Washing machine

Abstract

The present invention provides a washing machine capable of considering the kind of laundry, performing a soaking wash without lowering the cleaning ability and damaging the laundry with simple operation. A washing machine capable of selecting one of a plurality of operation programs, characterized in that: a first button for selecting one of the plurality of operation programs and a second button for selecting a soaking process for the laundry are included on a display panel of the washing machine; the soaking process is included in a cleaning process of the laundry in a washing process when the second button is selected in addition to the selected operation program; and the processing contents of the operation program are different between when the second button is selected and when the second button is not selected with respect to the selected operation program.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to washing machines, and more particularly to washing machines suitable for soaking washes. Background Technology

[0002] To perform a soaking wash in a washing machine, a dedicated "soaking program" is typically used. This "soaking program" sets the washing time of the standard program to be longer than usual, while controlling the rinsing and spin-drying processes to the same time and spin speed as the standard program. In addition, to improve cleaning power, a soaking wash with a higher detergent concentration is required, using a lower water level (high concentration) than the water level specified for the washing process.

[0003] Regarding soaking treatment, Patent Document 1 describes a soaking program that includes a "soak" button on the control panel and a soaking program that makes it easier to remove dirt from laundry by ensuring a longer soaking time.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-27180 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] Existing methods, such as Patent Document 1, can soak and wash ordinary laundry items. However, when soaking and washing fashion garments and blankets, they fail to prevent damage to the garments during the washing and rinsing processes, and deformation of the garments during the dehydration process. Furthermore, there is a risk of fading due to soaking in high detergent concentrations.

[0009] Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to provide a washing machine that can take into account the type of laundry, perform soaking and washing without reducing cleaning power or damaging the laundry using simple operation.

[0010] Methods for solving problems

[0011] According to the above description, in this invention, "a washing machine capable of selecting one operating program from multiple operating programs of the washing machine is characterized in that: the display panel of the washing machine includes a first button for selecting one of the multiple operating programs and a second button for selecting a soaking process for soaking the laundry; regarding the selected operating program, the washing process when the second button is selected also includes a soaking process, and regarding the selected operating program, the processing content of the operating program is different when the second button is selected and when it is not selected."

[0012] Invention Effects

[0013] According to the present invention, when fashion clothing and blankets are soaked and washed, the washing action that conforms to the washing process can be achieved, the damage to the clothing in the washing process and rinsing process and the deformation of the clothing in the dehydration process can be suppressed, and the risk of fading can be reduced by soaking and washing at a standard detergent concentration.

[0014] Furthermore, according to embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to automate the manually set workload of "filling water and soaking clothes in a washing machine" and eliminate the workload of "dissolving powder when filling water and soaking clothes in a place other than a washing machine". Moreover, because the soaking time can be selected, it can be used in a way that suits the user's intended use. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the structure of a typical washing machine, which is the premise of this invention.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating a typical functional structure example of a washing machine, which is the premise of this invention.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the display content of the display panel 16 in an overview form according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating the difference in processing content before and after using the "Soak+" button PB0, based on the standard procedure C1.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating the difference in processing content before and after using the "Soak+" button PB0 in the fashion apparel program C5.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating the difference in processing content before and after using the "Soak+" button PB0, specifically regarding the gentle program C4.

[0021] Figure 7 This diagram shows that the entire process can be variably set according to the soaking and washing settings.

[0022] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing the arithmetic processing within the arithmetic unit of the microcomputer 37. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described using the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the following embodiments are merely examples to embody the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the invention.

[0024] Example 1

[0025] First, using Figure 1 and Figure 2 Hereinafter, a general example of the structure of a washing machine, which is the premise of this invention, will be described.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the structure of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional structure of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Inside the washing machine frame, i.e., the outer frame 1, the outer tub 2, which stores washing water, is supported by four suspension components (not shown) hanging down from the four corners of the upper end of the outer frame 1 for vibration damping, and is longitudinally arranged in the center of the outer frame 1. The washing tub 3, which is disposed inside the outer tub 2, is made of stainless steel sheet and is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape that is longer in the axial direction. Through holes 7 for water passage or ventilation are formed on the peripheral wall of the washing tub 3.

[0028] A rotating blade 6 is rotatably mounted in the center of the inner bottom surface of the washing tub 3, which agitates the laundry and performs washing, rinsing, and drying operations. The rotating blade 6 is driven by a drive device 8 to rotate repeatedly in both forward and reverse directions to perform washing, rinsing, and drying operations. During the spin-drying operation, the washing tub 3 and the rotating blade 6 rotate at high speed together, causing the laundry to lose moisture.

[0029] The drive unit, i.e. the drive device 8, has a built-in drive motor using a reversible capacitor-phase single-phase induction motor, an inverter drive motor, etc., an electromagnetic clutch mechanism, and a planetary gear reduction mechanism. It has the drive function of selectively executing an agitation drive mode in which the rotating blades 6 rotate repeatedly in both directions while the washing tub 3 is stationary, and a dehydration drive mode in which the washing tub 3 and the rotating blades 6 rotate together in the same direction.

[0030] Figure 1 This paper presents a structural example of a washer-dryer that functions as both a washing machine and a dryer, as described above. In the case of a washer-dryer, a circulation connection section, i.e., a circulation pipe 18, is provided on the rear side inside the outer frame 1, connected to the outer tub 2 via an exhaust connection section 24. Within the air passage of the circulation pipe 18, a water-cooled dehumidifier plate 20 is provided for cooling and dehumidifying the warm air containing moisture evaporated from the laundry during the drying process using cooling water. A drying filter screen (not shown) is detachably provided to remove lint and other debris from the circulating warm air. An air supply section, i.e., a fan 19, is provided to form a flow of warm air from the outer tub 2 through the exhaust connection section 24 and upwards from below the circulation pipe 18, as indicated by the hollow arrow. A heating section, i.e., a heater 17, is provided to heat the cooled and dehumidified circulating warm air.

[0031] The air heated by heater 17 is supplied with warm air to the washing tub 3 through air supply duct 26. A humidity detection unit, namely a temperature and humidity sensor 28, is installed in the air passage between circulation duct 18 and fan 19 to detect the humidity of the circulating air.

[0032] Inside the air supply duct 26, a warm air temperature detection unit, namely a warm air temperature sensor 21, is installed to detect the temperature of the heated warm air, and is used to control the heating of the heater 17.

[0033] A circulation temperature sensor 22 is installed in the circulation pipe 18 to detect the temperature of the warm air discharged from the washing tub 3 and circulating in the circulation pipe 18. A water temperature sensor 23 is installed at the exhaust connection 24 where the cooling water flows to detect the temperature of the cooling water, which includes the condensate that is cooled and recovered.

[0034] The temperature and humidity sensor 28 consists of a part that detects the humidity of the circulating air and a part that detects the temperature, and calculates the relative humidity based on the detected values. The temperature detection part of the temperature and humidity sensor 28 detects the temperature of the warm air circulating in the circulation pipe 18, so it can also be used in place of the circulation temperature sensor 22.

[0035] During the cleaning process, the water temperature sensor 23 can also detect the temperature of the washing water or rinsing water, and the control content of the cleaning process and rinsing process can be changed according to the detected water temperature.

[0036] The washing, rinsing, and drying processes in the washing machine are regulated by the control unit 9, which is centered around a microcomputer 37.

[0037] Figure 2 The microcomputer 37 shown in the example has the function of controlling the display panel 16, the water supply unit 11, and the drain valve 14. In addition, the microcomputer 37 has the functions of driving and controlling the motor 32 of the drive unit 8 via the motor drive circuit 31, switching the clutch mechanism 34 via the clutch drive circuit 33, controlling the power supply of the heater 17 by controlling the ON / OFF of the heater switch 35, controlling the strong / weak / off state, and controlling the fan 19 via the fan drive circuit 36.

[0038] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the display content of the display panel 16 in an overview form according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 The document describes, in conjunction with, the various selection buttons PB configured on the display panel 16 and the display content DP when a selection button is selected. For example, when the cleaning button is selected, the display content DP is displayed in a way that allows selection of time periods of 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 8 minutes, 12 minutes, and 20 minutes.

[0039] Figure 3 In the example shown in the diagram, the display panel 16 of this invention features a soaking+ button PB0 and a soaking+ display DP0 indicating when it is selected, which is a key feature of this invention. That is, instead of incorporating the means of performing soaking wash as a "soaking program" into the washing machine, it is incorporating a soaking function ("soaking+" button PB0) that can be set in various operating programs onto the washing machine's display panel 16.

[0040] in addition, Figure 3 On the display panel 16 shown in the example, in this invention, when the "Soak+" button PB0 is selected and an operating program is selected, the processing content of the operating program is different when it is selected and when it is not selected. Here, the operating program refers to the standard program C1, quick program C2, custom program C3, gentle program C4 selected using the wash button PB1, and the fashion clothing program C5, blanket program C6, low temperature drying program C7, and mite removal program C8 selected using the wash and dry button PB2.

[0041] Therefore, the program (table) including "soak wash" is stored in advance at the optimal position in the washing process of various operating programs such as standard program C1, quick program C2, custom program C3, and gentle program C4. When the "soak +" button is pressed, the soak wash can be performed at the optimal time without reducing the cleaning ability or damaging the clothes.

[0042] More specifically, when the "Soak+" button PB0 is pressed, the selected operating program has a different soaking time in the standard program C1 and other programs (quick program C2, custom program C3, gentle program C4, etc.).

[0043] The following examples illustrate the differences in the process when the "Soak+" button PB0 is not used versus when it is used. First, Figure 4 For standard procedure C1, an example is shown illustrating the difference in processing content before and after using the "Soak+" button PB0.

[0044] exist Figure 4 The upper part illustrates the process and time without using the "Soak +" button PB0. The middle and lower parts illustrate the process and time with the "Soak +" button PB0, in Modes A and B, respectively. In the example at the top without using the "Soak +" button PB0, the process is set to proceed in the following order: Water Supply → Cleaning 0 (High Concentration) → Water Supply → Cleaning 1 (Base Concentration) → Cleaning 2 (Base Concentration) → Cleaning 3 (Base Concentration) → Drainage, and is completed in time T1.

[0045] In contrast, in the examples of the middle and lower sections using the "Soak+" button PB0, the optimal position within the cleaning process includes "Soak Wash". Specifically, in the example of Mode A in the middle section, the soak wash in the standard procedure is set to process in the following order: water supply → cleaning 1 (high concentration) → soak (high concentration) → water supply → cleaning 2 (base concentration) → cleaning 3 (base concentration) → cleaning 4 (base concentration) → drainage, completing the process in time T2. If Mode A of the soak wash in the standard procedure is used, the cleaning ability can be further enhanced by soaking at a high concentration.

[0046] In the example of Mode B below, the soaking wash in standard procedure C1 is set to be processed in the following order: water supply → wash 1 (high concentration) → water supply → soaking (base concentration) → wash 2 (base concentration) → wash 3 (base concentration) → wash 4 (base concentration) → draining, and the process is completed in time T3. If Mode B of the soaking wash in the standard procedure is used, by soaking before the washing process, dirt floating from the clothes can be removed in the subsequent washing process.

[0047] Figure 5 For the fashion apparel program C5, an example illustrates the difference in processing content before and after using the "Soak+" button PB0. Figure 5 The upper part illustrates the process and time without using the "Soak +" button PB0, while the lower part illustrates the process and time with the "Soak +" button PB0. The upper example shows a process completed in the order of water supply → cleaning 1 (reference concentration) → cleaning 2 (reference concentration) → cleaning 3 (reference concentration) → drainage, finished in time T1. In the lower example using the "Soak +" button PB0, the optimal position within the cleaning process includes "Soak Wash".

[0048] In the example below, the process is set to proceed in the following order: water supply → wash 1 (high concentration) → wash 2 (base concentration) → soak (base concentration) → wash 3 (base concentration) → drain, and completed in time T2. In this case, by setting a soaking step in the latter half of the washing process, it is possible to soak clothes such as sweaters that are difficult to hold water in while they are immersed in the washing liquid.

[0049] Figure 6 For the gentle program C4, an example illustrates the difference in processing content before and after using the "Soak+" button PB0. Figure 6 The upper part illustrates the process and time without using the "Soak+" button PB0, while the lower part illustrates the process and time with the "Soak+" button PB0.

[0050] In the example above, the process is carried out in the order of water supply → cleaning 1 (base concentration) → cleaning 2 (base concentration) → cleaning 3 (base concentration) → drainage and completed in time T1. In the use case below, the optimal position in the cleaning process includes "soaking wash".

[0051] In the example below, the process is set to proceed in the following order: water supply → wash 1 (base concentration) → soak (base concentration) → wash 2 (base concentration) → wash 3 (base concentration) → drain, and completed in time T2. In this case, soaking at a high concentration in the first half of the wash (at the base concentration) is not used, thereby inhibiting fading and damage to the clothes and enhancing the cleaning effect.

[0052] Thus, according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, it is possible to set up soaking wash for multiple operating procedures including standard procedures, and perform soaking wash at appropriate times and for the processing content.

[0053] Example 2

[0054] Example 1 describes the structure of the washing machine and the soaking process of each operating program when using the "Soak+" button PB0. In contrast, Example 2 describes the method and means of implementing the soaking process.

[0055] To achieve this processing, Figure 2 The microcomputer 37 is composed of a ROM that pre-stores programs and various data, an arithmetic unit that performs arithmetic operations according to the program, and RAM that temporarily stores the data obtained from the operations. The ROM stores information about the processing flow of each of the various operating programs.

[0056] This process exists in several forms depending on the operating procedure, one of which is the process mode when the "Soak+" button PB0 is not used. Figure 4 , 5 The upper operating mode of 6), and the other is the process mode when the "Soak +" button PB0 is not used ( Figure 4 , 5 (The operating mode of the middle or lower part of 6). However, Figure 4 , 5 For ease of explanation, only the cleaning steps related to the soaking process in a series of cleaning, rinsing, and drying processes are shown in section 6, but the process mode for all processes is retained in the ROM.

[0057] The soaking process can be pre-set, and the factors that can be adjusted during its generation are determined by... Figure 4 , 5 As seen in examples 6, it refers to the content, sequence, and execution time of the process, or the concentration of the washing liquid. Figure 4(High concentration in the middle), thus the speed of the washing tub and the speed of the agitator can also be appropriately set to be variable. For example, when performing the soaking treatment in the washing of fashion clothing, the rinsing and final dehydration treatment after the washing treatment can be adjusted based on changes in the speed and time.

[0058] In addition, in this process mode, some of the steps from water supply to cleaning, rinsing and final dehydration can be omitted. Figure 7 This indicates an example where the entire process can be variably set in accordance with the soaking setting. For all processes from water supply to washing, rinsing, and final dehydration, the solid line represents the process where preparation is to be carried out without soaking, and the dotted line represents the process where a portion of the soaking process can be omitted.

[0059] In addition, the arithmetic unit within the microcomputer 37 reads a program from the ROM and performs arithmetic processing. The process at this time is as follows: Figure 8 As shown, in processing step S1, it is first determined whether the "Soak+" button PB0 has been selected. If not selected, in processing step S3, it is confirmed that the operating program has been selected, and in processing step S5, the process mode of the operating program when the "Soak+" button PB0 is not used is obtained. Figure 4 , 5 (The upper part of the 6th section operates in its own mode) and then enters actual operation.

[0060] Additionally, if the "Soak+" button PB0 is selected in processing step S1, and the selected operating program is confirmed in processing step S2, then the process mode when using the "Soak+" button PB0 is obtained in processing step S6. Figure 4 , 5 (The lower part of the 6th section of the operation mode) enters actual operation.

[0061] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0062] 16: Display panel

[0063] PB: Various selection buttons

[0064] DP: Display content.

Claims

1. A washing machine capable of selecting one operating program from multiple operating programs, characterized in that: The washing machine's display panel has a first button for selecting one of the multiple operating programs and a second button for selecting a soaking process to soak the laundry. Regarding the selected operating program, the washing process includes a soaking step when the second button is also selected. Furthermore, the processing content of the operating program differs depending on whether the second button is selected or not. The processing content of the operating procedure includes the omission of a portion of the process from the start of the washing machine's wash cycle to its end.

2. The washing machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The processing content of the operating procedure includes at least one of the following factors: the content, sequence, execution time of the process to be operated, or the concentration of the washing liquid, the rotation speed of the washing tub, or the rotation speed of the agitator.

3. The washing machine as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The plurality of operating procedures include at least a standard procedure including soaking and washing, and a fashion garment procedure including soaking and washing, wherein the standard procedure including soaking and washing is performed in the first half of the washing process, and the fashion garment procedure including soaking and washing is performed in the second half of the washing process.

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