washing machine

Abstract

To provide a washing machine capable of shortening operation time and appropriately suppressing damage to fabrics while ensuring washing performance. [Solution] The washing machine includes a water tub, a spin tub, a motor that rotates and drives the spin tub, a water supply valve that is connected to an external water source and opens and closes a water supply path that supplies water from the external water source into the water tub, an injection unit that injects water flowing through the water supply path, and a control unit that executes a washing operation including a washing step and a rinsing step, and the control unit: The aforementioned In at least one of the washing step and the rinsing step, a spraying operation can be performed in which water is sprayed from a spray unit by controlling a water supply valve, and the spraying operation is performed according to the amount of water supplied in the spraying operation. The above process Change the content of the process.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a washing machine. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technique for improving detergency by penetrating detergent into laundry. Patent Document 1 describes a technique for maintaining rotation of the washing drum at a speed at which dry laundry stops rolling around the inner circumferential surface of the washing drum and begins to stick to the surface due to centrifugal force, and for dispersing dissolved detergent into the washing drum rotating at the speed at which sticking occurs, thereby penetrating the laundry. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-073127 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional technology, detergent is uniformly sprayed over the entire laundry, thereby improving the washing power, but the conventional technology does not take into consideration the reduction of the operation time or the prevention of damage to the laundry. Therefore, the conventional configuration has room for improvement in terms of reducing the operation time and the prevention of damage to the laundry while maintaining the washing performance.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention provides a washing machine that can appropriately shorten the operation time and prevent damage to fabrics while ensuring washing performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] a water supply valve connected to an external water source and opening and closing a water supply path for supplying water from the external water source into the water tub; a main water supply valve opening and closing a main water supply path for supplying water from the external water source between the water tub and the rotatable tub; a spray unit for spraying water flowing through the water supply path; and a control unit for executing a washing operation including a washing step and a rinsing step, wherein the control unit is capable of performing a spraying operation to control the water supply valve to spray water from the spray unit during at least one of the washing step and the rinsing step, before During the injection operation, the main water supply valve is opened to supply water from the main water supply path. When the spraying operation is performed, the washing period or the rinsing period in the step in which the spraying operation is performed is set shorter than when the spraying operation is not performed. . [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing an example of a schematic configuration in which a drum-type washing machine is applied to the washing machine according to the first embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a path of water supplied from an external water source to a washing machine according to a first embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a fine bubble generator in a washing machine according to a first embodiment; [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a fine bubble generator in a washing machine according to a first embodiment; [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an electrical configuration of a washing machine according to a first embodiment; [Figure 6] A flowchart showing an example of the entire process of washing operation for the washing machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of control content of an automatic loading mode in a washing operation in the washing machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the washing periods in the manual loading mode and the automatic loading mode in the washing machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the results of a verification test for checking the difference in cleaning ratio between the manual loading mode and the automatic loading mode for the washing machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a case where the start time of the circulation period is delayed when a spraying operation is performed in the washing machine according to the first embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of control content when a spraying operation is performed during intermediate spin-drying in the washing machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing an example of a schematic configuration when a vertical washing machine is applied to a washing machine according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing other examples of the installation position of the spray unit and the shower water supply path in the washing machine according to the second embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, several embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that substantially the same components in each embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0009] (First embodiment) First, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The washing machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a drum washing machine, for example, of a horizontal axis type in which the rotation axis Ra of the rotating tub 13 is horizontal, or an inclined axis type inclined downward toward the rear. The washing machine 10 has, for example, a washing function and can perform a washing operation including each process of washing, rinsing, and spin-drying. The washing machine 10 may also have, for example, a drying function of a heater type or a heat pump type.

[0010] Washing machine 10 includes outer casing 11, water tub 12, spin tub 13, motor 14, drainage mechanism 15, circulation mechanism 16, operation panel 17, and water supply device 20. In FIG. 1 , the side of washing machine 10 on which it is installed, i.e., the vertically lower side, is referred to as the lower side of washing machine 10, and the side opposite the installation surface, i.e., the vertically upper side, is referred to as the upper side of washing machine 10. Outer casing 11 is formed into a rectangular hollow box shape as a whole by combining metals such as stainless steel plates and resin materials. Outer casing 11 forms the outer shell of washing machine 10. In addition, outer casing 11 has an opening on the front side that connects the inside and outside of outer casing 11, and this opening is opened and closed by a door (not shown).

[0011] Both the water tub 12 and the rotating tub 13 are cylindrical and have a bottom. The water tub 12 is capable of storing water therein. The water tub 12 is disposed within the outer casing 11 and is elastically supported by a suspension (not shown). The water tub 12 has a drain outlet 121 and a water inlet 122. The drain outlet 121 and the water inlet 122 connect the inside and outside of the water tub 12. The drain outlet 121 is located, for example, at the bottom of the water tub 12 and is used to drain water from the water tub 12 to the outside. The water inlet 122 is used to supply water from an external water source, such as a tap, into the water tub 12. The water inlet 122 is located, for example, at the top of the water tub 12, at a position to the left of the center of the water tub 12 in the left-right direction. The water inlet 122 is located at a position where water flowing out from the water inlet 122 hits the outer circumferential surface of the rotating tub 13. That is, the water that has passed through the water inlet 122 is supplied between the water tub 12 and the rotating tub 13 .

[0012] Rotary tub 13 is capable of storing clothes therein and is disposed within water tub 12 so as to be rotatable about rotation axis Ra. Rotary tub 13 is driven to rotate by motor 14. Rotary tub 13 also has a baffle (not shown). A plurality of baffles are provided on the inner peripheral wall of rotary tub 13 and function to agitate and stir up the clothes stored inside rotary tub 13 when rotary tub 13 rotates. Motor 14 is provided on the outside bottom of water tub 12 and functions to rotate rotary tub 13 relative to water tub 12. Motor 14 is configured, for example, as a brushless direct drive motor whose rotation speed can be changed. The center line between water tub 12 and rotary tub 13 coincides with rotation axis Ra of rotary tub 13. In this embodiment, the direction in which rotation axis Ra extends coincides with the front-to-rear direction of washing machine 10.

[0013] Drain mechanism 15 is for draining water in water tub 12 to the outside of washing machine 10. Drain mechanism 15 has drain valve 151 and drain hose 152. Drain valve 151 is configured to be electromagnetically openable and closable. The inlet side of drain valve 151 is connected to drain outlet 121 of water tub 12 via connection hose 181. One end of drain hose 152 is connected to drain valve 151, and the other end is drawn out to the outside of washing machine 10. When drain valve 151 is opened while water is stored in water tub 12, the water stored in water tub 12 is drained to the outside of washing machine 10 through drain hose 152. In other words, drain valve 151 opens and closes a drain path for draining water stored in water tub 12 to the outside.

[0014] Circulation mechanism 16 has the function of injecting water that has flowed out of water tub 12 back into water tub 12. Circulation mechanism 16 has a circulation pump 161, a circulation hose 162, and a water discharge unit 163. Circulation pump 161 has the function of pumping up water from water tub 12. The inlet side of circulation pump 161 is connected to drain outlet 121 of water tub 12 via connection hoses 181 and 182. The outlet side of circulation pump 161 is connected to water discharge unit 163 via circulation hose 162. Circulation hose 162 is formed, for example, from a flexible hose. Water discharge unit 163 is provided, for example, on the upper side of water tub 12, and discharges water toward the inside of water tub 12.

[0015] When the circulation pump 161 is driven with the drain valve 151 closed, the circulation pump 161 pumps up water from the water tank 12 through the drain port 121 and pours the water back into the water tank 12 from the water discharge section 163. A circulation path 164 is formed by a path that runs from the drain port 121 of the water tank 12, via the circulation pump 161, and from the water discharge section 163 back to the water tank 12. The circulation path 164 is provided outside the water tank 12, and is a path that returns water that has flowed out of the water tank 12 back into the water tank 12. The circulation pump 161 circulates the water in the water tank 12 through the circulation path 164. The circulation pump 161 functions as a circulation section that supplies water from the water tank 12 to the circulation path 164.

[0016] Operation panel 17 is provided, for example, on the front portion of the top surface of outer casing 11. Operation panel 17 has a function of accepting operation inputs from the user regarding the settings and operation of washing machine 10, and presenting information regarding the settings and operation of washing machine 10 to the user by display, audio, etc. Operation panel 17 is configured, for example, with a touch panel display.

[0017] Water supply device 20 is used to inject water supplied from an external water source into water tub 12. Water supply device 20 has water supply case 21, water supply hose 22, automatic dosing device 23, multiple mixers 241, 242, sprayer 25, water supply valve unit 26, pressurized dissolving device 27, and micro-bubble generator 30. Water supply case 21 is made of, for example, resin, and has a space formed therein. Water supply case 21 can be formed in the shape of a hollow box extending along the front-to-rear direction of washing machine 10. Water supply case 21 has the function of receiving water supplied from an external water source and supplying the water into water tub 12 via water supply hose 22.

[0018] The water injection hose 22 is formed, for example, by a flexible bellows hose. The water injection hose 22 connects the water injection case 21 to the inside of the water tub 12. One end of the water injection hose 22 is connected to the water injection case 21, and the other end is connected to the water injection port 122. Water supplied from an external water source into the water injection case 21 is supplied into the water tub 12 through the water injection hose 22. A treatment agent case 211 is provided inside the water injection case 21. The treatment agent case 211 is formed, for example, by a resin container, and is configured to be able to store therein an amount of laundry treatment agent, such as detergent and finishing agent, to be used in one washing run. The treatment agent case 211 is removably housed, for example, in the water injection case 21. When a laundry treatment agent is poured into the treatment agent case 211 while the treatment agent case 211 is housed in the water supply case 21, the water supplied from an external water source that flows into the water supply case 21 is mixed with the laundry treatment agent in the water supply case 21, and then supplied into the water tub 12 and the rotary tub 13.

[0019] The automatic dosing device 23 can store an amount of laundry treatment agent needed for multiple wash runs and has the function of automatically dosing the required amount of laundry treatment agent into the water tub 12 as the wash runs progress. Water supplied from an external water source is mixed with the laundry treatment agent supplied from the automatic dosing device 23 in mixing sections 241 and 242, and then supplied to the water tub 12. The automatic dosing device 23 has, for example, a detergent tank 231, a finishing agent tank 232, and a dosing pump 233. The detergent tank 231 and the finishing agent tank 232 function as treatment agent tanks. The detergent tank 231 is used to store an amount of liquid detergent needed for multiple wash runs. The finishing agent tank 232 is used to store an amount of liquid finishing agent needed for multiple wash runs. The dosing pump 233 is, for example, a piston pump, and has the function of individually pumping a predetermined amount of laundry treatment agent from each tank 231 and 232 and supplying it to the mixing sections 241 and 242, respectively.

[0020] The mixing sections 241 and 242 are configured, for example, in the shape of a container capable of storing a certain amount of laundry treatment agent therein. Water is supplied to the mixing sections 241 and 242 from an external water source. Hereinafter, the mixing section 241 may be referred to as the detergent mixing section 241, and the mixing section 242 may be referred to as the finishing agent mixing section 242. The detergent mixed in the detergent tank 231 by the dosing pump 233 temporarily stays in the detergent mixing section 241 until the next water supply is started. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a check valve 234 is provided between the dosing pump 233 and the detergent mixing section 241. The check valve 234 has the function of passing the liquid flowing from the dosing pump 233 to the detergent mixing section 241, but blocking the liquid flowing from the detergent mixing section 241 to the dosing pump 233. This prevents water supplied from an external water source to detergent mixing section 241 from flowing into dosage pump 233 when tap water pressure is applied to the water channel connected to detergent mixing section 241. Hereinafter, dosage pump 233 used to pump detergent from detergent mixing section 241 may be referred to as detergent dosage pump 233.

[0021] The finishing agent mixed in the finishing agent mixing section 242 temporarily holds the finishing agent introduced from the finishing agent tank 232 by the introduction pump 233 until the next water supply is started. The finishing agent introduced into the finishing agent mixing section 242 is mixed with water supplied from an external water source inside the finishing agent mixing section 242, and is then supplied into the water tub 12 via the water supply case 21. The detergent mixing section 241 may also be configured to function as the finishing agent mixing section 242. In other words, the finishing agent sucked from the finishing agent tank 232 by the introduction pump 233 may be introduced into the detergent mixing section 241.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1 , spray unit 25 is provided downstream of detergent mixing unit 241 and connected to detergent mixing unit 241 via water supply hose 28. Spray unit 25 is configured integrally with or separately from water supply hose 28, with a nozzle having one or more small holes sufficiently smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the water channel of water supply hose 28 or a slit hole elongated in the diffusion direction at its outlet. That is, one end of water supply hose 28 is connected to detergent mixing unit 241, and the other end is connected to spray unit 25. Mixed water, which is a mixture of detergent introduced into detergent mixing unit 241 and water supplied to detergent mixing unit 241 from an external water source, is supplied to spray unit 25 through water supply hose 28. Spray unit 25 sprays the mixed water of detergent and water in a shower-like manner, using tap water pressure from, for example, a tap water source, which is an external water source. A shower-like spray is synonymous with a spray-like spray, and refers to a state in which water is sprayed in a dispersed manner under water pressure from a tap water source, for example.

[0023] Spray unit 25 is located outside rotatable tub 13, facing the interior of rotatable tub 13 from above. Spray unit 25 is located, for example, near the inner circumferential surface of water tub 12, above rotation axis Ra. In this embodiment, spray unit 25 is located circumferentially offset from directly above rotation axis Ra, e.g., offset to the left in a front view, as shown in FIG. 1 . Water sprayed from spray unit 25 is sprayed directly toward the clothes in rotatable tub 13. Therefore, detergent first dispensed into detergent mixing unit 241 from dispense pump 233 is dissolved and mixed with water supplied to detergent mixing unit 241 from an external tap water source. The detergent is then directly dispensed onto the dry clothes in water tub 12 and rotatable tub 13 via spray unit 25, which can spray a wide shower-like pattern under tap water pressure. Note that spray unit 25 may also be located directly above rotation axis Ra. In other words, spray unit 25 may be located at a position including the center of water tub 12 in the left-right direction.

[0024] Water supply valve unit 26 has the function of individually opening and closing multiple water supply paths R1, R2, and R3 that lead from an external water source to water tub 12 via water supply device 20. Water supply valve unit 26 is configured as a multiple-unit type having multiple water supply valves 261, 262, and 263, for example, including main water supply valve 261, sub-water supply valve 262, and shower water supply valve 263. Each water supply valve 261, 262, and 263 is a liquid on-off valve that can be electromagnetically opened and closed. As shown in FIG. 1 and other figures, washing machine 10 has main water supply path R1, sub-water supply path R2, and shower water supply path R3. Both main water supply path R1 and shower water supply path R3 are paths that supply water from an external water source to water tub 12. Each water supply path R1, R2, and R3 leads from water supply valve unit 26 to water tub 12 via a different path. The main water supply valve 261 opens and closes the main water supply path R1. The sub water supply valve 262 opens and closes the sub water supply path R2. The shower water supply valve 263 opens and closes the shower water supply path R3. The shower water supply valve 263 functions as a water supply valve, and the shower water supply path R3 functions as a water supply path.

[0025] Each of the water supply paths R1, R2, and R3 has the function of using tap water pressure to supply fine bubble water containing mainly nano-order fine bubbles, specifically ultrafine bubbles, generated by passing through the fine bubble generator 30 to the water tub 12. The main water supply path R1 is a path that runs from the main water supply valve 261 through the fine bubble generator 30, the treatment agent case 211, and the finishing agent mixing section 242 to the water tub 12. The main water supply path R1 branches downstream of the fine bubble generator 30, passes through the treatment agent case 211 or the finishing agent mixing section 242, and then converges inside the water injection case 21. In other words, the main water supply path R1 has the function of supplying the laundry treatment agent dispensed into the treatment agent case 211 to the water tub 12, and also has the function of supplying the finishing agent in the finishing agent tank 232 dispensed in the finishing agent mixing section 242 to the water tub 12 through the inside of the water injection case 21.

[0026] The sub-water supply path R2 is a path that runs from the sub-water supply valve 262 through the pressurized dissolving device 27, the micro-bubble generator 30, and the water injection case 21 to the water tank 12. In this case, the sub-water supply path R2 has the function of supplying microbubble water, which is water supplied from an external water source and has microbubbles added to it, to the water tank 12. Microbubble water means that the concentration of microbubbles generated among the microbubbles contained in the water is higher than the concentration of microbubbles belonging to other orders, such as nano-order or milli-order. The sub-water supply path R2 functions as a microbubble water path.

[0027] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the sub-water supply path R2 is configured as a path within the water inlet case 21 that leads to the water tub 12 without passing through the treatment agent case 211. For example, when a laundry treatment agent is placed in the treatment agent case 211 and water flows simultaneously from the main water supply path R1 and the sub-water supply path R2, the water flowing through the main water supply path R1 and the sub-water supply path R2 is mixed within the water inlet case 21 and then supplied to the water tub 12. The water inlet 122 configures the outlets of the main water supply path R1 and the sub-water supply path R2. In other words, the main water supply path R1 and the sub-water supply path R2 are paths that supply water from an external water source between the water tub 12 and the spin tub 13 via the water inlet 122.

[0028] The shower water supply path R3 is a path that runs from the shower water supply valve 263 through the fine-bubble generator 30, the detergent mixing section 241, and the sprayer 25 to the water tub 12. The sprayer 25 forms the outlet of the shower water supply path R3. The mixed water supplied to the sprayer 25 contains detergent and fine-bubble water. Furthermore, when the shower water supply valve 263 is opened without detergent being added to the detergent mixing section 241, the sprayer 25 uses tap water pressure to spray fine-bubble water that does not contain detergent in a shower-like manner.

[0029] The pressurized dissolving device 27 is located on the sub-water supply path R2 between the sub-water supply valve 262 and the micro-bubble generator 30. The pressurized dissolving device 27 pressurizes water supplied from an external water source using the water's pressure to dissolve air components. The pressurized dissolving device 27 includes a container-like member that is airtight, watertight, and pressure-resistant. Because the pressurized dissolving device 27 has a well-known configuration, detailed description is omitted. For example, the flow path area of ​​the inlet through which water flows into the pressurized dissolving device 27 is larger than the flow path area of ​​the outlet through which water flows out of the pressurized dissolving device 27. This allows the amount of water flowing into the pressurized dissolving device 27 to be greater than the amount of water flowing out of the pressurized dissolving device 27, enabling the water in the pressurized dissolving device 27 to be pressurized using only tap pressure. The pressurized dissolving device 27 pressurizes the water to increase the internal pressure, making it easier for air in the pressurized dissolving device 27 to dissolve in the water stored therein. As a result, the pressurized dissolving device 27 can supply water supplied downstream of the pressurized dissolving device 27 with a larger amount of dissolved air components than normal water that does not pass through the pressurized dissolving device 27.

[0030] The fine bubble generator 30 has the function of generating fine bubbles, including ultrafine bubbles, in a liquid such as water supplied from an external water source as the liquid passes through the fine bubble generator 30. Ultrafine bubbles are bubbles with a particle diameter of 50 nm to less than 1,000 nm. Because of their small particle diameter, ultrafine bubbles can penetrate deep into the fibers of laundry, providing a cleaning effect that removes dirt from objects that cannot be completely removed by other fine bubbles, such as microbubbles, which have larger particle diameters than ultrafine bubbles, due to their low penetration ability. Furthermore, ultrafine bubbles have the properties of nanometer-order particle diameters, low buoyancy, and high hydrophobicity, which makes them difficult to dissolve in water, resulting in a long residence time in liquid.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the micro-bubble generator 30 is provided downstream of each of the water supply valves 261, 262, 263 and outside the water injection case 21. The micro-bubble generator 30 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, and has a diameter and overall length of, for example, several millimeters to several tens of millimeters, specifically, a maximum diameter of approximately 15 mm and a length of approximately 10 mm. As shown in Figure 3, the micro-bubble generator 30 is formed in, for example, a cylindrical shape with a flange. The micro-bubble generator 30 has a main body 40 and a collision section 50. The main body 40 is located upstream of the micro-bubble generator 30.

[0032] The main body 40 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape with a step on the outer circumferential surface. The main body 40 has an inlet 41, an outlet 42, and a flow path 43. The inlet 41 and the outlet 42 are formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape. The inlet 41 is a portion through which water flows from the outside of the main body 40 into the inside. Water that has passed through the water supply valves 261, 262 from an external water source passes through the inlet 41 into the main body 40. The outlet 42 is a portion through which water flows from the inside of the main body 40 to the outside. The inner diameter of the outlet 42 is smaller than the inner diameter of the inlet 41. The flow path 43 is provided inside the main body 40, connects the inlet 41 and the outlet 42, and allows liquid to pass through.

[0033] The flow path 43 includes a throttle portion 431 and a straight portion 432. The throttle portion 431 and the straight portion 432 are provided around the entire inner circumferential surface of the main body 40. The throttle portion 431 is provided on the inlet side, i.e., the upstream side, of the main body 40. The throttle portion 431 is connected to the inlet portion 41 and is provided between the inlet portion 41 and the outlet portion 42. The throttle portion 431 is formed so that the cross-sectional area, i.e., the inner diameter, of the flow path 43 gradually decreases from the inlet portion 41 to a midpoint in the extension direction of the main body 40. In this embodiment, the throttle portion 431 is formed in the shape of a tapered pipe with a truncated cone shape, in which the cross-sectional area, i.e., the inner diameter of the flow path 43, gradually decreases continuously. The throttle portion 431 may be configured so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 43 gradually decreases in a stepped manner.

[0034] The straight section 432 is provided downstream of the throttle section 431. The straight section 432 is connected to the outlet section 42. The straight section 432 is formed in a cylindrical shape, a so-called straight pipe shape, in which the inner diameter does not change, that is, the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 43, i.e., the area through which the liquid can pass, does not change. The inner diameter of the straight section 432 is set to be approximately the same as the minimum inner diameter of the throttle section 431.

[0035] The collision section 50 is intended to generate microscopic bubbles in the liquid passing through the flow path 43 by locally reducing the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 43. The ratio of the cross-sectional area of ​​the collision section 50 to the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 43 can be set to approximately 25% to 45%. As shown in FIG. 4, the collision section 50 is provided near the downstream end of the main body section 40, with at least a portion of it being provided in the straight section 432. The collision section 50 is formed integrally with the main body section 40, for example, by injection molding a synthetic resin material. The collision section 50 does not necessarily have to be formed integrally with the main body section 40, but may also be formed separately.

[0036] The collision section 50 is composed of, for example, three rod-shaped protrusions 51, which protrude from the inner circumferential surfaces of the outlet section 42 and the straight section 432 toward the inside of the flow path 43. In this case, the collision section 50 divides the flow path 43 into multiple sections (in this case, three sections) radially from the center of the flow path 43 along the direction in which the liquid flows. The protrusions 51 are connected at their tips to form an integrated, approximately Y-shape. The area of ​​the gaps formed between the protrusions 51 is the minimum cross-sectional area in the micro-bubble generator 30 through which water can pass. The number of protrusions 51 may be four or more.

[0037] When water flows into the upstream side of the fine-bubble generator 30, the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path is narrowed by the throttle section 431, which is formed so as to gradually reduce the inner diameter. This narrows the flow velocity based on the so-called Bernoulli's theorem of fluid dynamics, and cavitation occurs due to reduced pressure. Then, the high-speed flow collides with the collision section 50, generating shear force and negative pressure in a negative pressure region of, for example, -1.0 MPa or less near the downstream end face of the collision section 50, generating fine bubbles. As a result, the fine-bubble generator 30 generates a large amount of fine bubbles from the air dissolved in the water passing through the fine-bubble generator 30, thereby supplying fine-bubble water containing a larger amount of fine bubbles than before passing through the fine-bubble generator 30. The fine-bubble generator 30 can dramatically improve the amount of microbubbles generated by using the pressurized dissolution device 27 to increase the amount of air dissolved in the water passing through the fine-bubble generator 30.

[0038] In this embodiment, the fine-bubble generator 30 is provided on the shower water supply path R3. Therefore, water passing through the shower water supply path R3 can be used to spray fine-bubble water containing ultra-fine bubbles onto the clothes in the spin tub 13 at an appropriate time during the washing operation. This is expected to improve the cleaning effect, such as removing relatively small stains adhering to the intricate parts of the laundry fibers.

[0039] The operation of washing machine 10 is controlled by control unit 60 shown in FIG. 5. Control unit 60 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having storage areas such as a CPU, ROM, RAM, and rewritable flash memory, and controls the overall operation of washing machine 10. Washing machine 10 also includes weight detection unit 61, rotation speed detection unit 62, and water level detection unit 63. Weight detection unit 61 has a function of detecting the weight of the clothes contained in rotatable tub 13. Weight detection unit 61 measures the load acting on motor 14, for example, by measuring the current flowing through motor 14 when rotatable tub 13 is rotated, and can detect the weight of the clothes contained in rotatable tub 13 based on the load.

[0040] The rotation speed detection unit 62 has a function of detecting the rotation speed of the rotating tub 13. The rotation speed detection unit 62 is composed of, for example, an encoder, and detects the rotation speed of the rotating tub 13 by measuring the rotation speed of the motor 14. The water level detection unit 63 has a function of detecting the water level in the water tub 12. The water level detection unit 63 is composed of, for example, a water level sensor or a pressure sensor. Detection signals from the weight detection unit 61, the rotation speed detection unit 62, and the water level detection unit 63 are input to the control unit 60.

[0041] Motor 14, drain valve 151, circulation pump 161, operation panel 17, input pump 233, main water supply valve 261, sub water supply valve 262, and shower water supply valve 263 are electrically connected to control unit 60 and operate under the control of control unit 60. A storage area of ​​control unit 60 stores a control program for controlling washing machine 10 to perform operation. Each process of control unit 60 is realized by the CPU executing the control program. Control unit 60 receives detection signals from various detection units 61 to 63, and controls the operation of motor 14, drain valve 151, circulation pump 161, operation panel 17, input pump 233, main water supply valve 261, sub water supply valve 262, and shower water supply valve 263 based on the control program to perform operation.

[0042] The control unit 60 controls the opening and closing of the main water supply valve 261 or the shower water supply valve 263 based on the setting of either an automatic supply mode in which detergent is supplied to the water tub 12 by the automatic supply device 23, or a manual supply mode in which the user manually supplies detergent that has been supplied to the treatment agent case 211 into the water tub 12. The user can set either the automatic supply mode or the manual supply mode by performing an input operation on the operation panel 17, for example, before starting a washing operation. When the automatic supply mode is set, the control unit 60 opens the shower water supply valve 263 and the main water supply valve 261 during the period in which detergent is supplied to the water tub 12. On the other hand, when the manual supply mode is set, the control unit 60 opens the main water supply valve 261 and closes the shower water supply valve 263 during the period in which detergent is supplied to the water tub 12.

[0043] When the user inputs an instruction to operate operation panel 17 to start the washing operation, control unit 60 starts the flow shown in FIG. 6 (START). First, control unit 60 detects the weight of the clothes in spin tub 13 (Step S11). Next, control unit 60 uses operation panel 17 to display information about the operation, such as the amount of water to be supplied during the washing process and the amount of detergent to be dispensed (Step S12). The amount of water to be supplied during the washing process and the amount of detergent to be dispensed are determined based on the weight of the clothes detected by weight detection unit 61, for example. Thereafter, control unit 60 sequentially executes a washing process (Step S13) to wash the clothes, a rinsing process (Step S14) to rinse the clothes, and a spin-drying process (Step S15) to spin-dry the clothes.

[0044] In the washing process, as shown in Fig. 7, the water is drained after the water supply period and the washing period. In Fig. 7 and other figures, the parts driven by the control unit 60, i.e., parts that are operating, are shown in black, and the parts not driven by the control unit 60, i.e., parts that are stopped, are shown in white. The water supply period in the washing process is a period set at the beginning of the washing process, and is a period during which water is supplied from the main water supply path R1 and the shower water supply path R3 until a predetermined water level is reached in the water tub 12. In the water supply period in the washing process, water may be supplied using the sub-water supply path R2 alone or in parallel with the main water supply path R1.

[0045] The control unit 60 can perform a spraying operation in which the shower water supply valve 263 is controlled to spray water from the sprayer 25 during at least one of the washing process and the rinsing process. The spraying operation performed by the control unit 60 differs between the washing process and the rinsing process. In the spraying operation in the washing process, the control unit 60 can perform an operation in which the shower water supply valve 263 and the detergent dosing pump 233 are controlled to spray a mixture of detergent and fine-bubble water containing ultra-fine bubbles from the sprayer 25. On the other hand, in the spraying operation in the rinsing process, the control unit 60 controls the shower water supply valve 263 to spray fine-bubble water from the sprayer 25. That is, the control unit 60 drives the dosing pump 233 in the spraying operation performed in the washing process, but does not drive the dosing pump 233 in the spraying operation performed in the rinsing process.

[0046] Here, the spraying action, which is a shower action, is expected to have the effect of penetrating water deep into the fibers of the clothes from the beginning of the water supply period. In other words, the spraying action can achieve a cleaning effect equivalent to the effect of soaking clothes in wash water. Furthermore, if the spraying action is performed during the water supply period, which is executed before the washing period of the washing process and the rinsing period of the rinsing process, in which the clothes in the rotatable tub 13 are agitated, the time required for the subsequent washing and rinsing periods can be shortened compared to when the spraying action is not performed. Furthermore, during the washing process, even when the water level in the water tub 12 from the main water supply path R1 is low enough not to reach the clothes, the spraying action can bring the detergent-water mixture into contact with the clothes in a shower-like manner, allowing a more highly concentrated detergent water to be directly supplied to the clothes over a wide area and penetrate deep into the fibers, thereby achieving high cleaning performance during the agitation action in the subsequent washing period.

[0047] For example, as shown in Figure 8, in manual loading mode, where the spraying operation is not performed, laundry is simply submerged during the water supply period T1, and no cleaning effect is achieved. Therefore, a washing period T2 is set to achieve a predetermined cleaning effect. On the other hand, in automatic loading mode, the spraying operation is performed during the water supply period T1, and the subsequent washing period T3 and the water supply period T1 can be combined to achieve a cleaning effect equivalent to the washing period T2 in manual loading mode. Therefore, the washing period T3 in automatic loading mode can be set shorter than the washing period T2 in manual loading mode. Furthermore, when comparing the end points of the process, the end point of the process in automatic loading mode can be advanced by a certain period ΔT, which is the difference between the washing period T2 in manual loading mode and the washing period T3 in automatic loading mode.

[0048] Figure 9 shows the results of a verification test that confirmed the cleaning ratio between the manual loading mode and the automatic loading mode when the fixed time ΔT was set to 2.5 minutes. The cleaning ratio is an index of cleaning power, and is the ratio of the cleaning performance of a test washing machine to that of a standard washing machine. It is specified in the Japanese Industrial Standard "Performance Measurement Method for Household Electric Washing Machines (JISC9811)." As shown in Figure 9, even when the wash time in the automatic loading mode was shortened by 2.5 minutes compared to the manual loading mode, it was confirmed that the standard value for ensuring cleaning performance was met and a cleaning ratio approximately equivalent to that of the manual loading mode was obtained. Furthermore, the cleaning effect of the spray action can be obtained not only in the washing process but also in the rinsing process. In this way, the cleaning effect of the spray action can shorten the operating time. Furthermore, the time required to agitate the clothes in the spin tub 13 can be shortened, thereby reducing damage to the clothes.

[0049] Therefore, when a spraying operation is performed, the control unit 60 sets the agitation time for the washing process and rinsing process in which the spraying operation is performed to be shorter than when a spraying operation is not performed. The agitation time corresponds to, for example, the time for which the motor 14 that drives the rotatable tub 13 is operated during the washing period. For example, when a spraying operation is performed only in the washing process, the control unit 60 sets the agitation time for the washing process to be shorter, but does not change the agitation time for the rinsing process. Furthermore, when a spraying operation is performed in both the washing process and the rinsing process, the control unit 60 sets the agitation time for both the washing process and the rinsing process to be shorter.

[0050] In this way, the control unit 60 can change the content of the washing process and rinsing process in which the spraying operation is performed depending on whether or not the spraying operation is performed. Also, the control unit 60 can set a shorter agitation time for the washing process and rinsing process in which the spraying operation is performed, because the greater the amount of water supplied in the spraying operation, the greater the cleaning effect can be expected. This makes it possible to shorten the time required for operation while ensuring the cleaning effect. Also, shortening the agitation time can prevent damage to the fabric.

[0051] Furthermore, the cleaning effect of the spraying operation can be substituted for the cleaning effect of agitation in the rotatable tub 13 during the washing or rinsing period. Therefore, the controller 60 sets a weaker agitation force for the washing and rinsing processes in which the spraying operation is performed, the greater the amount of water supplied during the spraying operation. In other words, even if the controller 60 sets a weaker agitation force for the washing and rinsing processes in which the spraying operation is performed than when the spraying operation is not performed, the standard value for ensuring cleaning performance can be satisfied and a cleaning ratio approximately equivalent to that when the spraying operation is not performed can be obtained. The agitation force refers to, for example, the rotation speed and on / off duty of the motor 14. This ensures cleaning effectiveness while preventing damage to the fabric.

[0052] Furthermore, while the spraying operation is being performed, the control unit 60 can open the main water supply valve 261 to supply water into the water tub 12 through the main water supply path R1. This allows water to be quickly supplied to the specified water level in the water tub 12, and because the main water supply path R1 supplies water from between the water tub 12 and the rotatable tub 13, it is possible to delay as much as possible the dilution of the high-concentration detergent water supplied by the spraying operation, thereby maintaining high-concentration washing performance for a long time. Furthermore, while the spraying operation is being performed, the control unit 60 executes an operating operation including an agitation operation that drives the motor 14 to agitate the clothes in the rotatable tub 13. The operating operation includes a stop operation that stops the motor 14 to stop the rotation of the rotatable tub 13.

[0053] In this embodiment, the control unit 60 drives the motor 14 to perform the agitation operation. The rotation speed of the rotatable tub 13 during the agitation operation can be set to a rotation speed at which the clothes in the rotatable tub 13 stick to the inner wall of the rotatable tub 13, are lifted, and then fall due to gravity. This allows the clothes in the rotatable tub 13 to be appropriately lifted and agitated during the spraying operation. Therefore, by combining the spraying operation with the agitation operation, the contact surface with the clothes can be effectively changed, thereby improving the washing performance of the clothes evenly. Note that during the spraying operation, the motor 14 is not limited to being constantly driven, and the motor 14 may be driven intermittently, that is, alternately operating and stopping.

[0054] Furthermore, during the spraying operation, the rotation direction of rotatable tub 13 due to the agitation operation is set in a direction in which sprayer 25 is offset from rotation axis Ra. In this embodiment, sprayer 25 is offset to the left from rotation axis Ra, so the rotation direction of rotatable tub 13 due to the agitation operation is set to the same leftward direction. This allows the rotation direction of the clothes rotating inside rotatable tub 13 and the direction of water sprayed from sprayer 25 to be opposed to each other, allowing water to come into contact with the clothes effectively.

[0055] Next, details of the control during the washing and rinsing processes when the spraying operation is performed will be described. During the spraying operation during the washing process, the control unit 60 alternately drives the supply pump 233 to supply detergent from the detergent tank 231 to the detergent mixing section 241 and opens the shower water supply valve 263 to supply fine-bubble water to the detergent mixing section 241 using tap water pressure. In other words, during the spraying operation during the washing process, the control unit 60 does not simultaneously supply detergent to the detergent mixing section 241 and supply fine-bubble water to the detergent mixing section 241. This control operation and the function of the check valve 234 prevent a problem such as the water pressure of the fine-bubble water supplied to the detergent mixing section 241, i.e., tap water pressure, pushing back the detergent, preventing detergent from being supplied from the detergent tank 231 via the supply pump 233.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 7, the control unit 60 dispenses detergent into the detergent mixing unit 241 for the first time in the washing cycle, simultaneously with the display of the amount of detergent, which is the operation content, on the operation panel 17 before the washing cycle. This allows detergent to be dispensed and mixed early when the washing cycle starts and when the supply of fine bubble water containing ultra-fine bubbles from the shower water supply path R3 into the water tub 12 begins simultaneously with the start of water supply from the main water supply valve 261. Then, at the beginning of the washing cycle, before the detergent-free water from the main water supply path R1 penetrates the fibers of the clothes in the spin tub 13, the high-concentration detergent-mixed water containing a mixture of ultra-fine bubbles and detergent is sprayed onto the clothes in a shower using the high-speed water supply and its mechanical force, thereby effectively reaching deep into the fibers.

[0057] As described above, the control unit 60 then causes the spray unit 25 to spray the mixed water in a shower-like manner onto the clothes in the spin tub 13 that do not contain moisture from the water supplied from the external water source. By spraying the mixed water containing detergent and fine-bubble water onto the dry clothes in this way, the detergent and fine-bubble water can be effectively absorbed into the clothes before the water not containing detergent is supplied from the external water source. This improves the cleanliness of the clothes and shortens the time required for the washing process.

[0058] The control unit 60 can also perform multiple spraying operations during the water supply period of the washing cycle. That is, the control unit 60 divides a predetermined amount of detergent according to the weight of the laundry and dispenses it into the water tub 12 via the shower water supply path R3. In this embodiment, the number of spraying operations is set to three, alternating between detergent dispensing by the detergent dispensing pump 233 and water supply from the spray unit 25, but this is not limited to this. By performing multiple spraying operations, the amount dispensed per operation can be reduced, allowing the detergent mixing unit 241 to be made more compact. Furthermore, by mixing a predetermined amount of detergent with fine-bubble water in the detergent mixing unit 241, dividing the mixture, and dispensing it into the water tub 12, the detergent and fine-bubble water mixture can be more uniformly sprayed onto the clothes in the rotating tub 13 that is being agitated. The time for which the shower water supply valve 263 is opened during multiple spraying operations can be set to, for example, about 20 seconds.

[0059] The control unit 60 can change the time for which the shower water supply valve 263 is opened during multiple spraying operations. In this case, the control unit 60 can set the time for which the shower water supply valve 263 is opened during the final spraying operation to be longer than the time for the previous spraying operations. This allows the detergent absorbed by the clothes present opposite the sprayer 25 to be expelled from the clothes, thereby distributing the detergent throughout the rotatable tub 13. In addition, the end time of the final spraying operation is set before the end of the water supply period of the washing process. This prevents the detergent soaked into the clothes in the rotatable tub 13 from being diluted by the sprayed water.

[0060] Furthermore, during the water supply period of the washing process, motor 14 is driven at all times to agitate the clothes in rotatable tub 13. This allows the mixed water to penetrate the clothes evenly. In this embodiment, the mixed water contains fine bubble water including ultrafine bubbles, which allows a highly concentrated detergent to penetrate the inside of the clothes more quickly and efficiently. This improves washing performance. Furthermore, during the water supply period of the washing process, motor 14 may be driven to rotate rotatable tub 13 simultaneously with water supply via shower water supply path R3. This allows the clothes to be agitated at the same time that the mixed water comes into contact with the clothes in rotatable tub 13. This allows for effective washing during the water supply period of the washing process.

[0061] During the washing period, the circulation pump 161 and the motor 14 are driven to supply water from the circulation path 164 and agitate the clothes in the rotatable tub 13. That is, during the washing process, water is supplied from the shower water supply path R3 into the water tub 12, and then water is supplied from the circulation path 164. This allows the clothes to be left soaked for a certain period of time after the water mixed with a high concentration of detergent is sprayed onto them from the sprayer 25 through the shower water supply path R3. This prevents the detergent that has soaked into the clothes in the rotatable tub 13 from being diluted too quickly, thereby improving the washing performance of the clothes. When draining water during the washing process, the control unit 60 drives the drain valve 151 to open the drain path.

[0062] Note that when the spraying operation is performed, the control unit 60 may start the circulation period for driving the circulation pump 161 later than when the spraying operation is not performed. In this embodiment, the circulation period is included in the wash period. In this case, as shown in the example of FIG. 10, when the spraying operation is performed, the control unit 60 drives the circulation pump 161 to circulate the water in the water tub 12 a predetermined time Td later than when the spraying operation is not performed. This makes it possible to extend and improve the soaking effect of the detergent water that has penetrated deep into the fibers of the clothes due to the spraying operation.

[0063] Furthermore, when performing the spraying operation, the control unit 60 can delay the start of the circulation period for driving the circulation pump 161 depending on the amount of water supplied in the spraying operation. For example, the control unit 60 delays the start of the circulation period for driving the circulation pump 161 because the greater the amount of water supplied in the spraying operation, the greater the soaking effect required. This allows the control unit 60 to appropriately delay dilution by circulating water depending on the amount of high-concentration detergent water that has penetrated deep into the fibers of the clothes due to the spraying operation, thereby achieving the soaking effect.

[0064] During the rinsing cycle, multiple sets, for example, two sets, each consisting of an intermediate spin cycle, a water supply period, a rinse period, and drainage, are repeated. During the intermediate spin cycle, motor 14 is driven to spin the laundry in rotatable tub 13, and control unit 60 drives drain valve 151 to open the drainage path. As shown in the example of FIG. 11, control unit 60 can open shower water supply valve 263 to perform a spraying operation during intermediate spin cycle. This can improve rinsing performance. The spraying operation performed during intermediate spin cycle may be performed during part of the intermediate spin cycle. During the water supply period of the rinsing cycle, water is supplied from main water supply path R1 and shower water supply path R3 to the water tub 12 until a predetermined water level is reached. During the water supply period of the rinsing cycle, water may be supplied using sub-water supply path R2 alone or in parallel with main water supply path R1.

[0065] During the water supply period of the rinsing process, the control unit 60 can control the shower water supply valve 263 to perform a spraying operation to spray fine bubble water from the spray unit 25. This allows the ultra-fine bubbles contained in the fine bubble water to be delivered deep into the fibers, allowing detergent components remaining deep within the fibers to be efficiently expelled, improving rinsing performance, compared to when simple tap water is sprayed onto clothes. Hereinafter, the spraying operation in the rinsing process may be referred to as the shower operation.

[0066] During the shower operation, the control unit 60 opens the main water supply valve 261 to supply water into the water tub 12 from the main water supply path R1. As shown in FIG. 7 , during the water supply period of the rinsing process, for example, the main water supply valve 261 and the shower water supply valve 263 are constantly open, and water is constantly supplied to the water tub 12 via the main water supply path R1 and the shower water supply path R3. During the water supply period of the rinsing process, water is supplied from the main water supply path R1 and fine-bubble water is simultaneously sprayed from the spray unit 25 onto clothes that have stuck to the inner circumferential wall of the rotatable tub 13 due to centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotatable tub 13 during intermediate spin drying. This allows the fine-bubble water containing ultra-fine bubbles, which provides a better rinsing effect on clothes that have stuck to the inner circumferential wall of the rotatable tub 13 than spraying ordinary water such as tap water, to be sprayed evenly onto the rotating clothes. Furthermore, the fine bubble water can penetrate deep into the fibers from the start of the rinsing process before the circulation pump 161 starts operating, thereby achieving an efficient rinsing effect and extending the time during which the rinsing effect is obtained as long as possible.

[0067] During the water supply period of the rinsing process, the circulation pump 161 and the motor 14 are driven to supply water from the circulation path 164 and agitate the clothes in the rotatable tub 13. That is, the control unit 60 performs an operating operation, including an agitation operation, by driving the motor 14 to rotate the rotatable tub 13 during the showering operation. In this embodiment, the control unit 60 performs the agitation operation simultaneously with the start of the showering operation. That is, during the water supply period of the rinsing process, the motor 14 can be driven to rotate the rotatable tub 13 simultaneously with the supply of water via the shower water supply path R3. This allows the clothes in the rotatable tub 13 to be agitated at the same time that the fine bubble water comes into contact with them. This allows for a rinsing effect to be achieved during the water supply period of the rinsing process.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 7 , the circulation pump 161 is driven during the water supply period of the rinsing cycle after a certain period of time has elapsed since the main water supply path R1 and the shower water supply path R3 were opened. This is to prevent the circulation pump 161 from running dry by driving the circulation pump 161 after the water level in the water tub 12 reaches a certain level or higher. During the rinsing cycle, for example, the rotatable tub 13 is rotated with water stored in the water tub 12. During the rinsing cycle, the rotatable tub 13 may be rotated while water is being supplied and drained. If fabric softener is added as a finishing agent to the treatment agent case 211, the fabric softener is supplied into the water tub 12 via the main water supply path R1 during the second rinsing cycle. During drainage during the rinsing cycle, the control unit 60 drives the drain valve 151 to open the drain path. During the spin cycle, the motor 14 is driven to spin-dry the clothes in the spin tub 13, and the control unit 60 drives the drain valve 151 to open the drain path.

[0069] According to the embodiment described above, washing machine 10 includes water tub 12, rotatable tub 13, motor 14, shower water supply valve 263, sprayer 25, and controller 60. Rotatable tub 13 is provided within water tub 12 and is rotatable around rotation axis Ra. Shower water supply valve 263 is connected to an external water source and opens and closes shower water supply path R3, which supplies water from the external water source into water tub 12. Sprayer 25 forces and sprays water flowing through shower water supply path R3 in a shower-like manner. Controller 60 executes a washing operation including a washing process and a rinsing process.

[0070] The control unit 60 can perform a spraying operation in which the shower water supply valve 263 is controlled to spray water from the sprayer 25 during at least one of the washing process and the rinsing process. The control unit 60 then changes the content of the washing process and the rinsing process in which the spraying operation is performed depending on the amount of water supplied during the spraying operation. This allows the optimal operation content to be set depending on the amount of water supplied during the spraying operation. This makes it possible to appropriately shorten the operation time and prevent damage to fabrics while ensuring washing performance. Of course, depending on the amount of water supplied includes a comparison between whether or not the spraying operation is performed.

[0071] The control unit 60 sets a shorter agitation time for the washing and rinsing processes in which the spraying operation is performed, as the amount of water supplied during the spraying operation increases. This ensures a predetermined level of cleaning performance through the spraying operation, so the agitation time can be set shorter as the amount of water supplied during the spraying operation increases. This reduces the time required for operation while minimizing damage to fabrics.

[0072] The control unit 60 sets a weaker agitation force for the washing and rinsing processes in which the spraying operation is performed as the amount of water supplied increases. This ensures a predetermined level of cleaning performance through the spraying operation, so the agitation force can be set weaker as the amount of water supplied increases, thereby reducing damage to the fabric.

[0073] The washing machine 10 includes treatment agent tanks 231 and 232, a dosing pump 233, and mixers 241 and 242. The treatment agent tanks 231 and 232 are capable of storing laundry treatment agent. The dosing pump 233 pumps a predetermined amount of laundry treatment agent from the treatment agent tanks 231 and 232. The mixers 241 and 242 are located downstream of the dosing pump 233 and mix water from an external water source with the laundry treatment agent pumped by the dosing pump 233. The control unit 60 drives the dosing pump 233 in the spraying operation performed in the washing cycle, but does not drive the dosing pump 233 in the spraying operation performed in the rinsing cycle. This allows the mixed water, which is a mixture of water and detergent, to efficiently penetrate into the clothes in the washing cycle. Meanwhile, in the rinsing cycle, the water sprayed from the sprayer 25 is used as a shower to efficiently remove detergent components remaining deep within the fibers of the clothes. This effectively achieves washing and rinsing performance.

[0074] Washing machine 10 further includes main water supply valve 261. Main water supply valve 261 opens and closes main water supply path R1, which supplies water from an external water source between water tub 12 and rotatable tub 13. Then, control unit 60 opens main water supply valve 261 to supply water from main water supply path R1 while the spraying operation is being performed. This increases the amount of water supplied per hour to water tub 12 while the spraying operation is being performed, thereby shortening the water supply time. This makes it possible to improve washing performance while preventing the operation time from becoming longer.

[0075] During the spraying operation, the control unit 60 drives the motor 14 to perform an operation including an agitation operation that agitates the clothes in the rotatable tub 13. This encourages the clothes in the rotatable tub 13 to be replaced by agitation, so that the water sprayed from the spray unit 25 can be evenly brought into contact with all of the clothes in the rotatable tub 13. This further improves the washing performance.

[0076] The rotation speed of rotatable tub 13 during the agitation operation is the rotation speed at which the clothes in rotatable tub 13 stick to the inner peripheral wall of rotatable tub 13, are lifted, and then fall due to gravity. This allows the water sprayed from sprayer 25 to come into uniform contact with the clothes while loosening the clothes in rotatable tub 13, thereby improving washing performance.

[0077] Spray unit 25 is provided above rotation axis Ra of rotatable tub 13, at a position offset in the circumferential direction from directly above rotation axis Ra. The rotation direction of rotatable tub 13 during agitation is set such that spray unit 25 is offset from rotation axis Ra. This allows water sprayed from spray unit 25 to face the clothes in rotatable tub 13, thereby effectively contacting them. This further improves washing performance.

[0078] Washing machine 10 further includes circulation path 164 and circulation pump 161. Circulation path 164 is provided outside water tub 12 and circulates the water in water tub 12. Circulation pump 161 supplies water in water tub 12 to circulation path 164. When performing the spraying operation, control unit 60 delays the start of the circulation period for driving circulation pump 161 depending on the amount of water supplied during the spraying operation. This delay in the start of the circulation period delays the dilution of the high-concentration detergent water that has penetrated deep into the fibers of the clothes by the spraying operation with the circulating water, thereby achieving a more sufficient soaking effect. This improves cleaning performance.

[0079] The rinsing process also includes an intermediate spin cycle in which the clothes in the spin tub 13 are dehydrated. The control unit 60 executes a spraying operation during the intermediate spin cycle. This allows the detergent components remaining deep within the clothes fibers to be efficiently expelled from the machine due to the synergistic effect of the centrifugal force generated during the intermediate spin cycle and the spraying force generated by the spraying operation. This further improves the rinsing effect.

[0080] The washing machine 10 further includes a fine-bubble generator 30. The fine-bubble generator 30 is provided downstream of the shower water supply valve 263 and generates fine-bubble water by adding fine bubbles such as ultrafine bubbles to the water passing through it. This allows the fine-bubble water to penetrate into the fibers, resulting in high cleaning and rinsing performance.

[0081] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 12. In this second embodiment, a washing machine is applied to a so-called vertical washing machine 70, whose rotation axis is vertical. Washing machine 70 shown in FIG. 12 includes an outer case 71, a water tub 72, a rotating tub 73, a motor 74, an agitator 75, a drainage mechanism 76, an operation panel 77, water supply device 20, and a control unit 60. Washing machine 70 also includes a weight detection unit, a rotation speed detection unit, and a water level detection unit (not shown) that have the same functions as weight detection unit 61, rotation speed detection unit 62, and water level detection unit 63 provided in washing machine 10. Control unit 60 of washing machine 70 receives detection signals from the various detection units and controls the operation of motor 74, drain valve 761, operation panel 77, and water supply device 20 based on a control program to perform operation.

[0082] Outer case 71 forms the outer shell of washing machine 70. Water tub 72 and rotatable tub 73 are both formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom. Water tub 72 can store water therein. Water tub 72 is disposed within outer case 71 and is elastically supported by a suspension (not shown). Water tub 72 has a drain outlet 721 and a water inlet 722. Drain outlet 721 and water inlet 722 communicate between the inside and outside of water tub 72. Drain outlet 721 is provided, for example, at the bottom of water tub 72 and is a part that drains water from water tub 72 to the outside. Water inlet 722 is a part that supplies water supplied from an external water source into water tub 72 and is connected to water inlet hose 22. Water inlet 722 is provided, for example, at the top of water tub 72. Water inlet 722 is provided at a position where water flowing out from water inlet 722 hits the outer peripheral surface of rotatable tub 73. That is, the water that has passed through the water inlet 722 is supplied between the water tank 72 and the rotating tank 73 .

[0083] Rotary tub 73 is capable of storing clothes therein and is disposed within water tub 72 so as to be rotatable about rotation axis Rb. Rotary tub 73 is driven to rotate by motor 74. Motor 74 is provided on the outside of the bottom of water tub 72 and rotates rotary tub 73. Agitator 75 is provided on the inner bottom of rotary tub 73 so as to be rotatable about rotation axis Rb. Agitator 75 is connected to motor 74 and is driven to rotate by motor 74. A plurality of rear blades 751 are provided on the underside of agitator 75. A rear blade housing 752 capable of housing rear blade 751 is formed in the space between the bottom of rotary tub 73 and the underside of agitator 75. When rear blade 751 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of agitator 75, water in rear blade housing 752 is pushed outward in the radial direction.

[0084] As shown in Fig. 12, a balance ring 78 is attached to the top of the spin tub 73. The balance ring 78 is configured, for example, in a circular ring shape and is provided around the entire inner periphery of an opening (not shown) located on the top surface of the spin tub 73. The balance ring 78 is filled with a liquid such as salt water, and has the function of correcting vibrations caused by unevenly distributed laundry during rotation of the spin tub 73 by shifting the filled liquid appropriately to achieve balance.

[0085] Drain mechanism 76 is for draining water in water tub 72 to the outside of washing machine 70. Drain mechanism 76 has drain valve 761 and drain hose 762. Drain valve 761 is configured to be electromagnetically openable and closable. The inlet side of drain valve 761 is connected to drain outlet 721 of water tub 72 via connection hose 763. One end of drain hose 762 is connected to drain valve 761, and the other end is drawn out to the outside of washing machine 70. Drain valve 761 opens and closes a drain path for draining water stored in water tub 72 to the outside. Operation panel 77 is provided, for example, on the front part of the top surface of outer casing 71. Operation panel 77 has a function of receiving operation inputs from the user regarding the settings and operation of washing machine 70 and presenting information regarding the settings and operation of washing machine 70 to the user by display, audio, etc.

[0086] Washing machine 70 also includes water passage forming member 81. As shown in FIG. 12, water passage forming member 81 is provided on the inner periphery of rotatable tub 73 and extends along the inner periphery of rotatable tub 73. Water passage forming member 81 extends in the axial direction of rotatable tub 73, for example, from the outer periphery of agitator impeller 75 to the lower end of balance ring 78. Water passage forming member 81 forms water passage 82. Water passage 82 functions as a circulation path. Water in water tub 72 pumped up from the bottom of water tub 72 flows through water passage 82. Water passage 82 can pass water pushed radially outward by rear blade 751 of agitator impeller 75 as agitator impeller 75 rotates. That is, rear blade 751 has a pumping function that raises water in water tub 72 through water passage 82. In this case, rear blade 751 functions as a circulation section.

[0087] Water pushed out from rear blade housing 752 by rear blade 751 of agitator impeller 75 rises in water passage 82 and is then returned from discharge port 83 into rotatable tub 73. In this way, washing machine 70 can circulate water in water tub 72 via water passage 82. Washing machine 70 may be configured to include a dedicated pump device instead of rear blade 751, and the pump device may circulate water stored in water tub 72 through water passage 82. In this embodiment, spray unit 25 is provided at a position facing rotatable tub 73 from above. Water sprayed from spray unit 25 is dispersed over a wide area by spray unit 25 and sprayed directly toward the clothes in rotatable tub 73. This second embodiment also provides the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0088] In washing machine 70, water sprayed from spray unit 25 is not limited to being sprayed directly onto the clothes in rotatable tub 73, but may also be indirectly supplied toward the clothes in rotatable tub 73. In this case, as shown in the example of FIG. 13, water sprayed from spray unit 25 can be supplied into rotatable tub 73 via the inside of water injection case 21. In the example of FIG. 13, washing machine 70 includes partition unit 701, water supply member 702, and agitator 703. Partition unit 701 is used to divide the internal space of water injection case 21 into multiple spaces, in this case two spaces. The internal space of water injection case 21 is divided by partition unit 701 into a first space S1 through which water passing through main water supply path R1 and sub-water supply path R2 flows, and a second space S2 through which water passing through shower water supply path R3 flows.

[0089] Water supply member 702 is a part that connects water injection case 21 and the inside of water tub 72. One end of water supply member 702 is connected to water injection case 21, and the other end is located at the top of rotatable tub 73. Water supply member 702 receives water that has flowed through second space S2 of water injection case 21 and supplies it into water tub 72. Water supply member 702 forms the outlet of shower water supply path R3. Stirring unit 703 is provided between spray unit 25 and water supply member 702. Stirring unit 703 is formed, for example, by including a member having a comb-like shape, and has the function of rapidly stirring the water sprayed from spray unit 25.

[0090] For example, a portion of the detergent-water mixture sprayed from sprayer 25 is agitated as it passes through agitator 703, and is generated into foam containing a high concentration of detergent while flowing through agitator 703. The foamy mixed water then passes through water supply member 702 and permeates the clothes in rotating tub 73. This allows washing machine 70 to appropriately shorten operation time and prevent damage to clothes while ensuring washing performance.

[0091] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 10, 70... washing machine, 12, 72... water tank, 13, 73... rotating tank, 14, 74... motor, 25... spray unit, 263... shower water supply valve (water supply valve), 60... control unit, R3... shower water supply path (water supply path)

Claims

1. Aquarium and a rotating tank provided in the water tank and rotatable around a rotation axis; a motor that rotates the rotating tub; a water supply valve connected to an external water source and configured to open and close a water supply path for supplying water from the external water source into the water tank; a main water supply valve that opens and closes a main water supply path that supplies water from the external water source between the water tub and the rotating tub; an ejection unit that ejects water flowing through the water supply path; a control unit that executes a washing operation including a washing process and a rinsing process, The control unit In at least one of the washing step and the rinsing step, a spraying operation can be performed by controlling the water supply valve to spray water from the spray unit, During the injection operation, the main water supply valve is opened to supply water from the main water supply path; When the spraying operation is performed, the washing period or the rinsing period in the step in which the spraying operation is performed is set to be shorter than when the spraying operation is not performed. washing machine.

2. Aquarium and a rotating tank provided in the water tank and rotatable around a rotation axis; a motor that rotates the rotating tub; a water supply valve connected to an external water source and configured to open and close a water supply path for supplying water from the external water source into the water tank; a main water supply valve that opens and closes a main water supply path that supplies water from the external water source between the water tub and the rotating tub; an ejection unit that ejects water flowing through the water supply path; a control unit that executes a washing operation including a washing process and a rinsing process, The control unit In at least one of the washing step and the rinsing step, a spraying operation can be performed by controlling the water supply valve to spray water from the spray unit, During the injection operation, the main water supply valve is opened to supply water from the main water supply path; When the injection operation is performed, the stirring force in the process in which the injection operation is performed is set to be weaker than when the injection operation is not performed. washing machine.

3. The control unit sets the washing period or the rinsing period of the step in which the spraying operation is performed to be shorter as the amount of water supplied in the spraying operation is larger. The washing machine according to claim 1.

4. The control unit sets the stirring force for the process in which the spraying operation is performed to be weaker as the amount of water supplied in the spraying operation is greater. The washing machine according to claim 2.

5. a treatment tank capable of storing a laundry treatment agent; a dosing pump that pumps a predetermined amount of the laundry treatment agent from the treatment agent tank; a mixing unit provided downstream of the injection pump for mixing water from the external water source with the laundry treatment agent pumped out by the injection pump, The control unit drives the supply pump during the spraying operation performed in the washing step, and does not drive the supply pump during the spraying operation performed in the rinsing step. The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The control unit drives the motor to perform an operation including an agitation operation for agitating the clothes in the rotating tub during the spraying operation. The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The rotation speed of the rotating tub during the stirring operation is a rotation speed at which the clothes in the rotating tub stick to the inner peripheral wall of the rotating tub, are lifted up, and then fall due to gravity. The washing machine according to claim 6.

8. the injection unit is provided above the rotation shaft of the rotation tub and at a position shifted in a circumferential direction from directly above the rotation shaft, The rotation direction of the rotating tank during the stirring operation is set in a direction in which the injection part is shifted from the rotation axis. The washing machine according to claim 6.

9. a circulation path provided outside or inside the water tank for circulating water in the water tank; a circulation unit that supplies water in the water tank to the circulation path, When the control unit executes the spraying operation, the control unit delays the start time of a circulation period in which the circulation unit is driven in accordance with the amount of water supplied in the spraying operation. The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2.

10. The rinsing step includes an intermediate dehydration step in which the laundry in the rotating tub is dehydrated, The control unit performs the injection operation during the execution of the intermediate dehydration. The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2.

11. The water supply system further includes a micro-bubble generator that is provided downstream of the water supply valve and that generates micro-bubble water by adding micro-bubbles to the water passing through the water supply system. The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2.

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