Ion eluting unit and device provided with same

Abstract

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

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a washer that is capable of sterilizing laundry and each portion of a washer such as a washing tub and the like by using metal ions exerting a sterilizing effect. Especially, it relates to a washer furnished with an ion eluting unit that produces metal ions by applying a voltage between electrodes. BACKGROUND ART [0002] When laundry is washed in a washer, it is common to add a treatment substance to water, in particular, to rinsing water. Typical examples of such treatment substances include softening and starching agents. In addition to these, in recent years, the demand has been increasing for treatment whereby laundry is subjected to antimicrobial treatment. [0003] From the hygienic point of view, it is desirable to hang laundry in the sun to dry. However, in recent years, with the increase in the number of women who go to work, and with the increase in the number of nuclear families, there have been an increasing number of ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a washer that is capable of adding antimicrobial metal ions into water in a predetermined process in a laundry washing session, and is capable of letting the metal ions fully exert their antimicrobial effect. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a washer that is capable of correcting uneven spreading of laundry taking an existence of added metal ions into consideration, in case uneven spreading of laundry is detected during rotation of a washing tub for squeezing after metal ions are added.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a washer, wherein antimicrobial metal ions can be added into water and attached to a surface of laundry in a predetermined process in a laundry washing session, is so configured that a time of the predetermined process is longer when metal ions are added than when no metal ions are added. It requires certain amount of time for the metal ions to fully attach to laundry. With this configuration, when the metal ions are added, the processing time is extended compared with the case where no metal ions are added, leading to satisfactory attachment of metal ions to laundry and exertion of their expected antimicrobial effect.

Problems solved by technology

It requires certain amount of time for the metal ions to fully attach to laundry.

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