Drying machine and washing machine

Abstract

A dryer is provided with a filter housing in which a filter section having a lint filter that traps a cord is installed. The filter housing is configured by combining a first housing member and a second housing member that are separately formed. An insertion opening into which the filter section is inserted and a housing gear that engages with a filter gear of the filter section are provided on different surfaces. The first housing member occupies a portion that includes the insertion opening and the housing gear. The first housing member and the second housing member sandwich a housing seal member and are joined.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to a dryer for drying clothes and a washing machine equipped with the dryer. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, washer-dryers, which combine washing and drying functions, have become widely used in washing machines. During the drying process, lint (loose threads) sometimes forms from the clothes, so filters are installed in the air circulation path to trap this lint. However, the trapped lint can sometimes cause blockages in the filter, reducing drying capacity, thus requiring filter cleaning. Therefore, a filter cleaning device for removing lint adhering to the filter has been proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The filter cleaning device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-209239 includes an arc-shaped filter unit, a ventilation passage provided on the upstream side of the filter unit, a rotating shaft provided in the ventilation passage, and a cleaning unit for removing dust adhering to the filter unit.

[0004] In the above-mentioned filter cleaning device, the filter unit is cleaned by rotating the rotating shaft, which causes the cleaning unit mounted on the rotating shaft to move. However, the filter cleaning device itself does not have a drive source, but is configured to transmit the driving force from the outside through a gear mounted on the rotating shaft.

[0005] Therefore, a structure is adopted in which the gear located in the filter cleaning device meshes with the gear on the drive source side.

[0006] However, in the filter cleaning device, dust discharge maintenance is performed when the accumulated dust increases. During maintenance, it is preferable to reinstall the filter cleaning device after the user has removed it from the washing machine, allowing for easy installation and removal. If the filter cleaning device is configured to be easily installed and removed from the washing machine, a gear meshing problem arises. That is, considering gear misalignment, if a structure with a large meshing margin is adopted, the housing structure, such as the gear itself becoming larger, is limited. Furthermore, if the gear itself becomes smaller, it may not mesh due to small misalignment, and the filter cleaning device may malfunction.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, and its object is to provide a dryer and a washing machine that can maintain a high degree of gear meshing accuracy.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention relates to a dryer for drying clothing, characterized in that it comprises: a receiving tank for holding clothing to be dried; a drying air generating unit for generating drying air to be supplied to the receiving tank; and a filter housing on which a filter section is mounted, the filter section having a lint filter for catching lint ends, the filter housing being configured to combine a first housing component and a second housing component formed separately, an insertion port for inserting the filter section and a housing gear meshing with a filter gear of the filter section being provided on different faces, the first housing component occupying a portion of the filter housing including the insertion port and the housing gear, the first housing component and the second housing component sandwiching and engaging a housing sealing component in the middle.

[0009] In one aspect of the dryer according to the present invention, the first housing component may be configured such that it engages the filter section through the insertion port for positioning.

[0010] In one aspect of the dryer of the present invention, it may also be configured such that: the first housing component has a first housing engagement portion protruding outward on the surface having the housing gear, and the second housing component has a second housing engagement portion into which the first housing engagement portion is inserted.

[0011] In one aspect of the dryer according to the present invention, the first housing joint may also be configured such that the first housing joint is provided along the long side of the surface of the first housing component having the housing gear.

[0012] In one aspect of the dryer according to the present invention, the filter housing may also be configured such that it has reinforcing ribs formed vertically from the bottom surface.

[0013] In one aspect of the present invention, the dryer may also be configured to include a fixing support portion extending from the reinforcing rib and a fixing member inserted into the fixing support portion, wherein the fixing member fixes the first housing component and the second housing component.

[0014] The washing machine according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that it includes the dryer according to the present invention.

[0015] According to one aspect of the present invention, since the positional relationship between the insertion port and the housing gear is not easily changed, the meshing distance with the filter gear can be kept within acceptable limits. Therefore, the margin considering gear deviation can be reduced, thereby maintaining higher gear meshing accuracy. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a washing machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the filter housing and filter section. Figure 3 This is a perspective view showing the exterior of the filter housing with the filter section installed. Figure 4 This is a side view of the filter housing. Figure 5 This is a bottom view of the filter housing. Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the filter housing and filter section. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The following example illustrates the application of the present invention to a washer-dryer that has both washing and drying functions; however, the present invention is not limited thereto, and can also be applied to a dryer that only has a drying function.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a washing machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, in Figure 1 Only the components related to the drying function of the washing machine 100 are shown; the components related to the washing function are omitted.

[0019] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a washing machine 100, which is a drum-type washer-dryer, having a door 120 covering an opening on the front surface, through which a washing tub 110 is exposed, the washing tub 110 having a rotating drum 111 disposed inside. When the door 120 is closed, the interior is liquid-tightly sealed, so water in the washing tub 110 will not leak.

[0020] After washing and spinning the clothes placed in the washing tub 110 (rotating drum 111), the washing machine 100 introduces dry air into the washing tub 110 to perform a drying operation. That is, when the washing machine 100 functions as a dryer, the washing tub 110 becomes a receiving tray for the clothes.

[0021] The washing machine 100 includes a dry air generating unit 130, a blower fan 140, and a filter unit 20 as components for drying operation. Furthermore, the washing machine 100 is provided with an air circulation path 160 in which the washing tub 110, the filter unit 20, the dry air generating unit 130, and the blower fan 140 are connected in sequence, and air flows to each part through the air circulation path 160. Moreover, the air circulation path 160 is configured such that the washing tub 110 is connected after the blower fan 140, and air circulates along the air circulation path 160.

[0022] The dry air generating unit 130 converts the humid air supplied from the washing tub 110 through the filter unit 20 into dry air. Specifically, in the dry air generating unit 130, the evaporator 131 and the condenser 132 of the heat pump (refrigeration cycle) are arranged sequentially from the upstream side in the airflow direction. The evaporator 131 dehumidifies the humid air (condensation of moisture in the air), and the condenser 132 heats the dehumidified air to become dry air. Furthermore, the washing machine 100 includes other components of a heat pump (compressor, expansion valve, etc.), but... Figure 1 These components are omitted. The blower fan 140 generates airflow in the air circulation path 160.

[0023] The filter section 20 captures lint (loose threads) generated from the clothes during the drying operation. The filter section 20 is configured to be installed within the filter housing 10, which is installed inside the washing machine 100. Furthermore, referring to the description below... Figure 3 The detailed construction of the filter housing 10 is described below.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the filter housing and the filter section. Figure 3 This is a perspective view showing the exterior of the filter housing with the filter section installed. Furthermore, in Figure 2 In the accompanying drawings, for ease of understanding, only a portion of the filter section 20 is shown, while the upper components are omitted.

[0025] The filter housing 10 has an air inlet 10a for the incoming air to flow into the interior and an air outlet 10b for the air inside to flow out to the outside. The air inlet 10a and the air outlet 10b can be properly connected to the piping or other parts that form the air circulation path 160, or they can be sealed so that air will not leak from the connection points.

[0026] The filter section 20 includes a vent 21 on the air inlet 10a side, a lint filter 22 on the air outlet 10b side, and a cleaning arm 23 between the vent 21 and the lint filter 22. In the filter section 20, recirculated air is drawn in through the vent 21, passes through the lint filter 22, and then flows towards the air outlet 10b. As the recirculated air passes through the lint filter 22, lint is captured and removed. If drying operation continues, the attached lint accumulates in the lint filter 22.

[0027] The cleaning arm 23 rotates around an axis, so that its front end moves along the lint filter 22. The front end of the cleaning arm 23 uses, for example, an elastic scraper component or a brush component to clean the lint filter 22 and scrape off the lint LT attached to the surface without damaging it.

[0028] On the filter section 20, a lint collection section 24 is provided near the end of the rotation range of the cleaning arm section 23. The lint LT scraped by the cleaning arm section 23 is collected in the lint collection section 24.

[0029] A filter gear 25, which is connected to the shaft of the cleaning arm 23, is provided at the lower part of the filter section 20. The filter gear 25 is configured to mesh with a housing gear 11b provided on the bottom surface of the filter housing 10. The housing gear 11b is connected to a drive unit 30, such as a stepper motor. That is, the driving force transmitted from the drive unit 30 causes the cleaning arm 23 to rotate around the shaft via the housing gear 11b and the filter gear 25.

[0030] The filter section 20 is configured to be detachable from the filter housing 10, allowing it to be properly removed by the user. The filter housing 10 is fixed inside the washing machine 100 and cannot be removed. Next, refer to... Figures 4 to 6 The detailed construction of the filter housing 10 is described below.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a side view of the filter housing. Figure 5 This is a bottom view of the filter housing. Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the filter housing and filter section. Furthermore, in... Figure 6 In order to facilitate understanding of the accompanying drawings, only the filter housing 10 is shaded, and the shading of other components is omitted.

[0032] Figure 4 and Figure 5 This indicates the state of the filter housing 10 after the filter section 20 has been removed. Figure 6 This indicates that the filter section 20 is installed in the filter housing 10. Furthermore, Figure 6The cross-section is schematically shown, curved through the air inlet 10a and air outlet 10b. The filter housing 10 is a container for housing the filter section 20, and has portions extending to correspond to the air inlet 10a and air outlet 10b. An insertion port 11a is formed on the top of the filter housing 10 by making a partial opening. A drive unit 30 is mounted on the bottom surface of the filter housing 10. That is, the insertion port 11a and the drive unit 30 are located on different surfaces within the filter housing 10. When viewed from above, the insertion port 11a is rectangular, and a cavity with a shape approximately the same as the insertion port 11a is provided below the insertion port 11a to the bottom surface. In other words, the filter housing 10 has a generally cuboid space for accommodating the filter section 20. The drive unit 30 is not housed inside the filter housing 10, but is mounted on the outer side of the bottom surface of the filter housing 10. The drive unit 30 can be connected to the housing gear 11b provided inside the filter housing 10, for example, by providing a hole, etc., so that air leakage can be prevented by blocking the hole provided in the filter housing 10 by using the drive unit 30. Furthermore, the drive unit 30 and the housing gear 11b can also be provided on the side of the filter housing 10.

[0033] The filter housing 10 is constructed by combining a first housing component 11 and a second housing component 12, which are formed separately. An air inlet 10a is provided in the first housing component 11, and an air outlet 10b is provided in the second housing component 12. Specifically, in the first housing component 11, a cylindrical inflow extension 11f is provided on the side of the filter housing 10, forming the air inlet 10a. Furthermore, in the second housing component 12, a cylindrical outflow extension 12e is provided on the bottom surface of the filter housing 10, forming the air outlet 10b.

[0034] In this embodiment, the direction of the air inlet 10a opening intersects the direction of the air outlet 10b opening. In such a configuration, for example, due to the limitations of the molding process where the air is stuck in the mold and cannot be removed, it is difficult to place both in a single housing component. However, since the air inlet 10a and the air outlet 10b are located in different housing components, the problem in the molding process can be solved, and the degree of freedom in design can be increased.

[0035] The bottom surface of the filter housing 10 is divided into a first housing bottom portion 11c of the first housing component 11 and a second housing bottom portion 12a of the second housing component 12. A housing gear 11b and a drive unit 30 are provided in the first housing bottom portion 11c. Furthermore, the first housing component 11 occupies approximately the entire upper part of the filter housing 10 and has an insertion port 11a. On the side surface of the filter housing 10, a second housing side portion 12d, which stands along the outer edge of the second housing component 12, occupies a portion, while the first housing side portion 11e of the first housing component 11 occupies the remaining portion.

[0036] A locking portion 26, approximately the same shape as the insertion port 11a, is provided on the upper part of the filter section 20. A filter sealing member 70 is sandwiched between the locking portion 26 and the insertion port 11a. By sealing with the filter sealing member 70, the first housing member 11 locks the filter section 20 at the insertion port 11a, thereby positioning it. As described above, by locking the filter section 20 at the insertion port 11a and positioning the filter gear 25 relative to the filter housing 10, it can mesh with the housing gear 11b with high precision.

[0037] In addition to the filter section 20, the filter housing 10 also houses a sub-filter 40. In the direction of circulating airflow, the sub-filter 40 is positioned downstream of the lint filter 22 to capture lint LT that is not captured by the lint filter 22. The sub-filter 40 is configured to be detachable from the filter housing 10 and can be removed from the filter housing 10 through the insertion port 11a.

[0038] The joint between the first housing component 11 and the second housing component 12 is provided on the bottom and side surfaces of the filter housing 10. The portion separating the first housing component 11 and the second housing component 12 forms a larger opening in both, and the joint is provided along the outer edge of the opening. In this embodiment, a downwardly protruding first housing joint 11g is provided on the first housing bottom surface 11c of the first housing component 11, and a groove-shaped second housing joint 12f is provided on the second housing component 12 for the first housing joint 11g to be inserted. The first housing joint 11g extends along the opening of the first housing component 11, and a protruding surface extending from the second housing joint 12f along the opening is formed on the second housing component 12. A housing sealing member 60 is sandwiched between the first housing joint 11g and its extension and the second housing joint 12f and its protruding surface. The housing sealing member 60 is, for example, a seal that seals between the first housing joint 11g and the second housing joint 12f, thereby preventing air leakage.

[0039] As described above, circulating air is sometimes introduced into the filter housing 10 to apply pressure. At this time, the distance between the first housing component 11 and the second housing component 12 may change due to the elasticity of the housing sealing member 60 at the housing joints, etc. However, in this embodiment, since the insertion port 11a and the housing gear 11b are provided together with the first housing component 11, their positional relationship will not change even if the distance between the first housing component 11 and the second housing component 12 changes, ensuring that the meshing distance with the filter gear 25 does not deviate. Therefore, the margin considering gear deviation can be reduced, thereby maintaining higher gear meshing accuracy.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a first housing joint portion 11g protruding downward is provided on the first housing bottom portion 11c of the first housing component 11. The first housing joint portion 11g extends along the width direction ( Figure 5 The first housing joint 11g (located in the left-right direction) is configured as the second housing joint 12f into which the second housing component 12 is inserted. As described above, the downward-protruding first housing joint 11g extends across the entire width of the first housing component 11, thus providing a reinforcing rib on the bottom surface 11c of the first housing. This reinforces the bottom surface 11c and suppresses deformation such as deflection. Consequently, deformation of the bottom surface 11c of the first housing, where the housing gear 11b is located, is suppressed, thereby further suppressing changes in the positional relationship between the insertion port 11a and the housing gear 11b. Furthermore, by arranging the housing gear 11b and the drive unit 30 close to the first housing joint 11g, positional deviation of the housing gear 11b can be effectively suppressed. In addition, to ensure that the first housing joint 11g effectively functions as a reinforcing rib of the bottom surface 11c of the first housing, it is preferable that the first housing joint 11g extends as long as possible along the long side of the bottom surface 11c of the first housing.

[0041] The first housing component 11 and the second housing component 12 are configured to be fixed to each other by fastening components 50, such as screws. Specifically, a first fixing support portion 11d is provided on the bottom part 11c of the first housing, and a second fixing support portion 12b is provided on the bottom part 12a of the second housing, with the second fixing support portion 12b covering the underside of the first fixing support portion 11d. Fastening components 50 are inserted into screw holes provided on the first fixing support portion 11d and the second fixing support portion 12b. A reinforcing rib 12c, formed and erected on the bottom part 12a of the second housing, extends from the second fixing support portion 12b. As described above, by fixing the first housing component 11 and the second housing component 12 with fastening components 50, the two can be more securely combined. Furthermore, by configuring the fixing support portion and the reinforcing rib 12c to be connected, the fixing support portion can function as part of the reinforcing rib 12c, and the limited area of ​​the bottom surface can be effectively utilized.

[0042] In this embodiment, the first fixing bearing portion 11d and the second fixing bearing portion 12b (fixing bearing portion) are respectively provided on opposite sides near the filter housing 10 (in Figure 5 The reinforcing ribs 12c can be located at two positions (left and right), but are not limited to these; they can also be positioned closer to the drive unit 30. Furthermore, the reinforcing ribs 12c are not limited to being connected to the fixed bearing part; they can also be provided on various parts of the bottom surface of the filter housing 10, or on the bottom surface 11c of the first housing. In this way, by providing the reinforcing ribs 12c, the strength of the bottom surface is increased, thereby suppressing deformation and maintaining the gear meshing state.

[0043] Furthermore, all aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and should not be construed as limiting. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but is defined based on the claims. In addition, all modifications are included within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

Claims

1. A dryer for drying clothes, characterized in that, have: A storage tray for holding clothes that need to be dried; A dry air generating unit that generates dry air to be supplied to the receiving tank; and The filter housing has a filter section installed thereon, which has a lint filter for catching lint ends. The filter housing is constructed by combining separately formed first housing components and second housing components, and includes an insertion port for inserting and positioning the filter section, and a housing gear that meshes with the filter gear of the filter section. These components are located on different surfaces in the insertion direction of the filter section. The filter section is locked in place by a filter sealing member sandwiched between it and the inner wall of the insertion port. The direction in which the filter gear meshes with the housing gear is orthogonal to the insertion direction of the filter section. The first housing component occupies the portion of the filter housing that includes the insertion port and the housing gear. The first housing component and the second housing component sandwich and engage the housing sealing component in the middle.

2. The dryer as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first housing component has a first housing engagement portion protruding outward on the surface where the housing gear is located. The second housing component is provided with a second housing engagement portion into which the first housing engagement portion is inserted.

3. The dryer as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first housing engagement portion is provided along the long side of the surface of the first housing component that has the housing gear.

4. The dryer as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The filter housing has reinforcing ribs that are formed vertically from the bottom.

5. The dryer as described in claim 4, characterized in that, have: The fixed bearing portion extending from the reinforcing rib; and The fixing component is inserted into the fixing bearing part. The fixing component secures the first housing component and the second housing component.

6. A washing machine, characterized in that, The dryer is equipped with any one of claims 1 to 5.

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