washing machine

Abstract

To provide a washing machine capable of washing laundry in such a manner that it does not deteriorate.SOLUTION: A washing machine 1 includes: a drum 7 for storing laundry L; and a control part 20. The control part 20 executes: a care step of taking care of fiber of the laundry L in the drum 7 by a treatment agent; and a washing step of washing the laundry L in the drum 7 after the care step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a washing machine. [Background technology]

[0002] The drum-type washer-dryer described in Patent Document 1 below includes a drum that stores laundry and a motor that rotates the drum. During the washing and rinsing processes of a drum-type washer-dryer, the rotation of the drum filled with water causes the laundry inside the drum to be lifted to a certain extent and then fall naturally onto the water surface, resulting in repeated tumbling. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-23720 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Laundry is generally made by knitting a large number of fibers S as shown in Fig. 1. In general washing machines, including the drum-type washer-dryer of Patent Document 1, the fibers S may come into direct contact with each other during washing, which may cause the laundry to become stiff.

[0005] Furthermore, when the fiber S is made of animal hair such as wool, the surface of the fiber S is covered with numerous cuticles K. As shown in FIG. 2, which is an enlarged view of the area surrounded by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1, each cuticle K is scale-like, and these cuticles K are normally aligned, so the surface of the fiber S is smooth. However, when the fiber S becomes wet during washing in a washing machine, the cuticles K open and become disordered, causing the surface of the fiber S to become ragged (crusty), as shown in FIG. 3. This can cause the fibers S to get caught and tangled, which can cause the laundry to shrink.

[0006] If users want their laundry to maintain its new look without deterioration due to stiffness or shrinkage, they can have it washed by a dry cleaner every time, but the time and expense of taking laundry to a dry cleaner can be a burden. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to wash laundry in a home washing machine so that the laundry does not deteriorate.

[0007] The present invention has been made under such circumstances, and has an object to provide a washing machine that can wash laundry without causing deterioration of the laundry. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention is a washing machine that includes a washing tub that stores laundry, a care process that uses a treatment agent to care for the fibers of the laundry in the washing tub, and a control unit that executes a washing process that washes the laundry in the washing tub after the care process.

[0009] The present invention is also characterized in that the washing machine further includes a drive unit that generates torque, the washing tub is a drum that rotates by receiving the torque of the drive unit, and the control unit rotates the drum containing the dry laundry using the drive unit as a preparation step before the care step.

[0010] The present invention is also characterized in that the washing machine further includes a water supply unit for supplying water into the drum, and the control unit, during the care process, performs a water supply process in which the water supply unit supplies water into the drum and stores treatment water, which is water in which the treatment agent is dissolved, in the drum; a soaking process in which, after the water supply process, laundry is immersed in the treatment water in the stationary drum; a rotation process in which, after the soaking process, the drum with the treatment water stored therein is rotated by the drive unit; and a shaking process in which, after the rotation process, the drum with the treatment water stored therein is shaken by the drive unit.

[0011] In addition, the present invention is characterized in that the control unit repeatedly executes the soaking process, the rotation process, and the shaking process.

[0012] The present invention is also characterized in that the treatment agent is a fabric softener, the washing machine further includes an injection unit for injecting the fabric softener into the drum, and the control unit injects the fabric softener into the drum using the injection unit during the water supply process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, in a washing machine, the laundry in the washing tub is treated with a treatment agent in a care step, and then washed in a washing step. The fibers treated with the treatment agent have their surfaces coated with the treatment agent. Therefore, the fibers do not come into direct contact with each other in the washing step, which reduces stiffness of the laundry due to friction between the fibers. Furthermore, the surfaces of the fibers coated with the treatment agent are maintained in a smooth state with aligned cuticles, which reduces tangling of the fibers in the washing step, thereby reducing shrinkage of the laundry. As a result, the laundry can be washed without deterioration.

[0014] Furthermore, according to the present invention, in a washing machine with a drum washing tub, the drum containing the dry laundry rotates in a preparation step prior to the care step, so that foreign matter such as dust trapped deep inside the laundry can be knocked out in advance. As a result, in the subsequent care step, the coating agent can be spread to the finest details of the fibers of the laundry from which the foreign matter has been removed, thereby providing sufficient care for the fibers.

[0015] According to the present invention, the washing machine's care process includes a water supply process, a soaking process, a spinning process, and a vibration process, in this order. In the water supply process, treatment water, which is water containing a treatment agent dissolved therein, is stored in the drum. In the subsequent soaking process, laundry is immersed in the treatment water in the stationary drum, thereby thoroughly coating the fibers of the laundry with the treatment agent. In the spinning process, the drum containing the treatment water rotates, thereby changing the area of ​​the laundry that comes into contact with the treatment water. This allows the treatment water to penetrate deep into the entire laundry, effectively coating many fibers with the treatment agent. In the vibration process, the drum containing the treatment water is oscillated to gently vibrate the laundry, thereby more effectively coating the fibers of the entire laundry with the treatment agent. This further reduces stiffness and shrinkage of the laundry.

[0016] Furthermore, according to the present invention, by repeatedly performing the soaking process, the rotation process, and the shaking process, all the fibers of the laundry can be evenly coated with the treatment agent.

[0017] According to the present invention, a fabric softener can be used as a treatment agent. In addition, in a washing machine, the fabric softener is automatically dispensed into the drum by the dispenser during the water supply process, so that treatment water can be automatically generated and stored in the drum. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing one fiber that makes up laundry. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional right side view of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the washing machine. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a washing operation performed in the washing machine. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a preparation process for a washing operation. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the inside of the washing machine during the preparation process. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a care process in a washing operation. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic front view of the inside of the washing machine during the spinning process of the care step. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic front view of the inside of the washing machine during the vibration process of the care step. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the inside of the washing machine during a shaking process. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the inside of the washing machine during a shaking process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 4 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional right side view of a washing machine 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Fig. 4 is referred to as the left-right direction X of the washing machine 1, the left-right direction in Fig. 4 is referred to as the front-rear direction Y of the washing machine 1, and the up-down direction in Fig. 4 is referred to as the up-down direction Z of the washing machine 1.

[0020] In the left-right direction X, the back side in the plane of FIG. 4 is referred to as the left side X1, and the front side in the plane of FIG. 4 is referred to as the right side X2. In the front-rear direction Y, the left side in FIG. 4 is referred to as the front side Y1, and the right side in FIG. 4 is referred to as the rear side Y2. In the up-down direction Z, the upper side is referred to as the upper side Z1, and the lower side is referred to as the lower side Z2. The left-right direction X and the front-rear direction Y are included in the lateral direction. The lateral direction may be the horizontal direction H, or may be a substantially horizontal direction that is slightly inclined relative to the horizontal direction H.

[0021] Washing machine 1 includes a vertical fully automatic washing machine and a twin-tub washing machine, but the following description will be given taking a drum-type washing machine as an example. Washing machine 1 includes a housing 2, a water tub 3 arranged within housing 2, a water supply channel 4 and a drain channel 5 connected to water tub 3, and an input section 6 for inputting detergent, fabric softener, etc. into water tub 3. Washing machine 1 further includes a drum 7 as an example of a washing tub that is housed within water tub 3 and holds laundry L, and a motor 8 as an example of a drive section that rotates drum 7. Washing machine 1 may have a drying function that dries laundry L in drum 7, in which case it includes a configuration (not shown) for supplying hot air into drum 7.

[0022] The housing 2 is formed in a box shape. A front surface 2A of the housing 2 is, for example, a vertical surface. An opening 2B that connects the inside and outside of the housing 2 is formed in the front surface 2A. A door 9 that opens and closes the opening 2B is provided on the front surface 2A. The following description will be based on the state in which the door 9 closes the opening 2B.

[0023] The water tub 3 is supported by a damper 10 extending from the bottom wall 2C of the housing 2 to the upper side Z1 and is suspended by a spring (not shown). As a result, the water tub 3 and the drum 7 inside it are entirely elastically supported by the housing 2. The water tub 3 has a cylindrical circumferential wall 3A centered on an axis J that extends in the front-to-rear direction Y along the horizontal direction H, a disk-shaped back wall 3B that closes the hollow portion of the circumferential wall 3A from the rear side Y2, and a ring-shaped front wall 3C that is connected to the front edge of the circumferential wall 3A.

[0024] The rear wall 3B is disposed vertically along the up-down direction Z. A through-hole 3D is formed in the center of the rear wall 3B, penetrating the rear wall 3B in the front-rear direction Y along the axis J. The front wall 3C has an annular first portion 3E that protrudes from the front edge of the circumferential wall 3A toward the axis J, a cylindrical second portion 3F that protrudes from the inner peripheral edge of the first portion 3E toward the front side Y1, and an annular third portion 3G that protrudes from the front edge of the second portion 3F toward the axis J. An access port 3H that communicates with the hollow portion of the circumferential wall 3A from the front side Y1 is formed inside the third portion 3G. The access port 3H faces the opening 2B of the housing 2 from the rear side Y2 and is in communication with it.

[0025] The water supply channel 4 has one end 4A connected to a faucet (not shown) and the other end 4B connected to, for example, the upper part of the second part 3F of the front wall 3C of the water tank 3. The drain channel 5 is connected to the lower end of the water tank 3, for example, the lower end of the circumferential wall 3A.

[0026] Washing machine 1 includes water supply valve 11 provided in water supply channel 4 that can be opened and closed, and drain valve 12 provided in drain channel 5 that can be opened and closed. Water supply valve 11 in the open state is in the ON state, opening water supply channel 4, and water supply valve 11 in the closed state is in the OFF state, closing water supply channel 4. Drain valve 12 in the open state is in the ON state, opening drain channel 5, and drain valve 12 in the closed state is in the OFF state, closing drain channel 5.

[0027] When water supply valve 11 is opened with drain valve 12 closed, tap water from the faucet flows through water supply channel 4. Hereinafter, tap water may be simply referred to as "water." The water that flows through water supply channel 4 flows into water tank 3 from the other end 4B of water supply channel 4 and accumulates there. When drain valve 12 is opened while water is accumulated in water tank 3, the water in water tank 3 is discharged through drain channel 5 to the outside of housing 2, i.e., outside the device.

[0028] The dispenser 6 includes a detergent dispenser 6A and a fabric softener dispenser 6B. Each of the detergent dispenser 6A and the fabric softener dispenser 6B includes a case 13 for storing the detergent or fabric softener, a dispenser passage 14 extending from the case 13 and connected to the water supply passage 4, and an openable and closable dispenser valve 15 provided in the dispenser passage 14.

[0029] The case 13 is disposed in an area Z1 above the water tub 3 within the housing 2. At least a portion of the case 13 is exposed from the front surface 2A or the top surface 2D of the housing 2. The exposed portion of the case 13 exposed from the front surface 2A or the top surface 2D may be an openable / closable lid or a drawer. The user can refill the detergent or fabric softener into the case 13 by opening or pulling out the exposed portion. The case 13 of the detergent dispenser 6A and the case 13 of the fabric softener dispenser 6B may be separate as shown in FIG. 4, or may be integrated.

[0030] The input passage 14 extends from the lower part of the case 13 to the lower side Z2 and is connected to the part of the water supply passage 4 that is closer to the other end 4B than the water supply valve 11. When the input valve 15 is open, it is in an ON state in which the input passage 14 is open, and when the input valve 15 is closed, it is in an OFF state in which the input passage 14 is closed.

[0031] When the dispenser valve 15 of the detergent dispenser 6A is opened with the water supply valve 11 open, the detergent in the case 13 of the detergent dispenser 6A flows through the dispenser passage 14 into the water supply passage 4, and is dispensed into the water tub 3 from the other end 4B on the water in the water supply passage 4. When the dispenser valve 15 of the fabric softener dispenser 6B is opened with the water supply valve 11 open, the fabric softener in the case 13 of the fabric softener dispenser 6B flows through the dispenser passage 14 into the water supply passage 4, and is dispensed into the water tub 3 from the other end 4B on the water in the water supply passage 4. Like tap water, water with dissolved detergent and fabric softener may hereinafter be simply referred to as "water."

[0032] Drum 7 is a cylindrical body having a central axis that coincides with axis J and is slightly smaller than water tub 3. In this embodiment, drum 7 is arranged horizontally so that the central axis is along horizontal direction H, but it may also be arranged obliquely so that the central axis is inclined relative to horizontal direction H. Drum 7 has a cylindrical circumferential wall 7A that is arranged coaxially with circumferential wall 3A of water tub 3, a disk-shaped back wall 7B that closes the hollow portion of circumferential wall 7A from the rear side Y2, and an annular wall 7C that juts out from the front edge of circumferential wall 7A toward axis J.

[0033] Drum 7 has a plurality of through-holes 7D formed in at least the circumferential wall 7A, and water in water tub 3 flows between water tub 3 and drum 7 via through-holes 7D. Therefore, the water level in water tub 3 and the water level in drum 7 are the same. As described above, water supply valve 11, which supplies water to water tub 3 in the open state, functions as an example of a water supply unit for supplying water to drum 7.

[0034] A support shaft 7E extending toward the rear side Y2 along the axis J is provided at the center of the rear wall 7B of the drum 7. The rear end of the support shaft 7E passes through a through-hole 3D in the rear wall 3B of the water tub 3 and is positioned further toward the rear side Y2 than the rear wall 3B.

[0035] An access port 7F is formed inside the annular wall 7C, communicating with the hollow portion of the circumferential wall 7A from the front side Y1. The access port 7F faces and communicates with the access port 3H of the water tub 3 and the opening 2B of the housing 2 from the rear side Y2. The access port 3H and the access port 7F, along with the opening 2B, are opened and closed together by a door 9. A user places laundry L in and removes laundry L from the drum 7 through the opened opening 2B, the access port 3H, and the access port 7F. The door 9 is provided with a gasket 16 that comes into close contact with the third portion 3G of the front wall 3C of the water tub 3 when the door 9 closes the opening 2B, the access port 3H, and the access port 7F.

[0036] The motor 8 is disposed within the housing 2 on the rear side Y2 of the rear wall 3B of the water tub 3. One example of the motor 8 is a direct drive (DD) motor. The motor 8 is connected to a support shaft 7E attached to the drum 7. The torque generated by the motor 8 is transmitted to the support shaft 7E, and the drum 7, receiving the torque of the motor 8, rotates around the axis J together with the support shaft 7E. A clutch mechanism (not shown) may be provided between the motor 8 and the support shaft 7E to transmit or interrupt the torque of the motor 8 to the support shaft 7E.

[0037] 5 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of washing machine 1. Washing machine 1 further includes a display operation unit 17, a water level sensor 18, a rotation speed sensor 19, and a control unit 20.

[0038] Display operation unit 17 is configured with a liquid crystal operation panel or the like, and is arranged on front surface 2A of housing 2 or the like (see FIG. 1). By operating display operation unit 17, the user can select the operating conditions and courses for the washing operation to be performed by washing machine 1, and can instruct washing machine 1 to start or stop the washing operation. Display operation unit 17 displays information for the user.

[0039] The water level sensor 18 is a sensor that detects the water level in the water tank 3, that is, the water level in the drum 7. As the water level sensor 18, a known sensor can be used.

[0040] The rotation speed sensor 19 is a sensor that detects the rotation speed of the motor 8 and is configured with, for example, a Hall IC. In this embodiment, the rotation speed of the motor 8 is the same as the rotation speed of the drum 7, so the rotation speed sensor 19 actually detects the rotation speed of the drum 7 by detecting the rotation speed of the motor 8. If the aforementioned clutch mechanism (not shown) is provided between the motor 8 and the support shaft 7E of the drum 7, the rotation speed of the drum 7 is a value obtained by multiplying the rotation speed of the motor 8 by a predetermined constant such as the reduction ratio of the clutch mechanism. The rotation speed sensor 19 may also directly detect the rotation speed of the drum 7 by detecting the rotation speed of the support shaft 7E.

[0041] The control unit 20 is configured as a microcomputer including, for example, a CPU, memories such as ROM and RAM, and a timer for measuring time, and is built into the housing 2 (see FIG. 4). The display operation unit 17, water level sensor 18, rotation speed sensor 19, and the motor 8, water supply valve 11, drain valve 12, and input valve 15 are electrically connected to the control unit 20.

[0042] The operation details of the display operation unit 17 by the user are input to the control unit 20. The control unit 20 controls the display details of the display operation unit 17. The detection results of the water level sensor 18 and the rotation speed sensor 19 are input to the control unit 20 in real time. The control unit 20 controls the duty ratio of the voltage applied to the motor 8 based on the rotation speed of the drum 7 input from the rotation speed sensor 19, thereby controlling the motor 8 so that the drum 7 rotates at the desired rotation speed. The control unit 20 controls the opening and closing, i.e., ON / OFF, of the water supply valve 11, the drain valve 12, and the filling valve 15.

[0043] The control unit 20 executes a washing operation. The washing operation according to this embodiment includes a preparatory step at the beginning, a care step after the preparatory step, a washing step after the care step, a rinsing step performed one or more times after the washing step, and a spin-drying step performed after the final rinsing step. If the washing machine 1 has a drying function, the washing operation also includes a drying step performed after the spin-drying step.

[0044] Referring to the flowchart of Fig. 6, when the washing operation is started, the control unit 20 first activates the motor 8 to rotate the drum 7 at a low speed, for example, 100 rpm, and detects the load amount of the laundry L in the drum 7 based on the resistance value of the current of the motor 8 at that time (step S1). The load amount corresponds to the capacity of the laundry L that can be accommodated in the drum 7. An example of the capacity of the laundry L is the weight of the laundry L, and in this case, the unit is kg.

[0045] Based on the detected load amount, the control unit 20 determines the required amounts of detergent and fabric softener, and the target water levels in the water tub 3 for each of the care, washing, and rinsing steps, as washing conditions (step S2). The required amounts of detergent and fabric softener for each load amount and the target water levels for each load amount are determined in advance and stored in the memory of the control unit 20.

[0046] After determining the washing conditions, the control unit 20 executes a preparation step (step S3). Specifically, as a preparation step before the care step, the control unit 20 rotates the drum 7 containing the dry laundry L at, for example, 45 rpm by operating the motor 8 when there is no water in the drum 7, as shown in Fig. 7 (step S11).

[0047] As a result, the laundry L in the drum 7 (see the laundry L shown by the solid line in FIG. 8) rises to the top of the drum 7 as the drum 7 rotates (see the laundry L shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 8), and then falls straight down due to its own weight. As a result, the drum 7 containing the dry laundry L rotates, so that foreign matter such as dust stuck deep inside the laundry L can be knocked out in advance. In this way, the preparation process is a foreign matter removal process.

[0048] Then, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the rotation of the drum 7 started (YES in step S12), the control unit 20 stops the rotation of the drum 7 by stopping the motor 8. This completes the preparation process.

[0049] Next, the control unit 20 executes the care process (step S4). The care process is a process of caring for the fibers S (see FIG. 1) of the laundry L in the drum 7 by using a fabric softener as a treatment agent. As described above, foreign matter is removed from the laundry L in the preparation process before the care process. Therefore, in the care process, the coating agent is spread to every detail of the fibers S of the laundry L from which foreign matter has been removed, thereby enabling the fibers S to be adequately cared for. The care process includes a water supply process, a soaking process after the water supply process, a rotation process after the soaking process, and a shaking process after the rotation process.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 9, in the water supply process (step S21), the control unit 20 opens the water supply valve 11 while keeping the drain valve 12 closed, thereby supplying water into the drum 7. At that time, the control unit 20 opens the supply valve 15 of the fabric softener dispenser 6B to automatically dispense the required amount of fabric softener into the water tub 3, i.e., into the drum 7. As a result, treatment water, which is water with the fabric softener dissolved in it, is automatically generated and accumulates in the drum 7. When the water level in the drum 7 rises to the target water level, the control unit 20 closes the water supply valve 11 and the supply valve 15, thereby ending the water supply process.

[0051] Thereafter, the control unit 20 performs a soaking process (step S22) by immersing the laundry L in the treatment water in the stationary drum 7. This allows the fibers S (see FIG. 1) of the laundry L to be thoroughly coated with the treatment agent. After a predetermined time, for example, several minutes, has elapsed since the start of the soaking process (YES in step S23), the control unit 20 performs a rotation process (step S24).

[0052] During the rotation process, the control unit 20 operates the motor 8 while the treatment water continues to accumulate in the drum 7, thereby rotating the drum 7 at, for example, 45 rpm. At this time, the drum 7 may be rotated continuously in the same direction, or the drum 7 may be rotated alternately in the forward and reverse directions. In either case, the laundry L in the drum 7 (see the laundry L indicated by the solid line in FIG. 10) rises to the top of the drum 7 as the drum 7 rotates (see the laundry L indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 10), and then falls straight down to the water surface W in the drum 7 due to its own weight.

[0053] This rotation process changes the area of ​​the laundry L that comes into contact with the treatment water, allowing the treatment water to penetrate deep into the entire laundry L, effectively coating many of the fibers S with the treatment agent. Then, after a predetermined time, such as several minutes, has elapsed since the drum 7 began to rotate (YES in step S25), the control unit 20 stops the motor 8 to stop the rotation of the drum 7. This ends the rotation process.

[0054] Thereafter, the control unit 20 executes a rocking process (step S26). In the rocking process, the control unit 20 rocks the drum 7 like a cradle by operating the motor 8 while the treatment water continues to accumulate in the drum 7. As an example, if the position of the rotational direction of the drum 7 is 0 degrees when the water surface W is perpendicular to a reference line P that passes through the axis J and extends in the vertical direction Z when viewed from the front as shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 20 alternately rocks the drum 7 counterclockwise to +30 degrees (see FIG. 12) and clockwise to -30 degrees (see FIG. 13).

[0055] This rocking process gently rocks the laundry L, and at the same time, the fibers S of the entire laundry L can be more effectively coated with the treatment agent. Then, when a predetermined time, for example, several minutes, has elapsed since the rocking of the drum 7 began (YES in step S27), the control unit 20 stops the rocking of the drum 7 by stopping the motor 8. This ends the rocking process.

[0056] The control unit 30 repeatedly executes the soaking process, the rotation process, and the shaking process until each process reaches a predetermined number of times, for example, three times. This allows all fibers S of the laundry L to be evenly coated with the treatment agent. Thereafter (YES in step S28), the control unit 30 opens the drain valve 12 to drain the treatment water, and then ends the care process. Returning to FIG. 6, after the care process, the control unit 30 executes a washing process (step S5) and a rinsing process (step S6) to wash the laundry L in the drum 7.

[0057] In the washing process (step S5), the control unit 30 opens the water supply valve 11 while keeping the drain valve 12 closed. This causes water from the water supply channel 4 to flow into the water tub 3 and accumulate therein, causing the water level in the water tub 3 to rise. When the water level in the water tub 3 rises to the target water level, the control unit 20 closes the water supply valve 11. At this time, the control unit 20 opens the dispenser valve 15 of the detergent dispenser 6A to automatically dispense the required amount of detergent into the water tub 3. The detergent may also be manually dispensed into the water tub 3 by the user. The detergent water produced by dissolving the detergent in tap water accumulates in the water tub 3.

[0058] Thereafter, the control unit 20 rotates the drum 7 using the motor 8. This causes the laundry L in the drum 7 to be beaten. In the beating wash, the laundry L is lifted to a certain extent and then falls naturally to the surface of the water, a process known as tumbling. The impact of the tumbling and the detergent components contained in the detergent water accumulated in the drum 7 remove dirt from the laundry L. After a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of tumbling, the control unit 20 opens the drain valve 12 to drain the water.

[0059] At the end of the washing cycle, the control unit 20 executes a spin-drying process. In the spin-drying process, the control unit 20 rotates the drum 7 for spin-drying with the drain valve 12 open. The laundry L in the drum 7 is dehydrated by centrifugal force generated by the spin-drying rotation of the drum 7. Water seeping out of the laundry L during the spin-drying process is discharged to the outside of the machine through the drain channel 5.

[0060] Next, control unit 20 executes the rinsing process (step S6). In the rinsing process, control unit 20 closes drain valve 12, opens water supply valve 11 for a predetermined time, fills water tub 3 with tap water up to a target water level, and then rotates drum 7 using motor 8. The tumbling process described above is then repeated, and laundry L is rinsed with the tap water in drum 7. Note that control unit 20 may automatically dispense a required amount of fabric softener into water tub 3 by also opening dispense valve 15 of fabric softener dispenser 6B when opening water supply valve 11. The required amount of fabric softener dispensed in the care process and the required amount of fabric softener in the rinsing process are not necessarily the same. After a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of tumbling, control unit 20 opens drain valve 12 to drain the water and executes the spin-drying process described above, completing the rinsing process.

[0061] Next, the control unit 20 rotates the drum 7 for dehydration with the drain valve 12 open as the spin cycle (step S7). In other words, the spin cycle is substantially the same as the spin cycle at the end of the washing cycle or the rinsing cycle. The spin cycle may be called the intermediate spin cycle, and the spin cycle may be called the final spin cycle. The final spin cycle and the intermediate spin cycle may differ in the number of rotations of the drum 7 and the rotation time. The current washing operation ends upon completion of the spin cycle.

[0062] As described above, the laundry L in the drum 7 is washed in the washing process after the fibers S are treated with the treatment agent in the care process. The fibers S treated with the treatment agent are in a state in which the surfaces of the fibers S are coated with the treatment agent.

[0063] Therefore, during the washing process, the fibers S do not come into direct contact with each other, which can prevent the laundry L from becoming stiff due to friction between the fibers S. Furthermore, the surface of the fibers S cared for with the treatment agent is maintained in a smooth state with the cuticles K aligned (see Figure 2), which makes it difficult for the fibers S to tangle during the washing process, thereby preventing shrinkage of the laundry L. This allows the laundry L to be washed without deterioration. Furthermore, fibers S that are already damaged can be repaired and restored through the care process.

[0064] Furthermore, in laundry L in which the surface of the fibers S is coated with a treatment agent, water does not easily penetrate into the interior of the fibers S, resulting in a lower moisture retention rate. Therefore, the laundry L can be dehydrated in a short time in the above-mentioned dehydration treatment and dehydration process. Dehydration is one of the causes of deterioration of the laundry L, so being able to dehydrate the laundry L in a short time can further suppress deterioration of the laundry L during the washing operation.

[0065] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0066] For example, a treatment agent other than fabric softener may be used in the care step, and in that case, a dispenser 6 (not shown) dedicated to the treatment agent may be provided separately from the detergent dispenser 6A and fabric softener dispenser 6B.

[0067] In addition, in addition to the care-only course that also performs the preparation and care steps as described above, there is also a normal course that omits the preparation and care steps, and the user may be able to select either course by operating the display operation unit 17. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1 washing machine 6 Input section 7. Drums 8 motors 11 Water supply valve 20 Control Unit L Laundry S fiber

Claims

1. A drive unit that generates torque; a drum serving as a washing tub that receives the torque of the drive unit and rotates while laundry is stored therein; a water supply section for supplying water into the drum; a control unit that executes a preparation step of rotating the drum containing dry laundry by the drive unit, a care step of caring for fibers of the laundry in the drum with a treatment agent after the preparation step, and a washing step of washing the laundry in the drum after the care step, The control unit, in the care step, a water supply process in which water is supplied into the drum by the water supply unit, and treatment water, which is water in which the treatment agent is dissolved, is stored in the drum; After the water supply process, a soaking process is performed in which the laundry is immersed in the treatment water in the drum in a stationary state. a rotation process in which the drum containing the treatment water is rotated by the drive unit after the soaking process; After the rotation process, the washing machine performs a swinging process in which the drum containing the treatment water is swung by the drive unit.

2. The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit repeatedly executes the soaking process, the rotation process, and the vibration process.

3. The treatment agent is a softener, The washing machine further includes an injection unit for injecting fabric softener into the drum, The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit causes the dispenser to dispense fabric softener into the drum during the water supply process.

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