Clothing treatment device and clothing treatment method

Abstract

To provide a clothing treatment device and a clothing treatment method, which allow a liquid agent sprayed on a treating object to efficiently adhere.SOLUTION: A clothing treatment device according to the disclosure comprises: a storage tub to store an object to be treated; a tank to store a liquid agent; a spray part to spray the liquid agent stored in the tank into the storage tub; and a control part to control operation of the spray part. The control part can execute a spray step to operate the spray part, and causes the spray part to spray a spray amount based on the weight of the object to be treated stored in the storage tub by reducing the spray amount so as to be smaller than the spray amount for the large weight of the object to be treated, when the weight of the object to be treated is small, in the spray step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a clothing treatment apparatus and a clothing treatment method for treating an object to be treated.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a drum-type washing and drying machine that supplies mist to laundry. This drum-type washing and drying machine includes a water tank, a rotating drum provided in the water tank, a circulation air path having a dehumidifying means and a heating means, a water reservoir container in the circulation air path, and a mist generating device that generates mist by applying ultrasonic vibration to the water stored in the water reservoir container.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a clothing treatment apparatus and a clothing treatment method capable of efficiently attaching a liquid agent sprayed onto an object to be treated.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A clothing treatment apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a storage tank that stores an object to be treated, a tank that stores a liquid agent, a spraying unit that sprays the liquid agent stored in the tank into the storage tank, and a control unit that controls the operation of the spraying unit. The control unit is capable of executing a spraying step of operating the spraying unit, and in the spraying step, a spraying amount based on the amount of the object to be treated stored in the storage tank is sprayed from the spraying unit, and the spraying amount when the amount of the object to be treated is small is made smaller than the spraying amount when the amount of the object to be treated is large.

[0006] A clothing processing method according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a spraying step in which a control unit controls a spraying unit to spray a liquid agent stored in a tank into a storage tank. In the spraying step, the control unit causes the spraying unit to spray a spraying amount based on the amount of the object to be processed stored in the storage tank, and makes the spraying amount when the amount of the object to be processed is small less than the spraying amount when the amount of the object to be processed is large.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a clothing processing apparatus and a clothing processing method capable of efficiently attaching a liquid agent sprayed onto an object to be processed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

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Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] (Knowledge etc. on which the present disclosure is based) When the inventors came up with the present disclosure, there was a technology that included a mist generating device that generated mist by applying ultrasonic vibration to the water stored in a water storage container and supplied the mist to dried laundry. From such a situation, the inventors obtained the idea of effectively treating an object to be treated such as clothing or the space inside a tank by spraying a liquid agent as mist onto the object to be treated or the tank space with a spraying unit that sprays the liquid agent as mist. However, the inventors discovered that there are further a plurality of problems when spraying the liquid agent with the spraying unit.

[0010] First, there is a problem of uniformly attaching mist regardless of the amount of the object to be treated when spraying the liquid agent with the spraying unit. Whether spraying mist into the drum with a single piece of clothing or spraying mist with a plurality of pieces of clothing, it is necessary to uniformly attach the mist in each case. Also, it is necessary to uniformly attach mist to large-sized clothing or heavy clothing.

[0011] Second, when the wrinkles on the clothing are deep, there is a problem that it is difficult to uniformly attach the mist to the clothing. In order to uniformly attach the mist to the clothing, it is necessary to stretch the wrinkles of the clothing.

[0012] The inventors discovered the above problems and arrived at constituting the subject matter of the present disclosure in order to solve those problems.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, detailed descriptions that are more detailed than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of matters that are already well known, or overlapping descriptions of substantially the same configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid making the following description overly redundant and to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art. Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims thereby.

[0014] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 18, a clothing treatment apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described. In Embodiment 1, as an example of the clothing treatment apparatus, a drum-type washing and drying machine 100 will be described.

[0015] [1-1. Overall Configuration] [1-1-1. Configuration of Washing and Drying Machine] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the configuration of the washing and drying machine 100 will be described. FIG. 1 is a front view of the washing and drying machine 100 in Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the main part of the washing and drying machine 100.

[0016] The washing and drying machine 100 includes a housing 100a, a water tank 101 that can store water and is provided in the housing 100a, a drum 102 that is rotatably provided in the water tank 101, a lid 120, and an operation display unit 125. The housing 100a includes a front plate 100b that constitutes the front side of the washing and drying machine 100 and a tank cover 100c provided on the upper surface of the housing 100a.

[0017] The drum 102 is provided in the housing 100a. The water tank 101 and the drum 102 are rotatably provided about a rotation axis Vo as a central axis. The rotation axis Vo may be provided so as to incline forward upward from the horizontal or may be provided so as to extend horizontally. A large number of water passage holes 102b that communicate with the water tank 101 in a water-permeable manner are provided on the peripheral wall of the drum 102.

[0018] The drum 102 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape having a drum opening 102a on the front side, and accommodates an object to be processed therein. Examples of the object to be processed accommodated in the drum 102 include clothing, shoes, bags, hats, fabrics, towels, and the like. Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, an example in which clothing is accommodated as an object to be processed in the drum 102 will be described.

[0019] A motor 105 is disposed at the bottom of the water tank 101. The motor 105 rotationally drives the drum 102.

[0020] The lid 120 is attached to the front plate 100b and covers the drum opening 102a in a freely openable and closable manner. The user opens the lid 120 and inserts the object to be processed into the drum 102 through the drum opening 102a. Further, the washing and drying machine 100 includes a lid lock portion (not shown). The lid lock portion can hold the lid 120 in a closed state.

[0021] In the housing 100a, a tank cover 101c that covers a part of the drum opening 102a is provided (shown in FIGS. 2, 6, and 7). The tank cover 101c covers the outer peripheral side of the drum opening 102a rather than the lid 120 in the front view of the washing and drying machine 100. Note that the tank cover 101c may be provided continuously with the front plate 100b or may be provided as a separate member.

[0022] On the inner wall of the drum 102, a baffle 103 is provided. The baffle 103 lifts the objects (clothes) accommodated in the drum 102 when the drum 102 rotates.

[0023] In the housing 100a, a water supply valve 161 for taking in water from the outside, a water supply path 162 for flowing the water taken in by the water supply valve 161 into the water tank 101, a drain valve 163 for draining the water in the water tank 101, and a drain path 164 for discharging the water to the outside when the drain valve 163 is opened are provided. Thereby, the washing and drying machine 100 can execute a washing operation including a washing process, a rinsing process, and a dehydration process.

[0024] On the front side of the water tank 101, a tank cover 101c that covers a part of the opening of the drum 102 is provided. The tank cover 101c may be provided on the water tank 101 or may be provided on the housing 100a. In the present embodiment, the nozzle unit 150 is provided on the tank cover 101c.

[0025] The washing and drying machine 100 has a fan 104 that pumps air, an air intake 106 provided at the upper part of the water tank 101, and an air outlet 107 provided at the back of the water tank 101. When the fan 104 rotates, the air in the water tank 101 is sucked in from the air intake 106, and the air sucked in by the fan 104 flows into the water tank 101 from the air outlet 107.

[0026] In the present embodiment, the air passage from the air intake 106 being sucked in by the fan 104 to the air flowing into the water tank 101 from the air outlet 107 is defined as the air supply passage 110. Note that since the fan 104 blows the air sucked in from inside the water tank 101 into the water tank 101 via the air supply passage 110, it can also be defined as the air supply unit. The fan 104 is provided inside the air supply passage 110. The air that has flowed into the water tank 101 from the air outlet 107 flows into the drum 102 through the ventilation holes provided at the back of the drum 102, and flows out from the water passage holes 102b provided on the peripheral wall of the drum 102 towards the water tank 101.

[0027] The washing and drying machine 100 includes a heat pump unit 111 as a heating unit inside the air supply passage 110. The heat pump unit 111 is a device that dehumidifies and heats the air inside the air supply passage 110.

[0028] The washing and drying machine 100 includes a control unit 131. The control unit 131 rotates the drum 102 through the motor 105, and also controls the operations of the fan 104, the heat pump unit 111, the water supply valve 161, the drain valve 163, the air pump 143, and the lid lock unit, etc. The control unit 131 is arranged at the lower part inside the housing 100a. The configuration of the control device 130 will be described later.

[0029] The operation display unit 125 is arranged at the upper front part of the housing 100a. The operation display unit 125 receives operation instructions from the user and can further display the operation status and the like of the washing and drying machine 100. The operation display unit 125 is, for example, a touch panel, a liquid crystal panel, or operation buttons, etc.

[0030] [1-1-2. Configuration of the liquid spraying device] Inside the housing 100a, a chemical liquid spraying device 140 for supplying mist into the drum 102 is provided. Hereinafter, the chemical liquid spraying device 140 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the main configuration of the chemical liquid spraying device 140. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the washing and drying machine 100 including the chemical liquid spraying device 140.

[0031] The chemical liquid spraying device 140 is provided outside the air supply path 110. The chemical liquid spraying device 140 includes a chemical liquid tank 141, a chemical liquid supply path 142, an air pump 143, an air supply path 144, and a nozzle unit 150 including a spray nozzle 154 (described later).

[0032] The chemical liquid tank 141 is provided to be able to store the chemical liquid. In this specification, the chemical liquid is a liquid used to add value to clothing and the like, different from water. The chemical liquid stored in the chemical liquid tank 141 is, for example, a wrinkle remover, a disinfectant, a deodorant, a fragrance, an insect repellent, a pre-washing agent, a water repellent, or a stain repellent. The chemical liquid tank 141 is provided at the inner lower part of the housing 100a. The user can change, refill, and replenish the liquid stored in the chemical liquid tank 141 by opening the tank cover 100c and taking out the chemical liquid tank 141 from inside the housing 100a. Note that the location where the tank cover 100c is provided is not limited to the lower front part of the housing 100a as long as the user can take out the chemical liquid tank 141, and it may be determined according to the location where the chemical liquid tank 141 is disposed.

[0033] The chemical liquid supply path 142 is a path for supplying the chemical liquid stored in the chemical liquid tank 141 to the spray nozzle 154. In other words, the chemical liquid supply path 142 is a path through which the liquid flowing into the spray nozzle 154 passes.

[0034] The air pump 143 supplies compressed air to the spray nozzle 154.

[0035] The air supply path 144 is connected to the air pump 143, and the air flowing into the spray nozzle 154 passes through the air supply path 144.

[0036] In addition, in this embodiment, although the liquid supply path 142 and the air supply path 144 are formed of rubber tubes, they may be formed of polyvinyl chloride or the like, and the materials and forms for forming the liquid supply path 142 and the air supply path 144 are not limited to this.

[0037] [1-1-3. Configuration of the nozzle unit] The configuration of the nozzle unit 150 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the nozzle unit 150. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken from the front looking at the middle part of the washing and drying machine 100 in the front-rear direction. FIG. 7 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 6. The nozzle unit 150 includes a base portion 151, a nozzle portion 152, and a nozzle cover 155.

[0038] The base portion 151 is a member for attaching the nozzle unit 150 to the tank cover 101c, and is detachably provided on the tank cover 101c. The base portion 151 is fixed to the tank cover 101c by, for example, screwing. In this embodiment, the base portion 151 is screwed to the inner back surface of the tank cover 101c from the inside of the tank cover 101c.

[0039] The nozzle portion 152 includes a nozzle attachment portion 153 and a spray nozzle 154. The nozzle portion 152 is fixed by screwing to the installation surface 151a of the base portion 151 in a state where the spray nozzle 154 is attached to the nozzle attachment portion 153. Note that the nozzle attachment portion 153 is detachably provided with respect to the installation surface 151a of the base portion 151. That is, the nozzle portion 152 is detachably provided with respect to the base portion 151.

[0040] The nozzle attachment portion 153 connects between the air supply path 144 and the air-side connection portion 154a (described later) of the spray nozzle 154. Note that an O-ring for suppressing air leakage may be provided at the connection portion between the air supply path 144 and the nozzle attachment portion 153.

[0041] The spray nozzle 154 is a two-fluid nozzle that sprays a liquid using compressed air. The spray nozzle 154 includes an air-side connection portion 154a, a liquid-side connection portion 154b, and a spray port 154c. The air-side connection portion 154a is connected to the nozzle mounting portion 153 and allows the air that has passed through the air supply passage 144 to flow into the spray nozzle 154. The liquid-side connection portion 154b is connected to the liquid agent supply passage 142 and allows the liquid that has passed through the liquid agent supply passage 142 to flow into the spray nozzle 154. The spray port 154c sprays the liquid contained in the liquid agent tank 141 that has flowed in from the liquid-side connection portion 154b using the compressed air that has flowed in from the air-side connection portion 154a.

[0042] The air-side connection portion 154a and the spray port 154c are provided substantially in a straight line, and the air-side connection portion 154a and the liquid-side connection portion 154b are provided substantially orthogonally. An O-ring may be provided at the connection portion between the air-side connection portion 154a and the nozzle mounting portion 153 to suppress air leakage. Also, an O-ring may be provided at the connection portion between the liquid-side connection portion 154b and the liquid agent supply passage 142 to suppress liquid leakage.

[0043] The nozzle portion 152 is sandwiched between the base portion 151 and the nozzle cover 155 in a state where the spray nozzle 154 is attached to the nozzle mounting portion 153, and is fixed to the base portion 151 by being screwed to the nozzle cover 155 through the screw hole provided in the nozzle mounting portion 153 from the screw hole provided in the installation surface 151a. In other words, the nozzle cover 155 fixes the nozzle portion 152 to the base portion 151.

[0044] The base part 151 having the installation surface 151a is detachably provided with respect to the tank cover 101c. As a result, as the base part 151, by replacing the base part 151 having a different angle at which the installation surface 151a is provided with respect to the tank cover 101c, the installation angle of the nozzle part 152 can be changed. Therefore, since the angle of the spray port 154c can be changed, the angle of the mist sprayed from the spray nozzle 154 can be changed according to the type of liquid stored in the liquid tank 141 and the usage of the liquid spraying device 140.

[0045] The nozzle mounting part 153 has an air supply path 144 connected in a substantially vertical direction and is connected to the air-side connection part 154a of the spray nozzle 154 in a substantially horizontal direction. That is, the nozzle mounting part 153 has a bending structure 153a that bends the path inside the nozzle mounting part 153 at a substantially right angle. In other words, the bending structure 153a bends the path through which the air flowing into the spray nozzle 154 passes.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the spray nozzle 154 is provided at the upper left part (front view) of the tank cover 101c. That is, the spray nozzle 154 is provided at the upper front part of the drum 102. The spray nozzle 154 sprays mist toward the diagonal direction of the drum 102, that is, the lower right part (front view) of the inner rear part of the drum 102. Since the mist sprayed from the spray nozzle 154 falls downward according to gravity, by being provided at the upper front part of the drum 102, it is possible to suppress the local adhesion of the mist to the clothes stored in the drum 102 and to adhere the mist over a wide range. Also, when the average particle size of the mist sprayed from the spray nozzle 154 is small, the mist can float inside the drum 102 without falling immediately after spraying. By rotating the clothes while the mist is floating inside the drum 102, the mist can be adhered to the clothes more uniformly.

[0047] [1-1-4. Configuration of the control unit] The configuration of the control unit 131 will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the control unit 131.

[0048] The control unit 131 can be implemented by a circuit including semiconductor elements or the like. The control unit 131 can be composed of, for example, a microcomputer, CPU, MPU, GPU, DSP, FPGA, or ASIC. The functions of the control unit 131 may be constituted by hardware only, or may be realized by combining hardware and software. The control unit 131 has a storage unit such as a hard disk drive (HDD), SSD, or memory, and realizes a predetermined function by reading data and programs stored in the storage unit and performing various arithmetic processes.

[0049] The control unit 131 receives an instruction input from the user through the operation display unit 125. The control unit 131 controls the operations of the aforementioned respective devices according to the instruction such as the driving course received. Further, the control unit 131 notifies the user of the operation status of the washing and drying machine 100 through the operation display unit 125 or the buzzer 133.

[0050] When the washing and drying machine 100 is provided with a communication unit capable of communicating with an external terminal, the control unit 131 may be able to receive an instruction input from the user through the external terminal via the communication unit. Further, the control unit 131 may be able to notify the user of the operation status of the washing and drying machine 100 to the external terminal through the communication unit.

[0051] [1-2. Operations, etc.] Regarding the washing and drying machine 100 configured as described above, its operation and function will be described below.

[0052] [1-2-1. Operations in the mist supply process] The control unit 131 can execute a mist supply process of controlling the air pump 143 to operate the liquid agent spraying device 140. The mist supply process is a course of operating the liquid agent spraying device 140 with clothes accommodated in the drum 102. Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, the control and operation in the mist supply process will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart in the mist supply process.

[0053] The mist supply process includes a spray course selection step (S1) of selecting a spray course according to the amount of the object to be treated (clothes) to which the liquid agent is sprayed, a spraying step (S2) of operating the liquid agent spraying device 140, and a blowing step (S3) of operating the fan 104.

[0054] When the control unit 131 receives an instruction to start the mist supply process with the clothes accommodated in the drum 102, the mist supply process starts. When the mist supply process starts, the control unit 131 operates the lid lock unit to hold the lid body 120 in the closed state and receives the spray course selected by the user via the operation display unit 125. The control unit 131 executes a spraying step corresponding to the received spray course (S2). The spraying step of step S2 will be described later.

[0055] When the spraying step S2 ends, the control unit 131 executes the blowing step S3. In the blowing step S3, the control unit 131 controls the motor 105 to rotate the drum 102 and operates the fan 104 to blow air toward the clothes in the drum 102. Thereby, the clothes on which the liquid agent is sprayed in the spraying step S2 can be dried.

[0056] When the control unit 131 operates the fan 104 for a predetermined time, it stops the operations of the fan 104 and the motor 105 to end the blowing step S3. When the control unit 131 ends the blowing step S3, it releases the lock of the lid body 120 by the lid lock unit, and the mist supply process ends.

[0057] [1-2-2. Operations in the Spraying Step] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, the operation in the spraying step S2 of the mist supply process will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the spraying course selection step S1 of the mist supply process. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the operations of the liquid agent spraying device 140 (air pump 143), the drum 102 (motor 105), and the fan 104 as a first example of the spraying process in the spraying step S2. In the following description, the ON and OFF of the liquid agent spraying device 140 are respectively synonymous with the ON and OFF of the air pump 143. Also, the ON and OFF of the drum 102 are respectively synonymous with the ON and OFF of the motor 105.

[0058] When the spraying course selection step S1 in FIG. 9 is executed, the control unit 131 waits for a signal indicating whether the object to be processed (clothes) is single or plural to be input from the operation display unit 125 (S11). When the user inputs to the operation display unit 125 that the object to be processed (clothes) is single, a signal to that effect is input to the control unit 131. When the control unit 131 receives a signal indicating that the object to be processed is single (Yes in step S11), it then waits for an input indicating whether the object to be processed is a delicate material (S12). When the user inputs to the operation display unit 125 that the object to be processed (clothes) is not a delicate material, a signal to that effect is input to the control unit 131. When the control unit 131 receives a signal indicating that the object to be processed is not a delicate material (No in step S12), it determines course A1 as the spraying course.

[0059] In step S12, when the user inputs to the operation display unit 125 that the object to be processed (clothes) is a delicate material, a signal to that effect is input to the control unit 131. When the control unit 131 receives a signal indicating that the object to be processed is a delicate material (Yes in step S12), it determines course A2 as the spraying course.

[0060] In step S11, when the user inputs to the operation display unit 125 that there are a plurality of objects to be processed (clothes), a signal to that effect is input to the control unit 131. When the control unit 131 receives a signal indicating that there are a plurality of objects to be processed (No in step S11), it determines course B as the spraying course.

[0061] The control unit 131 performs the spraying process in the spraying step of FIG. 9 according to each determined spraying course. Note that the setting of each spraying course is not limited to the sequence shown in FIG. 10. For example, the user may be allowed to input all at once to the operation display unit 125 which spraying course to operate. As a first example of the spraying process, the operation of course A1 in the spraying step will be described with reference to FIG. 11. In the first example, the clothes to be processed are, for example, a single cotton shirt.

[0062] In the spraying process of step S2, the control unit 131 drives (turns on) the liquid agent spraying device 140 and executes a spraying operation to spray the liquid agent in the liquid agent tank 141 toward the clothes in the drum 102.

[0063] In course A1, the control unit 131 rotates the motor 105 and the drum 102 forward for a predetermined time, for example, 10 seconds, and then stops the driving of the motor 105 for a predetermined time, for example, 1 second. Next, the control unit 131 reverses the motor 105 and the drum 102 at the first rotation speed for a predetermined time, for example, 10 seconds. Next, the control unit 131 stops the driving of the motor 105 for a predetermined time, for example, 1 second. Thereafter, again, the control unit 131 rotates the motor 105 and the drum 102 forward for a predetermined time, for example, 10 seconds. In this way, the control unit 131 executes a tumbling operation in which the motor 105 and the drum 102 are rotated forward and backward alternately. Thereby, it becomes easier for the mist sprayed by the liquid agent spraying device 140 to uniformly adhere to the clothes in the drum 102.

[0064] While the control unit 131 is switching the drum 102 between forward and reverse rotations, that is, while the drive of the motor 105 is OFF, the rotational speed of the drum 102 is substantially 0. At this time, the operation of the liquid spraying device 140 is stopped (turned OFF). Also, in the spraying process of step S2, the control unit 131 may intermittently drive the liquid spraying device 140.

[0065] In course A1, the control unit 131 rotates the motor 105 forward and rotates the drum 102 forward at the first rotational speed when performing a spraying process on a single piece of clothing. The first rotational speed is, for example, 54 rpm and is greater than the second rotational speed which is the rotational speed of the drum 102 when performing a spraying process on multiple pieces of clothing.

[0066] In the spraying step, by moving the exposed surface of the clothing so as to be replaced, mist can be uniformly adhered to the clothing. As shown in FIG. 12, when a single piece of clothing CL1 rotates in the drum 102, by hitting the clothing CL1 against the baffle 103 provided on the drum 102, the baffle 103 can lift the clothing CL1 and float it in the drum 102. When the rotational speed of the drum 102 is high, it is possible to suppress the clothing CL1 from sliding on the baffle 103 and at the same time, the clothing CL1 can be lifted high. Furthermore, the frequency at which the clothing CL1 hits the baffle 103 can be increased, and the replacement of the exposed surface of the clothing CL1 can be more promoted. Thereby, the liquid agent can be uniformly adhered to the clothing CL1.

[0067] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13, when a plurality of pieces of clothing CL1 are put into the drum 102 and rotate, the clothing moves under the influence of the baffle 103 or other clothing CL1. Therefore, when the rotational speed of the drum 102 is high, excessive interference occurs between the clothing CL1, and the clothing CL1 gets entangled with each other, so that the uniformity of the adhesion of the liquid agent to each piece of clothing CL1 decreases. Therefore, when a plurality of pieces of clothing CL1 are in the drum 102, it is desirable to lower the rotational speed of the drum 102.

[0068] In addition, the second rotation speed, which is the rotation speed of the drum 102 when spraying a plurality of pieces of clothing, may be greater than the first rotation speed when spraying a single piece of clothing. In this case, by quickly replacing the clothing in the drum 102, the liquid agent can be uniformly adhered to the clothing.

[0069] Also, in the spraying process of step S2, the control unit 131 always stops the fan 104. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the mist supplied into the drum 102 by the liquid agent spraying device 140 from being disturbed by the wind generated by the fan 104 and adhering to the inner wall of the drum 102, and also to suppress the evaporation of the mist in the drum 102. In addition, it is possible to suppress the mist from riding on the wind generated by the fan 104 and entering the air supply path 110 and adhering to the heat pump unit 111 or the like.

[0070] Next, as a second example of the spraying process, the operation of course A2 in the spraying step will be described with reference to FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing the operations of the liquid agent spraying device 140 (air pump 143), the drum 102 (motor 105), and the fan 104 in course A2 in the spraying step. In the second example, the clothing to be processed is, for example, a single silk shirt.

[0071] The clothing to be spray-treated in course A2 is more delicate than the clothing to be spray-treated in course A1. The delicate clothing referred to here is made of a material that is vulnerable to water and is not easily wetted with mist as much as possible, or is easily damaged clothing.

[0072] In Course A2, when the control unit 131 rotates the motor 105 and the drum 102 forward at a second rotational speed greater than the first rotational speed, for example, for 1 second, the driving of the motor 105 is stopped for, for example, 0.5 seconds. The second rotational speed is, for example, 75 rpm. Next, when the control unit 131 rotates the motor 105 and the drum 102 backward at the second rotational speed, for example, for 1 second, the driving of the motor 105 is stopped for, for example, 0.5 seconds. Then, again, the control unit 131 rotates the motor 105 and the drum 102 forward for, for example, 1 second. In this way, the control unit 131 executes a tumbling operation in which the motor 105 and the drum 102 alternately rotate forward and backward.

[0073] Unlike Course A1, in Course A2, the control unit 131 drives (turns ON) the liquid agent spraying device 140 even while switching the drum 102 between forward and reverse rotations.

[0074] Next, as a third example of the spraying process, the operation of Course B in the spraying step S2 will be described with reference to FIG. 15. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing the operations of the liquid agent spraying device 140 (air pump 143), the drum 102 (motor 105), and the fan 104 in Course B in the spraying step S2. Course B performs a spraying process on a plurality of pieces of clothing.

[0075] In Course B, when the control unit 131 rotates the motor 105 and the drum 102 forward at a third rotational speed smaller than the first rotational speed, for example, for 20 seconds, the driving of the motor 105 is stopped for, for example, 1 second. The third rotational speed is, for example, 45 rpm. Next, when the control unit 131 rotates the motor 105 and the drum 102 backward at the third rotational speed, for example, for 20 seconds, the driving of the motor 105 is stopped for, for example, 1 second. Then, again, the control unit 131 rotates the motor 105 and the drum 102 forward for, for example, 20 seconds. In this way, the control unit 131 executes a tumbling operation in which the motor 105 and the drum 102 alternately rotate forward and backward.

[0076] When comparing Course A1 and A2 for processing a single piece of clothing with Course B for processing multiple pieces of clothing, the rotation time for forward rotation in Courses A1 and A2 is shorter than the rotation time for forward rotation in Course B. When performing mist treatment on only one piece of clothing, the movement of the clothing is caused only by the baffle 103. Therefore, if the drum 102 continues to rotate in the same direction, as shown in FIG. 16, the clothing CL1 begins to take a shape suitable for rotation, gradually rounds up, and it becomes difficult for the exposed surface of the clothing CL1 to be replaced. When the number of pieces of clothing CL1 in the drum 102 is one, by shortening the forward rotation time (rotation ON time) of the motor 105 and the drum 102 compared to when there are multiple pieces of clothing CL1 in the drum 102, the replacement of the exposed surface of the clothing can be sufficiently performed, and mist can be uniformly adhered to the clothing CL1. Note that the reverse rotation time (rotation ON time) is also shorter when the number of pieces of clothing CL1 is one than when there are multiple pieces.

[0077] Note that the rotation time for forward rotation in Course B may be shorter than the rotation time for forward rotation in Courses A1 and A2. When the number of pieces of clothing CL1 in the drum 102 is multiple, the forward rotation time (rotation ON time) of the motor 105 and the drum 102 is shortened compared to when the number of pieces of clothing CL1 in the drum 102 is one. By increasing the time for rotating the drum 102, the stop time of the drum 102 can be shortened and the processing time can be reduced.

[0078] Also, in the tumbling operation executed in the spraying step S2, the rotation OFF time of the motor 105 in Course A2 is shorter than the rotation OFF time of the motor 105 in Course B. When the number of pieces of clothing is one, by shortening the rotation OFF time between forward and reverse rotations compared to when there are multiple pieces, even if the clothing falls onto the circumferential surface of the drum 102 during the rotation OFF time, the baffle 103 can immediately lift the clothing. When the rotation OFF time is set to exactly the appropriate time, the clothing can be held in a floating state, and mist can be uniformly adhered to the clothing.

[0079] Also, in the tumbling operation executed in the spraying step S2, the ratio of the rotation OFF time to the rotation ON time of the motor 105 in course B is larger than the ratio of the rotation OFF time to the rotation ON time of the motor 105 in courses A1 and A2. Thereby, even when there are multiple pieces of clothing, the lifted clothing can be dropped onto the drum 102. Thereby, entanglement of the clothing during the tumbling operation can be prevented.

[0080] Note that, in the tumbling operation executed in the spraying step S2, the ratio of the rotation OFF time to the rotation ON time of the motor 105 in course B may be smaller than the ratio of the rotation OFF time to the rotation ON time of the motor 105 in courses A1 and A2. Since the number of times of left - right reversal of the drum 102 can be increased, the state in which the clothing is floating in the drum 102 can be continued, and the liquid agent can be uniformly adhered to the clothing.

[0081] Also, in the spraying step S2, the amount of rotation per forward and reverse rotation of the drum 102 in course B is larger than the amount of rotation per forward and reverse rotation of the drum 102 in courses A1 and A2. The amount of rotation of the drum 102 per rotation is the angle by which the drum 102 rotates per rotation, and is the product of the time and the rotation speed for each of the forward and reverse rotations. By increasing the rotation angle when a plurality of pieces of clothing are put into the drum 102, the clothing can be easily lifted from the drum 102, and the tumbling state of the clothing can be made into a steady state. Therefore, the replacement of the clothing can be promoted.

[0082] Note that, in the spraying step S2, the amount of rotation per forward and reverse rotation of the drum 102 in course B may be smaller than the amount of rotation per forward and reverse rotation of the drum 102 in courses A1 and A2. When a single piece of clothing is put into the drum 102, by increasing the rotation angle and continuously rotating the drum 102 in a certain direction, the time of the spraying step S2 can be shortened.

[0083] Also, in the air blowing step S3, the rotation speed of the fan 104 in courses A1 and A2 is lower than the rotation speed of the fan 104 in course B. For example, the rotation speed of the fan 104 in the air blowing step S3 in courses A1 and A2 is 3,000 rpm, while the rotation speed of the fan 104 in course B is 5,000 rpm. If the rotation speed of the fan 104 in the air blowing step S3 in courses A1 and A2 is increased to the same rotation speed as that in course B, as shown in FIG. 17, the clothing CL1 will stick inside the drum 102. Therefore, in the air blowing step S3, by setting the rotation speed of the fan 104 in courses A1 and A2 to be lower than the rotation speed of the fan 104 in course B, it is possible to prevent the clothing CL1 from sticking inside the drum 102. Thus, the generation of wrinkles in the clothing CL1 can be prevented.

[0084] Note that in the air blowing step S3, the rotation speed of the fan 104 in courses A1 and A2 may be higher than the rotation speed of the fan 104 in course B. Thereby, the clothing inside the drum 102 can be attached to the inner wall on the front side or the rear side of the drum 102, and the liquid agent can be uniformly attached to the spread clothing.

[0085] Also, in the spraying step S2, the control unit 131 does not drive the fan 104 in the cases of courses A1 and A2, and drives the fan 104 in the case of course B. By driving the fan 104, as shown in FIG. 18, in addition to the circumferential force of the drum 102 due to the rotation of the drum 102 on the clothing CL1, a force in the rotational axis direction is applied due to the air from the fan 104 flowing into the drum 102 from the back side of the water tank. Therefore, a force can also be applied to the clothing CL1 in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the drum 102. As a result, the clothing inside the drum 102 is replaced while having an oblique vector. Thereby, the replacement of the exposed surface of the clothing is promoted, and the mist can be uniformly attached. Note that in the present embodiment, the air blowing by the fan 104 blows out from the rear to the front of the drum 102 (see FIG. 2), but it may also blow out from the front to the rear of the drum 102.

[0086] In course B, the rotation speed of the fan 104 in the spraying step S2 is lower than the rotation speed of the fan 104 in the air blowing step S3. By sending a weaker wind from the fan 104 in the spraying step S2 than in the air blowing step S3, while promoting the replacement of clothes, it is possible to suppress the accumulation of the agent sprayed by the air blowing.

[0087] In addition, in course B, the rotation speed of the fan 104 in the spraying step S2 may be higher than the rotation speed of the fan 104 in the air blowing step S3. Thereby, the clothes in the drum 102 can be attached to the inner wall on the front side or the rear side of the drum 102, and the agent can be uniformly adhered to the spread clothes.

[0088] In addition, the control unit 131 sets the operation time of the fan 104 in the air blowing step S3 to be the same in courses A1, A2, and course B. Since the control unit 131 increases the spraying time of the agent as the quantity of clothes increases, while the adhesion amount of the agent per piece of clothing is substantially the same, the air blowing time is made substantially the same in courses A1, A2, and course B. Thereby, over-drying of the clothes can be suppressed.

[0089] In addition, the control unit 131 also executes the tumbling operation of the drum 102 in the air blowing step S3, and the rotation ON time and rotation OFF time of the motor 105 in the tumbling operation executed in the spraying step S2 are shorter than the rotation ON time and rotation OFF time of the motor 105 in the tumbling operation executed in the air blowing step, respectively. In order to uniformly adhere the mist-like agent to the clothes in the spraying step S2, it is necessary to frequently replace the exposed surface of the clothes with respect to the air blowing step S3. By making the rotation ON time and rotation OFF time of the motor 105 in the spraying step S2 shorter than those in the air blowing step S3, respectively, the tumbling operation in the spraying step S2 can be frequently performed, so that the replacement of the exposed surface of the clothes can be promoted. Therefore, local adhesion of mist to the clothes can be suppressed.

[0090] [Effect] According to the washing and drying machine 100 according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be achieved. (Effect 1)

[0091] As described above, the washing and drying machine 100 of the present embodiment includes a drum 102, a chemical liquid tank 141 for storing a chemical liquid, a chemical liquid spraying device 140 for spraying the chemical liquid onto the drum 102, and a control unit 131 for controlling the operation of the chemical liquid spraying device 140. The chemical liquid spraying device 140 can spray the chemical liquid stored in the chemical liquid tank 141. The control unit 131 can execute a spraying step S2 of operating the chemical liquid spraying device 140. In the spraying step S2, the chemical liquid spraying device 140 is operated for a spraying time based on the amount of clothes accommodated in the drum 102, and the spraying time when the amount of clothes is small is set shorter than the spraying time when the amount of clothes is large.

[0092] Thereby, when the amount of clothes is small, it is possible to prevent the chemical liquid from adhering to the clothes excessively. Also, when the amount of clothes is large, a sufficient amount of the chemical liquid can be sprayed to exhibit the effect of the chemical liquid. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time until the clothes dry and effectively adhere the chemical liquid.

[0093] Also, the chemical liquid spraying device 140, the control unit 131, in the spraying step S2, operates the chemical liquid spraying device 140 for a spraying time based on the amount of clothes accommodated in the drum 102, and sets the spraying time when the amount of clothes is small shorter than the spraying time when the amount of clothes is large. Here, the spraying time is the operation time of the air pump 143.

[0094] By making the spraying amount of the chemical liquid per unit time from the chemical liquid spraying device 140 constant, the control unit 131 can control the spraying amount of the chemical liquid onto the clothes by the spraying time, so that the accuracy of the spraying amount of the chemical liquid can be improved.

[0095] The washing and drying machine 100 further includes a motor 105 that rotates the drum 102, and the control unit 131 controls the rotation of the drum 102 by controlling the drive of the motor 105. The control unit 131 controls the motor 105 in the spraying step S2 differently between a first state where the amount of clothing in the drum 102 is singular and a second state where the amount of clothing in the drum 102 is plural.

[0096] Thereby, an appropriate spraying process of the liquid agent can be executed according to the quantity of the clothing accommodated in the drum 102.

[0097] Further, the control unit 131 can execute courses A1 and A2 for the state where the clothing is singular and course B for the state where the clothing is plural, and can receive an operation instruction for course A1, A2, or course B from the user.

[0098] Thereby, when the course for the spraying process is selected by the user, the spraying amount of the liquid agent and the amount of air sent to the clothing can be changed according to the amount of clothing. Therefore, the texture of the clothing can be improved. Here, the texture of the clothing is, for example, the smell and appearance. When using a fragrant liquid agent, it is possible to prevent the smell from being too strong when there is little clothing and the smell from being too weak when there is a lot of clothing, so that the clothing can be fragranced with an appropriate strength. Also, it is possible to suppress the formation of new wrinkles by sticking to the lid 120 when there is little clothing and the reduction of the wrinkle stretching effect by the wind when there is a lot of clothing, and the wrinkles of the clothing can be stretched. In addition, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of over-drying when there is little clothing and insufficient drying when there is a lot of clothing, so that the clothing can be dried to an appropriate degree. Also, when there is little clothing, by reducing the spraying amount of the liquid agent, it is possible to suppress the user from inhaling the sprayed liquid agent or adhering to the user's skin.

[0099] Note that the control unit 131 can execute a detection step capable of detecting the amount of clothing in the drum 102, and the control unit 131 may execute course A1, A2, or course B based on the result of the detection step.

[0100] Hereinafter, a first modification example of the washing and drying machine 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 to 21. FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the flow of the spray course selection step S1 in the mist supply process in the first modification example of the first embodiment. FIGS. 20 and 21 are explanatory diagrams showing the operations of the liquid agent spray devices 140 (air pumps 143), the drum 102 (motor 105), and the fan 104 in the spray courses C1 and C2, respectively.

[0101] While the spray treatment of the washing and drying machine 100 in the first embodiment differs according to the quantity of the clothing, the spray treatment of the washing and drying machine in the first modification example also differs according to the weight. Regarding the configurations other than this point and the points described below, since the washing and drying machine 100 in the first embodiment and the washing and drying machine in the first modification example are common, detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0102] Similar to the first embodiment, when the spray course selection step S1 in FIG. 9 is executed, the spray course selection step shown in FIG. 19 starts. Similar to the first embodiment, in step S11, when the control unit 131 receives a signal indicating that the object to be processed is singular (Yes in step S11), next, it waits for an input indicating whether the object to be processed is heavy (S21). When the user inputs to the operation display unit 125 that the object to be processed (clothing) is not heavy, a signal to that effect is input to the control unit 131. When the control unit 131 receives a signal indicating that the object to be processed is not heavy (No in step S21), it executes step S12.

[0103] In step S21, when the user inputs to the operation display unit 125 that the object to be processed (clothing) is heavy, a signal to that effect is input to the control unit 131. When the control unit 131 receives a signal indicating that the object to be processed is heavy (Yes in step S21), it then waits for an input indicating whether the object to be processed is large or thick (S22). In step S22, when the user inputs to the operation display unit 125 that the object to be processed (clothing) is large, a signal to that effect is input to the control unit 131. When the control unit 131 receives a signal indicating that the object to be processed is large, it determines course C1 as the spraying course.

[0104] In step S22, when the user inputs to the operation display unit 125 that the object to be processed (clothing) is thick, a signal to that effect is input to the control unit 131. When the control unit 131 receives a signal indicating that the object to be processed is thick, it determines course C2 as the spraying course.

[0105] The control unit 131 performs the spraying process in the spraying step S2 of FIG. 9 according to each determined spraying course. Referring to FIG. 20 as a fourth example of the spraying process, the operation of course C1 in the spraying step S2 will be described. In the fourth example, the clothing to be processed is, for example, a single large piece of clothing such as a coat.

[0106] In course C1, the control unit 131 rotates the motor 105 and the drum 102 forward at the fourth rotational speed for a predetermined time, for example, 30 seconds, then stops the drive of the motor 105 for a predetermined time, for example, 1 second. Next, the control unit 131 rotates the motor 105 and the drum 102 backward at the fourth rotational speed for a predetermined time, for example, 30 seconds. Next, the control unit 131 stops the drive of the motor 105 for a predetermined time, for example, 1 second. Thereafter, again, the control unit 131 rotates the motor 105 and the drum 102 forward for a predetermined time, for example, 30 seconds.

[0107] In the spraying step S2, the fourth rotation speed at which the drum 102 rotates in the course C1 is lower than the first and second rotation speeds of the drum 102 in the courses A1 and A2. The fourth rotation speed is, for example, 30 rpm, and is higher than the first rotation speed which is the rotation speed of the drum 102 when performing a spraying process on a single normal-sized piece of clothing.

[0108] In the case of a normal-sized shirt, the baffle 103 can lift the clothing. However, in the case of large-sized clothing, even if it rotates at a high speed, it is difficult to lift the clothing by the baffle 103. As shown in Fig. 22(a), the large-sized clothing CL2 that was spread out at the beginning of the rotation of the drum 102, when rotated at the same rotation speed as in the courses A1 and A2, due to its large size, as shown in Fig. 22(b), the clothing CL2 is likely to curl up into a dumpling shape due to the rotation of the drum 102 and its own weight. Therefore, by rotating the motor 105 and the drum 102 at a lower speed in the course C1 than in the courses A1 and A2, the clothing CL2 can be rotated, for example, in a folded state as shown in Fig. 22(c), and while suppressing the curling of the clothing, the exposed surface of the clothing can be changed. Therefore, the mist-like liquid agent can be continuously adhered to different surfaces of the clothing CL2, and the uneven adhesion can be reduced.

[0109] Also, in the spraying step S2, when it is the courses A1 and A2, the control unit 131 operates the liquid agent spraying device 140 with the drum 102 rotating, but when it is the course C1, the control unit 131 operates the liquid agent spraying device 140 with the rotation of the drum 102 stopped, and starts the rotation of the drum 102 after a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0110] As shown in Fig. 23(a), in the spraying step S2, before the clothing CL2 is put into the drum 102 and the first forward rotation of the drum 102 starts, the control unit 131 operates the liquid agent spraying device 140 with the drum 102 stopped, and sprays the mist-like liquid agent on the clothing CL2 for a predetermined time. Thereby, even when the size of the clothing is large, the liquid agent can be intensively sprayed on the exposed part of the clothing, so that the liquid agent can be uniformly adhered to the clothing.

[0111] Next, as a fifth example of the spraying process, the operation of course C1 in the spraying step S2 will be described with reference to FIG. 20. In the fifth example, the clothing to be processed is, for example, a single thick piece of clothing such as a down coat.

[0112] In course C2, when the control unit 131 rotates the motor 105 and the drum 102 forward at the fifth rotational speed for a predetermined time, for example, 1 minute, the driving of the motor 105 is stopped for a predetermined time, for example, 10 seconds. Next, the control unit 131 reverses the motor 105 and the drum 102 at the fifth rotational speed for a predetermined time, for example, 30 seconds. Next, the control unit 131 stops the driving of the motor 105 for a predetermined time, for example, 10 seconds. Then, again, the control unit 131 rotates the motor 105 and the drum 102 forward for a predetermined time, for example, 1 minute.

[0113] In the spraying step S2, the control unit 131 makes the rotational speed of the drum 102 in the case of course C2 higher than the rotational speeds of the drum 102 in the cases of courses A1 and A2. As shown in FIG. 23(a), even the clothing CL3 that is inflated at the time of loading can be spread by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the drum 102 by rotating it at a high rotational speed, as shown in FIG. 23(b). Thereby, the liquid agent can be sprayed over the entire clothing CL3.

[0114] Also, as shown in FIG. 24(a), when the clothing CL3 having batting is accommodated in the drum 102, the control unit 131 makes the rotational speed higher than the rotational speeds of the drum 102 in the cases of courses A1 and A2. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 24(b), the mist-like liquid agent sprayed can penetrate further into the clothing CL3 by the generated centrifugal force. Therefore, the entire clothing CL3 can be treated with the liquid agent.

[0115] In addition, when the clothing CL3 having batting is accommodated in the drum 102, the control unit 131 may set the rotation speed to be lower than the rotation speed of the drum 102 in the cases of courses A1 and A2. Thereby, by suppressing the rubbing of the clothing in the drum 102, it is possible to suppress the clothing from being torn in the drum 102.

[0116] (Effect 2) According to the washing and drying machine 100 of Modification 1 of Embodiment 1, the control unit 131 controls the motor 105 in the spraying step S2 differently between the cases of courses A1 and A2 where the weight of the clothing CL1 in the drum 102 is the first weight and the cases of courses C1 and C2 where the weights of the clothing CL2 and 3 in the drum 102 are the second weight, which is heavier than the first weight.

[0117] Thereby, the spraying process can be appropriately executed according to the weight of the clothing (object to be processed) accommodated in the drum 102.

[0118] Further, according to the washing and drying machine 100 of Modification 1 of Embodiment 1, the control unit 131 can execute courses A1 and A2 for the state where the weight of the clothing is light and courses C1 and C2 for the state where the weight of the clothing is heavy, respectively, and can receive an operation instruction for course A1 or A2 or course C1 or C2 from the user.

[0119] Thereby, when the course for the spraying process is selected by the user, the spraying amount of the liquid agent and the rotation speed of the drum 102 can be changed according to the weight of the clothing. Therefore, the texture of the clothing can be improved.

[0120] Note that the control unit 131 can execute courses A1 and A2 for a state where the weight of the clothing is light, and courses C1 and C2 for a state where the weight of the clothing is heavy, and the control unit 131 may be able to execute a detection step of detecting the weight of the clothing in the drum 102. The control unit 131 executes course A1 or A2 or courses C1 and C2 based on the result of the detection step. In the detection step, for example, the weight of the clothing in the drum 102 may be detected using a weight sensor. Also, in the detection step, for example, the number of clothing items put into the drum 102 may be detected by imaging means such as a camera or detection means such as RFID.

[0121] Next, a second modification of the washing and drying machine 100 of the first embodiment will be described. In the blowing step S3 in the washing and drying machine 100 of the first embodiment, normal temperature air was blown, but the washing and drying machine 100 of the second modification is a drying step of blowing air heated by the heat pump unit 111. Regarding the configuration other than this point and the points described below, since the washing and drying machine 100 of the first embodiment and the washing and drying machine of the second modification are common, detailed description will be omitted.

[0122] When the drum 102 is stopped, the control unit 131 stops the spraying from the chemical spraying device 140. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the chemical sprayed from the chemical spraying device 140 from directly adhering to the clothing. Therefore, uneven adhesion to the clothing can be reduced.

[0123] The control unit 131 can execute a drying step of operating the fan 104 and the heat pump unit 111, and the control unit 131 can execute a spraying operation in which the drying step is executed after the execution of the spraying step S2, and a drying operation in which the drying step is executed without executing the spraying step S2, respectively. The control unit 131 executes the operation of the heat pump unit 111 in the spraying operation with a higher output than the operation of the heat pump unit 111 in the drying operation.

[0124] The spraying course can be applied not only to clothes after dehydration but also to dry clothes. As described for the latter, when the initial state is a dry cloth, the dehydration rate after the spraying operation is lower compared to that of clothes after dehydration. That is, the amount of moisture to be dried is small. Therefore, the drying time can be shortened compared to a normal drying operation. Even if the HP target upper limit rotation speed is increased so that the hot air temperature becomes too high during a normal drying operation, in the spraying course, since the drying operation time is short, the hot air temperature does not rise too much. As a result, the drying of the clothes can be completed quickly, improving the user experience.

[0125] (Embodiment 2) Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 25 to 31, the washing and drying machine 200 according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure will be described. The washing and drying machine 200 of Embodiment 2 further includes a configuration for performing a pretreatment step of stretching the wrinkles of the object to be processed in addition to the configuration of the washing and drying machine 100 of Embodiment 1. Regarding the configuration other than this point and the points described below, since the washing and drying machine 100 of Embodiment 1 and the washing and drying machine 200 of Embodiment 2 are common, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0126] Refer to FIGS. 25 and 26. FIG. 25 is a longitudinal sectional view including a liquid spraying device of the washing and drying machine 200 in Embodiment 2. FIG. 26 is a flowchart showing a series of flows of washing in the washing and drying machine 200 in Embodiment 2.

[0127] As shown in FIG. 25, the washing and drying machine 200 of the second embodiment may include a liquid supply unit 250 that supplies liquid to the clothes introduced in the pretreatment step S31. The liquid supply unit 250 includes a liquid tank 245 different from the chemical agent tank 141, a switching unit 246, a chemical agent supply path 142, and a nozzle unit 150. The liquid stored in the liquid tank 245 is the liquid sprayed in the pretreatment step S31. The liquid sprayed in the pretreatment step S31 may be a chemical agent for removing wrinkles or water. The switching unit 246 switches the supply paths for supplying the chemical agent stored in the chemical agent tank 141 and the water stored in the liquid tank 245. The switching unit 246 is, for example, an electromagnetic valve, and by controlling the switching of the control unit 231, the chemical agent stored in the chemical agent tank 141 or the water stored in the liquid tank 245 is sprayed from the nozzle unit 150. Note that a supply path and a nozzle unit dedicated to the liquid tank 245 may be provided.

[0128] The control unit 231 of the washing and drying machine 200 of the second embodiment has the same functions as the control unit 131 of the first embodiment, and further performs a pretreatment step of stretching the wrinkles of the clothes before starting the mist supply step. The pretreatment step is a process for promoting the more uniform adhesion of the mist-like chemical agent to the clothes in the subsequent mist supply step by stretching the wrinkles of the clothes when the wrinkles of the clothes are deep. In the following description, a course of spraying a chemical agent for promoting, for example, dirt removal on the clothes before starting the washing of the clothes will be described as an example.

[0129] As shown in FIG. 26, the control unit 231 performs, for example, the pretreatment step S31, the mist supply step S32, the washing step S33, the dehydration step S34, the rinsing step S35, the dehydration step S36, and the drying step S37 in this order in the washing course with the pretreatment and mist supply steps. Therefore, since the clothes in the pretreatment step S31 are in the state before the washing step S33, they are dry.

[0130] When the user inputs an instruction to the operation display unit 125 to operate a washing course with a pre-treatment and a mist supply process, the control unit 131 receives the instruction and executes the pre-treatment step S31. The control unit 131 receives this instruction as a signal indicating that dry clothes are loaded into the drum 102. In the operation display unit 125, the operator may be allowed to select whether the clothes in the drum 102 are dry or wet, and the control unit 131 may receive this selected signal.

[0131] The control unit 231 performs, for example, the operation shown in FIG. 27. FIG. 27 is an explanatory diagram showing the pre-treatment step S31 for dry clothes and the processing in the spraying step S2.

[0132] In the pre-treatment step S31 for dry clothes, the control unit 231 rotates the motor 105 and the drum 102 at a rotational speed equal to or lower than the rotational speed in the spraying step S2, for example, at 25 rpm. The control unit 231 also performs a tumbling operation in the pre-treatment step S31 in the same manner as in the spraying step S2, and the ratio of the rotational ON time to the rotational OFF time of the motor 105 in the pre-treatment step S31 is 5:1. The processing time of the pre-treatment step S31 is, for example, 1 minute. By spraying the liquid for, for example, 5 seconds each time the motor 105 rotates, the wrinkles of the clothes can be further stretched. In the pre-treatment step S31, the wrinkles can be stretched uniformly by rotating the clothes. The liquid sprayed by the control unit 231 onto the clothes may be the liquid in the liquid tank 245 or the liquid agent in the liquid agent tank.

[0133] Next, in the spraying step S2 of the mist supply step S32, the control unit 231 rotates the motor 105 and the drum 102 at, for example, 35 rpm. The control unit 231 performs a tumbling operation in the spraying step S2, and the ratio of the rotational ON time to the rotational OFF time of the motor 105 in the spraying step S2 is 10:1. By spraying the liquid agent for, for example, 10 seconds each time the motor 105 rotates, the removal of dirt before washing can be promoted for the clothes.

[0134] The rotation speed of the drum 102 in the pretreatment step S31 is equal to or lower than the rotation speed of the drum 102 in the spraying step S2 of the mist supply step S32. Thereby, since the tumbling operation is gently performed in the pretreatment step S31, the clothes can be loosened while suppressing the deepening of wrinkles in the clothes. Therefore, it is possible to easily replace the exposed surface of the clothes in the spraying step S2.

[0135] Note that the rotation speed of the drum 102 in the spraying step S2 of the mist supply step S32 may be equal to or lower than the rotation speed of the drum 102 in the pretreatment step S31. Thereby, by reducing the mechanical force of the drum 102 in the wet state, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of damage such as lint generation on the clothes.

[0136] When the control unit 231 receives a signal indicating that dry clothes are loaded into the drum 102, the control unit 231 makes the rotation speed of the drum 102 in the pretreatment step S31 smaller than the rotation speed of the drum 102 in the spraying step S2. Thereby, the clothes can be loosened while suppressing the deepening of wrinkles in the clothes. Therefore, it is possible to easily replace the exposed surface of the clothes in the spraying step S2. When the spraying operation is performed on dry objects to be processed, for example, when dry objects to be processed are initially loaded into the drum 102, or when the spraying operation is executed after the completion of the washing step, rinsing step, dehydration step, and drying step.

[0137] The control unit 231 is capable of executing a tumbling operation in which the drum 102 is rotated forward and backward respectively over a rotation ON time (first time), and does not rotate the drum 102 over a rotation OFF time (second time) between the forward rotation and the reverse rotation. The ratio of the rotation ON time to the rotation OFF time in the pretreatment step S31 is smaller than the ratio of the rotation ON time to the rotation OFF time in the spraying step S2. Thereby, after the tumbling rotation and after the moved clothes are loosened, the next tumbling rotation can be performed. Therefore, it is possible to promote the loosening of the clothes, and the surface of the clothes in the spraying step S2 is easily replaced.

[0138] In addition, the ratio of the rotation ON time to the rotation OFF time in the pretreatment step S31 may be larger than the ratio of the rotation ON time to the rotation OFF time in the spraying step S2. Thereby, by reducing the time for stopping the drum 102, it is possible to suppress the formation of wrinkles on the clothing.

[0139] The control unit 231 makes the rotation ON time in the pretreatment step S31 shorter than the rotation ON time in the spraying step S2. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the rounding or deepening of wrinkles of the clothing due to the continuous rotation of the clothing. Therefore, the liquid agent can be more uniformly adhered in the spraying step S2.

[0140] In addition, the control unit 231 may make the rotation ON time in the pretreatment step S31 longer than the rotation ON time in the spraying step S2. Thereby, since the clothing can be replaced in the drum 102, the liquid agent can be uniformly adhered to the clothing.

[0141] Further, the washing and drying machine 200 further includes a liquid supply unit 250 that supplies a liquid to the loaded clothing, and the control unit 231 operates the liquid supply unit 250 in the pretreatment step S31. Thereby, the object to be processed is wetted and the wrinkles of the clothing are removed. Therefore, the liquid agent can be more uniformly adhered in the spraying step S2.

[0142] The liquid agent spraying device 240 has a nozzle unit 150 that sprays the liquid agent in a mist form, and the liquid supply unit 250 sprays the liquid onto the object to be processed using the nozzle unit 150. Thereby, for liquid supply, the number of newly provided parts can be reduced. Therefore, the washing and drying machine 200 can be configured at low cost.

[0143] The liquid supplied by the liquid supply unit 250 may be a liquid agent. Thereby, more liquid agent can be adhered to the object to be processed. Therefore, the perceived level of the effect of the liquid agent can be improved.

[0144] Also, the control unit 231 operates the fan 104 during the pre-treatment step S31. Thereby, the clothing can be stretched by the force of the wind. Therefore, the replacement of the exposed surface of the clothing in the pre-treatment step S31 can be promoted, and the liquid can be uniformly attached to the clothing.

[0145] Note that in the washing course shown in FIG. 26, the pre-treatment step S31 and the mist supply step S32 are carried out before the washing step S33, but it is not limited to this. The pre-treatment step S31 and the mist supply step S32 may be carried out after the drying step S37. Thereby, the wrinkles of the clothing wrinkled by the drying step S37 can be stretched, and a scenting or water-repellent effect can be obtained on the clothing according to the liquid agent to be sprayed.

[0146] Next, referring to FIGS. 28 and 29, another washing course will be described. In this washing course, the control unit 231 carries out the pre-treatment step S31 and the mist supply step S32 after the dehydration step S36 after the rinsing step S35 is completed. Therefore, the pre-treatment step S31 and the mist supply step S32 are carried out on the wet clothing.

[0147] In the pre-treatment step S31 for the wet clothing, the control unit 231 rotates the motor 105 and the drum 102 at a rotation speed equal to or lower than the rotation speed in the spraying step S2, for example, at 25 rpm. Also in the pre-treatment step S31, the control unit 231 performs a tumbling operation in the same manner as in the spraying step S2, and the ratio of the rotation ON time to the rotation OFF time of the motor 105 in the pre-treatment step S31 is 1:3. The processing time of the pre-treatment step S31 is, for example, 30 seconds. Since the clothing is already wet, the effect of stretching the wrinkles can be obtained only by rotating the drum 102, and the liquid is not sprayed in accordance with the rotation ON of the motor 105.

[0148] Next, in the spraying step S2 of the mist supply process S32, the control unit 231 rotates the motor 105 and the drum 102 at, for example, 25 rpm. The control unit 231 performs a tumbling operation in the spraying step S2, and the ratio of the rotation ON time to the rotation OFF time of the motor 105 in the spraying step S2 is 3:3. The liquid agent is sprayed only once every 5 rotations of the motor 105 ON, and by spraying the liquid agent for, for example, 3 seconds, it is possible to perform scenting on the clothing, for example, according to the type of the liquid agent. The control unit 231 may drive the fan 104 to dry the clothing in the mist supply process S32 for the wet clothing.

[0149] In the pretreatment process S31, as shown in FIG. 30(a), even if the drum 102 is rotated at the normal rotation speed at which dry clothing can be lifted and the baffle 103 is hit against the wet clothing CL4, the clothing CL4 does not float up in the drum 102 because it contains moisture and is heavy. Therefore, when the control unit 231 receives a signal indicating that dry clothing has been loaded into the drum 102, the rotation speed of the drum 102 in the pretreatment process S31 is made smaller than in the case of wet clothing. In other words, the rotation speed of the drum 102 in the pretreatment process S31 for wet clothing is made larger than the rotation speed of the drum 102 in the pretreatment process S31 for dry clothing. As a result, as shown in FIG. 30(b), even heavy clothing in a wet state can be lifted and knocked down. Therefore, clothing that is entangled can be loosened.

[0150] Therefore, after the tumbling operation and after the moved clothing is loosened, the next tumbling operation can be performed. Therefore, the loosening of the clothing can be promoted, and the exposed surface of the clothing in the spraying step S2 is likely to be replaced.

[0151] In addition, when the spraying operation targets the object to be processed that is dry in the pretreatment process S31, the control unit 231 makes the rotation ON time in the pretreatment process S31 longer than the rotation OFF time, and when the spraying operation targets the object to be processed that is wet, the control unit 231 makes the rotation ON time in the pretreatment process S31 shorter than the rotation OFF time.

[0152] Thus, when the pre-treatment step S31 targets dry clothes, by continuously rotating the drum 102, it is possible to suppress the clothes from gradually curling. Therefore, the liquid agent can be more uniformly adhered in the spraying step S2. Also, when the pre-treatment step S31 targets wet clothes, if the rotation OFF time during which the rotation of the drum 102 stops is long, as shown in FIG. 31, the clothes will spread due to gravity during the rotation OFF time, so the wrinkles can be stretched.

[0153] In addition, the liquid supply unit 250 may supply steam to the drum 102. Since the wrinkles of the clothes can be stretched by the steam, the liquid agent can be more uniformly adhered to the clothes. Therefore, the finish of the object to be processed after the course execution can be improved. Here, regarding the method of generating steam, for example, steam can be generated by heating water to a high temperature with a hot water heater disposed at the bottommost part of the water tank 101. Alternatively, it is also possible to generate steam using an ultrasonic oscillator, and the means for generating steam is not limited to these.

[0154] Further, when the spraying operation targets wet clothes, the control unit 231 does not operate the liquid agent spraying device 140 in the pre-treatment step S31. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the wet clothes from being wetted more than necessary, and to prevent the clothes from becoming heavy and not floating up in the pre-treatment step S31. Therefore, the time until the clothes dry can be shortened, improving user convenience.

[0155] Moreover, when the spraying operation targets wet clothes, the control unit 231 makes the rotation ON time in the pre-treatment step S31 longer than the rotation ON time in the pre-treatment step S31 when the spraying operation targets dry clothes. Thereby, it is possible to minimize the generation of new wrinkles in the dry clothes in the pre-treatment step S31. Also, since the wet clothes in the pre-treatment step S31 can rotate sufficiently, the loosening of the clothes can be promoted. Therefore, the finish of the clothes after the course execution can be improved.

[0156] Further, when the spraying operation targets dry clothes, the control unit 231 makes the rotation ON time in the pretreatment step S31 longer than the rotation ON time in the pretreatment step S31 when the spraying operation targets wet clothes. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the wet clothes from being rolled up in the pretreatment step S31. Therefore, the finish of the clothes after the course execution can be improved.

[0157] Also, the spraying time with respect to the first time in the second rotation step when the spraying operation is in a dry state is longer than the spraying time with respect to the first time when the spraying operation is in a wet state. Thereby, in the dry state where the exposed surface of the clothes is frequently changed, the spraying can be completed in a short time. Therefore, the usability for the user is improved.

[0158] Further, when the spraying operation targets wet clothes, the control unit 231 performs air blowing in the pretreatment step S31. Thereby, the clothes can be stretched by the force of the wind. Therefore, the replacement of the exposed surface of the clothes in the spraying step S2 can be promoted, and the liquid agent can be uniformly adhered.

[0159] Further, the control unit 231 may perform control combining Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2. For example, the control unit 231 can execute a pretreatment step S31 in which the drum 202 is rotated with the spraying of the liquid agent by the liquid agent spraying device 240 stopped between the spraying step S2 and the air blowing step S3. When there is one piece of clothing in the drum 202, the control unit 231 does not execute the pretreatment step S31, and when there are a plurality of pieces of clothing in the drum 202, the control unit 231 executes the pretreatment step S31. Thereby, the entanglement of the clothes in the air blowing step S3 can be suppressed. Therefore, the generation of wrinkles on the clothes can be prevented.

[0160] [Effect] According to the washing and drying machine 200 according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be achieved. (Effect 2)

[0161] As described above, the washing and drying machine 200 of the present embodiment includes a drum 102 for accommodating an object to be processed, a chemical liquid tank 141 for storing a chemical liquid, a chemical liquid spraying device 240 for spraying the chemical liquid stored in the chemical liquid tank 141 into the drum 102, and a control unit 231 for controlling the operation of the chemical liquid spraying device 240 and executing a spraying operation. The control unit 231 executes a pre-treatment step S31 of rotating the drum 102 in a first rotation operation and a spraying step S2 of rotating the drum 102 in a second rotation operation different from the first rotation operation. In the spraying step S2, the chemical liquid spraying device 240 is operated to spray the chemical liquid in the chemical liquid tank 141.

[0162] Thereby, the clothes are loosened, and more exposed surfaces can appear. Therefore, the treatment agent in the spraying step can be efficiently adhered, and the effect can be improved. Here, the spraying operation of the chemical liquid spraying device 240 executed by the control unit 231 includes the case where the control unit 231 operates the chemical liquid spraying device 240 in the washing step, rinsing step, and dehydration step in the washing operation to perform the spraying operation.

[0163] (Embodiment 3) Next, Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 32. In Embodiment 3, a dryer 300 will be described as a clothing processing device. Although the internal configuration of the dryer 300 is different from that of the washing and drying machines 100 and 200, the description of the same configurations as those in Embodiments 1 and 2, such as the configuration of the chemical liquid spraying device 140, will be omitted.

[0164] The dryer 300 includes a housing 300a, a drum 302, a baffle 303, a fan 304, a heater 311, a lid 120, an operation display unit 125, and a chemical liquid spraying device 140. The housing 300a includes a front plate 300b that constitutes the front side of the dryer 300 and a tank cover 300c.

[0165] Also in such a dryer 300, similar to the washing and drying machines 100 and 200 of Embodiment 1, a mist supply step and a pre-treatment step can be implemented.

[0166] (Supplementary Note) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below.

[0167] (Appendix 1) The clothing treatment apparatus according to the first aspect includes a storage tank for storing an object to be treated, a tank for storing a liquid agent, a spraying unit for spraying the liquid agent stored in the tank into the storage tank, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the spraying unit. The control unit is capable of executing a spraying step of operating the spraying unit. In the spraying step, a spraying amount based on the amount of the object to be treated stored in the storage tank is sprayed from the spraying unit, and the spraying amount when the amount of the object to be treated is small is made smaller than the spraying amount when the amount of the object to be treated is large.

[0168] Thereby, when the amount of the object to be treated is small, it is possible to suppress excessive adhesion of the liquid agent to the object to be treated. Further, when the amount of clothing is large, a sufficient amount can be sprayed to exhibit the effect of the liquid agent. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both shortening the time until the object to be treated dries and effectively adhering the liquid agent.

[0169] As the clothing treatment apparatus according to the second aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus according to the first aspect, the control unit causes the spraying unit to spray during a spraying time based on the amount of the object to be treated stored in the storage tank in the spraying step, and sets the spraying time when the amount of the object to be treated is small to be shorter than the spraying time when the amount of the object to be treated is large.

[0170] As the clothing treatment apparatus according to the third aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus according to the first or second aspect, it further includes a motor for rotating the storage tank. The control unit controls the rotation of the storage tank by controlling the driving of the motor, and the control unit controls the motor in the spraying step differently between the case of the first state where the amount of the object to be treated in the storage tank is the first amount and the case of the second state where the amount of the object to be treated in the storage tank is the second amount larger than the first amount.

[0171] As the clothing treatment apparatus in the fourth aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus in the third aspect, in the case of the first state, the quantity of the objects to be treated in the storage tank is singular, and in the case of the second state, the quantity of the objects to be treated in the storage tank is plural.

[0172] As the clothing treatment apparatus in the fifth aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus in the third or fourth aspect, in the spraying step, the rotation speed of the storage tank in the first state is greater than the rotation speed of the storage tank in the second state.

[0173] As the clothing treatment apparatus in the sixth aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus in any one of the third to fifth aspects, the control unit is capable of executing a tumbling operation of rotating the storage tank forward and backward respectively for a first time, and in the tumbling operation executed in the spraying step, the first time in the first state is shorter than the first time in the second state.

[0174] As the clothing treatment apparatus in the seventh aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus in any one of the third to sixth aspects, in the tumbling operation executed in the spraying step, the second time for stopping the motor in the first state is shorter than the second time in the second state.

[0175] As the clothing treatment apparatus in the eighth aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus in any one of the third to seventh aspects, in the tumbling operation in the spraying step, the ratio of the second time for stopping the motor to the first time for rotating the storage tank forward and backward in the second state is greater than the ratio of the second time to the first time in the first state.

[0176] As the clothing treatment apparatus in the ninth aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus in the sixth aspect, it further includes a blowing unit that blows air into the storage tank. After executing the spraying step, the control unit executes a blowing step of operating the blowing unit. The control unit also executes a tumbling operation in the blowing step. The first time and the second time for stopping the motor in the tumbling operation executed in the spraying step are shorter than the first time and the second time in the tumbling operation executed in the blowing step.

[0177] As the clothing treatment apparatus in the tenth aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus in any one of the third to ninth aspects, the rotation amount of the storage tank in the second state is larger than the rotation amount of the storage tank in the first state.

[0178] As the clothing treatment apparatus in the eleventh aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus in any one of the first to eighth and tenth aspects, it further includes a blowing unit that blows air into the storage tank. After executing the spraying step, the control unit executes a blowing step of operating the blowing unit.

[0179] As the clothing treatment apparatus in the twelfth aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus in the ninth or eleventh aspect, in the blowing step, the rotation speed of the blowing unit in the first state is lower than the rotation speed of the blowing unit in the second state.

[0180] As the clothing treatment apparatus in the thirteenth aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus in the eleventh or twelfth aspect, the control unit does not drive the blowing unit in the first state in the spraying step, and drives the blowing unit in the second state.

[0181] As the clothing treatment apparatus in the fourteenth aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus in any one of the eleventh to thirteenth aspects, the rotation speed of the blowing unit in the spraying step is smaller than the rotation speed of the blowing unit in the blowing step.

[0182] As the clothing treatment apparatus in the 15th aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus in any of the 11th, 12th, and 14th aspects, the control unit makes the operation time of the blower unit in the blowing step the same time in the first state and the second state.

[0183] As the clothing treatment apparatus in the 16th aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus in the 11th aspect, the control unit can execute a loosening step of rotating the storage tank with the spraying of the liquid agent by the spraying unit stopped between the spraying step and the blowing step. In the first state, when there is one object to be processed in the storage tank, the loosening step is not executed. In the second state, when there are a plurality of objects to be processed in the storage tank, the loosening step is executed.

[0184] As the clothing treatment apparatus in the 17th aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus in any of the 3rd to 16th aspects, the control unit can execute a first course for the first state and a second course for the second state respectively, and can receive an operation instruction for the first course or the second course from the user.

[0185] As the clothing treatment apparatus in the 18th aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus in any of the 3rd to 17th aspects, when the storage tank is stopped, the spraying from the spraying unit is stopped.

[0186] As the clothing treatment apparatus in the 19th aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus in any of the 1st to 18th aspects, it further includes a blower unit that blows air into the storage tank and a heating unit that heats the air. The control unit can execute a drying step of operating the blower unit and the heating unit. The control unit can execute a spraying operation that executes the drying step after the spraying step and a drying operation that executes the drying step without executing the spraying step respectively. The control unit executes the operation of the heating unit in the spraying operation with a higher output than the operation of the heating unit in the drying operation.

[0187] In the clothing treatment method according to the 20th aspect, a control unit executes a spraying step of controlling a spraying unit to spray a liquid agent stored in a tank into a storage tank. In the spraying step, the control unit causes the spraying unit to spray a spraying amount based on the amount of the object to be treated stored in the storage tank, and makes the spraying amount when the amount of the object to be treated is small less than the spraying amount when the amount of the object to be treated is large.

[0188] (Appendix 2) As the clothing treatment apparatus according to the 21st aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus according to the 3rd or 4th aspect, in the spraying step, the rotation speed of the storage tank in the second state is greater than the rotation speed of the storage tank in the first state. Therefore, by quickly replacing the clothes in the storage tank, the liquid agent can be uniformly adhered to the clothes.

[0189] As the clothing treatment apparatus according to the 22nd aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus according to any one of the 3rd to 5th aspects, the control unit is capable of executing a tumbling operation of rotating the storage tank forward and backward respectively over a first time, and in the tumbling operation executed in the spraying step, the first time in the second state is shorter than the first time in the first state. Therefore, by increasing the time for rotating the storage tank, the stop time of the storage tank is shortened, and the treatment time can be shortened.

[0190] As the clothing treatment apparatus according to the 23rd aspect, in the clothing treatment apparatus according to any one of the 3rd to 7th aspects, in the tumbling operation in the spraying step, the ratio of the second time for stopping the motor to the first time for rotating the storage tank forward and backward in the second state is smaller than the ratio of the second time to the first time in the first state. Therefore, the number of left - right reversals of the storage tank can be increased, so that the state where the clothes are floating in the storage tank can be continued, and the liquid agent can be uniformly adhered to the clothes.

[0191] As the clothing treatment device in the 24th aspect, in the clothing treatment device in any one of the 3rd to 9th aspects, the rotation amount of the storage tank in the second state is smaller than the rotation amount of the storage tank in the first state. Therefore, in the case of the first state, by continuously rotating the storage tank in a certain direction, the time of the spraying process can be shortened.

[0192] As the clothing treatment device in the 25th aspect, in the clothing treatment device in the 9th or 11th aspect, in the air blowing step, the rotation speed of the air blowing part in the first state is higher than the rotation speed of the air blowing part in the second state. Therefore, the clothing in the storage tank can be attached to the inner wall on the front side or the rear side of the storage tank, and the liquid agent can be uniformly adhered to the spread clothing.

[0193] As the clothing treatment device in the 26th aspect, in the clothing treatment device in any one of the 11th to 13th aspects, the rotation speed of the air blowing part in the spraying step is larger than the rotation speed of the air blowing part in the air blowing step. Therefore, the clothing in the storage tank can be attached to the inner wall on the front side or the rear side of the storage tank, and the liquid agent can be uniformly adhered to the spread clothing.

[0194] As the clothing treatment device in the 27th aspect, in the clothing treatment device in the 3rd aspect, the control unit can execute a first course for the first state and a second course for the second state respectively. The control unit can execute a detection step capable of detecting the amount of the object to be processed in the storage tank. The control unit executes the first course or the second course based on the result of the detection step.

[0195] This disclosure is fully described in relation to the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, but various modifications and corrections are obvious to those skilled in this technology. Such modifications and corrections should be understood to be included therein as long as they do not deviate from the scope of the present invention according to the appended claims.

[0196] In this embodiment, as the spraying method, a two-fluid method using an air pump has been described. Since the spraying unit only needs to be able to spray the liquid agent, it is not limited to this. A single-fluid method of spraying the liquid agent with a liquid pump or a method of spraying the liquid agent with ultrasonic waves may also be used.

Industrial Applicability

[0197] The present disclosure includes a liquid agent spraying device that sprays a mist-like liquid agent and is applicable to a clothing treatment device that treats an object to be treated. Specifically, it is applicable to clothing treatment devices including a drum washing machine, a vertical washing machine, a drum washing and drying machine, a vertical washing and drying machine, a clothing dryer, and a closet-type clothing care machine in which the storage tank does not rotate.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0198] 100 Washing and drying machine 100a Housing 100b Front panel 100c Tank cover 101 Water tank 101c Tank cover 102 Drum 102a Drum opening 102b Water passage hole 103 Baffle 104 Fan 105 Motor 106 Air intake port 107 Air outlet 110 Air supply path 111 Heat pump unit 112 Spraying process 120 Lid 125 Operation display unit 131 Control unit 140 Liquid agent spraying device 141 Liquid agent tank 142 Liquid agent supply path 143 Air pump 144 Air supply path 150 Nozzle unit 151 Base portion 151a Installation surface 152 Nozzle part 153 Nozzle mounting part 153a Bending structure 154 Spray nozzle 154a Air-side connection part 154b Liquid-side connection part 154c Spray opening 155 Nozzle cover 161 Water supply valve 162 Water supply path 163 Drain valve 164 Drain path 200 Washing and drying machine 231 Control unit 240 Liquid spraying device 245 Liquid tank 246 Switching part 250 Liquid supply part 300 Dryer 300a Housing 300b Front plate 300c Tank cover 302 Drum 303 Baffle 304 Fan 311 Heater

Claims

1. A storage tank for storing an object to be processed, A tank for storing a liquid agent, A spraying unit for spraying the liquid agent stored in the tank into the storage tank, A control unit for controlling the operation of the spraying unit, and The control unit Is capable of executing a spraying step of operating the spraying unit, In the spraying step, a spraying amount based on the amount of the object to be processed stored in the storage tank is sprayed from the spraying unit, The spraying amount when the amount of the object to be processed is small is made smaller than the spraying amount when the amount of the object to be processed is large, A clothing processing apparatus.

2. The control unit In the spraying step, the spraying unit is sprayed for a spraying time based on the amount of the object to be processed stored in the storage tank, The spraying time when the amount of the object to be processed is small is set shorter than the spraying time when the amount of the object to be processed is large, The clothing processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. Further comprising a motor for rotating the storage tank, The control unit controls the rotation of the storage tank by controlling the drive of the motor, The control unit controls the motor in the spraying step differently between a first state where the amount of the object to be processed in the storage tank is a first amount and a second state where the amount of the object to be processed in the storage tank is a second amount larger than the first amount, The clothing processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. In the case of the first state, the quantity of the object to be processed in the storage tank is singular, In the case of the second state, the quantity of the object to be processed in the storage tank is plural, The clothing processing apparatus according to claim 3.

5. In the spraying step, the rotation speed of the storage tank in the first state is larger than the rotation speed of the storage tank in the second state, The clothing processing apparatus according to claim 3.

6. The control unit is capable of executing a tumbling operation of rotating the storage tank forward and backward respectively for a first time, In the tumbling operation executed in the spraying step, the first time in the first state is shorter than the first time in the second state, The clothing processing apparatus according to claim 3.

7. In the tumbling operation executed in the spraying step, the second time for stopping the motor in the first state is shorter than the second time in the second state, The clothing processing apparatus according to claim 6.

8. In the tumbling operation in the spraying step, the ratio of the second time for stopping the motor to the first time for rotating the storage tank forward and backward in the second state is larger than the ratio of the second time to the first time in the first state. The clothing treatment apparatus according to claim 4.

9. The apparatus further includes a blower unit that blows air into the storage tank. After executing the spraying step, the control unit executes a blowing step of operating the blower unit. In the blowing step, the control unit also executes a tumbling operation. The first time and the second time for stopping the motor in the tumbling operation executed in the spraying step are shorter than the first time and the second time in the tumbling operation executed in the blowing step. The clothing treatment apparatus according to claim 6.

10. The rotation amount of the storage tank in the second state is larger than the rotation amount of the storage tank in the first state. The clothing treatment apparatus according to claim 3.

11. The apparatus further includes a blower unit that blows air into the storage tank. After executing the spraying step, the control unit executes a blowing step of operating the blower unit. The clothing treatment apparatus according to claim 3.

12. In the blowing step, the rotation speed of the blower unit in the first state is lower than the rotation speed of the blower unit in the second state. The clothing treatment apparatus according to claim 11.

13. In the spraying step, the control unit does not drive the blower unit in the first state and drives the blower unit in the second state. The clothing treatment apparatus according to claim 11.

14. The rotation speed of the blower unit in the spraying step is lower than the rotation speed of the blower unit in the blowing step. The clothing treatment apparatus according to claim 11.

15. The control unit sets the operation time of the blower unit in the blowing step to be the same in the first state and the second state. The clothing treatment apparatus according to claim 11.

16. Between the spraying step and the blowing step, the control unit can execute a loosening step of rotating the storage tank with the spraying of the liquid agent stopped by the spraying unit. As the first state, when there is one object to be processed in the storage tank, the loosening step is not executed. As the second state, when there are a plurality of objects to be processed in the storage tank, the loosening step is executed. The clothing treatment apparatus according to claim 11.

17. The control unit is capable of executing a first course for the first state and a second course for the second state, and is capable of receiving an operation instruction for the first course or the second course from a user. The clothing treatment apparatus according to claim 3.

18. When the storage tank has stopped, spraying from the spraying unit is stopped. The clothing treatment apparatus according to claim 4.

19. The clothing treatment apparatus further includes a blowing unit that blows air into the storage tank and a heating unit that heats air. The control unit is capable of executing a drying step of operating the blowing unit and the heating unit. The control unit A spraying operation that executes the drying step after the execution of the spraying step; A drying operation that executes the drying step without executing the spraying step; are each executable. The control unit executes the operation of the heating unit in the spraying operation with a higher output than the operation of the heating unit in the drying operation. The clothing treatment apparatus according to claim 1.

20. In a clothing treatment method in which a control unit controls a spraying unit to spray a liquid agent stored in a tank into a storage tank, the control unit in the spraying step, causes the spraying unit to spray a spraying amount based on the amount of the object to be treated accommodated in the storage tank, and makes the spraying amount when the amount of the object to be treated is small less than the spraying amount when the amount of the object to be treated is large. Clothing treatment method. ​

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