WO2024008035A1

WO2024008035A1 - Washing machine

Info

Publication number: WO2024008035A1
Application number: PCT/CN2023/105504
Authority: WO
Inventors: 铃木肇; 新村光则
Original assignee: 青岛海尔洗衣机有限公司; Aqua株式会社; 海尔智家股份有限公司
Priority date: 2022-07-05
Filing date: 2023-07-03
Publication date: 2024-01-11
Also published as: JP2024007293A

Abstract

A washing machine capable of favorably coating a dirt-attached portion of clothes with a detergent before a washing operation. The front loading washing machine is provided with: an outer tub arranged in a cabinet; a drum, arranged in the outer tub and accommodating clothes; a detergent foam generation part, generating detergent foam by causing a detergent to foam and discharging the generated detergent foam; a nozzle, releasing downwards the detergent foam discharged from the detergent foam generation part so as to coat the dirt-attached portion of clothes with the detergent outside the drum; a distance sensor, testing the situation that the dirt-attached portion of the clothes gets close to a specified distance from the below relative to the nozzle; a control part, causing the detergent foam generation part to discharge the detergent foam on the basis of the dirt-attached portion of the clothes getting close to the specified distance; and a lamp, fixedly irradiating a coated area with light.

Description

washing machine

Technical field

The invention relates to a washing machine.

Background technique

In the past, when stubborn stains such as sebum stains adhered to parts of clothes such as collars and sleeves, it was often done at home to directly apply detergent liquid to the parts where the stains adhered, and then put the clothes into the to the washing machine. The user holds the container containing the detergent liquid to the dirt-adhering part of the clothes, pours the detergent liquid from the container, and applies it to the dirt-adhering part.

It should be noted that before being put into the washing machine, a local cleaning device using ultrasonic waves, such as the portable washing equipment described in Patent Document 1, may be used to pre-clean the portion coated with detergent.

However, in the case of applying the detergent liquid to the dirt-adhering part as described above, a place for placing the clothes is required during the operation. In addition, there is a possibility that the detergent may be sprayed onto the stain due to dripping of the applied detergent liquid. The danger of attachment around.

existing technical documents

patent documents

Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2019/225093

Contents of the invention

Problems to be solved by inventions

The present invention was made in view of the related technical problems, and an object thereof is to provide a washing machine in which a user can favorably apply detergent to stain-adhered portions of clothing before a washing operation or the like.

solutions to problems

A washing machine according to a main aspect of the present invention is provided with: an outer tub disposed in a cabinet; an inner tub disposed in the outer tub to accommodate laundry; and a detergent foam generating unit that generates detergent foam by foaming detergent. And send out the generated detergent foam; the detergent foam releasing part releases the detergent foam sent out from the detergent foam generating part downward so that the detergent foam can be released outside the inner cylinder. a part coated on the clothes; a sensor that detects that the part of the clothes approaches a predetermined distance from below with respect to the detergent foam releasing part; and a control part that based on the part of the clothes approaching the predetermined distance, The detergent foam generating unit sends out the detergent foam; and a lamp irradiates light at a fixed point to a coating area to be coated with the detergent foam in a portion of the laundry close to the predetermined distance.

According to the washing machine of this aspect, the user can apply detergent foam to the dirt-adhered portion of the clothes previously accommodated in the inner tub before the washing operation. Therefore, during subsequent washing operations, the stain removal effect on clothes becomes better.

Furthermore, since detergent foam is automatically released when the part of clothing approaches from below to a predetermined distance from the detergent foam release part, it is unlikely that detergent foam will be released when there is no clothing under the detergent foam release part. Detergent foam can be reliably applied to parts of clothing. Furthermore, the light from the lamp is irradiated at a fixed point to the coating area in the portion close to the clothing at a predetermined distance. Therefore, the user can grasp the coating area and easily adjust it so that the dirt-adhering portion becomes the coating area.

In the washing machine according to this aspect, a structure may be adopted in which the lamp is disposed adjacent to the detergent foam discharge part and the optical axis thereof passes through the coating area obliquely with respect to the vertical direction.

According to the above configuration, the application area of the clothes close to a predetermined distance can be irradiated with light at a fixed point from the lamp arranged adjacent to the detergent foam discharge portion.

When the above-mentioned structure is adopted, a structure may further be adopted in which the sensor is arranged on the side opposite to the lamp with respect to the detergent foam releasing part.

With such a structure, the sensor and the lamp can be disposed near the detergent foam discharge portion, so that the sensor is less likely to miss detection on the clothes, and the lamp can easily illuminate the coated area of the clothes.

In the washing machine of this aspect, a structure may be adopted in which the control unit causes the detergent foam generating unit to send out a fixed amount of the detergent foam every time a portion of the laundry approaches the predetermined distance. Detergent foam.

According to the above structure, the portion of the detergent foam applied to the clothes by one discharge from the detergent foam discharge unit is limited to a substantially constant planar size, and therefore the application area is limited to a substantially constant size. Therefore, it is easy to irradiate the coating area with light from the lamp at a fixed point.

When the above-mentioned structure is adopted, the spot size of the light spot irradiated to the coating area at a fixed point can be made larger than the size of the coating area.

If such a structure is adopted, the coated area of the clothing will not easily deviate from the light spot.

The following structure can be adopted in the washing machine of this solution: the inner cylinder includes a horizontal axis type drum, the outer cylinder has an opening on the front surface, and the box has an input port on the front surface, and the input port consists of The door cover is provided with an elastic annular gasket between the input port and the opening. In this case, the detergent foam discharging unit may be a nozzle provided at an upper part of the pad and discharging the detergent foam toward a lower part of the pad.

According to the above structure, even if the detergent foam flows out from the nozzle when there is no clothes under the nozzle, the detergent foam can be received by the lower part of the pad, thereby preventing the detergent foam from flowing out of the washing machine.

Furthermore, the inside of the pad is darker than the outside of the box, so it is easy to see the coated area of the clothing when irradiated with light from a lamp.

Invention effect

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a washing machine in which a user can successfully apply detergent to a stain-adhered portion of clothing before a washing operation or the like.

The effects and significance of the present invention will become clearer from the description of the embodiments shown below. However, the following embodiments are merely examples for implementing the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the contents described in the following embodiments.

Description of the drawings

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the structure of the drum washing machine according to the embodiment.

2 is a top view of the water supply device and the detergent foam dispenser of the embodiment.

3 is a front view of the water supply device and the detergent foam dispenser of the embodiment.

4 is a side cross-sectional view of the main part of the water supply device taken at the position of the water storage tank according to the embodiment.

5 is a front cross-sectional view showing the structure of the peripheral portion of the nozzle according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the structure of the drum washing machine according to the embodiment.

7 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the control unit executed during the detergent foam application operation according to the embodiment.

In FIG. 8 , (a) to (c) are diagrams for explaining the detergent foam coating operation according to the embodiment.

Explanation of reference signs

1: Drum washing machine (washing machine); 10: Inlet of box 11; 12: Door; 20: Outer cylinder; 20a: Opening; 23: Drum (inner cylinder); 24: Pad; 310: Detergent foam generating part ; 320: nozzle (detergent foam releasing part); 410: distance sensor (sensor); 420: lamp; 501: control part; L: optical axis.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, a drum washing machine as one embodiment of the washing machine of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the structure of the drum washing machine 1 .

The drum washing machine 1 includes a square box 10 . A circular insertion opening 11 into which laundry is inserted is formed on the front surface of the box 10 . The input port 11 is covered with a substantially disk-shaped door 12 that can be opened and closed.

The outer cylinder 20 is arranged inside the box 10 . The outer cylinder 20 is elastically supported by a plurality of dampers 21 and springs 22 . A horizontal axis type drum 23 is disposed in the outer cylinder 20 so as to be freely rotatable. The drum 23 rotates around a horizontal axis. The drum 23 has a circular opening 23a on the front surface. The drum 23 corresponds to the inner drum of this invention.

The outer cylinder 20 has a circular opening 20a on its front surface in front of the opening 23a of the drum 23. An elastic annular gasket is provided between the input port 11 of the box 10 and the opening 20a of the outer cylinder 20 twenty four. The front peripheral edge portion of the gasket 24 is connected to the peripheral edge portion of the insertion port 11 , and the rear peripheral edge portion of the gasket 24 is connected to the peripheral edge portion of the opening 20 a . The peripheral surface of the closed door 12 is in contact with the gasket 24, and the space between the input port 11 and the door 12 is water-sealed.

A plurality of dewatering holes 23b are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the drum 23. In addition, three lifting ribs 25 having a substantially triangular prism shape are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the drum 23 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

The drive motor 30 which generates the torque for rotating the drum 23 is arrange|positioned behind the outer cylinder 20. The drive motor 30 is, for example, an outer rotor type DC brushless motor. The drive motor 30 rotates the drum 23 at a rotation speed at which the centrifugal force applied to the laundry in the drum 23 is less than gravity and the laundry tumbles during the washing process and the rinsing process. On the other hand, during the dehydration process, the drive motor 30 rotates the drum 23 at such a speed that the centrifugal force exerted on the laundry in the drum 23 is much greater than gravity and the laundry adheres to the inner circumferential surface of the drum 23 .

A drain opening 20b is formed at the bottom of the outer tube 20 . The drain port 20b is connected to a drain part 40 that drains water from the inside of the outer cylinder 20. The drain part 40 is composed of a drain valve 41, a drain hose 42, and a drain filter 43. The drain port 20b is connected to the drain filter 43. The drain valve 41 is provided downstream of the drain filter 43 and includes, for example, a valve and a torque motor that opens and closes the valve. The drain valve 41 is connected to the drain hose 42 . When the drain valve 41 is opened, the water accumulated in the outer cylinder 20 is discharged to the outside of the machine through the drain port 20b, the drain filter 43, and the drain hose 42. Foreign matter such as lint dust is captured by the drain filter 43 .

A water supply device 50 and a detergent foam dispenser 60 are arranged in the upper portion of the box 10 . The water supply device 50 mainly has a function of supplying water to the outer tub 20 and a function of automatically pouring the detergent liquid and liquid softener stored in the liquid tank 220 into the outer tub 20 . The detergent foam dispenser 60 uses the detergent liquid in the liquid tank 220 to generate detergent foam formed by foaming the detergent liquid. Then, the detergent foam dispenser 60 discharges the generated detergent foam from the nozzle 320 to apply the detergent foam to the portion accommodating the laundry before entering the drum 23 outside the drum 23 , that is, at the position of the pad 24 .

2 and 3 are respectively a top view and a front view of the water supply device 50 and the detergent foam dispenser 60. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the main part of the water supply device 50 taken at the position of the water storage tank 240. In FIG. 2 , the water supply device 50 is shown in a state in which the upper member 230 a of the water channel forming member 230 is removed. In FIG. 3 , the water filling unit 52 is shown in a cross-sectional view taken at the position of the water reservoir 240 . Furthermore, in FIG. 3 , the upper portion of the gasket 24 is shown in a cross-sectional view taken at the position of the nozzle 320 .

1 to 4 , the detailed structure of the water supply device 50 and the detergent foam dispenser 60 will be described. bright.

The water supply device 50 includes a water supply valve unit 51 and a water filling unit 52 . The water supply valve unit 51 includes a water supply valve 110 , a first water supply hose 120 , and a second water supply hose 130 . The water supply valve 110 has a first valve 111 and a second valve 112 . The water supply port 113 of the water supply valve 110 is connected to the faucet via a connecting hose (not shown). The rated flow rate of the first valve 111 is, for example, 5 to 10 L/min. The rated flow rate of the second valve 112 is set to be much smaller than the rated flow rate of the first valve 111, for example, 0.5 to 1.0 L/min.

The inlet of the first water supply hose 120 is connected to the first valve 111 , and the inlet of the second water supply hose 130 is connected to the second valve 112 . When the first valve 111 is opened, water will flow to the first water supply hose 120, and when the second valve 112 is opened, the water will flow to the second water supply hose 130.

The water filling unit 52 includes a water filling port member 210 with an open front surface; a liquid tank 220 retractably accommodated in the water filling port member 210 ; and a water path forming member 230 disposed on the upper surface of the water filling port member 210 .

A water injection port 211 is provided at the bottom of the water injection port member 210 . The water filling hose 53 extending downward from the water filling port 211 is connected to the outer cylinder 20 .

As shown in FIG. 3 , the interior of the liquid agent box 220 is divided into a detergent chamber 221 for accommodating detergent liquid and a softener chamber 222 for accommodating liquid softener. The detergent liquid accumulated in the detergent chamber 221 is used in the cleaning process in the washing operation and the detergent foam application operation. The liquid softener accumulated in the softener chamber 222 is used during the rinsing process in the washing operation.

A rear-open detergent discharge port 223 is formed in a lower portion of the rear surface of the detergent chamber 221 . In addition, a softener discharge port 224 with a rear opening is formed in a lower portion of the rear surface of the softener chamber 222 . A gap is formed inside the water inlet member 210 below the liquid tank 220 , and this gap serves as a flow path 212 for water discharged from the water path forming member 230 .

The liquid cartridge 220 is accommodated in the water filling port member 210 via the accommodation opening 13 provided on the front surface of the box 10 . A cover 220 a is provided on the front surface of the liquid agent box 220 to block the accommodating opening 13 . The user pulls the liquid box 220 forward to replenish detergent liquid and liquid softener into the detergent chamber 221 and the softener chamber 222 respectively.

The water channel forming member 230 is formed by combining the upper member 230a and the lower member 230b, and protrudes rearward than the water inlet member 210. The outlet of the first water supply hose 120 and the outlet of the second water supply hose 130 are connected to an inlet pipe 231 provided at the rear end of the water channel forming member 230 .

A water supply channel 232 is formed inside the water channel forming member 230 . The starting end of the water supply channel 232 is located at the rear left end of the water channel forming member 230 and is curved like a spiral labyrinth. The end of the water supply channel 232 is connected to the water filling chamber 233 provided on the right side of the center of the water channel forming member 230 . The inlet 232a formed at the starting end of the water supply path 232 is connected to the introduction pipe 231. A plurality of circular and square water injection holes 234 connected to the inside of the water injection port member 210 are formed on the bottom surface of the water injection chamber 233 . The detergent chamber 221 of the liquid tank 220 has a shape that avoids directly below the water filling chamber 233 , and water falling from the water filling hole 234 flows to the flow path 212 at the bottom of the water filling port member 210 .

Inside the water channel forming member 230, a water storage tank 240 is provided in the middle of the water supply channel 232. The water storage tank 240 has a rectangular parallelepiped box shape that is flat in the left-right direction, and is located behind the water filling chamber 233 at the right end of the water channel forming member 230 . An inflow port 241 is formed on the rear side of the upper end of the water storage tank 240, and an overflow port 242 is formed on the front side. The water storage tank 240 has a recessed portion 243 that is depressed downward in the center portion of the bottom surface thereof. The recess 243 is formed with an outflow port 244 protruding rearward.

The water supply path 232 is divided into: a first water supply path 235 extending from the starting end to the inlet 241 of the water storage tank 240; and a second water supply path 236 extending from the overflow port 242 of the water storage tank 240 to the water filling chamber 233. In the first water supply path 235, a detergent inlet 237 is formed on the right side, and a softener inlet 238 is formed on the left side.

As shown in FIG. 2 , a detergent pump 250 and a softener pump 260 are arranged behind the water inlet member 210 . The detergent pump 250 is, for example, a piston pump. Its suction port is connected to the detergent discharge port 223 of the detergent chamber 221 , and its discharge port is connected to the detergent inlet 237 of the first water supply path 235 . The softener pump 260 is, for example, a piston pump. Its suction port is connected to the softener discharge port 224 of the softener chamber 222 , and its discharge port is connected to the softener inlet 238 of the first water supply path 235 .

Due to the operation of the detergent pump 250, the detergent liquid in the detergent chamber 221 is sent to the first water supply path 235. Through the operation of the softener pump 260 , the liquid softener in the softener chamber 222 is sent to the first water supply path 235 . The detergent pump 250 and the softener pump 260 are provided with check valves at their discharge ports so that water flowing through the first water supply path 235 does not enter the liquid tank through the detergent pump 250 and the softener pump 260. Within 220.

The detergent foam dispenser 60 includes a detergent foam generating part 310, a nozzle 320, a first hose 330, and a second hose 340. The detergent foam generating unit 310 generates detergent foam by foaming a detergent liquid that is a detergent liquid diluted with water flowing out from the liquid tank 220 . The nozzle 320 is a detergent foam discharge part that discharges the detergent foam generated by the detergent foam generation part 310 so as to be outside the drum 23 That is, the position of the pad 24 is the portion where the detergent foam is applied to the clothes. The first hose 330 connects the water storage tank 240 and the detergent foam generating part 310 . The second hose 340 connects the detergent foam generating part 310 and the nozzle 320 .

The detergent foam generating unit 310 includes a foam generating pump 350, a filter unit 360, and a connecting pipe 370. The foam generating pump 350 is, for example, a gas-liquid mixing type diaphragm pump. The filter unit 360 includes a mesh filter 361 and a housing 362 that accommodates the filter 361. The discharge port 351 of the foam generating pump 350 and the inlet 363 of the housing 362 are connected by a connecting pipe 370.

The nozzle 320 is provided on the upper part of the gasket 24 , with its front end facing the inside of the gasket 24 . The discharge port 321 at the front end of the nozzle 320 is directed substantially directly downward, and the detergent foam is discharged toward the lower part of the pad 24 . The base end side of the nozzle 320 protrudes upward outside the pad 24 .

The inlet of the first hose 330 is connected to the outflow port 244 of the water reservoir 240 , and the outlet of the first hose 330 is connected to the suction port 352 of the foam generating pump 350 . The inlet of the second hose 340 is connected to the outlet 364 of the housing 362 , and the outlet of the second hose 340 is connected to the base end of the nozzle 320 .

The detergent foam generating section 310 is configured such that the foam generating pump 350 and the filter unit 360 are arranged next to the water filling unit 52 . Therefore, the position of the foam generating pump 350 is slightly lower than the position of the water supply path 232 of the water path forming member 230 . However, since the middle portion of the first hose 330 is lifted to a position higher than the water supply path 232 and there is resistance generated by the valve body of the foam generating pump 350 and the filter 361, flow through the water supply path 232 is prevented. The water flows to the foam generating pump 350.

FIG. 5 is a front cross-sectional view showing the structure of the peripheral portion of the nozzle 320 .

A nozzle 320 is arranged substantially on the top of the pad 24 . The nozzle 320 is mounted on the nozzle mounting opening 24a formed in the gasket 24 .

In the upper part of the pad 24, a distance sensor 410 is arranged adjacent to the nozzle 320 on the left side of the nozzle 320, and a lamp 420 is arranged adjacent to the nozzle 320 on the right side of the nozzle 320. That is, the distance sensor 410 and the lamp 420 are arranged on opposite sides to the nozzle 320 . The nozzle 320, the distance sensor 410, and the lamp 420 are linearly arranged in the left-right direction.

The distance sensor 410 is, for example, a reflective photoelectric sensor for distance measurement. The distance sensor 410 may also be another sensor capable of detecting the distance to an object, such as an ultrasonic sensor. The distance sensor 410 corresponds to the sensor of the present invention.

The distance sensor 410 is mounted on the sensor mounting opening 24b formed in the pad 24, and its detection surface 411 faces the inside of the pad 24 and faces substantially directly downward. The distance sensor 410 detects that the laundry approaches the nozzle 320 from below to a predetermined distance D.

When the laundry approaches the predetermined distance D, detergent foam is discharged from the nozzle 320 substantially directly downward. The predetermined distance D is set to a distance where it is easy for the user to apply the detergent foam from the nozzle 320 to a target portion of the clothes, for example, a distance of about 30 mm to 50 mm.

The planar shape of the detergent foam applied to the clothes is approximately circular. Therefore, the application area to which the detergent foam is to be applied in the portion of the laundry assumes an approximately circular shape. The nozzle 320 emits a fixed amount of detergent foam each time. Therefore, the coating area is limited to a substantially fixed size. In this embodiment, the amount of detergent foam released, that is, the foam release time, is set so that the diameter of the coating area is about 10 mm to 20 mm.

The lamp 420 includes a light source 421 such as an LED and a convex lens 422 that refracts light from the light source 421, and emits light diffused at a small angle from an irradiation port 423. The lamp 420 is attached to the lamp mounting opening 24c formed in the pad 24 so as to be inclined leftward with respect to the vertical direction. The irradiation opening 423 faces the inside of the pad 24 and faces obliquely downward.

The optical axis L of the lamp 420 is inclined to the left with respect to the vertical direction, and intersects the central axis P extending in the vertical direction from the center of the discharge port 321 of the nozzle 320 near a predetermined distance D when viewed from the front-to-back direction. That is, the optical axis L passes through the application area when the detergent foam is applied to the portion of the clothes at a position at a predetermined distance D. Thereby, the light from the lamp 420 is irradiated at a fixed point to the coating area in the portion of the clothing close to the predetermined distance D. At this time, the spot size is set to be larger than the size of the coating area. It should be noted that when the spot size is set to be slightly larger than the coating area, that is, to the same extent, the user can easily grasp the approximate size of the detergent foam through the spot size.

It should be noted that the nozzle 320, the distance sensor 410, and the lamp 420 can be integrated into a foam releasing module by mounting the three components on a mounting portion (not shown).

Furthermore, the left and right positions of the distance sensor 410 and the lamp 420 may be exchanged. In addition, the distance sensor 410 and the lamp 420 may be arranged on opposite sides to the nozzle 320 in the front-rear direction. In particular, when the lamp 420 is arranged on the front side of the nozzle 320, light is irradiated from the lamp 420 to the rear and downward direction. Therefore, when clothes are put in/taken out of the drum 23, the inside of the drum 23 can be illuminated by the light from the lamp 420.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the structure of the drum washing machine 1 .

In addition to the above-described structure, the drum washing machine 1 further includes a control unit 501, a storage unit 502, an operation unit 503, a display unit 504, a water level detection unit 505, a motor drive unit 506, a water supply drive unit 507, a drainage drive unit 508, and a pump drive unit. 509 and lamp driving part 510.

The operation unit 503 includes a power button for turning on and off the power of the device, a start button for starting the operation, and a mode selection button for selecting any mode from a plurality of modes of the washing operation. Furthermore, the operation part 503 includes a bubble application button for starting and ending the detergent foam application operation. The operation unit 503 outputs an input signal corresponding to the button operated by the user to the control unit 501 .

The display unit 504 includes a light-emitting element such as an LED and a display such as a liquid crystal panel. Based on the control signal from the control unit 501, the display unit 504 displays the selected mode, displays the progress status of the washing operation, and notifies abnormality.

The water level detection unit 505 detects the water level in the outer cylinder 20 and outputs a water level signal corresponding to the water level to the control unit 501 .

The distance sensor 410 outputs a detection signal to the control unit 501 when the laundry approaches the nozzle 320 of the detergent foam dispenser 60 from below to a predetermined distance D.

The motor drive unit 506 drives the drive motor 30 based on the control signal from the control unit 501 . The motor driving unit 506 includes a rotation sensor that detects the rotation speed of the drive motor 30 , an inverter circuit, and the like, and adjusts the driving power so that the drive motor 30 rotates at the rotation speed set by the control unit 501 .

The water supply drive unit 507 drives the first valve 111 and the second valve 112 of the water supply valve 110 based on the control signal from the control unit 501. The drain drive unit 508 drives the drain valve 41 based on the control signal from the control unit 501 . The pump driving unit 509 drives the detergent pump 250, the softener pump 260, and the foam generating pump 350 based on the control signal from the control unit 501. The lamp driving part 510 drives the lamp 420, that is, the light source 421 based on the control signal from the control part 501.

The storage unit 502 includes EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The storage unit 502 stores programs for executing various modes of washing operation and detergent foam application operation. In addition, various parameters and various control flags for executing these programs are stored in the storage unit 502 .

The control unit 501 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like, and is based on water level detection from the operation unit 503 The display unit 504, the motor driving unit 506, the water supply driving unit 507, the drainage driving unit 508, the pump driving unit 509, the lamp driving unit 510, etc. are controlled based on the signals of the unit 505, the distance sensor 410, etc. and according to the program stored in the storage unit 502. .

In addition, in the drum washing machine 1 , the washing operation in various operation modes is performed based on the user's operation of the operation unit 503 . In the washing operation, the cleaning process, the intermediate dehydration process, the rinsing process and the final dehydration process are performed in sequence. Depending on the operation mode, more than two rinsing processes and intermediate dehydration processes may be performed.

During the washing process, water containing detergent is stored in the outer drum 20 until the washing water level corresponds to the load of laundry accommodated in the drum 23, and the forward rotation and reverse rotation of the drum 23 are repeated. Laundry immersed in the water is tumbled. Water containing detergent penetrates into the inside of the laundry, and through the power of the detergent and the mechanical force of tumbling, stains attached to the surface and inside of the laundry are removed.

During the rinsing process, the drum 23 performs forward and reverse rotation while water is stored in the outer drum 20 to a predetermined rinsing water level, and the laundry is tumbled. Thereby, the detergent contained in the laundry is discharged together with the water, and the laundry is rinsed.

During the intermediate dehydration process and the final dehydration process, the drive motor 30 rotates in one direction at a high speed, and the drum 23 rotates in one direction at a speed where the centrifugal force acting on the laundry in the drum 23 is much greater than gravity. Due to the centrifugal force, the laundry is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the drum 23 and dehydrated. In the final dehydration process, the drum 23 rotates at a higher rotation speed than that in the intermediate dehydration process.

When supplying water during the cleaning process, the water supply device 50 automatically adds detergent while supplying water. That is, first, the detergent pump 250 is operated to introduce a predetermined amount of detergent liquid in the detergent chamber 221 of the liquid tank 220 into the first water supply path 235 which is the water supply path 232 of the water path forming member 230 . Next, the first valve 111 of the water supply valve 110 is opened, and water is supplied into the water supply channel 232 through the first water supply hose 120 . The detergent liquid in the water supply path 232 is mixed with the water flowing into the water supply path 232 , and reaches the outer cylinder 20 together with the water through the water filling chamber 233 , the flow path 212 of the water filling port member 210 , the water filling port 211 and the water filling hose 53 .

Similarly, during the rinsing process, the water supply device 50 automatically adds softener while supplying water. That is, the softener pump 260 operates to introduce a predetermined amount of liquid softener in the softener chamber 222 of the liquid tank 220 to the water supply path 232 . Next, when the first valve 111 is opened, the liquid softener in the water supply path 232 is mixed with the water flowing into the water supply path 232 , and is sent into the outer cylinder 20 together with the water. It should be noted that in the When performing two rinsing processes, adding softener becomes the final rinsing process.

In the drum washing machine 1, the user can perform the detergent foam application operation before performing the washing operation when stubborn dirt such as sebum dirt adheres to the collar, sleeves, etc. of the clothes. Thereby, the user can put the laundry into the drum 23 of the drum washing machine 1 after applying the detergent foam generated by the detergent foam dispenser 60 to the part where dirt adheres. The detergent concentration of detergent foam is significantly higher than the water containing the detergent used in the cleaning process. Therefore, high-concentration detergent foam is applied to the stained portion of the clothes, and the stain removal effect of the stained portion becomes good after the washing operation.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the control unit 501 executed during the detergent foam application operation. In FIG. 8 , (a) to (c) are diagrams for explaining the detergent foam coating operation.

When the user presses the bubble application button of the operation part 503 as a start operation, the detergent foam application operation starts.

Referring to FIG. 7 , when the detergent foam coating operation is started, the control unit 501 operates the detergent pump 250 to introduce a predetermined amount of detergent liquid into the first water supply path 235 , and then turns the second valve 112 of the water supply valve 110 It is opened for a predetermined time and water is supplied to the first water supply path 235 . Thereby, the control unit 501 stores a predetermined volume of detergent liquid in which the detergent liquid is diluted with water in the water reservoir 240 ( S1 ). At this time, the detergent liquid is impacted by the water supplied into the first water supply path 235 and flows to the water storage tank 240 , and is mixed with the water while flowing through the first water supply path 235 .

The prescribed capacity is, for example, about several dozen mL, which is not a very large capacity. Here, by opening the second valve 112 with a small rated flow rate, a large amount of water does not flow to the first water supply path 235 at once, so that a predetermined capacity of water can be easily stored in the water storage tank 240 .

It should be noted that due to uneven tap water pressure, uneven flow may occur when the second valve 112 is opened. Therefore, the predetermined time for opening the second valve 112 can be set so that a predetermined volume of detergent liquid can be stored in the water reservoir 240 even when the flow rate is small.

Therefore, depending on the flow rate, the detergent liquid in the water storage tank 240 may exceed the predetermined capacity. In this case, the water level in the water tank 240 reaches the overflow port 242, and the detergent liquid overflows from the overflow port 242. The overflowing detergent liquid flows through the second water supply path 236 and is discharged into the outer cylinder 20 via the water filling chamber 233, the flow path 212 of the water filling port member 210, the water filling port 211, and the water filling hose 53. The second water supply path 236 , the water filling chamber 233 , the flow path 212 , the water filling port 211 and the water filling hose 53 are configured to allow the detergent liquid overflowing from the overflow port 242 to flow toward the water. A discharge path DR for discharge from the outer cylinder 20 .

In this way, by storing a predetermined volume of detergent liquid in the water reservoir 240, preparations for generating detergent foam are completed.

It should be noted that when preparations for generating detergent foam are completed, the control unit 501 causes the display unit 504 to display a display notifying that the preparations are completed.

Next, the control unit 501 lights the lamp 420 (S2). Then, the control unit 501 monitors whether the clothes approach the nozzle 320 to the predetermined distance D using the distance sensor 410 (S3). The lamp 420 starts lighting before detecting that the clothes approach the nozzle 320 .

The user opens the door 12, takes the clothes with both hands and inserts the part of the clothes with dirt attached to the pad 24 through the insertion opening 11. As shown in (a) of FIG. 8 , when the portion of the clothing is far away from the nozzle 320 at a position directly below the nozzle 320 , the light from the lamp 420 is irradiated at a fixed point to a position shifted from the position directly below the discharge port 321 of the nozzle 320 . .

The user brings a portion of the laundry close to the nozzle 320 from below. As shown in (b) of FIG. 8 , when a portion of the clothing approaches a predetermined distance D from the nozzle 320 , the light from the lamp 420 is irradiated at a fixed point directly below the discharge port 321 . Thereby, the light spot hits the area where the detergent foam is applied in the portion of the laundry.

By shifting the light spot from the position directly below the discharge port 321 to the position directly below, the user can know that the portion of the laundry has reached the position where the detergent foam is discharged. Furthermore, by striking the light spot on the coating area of the detergent foam, the user can grasp the coating area. This allows the user to correct the position of the clothing when the attached part of the dirt deviates from the coating area.

When it is determined that the laundry is close to the predetermined distance D from the nozzle 320 (S3: Yes), the control unit 501 operates the foam generation pump 350 for a predetermined foam release time, for example, several seconds, and releases a fixed amount of detergent foam from the nozzle 320 (S4 ).

That is, when the foam generation pump 350 operates, the detergent liquid in the water storage tank 240 is taken into the foam generation pump 350 via the first hose 330 . At this time, air is taken in from the outside in the foam generating pump 350, and the taken-in air is mixed with the detergent liquid. The detergent liquid mixed with air is sent from the foam generating pump 350 toward the nozzle 320 . The detergent liquid mixed with air sent from the foam generating pump 350 passes through the mesh filter 361 of the filter unit 360 .

By mixing the air and passing through the filter 361, the detergent liquid contained in the detergent liquid bubbles, generating fine particles. Greasy detergent foam. The detergent foam reaches the nozzle 320 through the second hose 340 and is discharged from the discharge port 321 of the nozzle 320 substantially directly downward.

In this way, as shown in (c) of FIG. 8 , high-concentration detergent foam is applied to the portion of the clothes to which dirt has adhered.

In addition, since the detergent foam is discharged from the nozzle 320 due to the automatic detection of the clothes by the distance sensor 410, the user can reliably hold the clothes with both hands.

The control unit 501 determines whether the detergent foam application operation has been completed (S5).

To continue applying detergent foam to other parts of the clothes, the user moves the clothes away from the nozzle 320 briefly and then approaches the nozzle 320 again.

When the end operation is not performed and the laundry approaches the predetermined distance D from the nozzle 320 again (S5: No → S3: Yes), the control unit 501 operates the foam generating pump 350 to discharge detergent foam from the nozzle 320 (S4).

In this way, whenever a portion of the laundry is close to the nozzle 320, a fixed amount of detergent foam is applied to the portion.

When the application of the detergent foam to the clothes is completed, the user presses the foam application button of the operation part 503 as an end operation. Accordingly, when the control unit 501 determines that the end operation has been performed (S5: Yes), the lamp 420 is turned off (S6), and the detergent foam application operation is ended.

Here, it is possible that the discharged detergent foam still falls while the portion of the laundry is removed from under the nozzle 320 before the detergent foam is discharged. In addition, during the detergent foam application operation, it is also conceivable that the detergent foam remaining in the discharge port 321 of the nozzle 320 after the operation may drip. In such a case, the detergent foam will fall on the lower part of the pad 24. Therefore, the detergent foam is prevented from flowing out of the drum washing machine 1 . It should be noted that the detergent foam remaining on the pad 24 is flushed away by the washing operation.

When the detergent liquid remaining in the water tank 240 after the detergent foam coating operation is subsequently subjected to a washing operation, it is discharged from the water tank 240 during the water supply during the cleaning process and is sent to the outer cylinder 20 for use. in the cleaning process.

In addition, in order to discharge the detergent foam and detergent liquid remaining in the detergent foam dispenser 60 and clean the inside of the detergent foam dispenser 60, the control unit 501 causes the foam generation pump 350 to operate in the final water supply stage of the cleaning process. Work. The water in the water tank 240 flows through the first hose 330, and the detergent foam is generated. The portion 310 and the second hose 340 are discharged from the nozzle 320 together with the detergent foam and detergent liquid. The discharged water and the like flow into the outer cylinder 20 .

Such cleaning of the inside of the detergent foam dispenser 60 prevents the detergent liquid remaining in the detergent foam dispenser 60 from contacting the air and solidifying, thereby causing clogging in the detergent foam dispenser 60 .

It should be noted that the operation of the foam generation pump 350 continues for a short time even if the water in the water storage tank 240 is exhausted after the water supply is completed. When the water in the water reservoir 240 is exhausted, the air in the water reservoir 240 is sent to the detergent foam dispenser 60 and discharged from the nozzle 320 . Therefore, liquid such as water does not remain in the detergent foam dispenser 60 .

Furthermore, when a plurality of rinsing processes are performed, the control unit 501 operates the foam generating pump 350 after water is supplied to the outer cylinder 20 in the final rinsing process. This allows water to be discharged from the water tank 240 through the nozzle 320 and prevents water that may contain softener from remaining in the water tank 240 .

It should be noted that in this embodiment, the softener inlet 238 is provided in the first water supply path 235 upstream of the water storage tank 240 . However, the softener inlet 238 may be provided in the second water supply path 236 downstream of the water storage tank 240 . In this structure, the water containing the softener does not pass through the water storage tank 240 during the water supply in the rinsing process, and the water containing the softener does not remain in the water tank 240 . Also in this case, it is preferable that the water in the water storage tank 240 is discharged through the nozzle after the water is supplied.

On the other hand, the laundry coated with detergent foam may be washed by hand washing or the like without being put into the drum washing machine 1 . In this case, a high concentration of detergent liquid may remain in the water reservoir 240 . Therefore, a self-cleaning function may be provided to discard the detergent liquid from the water tank 240 and clean the water tank 240 under the above circumstances. For example, when a predetermined start operation is performed or a predetermined time elapses without performing a washing operation after the detergent foam application operation, the self-cleaning function starts and the first valve 111 and/or the second valve 112 are opened to supply water to the water supply line. 232 provides water supply for an appropriate period of time. Thereby, the remaining detergent liquid is discharged from the water reservoir 240 and sent to the outer tube 20 . At this time, the drain valve 41 is opened, and the detergent liquid sent into the outer tub 20 is discharged to the outside of the machine. In the final stage of water supply of the self-cleaning function, the foam generating pump 350 is also operated, and the inside of the detergent foam dispenser 60 is washed in the same manner as described above.

It should be noted that the drum washing machine 1 of this embodiment may be equipped with a drying device for drying laundry. In this case, the drying device is provided with a circulation path connected to the outer cylinder 20, for example. Distributed in the circulation road Equipped with blower fan, cooler and heater. The air heated by the heater circulates between the outer drum 20 and the circulation path by the operation of the blower fan, and the laundry in the drum 23 is dried. The air returned to the circulation path from the outer cylinder 20 is cooled by the cooler and dehumidified before being heated by the heater.

＜Effects of Embodiment＞

According to the present embodiment, the drum washing machine 1 includes: a detergent foam generating unit 310 that generates detergent foam by foaming detergent and sends out the generated detergent foam; and a nozzle 320 that sends out the detergent foam from the detergent foam generating unit 310 The detergent foam is discharged downward, so that the detergent foam is applied to the portion of the clothes outside the drum 23.

According to this structure, the user can apply detergent foam to the dirt-adherent portion accommodating the laundry previously placed in the drum 23 before the washing operation. Therefore, during subsequent washing operations, the stain removal effect on clothes becomes better. In addition, unlike the case where the detergent liquid is directly applied to the clothes, the user does not have to worry about dripping liquid. Moreover, the user only needs to bring a part of the clothes near the nozzle 320 to apply the detergent foam, and does not need a place to place the clothes to perform the application operation.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the drum washing machine 1 is provided with a distance sensor 410 that detects that a portion of the laundry approaches a predetermined distance D from below with respect to the nozzle 320; and a control unit 501 that performs washing based on the approach of a portion of the laundry to the predetermined distance D. The agent foam generating unit 310 sends out the detergent foam; and the lamp 420 irradiates light at a fixed point to the application area of the laundry to be coated with the detergent foam in a portion close to a predetermined distance D.

According to this structure, detergent foam is automatically released when the part of clothing approaches from below to the predetermined distance D from the nozzle 320. Therefore, it is not easy to release the detergent foam when there is no clothing under the nozzle 320, and the detergent foam can be Reliably coats parts of clothing. Furthermore, the light from the lamp 420 is irradiated at a fixed point to the coating area in the portion of the clothing close to the predetermined distance D. Therefore, the user can grasp the coating area and easily adjust it so that the dirt-adhering portion becomes the coating area.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the drum washing machine 1 has a structure in which the lamp 420 is disposed adjacent to the nozzle 320 and the optical axis L of the lamp 420 passes through the coating area of the clothes obliquely with respect to the vertical direction.

According to this structure, the coating area of the clothing close to the predetermined distance D can be irradiated with light at a fixed point from the lamp 420 arranged adjacent to the nozzle 320 .

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the drum washing machine 1 has a structure in which the distance sensor 410 is arranged on the side facing the lamp 420 with respect to the nozzle 320 .

According to this structure, the distance sensor 410 and the lamp 420 can be disposed near the nozzle 320, so that the distance sensor 410 is less likely to miss detection of the clothing portion, and the lamp 420 can easily illuminate the coating area of the clothing.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the drum washing machine 1 has a structure in which the control unit 501 causes the detergent foam generating unit 310 to send out a fixed amount of detergent foam every time a portion of the laundry approaches the predetermined distance D.

According to this structure, the portion of the detergent foam applied to the clothes by one discharge from the nozzle 320 is limited to a substantially constant planar size, and therefore the application area is limited to a substantially constant size. Therefore, it is easy to irradiate the coating area with light from the lamp 420 at a fixed point.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the drum washing machine 1 has a structure in which the spot size of the light spot irradiated to the coating area at a fixed point is larger than the size of the coating area of the clothes.

According to this structure, the coated area of the clothing is less likely to deviate from the light spot.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the drum washing machine 1 has a structure in which the nozzle 320 is provided on the upper part of the pad 24 and emits detergent foam toward the lower part of the pad 24 .

According to this structure, even if the detergent foam flows out from the nozzle 320 when there is no clothes under the nozzle 320 , the detergent foam can be received by the lower part of the pad 24 , thereby preventing the detergent foam from flowing out of the drum washing machine 1 .

Furthermore, since the inside of the pad 24 is darker than the outside of the box 10 , the coated area of the clothing is easily visible when the light from the lamp 420 is irradiated.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the like, and the embodiments of the present invention may be modified in various ways other than those described above.

For example, in the above embodiment, the nozzle 320 of the detergent foam dispenser 60 is provided on the upper part of the pad 24 . However, the nozzle 320 may be provided at a position other than the above as long as the detergent foam can be discharged downward so as to apply the detergent foam to the clothes outside the drum 23 . For example, the nozzle 320 may be provided on the front surface, the left and right side surfaces, and the top surface of the box 10 .

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a structure may be adopted in which the detergent foam generating unit 310 includes a foam generating pump 350 and a mesh-shaped filter 361, and the foam generating pump 350 and the filter 361 allow the liquid agent box 220 to The outflowing detergent liquid bubbles to generate detergent foam. However, the detergent foam generating section 310 may adopt any structure as long as it can generate detergent foam by foaming the detergent. In addition, the detergent used may not be a liquid detergent but a powder detergent.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the liquid tank 220 is provided at a lower position than the first water supply channel 235 , and the detergent liquid in the liquid tank 220 is sent to the first water supply channel 235 by the detergent pump 250 . However, the liquid tank 220 may be provided at a higher position than the first water supply channel 235 so that the detergent liquid in the liquid tank 220 is sent to the first water supply channel 235 by opening and closing the valve.

Furthermore, a structure may be adopted in which the detergent liquid in the liquid tank 220 is directly sent to the water storage tank 240 without being sent to the first water supply path 235, and the detergent liquid is mixed with water in the water storage tank 240.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the water storage tank 240 is provided in the middle of the water supply path 232 . However, the water storage tank 240 does not need to be provided in the middle of the water supply path 232 . In this case, for example, the second water supply hose 130 is connected to the water storage tank 240 directly or via a predetermined water channel. In addition, in this case, the overflow port 242 does not need to be provided in the water storage tank 240 . If the overflow port 242 is not provided, a water level detector for detecting the water level may be provided in the water storage tank 240 .

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a flow sensor that detects the flow rate of water from the water supply valve unit 51 may be provided in the first water supply path 235 or the like, and the timing of water supply to the water storage tank 240 may be changed according to the flow rate, so that even if water is supplied from the water supply valve unit 51 The uneven flow rate of water in the water supply valve unit 51 also tends to accumulate a predetermined volume of detergent liquid in the water storage tank 240 .

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the detergent liquid in which the detergent liquid is diluted with water is stored in the water storage tank 240, and the detergent liquid is taken in by the foam generation pump 350 of the detergent foam generation unit 310 to generate detergent foam. . However, for example, when moderate fluidity and foaming properties can be obtained even without diluting the detergent liquid with water, the water reservoir 240 may not be provided and the detergent foam generating unit 310 may use the undiluted detergent liquid. Generates detergent foam.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the distance sensor 410 and the lamp 420 are arranged on opposite sides to the nozzle 320 . However, the distance sensor 410 and the lamp 420 may be arranged on the same side with respect to the nozzle 320 .

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the light spot size irradiated to the coating area of the clothing at a fixed point is larger than the The size of the coating area. However, the spot size can be made smaller than the size of the coating area.

Furthermore, the drum washing machine 1 was shown in the above embodiment. However, the present invention can also be applied to washing machines other than the drum washing machine 1 , for example, a fully automatic washing machine having a vertical axis type washing and dehydrating tub as an inner tub inside the outer tub. A fully automatic washing machine can be a fully automatic washing and drying machine with a drying function.

In addition, the embodiment of the present invention can be appropriately modified in various ways within the scope of the technical idea shown in the technical claims.

Claims

A washing machine is characterized by having:

The outer cylinder is arranged inside the box;

The inner cylinder is arranged in the outer cylinder to accommodate clothing;

a detergent foam generating unit that generates detergent foam by foaming detergent and sends out the generated detergent foam;

a detergent foam releasing part that releases the detergent foam sent out from the detergent foam generating part downward so that the detergent foam can be applied to the clothes outside the inner cylinder;

a sensor that detects that a portion of the laundry approaches the detergent foam releasing portion from below to a predetermined distance;

a control unit that causes the detergent foam generating unit to send out the detergent foam based on the portion of the laundry approaching the predetermined distance; and

A lamp irradiates light at a fixed point to a coating area to be coated with the detergent foam in a portion of the laundry close to the predetermined distance.
The washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that:

The lamp is disposed adjacent to the detergent foam discharge portion, and its optical axis passes through the coating area while being inclined with respect to the vertical direction.
The washing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that:

The sensor is disposed on the side opposite to the lamp with respect to the detergent foam releasing portion.
The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that,

Each time a portion of the laundry approaches the predetermined distance, the control unit causes the detergent foam generating unit to send out a fixed amount of the detergent foam.
The washing machine according to claim 4, characterized in that:

The spot size of the light spot irradiated to the coating area at a fixed point is larger than the size of the coating area.
The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that,

The inner cylinder includes a horizontal axis type roller,

The outer cylinder has an opening on a front surface,

The box has an input port on the front surface,

The input port is covered by a door,

An elastic annular gasket is provided between the input port and the opening,

The detergent foam discharging part adopts a nozzle provided on the upper part of the pad and discharging the detergent foam toward the lower part of the pad.