Patent ID: 9238884
Filing Date: 2016-01-19
CPC Classification: D06F

Claim Text:
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 water circulation passage having opposite ends connected to the washing tub; a bathwater hose connected to the water circulation passage and connected to a source of bathwater external to the machine for providing bathwater into the water circulation passage from a supply external to the washing machine; a bathwater tank for storing bathwater; a bathwater pump which is driven to supply bathwater from the bathwater tank through at least one tubular water passage and into 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 a controller programmed to clean bathwater 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; wherein the washing machine 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, and wherein the controller programmed to clean bathwater is operative only in the rinsing step; and wherein the washing machine 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 wherein the controller is programmed to conduct a rinsing step to be performed using tap water and a rinsing step to be performed using bathwater, an intermediate dehydration step following each rinsing step, the controller employing a longer dehydration step in the intermediate dehydrating step when the rinsing step is to be performed with the controller programmed to clean bathwater kept operative than when the rinsing step is to be performed by using the tap water.