Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co., Ltd.

Haier Group Corporation

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

Takayoshi Akagi

Yukio Tobi

Haruo Mamiya

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).

Growing community of inventors

Ota, Japan

Takayoshi Akagi