Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co., Ltd.

Haier Group Corporation

Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Haier Group Corporation & Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co., Ltd.

Haruo Mamiya

Naoki Hiro

Yukio Tobi

Harumi Takeuchi

Takayoshi Akagi

Naoki Kitayama

Kenichiro Dohi

Kiyoshi Sarada

Motoki Kochi

Jyun Hirose

Sayaka Oyanagi

Ryosuke Saito

Kazumasa Danno

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 (), so that bathwater can be retained in a washing tub (). A water circulation passage () is provided for circulating laundry water to the washing tub (). The bathwater retained in the washing tub () is circulated through the water circulation passage, and ozone generated by an ozone generator () 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.

Washing machine

The inventive washing machine is capable of advantageously rinsing laundry with clean water by performing a rinsing operation while cleaning water being used for the rinsing operation in a rinsing step. The washing machine includes a water circulation passage () for circulating laundry water to a washing tub (). Rinsing water retained in the washing tub () can be circulated through the water circulation passage. Ozone generated by an ozone generator () is mixed with the circulated water, whereby the rinsing water is cleaned. This water cleaning operation is performed only in the rinsing step. Where the ozone is supplied only in the rinsing step, the ozone is effective to decompose dirt and odorant of the laundry. Thus, the rinsing operation is advantageously performed.

The inventive washing machine is capable of deodorizing a daily commodity with cleaning air in a shorter period of time. When the daily commodity is deodorized with the cleaning air, a control section () causes a heater () to heat air in a washing tub () to maintain an inside air temperature of the washing tub () within a predetermined temperature range. This promotes the deodorization with the cleaning air, as long as the cleaning air is not decomposed by the heating. As a result, the daily commodity can be satisfactorily deodorized irrespective of an operation period set by a timer (), for example, even if a daily commodity deodorization process is performed with the use of the cleaning air in a shorter period of time (a minimum air-wash process is performed).

Washing/drying machine and deodorization apparatus

A washing machine including a treating tub that houses clothes and that has an outer tub and an inner tub rotatably provided in the outer tub; a motor for rotating the inner tub; a circulating air duct for extracting and returning air in the treating tub during drying; a blowing means for circulating the air in the circulating air duct; a heating device for heating the air circulated in the circulating air duct; an ozone generation device connected to the circulating air duct for generating ozone by discharge; a command key for instructing execution of air wash; an air wash execution control device for operating the blowing device, the ozone generation device and the heating device in a predetermined mode in response to command key instruction; and a selection key for selecting whether to rotate the inner tub or to stop the inner tub during execution of the air wash.

Washing machine with air wash function

Growing community of inventors

Yasu, Japan

Haruo Mamiya