WO2017054760A1

WO2017054760A1 - Washing machine

Info

Publication number: WO2017054760A1
Application number: PCT/CN2016/100886
Authority: WO
Inventors: 西浦直人; 田中启之; 川口智也; 米田昌令; 荒井英行; 大西胜司
Original assignee: 青岛海尔洗衣机有限公司; 海尔亚洲株式会社
Priority date: 2015-09-30
Filing date: 2016-09-29
Publication date: 2017-04-06
Also published as: EP3358066A4; EP3358066A1; KR20180057710A; CN108138428A; US20180298538A1; JP2017064078A

Abstract

Provided is a washing machine, which can house laundry in the structure of a washing drum having an axis extending longitudinally and enhance the washing effect with a small amount of detergent water. The washing machine (1) comprises: a washing drum (4) having an axis (J) extending longitudinally; a circulation path (11) for drawing detergent water mixed with detergent in the washing drum (4) and return same into the washing drum (4) from an upper side (Z1); a pump (12) that pumps the detergent water in the washing drum (4) into the circulation path (11) and enables same to rise in the circulation path (11); and a control part (30) that executes a washing operation. The washing operation comprises a circulation and soaking process in which a circulation treatment and a soaking treatment are conducted alternately and repeatedly, wherein the circulation treatment is intended to drive the pump (12) so as to circulate the detergent water between the washing drum (4) and the circulation path (11) and pour same onto laundry (Q); and the soaking treatment is intended to stop the driving of the pump (12) and to soak the laundry (Q) with the detergent water in the washing drum (4).

Description

washing machine

Technical field

The invention relates to a washing machine.

Background technique

In the washing machine, in the case where the laundry is washed with the detergent water mixed with the detergent, the higher the concentration of the detergent in the detergent water, the better the cleaning effect of the laundry by the detergent water. In the drum washing machine of Patent Document 1 below, a high-concentration detergent liquid is dispersed from the hollow shaft of the drum to the laundry in the drum. In the drum washing machine of the following Patent Document 2, the washing water in the highly concentrated state is sprayed onto the laundry in the drum, and the laundry is highly concentrated and washed.

The laundry is sometimes dipped prior to the formal washing process in which the laundry is formally washed. In the dipping, the laundry is immersed in the detergent water to cause the dirt to float out of the laundry, so that the soiling is easily removed in the subsequent formal washing process. The general immersion is carried out using almost the same amount of detergent water as the entire supply process. In the case where the detergent concentration in the detergent water is increased in order to improve the washing effect of the immersion, the burden of the detergent is increased when the amount of the detergent is increased.

On the contrary, in the case where the detergent concentration in the detergent water is increased by reducing the amount of water without increasing the amount of detergent, since only a small amount of detergent water can be generated, it is difficult to uniformly pour the detergent water to the laundry. In particular, unlike the drum washing machine of Patent Document 1, and the drum washing machine of Patent Document 2, for a vertical washing machine having a washing tub having a longitudinally extending axis, detergent water is biased to accumulate on the bottom side in the washing tub. Therefore, there is a problem that the laundry in the washing tub has only the lower portion impregnated with the detergent water. As a result, it is difficult to achieve an improvement in the cleaning effect of the laundry by the detergent.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-65873

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-534049

Summary of the invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

The present invention has been made in view of the background, and an object of the invention is to provide a washing machine capable of improving a washing effect by a small amount of detergent water in a structure in which a laundry is accommodated in a washing tub having a longitudinally extending axis.

Solution to solve the problem

The present invention relates to a washing machine comprising: a washing tub having a longitudinally extending axis for containing laundry and storing water; and a circulation path for drawing and mixing detergent water mixed with detergent from the washing tub Returning the upper side to the washing tub; pumping the detergent water in the washing tub to the circulation path and causing it to rise in the circulation path; and executing the unit to perform a washing operation, The washing operation includes a circulation soaking process which alternately repeats the circulation process and the soaking process, wherein the circulation process is to circulate the detergent water between the washing tub and the circulation path by driving the pump It is poured to the laundry; the soaking treatment stops the driving of the pump and saturates the detergent water in the washing tub.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that it includes a motor that rotates the washing tub, and the executing unit drives the motor in at least one of the circulation processes to rotate the washing tub at a low speed at a rotation speed lower than a predetermined rotation speed.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that it includes a motor that rotates the washing tub, the execution unit controls driving of the motor in at least one of the loop processes, and intermittently rotates the washing tub intermittently.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that it includes a motor that rotates the washing tub, the execution unit stops the washing tub in the circulation process during the circulating soaking process, and starts the next The motor is driven before the circulation process to rotate the washing tub only by a predetermined angle.

Further, the present invention is characterized by comprising: a water supply path for supplying water to the washing tub; and a water supply valve that opens and closes the water supply path, the washing operation including the circulation soaking process and the washing tub a formal washing process that stores water to formally wash the laundry after the circulating soaking process In the washing process, the execution unit opens the water supply valve during the circulation soaking process, and supplies a part of the water supply amount of the entire washing process to the washing tub to generate detergent water.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that it includes a detergent accommodating portion that is connected to the water supply path and houses a detergent, and the water supply path has a water staggering direction through the detergent accommodating portion and flowing through the water supply path. The discharge port in which the position of the laundry in the washing tub is discharged is described.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the execution unit changes the processing time of each of the circulation processing and the saturation processing in accordance with the magnitude of the load amount of the laundry in the washing tub.

Effect of the invention

According to the present invention, the washing machine accommodates laundry in a washing tub having a longitudinally extending axis and can store water. In the washing tub, the detergent water mixed with the detergent is sucked into the circulation path by the pump and rises in the circulation path, and then returns from the upper side to the washing tub.

The execution unit performs a washing operation including a cycle soaking process. The execution unit alternately repeats the circulation treatment and the saturation treatment in the cyclic soaking process, wherein the circulation treatment is to drive the pump to circulate the detergent water between the washing tub and the circulation path and to pour it to the laundry; the soaking treatment is The drive of the pump is stopped and the detergent water is allowed to soak the laundry in the wash tub.

Even if the amount of detergent water is small, it is possible to repeatedly wash the detergent water into the laundry in the washing tub by a plurality of cycles, uniformly drip the laundry, and pass the soaking treatment after each cycle to obtain the same level as the immersion. Effect. Thereby, the dirt is efficiently floated from the entire laundry. Therefore, the cleaning effect can be improved by a small amount of detergent water.

Further, according to the present invention, the execution unit drives the motor in at least one cycle process to rotate the washing tub at a low speed at a rotation speed lower than a predetermined rotation speed. Thereby, the detergent water returned from the circulation path to the washing tub can be uniformly poured into the laundry in the washing tub over the entire area in the rotation direction of the washing tub. Therefore, the cleaning effect by the detergent water can be further improved.

Further, according to the present invention, the execution unit controls the driving of the motor in at least one cycle process, and repeatedly intermittently rotates the washing tub. Thereby, the detergent water returned from the circulation path to the washing tub can be uniformly poured into the laundry in the washing tub over the entire area in the rotation direction of the washing tub. Therefore, the cleaning effect by the detergent water can be further improved.

Further, according to the present invention, the execution unit makes the washing tub in the circulating process during the circulating soaking process Stop and drive the motor before starting the next cycle of processing, so that the wash tub is only rotated by a specified angle. Thereby, in a state where the washing tub is stopped in the circulation process, the washing water can be concentratedly poured to one portion of the washing drum in the rotation direction of the washing tub. Then, by slightly rotating the washing tub before starting the next cycle processing, in the subsequent cycle processing, the washing water can be poured into the washing water in the previous cycle of washing. Other parts than the part. In this way, by slightly changing the position of the laundry to the detergent water and repeating the circulation process a plurality of times, a sufficient amount of the detergent water can be uniformly poured into the washing tub throughout the entire rotation direction of the washing tub. Washing. Therefore, the cleaning effect by the detergent water can be further improved.

Further, according to the present invention, in the case where the washing process is constituted by the circulation soaking process and the formal washing process, the execution unit opens the water supply valve by circulating the water supply valve before the formal washing process, so that the water flows into the water supply path, thereby giving the entire specification A part of the water supply amount of the washing process is supplied to the washing tub to generate detergent water. Thereby, a high concentration of detergent water can be produced.

Further, according to the present invention, the discharge port of the water supply path discharges the water with the detergent passing through the detergent accommodating portion toward the position where the laundry in the washing tub is staggered. Thereby, it can suppress that the super high-concentration detergent which melt|dissolved in water only adheres to the surface of the washing|cleaning material, and it is a thing which cannot wash|clean the whole washing|cleaning uniformly.

Further, according to the present invention, since the execution unit changes the processing time of each of the circulation processing and the saturation treatment according to the magnitude of the load amount of the laundry in the washing tub, the most suitable cyclic soaking process can be performed for each load amount. Therefore, the cleaning effect by the detergent water can be further improved in the circulation soaking process.

DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a washing machine in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the washing machine.

Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing the control operation of the circulation soaking process.

4 is a schematic view of a washing machine of a first modification.

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of a washing machine of a second modification.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of a washing machine of a third modification.

Description of the reference numerals

1: washing machine; 4: washing tub; 5: motor; 6: water supply road; 6B: spitting outlet; 7: water supply valve; 8: detergent storage section; 11: circulation road; 12: pump; 30: control department; : axis; Q: washing; Z1: upper side.

detailed description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a washing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vertical direction in FIG. 1 is referred to as the vertical direction Z of the washing machine 1, and the left-right direction in FIG. 1 is referred to as the horizontal direction Y of the washing machine 1. The vertical direction Z coincides with the vertical direction, and the horizontal direction Y coincides with the horizontal direction. In the up and down direction Z, the upper side is referred to as the upper side Z1, and the lower side is referred to as the lower side Z2. Although the washing machine 1 also includes a washing and drying machine having a drying function, the washing machine 1 will be described below by taking a washing machine that performs only the washing operation as an example. The washing machine 1 includes a casing 2 and an outer tub 3 disposed in the casing 2, a washing tub 4, a motor 5, a water supply path 6, a water supply valve 7, a detergent accommodating portion 8, a drain passage 9, a drain valve 10, and a circulation path 11 And pump 12.

The casing 2 is made of, for example, metal and formed in a box shape. An entrance 2B that connects the inside and the outside of the casing 2 is formed on the upper surface 2A of the casing 2. The upper surface 2A is provided with a door 14 that opens and closes the entrance and exit 2B, and a display operation unit 15 that is constituted by a switch, a liquid crystal panel, or the like. By operating the switch or the like of the display operation unit 15, the user can turn on/off the power of the washing machine 1, or set the mode of the washing operation freely, or issue an instruction to start or stop the washing operation of the washing machine 1. The information relating to the washing operation is visually displayed on the liquid crystal panel or the like of the display operation unit 15.

The outer tub 3 is made of, for example, a resin, and has a bottomed cylindrical shape, and is elastically supported by the casing 2 via an elastic supporting member (not shown) such as a so-called boom. Water can be stored in the outer tub 3. The virtual straight line passing through the center of the outer tub 3 is the axis J of the outer tub 3. The axis J extends longitudinally in a direction that is slightly inclined with respect to the vertical direction or with respect to the vertical direction. The bottomed cylindrical outer tub 3 has a substantially cylindrical circumferential wall 3A disposed along the axis J, a disk-shaped bottom wall 3B that blocks the hollow portion of the circumferential wall 3A from the lower side Z2, and a circumferential wall The upper end edge of 3A is crimped and an annular annular wall 3C projecting toward the axis J side. The outer tub 3 is formed by: a ring The circular inlet and outlet 3D which is surrounded by the wall 3C and faces the inlet and outlet 2B of the casing 2 from the lower side Z2, and the through hole 3E which penetrates the center portion of the bottom wall 3B in the vertical direction Z.

The washing tub 4 is a bottomed cylindrical metal drum formed to be smaller than the outer tub 3, and can accommodate the laundry Q therein. The washing tub 4 is housed coaxially in the outer tub 3. Therefore, the axis of the washing tub 4 is the above-described axis J. The bottomed cylindrical washing tub 4 has a substantially cylindrical circumferential wall 4A disposed along the axis J, a disk-shaped bottom wall 4B that blocks the hollow portion of the circumferential wall 4A from the lower side Z2, and a circumferential wall The upper end edge of 4A is crimped and an annular annular wall 4C projecting toward the axis J side. The washing tub 4 is formed with a circular inlet/outlet 4D surrounded by the annular wall 4C and opposed to the inlet and outlet 3D of the outer tub 3 from the lower side Z2, and a plurality of through holes 4E penetrating the circumferential wall 4A and the bottom wall 4B.

When the door 14 is opened, since the inlet and outlet 2B, the inlet and outlet 3D, and the inlet and outlet 4D are exposed from the upper surface 2A of the casing 2 to the upper side Z1 in a state of being aligned in the vertical direction Z, the laundry Q can be taken out and washed through these inlets and outlets. Inside the bucket 4. The water in the outer tub 3 travels between the outer tub 3 and the washing tub 4 through the through holes 4E, and is also accumulated in the washing tub 4. Therefore, the water level in the outer tub 3 coincides with the water level in the washing tub 4. At the center of the bottom wall 4B, a rotating shaft 17 projecting along the axis J to the lower side Z2 is provided. The rotating shaft 17 is inserted into the through hole 3E of the bottom wall 3B of the outer tub 3 from the upper side Z1.

The motor 5 is constituted by, for example, a variable frequency motor. The motor 5 is disposed in the casing 2 on the lower side Z2 of the outer tub 3, and is fixed to the bottom wall 3B of the outer tub 3 via a fixing member (not shown) or the like. The motor 5 has an output shaft 18 that rotates about an axis J. The output shaft 18 is coupled to the rotating shaft 17 of the washing tub 4. When the motor 5 is driven, the driving force generated by the motor 5 is transmitted from the rotating shaft 17 to the output shaft 18, and the washing tub 4 is rotated about the axis J by the driving force. It should be noted that a transmission mechanism (not shown) including a clutch or the like may be interposed between the rotating shaft 17 and the output shaft 18. Further, a pulsator (not shown) for agitating the stored laundry Q is provided in the washing tub 4, and the driving force of the motor 5 can be selectively transmitted from the transmission mechanism to the washing tub 4 and the pulsator. Or both parties. Further, in the present embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the number of revolutions of the motor 5 is the same as the number of revolutions of the washing tub 4 and the pulsator.

The water supply path 6 is a flow path having one end portion 6A connected to a faucet (not shown) and the other end portion 6C in which the discharge port 6B is formed. The other end portion 6C of the water supply path 6 penetrates the annular wall 3C of the outer tub 3 from the upper side Z1, and the discharge port 6B faces the lateral direction between the circumferential wall 3A of the outer tub 3 and the circumferential wall 4A of the washing tub 4 from the upper side Z1. The gap 19 on Y is arranged in a manner.

The water supply valve 7 is provided in the middle of the water supply path 6. The water supply path 6 is opened when the water supply valve 7 is opened. Thus, The water from the faucet flows through the water supply path 6 and flows down from the discharge port 6B to the gap 19 as indicated by the thick solid arrow, and is accumulated in the outer tub 3. At this time, the discharge port 6B discharges the water flowing into the water supply path 6 toward the gap 19 between the outer tub 3 and the washing tub 4, that is, at a position shifted from the laundry Q in the washing tub 4. The water accumulated in the outer tub 3 passes through the through hole 4E of the washing tub 4 and is also accumulated in the washing tub 4. In this manner, when the water supply valve 7 is opened, the washing tub 4 is supplied with water from the water supply path 6. On the other hand, since the water supply path 6 is closed when the water supply valve 7 is closed, the water supply can be stopped.

The detergent accommodating portion 8 is formed in a box shape in which detergent is stored, and is connected to the middle of the water supply path 6. The internal space of the detergent accommodating portion 8 constitutes a midway portion of the water supply path 6. When the water supply valve 7 is opened to start the water supply, the water from the faucet passes through the detergent accommodating portion 8 and is supplied with detergent, and is supplied to the outer tub 3 and the washing tub 4 from the discharge port 6B after flowing into the water supply path 6. Thereby, the detergent water mixed with the detergent can be accumulated in the outer tub 3 and the washing tub 4.

The drain passage 9 has an end portion 9A that is connected to the bottom wall 3B of the outer tub 3 from the lower side Z2 at a position avoiding the through hole 3E, and is pulled out to the casing 2 at a position lower than the one end portion 9A. The flow path of the other end portion 9B.

The drain valve 10 is provided in the middle of the drain path 9. The drain path 9 is opened when the drain valve 10 is opened. Thereby, the detergent water accumulated in the outer cylinder 3 and the washing tub 4 is discharged to the outside of the machine through the drain path 9. In this way, when the drain valve 10 is closed in a state where the drain is performed, the drain passage 9 is closed, so that the drain can be stopped.

The circulation path 11 is a flow path having one end portion 11A in which the drain passage 9 is connected to the portion between the one end portion 9A and the drain valve 10, and the other end portion 11C in which the water discharge port 11B is formed. The circulation path 11 is bent from the one end portion 11A in the lateral direction Y, and is bent, passes through the gap between the casing 2 and the outer tub 3, and extends toward the upper side Z1, and then is bent toward the axis J side to reach the other end portion 11C. The other end portion 11C is bent to the lower side Z2 directly above the entrance/exit 3D of the outer tub 3, and the spouting port 11B is opened at the lower end of the other end portion 11C, and faces the entrance/exit 4D of the washing tub 4 from the upper side Z1.

The pump 12 is a centrifugal pump or the like in which a rotating impeller (not shown) is incorporated, and is provided in the middle of the circulation path 11. The pump 12 is driven to take in the detergent water in the outer tub 3 and in the washing tub 4 to the one end portion 11A of the circulation path 11 via the drain path 9 and to raise it in the circulation path 11. Thereby, the detergent water is drawn into the circulation path 11 from the inside of the outer tub 3 and the washing tub 4, and is discharged from the water discharge port 11B of the other end portion 11C. The detergent water discharged from the spouting port 11B flows down to the inlet and outlet 4D of the washing tub 4 as indicated by a thick broken line arrow, and returns to the washing tub 4 from the upper side Z1. When the pump 12 is continuously driven, the detergent water is in the washing tub 4 Loop between the loops 11.

The washing machine 1 includes a control unit 30 as an execution unit. The control unit 30 is, for example, a microcomputer including a CPU, a memory unit such as a ROM or a RAM, and is disposed in the casing 2.

Referring to Fig. 2, which is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the washing machine 1, the washing machine 1 further includes a water level sensor 31, a rotation sensor 32, and a timer 33 for timing. The water level sensor 31, the rotation sensor 32, and the timer 33, and the motor 5, the pump 12, the display operation unit 15, the water supply valve 7, and the drain valve 10 are electrically connected to the control unit 30, respectively.

The water level sensor 31 is a sensor that detects the water level of the outer tub 3 and the washing tub 4, and the detection result of the water level sensor 31 is input to the control unit 30 in real time.

The rotation sensor 32 is a device that reads the number of revolutions of the motor 5, and is strictly a device that reads the number of revolutions of the output shaft 18 of the motor 5, for example, a Hall that outputs a pulse wave every time the output shaft 18 rotates by a predetermined rotation angle. The IC (not shown) is composed. The number of revolutions read by the rotation sensor 32 is input to the control unit 30 in real time. The control unit 30 controls the voltage applied to the motor 5 based on the number of revolutions input, and controls the duty ratio of the voltage applied to the motor 5 in detail, and drives the motor 5 to rotate at a desired number of revolutions. The control unit 30 also controls the driving of the pump 12.

As described above, when the user operates the display operation unit 15 to select an operation condition or the like of the washing operation, the control unit 30 receives the selection. The control unit 30 displays the information necessary for the user in a visual manner on the display operation unit 15. The control unit 30 controls opening and closing of each of the water supply valve 7 and the drain valve 10. Therefore, the control unit 30 can supply water to the washing tub 4 by opening the water supply valve 7 in a state where the drain valve 10 is closed, and can perform draining of the washing tub 4 by opening the drain valve 10.

Next, the washing operation performed by the control unit 30 in the washing machine 1 will be described. The washing operation includes a washing process consisting of an initial cycle soaking process and a formal washing process after the cycle soaking process, a rinsing process after the washing process, and a dehydrating process. The cycle soaking process can be regarded as an independent process in the washing operation, or can be regarded as a part of the washing process as in the present embodiment. The dehydration process includes: a final dehydration process performed at the end of the washing operation; and an intermediate dehydration process performed after the washing process and the rinsing process.

The control unit 30 detects the amount of the laundry Q in the washing tub 4 as the load amount before the start of the washing operation. The unit of the load amount is, for example, kg. As an example of the load amount detection, the control unit 30 can The weight of the laundry Q detected by the weight sensor (not shown) provided in the washing machine 1 is used to obtain the load. Further, the amount of load may be detected based on fluctuations in the number of revolutions of the motor 5 when the washing tub 4 is stably rotated at a low speed. Further, when the pulsator is provided, the control unit 30 rotates the pulsator carrying the laundry Q for a predetermined period of time, and then stops the driving of the motor 5 to rotate the motor 5 by inertia, and measures the motor 5 at this time. The amount of inertial rotation. The larger the load, the smaller the amount of inertia rotation of the motor 5 connected to the pulsator carrying the heavier laundry Q. The smaller the amount of load, the larger the amount of inertia rotation of the motor 5 connected to the pulsator carrying the lighter laundry Q. The control unit 30 detects the amount of load based on the magnitude of the number of revolutions of inertia

The cycle soaking process will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 3. The drain valve 10 is always closed during the cycle soaking process. As the circulation soaking process starts, the control unit 30 supplies water to the washing tub 4 by opening the water supply valve 7 only for a predetermined time (step S1). Thereby, the washing tub 4 accumulates the detergent water to a predetermined water level.

Next, the control unit 30 performs the first loop processing (step S2). In the circulation processing, the control unit 30 drives the pump 12 to circulate the detergent water between the washing tub 4 and the circulation path 11, and at this time, the detergent water is poured from the spouting port 11B of the circulation path 11 to the washing tub. Washing Q within 4. The processing time of the loop processing, that is, the time for driving the pump 12 is, for example, about 15 seconds. Further, in the detergent water that has passed through the pump 12 in the circulation path 11, since the detergent is broken and refined by the impeller of the pump 12 and dissolved in the water, a high concentration of detergent water can be generated.

Next, the control unit 30 performs the first soaking process (step S3). In the soaking process, the control unit 30 stops the driving of the pump 12 and causes the detergent water to permeate the laundry Q in the washing tub 4. Specifically, the detergent water poured from the upper side Z1 to the laundry Q in the circulation treatment permeates the laundry Q by its own weight. Further, in the impregnation treatment, since the drain valve 10 continues to be in the closed state, the detergent water is stored in the washing tub 4 to a certain extent, and the laundry Q, particularly the lower portion, is immersed in the detergent water. The processing time of the soaking treatment, that is, the time for stopping the pump 12 is, for example, about 45 seconds.

Next, the control unit 30 performs the second loop processing (step S4), and thereafter performs the second soaking process (step S5). Further, since the pump 12 is stopped in the soaking process before the circulation process, the detergent water is accumulated in the outer tub 3 and the washing tub 4 at the start of the circulation process, and is also accumulated in the drain path 9 and the circulation path 11. The state of the one end portion 11A. Therefore, at the time of the subsequent circulation treatment after the impregnation treatment, the circulation of the detergent water can be quickly started without the pump 12 being idling. In addition, in the first cycle treatment, since the laundry Q before washing is dry, it can absorb a large amount of detergent. The state of the water, so the treatment time is set longer, but since the second cycle treatment, since the laundry Q is in a state in which a certain amount of detergent water has been absorbed, the treatment time is set to be longer than the first time. The processing time of the loop processing is short. For the same reason, the processing time is set to be long in the first soaking process, but the processing time is set to be shorter than the processing time of the first soaking process from the second soaking process.

Until the predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the water supply in step S1 (NO in step S6), the control unit 30 alternately repeats the loop processing (step S4) and the soaking processing (step S5) a plurality of times. The predetermined time here is, for example, 30 minutes. In this case, the circulation process and the soaking process are repeated for a total of 30 times. Even if the detergent water is small, the detergent water is repeatedly uniformly poured into the laundry Q in the washing tub 4 by the multiple circulation treatment, and the laundry Q is treated and soaked by the soaking treatment after each circulation treatment. It is in the same state as detergent water. Thereby, the dirt is efficiently floated from the entire laundry Q. Therefore, the cleaning effect can be improved by a small amount of detergent water.

Then, when the predetermined time has elapsed (YES in step S6), the circulation soaking process ends, and the control unit 30 carries out the next process, that is, the formal washing process. As the main washing process starts, the control unit 30 opens the water supply valve 7 while continuing to close the drain valve 10, thereby additionally supplying water to the washing tub 4. Thereby, the detergent water is accumulated in the washing tub 4 to a water level higher than the water level of the detergent water accumulated by the water supply in step S1. In the main washing process, the control unit 30 drives the motor 5 in a state where the washing water is accumulated in the washing tub 4, and rotates the washing tub 4 or rotates the above-described pulsator. Thereby, a water flow of the detergent water is generated in the washing tub 4, and the laundry Q is stirred. This water flow removes the dirt from the laundry Q by mechanical force such as friction or vibration applied to the laundry Q, or chemically decomposes the dirt by the detergent water, whereby the laundry Q is officially washed. In particular, since the laundry Q is in a state of being easily removed by the circulation soaking process before the formal washing process, the formal washing process can exert a high cleaning effect.

The control unit 30 may perform the first process of driving the motor 5 to rotate the washing tub 4 at a low speed of a predetermined number of revolutions or less at least in one cycle. The number of revolutions of the motor 5 when the washing tub 4 is rotated at a low speed is, for example, 50 rpm. Further, the number of revolutions of the motor 5 when the washing tub 4 is rotated at a high speed during the dehydration process is, for example, 600 rpm to 800 rpm. By rotating the washing tub 4 at a low speed in the circulation processing, it is possible to suppress the deviation of the laundry Q in the washing tub 4 and the splashing of the detergent water in the washing tub 4 from the inlet and outlet 4D. Further, the control unit 30 may perform the control of the driving of the motor 5 in at least one cycle process. The second process of intermittent rotation of the washing tub 4 is repeated. The intermittent rotation of the washing tub 4 means that the washing tub 4 is repeatedly stopped and rotated by repeatedly energizing and de-energizing the motor 5.

By the first process and the second process, the detergent water returned from the circulation path 11 into the washing tub 4 can be uniformly poured into the laundry Q in the washing tub 4 over the entire area in the rotation direction of the washing tub 4. Therefore, the cleaning effect by the detergent water can be further improved.

The control unit 30 may also perform a third process of stopping the washing tub 4 in the circulation process and driving the motor 5 to rotate the washing tub 4 only by a predetermined angle before starting the next cycle process in the cycle soaking process. Thereby, in a state where the washing tub 4 is stopped in the circulation process, the washing water can be concentratedly poured to one portion in the rotation direction of the washing tub 4 of the laundry Q. Further, by slightly rotating the washing tub 4 before starting the next loop processing, it is possible to concentrate the washing water to the washing material Q and the washing water in the previous circulation processing in the subsequent circulation processing. Part of the different parts. In this way, the circulation process is repeated a plurality of times while slightly changing the position of the detergent Q in which the detergent water is immersed, and finally, a sufficient amount of detergent water can be uniformly poured over the entire area in the rotation direction of the washing tub 4 to the entire area. The laundry Q in the tub 4 is washed. Therefore, the cleaning effect by the detergent water can be further improved. In addition, in the case of the third process, the washing tub 4 may be stopped in the subsequent soaking process after the circulation process of stopping the washing tub 4, or the washing tub 4 may be rotated in the soaking process. When the washing tub 4 is rotated in the soaking process, the stop position of the washing tub 4 in the previous cycle processing is temporarily stored by the control unit 30.

In the circulation soaking process, only one of the first to third processes may be performed, or a plurality of processes in the first to third processes may be combined. For example, in the first to fifth cycle processes at the beginning of the cycle soaking process, only the first process may be performed, and from the sixth cycle process, only the third process may be performed. In this case, by the first to fifth cycle treatments, the detergent water can be uniformly poured into the entire laundry Q in the initial stage of the circulation soaking process, and a large amount of the washing liquid is started from the sixth cycle of the treatment. The detergent water is poured to the portion of the laundry Q, whereby the cleaning effect of the portion of the laundry Q impregnated with the detergent water can be improved.

Further, the combination of the first to third processes can be arbitrarily set in accordance with the magnitude of the load amount of the laundry Q and the mode of the washing operation. For example, in the case of a mode in which the amount of laundry is small and the load is small, and the cotton which is easy to absorb water is washed, even if only a small amount of detergent water is uniformly poured onto the laundry Q, the detergent water is easily infiltrated into the washing. The lower part of the object Q, thus increasing the frequency of the first process and the second process, Reduce the frequency of the third process. On the other hand, in the case where the amount of the laundry Q is large and the load is large, and the thicker felt is washed, the detergent water is difficult because a large amount of detergent water is not poured to a part of the laundry Q. It infiltrates into the lower portion of the laundry Q, thus increasing the frequency of the third treatment, reducing the frequency of the first treatment and the second treatment.

The control portion 30 may open the water supply valve 7 in the step S1 of the circulation soaking process, and supply a part of the water supply amount of the entire washing process to the washing tub 4 to generate detergent water. That is, in the circulation soaking process, detergent water is generated using a part of the amount of water supplied to the entire washing process. Thereby, a high concentration of detergent water can be generated without increasing the amount of water supplied to the entire washing operation. Further, the water supply amount of the entire washing process is, for example, 60 L. In this case, the water supply amount of the circulation soaking process is set to about 1/3 to 1/2 of 60 L, for example, 20 L.

In this way, during the circulation process, a high concentration of detergent water is generated with a small amount of detergent and water, and the detergent water is uniformly permeated by the pump 12 to the circulation treatment and the soaking treatment of the laundry Q, thereby It is possible to obtain the same cleaning effect as in the case of using a large amount of high-concentration detergent water for immersion. In addition, the high concentration here means a range of the concentration of 2 to 3 times, for example.

Further, as described above, when the water supply in the step S1 is performed, the discharge port 6B of the water supply path 6 discharges the water having the detergent passing through the detergent storage unit 8 toward the position where the laundry Q in the washing tub 4 is displaced. That is, when the water supply in the circulation soaking process is performed, the water of the detergent with the detergent containing portion 8 is supplied so as not to be directly hit on the laundry Q. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a situation in which the ultra-high concentration detergent before being dissolved in water adheres only to a part of the surface of the laundry Q, and the entire laundry Q cannot be uniformly washed.

The control unit 30 may change the processing time of each of the circulation processing and the saturation treatment according to the magnitude of the load amount of the laundry Q in the washing tub 4. Specifically, when the amount of the laundry Q is large and the load is large, since a large amount of detergent water needs to be poured into the laundry Q to permeate it, the control unit 30 usually treats the respective processing times of the circulation treatment and the saturation treatment. Set it longer. On the other hand, when the amount of the laundry Q is small and the load is small, the control unit 30 usually performs the cycle treatment because a small amount of detergent water is poured into the laundry Q to permeate it to obtain a sufficient cleaning effect. And the processing time for each of the soaking treatments is set to be short. Thereby, the most suitable cyclic soaking process can be performed for each load amount. Therefore, the cleaning effect by the detergent water of the circulation soaking process can be further improved.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be within the scope of the claims. Make various changes.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the one end portion 11A of the circulation path 11 is connected to the drain passage 9 (see FIG. 1), but may be connected to the lower end portion of the outer tub 3.

4 is a schematic view of a washing machine 1 of a first modification. Fig. 5 is a schematic view of a washing machine 1 of a second modification. Fig. 6 is a schematic view of a washing machine 1 of a third modification. In FIGS. 4 to 6 , the same portions as those described in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. As shown in the first to third modifications of FIGS. 4 to 6, the washing machine 1 may include a water tank 21.

Referring to Fig. 4, the water tank 21 has a capacity capable of accumulating detergent water generated in the circulation cleaning process, and is disposed in the casing 2 in a space closer to the lower side Z2 than the outer tub 3. In the drain path 9, a water tank 21 is interposed between the connection portion with the one end portion 11A of the circulation path 11 and the one end portion 9A. The internal space of the water tank 21 constitutes a midway portion of the drainage path 9. In the drain path 9, a drain valve 22 is provided between the one end portion 9A and the water tank 21. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the drain valve 10 will be referred to as a first drain valve 10, and the drain valve 22 will be referred to as a second drain valve 22. The opening and closing of the second drain valve 22 is controlled by the control unit 30.

When both the first drain valve 10 and the second drain valve 22 are opened, the water that has flowed out of the outer tub 3 to the drain passage 9 once passes through the water tank 21 and then reaches the other end portion 9B, and is discharged to the outside of the machine. On the other hand, when the first drain valve 10 is closed in a state where the second drain valve 22 is opened, the water that has flowed out of the tub 3 to the drain passage 9 is not discharged to the outside of the machine, but is stored in the tank 21. In the water tank 21, the one end portion 23A of the exhaust pipe 23 is connected from the upper side Z1. The exhaust pipe 23 extends from the one end portion 23A to the upper side Z1, and the other end portion 23B thereof is connected to the upper portion of the circumferential wall 3A of the outer tub 3. Thereby, since the air in the water tank 21 runs into the outer tub 3 through the exhaust pipe 23, the water flowing out from the outer tub 3 to the drain passage 9 can smoothly flow into the water tank 21. Further, even if air bubbles in the water tank 21 enter the exhaust pipe 23, the air bubbles are introduced into the outer tub 3, so that it is possible to suppress the occurrence of air bubbles in the exhaust pipe 23.

In the first to third modifications, the control unit 30 also executes the cyclic soaking process illustrated in FIG. In the circulation soaking process, the first drain valve 10 is always closed, but the second drain valve 22 may be opened and closed as needed. Further, in the case where the second drain valve 22 is always open, since the water tank 21 functions only as a part of the drain passage 9, the circulation soaking process which is the same as the case where the water tank 21 is not provided is performed.

On the other hand, the cycle soaking process in the case where the second drain valve 22 is opened and closed as needed In the middle, since the control unit 30 supplies water in a state where the second drain valve 22 is opened in step S1, the detergent water is accumulated in the water tank 21. Further, in step S6, the control unit 30 repeats the loop processing and the saturation processing a plurality of times alternately until a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

In the circulation processing of the step S2 and the step S4, the detergent water accumulated in the water tank 21 is taken into the circulation path 11 by the pump 12, and is poured into the washing tub 4 from the upper side Z1 from the water discharge port 11B of the circulation path 11. Wash Q (refer to the thick dashed arrow of Figure 4). The detergent water poured to the laundry Q is accumulated in the water tank 21 through the drain path 9, and is again taken up by the pump 12 to the circulation path 11 and poured into the laundry Q. Thereby, in the circulation process, the detergent water circulates between the washing tub 4 and the circulation path 11 via the water tank 21. In the first cycle of the step S2, in order to allow a large amount of detergent water to permeate the laundry Q in the dry state before washing, the second drain valve 22 may be closed to accumulate the detergent water in the washing tub. 4 inside.

On the other hand, in the soaking process of step S3 and step S5, first, the control unit 30 closes the second drain valve 22 while stopping the pump 12. Thereby, since the detergent water supplied from the circulation path 11 to the washing tub 4 is accumulated in the washing tub 4 in the previous circulation process, the detergent water easily permeates into the laundry Q. Further, in the soaking process, the control unit 30 opens the second drain valve 22 at a later point in time from the start to the lapse of a certain period of time. Thereby, since the detergent water in the washing tub 4 is accumulated in the water tank 21 through the drain path 9, the circulation of the detergent water can be quickly started in the subsequent circulation process.

When the official washing process is performed for a predetermined period of time (YES in step S6), the control unit 30 opens the water supply valve 7 in a state where the second drain valve 22 is closed as the main washing process starts. Water is supplied to the washing tub 4, and at this time, the pump 12 is driven to transfer the detergent water of the water tank 21 to the washing tub 4 via the circulation path 11. As described above, the detergent water of the water tank 21 is also used for water supply, whereby the amount of water supplied from the water supply path 6 can be suppressed to be small.

As a structure for supplying the detergent-laden water so as not to be directly hit on the laundry Q at the time of supplying water in the step S1 in the circulation soaking process, as described above, the discharge port 6B of the water supply path 6 is as As indicated by the thick solid arrows, the water with the detergent is discharged toward the gap 19 between the outer tub 3 and the washing tub 4, that is, the position where the laundry Q in the washing tub 4 is staggered. As a modification of this structure, a second modification and a third modification are exemplified.

In the second modification shown in FIG. 5, the water supply path 6 extends from the detergent accommodating portion 8 between the circumferential wall 3A of the outer tub 3 and the casing 2 and to the lower side Z2, and the other end portion 6C of the water supply path 6 Connected to the circumference The lower end of the wall 3A. The water supply path 6 in this case is a flow path that passes through the outer tub 3, and the discharge port 6B of the other end portion 6C faces the lower end portion of the gap 19 between the outer tub 3 and the washing tub 4 from the lateral direction Y. On the other hand, the washing machine 1 of the second modification includes the branch path 25 branched from the water supply path 6 in the detergent storage unit 8. The branch path 25 is a flow path extending from the detergent accommodating portion 8 to the lower side Z2, and a water supply port 25A that faces the inlet and outlet 4D of the washing tub 4 from the upper side Z1 is provided at the lower end thereof. A water supply valve 26 is provided in the middle of the branch path 25. In the following description of the second modification, for convenience of explanation, the water supply valve 7 will be referred to as a first water supply valve 7, and the water supply valve 26 will be referred to as a second water supply valve 26. The opening and closing of the second water supply valve 26 is controlled by the control unit 30.

In the circulation soaking process of the second modification, the control unit 30 opens the first water supply valve 7 in a state where the second water supply valve 26 is closed while the water supply in step S1 is being performed. Thereby, the water from the faucet is supplied with detergent to the washing tub 4 after passing through the detergent accommodating portion 8 and flowing down to the water supply path 6, as indicated by a thick solid arrow, from the discharge port 6B. The bottom wall 4B is also close to the space 27 of the lower side Z2. At this time, the discharge port 6B discharges the water flowing through the water supply path 6 toward the space 27, that is, at a position shifted from the laundry Q in the washing tub 4. Thereby, the water with the detergent is supplied so as not to be directly hit on the laundry Q. On the other hand, in the case of the water supply of the main washing process after the circulation soaking process, the control unit 30 opens the second water supply valve 26 in a state where the first water supply valve 7 is closed. Thereby, the water from the faucet is directly supplied into the washing tub 4 from the water supply port 25A via the branch path 25. In other words, the initial water supply is performed using the water supply path 6, and the subsequent water supply is performed using the branch path 25.

In the third modification shown in FIG. 6, the other end portion 6C of the water supply path 6 passes through the inlet and outlet 3D of the outer tub 3, and the discharge port 6B of the other end portion 6C faces the inlet and outlet 4D of the washing tub 4 from the upper side Z1. The washing machine 1 of the third modification is provided with a guide portion 28 inside the washing tub 4. The guide portion 28 is a water guide shape extending in the vertical direction Z from the upper end portion to the lower end portion of the circumferential wall 4A of the washing tub 4, and is formed in an arc shape convexly curved toward the axis J side in a plan view. . The guide portion 28 is fixed to the circumferential wall 4A so as to cover one portion on the circumference of the circumferential wall 4A from the side of the axis J. Thereby, a guide flow path 29 extending in the vertical direction Z is formed between the guide portion 28 and the circumferential wall 4A. The upper end portion of the guide portion 28 is a bowl-shaped receiving portion 28A that is formed to bulge toward the axis J side. The guiding flow path 29 is exposed from the receiving portion 28A to the upper side Z1. The discharge port 6B is disposed to face the receiving portion 28A from the upper side Z1.

In the circulation soaking process of the third modification, the control unit 30 opens the water supply valve 7 when the water supply in step S1 is performed. Thereby, the water from the faucet passes through the detergent accommodating portion 8 with detergent and The water supply passage 6 is dropped from the discharge port 6B to the receiving portion 28A of the guide portion 28 as indicated by a thick solid arrow. The water received by the receiving portion 28A flows down in the guiding flow path 29, leaks from the through hole 4E of the washing tub 4 to the outside of the washing tub 4, and reaches the lower side Z2 in the outer tub 3 than the bottom wall 4B of the washing tub 4. Space 27. At this time, the discharge port 6B discharges the water flowing through the water supply path 6 toward the guide portion 28, that is, at a position shifted from the laundry Q in the washing tub 4. Thereby, the water with the detergent is supplied so as not to be directly hit on the laundry Q.

Claims

A washing machine comprising:

a washing tub having a longitudinally extending axis for containing laundry and storing water;

a circulation path for drawing detergent water mixed with detergent from the washing tub and returning it from the upper side to the washing tub;

Pumping the detergent water in the washing tub to the circulation path and causing it to rise in the circulation path;

An execution unit that performs a washing operation, the washing operation including a circulation soaking process that alternately repeats a circulation process and a soaking process, wherein the circulation process is to drive the water in the washing tub by driving the pump Circulating with the circulation path and pouring it to the laundry; the soaking treatment stops the driving of the pump and saturates the detergent water in the washing tub.
The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein

Including a motor that rotates the washing tub,

The execution unit drives the motor in at least one of the cycle processes to rotate the washing tub at a low speed below a predetermined number of revolutions.
A washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

Including a motor that rotates the washing tub,

The execution unit controls driving of the motor in at least one of the loop processes, and intermittently rotates the washing tub intermittently.
The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein

Including a motor that rotates the washing tub,

The execution unit stops the washing tub in the circulating process during the circulating soaking process, and drives the motor to rotate the washing tub only by a predetermined angle before starting the next cycle process .
The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein

include:

a water supply path for supplying water to the washing tub;

a water supply valve that opens and closes the water supply road,

The washing operation includes the cycle soaking process and storing water in the washing tub to facilitate the a washing process consisting of a formal washing process in which the laundry is subjected to a formal washing after the ring soaking process,

The execution unit opens the water supply valve during the circulation soaking process, and supplies a part of the water supply amount of the entire washing process to the washing tub to generate detergent water.
The washing machine according to claim 5, wherein

a detergent storage unit that is connected to the water supply path and contains detergent.

The water supply path has a discharge port that discharges water that has passed through the detergent storage unit and flows through the water supply path toward a position shifted from the laundry in the washing tub.
The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein

The execution unit changes the processing time of each of the circulation processing and the saturation processing according to the magnitude of the load amount of the laundry in the washing tub.