CN102051794A - washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a washing machine including a steam supply device for supplying steam to the inside of a drum into which laundry is put and rotates. During the rinsing operation performed after the washing operation, the operation control unit for controlling the operation of the washing machine operates the steam supply device to supply steam to the inside of the drum. Since the provided water vapor contacts the laundry in the drum, it promotes the removal of the dirt and detergent components remaining on the laundry, so the number of rinsing operations and the time of each rinsing operation can be reduced, and the time spent on the entire rinsing operation can be shortened. It takes time.

Description

washing machine

technical field

The present invention relates to a washing machine having a steam supply device for supplying steam to the inside of a drum rotating in a washing tub.

Background technique

In recent years, inclined-drum washing machines have been widely used. Such a washing machine includes a bottomed cylindrical washing tub elastically supported such that one side of the washing tub is opened upward and its axis is inclined relative to the horizontal plane. Inside the washing tank, the cylindrical drum with a bottom is arranged so that the opening on one side faces the same side as the opening of the washing tank, and is rotatable coaxially. The laundry is thrown into the inside of the drum through the opening of the washing tub and the drum. The laundry in the drum is soaked in the washing water stored at the bottom of the washing tank, and is lifted up repeatedly by the rotation of the drum, then dropped down for washing, and then dehydrated and dried to complete the laundry process.

Such a washing machine proposes a solution for increasing the washing performance and also realizes various additional functions. The washing machine described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-141985 and Japanese Translation of International Application Specifications Japanese Translation No. 2007-111306 includes a steam supply device for supplying water vapor to the inside of a drum rotating in a washing tub.

The steam supplied by the steam supply device raises the temperature of the washing water during the washing operation, thereby promoting the removal of stains on the laundry. In addition, the water vapor supplied from the steam supply device obtains a sterilizing effect by bringing the high-temperature water vapor into contact with the laundry inside the drum.

In the washing machine described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-141985, steam is also supplied from the steam supply device during the drying operation. The water vapor supplied during the drying operation comes into contact with the laundry in the middle of drying to remove the "wrinkles" of the laundry.

In the washing machine described in Japanese translation of the International Application Specification, Special Application No. 2007-111306, water vapor is also supplied from the steam supply device during the dehydration operation before the drying operation. The water vapor supplied during the dehydration operation increases the temperature of the water contained in the laundry, thereby improving the dehydration effect. In addition, by preheating the laundry before drying, the time required for the drying operation can be shortened. Purpose.

In the washing machine as described above, the processes of washing operation, rinsing operation, spin-drying operation, and drying operation are performed continuously or individually according to user's operation. When the time required for each operation is compared, the drying operation and the rinsing operation require more time. In order to shorten the running time of the washing machine, it is desired to shorten the time required for the rinsing operation.

The purpose of the washing machine described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-141985 is not to shorten the operating time. The washing machine described in Special Table No. 2007-111306 of the Japanese translation of the International Application Manual can shorten the time required for the drying operation, but cannot shorten the time required for the rinsing operation.

The rinsing operation process is as follows: When the washing operation is finished, the water remaining in the washing tank is drained, and the rinsing water is re-supplied, and the drum is rotated in the same way as the washing operation, and the washing in the drum is washed to remove the remaining dirt. dirt and detergent ingredients. Since this rinsing operation needs to replace the rinsing water several times, it takes a long time.

In order to shorten the time required for the rinsing operation, dehydration has been performed for a short time before multiple water supply, and at the same time, water containing detergent components remaining in the laundry is removed. In addition, during the rinsing operation, the rinsing water in the washing tank is circulated and sprayed into the drum in a shower-like manner to increase the chance of contact with the laundry, thereby promoting the removal of detergent components. Although these methods have the effect of shortening the rinsing time, it is desired to further shorten the time required for the rinsing operation.

Contents of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine capable of significantly shortening the time required for a rinsing operation by using a steam supply device for supplying steam to the inside of a drum.

The washing machine of the present invention has a drum into which laundry is loaded and rotates, and a steam supply device for supplying water vapor to the inside of the drum, and is characterized in that the washing machine includes an operation control unit that makes the steam supply device to perform a part of the rinsing operation for rinsing the laundry in the drum.

According to the present invention, during the rinsing operation for rinsing the washed laundry, the operation control unit operates the steam supply device to supply steam to the inside of the drum. The supplied water vapor contacts the laundry, heats the laundry and wets the laundry, thereby easily removing the dirt and detergent components remaining on the laundry, and shortening the time required for the rinsing operation.

In addition, the washing machine according to the present invention is characterized in that, when starting the rinsing operation, the operation control unit rotates the drum and operates the steam supply device.

According to the present invention, when the washing operation is terminated and the rinsing operation is started, water vapor is supplied to the inside of the rotating drum. The supplied water vapor evenly contacts the laundry in the drum, thereby easily removing a large amount of dirt and detergent components remaining on the laundry.

The objects and new features of the present invention can be more clearly understood if the detailed description described below is read with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of the washing machine of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the washing machine of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a steam supply device.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the structure of the control system of the washing machine of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation content of the operation control unit during the rinsing operation.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings showing preferred embodiments. Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of the washing machine of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the washing machine of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the washing machine of the present invention has a washing tub 2 and a drum 3 inside an outer case 1 constituting an outer casing. The washing tank 2 is a bottomed cylinder with a large diameter, and has an opening 20 on one side thereof. The washing tank 2 is elastically supported by a plurality of support feet 21 (only one shown in the figure) that is vertically arranged on the bottom surface of the outer case 1, so that the washing tank 2 One side of the opening 20 is upward, and the axis is kept in an inclined posture relative to the horizontal plane.

On the front surface (left side of FIG. 2 ) of the outer box 1, and on the position opposite to the opening 20 of the washing tank 2, there is an input port 11 for inputting laundry A, and the input port 11 is opened and closed by the cover body 10. freely. Bellows 12 are used to seal fluid-tightly between the inlet 11 and the opening 20 of the washing tub 2 .

The applicant of the present application once proposed a washing machine with the following cover structure. The washing machine is also provided with a cover plate (inner cover) on the opening 20 of the washing tank 2. The cover plate and the cover body of the input port 11 of the outer box 1 10 (outer cover) is interlocked to open or close the cover plate. The washing machine of the present invention can also adopt the same cover structure.

The drum 3 is supported inside the washing tub 2 coaxially with the washing tub 2 . The drum 3 is a bottomed cylindrical member having a diameter smaller than that of the washing tub 2, and an opening 30 for putting laundry A in is opened on one side thereof. As shown in Figure 2, the opening 30 of the drum 3 is opposite to the inside of the opening 20 of the washing tank 2, and the drum 3 is connected to the end of the output shaft 40 of the drum motor 4 fixedly arranged in the center of the bottom of the washing tank 2, so that Drum 3 is rotated inside washing tub 2 by the driving of drum motor 4 .

On the outside of the opening 30 of the drum 3 there is a fluid balancer 31 provided along the circumferential direction. The fluid balancer 31 is used to absorb vibration accompanying the rotation of the drum 3 . The drum motor 4 is fixedly arranged inside the motor chamber 41 , and the motor chamber 41 is connected with the outside of the bottom plate of the washing tank 2 . The output shaft 40 of the drum motor 4 penetrates the bottom plate of the washing tub 2 and protrudes into the washing tub 2, and the drum 3 is connected to the protruding end.

As shown in FIG. 2 , a plurality of small holes 32 are formed through the peripheral wall of the drum 3 , and the plurality of small holes 32 extend over the entire surface of the peripheral wall of the drum 3 . In addition, on the inner peripheral surface of the drum 3, a plurality of axially extending baffles 33 protrude at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Only a part of the plurality of small holes 32 and one baffle 33 are illustrated in FIG. 2 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , a cover opening button 13 is provided on the front surface of the outer case 1 , and the cover opening button 13 is provided near the cover body 10 . In addition, a pressing portion 14 for pressing when closing the lid 10 is provided on the lid 10 . The lid body 10 is opened by operating the lid opening button 13 to open the inlet 11 . In addition, the opening 11 is closed by pressing the pressing portion 14 from the outside by holding the peripheral edge portion to close the lid body 10 . The inlet 11 faces the openings 20 and 30 of the washing tub 2 and the drum 3 . The laundry A put in from the inlet 11 is introduced into the inside of the drum 3 through the openings 20 and 30, and is accumulated near the lowermost part of the drum 3 which is supported obliquely as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 2 .

The washing operation of the washing machine with the above-mentioned structure is as follows: open the inlet 11 on the front surface of the outer case 1 and put in the laundry A, and after closing the inlet 11 with the cover 10, supply the laundry A to the inside of the washing tank 2 as described later. washing water, and drive the drum motor 4 to make the drum 3 rotate. As mentioned above, since a plurality of small holes 32 are penetratingly formed on the peripheral wall of the drum 3, and a plurality of baffles 33 are protruded on the inner surface of the drum 3, the laundry A inside the drum 3 soaks in the The small holes 32 flow into the washing water in the drum 3, and are repeatedly lifted by the baffle plate 33 and then dropped, colliding with the inner surface of the drum 3 to perform drop washing.

In addition, after the above-mentioned washing operation, the drying operation of the washing machine is performed after the rinsing operation and the spin-drying operation. The drying operation is performed by rotating the drum 3 by driving the drum motor 4 and circulating drying air inside the drum 3 . In FIG. 2 , the circulation air path of the drying air is omitted. This circulation air path has a known structure as follows: use the pipe surrounding the outside of the washing tank 2 to connect the inlet opening at the rear lower part of the washing tank 2 and the outlet opening at the front upper part, and arrange it in the middle of the circulation branch. There are a cooling unit, a filter device for filtering dust, a fan 65 (see FIG. 4 ) for blowing out drying air, and a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater 66 (see FIG. 4 ) for heating the drying air.

The drying wind is introduced into the drum 3 through the inlet in the state heated by the PTC heater 66, and contacts the rotating laundry A in the drum 3, deprives moisture from the laundry A, and then passes through the guide. The outlet returns to the circulating air path. The drying air returned to the circulating air path is cooled in the cooling part. After the moisture taken from the laundry A is condensed and separated, the dust is filtered through the filter device and reheated by the PTC heater 66 to become a high-temperature and low-humidity drying air. The dry wind is introduced into the inside of the drum 3 again.

The laundry A inside the drum 3 is lifted up by the baffle plate 33 on the inner peripheral surface of the drum 3 along with the rotation of the drum 3, spread out and then falls as shown by the double-dot dash line in Fig. The drying air is repeatedly contacted for drying.

On the upper surface of outer box 1 rear portion, be provided with the water supply port 17 as the connection end of running water pipe. The water supply port 17 is connected to a water supply valve 18 provided inside the outer case 1 . The water supply valve 18 is a multiple solenoid valve with multiple water supply outlets. The first water supply outlet of the water supply valve 18 is connected to the upper peripheral surface of the washing tank 2 through a water supply pipe 19 . When the water supply valve 18 is switched to open the first water supply outlet, the water supplied to the water supply port 17 is supplied to the inside of the washing tub 2 via the water supply valve 18 and the water supply pipe 19 . Furthermore, a detergent box is arranged in the middle of the water supply pipe 19, and an appropriate amount of detergent can be introduced into the inside of the washing tub 2 together with the supplied water.

In addition, a water guide pipe 22 is connected to the peripheral surface near the floor at the lowermost position of the washing tank 2 . The water guide pipe 22 is connected with a cylindrical filter box 23 fixedly supported on the front lower part of the inner side of the outer case 1 . A lint filter device 24 for filtering foreign substances such as fine fibers is housed inside the filter box 23 . The bottom of the filter box 23 is connected with a drain pipe 26 laid along the bottom surface of the outer case 1 through a drain valve 25 . In addition, the rear end of the filter box 23 is connected to a return pipe 28 through a circulation pump 27 . The return pipe 28 extends upward along the front of the washing tank 2, and is inserted and connected to the fixing flange 2a, and the fixing flange 2a is circumferentially arranged at the front of the washing tank 2 in a manner surrounding the outside of the opening 20. .

The washing water supplied into the washing tub 2 enters the filter case 23 through the water conduit 22 and fills the inside of the filter case 23 . The circulation pump 27 on the rear side of the filter case 23 is continuously or intermittently driven during the washing operation. Utilizing this driving, the washing water inside the filter box 23 is sucked by the circulation pump 27 to increase its pressure, and is sent to the upper part of the washing tank 2 through the return pipe 28, and is sprayed from the front end of the return pipe 28 to the laundry A inside the drum 3. Shower, play a role in improving the cleaning effect. The lint filter 24 provided inside the filter box 23 filters and removes foreign substances such as fine fibers contained in the circulating washing water.

After the above washing operation, the drain valve 25 provided at the lower part of the filter case 23 is opened. By opening the drain valve 25 , the washing water inside the washing tub 2 is drained to the drain pipe 26 through the water guide pipe 22 and the filter box 23 . Even when such drainage is performed, since the foreign matter contained in the washing water is filtered and removed by the lint filter 24 in the filter box 23, the foreign matter is not discharged through the drain pipe 26, thereby reducing the environmental burden.

The second water supply outlet of the water supply valve 18 is connected to the steam supply device 5 through a water supply pipe 50 . When the water supply valve 18 is switched to open the second water supply outlet, the water supplied to the water supply port 17 is supplied to the steam supply device 5 via the water supply pipe 50 .

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the steam supply device 5 . The steam supply device 5 is arranged in the inner space of the outer box 1 on the upper side of the washing tank 2 , and includes a water storage container 51 , a quantitative pump 52 and a steam generator 53 .

The water supply pipe 50 is connected to the upper portion of the water storage container 51 , and the water from the water supply pipe 50 is stored in the water storage container 51 . The water storage container 51 is connected to an overflow pipe 51a that sends out remaining water exceeding a certain water level. The remaining water sent to the overflow pipe 51a is provided to the cooling part of the drying air circulating air path, and the drying air flowing in the circulating air path is subjected to contact cooling, as a method for condensing the contained moisture and It removes the cooling water for utilization. In addition, the excess water sent to the overflow pipe 51a is supplied to the inside of the washing tub 2, and can be used as a part of washing water.

The metered pump 52 is a hose pump having an elastic tube 52a and a pusher 52b. The pressing piece 52b is a circular plate, and there are pressing pieces protruding radially toward the outside at multiple positions in its circumferential direction. The pressing piece 52b is fixed on the output end of the pump motor 54, and driven by the pump motor 54, along the figure Turn in the direction indicated by the arrow in 3. The elastic tube 52a is configured to be bent in a circle around the outside of the pressing piece 52b. One end of the elastic tube 52a is connected to the water storage container 51, and the stored water in the water storage container 51 is introduced into the elastic tube 52a. The other end of the elastic tube 52a is connected to the steam generator 53 .

As shown in the figure, the pressing piece provided on the pressing piece 52b uses its front end to press its contact portion with the elastic tube 52a, and moves corresponding to the rotation of the pressing piece 52b. This movement occurs from the connection side of the water storage container 51 toward the connection side of the steam generator 53 , thereby sending out the water in the elastic tube 52 a to the steam generator 53 . The pressing pieces of the pressing member 52b are provided in plurality (three in the figure), and each pressing piece moves while pressing the elastic tube 52a. A certain amount of water is continuously fed into the steam generator 53 corresponding to the rotation of the pressing member 52 b driven by the pump motor 54 .

The bottom surface of the box-shaped casing 53a of the steam generator 53 is covered with a heating plate 53b embedded with a heater 55 for steam. The water from the quantitative pump 52 is introduced from the water supply port opened on the upper part of the housing 53a, and flows down onto the heating plate 53b opposite to the lower part of the water supply port. The heater plate 53b generates heat by energizing the steam heater 55 . The water flowing down onto the heating plate 53b is heated by contact with the heating plate 53b, and evaporates instantly, thereby generating water vapor inside the casing 53a.

A temperature detector 56 for detecting the temperature of the heating plate 53b is additionally provided on the heating plate 53b of the steam generator 53 . In addition, the heating plate 53b is extended to the top surface of the housing 53a, and an abnormal temperature detector 57 is additionally provided on the extended portion. The temperature detected by the temperature detector 56 is used to keep the temperature of the heating plate 53b at an appropriate temperature by on-off controlling the steam heater 55 . The abnormal temperature detector 57 is provided to detect that the heating plate 53b is in an overheated state, and to forcibly cut off the energization of the steam heater 55 . By such control, for example, overheating of the heater plate 53b due to an abnormality of the temperature detector 56 is prevented, thereby improving safety.

A water vapor delivery port is opened in a raised portion on the bottom side of the inside of the housing 53a. The outlet is connected to a steam injection nozzle 59 through a steam pipe 58 . The steam generated inside the casing 53a is sent to the steam injection nozzle 59 via the steam pipe 58, and is injected from the steam injection nozzle 59. Since the delivery port is provided on the raised portion, hot water before becoming water vapor flowing down the heating plate 53b is not sent out from the delivery port, so that the steam spray nozzle 59 can spray only water vapor.

As shown in FIG. 2 , on the upper portion of the fixing flange 2 a provided at the front of the washing tub 2 , a steam injection nozzle 59 is installed in parallel with the return pipe 28 . As shown by the arrow in FIG. 2 , the steam injection nozzle 59 injects water vapor obliquely backward, and supplies water vapor to the inside of the drum 3 through the opening 30 at the front. This water vapor supply is achieved by switching the water supply valve 18 to open the second water supply outlet, driving the metering pump 52 , and energizing the heater 55 of the steam generator 53 .

When the washing operation is performed, water vapor is supplied to the inside of drum 3 before or in parallel with the supply of washing water. At this time, the laundry A inside the drum 3 is located near the bottom of the drum 3 as shown by the dotted line in FIG. The steam sprayed in this way heats the laundry A and soaks the laundry A, softening the dirty components so that they can be easily removed. In addition, the washing water is heated to make the detergent components in the washing water The role of activation. Utilizing these functions, it is possible to improve the cleaning effect during the washing operation performed after the washing water is supplied.

In addition, when the drying operation is performed, water vapor is supplied to the inside of drum 3 immediately before the drying is completed. At this time, the laundry A is in a fully dried state, and as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2 , it is lifted by the rotation of the drum 3 and falls in a loose state. The water vapor provided into the drum 3 contacts with the scattered laundry A, only brings a little moisture to the laundry A, softens the hardened fibers due to drying, and removes the "dust" produced on the laundry A. wrinkle" effect. Therefore, the condition of the laundry A after drying is improved, especially the thick laundry A such as a towel is made fluffy, and the skin feels better.

As shown in FIG. 1 , an operation panel 15 including operation keys for performing various operations and a display unit for performing various displays is provided on the upper front surface of the outer case 1 . The operation panel 15 is connected to the operation control unit 6 (see FIG. 2 ) provided inside the outer case 1 . The operation control unit 6 operates based on the operation on the operation panel 15 , and the above-mentioned washing operation and drying operation, and the rinsing operation and the dehydration operation performed between these operations are performed by the operation of the operation control unit 6 .

Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the structure of the control system of the washing machine of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4 , the operation control unit 6 is a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 61, a memory 62, a timer 63, an input/output interface (I/O) 64, and the like.

The CPU 61 outputs necessary control commands to the control objects installed in each part of the washing machine. The memory 62 stores a control program and various information necessary for the control operation of the CPU 61 . The timer 63 outputs necessary timing information in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 61 . The input/output interface 64 connects the operation control unit 6 and the control object so that data can be received and transmitted.

Operation control part 6 regards described drum motor 4, water supply valve 18, drain valve 25 and circulation pump 27 as control objects, in addition, also fan 65, PTC heater 66 and steam supply device that are arranged on the drying air path 5 quantitative pump 52 and steam heater 55 etc. as control objects. In addition, the operation control unit 6 is connected to a state detector for detecting the state of each control object through an input and output interface 64, and the state detector includes a rotation detection sensor 42 for detecting the rotation speed of the drum motor 4, and a steam motor as described above. A temperature detector 56 and an abnormal temperature detector 57 on the steam generator 53 of the supply device 5 and the like.

In addition, the operation control unit 6 is also connected to the operation panel 15 through the input/output interface 64 . The CPU 61 of the operation control unit 6 receives the operation content of the operation panel 15, and performs the washing operation and the drying operation, as well as the rinsing operation and the spin-drying operation according to the operation content. Moreover, CPU61 of operation control part 6 outputs a control command to the display part provided in the operation panel 15, and performs various displays, such as the operation state of a washing machine, and each part abnormality.

The user designates an operation mode by operating the operation panel 15, and performs washing operation, rinsing operation, spin-drying operation, and drying operation sequentially or individually. The CPU 61 of the operation control unit 6 operates according to the control program stored in the memory 62 to execute a designated operation mode.

The washing operation and the drying operation are respectively performed as described above.

During the washing operation, the CPU 61 of the operation control unit 6 issues a closing command to the drain valve 25, and a command to switch to open the first water supply outlet to the water supply valve 18. After providing a predetermined amount of washing water in the washing tank 2, Send a driving command to the drum motor 4 to make the drum 3 rotate at a low speed, and send a driving command to the circulation pump 27 to circulate the washing water and spray it from the front end of the return pipe 28 to the laundry A inside the drum 3 .

During the drying operation, the CPU 61 of the operation control unit 6 sends a drive command to the fan 65 and the PTC heater 66 to circulate the drying air as described above, and sends a drive command to the drum motor 4 to rotate the drum 3 at a low speed. . During the washing and drying operation as described above, the CPU 61 of the operation control section 6 uses the rotation speed of the drum motor 4 detected by the rotation detection sensor 42 as feedback information, thereby adjusting the rotation speed of the drum 3 to an appropriate speed. .

In addition, before the start of the washing operation and before the end of the drying operation, the CPU 61 of the operation control unit 6 issues an operation command to the quantitative pump 52 and the steam heater 55 of the steam supply device 5, and issues an operation command to the water supply valve 18 to switch to the second opening. The command of the water supply outlet, as described above, supplies water vapor to the inside of the drum 3 .

The spin-drying operation for removing the water contained in the laundry A is performed before the drying operation starts. During the dehydration operation, the CPU 61 of the operation control unit 6 issues an opening command to the drain valve 25 and a drive command to the drum motor 4 to rotate the drum 3 at a high speed. Laundry A is rotated at high speed while adhering to the inner peripheral surface of drum 3 . The water contained in the laundry A is scattered into the washing tank 2 through a plurality of small holes 32 provided on the peripheral wall of the drum 3 through the action of the centrifugal force accompanied by high-speed rotation, and flows to the drain pipe 26 through the water guide pipe 22 and the filter box 23 . discharge.

After the washing operation is finished, the rinsing operation is performed to remove the dirt and detergent components remaining on the laundry A. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation content of the operation control unit 6 during the rinsing operation.

When the rinsing operation is started, the CPU 61 of the operation control unit 6 determines whether or not steam rinsing is selected (step S1). The user can select steam rinsing by operating the operation panel 15 . When steam rinsing is not selected (step S1: No), CPU61 of the operation control part 6 transfers to the process of step S6, and performs the fresh water rinsing process mentioned later.

When steam rinsing is selected (step S1: YES), CPU61 of the operation control part 6 performs the dehydration process for a short time first (step S2). This dehydration process is performed by the same control operation as the above-mentioned dehydration operation so that the washing water contained in the laundry A is dehydrated.

After the dehydration process is over, the CPU 61 of the operation control unit 6 sends action instructions to the quantitative pump 52 and the steam heater 55 of the steam supply device 5 respectively, and sends an instruction to switch to open the second water supply outlet to the water supply valve 18, so as to supply the water to the drum. The interior of 3 is provided with water vapor (step S3). In addition, a drive command is issued to the drum motor 4 to rotate the drum 3 at a low speed (step S4). The CPU61 of the operation control part 6 continues the said operation|movement until predetermined predetermined time elapses (step S5: NO).

As described above, while controlling the steam heater 55 , the CPU 61 of the operation control unit 6 performs ON/OFF control of energization of the steam heater 55 based on the temperature detected by the temperature detector 56 . Through this control, the steam generator 53 always generates water vapor under proper conditions. Further, in order to prevent overheating of the steam generator 53 , the CPU 61 of the operation control unit 6 forcibly turns off the energization of the steam heater 55 based on the temperature detected by the abnormal temperature detector 57 . In the case of forced disconnection, it is preferable to cause the CPU 61 of the operation control unit 6 to issue and display a control command to the display panel 15 so as to notify the user that an abnormality has occurred.

When steam rinsing is selected, through the operation of the CPU 61 of the operation control unit 6 as described above, the laundry A in the drum 3 rotates at a low speed, and the laundry A in the drum 3 is cleaned by the action of the baffle plate 33 provided on the inner peripheral surface. After being lifted up repeatedly, it is dropped, and water vapor is sprayed into the inside of the drum 3 . The steam thus supplied is directly sprayed onto the laundry A in the middle of falling or after it has been dropped, and the laundry A is heated to wet the laundry A. Although dirt and detergent components remain on the laundry A after the washing operation, as mentioned above, the water vapor soaking the laundry A will soften the dirty components and dissolve the detergent. ingredients so that they can be easily removed.

After the above operation continues for a predetermined time (step S5: Yes), the CPU 61 of the operation control unit 6 executes a clean water rinsing process (step S6). This clean water rinsing process is a process commonly carried out in the past. After the short-time dehydration process, the CPU 61 of the operation control unit 6 sends a closing command to the drain valve 25 and a switch to open the first water supply outlet to the water supply valve 18 respectively. order to provide a specified amount of rinsing water to the washing tank 2. In addition, a drive command is sent to the drum motor 4 to rotate the drum 3 at a low speed, and a drive command is sent to the circulation pump 27 to circulate the washing water. The front end of the cylinder is sprayed to the inside of the drum 3.

In the fresh water rinsing process, through the above-mentioned actions of the CPU 61 of the operation control unit 6, the laundry in the drum 3 is soaked in the rinsing water flowing into the drum 3 through the small hole 32 on the peripheral wall, and the laundry is utilized as the drum 3 rotates. The function of the baffle 33 is lifted and then dropped, and stirred together with the rinsing water. As a result, the dirt and detergent components remaining on the laundry A are dissolved in the rinse water and removed.

The washing machine of the present invention provides water vapor and rotates the drum 3 before the fresh water rinsing process, so that steam rinsing in which the water vapor contacts the laundry A inside the drum 3 can be performed. As described above, since the water vapor in contact with the laundry A softens the soiled components remaining on the laundry A and dissolves the detergent components to be easily removed, the purpose of rinsing operation can be reliably achieved in a short time , that is, to remove dirt and detergent components.

Usually, the fresh water rinsing process is repeated many times, but since the washing machine of the present invention promotes the removal of dirt and detergent components by performing steam rinsing, the number of repeated fresh water rinsing processes can be reduced, for example, the number of fresh water rinsing is reduced from two The time is reduced to one time, thereby reducing the time required for the entire rinsing operation.

The order and times of steam rinsing shown in FIG. 5 are not limited to the flow chart shown in FIG. 5 , and can be performed in other appropriate ways. For example, a fresh water rinse may be performed initially, followed by a steam rinse, and finally one or more fresh water rinses may be performed, and in addition, multiple steam rinses and multiple fresh water rinses may be alternately performed.

In addition, water vapor may be continuously supplied to the inside of the drum 3 during the fresh water rinsing process. Since the steam provided in this way heats the laundry A and acts to raise the temperature of the rinsing water in the washing tub 2, the removal of dirt and detergent components remaining on the laundry A can be further promoted.

In the washing machine of the present invention as described above, since the water vapor is supplied to the inside of the drum during the rinsing operation of rinsing the laundry in the drum, water vapor can be used to dissolve the laundry on the drum. Retains dirt and detergent components and allows them to be easily removed, thereby shortening the time required for the rinse operation and shortening the operation time of the washing machine including the rinse operation by about 25%.

In addition, the embodiments described in the above description are only used to clearly show the technical content of the present invention, and should not be interpreted narrowly that the present invention is only limited to the above specific examples, and can be used in various ways within the scope of the idea and claims of the present invention. A modified mode implements the present invention.

Claims (2)

1. A washing machine comprising a drum into which laundry is loaded and rotated, and a steam supply device for supplying water vapor to the inside of the drum, wherein: The washing machine includes an operation control unit that operates the steam supply device to perform a part of a rinsing operation for rinsing laundry in the drum. 2 . The washing machine according to claim 1 , wherein when the rinsing operation is started, the operation control unit rotates the drum and operates the steam supply device. 3 .

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