WASHING MACHINE

• US 20110048078A1
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier Group Corporation (Haier Group Company), Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co., Ltd. (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: Haier Group Corporation (Haier Group Company), Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co., Ltd. (Haier Group Company)
• Inventors: Tobi, Yukio, Mamiya, Haruo, Akagi, Takayoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,238,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 68/12.13
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/18 Washing liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/02 Water supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/08 Draining of washing liquids
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/52 Changing sequence of operational steps; Carrying out additional operational steps; Modifying operational steps, e.g. by extending duration of steps
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/56 Remaining operation time; Remaining operational cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 25/00 Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/34 of water filling
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/36 of washing
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/38 of rinsing
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/001 using ozone
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/002 using bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/08 Liquid supply or discharge arrangements supply of soap or other washing agents D06F39/02
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/083 Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/088 Liquid supply arrangements

Abstract

The inventive washing machine is capable of hygienically and properly performing a rinsing operation with the use of bathwater. The washing machine includes a bathwater pump (34), so that bathwater can be retained in a washing tub (3). A water circulation passage (42, 43, 44, 45, 15, 55, 25, 57, 26, 58, 59) is provided for circulating laundry water to the washing tub (3). The bathwater retained in the washing tub (3) is circulated through the water circulation passage, and ozone generated by an ozone generator (19) is mixed with the circulated water, whereby the water (bathwater) is cleaned. This water cleaning operation is performed in a rinsing step. When the ozone is supplied in the rinsing step, the ozone is effective to sterilize the bathwater and decompose dirt and odorant of laundry. Therefore, the rinsing operation to be performed in this manner is comparable to a rinsing operation to be performed with the use of tap water.

Claims

1. A washing machine comprising:

a washing tub;

a water supply valve which is opened and closed to supply tap water into the washing tub;

a bathwater pump which is driven to supply bathwater into the washing tub;

a water circulation passage having opposite ends connected to the washing tub;

a circulation pump provided in the water circulation passage for pumping water out of the washing tub through one of the opposite ends of the water circulation passage and supplying the pumped water back into the washing tub through the other end of the water circulation passage;

a cleaning air generator which generates cleaning air;

a gas-liquid mixer provided in the water circulation passage for mixing the cleaning air generated by the cleaning air generator with water flowing through the water circulation passage; and

bathwater cleaning controlling means which actuates the cleaning air generator to mix the cleaning air with water circulated by driving the circulation pump in response to supply of the bathwater into the washing tub by the bathwater pump.

2. A washing machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bathwater cleaning controlling means actuates the cleaning air generator for a predetermined period that is longer than when the tap water is supplied into the washing tub.

3. A washing machine as set forth in claim 1 or 2, which is capable of performing a washing step by using detergent water retained in the washing tub and containing a detergent dissolved therein, and then performing a rinsing step,

wherein the bathwater cleaning controlling means is operative only in the rinsing step.

4. A washing machine as set forth in claim 3, which is capable of performing an intermediate dehydrating step to remove the detergent water used in the washing step between the washing step and the rinsing step, and further comprises intermediate dehydration controlling means which employs a longer dehydration period in the intermediate dehydrating step when the rinsing step is to be performed with the bathwater cleaning controlling means kept operative than when the rinsing step is to be performed by using the tap water.

5. A washing machine as set forth in claim 3, further comprising water supply/drain controlling means which, when the bathwater is supplied into the washing tub by driving the bathwater pump in the rinsing step, opens and closes a drain valve to drain water from the washing tub in predetermined timing relation with the supply of the bathwater.

6. A washing machine as set forth in claim 3,

wherein the rinsing step in which the bathwater cleaning controlling means is operative includes a plurality of rinsing steps, and intermediate dehydrating steps to be performed before the respective rinsing steps,

wherein a dehydration period is longer in an intermediate dehydrating step to be performed before a preceding rinsing step than in an intermediate dehydrating step to be performed before a subsequent rinsing step.

7. A washing machine as set forth in claim 3,

wherein the rinsing step in which the bathwater cleaning controlling means is operative includes a plurality of rinsing steps,

wherein a bathwater supply period is longer in a preceding rinsing step than in a subsequent rinsing step.

8. A washing machine as set forth in claim 3,

wherein the rinsing step in which the bathwater cleaning controlling means is operative includes a plurality of rinsing steps,

the washing machine further comprising finishing treatment controlling means which deactuates the cleaning air generator and supplies a softener into the washing tub in a last one of the rinsing steps.