JP7570011B2 - washing machine - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a washing machine.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a washing machine equipped with an automatic liquid dispenser.

The washing machine described in Patent Document 1 includes an outer tub that holds laundry, a container that holds detergent, a discharge means that discharges the detergent, and a pump that sends water toward the outer tub. A water passage is formed below the discharge means. The water passage communicates with an inner tub provided inside the outer tub. The detergent discharged from the discharge means and the water sent by the pump pass through the water passage.

JP 2000-157782 A

However, in the washing machine described in Patent Document 1, there is a possibility that the liquid agent may remain upstream of the outer tub and dry out and become stuck. There is still room for improvement in terms of preventing the liquid agent from remaining between the tank that stores the liquid agent and the outer tub.

Therefore, the objective of the present disclosure is to solve the above problem and to provide a washing machine that can prevent residual liquid from remaining between the tank that stores the liquid and the outer tub.

A washing machine according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an outer tub elastically supported within a housing, a tank that contains a liquid agent to be supplied to the outer tub, a liquid agent discharge flow path that connects the outer tub and the tank, an automatic liquid agent dispenser connected to the tank and discharging the liquid agent into the liquid agent discharge flow path, a water supply valve connected to the liquid agent discharge flow path and supplying water to the outer tub, and a control unit. The control unit has a first control that starts water supply by the water supply valve and automatic supply by the automatic liquid agent dispenser in parallel at a predetermined timing, a second control that advances the start of automatic supply relatively to the first control, and/or a third control that delays the end of water supply by the water supply valve relatively to the first control.

According to the present disclosure, a washing machine can be provided that prevents residual liquid from remaining between the tank that stores the liquid and the outer tub.

Schematic cross-sectional view of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Schematic front view of a washing machine Perspective view of the automatic insertion unit Perspective view of the automatic insertion unit Top view of the automatic feeding unit FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an automatic insertion unit; Perspective cross-sectional view of the automatic insertion unit FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tank, a liquid supply device, and a liquid discharge flow path; Exploded view of the liquid injection device Schematic diagram of liquid discharge flow path Schematic diagram of liquid discharge flow path Schematic diagram of liquid discharge flow path Graph showing the operation of a washing machine Graph showing the operation of a washing machine Graph showing the operation of a washing machine Flow diagram of washing machine operation Flow diagram of washing machine operation A perspective view of the case showing the flow of water and liquid

(Embodiment)
A washing machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[Overall configuration]
Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a washing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a schematic front view of the washing machine 1. The washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment is a washing and drying machine having an automatic liquid dispenser function. In this specification, the liquid is a liquid used for washing laundry 15 such as clothes, and includes detergent, fabric softener, neutral detergent, etc.

As shown in FIG. 1, the washing machine 1 includes a housing 2, an outer tub 3, an inner tub 4, a drive unit 5, an automatic dosing unit 6, a connection flow path 8, a water supply valve 10, a drain valve 11, a control unit 12, a memory unit 13, and a display unit 14.

<Case>
The housing 2 is a member that forms the external appearance of the washing machine 1. An opening 20 and a door 21 that covers the opening 20 and can be opened and closed are provided on the front surface of the housing 2.

<Outer tank>
The outer tub 3 is provided inside the housing 2 and is a roughly cylindrical member having the function of storing wash water. The outer tub 3 may be called a water tub. The outer tub 3 has a tubular portion 34 and a bottom portion 36 that closes one end of the tubular portion 34. The central axis V0 of the outer tub 3 passes through the center of the bottom portion 36. The central axis V0 is inclined with respect to the horizontal. The outer tub 3 has an opening 31 at a position facing the opening 20 of the housing 2, and is connected to the opening 20 of the housing 2 in a sealed manner by a bellows 32. The outer tub 3 is further provided with openings 33 and 35 for passing water. The opening 33 is an opening connected to the connection flow path 8, and the opening 35 is a drain port for draining the water in the outer tub 3 to the outside.

To detect the amount of water poured into the outer tub 3, a water level sensor 90 is provided in the outer tub 3. In this embodiment, the water level sensor 90 detects the water level in the outer tub 3.

In the following description, the horizontal direction along the central axis V0 is referred to as the front-rear direction M (Fig. 1), and the horizontal direction perpendicular to the plane including the central axis V0 is referred to as the width direction K (Fig. 2). The front-rear direction M has a front side M1 toward the opening 31 and a rear side M2 toward the bottom 36, and the width direction K has an outer side K1 away from the central axis V0 and a center side K2 toward the central axis V0.

<Inner tank>
The inner tub 4 is a generally cylindrical member that is rotatable around a central axis V0 inside the outer tub 3 and that contains laundry 15, such as clothes. The inner tub 4 may also be referred to as a drum. The inner tub 4 is formed with a large number of through holes 40. The through holes 40 communicate the inner tub 4 with the outer tub 3, allowing the wash water to move from the inner tub 4 to the outer tub 3. The inner tub 4 further has an opening 41 at a position facing the opening 20 of the housing 2 and the opening 31 of the outer tub 3.

The inner tub 4 is provided with a fabric amount sensor 91 to detect the amount of laundry 15 contained in the inner tub 4. In this embodiment, the fabric amount sensor 91 detects the weight of the laundry 15. More specifically, the fabric amount sensor 91 is a fabric amount detection means that measures the load torque (torque current value) of the motor of the drive unit 5.

<Drive unit>
The drive unit 5 is a member that drives the inner tub 4 to rotate around the central axis V0. The drive unit 5 has, for example, a motor that rotates the inner tub 4.

<Automatic insertion unit>
The automatic dosing unit 6 is a unit that automatically dispenses a predetermined amount of liquid agent determined by the control unit 12 from a tank that stores the liquid agent into the outer tub 3. The automatic dosing unit 6 dispenses an appropriate amount of an appropriate type of liquid agent into the outer tub 3, for example, according to the amount and type of laundry 15, during a washing process, a rinsing process, etc. The automatic dosing unit 6 is connected to the outer tub 3 via a connecting flow path 8 in order to supply the liquid agent to the outer tub 3.

The automatic dispensing unit 6 includes a case 61, tanks 62A, 62B, and 62C (tanks 62B and 62C not shown), liquid agent dispensers 63A, 63B, and 63C (liquid agent dispensers 63B and 63C not shown), a liquid agent discharge flow path 64, a manual dispenser 65, and a water supply solenoid valve 66.

As shown in FIG. 2, the automatic insertion unit 6 is disposed inside the housing 2, diagonally above the outer tub 3. The automatic insertion unit 6 faces an openable and closable cover 60 disposed on the top surface of the housing 2. The automatic insertion unit 6 has a shape that follows the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 34 of the outer tub 3.

<Connection flow path>
The connection flow path 8 is a flow path for supplying the liquid agent from the automatic dispensing unit 6 to the outer bath 3. The connection flow path 8 extends downward from the automatic dispensing unit 6 to the opening 33 of the outer bath 3.

<Water supply valve>
1 , the water supply valve 10 is a connection port for connecting a hose that supplies water to the outer tub 3 via the automatic dosing unit 6. The water supply valve 10 is provided on the upper part of the housing 2.

<Drain valve>
The drain valve 11 is configured to be openable and closable, and when opened, drains water stored in the outer tub 3 through an opening 35 of the outer tub 3. The drain valve 11 is provided in the lower part of the housing 2.

<Control Unit>
The control unit 12 is a component that controls the operation of the washing machine 1. It includes a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or MPU that executes a program to realize a predetermined function. The control unit 12 realizes the function by calling and executing a program stored in the storage unit 13. The control unit 12 is not limited to a unit that realizes a predetermined function by cooperation between hardware and software, and may be a hardware circuit designed specifically to realize the predetermined function.

The control unit 12 includes a reference amount setting unit 12A that accepts the setting of the reference amount of input, and a correction setting unit 12B that accepts the correction setting of the amount of liquid input. The reference amount of input is a reference value of the amount of liquid input per unit amount of water. The reference amount of input may be the amount of input per unit amount of water, or may be a coefficient that is multiplied by the input amount (e.g., concentrated detergent/normal detergent). The correction setting is a correction setting of the amount of liquid input. The correction setting may be a correction setting by learning based on the washing history up to now, or may be the input of the customer's preference (large/normal/small). The reference amount of input and the correction setting can be input by the washing machine 1 or an application on the user's smartphone. The reference amount of input may be set according to the brand of liquid input by the user. The correction setting may be automatically controlled by the application or the washing machine 1.

<Memory Unit>
The storage unit 13 is a recording medium for recording various information. The storage unit 13 is realized, for example, by a flash memory, a solid state device (SSD), a hard disk, or other storage device, or an appropriate combination of these. The storage unit 13 stores the program executed by the control unit 12, various information detected by the sensors 90 and 91, and the like.

<Display section>
The display unit 14 is a display device that displays various information such as images and text. The display unit 14 is configured with a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like. The display unit 14 is provided in the housing 2 and is located at a position where it can be seen by a user of the washing machine 1. The display unit 14 displays, for example, the amount of liquid agent manually added. In addition, instead of the display unit 14, an application executed by a terminal such as a smartphone of the user may be used.

Next, the components of the automatic insertion unit 6 will be described with reference to Figs. 3 to 6. Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of the automatic insertion unit 6. Fig. 5 is a top view of the automatic insertion unit 6. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the automatic insertion unit 6.

<Case>
As shown in FIG. 3, the case 61 is a member that houses the tanks 62A, 62B, and 62C that constitute the automatic feeding unit 6, and the manual feeding section 65.

Here, the surface of the front side M1 of the case 61 is the front surface 56 (Fig. 3), and the surface of the rear side M2 of the case 61 is the rear surface 57 (Fig. 4). As shown in Fig. 4, the rear surface 57 of the case 61 is connected to liquid agent injection devices 63A, 63B (Fig. 6), and 63C (Fig. 6), a liquid agent discharge flow path 64, a water supply solenoid valve 66, and a connection flow path 8.

As shown in FIG. 5, a supply flow passage 67 is formed in the upper part of the case 61. The supply flow passage 67 forms a plurality of independent paths along the outer periphery of the case 61. Each path supplies water from the water supply solenoid valve 66 to the inside of the case 61.

<Water supply solenoid valve>
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the water supply electromagnetic valve 66 is a mechanism that distributes water from the water supply valve 10 (FIG. 1) to a route of a supply flow path 67 (FIG. 5) selected by the control unit 12.

<Tank>
As shown in Fig. 5, the case 61 accommodates three tanks 62A, 62B, and 62C arranged in the width direction K. The tanks 62A, 62B, and 62C are containers for storing liquid agents used in the washing process and the rinsing process. For example, the tank 62A stores a neutral detergent, the tank 62B stores a fabric softener, and the tank 62C stores a detergent. The tanks 62A, 62B, and 62C are removable from the case 61.

<Manual input section>
The manual input unit 65 is a mechanism for a user to manually input a single dose of liquid laundry treatment agent. The manually input liquid flows from the case 61 to the outer tub 3 (FIG. 1) via the connecting flow path 8 (FIG. 1) in the input amount. The manually input liquid may be in liquid or powder form. The manual input unit 65 is detachable from the case 61.

<Liquid injection device>
6 , liquid agent supplying devices 63A, 63B, and 63C are devices that suck out a predetermined amount of liquid agent from tanks 62A, 62B, and 62C and discharge the liquid agent into liquid agent discharge flow path 64. Liquid agent supplying devices 63A, 63B, and 63C are connected to tanks 62A, 62B, and 62C, respectively, through openings (not shown) formed in rear surface 57 of case 61.

<Liquid material discharge flow path>
The liquid agent discharge flow path 64 is a flow path member that supplies the liquid agent and water to the outer tank 3 (FIG. 1) through the case 61. The liquid agent discharge flow path 64 is connected to the case 61 through an opening (not shown) formed in the back surface 57 of the case 61. The liquid agent discharge flow path 64 is connected to three liquid agent input devices 63A, 63B, 63C from below. The liquid agent discharge flow path 64 extends at an incline downward toward the outside K1. In other words, the liquid agent discharge flow path 64 extends from upstream to downstream at an incline downward with respect to the horizontal plane. The fluid (e.g., water W0) flowing through the liquid agent discharge flow path 64 flows in one direction according to the inclination of the liquid agent discharge flow path 64.

Here, tank 62 is a general term for tanks 62A, 62B, and 62C. Similarly, liquid agent supply device 63 is a general term for liquid agent supply devices 63A, 63B, and 63C, and connection part 76 is a general term for connection parts 76A, 76B, and 76C.

Next, the case 61 and the tank 62 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the automatic dosing unit 6.

As shown in FIG. 7, the case 61 has inner bottom surfaces B1, B2, and B3. The inner bottom surfaces B1, B2, and B3 are arranged in order along the outer side K1. The inner bottom surface B1 is the surface located directly below the tank 62A, the inner bottom surface B2 is the surface located directly below the tank 62B, and the inner bottom surface B3 is the surface located directly below the tank 62C. The inner bottom surfaces B1, B2, and B3 become deeper in order, and the depths L1, L2, and L3 of the tanks 62A, 62B, and 62C located above the inner bottom surfaces B1, B2, and B3 increase in order.

Between tank 62C and inner bottom surface B3, a gap larger than those of the other tanks 62A, 62B is formed, forming an input flow path 82 through which water and liquid agent flow. Manually input liquid agent flows directly into input flow path 82 from manual input section 65 (Fig. 5), and automatically input liquid agent flows into input flow path 82 via liquid agent discharge flow path 64 (Fig. 6). Input flow path 82 flows water and liquid agent along inner bottom surface B3 through liquid agent outlet 81 (Fig. 6) toward outer tank 3 (Fig. 1).

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the tank 62, the liquid agent supply device 63, and the liquid agent discharge flow path 64. As shown in Figure 8, the tank 62 is connected to the liquid agent supply device 63, and the liquid agent supply device 63 is connected to the liquid agent discharge flow path 64.

A discharge port 70 is formed at the lower end of the liquid agent injection device 63 for discharging a predetermined amount of liquid agent downward Z1. The lower end of the liquid agent injection device 63 is inserted into the liquid agent discharge flow path 64 along the vertical direction Z, and the liquid agent discharged from the discharge port 70 flows into the liquid agent discharge flow path 64.

In the liquid agent discharge flow path 64, the liquid agent discharged from the discharge port 70 joins with the water flowing into the liquid agent discharge flow path 64 from the case 61 (Figure 6). In addition, since the liquid agent discharge flow path 64 is inclined downward Z1, the water and liquid agent flowing through the main flow path 95 flow according to gravity and are introduced together into the outer tank 3 via the case 61.

Figure 9 is an exploded view of the liquid agent injection device 63. As shown in Figure 9, the liquid agent injection device 63 includes a motor 72 and a pump mechanism 73. The motor 72 is an electronic component that includes a rotating output shaft V2. The output shaft V2 of the motor 72 is connected to the pump mechanism 73. The pump mechanism 73 is a positive displacement pump that sucks up and discharges a liquid agent (e.g., detergent P1) from the tank 62.

The pump mechanism 73 has a piston 83 and a cylinder 84. The piston 83 is connected to the output shaft V2 of the motor 72, and is a member that reciprocates in the vertical direction Z as the output shaft V2 rotates. The cylinder 84 is a member that houses the piston 83 and forms a space into which the detergent P1 is sucked up. When the piston 83 rises from the bottom dead center, the detergent P1 from the tank 62 flows into the cylinder 84. When the piston 83 then descends from the top dead center, the detergent P1 is pushed out of the cylinder 84 and falls into the liquid agent discharge flow path 64.

[Action]
An example of the operation of the washing machine 1 in the washing process in the above-described configuration will be described with reference to Figures 10A to 10C. Figures 10A to 10C are schematic diagrams of a liquid agent discharge flow path 64.

During the washing process, detergent and water are supplied in parallel to the outer tub 3. The detergent discharged from the liquid agent supply device 63 and the water supplied from the water supply valve 10 reach the outer tub 3 through the liquid agent discharge flow path 64.

As shown in FIG. 10A, detergent P0 has a high viscosity, so there is a possibility that it will adhere to and remain on the inner surface of the liquid agent discharge flow path 64 after being discharged.

As shown in FIG. 10B, if water supply continues even after the detergent is automatically dispensed, the detergent P0 is washed away by the water X1 and dispensed into the outer tub 3. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the detergent P0 from adhering to the liquid agent discharge flow path 64 upstream of the outer tub 3.

In addition, because the liquid agent injection device 63 includes a positive displacement pump, it is possible to aspirate the detergent into the running water. On the other hand, with an aspirator, the detergent must be pulled in its original form, making it difficult to aspirate the agent into the running water, and therefore difficult to apply the present disclosure.

On the other hand, if the water supply is terminated before the automatic water supply, the residual detergent P0 dries in the liquid agent discharge flow path 64 and adheres to the inner surface of the liquid agent discharge flow path 64, as shown in FIG. 10C.

In order to avoid the adhesion shown in FIG. 10C, in this embodiment, the liquid agent discharge flow path 64 is washed with water after the detergent P0 is automatically dispensed, so that the end (anticipated) of the water supply is controlled to occur after the automatic dispense is completed.

On the other hand, since the time it takes to supply water depends on the installation environment of the washing machine 1, etc., it is difficult to determine the end of water supply in advance. Therefore, in this embodiment, the end of water supply is predicted, and then time control is performed to shift the start of each so that the predicted end of water supply comes after the end of automatic supply. Also, if the actual end of water supply is earlier than the predicted end of water supply, additional water is supplied to wash the liquid agent discharge flow path 64.

Figures 11A to 11C are graphs showing the control operation of the washing machine 1. In the description below, the time required to automatically dispense detergent is referred to as automatic dispensing time T1. The time expected to take from the start of water supply until the target water level is reached is referred to as expected water supply time T2, and the time actually taken from the start of water supply until the target water level is reached is referred to as actual water supply time T6.

The amount of water to be supplied and the amount of liquid to be dispensed are determined according to the amount of laundry, but depending on the amount of laundry, the automatic dispensing time T1 may be shorter than the expected water supply time T2.

Figure 11A shows a case where the automatic dispensing time T1 is sufficiently shorter than the expected water supply time T2, for example, when a concentrated detergent is used. Because a concentrated detergent is used, the standard amount of detergent dispensed per unit of water is small. In this case, even if automatic dispensing and water supply are started simultaneously, a predetermined time T5 of water supply can be ensured after automatic dispensing ends. As a result, residual detergent P0 can be sufficiently washed away in the liquid agent discharge flow path 64 (Figure 10B).

On the other hand, FIG. 11B shows a case where the automatic dispensing time T1 is long, for example when a non-concentrated detergent is used and a large amount of detergent is dispensed. In this case, control is performed to advance the start of automatic dispensing so that water supply for a predetermined time T5 can be ensured after automatic dispensing ends.

As mentioned above, water supply depends on the installation environment of the washing machine 1, and a difference may occur between the estimated water supply time T2 and the actual water supply time T6. For example, if water is already in the outer tub 3, the actual water supply time T6 will be shorter than the estimated water supply time T2. If the water pressure on the faucet supplying water is high and the water supply flow rate is high, the actual water supply time T6 is likely to be shorter than the estimated water supply time T2. Conversely, if the water pressure on the faucet supplying water is low and the water supply flow rate is low, the actual water supply time T6 is likely to be longer than the estimated water supply time T2. If there is a lot of laundry 15, the laundry 15 absorbs water, which suppresses the rise in the water level, and the actual water supply time T6 is likely to be longer than the estimated water supply time T2.

Figure 11C shows a case where the actual water supply time T6 is shorter than the expected water supply time T2, and the actual water supply ends early. For example, this is the case when water is already in the outer tub 3, or when the laundry 15 already contains a large amount of moisture. For example, this is the case when the laundry 15 is pre-washed by hand. In this case, additional water is supplied after the end of automatic supply so that water supply for the specified time T5 can be ensured after the end of automatic supply. The additional water supply may be intermittent or continuous. However, if it is intermittent, the water supply time can be extended while reducing the amount of water supplied. Therefore, regardless of the temporal relationship between the end of automatic supply and the end of actual water supply, sufficient water can be secured to clean the liquid agent discharge flow path 64 through which the detergent flows.

As shown in Figures 11A to 11C, regardless of the automatic dispensing time T1 or the installation environment of the washing machine 1, by rinsing the liquid discharge flow path 64 with water after automatic dispensing, it is possible to suppress adhesion of detergent P0 and suppress blockage of the liquid discharge flow path 64 and deterioration of washing performance. Furthermore, in the washing machine 1, since the detergent and fabric softener flow through the common liquid discharge flow path 64, by suppressing the residue of detergent P0, it is possible to suppress the generation of solids due to mixing of the detergent and fabric softener.

Here, the control of the washing process will be described in more detail. Figures 12A and 12B are flow diagrams of the operation of the washing machine 1. Figure 13 is a perspective view of the case 61 showing the flow of water and detergent.

As shown in FIG. 12A, the operation of the washing machine 1 begins when the user places laundry 15 into the inner tub 4 (START). The user selects the desired washing cycle (S10).

The control unit 12 obtains the reference input amount from the reference input amount setting unit 12A. Furthermore, the control unit 12 obtains the correction setting from the input amount correction setting unit 12B.

More specifically, a coefficient and a correction setting to be multiplied by the standard input amount are determined according to the course of the washing process. The correction setting is performed, for example, by multiplying the input amount of the liquid by a coefficient.

Then, the control unit 12 determines the weight of the laundry 15 (S11). Specifically, the control unit 12 obtains the weight of the laundry 15 contained in the inner tub 4 detected by the fabric amount sensor 91. Specifically, the fabric amount sensor 91 measures the load torque (torque current value) of the motor of the drive unit 5 and obtains the weight of the laundry 15 by comparing the measured values. The fabric amount sensor 91 measures the current value at the start of the motor's movement and the current value after the motor has reached a predetermined rotation speed, and compares the measured values to determine the fabric amount. Also, as shown in Figures 11A to 11C, the time at which the fabric amount determination is made is designated as time ta.

Next, the control unit 12 determines the amount of detergent liquid (S12). The control unit 12 calculates the corresponding amount of liquid based on the selected course, the weight of the laundry 15, the reference amount of detergent to be added, or the correction setting.

The control unit 12 determines the automatic dosing time T1 based on the amount of liquid to be automatically dispensed (S13). In this embodiment, the pump mechanism 73 is a positive displacement pump, and the amount of liquid discharged per rotation of the motor 72 is constant. The rotation speed of the motor 72 is also constant. Therefore, the amount of liquid dispensed per unit time Pt by the liquid dispenser 63 is constant. The control unit 12 can calculate the automatic dosing time T1 by dividing the amount of liquid dispensed automatically by the amount of liquid dispensed per unit time Pt.

Then, the control unit 12 determines the target water level of the water supply to be supplied to the outer tub 3 (S14). Specifically, the control unit 12 calculates the corresponding target water level based on the selected course and the weight of the laundry 15. The target water level may be determined by a water level rank corresponding to the weight range of the laundry 15, which is determined for each course.

Next, the control unit 12 determines the expected water supply time T2 (S15). Specifically, the control unit 12 calculates the corresponding expected water supply time T2 based on the determined target water level. The expected water supply time T2 is a guideline value for the water supply time, and may be, for example, a representative value stored in advance in the memory unit 13 by the manufacturer when the washing machine 1 is manufactured. The expected water supply time T2 may also be a value for the current or past washing operation, that is, a current measured value or a learned value. More specifically, the expected water supply time T2 may be an estimated value based on the amount of water level change per hour (the rate of rise of the water level) derived from the opening time of the water supply valve 10 and the change in the water level detected by the water level sensor 90. The estimated value of the amount of water level change may also be stored and may be a learned value learned by the control unit 12. Based on the expected water supply time T2, the first control or the second control described below is switched.

Then, the control unit 12 starts the waiting time Tw (S16). The waiting time Tw is the time from the end of the laundry amount determination to the start of water supply. The waiting time Tw is constant for all courses including washing and rinsing, for example. By making the waiting time Tw constant, the user of the washing machine 1 does not feel uncomfortable. If the start of water supply varies with each operation, the user will feel uncomfortable thinking that there is a malfunction when the start time of water supply varies even though the washing is the same as usual. By advancing the start of automatic supply without changing the waiting time Tw, the end of water supply can be relatively delayed without giving the user a sense of discomfort. Note that the user can also add an agent to the manual input unit 65 during the waiting time Tw. The agent includes, for example, a powder detergent, an additional agent including a bleaching agent, a liquid agent when automatic addition is not performed, and the like.

12B, the control unit 12 determines whether the time difference obtained by subtracting the automatic dispensing time T1 from the expected water supply time T2 is greater than a predetermined time T5 (S17). The predetermined time T5 is a threshold value stored in advance in the memory unit 13, and is the time required to flow the water required to clean the liquid agent discharge flow path 64. The predetermined time T5 is set according to the design aspects of the automatic dispensing unit 6, such as the length and cross-sectional area of the liquid agent discharge flow path 64.

If T2-T1≧T5 (Yes in S17), the control unit 12 executes the first control (S18 to S19).

In the first control, the control unit 12 determines whether the time t is after the time tb at which water supply starts (S18). The water supply start time tb is the time at which a waiting time Tw has elapsed since the laundry amount determination time ta, which is set so that the user can manually add the liquid agent.

If the time t is after the water supply start time tb (Yes in S18), as shown in FIG. 11A, the control unit 12 starts automatic detergent supply and water supply (S19). In this embodiment, automatic detergent supply and water supply are started simultaneously. More specifically, the control unit 12 starts automatic detergent supply and water supply simultaneously by rotating the motor 72 of the liquid agent supply device 63 and opening the water supply solenoid valve 66.

If time t is not later than water supply start tb (No in S18), return to step 18.

On the other hand, if T2-T1<T5 (No in S17), the control unit 12 executes the second control (S118 to S122).

As shown in FIG. 11B, in the second control, the control unit 12 determines the time tc for starting the automatic supply (S118). The automatic supply start tc is a time that is advanced relative to the first control. Specifically, the automatic supply start tc is a time that is advanced relative to the water supply start tb in order to ensure water supply for a predetermined time T5 after the automatic supply. The control unit 12 determines the automatic supply start tc based on the automatic supply time T1, the expected water supply time T2, and the predetermined time T5. Specifically, the control unit 12 determines the automatic supply start tc by subtracting the time ΔT from the water supply start tb. The time ΔT is a value obtained by subtracting the expected water supply time T2 from the sum of the automatic supply time T1 and the predetermined time T5.

Next, the control unit 12 determines whether the time t is after the automatic supply start time tc (S119).

If the time t is after the automatic dispensing start time tc (Yes in S119), as shown in FIG. 11B, the control unit 12 starts automatic detergent dispensing (S120). More specifically, the control unit 12 starts automatic detergent dispensing by rotating the motor 72 of the liquid agent dispensing device 63.

If time t is not later than the automatic start time tc (No in S119), return to step 118.

Next, the control unit 12 determines whether the time t is after the water supply start time tb (S121).

If the time t is later than the water supply start time tb (Yes in S121), the control unit 12 starts water supply (S122). More specifically, the control unit 12 starts water supply by opening the water supply solenoid valve 66.

If time t is not later than water supply start tb (No in S121), return to step 121.

As shown in FIG. 13, when the control unit 12 drives the liquid agent injection device 63C that ejects the detergent, the detergent P1 is discharged from the tank 62C into the liquid agent ejection flow path 64 (not shown). The detergent P1 flows through the liquid agent ejection flow path 64 according to gravity, and enters the input flow path 82 of the case 61.

When the control unit 12 opens the water supply solenoid valve 66, water flows in the supply flow path 67 along the path indicated by the arrows X1 and X2. Water X1 flows into the case 61 from an opening 94 formed above the tank 62. The water X1 flows from the case 61 through the liquid agent discharge flow path 64 and into the input flow path 82 of the case 61. Water X2 flows into the case 61 through the manual input unit 65. The water X2 flows into the input flow path 82 along the inner bottom surface B4 of the inclined case 61.

The detergent P1 and water X1 and X2 are guided to the liquid outlet 81 by the inclination of the input flow path 82, and flow into the outer tank 3 (Figure 1) via the connecting flow path 8.

Automatic dispensing of liquid agent ends when automatic dispensing time T1 has elapsed since the start of automatic dispensing, and the end time is designated as time td (FIGS. 11A to 11C). However, since the expected water supply time T2 and the actual water supply time T6 may differ, the end of water supply is determined not by the passage of time, but by whether or not the target water level has been reached. Therefore, in order to ensure water supply for a predetermined time T5 after automatic dispensing, the operation shown in FIG. 12B is performed.

The control unit 12 determines whether the automatic supply has ended. Specifically, the control unit 12 determines whether the time t is after the automatic supply end time td (S20).

When automatic supply has ended (Yes in S20), the control unit 12 determines whether actual water supply has ended before automatic supply has ended. Specifically, the control unit 12 determines whether actual water supply has ended and the water supply valve 10 has been closed at the time td when automatic supply has ended, due to the water level detected by the water level sensor 90 reaching the target water level (S21).

If automatic insertion is complete (No in S20), return to step 20.

First, a case will be described where the water level detected by the water level sensor 90 has reached the target water level (Yes in S21), i.e., where the actual water supply has finished earlier than the automatic supply. In this case, the control unit 12 executes the third control. In the third control, the end of the water supply is delayed relatively to the end of the automatic supply. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11C, after the end of the automatic supply td, the control unit 12 opens the water supply solenoid valve 66 to supply additional water (S22). The additional water supply may be performed intermittently to extend the water supply time. Also, the additional water supply may be performed with the water supply flow rate throttled by the throttle valve to extend the water supply time.

Next, we will explain the case where the water level detected by the water level sensor 90 has not reached the target water level (No in S21), i.e., the actual water supply time T6 is still continuing when automatic water supply ends. As shown in Figures 11A and 11B, the control unit 12 counts the time T4 from the end of automatic water supply to the end of actual water supply (S23).

The control unit 12 determines whether the count time T4 is greater than the predetermined time T5 (S24).

As shown in Figures 11A and 11B, if the count time T4 is greater than the predetermined time T5 (Yes in S24), the operation ends (END).

On the other hand, if the count time T4 is less than the predetermined time T5 (No in S24), the control unit 12 may open the water supply solenoid valve 66 to supply additional water after the actual water supply is completed to ensure sufficient water supply (S22).

When step 22 is completed, the operation ends (END).

[effect]
The washing machine 1 according to the embodiment can provide the following effects.

As described above, the washing machine 1 of this embodiment includes the outer tub 3, the tank 62, the liquid agent discharge flow path 64, the automatic liquid agent dispenser (liquid agent dispenser 63), the water supply valve 10, and the control unit 12. The outer tub 3 is elastically supported within the housing 2. The tank 62 contains the liquid agent to be supplied to the outer tub 3. The liquid agent discharge flow path 64 connects the outer tub 3 and the tank 62. The liquid agent dispenser 63 is connected to the tank 62 and dispenses the liquid agent (detergent) into the liquid agent discharge flow path 64. In the washing process, the control unit 12 performs both water supply by the water supply valve 10 and automatic dispense by the liquid agent dispenser 63. The control unit 12 has a first control that starts water supply by the water supply valve 10 and automatic dispense by the liquid agent dispenser 63 in parallel at a predetermined timing. The control unit 12 also has a second control that relatively advances the start of automatic supply compared to the first control, and/or a third control that relatively delays the end of water supply by the water supply valve compared to the first control.

With this structure, the first control, the second control, and/or the third control can be executed to control the timing of the end of the automatic supply and the timing of the end of the water supply. Therefore, the water supply can be ended after the automatic supply, which prevents the liquid from remaining in the liquid discharge flow path 64 and prevents clogging of the liquid discharge flow path 64 and deterioration of the washing performance.

In addition, in the washing machine 1 of this embodiment, the control unit 12 executes either the first control, the second control, or the third control, and ends the water supply by the water supply valve 10 after the end of automatic supply.

With this structure, by switching between the first control, the second control, and/or the third control, water supply can be controlled to end after the automatic supply ends.

The washing machine 1 of this embodiment also includes an inner tub 4 rotatably contained in the outer tub 3, and a cloth amount detection unit (cloth amount sensor 91, specifically, a cloth amount detection means that measures the load torque of the motor) that detects the amount of clothes contained in the inner tub 4. The control unit 12 switches between the first control and the second or third control based on the amount of clothes detected by the cloth amount sensor 91.

This structure allows switching between the first control and the second or third control based on the amount of laundry 15 detected by the fabric amount sensor 91.

The washing machine 1 of this embodiment also includes a reference input amount setting unit 12A that accepts the setting of the reference input amount. The washing machine 1 switches between the first control and the second or third control based on at least the reference input amount.

This structure allows switching between the first control and the second or third control based on the reference input amount.

The washing machine 1 of this embodiment also includes an input amount correction setting unit that accepts a correction setting for correcting the input amount. The washing machine 1 switches between the first control and the second or third control based on at least the correction setting.

This structure allows switching between the first control and the second or third control based on the correction setting.

In addition, in the washing machine 1 of this embodiment, the control unit 12 starts automatic loading earlier in the second control than in the first control.

This structure allows the end of the automatic supply time T1 to be brought forward relative to the start of water supply. Therefore, the water supply time can be ended after the automatic supply time T1 without changing the start time of water supply between the first control and the second control.

The washing machine 1 of this embodiment also includes a water level detection unit (water level sensor 90) that detects the water level of the water stored in the outer tub 3. When the water level detected by the water level sensor 90 reaches a predetermined water level, the control unit 12 controls the water supply valve 10 to supply additional water (additional water supply) as a third control.

With this structure, when the water level detected by the water level sensor 90 reaches a predetermined water level, the end of water supply by the water supply valve 10 can be relatively delayed by additional water supply (S21). Therefore, even if water supply ends earlier than the expected end time of the water supply time (T2), the water supply time can be ended later than the automatic supply time T1.

In addition, in the washing machine 1 of this embodiment, the control unit 12 causes the water supply valve 10 to supply water intermittently in the third control.

This water supply method allows water to be supplied in small amounts at a time, compared to when water is supplied continuously, and therefore the water supply time can be extended. Therefore, during normal water supply (S19, S122) or additional water supply (S21), the amount of water supplied to the outer tub 3 can be reduced while delaying the end of the water supply time. This provides the effect of cleaning the pathways over a long period of time.

The washing machine 1 of this embodiment also includes a water level detection unit (water level sensor 90) that detects the water level stored in the outer tub 3. Based on the time that the water supply valve 10 was open during the current or previous washing operation and the water level detected by the water level sensor 90, the washing machine 1 switches between the first control and the second or third control.

This structure makes it possible to switch between the first control and the second or third control based on the measured or learned value of the time that the water supply valve 10 is open and the water level detected by the water level sensor 90.

Note that this disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be implemented in various other forms.

The normal water supply (S19, S122) and the additional water supply (S21) may be referred to as the first water supply and the second water supply, respectively.

In the embodiment, an example in which normal water supply (S19, S122) is performed continuously has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, normal water supply (S19, S122) may be performed intermittently.

In the embodiment, an example has been described in which the control unit 12 advances the start of automatic water supply relative to the start of water supply, but this is not limiting. For example, the control unit 12 may delay the start of water supply relative to the start of automatic water supply.

In the embodiment, an example has been described in which the water supply and automatic supply are started simultaneously in the first control (S18 to S19), but this is not limiting. In the first control, if the automatic supply and the water supply overlap in part in time, the start of the water supply and the automatic supply may be shifted in time. Even in such a case, each process shown in FIG. 12B can be executed so that the expected end of the water supply is after the end of the automatic supply.

In the embodiment, an example in which the start of automatic supply is advanced in the second control (S118 to S122) has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the second control, the start of water supply may be delayed relative to the start of automatic supply.

In the embodiment, the operation of the control unit 12 in the washing process has been described, but is not limited to this. For example, even when adding fabric softener in the rinsing process, the control unit 12 may control the start of automatic addition of fabric softener in response to the start of water supply. On the other hand, the control according to this embodiment is more suitable for use with highly viscous liquid agents. When a highly viscous fabric softener is used, the control according to this embodiment may also be performed when adding fabric softener.

In the embodiment, the liquid agent discharge flow path 64 is described as being inclined, but this is not limited thereto. The liquid agent discharge flow path 64 may be arranged in a horizontal direction.

Although the present disclosure has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as being included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims, unless they depart therefrom.

The washing machine disclosed herein can improve the functionality of the configuration related to liquid injection, and is therefore useful as a home washing machine, a commercial washing machine, or any type of washer-dryer (e.g., a home drum washing machine).

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Washing machine 2 Housing 3 Outer tub 4 Inner tub 5 Drive section 6 Automatic dispensing unit 8 Connection flow path 10 Water supply valve 11 Drain valve 12 Control section 13 Memory section 14 Display section 61 Case 62 Tank 63 Liquid agent dispensing device 64 Liquid agent discharge flow path 65 Manual dispensing section 66 Water supply solenoid valve 90 Water level sensor 91 Cloth amount sensor K Width direction M Front-rear direction

Claims (12)

An outer tank elastically supported within a housing;
A tank for storing a liquid agent to be supplied to the outer tank;
an automatic liquid agent supplying device that discharges the liquid agent in the tank;
a liquid agent discharge flow path through which the liquid agent discharged by the automatic liquid agent supply device and supplied to the outer tank flows ;
a water supply valve that supplies water to the outer tank through the liquid agent discharge flow path;
A control unit;
Equipped with
The control unit is
a first control for starting the water supply by the water supply valve and the automatic liquid drug supply by the automatic liquid drug supply device in parallel at a predetermined timing;
a second control for relatively accelerating the start of the automatic supply with respect to the first control, and/or a third control for relatively delaying the end of the water supply by the water supply valve with respect to the first control ,
A charge amount correction setting unit is provided for receiving a correction setting for correcting the charge amount,
A washing machine that switches between the first control and the second control or the third control based on at least the correction setting . An outer tank elastically supported within a housing;
A tank for storing a liquid agent to be supplied to the outer tank;
an automatic liquid agent supplying device that discharges the liquid agent in the tank;
a liquid agent discharge flow path through which the liquid agent discharged by the automatic liquid agent supply device and supplied to the outer tank flows;
a water supply valve that supplies water to the outer tank through the liquid agent discharge flow path;
A control unit;
Equipped with
The control unit is
a first control for starting the water supply by the water supply valve and the automatic liquid drug supply by the automatic liquid drug supply device in parallel at a predetermined timing;
a second control for relatively accelerating the start of the automatic closing with respect to the first control;
The control unit, in the second control, causes the start of the automatic supply to be earlier than the start of the automatic supply in the first control. An outer tank elastically supported within a housing;
A tank for storing a liquid agent to be supplied to the outer tank;
an automatic liquid agent supplying device that discharges the liquid agent in the tank;
a liquid agent discharge flow path through which the liquid agent discharged by the automatic liquid agent supply device and supplied to the outer tank flows;
a water supply valve that supplies water to the outer tank through the liquid agent discharge flow path;
A control unit;
Equipped with
The control unit is
a first control for starting the water supply by the water supply valve and the automatic liquid drug supply by the automatic liquid drug supply device in parallel at a predetermined timing;
a second control for relatively accelerating the start of the automatic supply with respect to the first control, and/or a third control for relatively delaying the end of the water supply by the water supply valve with respect to the first control,
A water level detection unit is provided to detect the water level of the water stored in the outer tank,
The washing machine switches between the first control and the second control or the third control based on the time the water supply valve was opened and the water level detected by the water level detection unit during a current or past washing operation. 4. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the control unit executes any one of the first control, the second control, and the third control, and terminates water supply by the water supply valve after the automatic supply is completed. An inner tank rotatably contained in the outer tank;
a clothes amount detection unit that detects the amount of clothes accommodated in the inner tub,
The washing machine according to claim 1 , 3 , or 4 , wherein the control unit switches between the first control and the second control or the third control based on the amount of clothes detected by the laundry amount detection unit. A reference input amount setting unit is provided for receiving a reference input amount setting,
The washing machine according to any one of claims 1, 3 to 5 , wherein switching is performed between the first control and the second control or the third control based on at least the input reference amount. A water level detection unit is provided to detect the water level of the water stored in the outer tank,
The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit, when the water level detected by the water level detection unit reaches a predetermined water level, performs the third control by causing the water supply valve to additionally supply water. The washing machine according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit, when the water level detected by the water level detection unit reaches a predetermined water level, performs the third control by causing the water supply valve to additionally supply water. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 and 3 to 8 , wherein the control unit, in the third control, causes the water supply valve to supply water intermittently.
The washing machine according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit executes either the first control or the second control, and causes the water supply by the water supply valve to end after the automatic supply is completed. An inner tank rotatably contained in the outer tank;
a clothes amount detection unit that detects the amount of clothes accommodated in the inner tub,
The washing machine according to claim 2 or 10, wherein the control unit switches between the first control and the second control based on the amount of clothes detected by the laundry amount detection unit. A reference input amount setting unit is provided for receiving a reference input amount setting,
The washing machine according to any one of claims 2, 10 to 11, wherein switching is performed between the first control and the second control based on at least the reference input amount.

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