JPH0284994A - Double tub type washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automatically execute the cleaning of a dehydrating tub, which prevents a detergent from being restuck to laundry, in a suitable period as needed by providing a tub cleaning control means to execute the cleaning operation of the dehydrating operation for a prescribed time with mainly executing water supply operation by a dehydrating tub side water supplying valve when the concentration detecting value of a detergent concentration detecting device goes over a reference value. CONSTITUTION:In order to remove the detergent in a dehydrating tub 9, the cleaning operation of the dehydrating tub is executed to drive a dehydrating tub side water supplying valve 13 and to drive a dehydrating motor 11. For the operation, a cleanser detecting device 17 is provided in a dehydration receiving tunk 4, which is regarded to show the detergent concentration to be almost equivalent with a dehydrating tub 9, and the detergent concentration is detected by the detergent concentration detecting device 17 at the time of rinsing in a washing tub 3 side. Then, when a detecting value Nx goes over a reference value Nk and the detergent sticking degree of the dehydrating tub 9 is regarded to be high, the cleaning operation of the dehydrating tub is executed. Accordingly, since the tub cleaning operation can be automatically executed in the suitable period in correspondence to the need of the cleaning for the dehydrating tub 9, the dehydrating tub 9 can be always cleaned before final dehydrating operation is executed. Then, a user can be free from dehydrating tub cleaning work and switch operation and water is not used in vain.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a two-tub washing machine that automatically cleans a dehydration tank.

(Prior Art) As is well known, a two-tub washing machine is equipped with an agitator and a washing motor that drives the agitator in the washing tank, and washing and rinsing are carried out in this washing tank. A dehydration tank and a dehydration motor for driving the dehydration tank are provided on the side, and dewatering is performed in this dehydration tank.

By the way, when rinsing is performed after washing with detergent in the washing tank, the laundry immediately after washing with detergent is first taken out of the washing tank and transferred to the dehydration tank, and this dehydration tank is rotated. (Dehydration operation) is performed to forcibly remove the detergent contained in the laundry, thereby making the next rinse in the washing tub more effective.

In addition, recent two-tub washing machines not only rotate the spin-drying tub, but also perform a so-called spin-rinsing operation in which water for rinsing is supplied into the spin-dry tub.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, as described above, when dehydration operation (including dehydration rinsing operation) is performed to remove detergent in the dehydration tank, detergent remains attached to the dehydration tank. There are often If final dehydration is performed in this dehydration tank in this state, there is a problem that the detergent will re-adhere to the laundry. To prevent this, the user would have to clean the dewatering tank manually, which is troublesome. In addition, since a device that can perform a spin-rinse operation is equipped with a water supply means, if the spin-rinse operation is performed without putting laundry into the spin-dry tank, there is no need for manual labor. In this case, the user has to operate the switches every time, which is troublesome.

Moreover, even if the dehydration tank is cleaned manually or by the dehydration rinsing operation described above, the user may forget to do this, and even if there is not much detergent attached to the dehydration tank, the tank may be cleaned. There was a risk that this would lead to water wastage.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a two-tank washing machine that can automatically and at the appropriate time clean the dehydration tank to prevent detergent from re-adhering to the laundry. It is on offer.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention includes a washing tank equipped with an agitator and a washing motor for driving the agitator for washing and rinsing, and a dehydrating tank and a dehydrating tank installed in the dehydrating tank. In a device that is equipped with a driven dehydration motor to perform dehydration, the dehydration tank side water supply valve that supplies water to the dehydration tank, a detergent concentration detection device that detects the detergent concentration in the dehydration receiving tank side, and a rinsing tank side When the detergent concentration detection device starts, the concentration detection value of the detergent concentration detection device is compared with the base q value, and if the detected value exceeds the reference value, the dehydration tank cleaning operation, which mainly involves the water supply operation by the water supply valve on the dehydration tank side, is continued for a predetermined period of time. It is characterized in that it is equipped with a waiting tank cleaning control means.

(Function) It is preferable that the dehydration tank be cleaned to remove detergent components immediately before the final dehydration. However, in a two-tub washing machine, the spin operation including the final spin operation is started by the user's arbitrary switch operation, so it is not possible to automatically determine when the final spin operation will be performed. Have difficulty. However, the final dehydration is performed at least after the rinsing performed on the washing tank side is completed. As can be seen from this, the timing of cleaning the dehydration tank is preferably the period of rinsing in the washing tank. However, if the degree of detergent adhesion to the dehydration tank is low, this cleaning of the dehydration tank is unnecessary. The degree of detergent adhesion in the dehydration tank can be detected based on the detergent concentration in the dehydration receiving tank in which the dehydration tank is disposed.

Now, according to the above means, by the detergent concentration detection device,
Detergent concentration in the dehydration tank is detected. Therefore, when rinsing is started in the washing tank, that is, during rinsing, which is considered to be a period before final dehydration, the tank cleaning control means adjusts the concentration detection value of the detergent concentration detection device and the reference value. If the detected value exceeds the reference value, the dehydration tank cleaning operation, which mainly involves the water supply operation by the water supply valve on the dehydration tank side, will wait for a predetermined period of time. The tank can be cleaned at the appropriate time.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, in FIG. 3, 1 is an outer box, 2 is a tank body forming a washing tank 3 and a dewatering tank 4, 5 is an agitator provided at the inner bottom of the washing tank 3, and 6 is a mechanism for controlling this agitator 5. A washing motor is rotated through part 7, and 8 is an overflow pipe equipped with a valve 8a for opening and closing a drain port (not shown) at the bottom of the washing tank 3.

Further, 9 is a dehydration tank disposed in the dehydration receiving tank 4, 10 is a water spray tube installed inside the dehydration tank 9, and 11 is the dehydration tank 9.
This is a dehydration motor for rotating.

On the other hand, reference numerals 12 and 13 are an electromagnetically driven water supply valve on the washing tank side and a water supply valve on the dehydration tank side, respectively, and the water supply valve 12 on the washing tank side supplies water into the washing tank 3 via the water supply case 14. Moreover, the water supply valve 13 on the dehydration tank side is configured to supply water into the water spray tube 10 and thus into the dehydration tank 9 via the water supply case 15 and the inner lid 16.

17 is a detergent concentration detection device consisting of, for example, a conductivity detector, which is provided at the inner bottom of the dehydration receiving tank 4;
By detecting the conductivity of water, which changes depending on the detergent concentration, a signal corresponding to the detergent concentration is output.

Next, in FIG. 2 showing the electrical configuration, reference numeral 18 is a microcomputer for controlling washing operations such as washing and rinsing, as well as controlling dehydration operations, and this microcomputer 18 also functions as tank cleaning control means. It is something. 19 is a DC power supply circuit for this microcomputer 18, 20 is a switch input circuit, and this switch input circuit 20 includes a start switch for starting washing operations such as washing and rinsing, and a washing operation course changeover switch. In addition, it is equipped with a course changeover switch for dehydration operation and a start switch for dehydration. 21 is a display device that displays driving details, driving time, etc. 22 is a drain motor for moving the overflow pipe 8 up and down, 23 is a triac for turning off electricity to this drain motor, 24 and 25 are triacs for normal rotation and 2 reverse rotation of the washing motor 6, 26, 27.28
are for washing motor 11 on/off and washing tank side water supply valve 1, respectively.
This is a triac for 2-way disconnection, and a TRIAC for power-off of the water supply valve 13 on the dehydration tank side.

The microcomputer 18 has a switch input circuit 2
Based on the switch input from 0, each triac 23
28 are turned on and off to control the washing operation and the dehydration operation, and the dehydration tank cleaning operation is controlled based on the detected value given from the detergent concentration detection device 17. In addition,
In the two-tub washing machine of this embodiment, the dehydration operation is performed as follows:
There is a single dehydration operation in which the dehydration motor 11 is simply driven to rotate (therefore, the dehydration tank 9 is rotationally driven), and a dehydration rinsing operation in which the dehydration motor 11 is driven to rotate while the dehydration tank side water supply valve 13 is energized (opened). .

Now, the function of the tank cleaning control means in the microcomputer 18 will be explained with reference to FIG. 1, which shows a flowchart of the control contents. This flowchart starts when a power switch (not shown) is turned on.

Therefore, in step S1, it is determined whether or not there is a switch input for starting the dehydration operation, and if there is such an input, subroutine S2 is executed and the process moves to step S3. In the above subroutine S2, a single dehydration operation or a dehydration rinsing operation is executed for a set operating time based on the switch input.

In step S3, it is determined whether or not the washing operation has been started on the washing tub 3 side. If the washing operation has not been started, the process returns to step S1, and if it has been started, the process moves to step S4. In this step S4, it is determined whether or not the started operation is rinsing, and if it is not rinsing, the process returns to step S1, and if it is rinsing, the process proceeds to step S5 where the detergent concentration detection device 17 at this point Then, in the next step S6, it is determined whether or not this detected value Nx exceeds a predetermined reference value Nk.

If the detected value Nx does not exceed the reference value Nk, the process returns to step S1, and if it does, the process moves to step S7.

In this step S7, a dehydration tank cleaning operation is executed. This dehydration tank cleaning operation is executed by driving the dehydration tank side water supply valve 13 to supply water, and at the same time driving the dehydration motor 11 to rotate. In this case, the water that has passed through the water supply valve 13 on the dehydration tank side is supplied into the water spray barrel 10 through the water supply case 15 and the middle M16, and is scattered by the rotational centrifugal force of the water spray barrel 10 and hits the inner surface of the dehydration tank 9. As a result, the dehydration tank 9 is cleaned.

After this dehydration tank cleaning operation is completed, the process returns to step S1.

In the above configuration, in order to remove detergent bones from laundry,
When a dehydration rinse operation or a single dehydration operation is performed, detergent remains attached to the inner surface of the dehydration tank 9.

Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to remove the detergent from the dehydration tank 9, as described above, the dehydration tank side water supply valve 1 is
Since the dehydration tank cleaning operation is performed in which the dehydration motor 11 is driven at the same time as the dehydration motor 11 is driven, the dehydration tank 9 can be thoroughly cleaned, and as a result, detergent does not re-adhere to the laundry during the final dehydration. There isn't.

By the way, it is meaningless to perform this dehydration tank cleaning operation when the degree of detergent adhesion in the dehydration tank 9 is low, and when it is performed, it is preferably performed immediately before the final dehydration. However, since the dehydration operation, including this final dehydration operation, is started by the user's arbitrary switch operation,
It is difficult to determine when this will happen. However, in this embodiment, the detergent concentration detection device 17 is provided in the dehydration receiving tank 4, which is considered to have a detergent concentration almost equivalent to that of the dehydration tank 1, and the final dehydration operation is performed at least after the rinsing in the washing tank 3 side is completed. Focusing on this, during rinsing,
The detergent concentration is detected by the detergent concentration detection device 1.7, and the detected value Nx is compared with the basic value Nk. If the detected value Nx exceeds the reference value Nk, that is, the detergent concentration of the dehydration tank 9 is Since the dehydration tank cleaning operation is performed if the dehydration tank 9 is deemed to be high, the tank cleaning operation can be performed automatically and appropriately according to the need for cleaning the dehydration tank 9. As a result, the dehydration tank 9 can always be thoroughly cleaned before the final dehydration operation is performed, and the user can be freed from the work and switch operations for cleaning the dehydration tank, and water is wasted. It never comes.

In the above embodiment, the water supply valve 13 on the dehydration tank side is driven not only in the dehydration tank cleaning operation but also in the dehydration rinsing operation, but it is arranged so that only the single dehydration operation is performed without performing the dehydration operation. In the two-tub type washing machine, the water supply valve 13 on the dehydration tank side may be used only for washing the tank. Further, the dehydration tank cleaning operation mode may be a mode in which the dehydration motor is not driven and only the dehydration ta side water valve 3 is driven.
In short, the dehydration tank cleaning operation may be in any mode as long as the water supply operation by the dehydration tank side water supply valve 3 is the main mode. Furthermore, the detergent concentration detection device may be constructed from a pH sensor.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the gist.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, the present invention includes an agitator and a washing motor that drives the agitator on the washing tank side to perform washing and rinsing, and a dehydration tank and the same on the dehydration receiving tank side. A dehydration tank-side water supply valve that supplies water to the dehydration tank;
a detergent concentration detection device that detects detergent concentration on the dehydration receiving tank side;
When rinsing is started on the washing tank side, the concentration detection value of the detergent concentration detection device is compared with the reference value, and if the detected value exceeds the reference value, the dewatering tank is started mainly by water supply operation by the water supply valve on the dehydration tank side. The device is equipped with a tank cleaning control means that waits for a predetermined period of time before the cleaning operation starts, and automatically performs the dehydration tank cleaning to prevent detergent from re-adhering to the laundry, depending on the need. Therefore, before the final dehydration, the dehydration tank can always be thoroughly cleaned and detergent can be reliably prevented from re-adhering to the laundry. The system can relieve the user from the trouble of cleaning the dehydration tank and operate switches, and has excellent effects such as not wasting water.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing the control contents of the tank cleaning control means, FIG. 2 is an electric circuit diagram including a partial block diagram, and FIG. 3 is a two-tank washing machine. It is a vertical front view of the machine. In the figure, 3 is a washing tank, 4 is a dehydration receiving tank, 5 is an agitator, 6 is a washing motor, 9 is a dehydration tank, 11 is a dehydration motor, 12 is a water supply valve on the washing tank side,] 3 is a water supply valve on the dehydration tank side, 17 is a detergent concentration detection device, and 18 is a microcomputer (tank cleaning control means). Applicant Toshiba Corporation Toshiba Audio/Video Engineering Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A washing tank is equipped with an agitator and a washing motor that drives the agitator for washing and rinsing, and a dehydration receiving tank is equipped with a dehydration tank and a dehydration motor that drives it for dewatering, A water supply valve on the dehydration tank side that supplies water to the dehydration tank, a detergent concentration detection device that detects the detergent concentration on the dehydration receiving tank side, and a concentration detection value and reference value of the detergent concentration detection device when rinsing is started on the washing tank side. A two-tub type washing machine, comprising: a tank cleaning control means for comparing the detected value with the reference value and performing a dehydration tank cleaning operation for a predetermined period of time, mainly by water supply operation by the water supply valve on the dehydration tank side, if the detected value exceeds the reference value.