JPH11333186A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve maneuverability of a washing machine by making the rinsing process contents selectable either a first mode to rinse after dehydrating or a second mode to rinse without draining and dehydrating in carrying out the rinsing process by individual operation. SOLUTION: When a user selected individual operation by an input part 10 to start rinsing operation, a message whether the user select a first mode to start with draining and dehydrating or a second mode to start with rinsing omitting draining and dehydrating is displayed to make the user select whether draining and dehydrating is carried out or not prior to the rinsing process. When the first mode is selected, the draining and dehydrating process is carried out and, when the second mode is selected, the draining and dehydrating process is omitted. Then, whether water feed is necessary or not is judged and a water feed electromagnetic valve is opened to feed water up to a prescribed rinsing water level if judged necessary.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washing machine for selectively performing a fully automatic operation in which a washing step, a rinsing step, and a dehydrating step are continuously performed, and an independent operation in which each of the steps is individually performed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional washing machine of this kind, a washing process,
A single operation of independently performing the rinsing step and the dehydrating step is used in various forms.

[0003] For example, as a laundry form, there are times when it is desired to wash the laundry in separate groups, such as colored articles and underwear. In such a case, the washing operation in the independent operation is repeated several times. That is, the laundry is repeatedly washed in groups.

[0004] In the case where the independent washing process is used repeatedly as described above, it is desired to replace only the laundry without draining the washing water even after one washing process in order to save water. There is a request. In view of such circumstances, in the conventional washing machine, the washing process of the single operation is set to a processing content such that the washing process is not drained even after the washing process is completed.

[0005] Further, when all the laundry has been washed by repeatedly using the above-described independent operation washing process, it is sometimes necessary to repeatedly use the independent operation rinsing process in order to individually rinse all the laundry. is there.

[0006] In consideration of the fact that the washing operation of the preceding independent operation is performed so as not to drain the washing water, the rinsing operation of the independent operation is performed simultaneously with the start of the rinsing operation of the independent operation. After draining the washing water and dewatering the laundry, the laundry is stirred while the water is stored in the washing tub, the water is rinsed, or the laundry is stirred while supplying and draining water at the same time. The processing content is to perform either of them. In the first place,
The reason for the treatment that drains and dehydrates first in the single operation rinsing process is because the washing water left in the single operation washing process contains detergent, so use that washing water. This is because rinsing efficiency is deteriorated if the rinsing step of the independent operation is performed.

In any of the above-mentioned steps,
At the time of water supply, not only tap water but also remaining water in the bathtub can be used. Incidentally, in recent years, there is a washing machine in which remaining water in a bathtub is sucked up by a water suction pump so that water can be supplied into the washing tub.

[0008]

By the way, in the conventional washing machine, the content of the rinsing process in the single operation is fixed to a single form in which drainage / dehydration is performed and then rinsing is performed. Has the following problems.

In other words, the background of the use of the rinsing process of the independent operation is, for example, the case where the rinsing process of the independent operation is used after being used, and the case where the washing process is performed by hand washing without using the washing process of the independent operation. In some cases, it is used for the first time to rinse things.

In the former use mode, drainage and dewatering at the same time as the start of the rinsing step of the independent operation is effective in increasing the washing efficiency.

However, in the latter type of use, as a preparation before performing the rinsing step of the independent operation, the user sometimes puts the remaining water in the bathtub into the washing tub to save water. However, if the independent operation of the rinsing process is used in such a situation, firstly, the bath water used as the rinsing water described above is wasted because the water is drained and dehydrated, and the bath tub water is drained. It can be said that the time and power required to dehydrate the laundry is wasted. In addition, the time and effort required to fill the bath water is wasted.

As described above, it is pointed out that the conventional washing machine is not configured to cover various usage modes depending on the user's consciousness of saving water, and is inconvenient to use.

[0013] In view of such circumstances, the inventor of the present invention, as the processing contents of the rinsing step of the single operation, starts from the draining and dehydrating as in the conventional case and the rinsing operation without the draining and dehydrating. It is considered that the second mode is prepared so that any one of them can be selected and designated by the user.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine with which the contents of a rinsing step of an independent operation can be adapted to various use forms, and to enhance usability.

[0015]

A washing machine according to a first aspect of the present invention selectively operates a fully automatic operation in which a washing step, a rinsing step, and a dehydration step are continuously performed, and an independent operation in which each of the steps is individually performed. In the case where the rinsing step is performed in a stand-alone operation, the content of the rinsing step may be a first mode in which a rinsing process is performed after a drainage / dehydration process is performed, or a drainage /
Whether to perform the rinsing process without performing the dehydration process in the second mode is determined and executed according to a user's request.

The washing machine according to the second aspect of the present invention comprises a washing step,
The rinsing step and the fully automatic operation of continuously performing the dehydration step and the independent operation of individually performing each of the above steps are selectively performed. In response to the operation by the user, the fully automatic operation or the independent operation is selectively performed. A first input unit for outputting a request signal for performing the operation, and performing the draining / dehydrating process in response to an operation by a user when performing the rinsing step of the independent operation. A second input unit for selectively outputting a first request signal for performing a first mode of performing the process, or a second request signal for performing a second mode of performing the rinsing process without performing the drainage / dehydration process; In response to the request signal input from the first input unit, the corresponding operation of the fully automatic operation or the independent operation is executed, and the request signal input from the first input unit is used in the rinsing step of the isolated operation. When to respond In response to one of the first and second request signals input from the second input unit, the processing content of the rinsing step is determined to be one of the first and second modes. And a control unit that executes the program.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the washing machine according to the first or second aspect, when the control section executes the washing step in a fully automatic operation or an independent operation, the control section performs a washing process with respect to the processing content. When the operation is completed, the washing water in the washing tub is left in a state where the washing water is left.
This is a first embodiment in which a rinsing process is performed after a dehydrating process.

In summary, according to the present invention, in the washing machine, the processing contents of the rinsing step of the single operation are diversified so that the user can select the processing contents. That is, when performing the rinsing step of the independent operation, the user is allowed to select and specify whether or not the drainage / dehydration processing is required.

[0019] With this, the most appropriate form can be determined as the processing content of the rinsing step of the independent operation according to various washing methods determined by the user. For example, processing can be performed in an appropriate form, and the convenience can be improved by eliminating waste.

In the third aspect of the present invention, when the fully automatic operation is performed, the washing water is left at the end of the washing process, but in the subsequent rinsing process, drainage and dehydration must be performed before the rinsing process. Therefore, the washing water containing the detergent left in the washing step does not need to be used in the rinsing process, so that the rinsing efficiency is improved.

[0021]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The details of the present invention will be described below with reference to the embodiments shown in FIGS.

FIGS. 1 to 3 relate to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing a schematic configuration of a washing machine, FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram of the washing machine, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of a rinsing step.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes the entire washing machine,
Is a cylindrical outer tub, 3 is a cylindrical washing and dewatering tub (drum) disposed rotatably around the vertical axis in the outer tub 2, 4 is a stirring blade provided on the inner bottom of the drum 3, 5 Is a drive unit that rotationally drives the stirring blades 4 and the drum 3, 6 is a water supply solenoid valve for supplying tap water into the outer tub 2, 7 is a device that sucks up bath water in the bath tub 20 and supplies water into the outer tub 2. A drainage solenoid valve for draining water in the outer tub 2;
Reference numeral 9 denotes a water level sensor that measures the water level in the outer tub 2 by a change in air pressure according to the change in the water level, 10 denotes an input unit having various switches, and 11 denotes a display unit that displays various characters, numerals, messages, and the like. , 12 are control units for executing various washing processes.

The drive unit 5 includes a stepping motor 51, a transmitter 52 for transmitting the rotational power of the motor 51 to the stirring blade 4 and the drum 3, and a belt for transmitting the rotational power of the motor 51 to the transmitter 52. 53 and the control unit 10
And a motor drive unit 54 that applies a voltage to the motor 51 by being controlled by the control unit. The transmission device 52 reduces the rotational power of the motor 51 and rotationally drives the stirring blades 4, and rotates only the stirring blades 4 during washing and rinsing,
A clutch mechanism for rotating both the stirring blade 4 and the drum 3 during dehydration is provided.

A suction unit 14 is attached to the water absorption pump 7 via a hose 13, and the suction unit 14 is put in a bathtub 20.

The input unit 10 includes at least an operation selection switch 10a for designating a fully automatic operation or an isolated operation, and a processing content selection switch 10b for designating the processing content in the rinsing step of the isolated operation. . In addition, the fully automatic operation is to continuously perform a washing step, a rinsing step, a dehydration step, and the like, and the independent operation is to individually perform each of the above steps. Further, as the processing contents in the rinsing step of the single operation, a first mode in which the rinsing processing is performed after performing the drainage / dehydration processing and a second mode in which the rinsing processing is performed without performing the draining / dehydrating processing are prepared. It is possible to arbitrarily select whether or not to perform drainage / dehydration processing by the processing content selection switch 10b.

The display section 11 is composed of a segment type LED or a liquid crystal display panel, and displays a message relating to selection of processing contents in at least the rinsing step of the independent operation.

The control unit 12 includes a microcomputer, and executes a fully automatic operation or an independent operation designated by an operation selection switch 10a of the input unit 10, and also executes a processing content when executing a rinsing step of the independent operation. Whether to use the first mode or the second mode is determined according to a request signal input from the processing content selection switch 10b of the input unit 10.

Next, the operation of the washing machine 1 will be described. In other words, when the user selects, for example, the fully automatic operation and specifies the start of the operation with the input unit 10 in a state where the laundry is put in the drum 3, a required amount of tap water or bath water is supplied into the outer tub 2. At the same time, the laundry is washed by putting the detergent and rotating the stirring blade 4 by the drive unit 5 (washing step). Subsequently, after the washing water in the outer tub 2 is once drained and dehydrated, the drum 3 is rotated in a state where tap water and bath tub water are accumulated to a specified water level or in a state where water supply and drainage are performed simultaneously, Rinse the laundry (rinse step). Thereafter, the laundry is dehydrated by rotating the drum 3 without supplying water to the drum 3 (a dehydration step).

On the other hand, when the user selects the single operation by the input unit 10 and designates the start of the operation, the same processing as the above-described fully automatic operation is performed in accordance with the selected step. However, only the rinsing step in the single operation may be different from the rinsing step in the fully automatic operation in the processing contents, and thus the rinsing step will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

The single rinsing operation is started when the rinsing step of the single operation is selected by the input unit 10. First, prior to the start of the rinsing step of the single operation, in order to select whether or not to perform drainage / dehydration processing, for example, “the first processing in which the processing content is started from drainage / dehydration processing, Message is displayed on the display unit 11 (S1). Thereafter, it is determined which mode is selected (S2).

In S2, when it is determined that the first mode is selected, the drainage / dehydration process is performed (S3). When it is determined that the second mode is selected, the drainage / dehydration process in S3 is omitted. Then, the process proceeds to S4. In the drainage / dehydration process in S3, the water in the outer tub 2 is drained by opening the drainage electromagnetic valve 8, and then the drive unit 5 rotates the drum 3 to remove water from the laundry. Remove lightly.

In S4, it is determined whether water supply is necessary.
Here, it is determined based on the detection output from the water level sensor 9 whether or not the water level in the outer tub 2 is at a predetermined prescribed rinsing water level set at the beginning of production. In S4, when it is determined that water supply is necessary, the tap water is supplied to the specified rinse water level in the outer tub 2 by opening the water supply solenoid valve 6 (S5). If determined, the water supply operation of S5 is omitted, and the process proceeds to S6.

At S6, a rinsing process is performed. This rinsing process is set in a form called a rinsing process in which the laundry is stirred while the water is stored in the outer tub 2. However,
It is also possible to adopt a form called a water injection rinsing process in which the laundry is agitated while simultaneously supplying and draining water.

When the rinsing process is completed, the rinsing step of the single operation is completed. After this, it waits for the user's request.

By the way, when the rinsing process in the rinsing step of the independent operation is completed, the rinsing water in the outer tank 2 may be left without draining. I mean,
In general, the above-described single operation rinsing step may be repeatedly used, and if the rinsing water left in the previous single operation rinsing step is used in the subsequent single operation rinsing step, water is saved.

As described above, the following advantages can be obtained by allowing the user to select whether or not to perform the drainage / dehydration treatment in the rinsing step of the single operation. In other words, if the washing machine 1 is started from the independent rinsing step and if, for example, bathtub water or the like is put in the outer tub 2 to save water before the start of the rinsing step, drainage occurs. If the dehydration process is not performed, the bath water can be effectively used in the rinsing process. Therefore, the bathtub water can be effectively used, and the time and labor required for filling the bathtub water can be prevented from being wasted. In addition, in a case where the rinsing step of the independent operation is performed after using the washing step of the independent operation without using the bathtub water, in the rinsing step, the washing of the single operation of the preceding stage is performed in the rinsing step. By rinsing the laundry by draining the water left in the process, the rinsing process can be performed efficiently. As described above, the usability of the washing machine 1 can be improved, for example, the washing machine 1 can widely support various washing methods.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to only the above embodiment, and various applications and modifications are conceivable. (1) The configuration of the washing machine 1 is not limited to only those exemplified in the above embodiment, and the present invention can be applied to various types of washing machines. (2) In the above embodiment, the determination result in S2 in FIG. 3 is stored in a memory (not shown) provided in the control unit 12, and the determination result is stored in the memory when the next independent operation rinsing process is used. It is also possible to execute the processing with the stored processing content.

[0039]

According to the first to third aspects of the present invention, the processing contents of the rinsing step of the independent operation are not fixed to a single form as in the conventional case, but are prepared in two forms. Since either one can be selected and designated by the user, the most appropriate form of processing content can be set according to various use forms that the user intends to perform arbitrarily, eliminating waste and improving usability. Can be enhanced.

In particular, in the case of executing the fully automatic operation, the washing water is left at the end of the washing process, but in the subsequent rinsing process, the rinsing process is always performed after draining and dehydrating. Since the washing water containing the detergent left in the washing step need not be used in the rinsing process, the rinsing efficiency can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing a schematic configuration of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram of the washing machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing processing contents of a rinsing step of an independent operation

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Washing machine 2 Outer tub 7 Water absorption pump 9 Water level sensor 10 Input part 11 Display part 12 Control part

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A washing machine for selectively performing a fully automatic operation for continuously performing a washing step, a rinsing step, and a dehydrating step and an independent operation for individually performing each of the steps, wherein the rinsing step is performed independently. When executing, the user is required to determine whether the processing content is a first mode of performing a rinsing process after performing a drainage / dehydration process or a second mode of performing a rinsing process without performing a drainage / dehydration process. A washing machine characterized in that the washing machine is determined and executed according to the request of (1). 2. A washing machine for selectively executing a fully automatic operation in which a washing step, a rinsing step, and a dehydration step are continuously performed and an independent operation in which each of the steps is individually performed, the washing machine responding to an operation by a user. And outputting a request signal for selectively executing the fully automatic operation or the isolated operation.
An input unit, a first mode for performing a draining / dehydrating process in response to an operation by a user, and then performing a rinsing process in response to an operation performed by a user when the rinsing process of the independent operation is performed; A second input unit for selectively outputting a request signal or a second request signal for performing a second mode of performing a rinsing process without performing a drainage / dehydration process; and a request signal input from the first input unit. In addition to executing the corresponding one of the fully automatic operation and the independent operation in response to the second operation, when the request signal input from the first input unit corresponds to the rinsing step of the independent operation, the processing content is described by the second input. A control unit that determines and executes the processing content of the rinsing step in one of the first and second modes in response to one of the first and second request signals input from the unit. Characterized by Washing machine. 3. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein when the washing process is performed by a fully automatic operation or an independent operation, the control unit includes: In a case where the washing water is left and the washing water is left, and a fully automatic operation is performed, a first form in which the rinsing process is performed after the drainage / dehydration process is performed for the contents of the rinsing process. A washing machine, characterized in that: