to step S308. If not selected, the process immediately proceeds from step S302 to step S303. In step S308, the amount of laundry is measured by the rotation load of the pulsator 33. After the capacitance sensing, go to step S303.

In step S303, the main water supply valve 50a is opened, and water is poured into the washing tub 30 through the water supply port 53. Since the main water supply valve 50a is set to a large flow rate, the water quickly fills the washing tub 30. The detergent put in the detergent room 54 is also flushed away by a large amount of water, and is put into the washing tub 30 while being mixed with the water. The drain valve 68 is closed. When the water level switch 71 detects the set water level, the main water supply valve 50a is closed. Then, the process proceeds to step S304.

In step S304, the running-in operation is performed. The pulsator 33 reverses rotation and stirs the laundry and the water, so that the laundry is adapted to the water. This allows the laundry to absorb water sufficiently. In addition, let air trapped in various places of the laundry escape. If the water level detected by the water level switch 71 is lower than the initial level as a result of the running-in operation, the main water supply valve 50a is opened in step S305 to supply water, and the set water level is restored. .

If a laundry course that performs “cloth sensing” is selected, the fabric sensing will be performed along with the running-in operation. After the running-in operation, the change in water level from the set water level is detected, and if the water level falls below the specified value, it is determined that the fabric has high water absorption.

After a stable set water level is obtained in step S305, the process proceeds to step S306. According to the setting of the user, the motor 41 rotates the pulsator 33 in a predetermined pattern to form a main water flow for washing in the washing tub 30. The laundry is washed by the main water flow. The dehydrating shaft 44 is braked by the brake device 43 so that the washing tub 30 does not rotate even if the washing water and the laundry move.

After the elapse of the main water flow, the process proceeds to step S307. In step S307, the pulsator 33 is turned upside down to loosen the laundry so that the laundry is distributed in the washing tub 30 in a well-balanced manner. This is to prepare for the spinning of the washing tub 30.

Subsequently, the contents of the rinsing step will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. First, the dehydration step of step S500 is started, which is described in the flow chart in FIG. I will explain in the chart. After dehydration, proceed to step S401. In step S401, the main water supply valve 50a is opened, and water is supplied to the set water level.

After water supply, go to step S402. In step S402, the running-in operation is performed. In the running-in operation of step S402, in step S500 (dehydration process), the laundry stuck to the washing tub 30 is peeled off, and the water is absorbed into the washing tub 30 to allow the laundry to sufficiently absorb water. . '

After the running-in operation, go to step S403. As a result of the running-in operation, if the water level detected by the water level switch 71 is lower than the initial level, the main water supply valve 50a is opened to capture water and recover the set water level.

After the set water level is recovered in step S404, the process proceeds to step S404. According to the setting of the user, the motor 41 rotates the pulsator 33 in a predetermined pattern to form a main water flow for rinsing in the washing tub 30. Washing of the laundry is performed by this main water flow. The dehydrating shaft 44 is braked by the brake device 43 so that the washing tub 30 does not rotate even if rinsing water and laundry move.

After the period of the main water flow has elapsed, the process moves to step S406. In step S406, the pulsator 33 is turned upside down to loosen the laundry. This allows the laundry to be distributed in the washing tub 30 in a well-balanced manner, and prepares for the spin-drying operation.

In the above description, the rinsing water is stored in the washing tub 30 and the rinsing is performed, but the rinsing water is always supplied with fresh water. It is also possible to perform a "shape rinsing" in which water is poured into the laundry from the water supply port 53 while rotating.

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

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

When most of the washing water has drained 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 the start of drainage or at the same time as drainage. Motor 41 is now a dehydrating shaft 4 Rotate 4. Thus, the washing tub 30 performs a spin-drying operation. The pulsator 33 also rotates with the washing tub 30.

When the washing tub 30 rotates at a high speed, the laundry is pressed against the inner peripheral wall of the washing tub 30 by centrifugal force. The washing water contained in the laundry also collects on the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the washing tub 30, but as described above, the washing tub 30 is tapered and spreads upward. Rises inside the washing tub 30. When the washing water reaches the upper end of the washing tub 30, it is discharged from the dehydration hole 31. The rinsing water leaving the dewatering hole 31 is beaten to the inner surface of the water tank 20 and flows down the inner surface of the water tank 20 to the bottom of the water tank 20. Then, the water is discharged out of the outer box 10 through the drain pipe 61 and the drain hose 60 following the drain pipe 61.

The flow in FIG. 13 is configured to perform a relatively low-speed dehydration operation in step S502 and then perform a high-speed dehydration operation in step S503. After step S503, the process proceeds to step S504. In step S504, the power supply to the motor 41 is stopped, and a stop process is performed.

Now, a washing machine 1 is provided with an ion eluting unit 100. The ion elution unit 100 is connected to the downstream side of the main water supply pipe 52a. Hereinafter, the structure and function of the ion elution unit 100 and the role it plays in the washing machine 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 3 is a partial top view showing the arrangement 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 elution unit 100 alone constitutes the entire main water supply path 52a. The sub water supply path 52b is configured by connecting a pipe projecting from the water supply port 53 and the sub water supply valve 50b with a hose. Although the water supply valve 50, ion elution unit 100, and water supply port 53 are drawn side by side in the front-rear direction of the washing machine 1 in the model expression of FIG. In the aircraft, these are arranged not in the front-back direction but in the left-right direction.

In the case of a washing machine in which the water supply valve is not divided into the main water supply valve and the sub water supply valve, and the water supply port has only a detergent room and no finish agent room, simply connect the water supply valve and the water supply port. It only needs to be connected through the ion elution unit 100.

The water supply valve 50, the ion elution unit 100, and the water supply port 53 are connected from the upstream water supply valve 50 to the downstream ion elution unit 100 and from the upstream ion elution unit 100. The height is gradually lowered so that water flows down to the detergent chamber 54 of the water supply port 50 on the downstream side and further to the washing tub 30 through the water supply port 56 from there. Therefore, water does not flow backward from the detergent chamber 54 toward the ion elution unit 100. Therefore, the detergent component does not come into contact with the electrodes 113 and 114 and adheres in the form of a scale, thereby preventing the performance of the ion eluting unit 100 from being reduced.

Figures 4 to 8 show the structure of the ion elution unit. FIG. 4 is a top view. FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. FIG. 6 is also a vertical cross-sectional view, taken along line BB in FIG. Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the electrode.

The ion elution unit 100 has a case 110 made of a transparent or translucent synthetic resin (colorless or colored) or an opaque synthetic resin. The case 110 is composed of a case body 110a having an open upper surface and a lid 110b closing an upper surface opening thereof (see FIG. 5). The case body 110a has an elongated shape, and has a water inlet 111 at one end in the longitudinal direction and a water outlet 112 at the other end. Both the inlet 1 1 1 and the outlet 1 1 2 are pipe-shaped. The cross section of outlet 1 1 2 is smaller than the cross section of inlet 1 1 1.

The case 110 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction is the horizontal direction, and the bottom surface of the case body 110a arranged horizontally in this way has an inclined surface that descends toward the outlet 1 112. (See Figure 5). That is, the outlet 1 1 2 is provided at the lowest position in the internal space of the case 110.

The lid 110b is fixed to the case body 110a with four screws 170 (see Fig. 4). A seal ring 1711 is sandwiched between the case body 110a and the lid 110b (see Fig. 5).

Inside the case 110, two plate electrodes 1 13 and 1 14 are arranged facing each other along the water flow from the inlet 1 1 1 to the outlet 1 1 2 . When a predetermined voltage is applied to electrodes 113, 114 in the presence of water in case 110, metal ions of metal constituting the electrodes elute from the anode side of electrodes 113, 114 . For example, the electrodes 113 and 114 can be configured such that silver plates having a size of 2 cm × 5 cm and a thickness of about 1 mm are arranged at a distance of about 5 mm. The material of the electrodes 113 and 114 is not limited to silver. Any metal can be used as long as it is a source of antibacterial metal ions. In addition to silver, copper, silver-copper alloy, zinc, etc. can be selected. Silver ion eluted from the silver electrode, copper ion eluted from the copper electrode, and zinc ion eluted from the zinc electrode exhibit excellent bactericidal and antimicrobial effects. Silver ions and copper ions can be simultaneously eluted from an alloy of silver and copper. In the ion elution unit 100, metal ion elution Z non-elution can be selected without applying a voltage. The elution amount of metal ions can be controlled by controlling the current and voltage application time. Compared with the method in which metal ions are eluted from a metal ion carrier such as zeolite, it is convenient to use since metal ions can be selected or not, and the concentration of metal ions can be controlled electrically.

The electrodes 1 1 3 and 1 1 4 are not arranged completely parallel. When viewed in a plan view, regarding the water flow flowing through the case 110, from the upstream side to the downstream side, in other words, from the inlet 11 1 to the direction of the outlet 1 12 They are arranged in a tapered shape so that the spacing is narrow (see Fig. 7).

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

Electrodes 1 13 and 1 14 are rectangular in front shape, and terminals 1 15 and 1 16 are provided respectively. The terminals 115 and 116 are formed so as to hang down from the lower edges of the electrodes 113 and 114, respectively, and to enter inside the electrode end on the upstream side. The electrodes 1 13 and the terminals 1 15 and the electrodes 1 14 and the terminals 1 16 are integrally formed of the same metal material. The electrodes 1 15 and 1 16 are led out to the lower surface of the case main body 110a through through holes formed in the bottom wall of the case main body 110a. As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 6, the portions where the terminals 1 15 and 1 16 penetrate through the case main body 110 a are treated with a watertight seal 17 2. Watertight seal 1 7 2 will be described later A double seal structure is formed together with the second sleeve 1 75 to prevent water leakage from here.

On the lower surface of the case body 110a, an insulating wall 173 separating the terminals 115 and 116 is formed (see 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 an insulating sleep. Two types of sleep are used. The first sleep 174 is made of synthetic resin and is fitted to the base of the terminals 115 and 116. The first sleep 1 7 4 has a part that protrudes on one side of the electrodes 1 1 3 and 1 1 4, forms a projection on the side of this part, and attaches this projection to the electrode 1. They are engaged with through holes provided in 13 and 11 (see Figs. 6 and 7). This prevents the electrodes 113 and 114 from falling off from the sleeve 174. The second sleep 1 75 5 is made of soft rubber, and fills a gap between the first sleep 1 7 4 and the bottom wall of the case body 110 a, a gap between itself and the case body 110 a, and Prevents water leakage from gaps between itself and the electrodes 1 1 3 and 1 1 4

As described above, the terminals 1 15 and 1 16 are located at the upstream side of the electrodes 1 13 and 1 14 and the first sleeve 17 4 fitted to the terminals 1 15 and 1 16 Thus, the support on the upstream side of the electrodes 113 and 114 is formed. A fork-shaped support part 176 is formed on the inner surface of the lid 110b in accordance with the position of the first sleep 174 (see FIG. 6). The upper edge of the sleep 1 7 4 is sandwiched, and the second sleeve 1 7 5 fills the gap between the first sleep 1 7 4 and the case body 1 10 a, forming a solid support I do. In addition, the fork-shaped support part 17 6 sandwiches the electrodes 113 and 114 with long and short fingers, so that the gap between the electrodes 113 and 114 is appropriately maintained even on the lid 110 b side. It is supposed to be. The downstream portion of the electrodes 113 and 114 is also supported by the support provided on the inner surface of the case 110. A fork-shaped support portion 177 rises from the bottom wall of the case body 110a, and a fork-shaped support portion 178 also faces the support portion 177 from the ceiling surface of the lid 110b. Hanging in shape (see Figures 5 and 8). Electrodes 1 1 3 and 1 1 4 sandwich the lower and upper edges of the downstream portion between support portions 17 '7 and 17 8 respectively. Rarely held immobile.

As can be seen from FIG. 7, the electrodes 113 and 114 are arranged such that a surface facing each other and a surface on the opposite side create a space between the electrode 110 and the inner surface of the case 110. Also, as can be seen in FIG. 5, the electrodes 113 and 114 are arranged so that a space is also created between the upper and lower edges thereof and the inner surface of the case 110 (the supporting portion 176). , 177, 178, except for contact parts). Further, as seen in both FIG. 7 and FIG. 5, a space is also provided between the upstream and downstream edges of the electrodes 113 and 114 and the inner surface of the case 110.

If it is necessary to make the width of the case 110 narrower, make sure that the surfaces of the electrodes 113, 114 facing each other and the opposite side are in close contact with the inner wall of the case 110. A configuration is also possible.

In order to prevent foreign matter from contacting the electrodes 113, 114, a wire mesh strainer is arranged upstream of the electrodes 113, 114. In the case of the embodiment, a strainer 180 is provided in the connection pipe 51 as shown in FIG. The strainer 180 serves to prevent foreign matter from entering the water supply valve 50, but also serves as a strainer upstream of the ion elution unit 100.

A wire mesh strainer 118 is also arranged downstream of the electrodes 113, 114. The strainer 181 prevents the electrodes 1 13 and 1 14 from being broken when the electrodes 1 13 and 1 14 become thin due to long-term use, and the debris is prevented from flowing away. For example, the outlet 1 1 2 can be selected as the location of the strainer 1 18 1.

The locations of the strainers 180, 18 1 are not limited to the above locations. As long as the conditions of “upstream of the electrode” and “downstream of the electrode” are satisfied, they can be placed anywhere in the water supply path. The strainers 180 and 181 should be removable so that trapped foreign substances can be removed and substances that cause clogging can be cleaned.

FIG. 9 shows a drive circuit 120 of the ion elution unit 100. A transformer 122 is connected to the commercial power supply 121 to reduce the voltage of 100 V to a predetermined voltage. The output voltage of the transformer 122 is rectified by the full-wave rectifier circuit 123, and is made constant by the constant voltage circuit 124. Constant voltage circuit 1 25 is connected to constant voltage circuit 1 24 Have been. The constant current circuit 125 operates so as to supply a constant current to the electrode drive circuit 150 described later irrespective of a change in the resistance value in the electrode drive circuit 150.

A rectifier diode 1 26 is connected to the commercial power supply 1 2 1 in parallel with the transformer 1 2 2. The output voltage of the rectifier diode 126 is smoothed by the capacitor 127 and then applied to the constant voltage circuit 128! : A constant voltage is supplied to the microcomputer 130. The microcomputer 130 controls activation of the triac 129 connected between one end of the primary coil of the transformer 122 and the commercial power supply 121.

The electrode drive circuit 150 is configured by connecting NPN transistors Q1-Q4, diodes D1, D2, and resistors R1-R7 as shown in the figure. Transistor Q 1 and diode D 1 make up photocoupler 15 1, and transistor Q 2 and diode D 2 make up photocoupler 15 2. That is, the diodes D 1 and D 2 are photodiodes, and the transistors Ql and Q 2 are phototransistors.

Now, when a high-level voltage is applied to the line L1 and a low-level voltage or OFF (zero voltage) is applied to the line L2 from the microcomputer 130, the diode D2 is turned on, and accordingly, the diode D2 is turned on. Transistor Q2 also turns on. When transistor Q2 goes ON, current flows through resistors R3, R4, and R7, biasing the base of transistor Q3 and turning transistor Q3 ON.

On the other hand, since the diode D1 is OFF, the transistor Q1 is also OFF and the transistor Q4 is also OFF. In this state, a current flows from the electrode 113 on the anode side to the electrode 114 on the cathode side. As a result, a metal ion and an anion are generated in the ion elution cut 100.

When a current is applied to the ion elution unit 100 in one direction for a long time, the electrode 113 on the anode side in FIG. 9 is depleted, and the electrode 114 on the cathode side contains calcium in water. Impurities such as adhere to the scale. Electrode components Metal chlorides and sulfides are generated on the electrode surface. This results in a decrease in the performance of the ion elution unit 100, so that the electrode drive circuit 150 It is configured to be able to drive.

In reversing the polarity of the electrodes, the microcomputer 1330 switches the control so that the voltages of the lines Ll and L2 are reversed so that current flows through the electrodes 113 and 114 in opposite directions. In this case, the transistor Ql, <34, becomes 〇1 ^, and the transistors Q2, Q3 become OFF. The microcomputer 130 has a counter function, and performs the above-described switching every time a predetermined count is reached.

If a change in the resistance of the electrode drive circuit 150, especially a change in the resistance of the electrodes 113, 114, causes a decrease in the current flowing between the electrodes, etc., the constant current circuit 1 2 5 raises its output voltage and prevents the current from decreasing. However, if the cumulative usage time is prolonged, the ion elution hood 100 reaches its end of life and the polarity of the electrode is reversed, and the time of a specific polarity is made longer than in normal times, thereby forcing impurities adhering to the electrode. Switching to the electrode cleaning mode to remove or increasing the output voltage of the constant current circuit 125 does not prevent the current from decreasing.

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 at the resistor R7, and when the current reaches a predetermined minimum current value, this is monitored. The current detection circuit means detects the current. 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 photocoupler 163 to the microcomputer 130 via the phototransistor Q5. The microcomputer 130 drives the notification means via the line L3, and performs a predetermined warning notification. Warning Notification means 1 3 1 is the notification means. The warning notification means 13 1 is arranged in the operation / display unit 81 or the control unit 80.

In the event of an accident such as a short circuit in the electrode drive circuit 150, current detection means for detecting that the current has exceeded a predetermined maximum current value is provided. Based on this, the microphone computer 130 drives the warning notification means 131. The current detection circuit 16 1 is the current detection means. Further, 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 similarly. . The metal ions generated by the ion elution unit 100 are transferred to the washing tub as follows.

Entered at 30.

Metal ions and softeners used as finishing agents are added at the final rinsing stage. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a final rinsing sequence. In the final rinsing, after the dehydration step of step S500, the process proceeds to step S420. In step S420, it is checked whether the input of the finishing material is selected. If “input of finishing material” is selected in the setting operation using the operation / display unit 81, the process proceeds to step S4221. If it is not selected, the process proceeds to step S401 in FIG. 12, and the final rinsing is performed in the same manner as the rinsing process up to that point.

In step S 421, it is checked whether the finishing materials to be charged are two types, metal ions and softeners. If “metal ion and softener” has been selected in the setting operation using the operation / display unit 81, the process proceeds to step S422. If not, go to step S 4 26.

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

Step S422 is a metal ion elution step. A water flow of a predetermined amount larger than the water amount set in the sub water supply valve 50b set in the main water supply 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 metal constituting the electrode into water. When the metal constituting the electrode is silver, a reaction of Ag → Ag ++ e— occurs at the anode electrode, and silver ion Ag + is eluted in water. The current flowing between the electrodes is DC. The water to which the metal ions have been added enters the detergent room 54, and is poured into the washing tub 30 from the water inlet 54a through the water inlet 56.

A smaller amount of water flows out of the sub water supply valve 50b than flows out of the main water supply valve 50a, and is poured into the finishing agent chamber 55 through the sub water supply path 52b. If the finishing agent room 55 contains a finishing agent (softening agent), the finishing agent (softening agent) is put into the washing tub 30 together with water from the siphon section 57. This means that they are injected simultaneously with metal ions. Since the siphon effect occurs only when the water level in the finishing agent chamber 55 reaches a predetermined height, the liquid is not filled until the time comes and water is injected into the finishing agent chamber 55. The finishing agent (softening agent) can be held in the finishing agent room 55.

When a predetermined amount of water (a sufficient amount to cause the siphon section 57 to have a siphon action or more) is injected into the finishing agent chamber 55, the sub water supply valve 50b is closed. Note that this water injection process, that is, the finishing agent charging operation is automatically performed when “filling agent” is selected, regardless of whether the finishing agent (softening agent) is in the finishing agent chamber 55 or not. Be executed.

A predetermined amount of metal ion-added water is poured into the washing tub 30, and after that, metal ion-free water is poured to the set water level. Voltage application to 1 14 stops. The main water supply valve 50a continues to supply water even after the ion elution unit 100 stops generating metal ions, and stops supplying water when the water level inside the washing tub 30 reaches the set water level.

As described above, the metal ions and the finishing agent (softening agent) are simultaneously added in step S422, but this is not necessarily the case when the ion elution unit 100 is generating metal ions, and the siphon action is not required. This does not mean that the time for the finish (softener) to be added to the washing tub 30 must completely overlap. Either one may be shifted back and forth. After the ion elution unit 100 stops generating metal ions, the finishing agent (softening agent) may be added when the metal ion-free water is additionally injected. In short, it suffices that the input of metal ions and the input of finishing agent (softening agent) are performed in one sequence.

As described above, the terminal 1 15 is integrally formed with the electrode 1 13, and the terminal 1 16 is integrally formed with the electrode 1 14 with the same metal material. Therefore, unlike the case where different metal parts are joined together, there is no potential difference between the electrode and the terminal, and no corrosion occurs. Further, the integration makes it possible to simplify the manufacturing process.

The interval between the electrodes 113 and 114 is set to be tapered so as to become narrower from the upstream side to the downstream side. Therefore, when the electrode is worn down and the plate thickness becomes thinner along with the flow of water, the electrode is less likely to cause chattering and is not easily chipped. Also, there is no risk of excessive deformation and short circuit.

The electrodes 113 and 114 are supported in such a manner that a space is formed between the electrodes 113 and 114 and the inner surface of the case 110. For this reason, the electrodes 1 1 3 and 1 1 4 The layer does not grow and cause a short circuit with the other electrode.

Even if the terminals 1 1 5 and 1 1 6 are integrated with the electrodes 1 1 3 and 1 1 4, the electrodes 1 1 3 and 1 1 4 cannot be worn out with use, but the terminals 1 1 5 It is troublesome that 1 16 is worn out. In the case of the present embodiment, the portions of the terminals 115 and 116 located in the case 110 are protected by sleeps 174 and 175 made of an insulating material, and there is little wear due to conduction. This prevents the terminals 115 and 116 from being broken during use.

In the electrodes 113 and 114, the locations where the terminals 115 and 116 are provided are locations that enter inside from the upstream end. Electrodes 1 13 and 1 14 are depleted from the narrower part of each other. Although the end part wears out quickly, the terminals 1 15 and 1 16 are the upstream part of the electrodes 1 13 and 1 14 but they are not at all ends, but entered inside from there. Since it is formed at the location, there is no need to worry about the situation where the depletion starting from the end of the electrode reaches the terminal and the terminal is broken from the base.

• The upstream side of the electrodes 113, 114 is supported by the first sleeve 174 and the support 176. On the other hand, the downstream sides of the electrodes 113 and 114 are supported by supporting portions 177 and 178. As described above, the electrodes 113 and 114 do not vibrate even in the water flow because they are firmly supported on the upstream side and the downstream side. Therefore, the electrodes 113 and 114 do not break due to vibration.

The terminals 115 and 116 project downward through the bottom wall of the case body 110a. For this reason, steam may come into contact with the case 110a (when washing with bath water, steam easily penetrates into the washing machine 1), or the case 110 may be cooled by passing water. Therefore, even if dew condensation occurs on the outer surface of case 110, the condensed water will flow down the cables connected to terminals 115, 116 and terminals 115, 116 and case 115 Does not stay at the boundary with 0. Therefore, a situation where the terminals 115 and 116 are short-circuited by dew condensation water does not occur. Since the case body 110a is arranged with the long side horizontal, the terminals 115, 116 provided on the sides of the electrodes 113, 114 are connected to the bottom of the case body 110a. It is easy to adopt a configuration that projects downward from the wall. The outlet 1 1 2 of the ion elution unit 100 has a smaller cross-sectional area than the inlet 1 1 1 and the flow resistance is larger. For this reason, the water that has entered the case 110 from the inlet 1 11 overflows without creating an air pocket inside the case 110, and soaks the electrodes 113, 114 . Therefore, there is a portion in the electrodes 113 and 114 that is not involved in the generation of metal ions, and a situation in which this portion remains undissolved does not occur.

Not only is the cross-sectional area of the outlet 1 1 2 smaller than the cross-sectional area of the inlet 1 11, but also the cross-sectional area of the internal space of the case 110 gradually decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side. For this reason, turbulence and bubbles are unlikely to be generated inside the case 110, and the water flow is smooth. Bubbles do not dissolve in the electrodes. Since the metal ions also quickly leave the electrodes 113 and 114 and do not return to the electrodes 113 and 114, the ion elution efficiency is improved.

The ion elution unit 100 is arranged in the main water supply passage 52a having a large flow rate, and the amount of flowing water is large. For this reason, the metal ions are immediately carried out of the case 110 and do not return to the electrodes 113 and 114. Therefore, the ion elution efficiency is improved.

The outlet 1 1 2 is provided at the lowest position in the internal space of the case 110. Therefore, when the flow of water to the ion elution unit 100 is stopped, all the water in the ion elution unit 100 flows out from the outlet 112. Therefore, when the remaining water in the case 110 freezes during cold weather, and the ion elution unit 100 breaks down or breaks down, nothing happens.

A strainer 180 exists upstream of the electrodes 113 and 114. Therefore, even if solid foreign matter is present in the water supplied to the ion elution unit 100, the foreign matter is captured by the strainer 180 and does not reach the electrodes 113, 114 . Therefore, the foreign matter does not damage the electrodes 113, 114, and the electrodes are not short-circuited by the foreign matter, so that an excessive current does not flow or insufficient generation of metal ions occurs.

A strainer 118 exists downstream of the electrodes 113 and 114. Electrodes 1 13 and 1 14 are worn out or become brittle over a long period of use, and are broken and broken. If they do, the debris will be caught by strainer 181 and will not flow 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 on the washing machine 1 as in the present embodiment, foreign substances and electrode fragments may adhere to the laundry without the strainers 180 and 181. obtain. Foreign matter or electrode fragments may stain or damage the laundry, and if dehydration and drying are performed with foreign matter or electrode fragments attached to the laundry, the person who later wears the laundry If you touch them, they may feel uncomfortable or, in extreme cases, get injured, which may lead to a situation, but the strainers 180, 181 can avoid such situations.

Note that it is not always necessary to arrange both strainers 180 and 181. If it can be determined that there is no problem without it, one or both can be abolished.

Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 14, the description will be continued. In step S4243, the rinse water into which the metal ions and the finishing agent (softening agent) have been introduced is stirred by a strong water flow (strong water flow) to bring the laundry into contact with the metal ions and the finishing agent (softening agent) for the laundry. Agent) is promoted.

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

In step S424, agitation is performed with a weak water flow (weak water flow). The aim is to make metal ions adhere to the surface of the laundry and exert its effect. If the water flow is weak, the user does not misunderstand that the operation of the washing machine 1 has been completed. However, if there is a way for the user to recognize that the user is in the middle of the rinsing process, for example, if a display can be displayed on the operation / display unit 81 to draw the user's attention, stop stirring and remove water. It may be left stationary.

After a period of weak water flow set enough for the laundry to adsorb metal ions, proceed to step S425. In this case, re-press the stirring with strong water flow (strong water flow) Do. As a result, the metal ions are sent to a location in the laundry where metal ions were not sufficiently distributed, and are firmly attached.

After step S425, the process moves to step S406. In step S406, the pulsator 33 is turned upside down to loosen the laundry. This allows the laundry to be distributed in the washing tub 30 in a well-balanced manner, and prepares for the spin-drying operation.

An example of the time distribution of each step will be described. Step S 4 2 3 (strong water flow) is 4 minutes, step S 4 24 (weak water flow) is 4 minutes 15 seconds, step S 4 25 (strong water flow) is 5 seconds, and step S 4 06 ( Balance) is 1 minute and 40 seconds. The total time from step S423 to step S406 is 10 minutes.

It is desirable that metal ions and finishing agent (softening agent) be originally charged separately. This is because metal ions are converted into compounds when they come into contact with the softener component, and the antibacterial effect of metal ions is diminished. However, considerable amounts of metal ions remain in the rinse water. The effect reduction can be compensated to some extent by setting the metal ion concentration. Therefore, metal ions and a finishing agent (softener) are added at the same time, and although the effect of imparting antibacterial properties is slightly reduced, the rinsing time is shortened compared to the case of separately adding and rinsing each, and the This is to improve efficiency.

Although it is inevitable that metal ions and finishing agent (softener) meet in the washing tub 30, it is desirable to avoid contact before entering the washing tub 30. In the case of the present embodiment, the metal ions are injected into the washing tub 30 from the main water supply path 52 a through the detergent room 54. The finishing agent (softening agent) is supplied from the finishing agent room 55 to the washing tub 30. As described above, since the path for introducing metal ions into the rinse water and the path for introducing the finishing agent into the rinse water are separate systems, the path for introducing the metal ions until they meet in the washing tub 30 is different. Contact with the finishing agent (softener) does not occur, and metal ions do not come into contact with the high-concentration finishing agent (softener) to become a compound and lose antibacterial activity.

In addition, in the case of the final rinsing, the explanation has been made assuming that the rinsing water is stored in the washing tub 30 and the rinsing is performed, but the final rinsing is performed with the `` rinsing rinse ''. May go. In that case, the water to be poured shall be metal ion added water. Also, in the case where the balance is not well achieved in step S406 and the water is poured again to perform the “balance rinsing”, the metal ion-added water is used.

Now, the input of the metal ion as the first finishing substance and the input of the finishing agent (softening agent) as the second finishing substance are both optional items. Either one can be turned off, or both can be turned off. If both inputs are stopped, the process proceeds from step S420 to step S401, as described above. Hereafter, the case where only one of the two types of finishing materials is introduced will be described.

If it is determined in step S421 that the finishing materials to be charged are not two types, that is, metal ions and softeners, it means that only one of the two is selected. In this case, the process proceeds to step S 4 26.

In step S424, it is confirmed whether or not the finishing material to be charged is a metal ion. If it is a metal ion, the process proceeds to step S 427. Otherwise, go to step S428.

In step S427, the main water supply valve 50a is opened, and water flows through the main water supply path 52a. The sub water valve 50b does not open. When water flows through the ion elution unit 100, the drive circuit 120 applies a voltage between the electrodes 113 and 114 to elute ions of the metal constituting the electrode into the water. A predetermined amount of metal ion-added water is poured into the washing tub 30, and thereafter, metal ion-free water is poured to the set water level, and when it is determined that the metal ion concentration of the rinsing water reaches the predetermined value, the electrodes 1 13 and Voltage application to 1 14 stops. The main water supply valve 50a continues to supply water even after the ion elution unit 100 no longer generates metal ions, and stops supplying water when the water level inside the washing tub 30 reaches the set water level.

After step S4 27, go to step S4 23. Thereafter, step S 4 23 (strong water flow) → step S 4 2 4 (weak water flow) → step S 4 2 5 (strong water flow), in the same manner as when the metal ion and the finishing agent (softening agent) are simultaneously injected. Proceed to step S406 (balance).

If it is determined in step S 4 26 that the finishing material to be input is not a metal ion, In this case, the finishing agent (softening agent) is used alone. In this case, the process proceeds to step S428.

In step S428, both the main water supply valve 50a and the sub water supply valve 50b are opened, and water flows through both the main water supply path 52a and the sub water supply path 52b. However, the ion elution unit 100 is not driven, and no metal ions are generated. After sufficient water is poured into the finishing agent chamber 55 to cause the siphon action, and the finishing agent (softener) is injected into the washing tub 30 through the siphon unit 57, the sub water valve 50b is close.

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

After step S428, go to step S432. Thereafter, as in the case where the metal ions and the finishing agent (softening agent) are simultaneously injected, step S 4 23 (strong water flow) → step S 4 24 (weak water flow) → step S 4 25 (strong water flow) → Proceed to step S406 (balance).

In this way, even when only one type of finishing material is supplied, the steps of strong water flow → weak water flow → strong water flow are executed to ensure that the finishing material adheres to the laundry. However, the time distribution of each step does not need to be the same for the metal ions and the finishing agent (softening agent), so adjust and set them to suit each.

Finishing agents (softeners) do not require as long a time as metal ions to attach to laundry. Therefore, after step S428, only steps S432 (strong water flow) and S406 (balance) are placed, and step S424 (strong water flow) can be completed in a short time, for example, two minutes. It is possible.

In driving the ion elution unit 100, the constant current circuit 125 of the drive circuit 120 controls the voltage so that the current flowing between the electrodes 113 and 114 becomes constant. This makes the amount of metal ion eluted per unit time constant. If the amount of metal ions eluted per unit time is constant, it is possible to control the metal ion concentration in the washing tub 30 by controlling the amount of water flowing into the ion elution unit 100 and the ion elution time. Therefore, it becomes easy to obtain a desired metal ion concentration. At this time, the current flowing between the electrodes 113 and 114 is DC. If this is an exchange, the following phenomenon occurs. That is, when the metal ion is, for example, silver ion, the silver ion once eluted returns to the electrode by a reverse reaction of Ag ⁺ + e-→ Ag when the polarity of the electrode is reversed. This is not the case with direct current. Scale is deposited on the side of the electrodes 113 and 114 used as the cathode. If DC continues to flow without reversing the polarity and the amount of deposited scale increases, it becomes difficult for current to flow, and it becomes difficult to elute metal ions at a predetermined rate. In addition, the problem of "one-sided reduction" in which the electrode used as an anode wears out quickly also occurs. Therefore, the polarities of the electrodes 113 and 114 are periodically inverted.

The electrodes 113 and 114 gradually deplete as the metal ions continue to elute, and the elution amount of the metal ions decreases. If used for a long time, the elution amount of metal ions becomes unstable or the specified elution amount cannot be secured. Therefore, the ion eluting unit 100 is made replaceable, and when the life of the electrodes 113 and 114 comes, the unit can be replaced with a new unit. In addition, the user is notified via the operation / display unit '81' that the electrode 113 has reached the service life limit, and prompts maintenance such as replacement of the ion dissolution unit 100. ing.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Further, the present invention is applicable to equipment other than a washing machine, for example, a dishwasher and a humidifier. As for the washing machine, in addition to the full-automatic washing machine of the type described in the above embodiment, all types of washing such as a horizontal drum (a tumbler type), a diagonal drum, a dryer and a double-layer type are also available. Applicable to machines. Industrial applicability

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be widely used in a situation where the antibacterial action of metal ions is to be used. Devices that are effective by combining the ion eluting unit of the present invention are not limited to washing machines. It is effective for all equipment that needs to suppress the generation of bacteria and mold, such as dishwashers and humidifiers.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. Apply the voltage between the electrodes to the ion elution unit that generates metal ions.

A strainer was arranged upstream of the electrode.

2. In the ion elution unit that generates metal ions by applying a voltage between the electrodes,

A stray "^^" was placed downstream of the electrode.

3. In the ion elution unit that generates metal ions by applying a voltage between the electrodes,

A strainer was disposed upstream and downstream of the electrode.

4. An apparatus equipped with the ion eluting unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the metal ions generated by the ion eluting unit are added to water and used.

5. The device according to claim '4,

The equipment was assumed to be a washing machine.

6. A device equipped with an ion eluting tub that generates metal ions by applying a voltage between the electrodes, so that the metal ions generated by the ion eluting unit can be added to water and used. At

The ion eluting unit was connected to the downstream side of a water supply valve provided in this device, and a strainer provided in the water supply valve was also used as an upstream strainer of the ion elution unit.

7. The device according to claim 6, The equipment was assumed to be a washing machine.

8. An apparatus equipped with the ion eluting unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the metal ions generated by the ion eluting unit can be added to water and used.

A main water supply path with a large flow rate and a sub water supply path with a small flow rate were set in the equipment, and the ion elution unit was arranged in the main water supply path.

9. The device according to claim 8,

The equipment was assumed to be a washing machine.

10. The device according to claim 9,

A detergent chamber and a finishing agent chamber are defined at a water supply port for injecting water into a washing tub, and water from the main water supply passage is introduced into the detergent room, and water from the sub water supply passage is introduced into the finishing agent room. And

1 1. The device according to claim 4,

The ion elution unit has a water inlet at one end in the longitudinal direction of the case and a water outlet at the other end, and is arranged with the longitudinal direction of the case being substantially horizontal.

1 2. The device according to claim 6,

1 3. The device according to claim 8,

The ion elution unit has a water inlet at one end in the longitudinal direction of the case and a water outlet at the other end, and is arranged with the longitudinal direction of the case being substantially horizontal. And

14. In a washing machine equipped with an ion eluting unit that generates metal ions by applying a voltage between the electrodes, and using the metal ions generated by the ion eluting unit in water,

The ion eluting unit is arranged at a position upstream of a water supply port for pouring water into a washing tub and downstream of a water supply valve, and water from the water supply valve is supplied to the water supply port via the ion elution unit. A detergent room was provided at the water inlet.