WO2018216288A1

WO2018216288A1 - Washing machine

Info

Publication number: WO2018216288A1
Application number: PCT/JP2018/007228
Authority: WO
Inventors: 宏格笹木; 具典内山
Original assignee: 東芝ライフスタイル株式会社
Priority date: 2017-05-22
Filing date: 2018-02-27
Publication date: 2018-11-29
Also published as: JP2018192191A; JP6918573B2; CN110494606A; CN110494606B

Abstract

A washing machine (1) according to a mode of embodiment of the present invention is provided with: a washing drum (5) in which garments are accommodated; a water feeding mechanism (12) which feeds water into the washing drum (5); a micro-bubble generating device (51) which generates fine bubble water having micro-bubbles mixed therein; an agitating mechanism (7) which agitates the garments inside the washing drum (5); and a control device (31) which controls each mechanism (12, 51, 7) to execute washing processes including washing and rinsing. In a rinsing process immediately following a wash process, the rinsing process is executed by feeding the fine bubble water generated by the micro-bubble generating device (51).

Description

Washing machine

Cross-reference of related applications

This application is based on Japanese Application No. 2017-1000081 filed on May 22, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The embodiment of the present invention relates to a washing machine.

Conventionally, a drum-type washing machine in which cleaning water in a drum is circulated by a circulation pump is considered to have the following configuration (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this drum-type washing machine, an air mixing path for mixing air into the circulation pump is provided, the air is crushed in the circulation pump to generate fine bubbles, and washing water containing fine bubbles that retain the surfactant. And Thereby, the effect | action of surfactant (detergent) is increased and the improvement of a cleaning power is aimed at.

In recent years, it has been considered that a device for generating fine bubbles (ultrafine bubbles or microbubbles) having a diameter of, for example, several tens to several hundreds of nanometers as a fine bubble is provided in a washing machine (for example, Patent Documents). 2). This fine bubble generator uses the so-called Venturi effect of hydrodynamics to increase the flow rate of water, rapidly reduce the pressure, and precipitate a large amount of air dissolved in water as fine bubbles. It has become.

JP 2011-115360 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2017-32001

In the prior art, water containing fine bubbles has only been used to improve cleaning power in the washing process. Therefore, it is desired to use the fine bubble water generated by the fine bubble generator more effectively than the washing process.

Therefore, there is provided a washing machine equipped with a fine bubble generator and capable of using the fine bubble water more effectively even outside the washing process.

The washing machine according to the present embodiment includes a washing tub in which clothes are stored, a water supply mechanism for supplying water into the washing tub, a fine bubble generator for generating fine bubble water in which fine bubbles are mixed, and the inside of the washing tub. A stirring mechanism that stirs the clothes and a control device that controls each of the mechanisms to perform washing and a washing process including rinsing, and is generated by the fine bubble generator in the rinsing process immediately after the washing process. Supply fine bubble water and execute the rinsing process.

The “fine bubbles” or “fine bubbles” in the embodiments is a concept including, for example, microbubbles having a diameter of about 1 μm to several hundred μm and ultrafine bubbles having a diameter of about 50 nm to 1 μm. Fine bubble water refers to water containing a large amount of such fine bubbles.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal front view schematically showing the configuration of the washing machine according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the water supply mechanism according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing an electrical configuration centering on the control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of an assembly portion of the UFB unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the UFB unit viewed from the downstream side according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view seen from the downstream side of the UFB unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view seen from the upstream side of the UFB unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the UFB unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is an enlarged vertical side view taken along line X9-X9 in FIG. 8 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a control state in the rinsing process after the washing process performed by the control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the ratio of fine bubble water to the total water supply amount in each stroke according to the first embodiment, FIG. 12 is a diagram showing test results obtained by examining the cleaning performance when using fine bubble water according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the ratio of fine bubble water to the total water supply amount in each stroke and temperature division according to the second embodiment, FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a control state from the washing process to the rinsing process performed by the control device according to the third embodiment.

Hereinafter, some embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment described below, the present invention is applied to a so-called vertical washing machine having a drying function. In addition, between several embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same part and new illustration and repeated description are abbreviate | omitted.

(1) First Embodiment A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 schematically shows the overall configuration of a washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment. The washing machine 1 includes a top cover 3 made of a synthetic resin, for example, on an upper portion of an outer box 2 that is configured as a rectangular box as a whole from a steel plate. A water tub 4 capable of storing washing water is provided in the outer box 2 while being elastically suspended and supported by an elastic suspension mechanism (not shown) having a well-known configuration.

Although not shown in the drawing, a water tank cover having a doorway for laundry, that is, clothing is provided at the upper end opening of the water tank 4. The water tank cover is provided with a water supply port and a hot air supply port. Although not shown in detail, a drain outlet is formed at the bottom of the water tank 4, and a drain passage having a drain valve 32 (shown only in FIG. 3) is connected to the drain outlet. Furthermore, a water level sensor 33 (shown only in FIG. 3) for detecting the water level in the water tank 4 is also provided in the outer box 2 via an air tube connected to an air trap provided at the bottom of the water tank 4. ing.

In the water tank 4, a vertical washing tank 5 also serving as a dewatering tank is rotatably provided. The washing tub 5 has a bottomed cylindrical shape, and a plurality of dewatering holes (not shown) are formed in the peripheral wall portion. For example, a liquid-filled rotary balancer 6 is attached to the upper end of the washing tub 5. A pulsator 7 constituting a stirring mechanism is disposed at the inner bottom of the washing tub 5. Clothes (not shown) are accommodated in the washing tub 5, and a washing operation and a drying operation including processes such as washing, rinsing, and dehydration of the clothes are performed.

In the present embodiment, a circular concave region in which the pulsator 7 is disposed is provided on the inner bottom of the washing tub 5, and a pump chamber 8 is formed between the pulsator 7 and the inner side. At this time, the pulsator 7 has a disk shape having convex portions 7a for generating a rotating water flow on the surface, that is, the upper surface. The pulsator 7 is formed with a plurality of water holes (not shown) so as to penetrate the board surface vertically. A plurality of pump blades 9 are integrally provided on the back surface of the pulsator 7. The pump blade 9 has a thin plate shape extending radially from the center portion, that is, in the radial direction. Outflow ports 8a (only two are shown) are provided at three locations on the outer periphery of the pump chamber 8 that are arranged at intervals of 120 degrees in the circumferential direction.

The side walls of the washing tub 5 are provided with three water passages 10 (only two are shown) for pumping washing water from the pump chamber 8 so as to extend upward from the respective outlets 8a. Yes. These water passages 10 have discharge ports 10 a below the upper rotary balancer 6 in the washing tub 5. As a result, the washing water in the washing tub 5 is discharged from the three outlets 8 a of the pump chamber 8 toward the outer periphery by the rotation of the pulsator 7, that is, the pump blade 9 in the pump chamber 8. The washing water here includes fine bubble water in which a detergent described later is dissolved, fine bubble water for rinsing, or the like. The washing water discharged from the outflow port 8a rises or pumps up the water passage 10, and is discharged or sprinkled into the washing tub 5 from the discharge port 10a.

Also, a well-known drive mechanism 11 that constitutes a stirring mechanism together with the pulsator 7 is disposed on the outer bottom of the water tank 4. Although detailed illustration and description are omitted, the drive mechanism 11 includes a washing machine motor 34 (see FIG. 3) formed of, for example, an outer rotor type DC three-phase brushless motor. At the same time, the drive mechanism 11 includes a clutch mechanism (not shown) that selectively transmits the driving force of the washing machine motor 34 to the pulsator 7 or the washing tub 5. The washing machine motor 34 and the clutch mechanism are controlled by a control device 31 described later. At this time, at the time of washing and at the time of rinsing, that is, at the time of rinsing, with the washing tub 5 fixed or stopped, the driving force of the washing machine motor 34 is transmitted to the pulsator 7 to drive the pulsator 7 directly and reversely at low speed. Further, at the time of dehydration rinsing or dehydration, the clutch mechanism transmits the driving force of the washing machine motor 34 to the washing tub 5 and rotationally drives the washing tub 5 and the pulsator 7 in one direction at high speed.

In the top cover 3, as shown in part in FIG. 2, a water supply mechanism 12 for supplying water into the water tub 4, that is, the washing tub 5 is provided. The water supply mechanism 12 will be described later. In the present embodiment, a drying unit 28 as a warm air supply mechanism is provided in the top cover 3. Although not shown in detail, the drying unit 28 includes a heater and a blower for generating hot air. The drying unit 28 is configured to suck the air in the water tank 4 and heat it into warm air, and supply the warm air from the warm air supply hose 29 through the warm air supply port to the water tank 4 again.

The water supply mechanism 12 includes a water supply path 13, for example, three water supply valves 20 to 22, a water injection case 18, a water injection port 19 that is an outlet of the water injection case 18, and the like. The water supply path 13 has a hose connection port 14 connected to a water supply source such as water supply on the base end side. After extending from the hose connection port 14, the water supply path 13 is branched into three, and becomes a main water supply path 15, an FB water supply path 16, and a softener water supply path 17 as shown in FIG. 2. A flow meter 35 for measuring the flow rate of water is provided in the base end portion of the water supply path 13 on the base end side, that is, the upstream side from the branch portion. The hose connection port 14 is connected to a water tap, and is supplied with water at a predetermined household water pressure, for example, about 1.0 to 3.0 kgf / cm ² (0.1 to 0.29 MPa). .

As shown in FIG. 2, the water injection case 18 has a rectangular box shape, and a detergent accommodating portion 23 for accommodating a detergent, that is, a powder detergent and a liquid detergent, is provided at the middle portion of the case. It has been. In addition, a softener accommodating portion 24 that accommodates a softener or the like is provided in the middle portion of the water injection case 18 on the left side in the drawing. The detergent container 23 and the softener container 24 are constructed as a drawer type. The upper part in the water injection case 18 is partitioned left and right by a partition plate 18a. Thereby, the 1st upper space 25 and the 2nd upper space 26 are provided in the detergent storage part 23 and the softener storage part 24, respectively. The leading ends of the main water supply path 15 and the FB water supply path 16 are connected to the upper wall of the water injection case 18 so as to communicate with the first upper space 25. The distal end portion of the softener water supply path 17 is connected to the upper wall of the water injection case 18 so as to communicate with the second upper space 26.

A communication hole 25 a communicating with the detergent container 23 is provided at the bottom of the first upper space 25. A communication hole 26 a that communicates with the softening agent accommodating portion 24 is provided at the bottom of the second upper space 26. The outlet 23 a of the detergent container 23 and the outlet 24 a of the softener container 24 are in communication with the lower space 27 in the water injection case 18. The lower space 27 is connected to the water injection port 19. A main water supply valve 20 is provided in the main water supply path 15. The FB water supply path 16 is provided with an FB water supply valve 21 for fine bubbles and a UFB unit 51 described later. A softener water supply valve 22 is provided in the softener path 17. These

water supply valves

20, 21, and 22 are open / close valves that open and close electromagnetically, and are controlled by the control device 31 as shown in FIG. 3.

Thus, when the main water supply valve 20 is opened, the water from the water supply source flows through the main water supply path 15 to the detergent container 23 of the water injection case 18. And when the detergent is accommodated, it is discharged from the water inlet 19 while dissolving the detergent, and poured into the water tank 4 (washing tank 5). In this case, tap water not containing fine bubbles is supplied into the aquarium 4 as it is through the main water supply path 15.

When the fine bubble FB water supply valve 21 is opened, the water from the water supply source flows through the FB water supply path 16 to the detergent container 23 of the water injection case 18. And when the detergent is accommodated, it is discharged from the water injection port 19 while dissolving the detergent and poured into the water tank 4. At this time, as will be described later, when the water flowing through the FB water supply path 16 passes through the UFB unit 51, fine bubble water containing a large amount of fine bubbles is obtained. Thereby, the washing water in which the detergent is dissolved in the fine bubble water is supplied into the water tank 4 (washing tank 5).

Furthermore, when the softener water supply valve 22 for softener is opened, the water from the water supply source flows through the softener water supply path 17 to the softener container 24 of the water injection case 18. And when the softening agent is accommodated, it discharges | emits from the water pouring opening 19, melting the softening agent, and is poured into the water tank 4, ie, the washing tub 5. FIG. The softening agent is supplied into the water tank 4 in the rinsing process for the last time, for example. Although not shown in detail, the top cover 3 is also provided with a doorway for clothes, a lid for opening and closing the doorway, an operation panel 36 (see FIG. 3), and the like. The operation panel 36 includes an operation unit for the user to turn on and off the washing machine 1 and various settings / instructions, a display unit for performing necessary display, and the like.

In the present embodiment, as described above, the UFB unit 51 as the fine bubble generating device is incorporated in the vicinity of the outlet portion on the downstream side of the FB water supply valve 21 in the FB water supply path 16. Provided. The UFB unit 51 generates fine bubbles (hereinafter referred to as “fine bubbles”) using the principle of the Venturi tube. The UFB unit 51 will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the UFB unit 51 is configured by combining two parts of an upstream flow path member 52 and a downstream flow path member 53, both of which are made of synthetic resin.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 4, the UFB unit 51 as a whole has a columnar shape in which the axial direction is the left-right direction in the drawing and the rear end portion (right end portion in the drawing) has a flange portion 54. Yes. A shaft 55 that is the center of the UFB unit 51 is formed with a flow passage 55 that penetrates in the left-right direction in the drawing and allows water to flow in the direction of arrow A. The flow path 55 has an opening 55a on the right side in the drawing as an inflow port 55a and an opening on the left side in the drawing as an outflow port 55b. A narrowed portion 55c is formed in the intermediate portion of the flow channel 55 by a protruding portion 56 protruding to the inner peripheral side. The channel 55 is configured in a tapered shape in a range of about ¼ of the entire length from the inflow port 55a so that the channel cross-sectional area gradually decreases. The remaining part of the flow path 55 is configured in a straight shape with a substantially constant inner diameter except for the throttle part 55c.

The UFB unit 51 includes an upstream flow path member 52 and a downstream flow path member 53, which are divided into two parts, and are configured by combining them. The upstream flow path member 52 integrally includes a protruding portion 56 that constitutes the upstream side of the flow path 55 and narrows the flow path cross-sectional area of the throttle portion 55c. The downstream flow path member 53 constitutes the downstream side of the protruding portion 56 of the flow path 55. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the upstream flow path portion 52 is integrally provided with a slightly smaller diameter barrel portion 57 on the distal end side (left side in the drawing) of the flange portion 54. At the same time, a smaller diameter portion 58 having a smaller diameter is provided on the distal end side of the body portion 57. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, an upstream half of the flow channel 55 is formed inside the upstream flow channel portion 52.

At this time, a protruding portion 56 protruding from the inner peripheral surface of the flow channel 55 toward the center is integrally formed at the tip of the small diameter portion 58. As shown in FIG. 9, the protrusions 56 are located at four positions in the figure in the vertical and horizontal directions, that is, at intervals of 90 degrees, and extend in a form in which the tip is pointed toward the inner peripheral side, that is, the center of the flow path. The flow path 55 is narrowed by these protrusions 56, and the portion having the smallest flow path cross-sectional area of the throttle portion 55c is an X-shaped (cross-shaped) slit shape.

On the other hand, the downstream flow path member 53 has a cylindrical shape having an outer diameter equivalent to that of the body portion 57 as shown in FIGS. On the proximal end side (right end side in the figure) of the downstream flow path member 53, a circular recess 59 into which the small diameter part 58 of the upstream flow path section 52 is fitted is formed. A straight hole constituting the downstream half of the channel 55 is formed in the downstream channel member 53 so as to penetrate in the left-right direction in the drawing.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the inner diameter dimension of the circular recess 59 is configured to be slightly larger than the outer dimension of the small diameter section 58. As shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of, for example, four press-fitting ribs 60 extending in the axial direction (left-right direction in the figure) are integrally provided on the inner peripheral surface of the circular recess 59 at intervals of 90 degrees. Yes. As shown in FIG. 9, the press-fit rib 60 is crushed as the small-diameter portion 58 of the upstream-side flow path member 52 is inserted into the circular recess 59 of the downstream-side flow path member 53. Thus, the small-diameter portion 58 and the circular concave portion 59 are firmly fixed.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the water injection case 18 is integrally provided with an inlet pipe 42 as an inlet portion of water. An outlet pipe 44 of the FB water supply valve 21 is connected to the inlet pipe 42. The outlet pipe 44 has a circular tube shape, and a small-diameter portion 44a in which the outer peripheral surface has a small diameter is provided at the tip portion thereof by forming a step. The UFB unit 51 is assembled so as to be sandwiched between the outlet pipe 44 of the FB water supply valve 21 and the inlet pipe 42 of the water injection case 18.

The inlet pipe 42 has such a shape that its inner diameter gradually decreases in three steps from the inlet side (right side in the figure), and includes a first large diameter portion 42a, a second large diameter portion 42b, and a small diameter portion 42c. Is provided. The inner diameter dimension of the first large diameter portion 42a corresponds to the outer diameter dimension of the outlet pipe 44, and they can be fitted. The inner diameter of the second large diameter portion 42b corresponds to the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 44a of the outlet pipe 44 and the flange portion 54 of the UFB unit 51, and they can be fitted. The inner diameter dimension of the small diameter part 42c corresponds to the outer diameter dimension of the UFB unit 51, and they can be fitted. At the end of the back side (left side in the figure) of the inlet pipe 42, a rib 45 is provided on which the front end surface of the UFB unit 51 is locked. At the center of the rib 45, a communication hole 45 a that is continuous with the same diameter as the outlet 55 b of the flow path 55 and communicates with the water filling case 18, that is, the detergent storage case, is formed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the UFB unit 51 is inserted into the inner side of the inlet pipe 42 in a state where the upstream flow path member 52 and the downstream flow path member 53 are combined. As a result, the distal end surface of the downstream flow path member 53 of the UFB unit 51 abuts on the rib 45. At the same time, the outer periphery excluding the rear end portion of the UFB unit 51, that is, the outer periphery of the downstream flow path member 53 is mainly fitted to the inner periphery of the small diameter portion 42c. Further, the outer periphery of the flange portion 54 of the upstream flow path member 52 of the UFB unit 51 is fitted to the inner periphery of the second large diameter portion 42b. At this time, a gap is generated between the outer peripheral surface of the trunk portion 57 of the upstream flow path member 52 and the inner peripheral surface of the second large diameter portion 42 b of the inlet pipe 42. An O-ring 46 as a seal member for hermetically sealing the gap is provided in the gap portion.

In this state, the tip of the outlet pipe 44 of the FB water supply valve 21 is inserted and connected to the opening end side in the inlet pipe 42. In this case, the outer periphery of the distal end portion of the outlet pipe 44 is fitted to the inner periphery of the first large diameter portion 42 a of the inlet pipe 42. At the same time, the front end surface of the outlet pipe 44 comes into contact with the rear end surface of the upstream flow path member 52 of the UFB unit 51. An O-ring 47 for preventing water leakage is also provided between the outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter portion 44a of the outlet pipe 44 and the inner peripheral surface of the first large-diameter portion 42a of the inlet pipe 42. .

In the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 4, when the FB water supply valve 21 is opened, for example, when water is supplied, relatively high-pressure tap water is supplied from the outlet pipe 44 to the UFB unit 51, and from the inflow port 55a. It flows through the flow path 55 in the direction of arrow A. In the UFB unit 51, the throttle portion 55 c formed by the projecting portion 56 is provided in the middle of the flow path 55, so that the flow velocity is increased and the pressure is rapidly decreased by the so-called Venturi effect of hydrodynamics. Thereby, a large amount of air dissolved in water can be deposited as fine bubbles.

The UFB unit 51 of the present embodiment can generate a large amount of fine bubbles including ultrafine bubbles having a diameter of about 50 nm to 1 μm and microbubbles having a diameter of about 1 μm to several hundred μm, that is, fine bubbles. . Thus, fine bubble water containing a large amount of fine bubbles can be injected into the detergent container 23 of the water injection case 18 and then into the water tank 4 through the communication hole 45a from the outlet 55b. In the UFB unit 51 of this embodiment, fine bubble water containing fine bubbles having a diameter of 50 nm to 300 nm, for example, at a concentration of 10 ⁶ / ml or more per milliliter is generated.

In addition, the fine water supply through the UFB unit 51 by opening the FB water supply valve 21 restricts the flow rate of the water when passing through the UFB unit 51. Therefore, the amount of water supplied per unit time, that is, the flow rate is smaller than the amount of water supplied when the main water supply valve 20 and the softener water supply valve 22 are opened. For example, tap water supply through the main water supply valve 20 is performed at a flow rate about twice that of fine bubble water supply through the UFB unit 51.

FIG. 3 schematically shows an electrical configuration of the washing machine 1 with the above-described control device 31 as a center. The control device 31 is mainly composed of a computer, and controls the entire washing machine 1 to execute a washing operation and a drying operation including washing, rinsing, and dehydration processes. The control device 31 is connected to the operation panel 36 and receives detection signals from the water level sensor 33 and the flow meter 35. In this case, the control device 31 can calculate the amount of water supplied by integrating the detection signals of the flow meter 35. In the present embodiment, a water temperature sensor 37 that detects the temperature of the supplied water or the outside air temperature is provided, and the detection signal is input to the control device 31.

Further, the control device 31 controls the washing machine motor 34, the drain valve 32, the main water supply valve 20, the FB water supply valve 21, the softener water supply valve 22, and the drying unit 28. With this configuration, the control device 31 controls each mechanism of the washing machine 1 based on an input signal from each sensor or a pre-stored control program in accordance with a driving course set by the user on the operation panel 36. To do. Thus, the control device 31 automatically executes a well-known washing operation including a washing process, a rinsing process, and a dehydration process, and further a drying operation by the drying unit 28. In performing the washing operation, a well-known cloth amount detection operation is performed, and the water supply water level and operation time in the washing process and the rinsing process are automatically determined based on the detection result.

As will be described in the following description of the operation, in the present embodiment, for example, when a normal course washing operation is selected by the user, a washing process, two rinsing processes, and a dehydrating process are sequentially performed. At this time, the control device 31 performs the rinsing process by supplying fine bubble water generated by the UFB unit 51 in the rinsing process immediately after the washing process mainly by the software configuration. The rinsing process, that is, the rinsing process is performed by driving the pulsator 7 for a predetermined time in a state where water is supplied to the predetermined rinsing water level in the water tub 4 or the washing tub 5. In the present embodiment, after the washing process is completed, a draining operation is performed, and then, without performing a dehydrating operation, that is, a dehydrating rinse, the process proceeds to a rinsing process, that is, a water supply operation for the first time.

In this case, water supply in the first rinsing process is performed by alternately opening the main water supply valve 20 and the FB water supply valve 21. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the proportion of fine bubble water is 50% of the total amount of water supply, that is, tap water and fine bubble water are supplied at a ratio of 1: 1. Is done. Thereby, in the first rinsing process, for example, fine bubble water contained at a concentration such that the number of fine bubbles is 10 ⁵ / ml or more is used. That is, fine bubble water and tap water are mixed at a predetermined ratio such that the number of fine bubbles is 10 ⁵ / ml or more.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the rinsing process is performed using the same fine bubble water as in the first rinsing process even in the second rinsing process performed after the first rinsing process.

In the present embodiment, the fine bubble water generated by the UFB unit 51 is also supplied in the washing process, and the washing process using the fine bubble water is executed. In this case, at the start of the washing process, the main water supply valve 20 and the FB water supply valve 21 are alternately opened to supply water, and water is supplied in a form in which tap water and fine bubble water are mixed. As shown in FIG. 11, the ratio of fine bubble water to the total water supply at this time is 30%. Therefore, the fine bubble water used in the rinsing process is supplied so that the number of fine bubbles is larger than the fine bubble water in the washing process.

Next, the operation of the washing machine 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. When starting the washing operation, the user puts clothes to be washed in the washing tub 5. At the same time, a required amount of detergent is stored in the detergent storage portion 23 of the water injection case 18, and a required amount of softening agent is stored in the softening agent storage portion 24 as necessary. Then, a start operation is performed on the operation panel 36. Then, the control device 31 automatically executes a washing operation including steps such as washing, rinsing, and dehydration. When the washing operation is started, a well-known cloth amount detection operation is first performed, and the water supply level and the like are automatically determined based on the detection result, and the process proceeds to the washing process.

In the washing process, as described above, first, the main water supply valve 20 and the FB water supply valve 21 are alternately opened, and as shown in FIG. 11, the wash water containing 30% fine bubble water is supplied to a predetermined water level. Is done. At this time, water supply to the water tank 4 is performed while dissolving the detergent in the detergent container 23, and washing water in which the detergent is dissolved in fine bubble water is supplied into the water tank 4. When water supply to a predetermined water level is performed, a washing process for driving the pulsator 7 to rotate forward and reverse is performed for a predetermined time.

Here, the fine bubble has a property of staying in the liquid for a long time because it causes Brownian motion that causes irregular motion in the liquid, for example, in water, and its speed is higher than the flying speed. And since the surface of the fine bubble is negatively charged, it is adsorbed while dispersing the detergent contained in the washing water, that is, the surfactant, to improve the dispersibility of the detergent. Fulfill. Fine bubbles repel each other and do not combine. In addition, the fine bubbles that have adsorbed the detergent component easily enter into the gaps of clothing fibers, for example, about 10 μm. As a result, the fine bubble can efficiently carry the detergent into the garment to remove the dirt and suppress the reattachment of the dirt to the garment. With such a fine bubble function, an excellent cleaning action can be obtained by performing a washing process using washing water obtained by dissolving a detergent in fine bubble water containing a large amount of fine bubbles.

Now, when the washing process for a predetermined time is completed, the process proceeds to the rinsing process, that is, the first rinsing process. FIG. 10 is a time chart showing the state of opening / closing control of the main water supply valve 20, the FB water supply valve 21, the softener water supply valve 22, and the drain valve 32 in the two rinsing strokes after the end of the washing stroke by the control device 31. It is a chart. As shown in FIG. 10, when the first rinsing process is started, first, the drain valve 32 is opened, and the water tank 4 is drained. At this time, all the

water supply valves

20, 21, and 22 are closed.

When drainage is completed, the drain valve 32 is closed and water is supplied. Here, while the FB water supply valve 21 and the softener water supply valve 22 remain closed, the main water supply valve 20 is first opened to supply tap water. When tap water is supplied up to a half of the predetermined rinse water level, that is, 50%, the main water supply valve 20 is closed and the FB water supply valve 21 is opened. Thus, fine bubble water containing a large amount of fine bubbles is supplied into the water tank 4. When water is supplied to a predetermined rinse water level, the FB water supply valve 21 is closed. The order of opening the main water supply valve 20 and opening the FB water supply valve 21 may be reversed.

Subsequently, a stirring operation for intermittently driving the pulsator 12 forward and reverse is performed, and rinsing is performed for a fixed time. Here, according to the study by the present inventors, the knowledge that the effect of removing dirt on clothes can be obtained by using fine bubble water containing a large amount of fine bubbles even in the rinsing process immediately after the washing process. was gotten.

That is, immediately after the washing process, a part of the detergent used in the washing process, that is, the portion that is not excluded by the waste water remains and adheres to the clothing, and the remaining detergent, that is, the surface activity, is caused by fine bubbles. The agent can be adsorbed and dispersed. This detergent can be reacted with clothes stains that could not be removed in the washing process, and a stain removal effect can be obtained. Furthermore, the effect of peeling off the dirt adhering to the clothing can be obtained by cavitation generated when the fine bubbles can be flipped. Thus, it is considered that the cleaning effect can be further enhanced by using fine bubble water in the rinsing process.

In this case, since the dehydration operation is not performed after the drainage after the washing process, the discharge of the detergent component accompanying the dehydration operation can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to shift to the rinsing process with a relatively large amount of detergent remaining as compared with the case where the dehydrating operation is performed. In addition, according to the study by the present inventors, by setting the fine bubble water used in the rinsing process to a concentration of the number of fine bubbles of 10 ⁵ / ml or more, a good cleaning effect in the rinsing process can be obtained. It was confirmed that it was obtained.

Incidentally, FIG. 12 shows the test results of examining the washing performance when fine bubble water is used in the washing step and the first rinsing step. This test is performed according to “JIS C9811: 1999 Method for Measuring Performance of Home Electric Washing Machine”. However, evaluation was performed by measuring the color difference of the contaminated cloth after dyeing with oil violet, using the contaminated cloth with artificial sebum stain as a sample. In the test results, the horizontal axis indicates the concentration of fine bubbles in washing water (pieces / ml), and the vertical axis indicates the improvement rate of the cleaning performance with respect to the case where tap water is used. From this result, it can be understood that the use of fine bubble water having a concentration of 10 ⁵ / ml or more of fine bubbles improves the cleaning performance not only in the washing step but also in the rinsing step. The higher the number of fine bubbles, that is, the higher the concentration, the higher the cleaning performance was obtained.

Referring back to FIG. 10, when the first rinsing operation is completed, the process proceeds to the second rinsing process. In the second rinsing process, the drain valve 32 is first opened to drain water, and then an intermediate dehydration operation is performed for a predetermined time while the drain valve 32 is opened. This intermediate dewatering operation is an operation of continuously rotating the washing tub 5 at a high speed. When the intermediate dehydration operation is completed, the drain valve 32 is closed and water supply is started.

Here, when the main water supply valve 20 and the FB water supply valve 21 are closed, the softener water supply valve 22 is first opened, and tap water is supplied to the water tank 4 through the softener container 24 while dissolving the softener. Is done. When the tap water is supplied up to half the predetermined rinse water level, that is, 50%, the softener water supply valve 22 is closed and the FB water supply valve 21 is opened. Thus, fine bubble water containing a large amount of fine bubbles is supplied into the water tank 4. When water is supplied to a predetermined rinse water level, the FB water supply valve 21 is closed. The order of opening the softener water supply valve 22 and opening the FB water supply valve 21 may be reversed.

Subsequently, a stirring operation for intermittently driving the pulsator 12 forward and reverse is performed, and rinsing is performed for a fixed time. Even in the second rinsing step, it is possible to obtain a certain cleaning effect with fine bubble water as compared with the case where fine bubble water is not used. Moreover, the improvement about the performance of a rinse can also be aimed at by using fine bubble water. Although not shown, when the second rinsing process is completed, drainage is performed and a dehydration process is performed.

Thus, according to the present embodiment, the fine bubble water containing fine bubbles is used in the rinsing process immediately after the washing process. Thereby, also in the rinsing process, the effect of washing with fine bubble water can be enhanced. As a result, it is possible to use the fine bubble water generated by the UFB unit 51 even more effectively outside the washing step, unlike the conventional case where the fine bubble water is only used for improving the washing power in the washing step. It becomes possible.

In the present embodiment, after the washing process, the water supply operation of the rinsing process is performed without performing the dewatering operation after the draining operation. Thereby, since the dehydrating operation is not performed after the draining operation, the discharge of the detergent component accompanying the dehydrating operation is suppressed. Therefore, as compared with the case where the dehydrating operation is performed, the cleaning process is shifted to the rinsing process with a relatively large amount of detergent remaining, and the cleaning effect in the rinsing process can be further enhanced.

In particular, in the present embodiment, the rinsing process is performed a plurality of times in this case, and the rinsing process is performed by supplying fine bubble water generated by the UFB unit 51 with respect to the second rinsing process. I made it. Thereby, the fixed washing | cleaning effect by fine bubble water can be acquired also in the 2nd rinse process compared with the case where fine bubble water is not used.

In the present embodiment, the fine bubble water used in the rinsing process has a concentration of fine bubbles of 10 ⁵ / ml or more. Thereby, a good cleaning effect in the rinsing process was obtained. At this time, water was supplied while mixing fine bubble water and tap water at a predetermined ratio such that the number of fine bubbles was 10 ⁵ / ml or more. Thereby, while the predetermined | prescribed washing | cleaning effect by fine bubble water can be acquired, the time required for water supply can be shortened by the part which used tap water.

Furthermore, particularly in this embodiment, the concentration of fine bubble water used in the rinsing step is higher than the concentration of fine bubble water in the washing step. That is, water supply is performed so that the number of fine bubbles increases. In the rinsing process, since the remaining amount of detergent is smaller than that in the washing process, the number of fine bubbles in the fine bubble water used in the rinsing process, that is, the concentration of fine bubbles, is increased compared to the washing process in order to enhance the cleaning effect. . Thereby, a better cleaning effect can be obtained.

(2) Second and Third Embodiments and Other Embodiments FIG. 13 shows a second embodiment. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the control in the washing process and the rinsing process performed by the control device 31. Specifically, the control device 31 changes the ratio of fine bubble water to the total water supply amount in the water supply in the washing process and the rinsing process according to the water temperature detected by the water temperature sensor 37.

That is, the water temperature or the outside air temperature detected by the water temperature sensor 37 is classified into three cases: a low temperature, for example, less than 15 ° C., a medium temperature, for example, 15 ° C. or more and less than 30 ° C., and a high temperature, for example, 30 ° C. or more. . In these three categories, the supply amount of fine bubble water, that is, the ratio to the total water supply amount is changed, that is, the ratio of fine bubble water is reduced as the water temperature is higher. Similarly to the first embodiment, if the temperature is the same, the concentration of fine bubble water used in the rinsing step is larger than the concentration of fine bubble water in the washing step, that is, fine bubbles. Water supply is performed so that the number increases.

In this embodiment, at the time of water supply in the washing process, the ratio of fine bubble water to the total water supply amount is 80% when the water temperature is low, 50% when the water temperature is low, and 30% when the water temperature is high. It is said. Further, at the time of water supply in the rinsing process, the ratio of fine bubble water to the total water supply amount is 100% when the water temperature is low, 70% when the water temperature is low, and 50% when the water temperature is high.

Here, in the washing process and the rinsing process, it is known that the higher the temperature of the supplied water, the higher the cleaning effect can be obtained. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, when the water temperature is relatively low, the cleaning effect is low, but by increasing the concentration of fine bubble water, the low water temperature is covered and the cleaning performance is ensured. be able to. On the other hand, when the water temperature is relatively high, a high cleaning effect can be obtained by the water temperature itself, and therefore the concentration of fine bubble water can be made relatively low to shorten the water supply time. Further, by raising the concentration of fine bubble water used in the rinsing process as compared with the washing process, a better cleaning effect in the rinsing process can be obtained.

FIG. 14 shows a third embodiment. In the third embodiment, it is possible to execute an operation course in which soaking is performed during the washing process. This extra washing is to put the clothes on the washing water in the washing tub 5 for a certain period of time with the pulsator 7 stopped, and is effective when executed when the degree of dirt on the clothes is large. By operating the operation panel 36 by the user, it is possible to set the time for applying washing in a plurality of stages. The plurality of stages includes setting the time for extra washing to 0, that is, not performing the extra washing operation.

In the present embodiment, when the extra washing is set, the control device 31 drives the drying unit 28 up to 180 minutes from the start of the washing operation, that is, the first washing process, to drive the temperature. Wind is supplied into the water tank 4. Thereby, the washing water in the water tub 4, that is, the washing tub 5 is heated at the time of soaking, and the temperature of the washing water can be raised by about 10 degrees from the time of water supply.

As shown in FIG. 14, when the soaking is set, the control device 31 performs the first washing operation for a predetermined time, for example, 20 minutes after the water supply operation up to the predetermined water level in the washing process. To do. Thereafter, the control device 31 stops the pulsator 7 and executes soaking. At this time, as described above, the drying unit 28 is turned on from the start of the first washing, and the washing water is heated by the warm air. The drying unit 28 is turned off after the predetermined time, for example, during the extra washing, and the extra washing and the second washing are performed with the washing water whose temperature has increased by about 10 degrees.

When the set washing for the set time is finished, the second washing operation is executed for a predetermined time, for example, 20 minutes, and the washing process is finished. The water supply at the start of the washing process is performed by alternately opening the main water supply valve 20 and the FB water supply valve 21 to obtain wash water containing fine bubble water at a predetermined ratio. In this water supply, as shown in FIG. 13, the ratio of fine bubble water can also be determined according to the current water temperature or the water temperature increased by 10 degrees therefrom.

When the washing process ends, the process proceeds to the rinsing process. This rinsing process includes a dehydrating operation and a rinsing for one time. After the drainage is performed, the dehydrating operation is performed for a predetermined time. Thereafter, the main water supply valve 20 and the FB water supply valve 21 are alternately opened to supply water up to a predetermined rinse water level. Also in this case, as shown in FIG. 13, the proportion of fine bubble water can be determined according to the current water temperature. Subsequently, a stirring operation for intermittently driving the pulsator 12 forward and reverse is executed.

Also in the third embodiment, fine bubble water containing fine bubbles is used in the rinsing process immediately after the washing process. Thereby, also in the rinse process, the outstanding effect that the effect of the washing | cleaning by fine bubble water can be improved can be acquired. In addition, the use of extra washing can improve the washing performance in the washing process.

In each of the above embodiments, stirring is performed after the completion of water supply in the rinsing process. On the other hand, in the rinsing process immediately after the washing process, the stirring operation, that is, the driving of the pulsator 7 may be started from a low water level during the supply of fine bubble water, for example, about 3/4 of the set water level. . In this case, after a while from the start of stirring, water supply is completed, and stirring is performed for a predetermined time including that time. In this case, the fine bubble water supply takes longer time than the tap water supply, but before starting the water supply to the final rinse water level, the agitation is started to start rinsing accordingly. The time required for the entire process can be shortened.

In addition, the specific numerical values such as the time and water level, the number of fine bubbles, the concentration of fine bubbles, the ratio of tap water and fine bubble water, the temperature classification used in each of the above embodiments are merely examples, It can be implemented with appropriate changes. Various changes can also be made to the content of the washing course, such as rinsing three or more times. Furthermore, in the said embodiment, although applied to the vertical type washing machine, it can apply not only to a vertical type washing machine but to general washing machines, such as a drum type washing machine. In addition, various changes can be made to the specific structure of the fine bubble generating device, the configuration of the water injection case and the water supply mechanism, and the like.

The several embodiments described above are presented as examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

Claims

A washing tub (5) in which clothing is stored;
A water supply mechanism (12) for supplying water into the washing tub (5);
A fine bubble generator (51) for producing fine bubble water mixed with fine bubbles;
A stirring mechanism (7) for stirring the clothes in the washing tub (5);
A control device (31) for controlling and washing each mechanism (12, 51, 7) and executing a washing process including rinsing,
A washing machine for performing a rinsing step by supplying fine bubble water generated by the fine bubble generating device (51) in a rinsing step immediately after the washing step.
The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein, after the washing step, the draining operation is performed and then the rinsing step water supply operation is performed without performing the dewatering operation.
The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the rinsing process immediately after the washing process, stirring by the stirring mechanism (7) is started from the middle of water supply before reaching a predetermined rinsing water level.
The one in which the rinsing process is performed a plurality of times, and the rinsing process is performed by supplying fine bubble water generated by the fine bubble generating device (51) for the second and subsequent rinsing processes. 2. The washing machine according to 2.
The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fine bubble water used in the rinsing step has a number of fine bubbles of 10 5 / ml or more.
In the rinsing step, water supply is performed while mixing fine bubble water generated by the fine bubble generator (51) and tap water at a predetermined ratio such that the number of fine bubbles is 10 5 / ml or more. The washing machine according to claim 5 to be performed.
The washing step is performed using the fine bubble water, and the fine bubble water used in the rinsing step is supplied with water so that the number of fine bubbles is larger than the fine bubble water in the washing step. The washing machine according to 1 or 2.
The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the rinsing process immediately after the washing process, the water is supplied such that the number of fine bubbles in the fine bubble water is higher when the temperature of the supplied water is lower than when the temperature of the supplied water is high.