Washing machine

Abstract

The invention provides a washing machine which can reliably enable thread residues attached to a door corrugated pipe to fall off through a simple structure. A washing machine according to an embodiment includes: a housing having an inlet / outlet through which laundry can enter and exit in a front-rear direction; a water drum housed in the housing and having an opening facing the inlet / outlet; an annular water drum cover attached along the opening and centered on a central axis along the front-rear direction; and a door bellows that is attached along the circumferential direction of the water drum cover and that connects the inlet / outlet and the water drum cover in a watertight manner. The door bellows has a structure in which a bending portion formed by bending a part of the door bellows forward is formed along the circumferential direction. The water cylinder cover is provided with a spraying hole which is configured at a position opposite to the bending part and sprays water towards the bending part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a washing machine. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a washing machine in which lint (garbage such as thread scraps generated from laundry) accumulated on the inner side of a rubber door bellows provided around an opening of an outer drum (a laundry inlet) is cleaned and removed.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-85850 Summary of the invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine capable of reliably dropping threads attached to a door bellows with a simple structure.

[0007] The washing machine of the embodiment comprises: a housing having an inlet and outlet that enables laundry to enter and exit in the front-to-back direction; a water drum that is accommodated in the housing and has an opening portion opposite to the inlet and outlet; an annular water drum cover that is installed along the opening portion and is centered on a central axis along the front-to-back direction; and a door bellows that is installed along the circumference of the water drum cover and connects the inlet and outlet to the water drum cover in a watertight manner. The door bellows has a structure in which a flexure portion formed by a portion being flexed forward is formed along the circumference. The water drum cover has a spray hole that is arranged at a position opposite to the flexure portion and sprays water toward the flexure portion.

[0008] According to the above configuration, the thread ends adhering to the door bellows can be reliably dropped with a simple structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional view showing the overall structure of the washing machine according to the embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A front view of the rear surface of the water drum cover of the washing machine is shown.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a partially cutaway perspective view of the water cylinder cover and the door bellows as viewed from the oblique front.

[0012] Figure 4 It is shown Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a door bellows of a washing machine is shown.

[0013] Figure 5 Observed from the front Figure 1 A perspective view of the upper portion of a water drum cover of a washing machine is shown.

[0014] Figure 6 This is a perspective view showing a state where washing water is sprayed from a spray hole provided in a water cylinder cover.

[0015] Figure 7 It is a cross-sectional view showing a state where washing water is sprayed from a spray hole provided in a water cylinder cover.

[0016] Figure 8 This is a perspective view of the upper portion of a water drum cover of a washing machine according to a modified example, as viewed from an oblique front.

[0017] Description of Reference Numerals

[0018] 1…washing machine, 11…housing, 11a…inlet and outlet, 13…water cylinder, 13c…circulating water inlet, 15…door bellows, 150…cylindrical portion, 151…housing mounting portion, 152…flexure, 152h…groove portion, 152a…inner side surface of inner circumference, 152b…inner side surface of outer circumference, 152c…bottom surface (innermost), 152i…lower end, 21…water cylinder body, 21a…opening, 22…water cylinder cover, 23…water injection Cover, 25...circulating water path, 251...main flow path (first flow path), 252...first divided flow path (second flow path), 253...second divided flow path (second flow path), 26A, 26B...cleaning port, 27, 27A, 27B...injection hole, 27C...hole axis, 28...circulating water inlet, 30...water supply mechanism, 50...drainage mechanism, 60...circulation mechanism, 70...drying mechanism, 100...control device, O1, O2...center axis. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the washing machine of the embodiment is described. In the following description, the same figure mark is marked for the structure with the same or similar function. Moreover, the repeated description of the above structure is sometimes omitted. "Based on XX" means "at least based on XX", and also includes the case where it is based on other elements on the basis of XX. "Based on XX" is not limited to the case where XX is directly used, but can also include the case where XX is calculated or processed. "XX or YY" is not limited to the case of either XX or YY, but can also include the case of both XX and YY. The same is true when the selected elements are more than 3. "XX" and "YY" are arbitrary elements (for example, arbitrary information). In the present application, "washing machine" may include a washing and drying machine.

[0020] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall structure of a washing machine 1 according to a first embodiment. The washing machine 1 is a drum type washing machine. The washing machine 1 includes, for example, a housing 11, a door 12, a water drum 13, a suspension 14, a door bellows 15, a drum 16, a drive motor 17, a balance ring 18, and a control device 100.

[0021] The washing machine 1 is installed in the vertical direction with respect to the horizontal plane. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the water drum 13 mentioned later is formed in the cylindrical shape centering on the central axis O1 which is slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0022] In the following description, the direction along the central axis O1 of the water cylinder 13 is referred to as the front-to-back direction Y. In addition, the front-to-back direction Y may also be a horizontal plane direction. In the accompanying drawings, the front side of the front-to-back direction Y is the +Y direction, and the rear side is the -Y direction. In addition, the up-down direction intersecting the front-to-back direction Y is set as the up-down direction Z. The up-down direction Z is: a direction slightly inclined relative to the vertical direction. In the up-down direction Z, the direction toward the top of the washing machine 1 is set as the upper side, and the direction toward the bottom is set as the lower side. In the accompanying drawings, the upper side of the up-down direction Z is the +Z direction, and the lower side is the -Z direction. In addition, the direction intersecting the front-to-back direction Y and the up-down direction Z is defined as the left-right direction X. One side of the left-right direction X is set as the left side, and the other side is set as the right side.

[0023] In the drawings, the right side is the +X direction and the left side is the -X direction.

[0024] The housing 11 is a member that forms the outer contour of the washing machine 1. The housing 11 includes an inlet and outlet 11a on the front side in the front-rear direction Y for taking the laundry in and out.

[0025] The inlet and outlet 11a is opened in a circular shape along a surface formed in the up-down direction Z and the left-right direction X. The housing 11 also has a water supply port 11b connected to a water faucet via a water supply hose.

[0026] The housing 11 is provided with an operation panel P. The operation panel P is an operation receiving unit that receives user operations related to the washing machine 1. The operation panel P is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display including a display screen.

[0027] The door 12 is a member that closes the entrance 11a on the front side of the housing 11 in an openable and closable manner. The door 12 is circular in shape, which is the same as the entrance 11a of the housing 11. The opening and closing of the door 12 relative to the entrance 11a of the housing 11 is detected by an opening and closing monitoring sensor or the like provided on the housing 11.

[0028] The water cylinder 13 is accommodated in the housing 11 and is elastically supported by a pair of suspensions 14 provided at the bottom 13d of the water cylinder 13 in the left-right direction X. In the present embodiment, the water cylinder 13 includes a water cylinder body 21 , a water cylinder cover 22 , and a water filling cover 23 .

[0029] The water cylinder body 21 is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape having a bottom on the rear side with the central axis O1 as the center, and can store water. The bottom of the water cylinder body 21 is: the bottom 13d of the water cylinder 13. The water cylinder body 21 has: an opening 21a opposite to the inlet and outlet 11a on the front side. The opening 21a is an example of an "opening of the water cylinder". In the following description, the central axis O1 side as the inner circumference of the water cylinder body 21 is set as the inner circumference P1, and the opposite side of the inner circumference P1 is set as the outer circumference P2. In addition, the central axis O1 corresponds to the rotation axis of the drum 16 described later along the front-to-back direction Y of the washing machine 1, and is inclined in a manner that the rear side is lower (at the lower side) relative to the horizontal plane when compared with the front side.

[0030] The water cylinder cover 22 is installed along the circumference of the opening 21a on the front side of the water cylinder body 21, and is formed into a circular ring shape centered on the central axis O2 along the front-to-back direction Y. Here, in the present embodiment, the direction of the central axis O2 is the same as the direction of the central axis O1. Therefore, the central axis O2 is also referred to as the central axis O1. However, the direction of the central axis O2 may not be the same as the direction of the central axis O1. The water cylinder cover 22 has a circular opening 22a in the center.

[0031] Figure 2 2 is a diagram showing the rear surface 22g of the water cylinder cover 22. The rear surface 22g provided on the rear side of the water cylinder cover 22 has: a circulating water inlet 13c, a circulating water path 25, a plurality of (here 2) cleaning ports 26A, 26B, a plurality of (here 2) injection holes 27 (27A, 27B), a circulating water inlet 28, and a drain port 28a. The injection hole 27 will be described in detail later.

[0032] Water (wash water W) circulated by a circulation pump 62 described later flows into the circulation water inlet 13c from the outside of the water tank 13. The circulation water inlet 13c is arranged below the center line L1 passing through the center axis O2 of the water tank cover 22 in the horizontal direction.

[0033] The circulating water path 25 is a groove-shaped structure provided on the rear surface 22g of the water cylinder cover 22, and extends in an arc shape, for example, along the outer circumference of the water cylinder cover 22. The circulating water path 25 connects the circulating water inlet 13c with the plurality of cleaning ports 26A and 26B. The rear surface 22g of the water cylinder cover 22 of the circulating water path 25 is covered by the water injection cover 23. The circulating water path 25 is formed by ribs protruding backward from the rear surface 22g of the water cylinder cover 22.

[0034] The cleaning ports 26A and 26B are holes for spraying the cleaning water W flowing from the circulating water inlet 13c and flowing in the circulating water path 25 into the water cylinder 13 in a shower shape. The cleaning ports 26A and 26B are formed by the water injection cover 23 (see FIG. 2 ) through the rear surface 22g of the water cylinder cover 22. Figure 1 For example, the two cleaning ports 26A and 26B are arranged to be higher than the center line L1 passing through the center axis O2 of the water cylinder cover 22 in the horizontal direction, and are arranged to be symmetrical with respect to the center line L2 passing through the center axis O2 of the water cylinder cover 22 in the vertical direction.

[0035] The circulating water path 25 includes: a main flow path 251 (first flow path) extending in the circumferential direction; and a pair of branch flow paths 252, 253 (second flow paths) extending from the main flow path 251 toward the radial inner side (central axis O1 side) of the water cylinder cover 22 when viewed from the front-back direction Y, and the flow path cross-sectional area is smaller than the main flow path 251. The circulating water path 25 branches off from the main flow path 251 into a pair of branch flow paths 252, 253.

[0036] The bypass flow paths 252 and 253 are arranged to be above the center line L1 of the water cylinder cover 22 and are connected to the main flow path 251 respectively. The first bypass flow path 252 is located on the upstream side of the main flow path 251, and the second bypass flow path 253 is located on the downstream side. The cleaning ports 26A and 26B are located at the ends of the discharge sides of the second bypass flow path 253 and the first bypass flow path 252 respectively. Thus, the cleaning water W flowing in from the circulating water inlet 13c flows in the main flow path 251 from the circulating water inlet 13c, and is bypassed to the first bypass flow path 252 and the second bypass flow path 253 and is sprayed from the cleaning ports 26A and 26B to the inside of the water cylinder 13. In addition, the cleaning water W is cleaning water for cleaning the laundry in the water cylinder 13, and can be normal temperature water or warm water.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the water filling cover 23 is installed on the rear surface 22g of the rear side of the water cylinder cover 22 (refer to Figure 2 ). The water filling cover 23 is fixed to the rear surface 22g of the water cylinder cover 22 by, for example, vibration welding or the like. In addition, the water filling cover 23 may be fixed not by welding but by, for example, screws or the like with the aid of gaskets.

[0038] The circulating water inlet 28 allows water to flow in from the cleaning path 33 by using a water supply mechanism 30 described later. The circulating water inlet 28 is arranged to be located above the center line L1 passing through the center axis O2 of the water cylinder cover 22 in the horizontal direction. The water (cleaning water W) flowing in from the circulating water inlet 28 flows in the circulating water path 25 formed by the water cylinder cover 22 and the water injection cover 23 from the circulating water inlet 28, and is sprayed toward the door bellows 15 from the spray hole 27 described later.

[0039] The drain port 28a is a hole for draining water flowing into the door bellows 15. The water discharged from the drain port 28a is discharged to the drain port 13b of the water cylinder 13 through the drain path 28b. In the middle of the drain path 28b, a unit-type lint filter 28c for capturing lint (garbage such as lint generated from laundry) is provided in a detachable manner.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a partially cutaway perspective view of the water cylinder cover 22 and the door bellows 15 as viewed from the oblique front. Figure 4 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the door bellows 15 .

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, the door bellows 15 is disposed between the inlet and outlet 11a of the housing 11 and the water cylinder cover 22, connecting the inlet and outlet 11a of the housing 11 and the water cylinder cover 22 of the water cylinder 13. For example, the door 12 is closed so that the door bellows 15 connects the inlet and outlet 11a of the housing 11 and the water cylinder cover 22 watertightly.

[0042] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the door bellows 15 is a cylindrical sealing member installed along the circumference of the water cylinder cover 22 and formed around the central axis O2, and is composed of elastic materials such as rubber gaskets and elastic bodies such as EPDM (ethylene propylene rubber). The door bellows 15 follows the relative vibration generated relative to the housing 11 due to the vibration during the washing operation including the rinsing action, flushing action and dehydration action of the washing machine 1, and exerts a waterproof function based on elastic deformation and suppresses Figure 1 The vibration of the driving motor 17 during driving is transmitted from the water cylinder 13 to the housing 11 to prevent vibration.

[0043] The door bellows 15 includes a cylindrical portion 150 , a housing mounting portion 151 , a flexible portion 152 , a water cylinder mounting portion 153 , and a buffer wall 154 .

[0044] The cylindrical portion 150 is a cylindrical portion formed around the central axis O2. The cylindrical portion 150 is formed to be substantially the same size as the inlet and outlet 11a of the housing 11. In addition, a cylindrical buffer member may be disposed on the outer peripheral side P2 of the cylindrical portion 150.

[0045] The housing mounting portion 151 is provided on the front side of the door bellows 15. The housing mounting portion 151 extends from the front peripheral edge of the cylindrical portion 150 toward the outer peripheral side P2. The housing mounting portion 151 is hooked to the inlet and outlet 11a of the housing 11 to fix the door bellows 15 to the housing 11.

[0046] The bending portion 152 is a shock absorbing member formed by folding back in a corrugated shape from the rear peripheral edge of the cylindrical portion 150 toward the outer peripheral side P2 and bending (depressing) toward the front side. The cross section of the bending portion 152 is formed in a substantially U-shape. The bending portion 152 includes a groove portion 152h.

[0047] A portion of the door bellows 15 is bent to form a groove 152h. Specifically, the groove 152h is an inner side surface formed by a depression on the rear side of the bent portion 152. The groove 152h is formed along the circumferential direction of the water cylinder cover 22. The groove 152h includes: an inner side surface 152a on the inner peripheral side, an inner side surface 152b on the outer peripheral side, and a bottom surface 152c (innermost). The inner side inner side surface 152a is: a side surface that is disposed on the inner side P1 of the groove 152h. The outer side inner side surface 152b is a side surface of the inner side surface that is disposed on the outer peripheral side P2. The bottom surface 152c is: a bottom surface of the groove 152h disposed on the front side of the inner side surface.

[0048] The water cartridge mounting portion 153 extends from the periphery of the outer peripheral inner surface 152b of the groove portion 152h toward the outer peripheral side P2 and is mounted and fixed to the water cartridge cover 22 of the water cartridge 13 by engaging with a plurality of engaging portions (not shown) provided on the front surface of the water cartridge cover 22 of the water cartridge 13.

[0049] The buffer wall 154 is formed in a flange shape from the side surface of the outer peripheral side P2 of the cylindrical portion 150 toward the outer peripheral side P2. The buffer wall 154 is interposed between the flexure 152 and the housing 11 located in front of it, and prevents the flexure 152 from directly contacting the housing 11 when it is elastically deformed.

[0050] Next, refer to Figures 5 to 7 , the structure and function of the injection hole 27 of the water cylinder cover 22 of the door bellows 15 are explained. Figure 5 It is a perspective view of the upper portion of the water cylinder cover 22 as viewed from the oblique front, and is a view showing a pair of injection holes 27A and 27B provided in the water cylinder cover 22 . Figure 6 It is a perspective view showing a state where washing water W is sprayed from spray hole 27 provided in water cylinder cover 22 . Figure 7 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where washing water W is sprayed from spray holes 27 provided in water cylinder cover 22. Figure 6 and Figure 7 In FIG. 2 , the washing water W injected from the injection hole 27 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. In addition, the washing water W flowing in the circulation water path 25 is indicated by an arrow.

[0051] The door bellows 15 generally uses a rubber gasket. Rubber has the property that the thread ends are easily attached to the surface due to its viscosity and the oil content of rubber. In addition, the bending portion 152 of the door bellows 15 is bent toward the front side, and the thread ends are attached or retained in the groove portion 152h of the bending portion 152. Figure 7As shown, the injection hole 27 is arranged in the area between the inner side surface 152a and the outer side inner side surface 152b of the groove portion 152h when viewed from the rear. That is, the hole axis 27C of the injection hole 27 is located above the lower end 152i of the bottom surface 152c of the bending portion 152. Thus, the injection hole 27 is used to inject the washing water W toward the bottom surface 152c of the bending portion 152.

[0052] The injection hole 27 is used to inject water from the circulating water inlet 28 (see Figure 2 ) is sprayed toward the door bellows 15 through the spray hole 27. The spray hole 27 penetrates the water cylinder cover 22 in the front-to-back direction Y. The spray hole 27 is connected to the branch flow paths 252 and 253 of the circulating water path 25. The spray hole 27 includes: a first spray hole 27A, which is provided in the first branch flow path 252; and a second spray hole 27B, which is provided in the second branch flow path 253. The first spray hole 27A and the second spray hole 27B are respectively provided in the front-side portion of the cleaning ports 26B and 26A of the circulating water path 25.

[0053] When viewed in the front-rear direction Y, the first injection hole 27A and the second injection hole 27B are provided on the rear surface 22g of the water cylinder cover 22 at an upper side in the up-down direction Z than the central axis O2.

[0054] In addition, if Figure 2 As shown in the figure, in the present embodiment, one injection hole 27A and one injection hole 27B are respectively arranged at positions closer to the left and right sides than the center line L2 in the left-right direction X, but the number of injection holes 27 is not limited thereto. That is, at least one injection hole 27 may be provided at positions closer to the left and right sides than at least the center line L2 in the left-right direction X. The hole shape of the injection hole 27 is circular. In addition, the size and shape of the injection hole 27 are not particularly limited and can be set arbitrarily.

[0055] like Figure 2 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the cleaning water W sprayed from the spray hole 27 flows toward the bottom surface 152c of the groove portion 152h of the flexure 152, and flows downward along the inner surface of the groove portion 152h. As a result, at a position higher than the central axis O1 of the door bellows 15, the lint attached to the inner surface of the groove portion 152h of the flexure 152 (i.e., the bottom surface 152c, the inner circumferential side inner surface 152a, and the outer circumferential side inner surface 152b) flows due to the cleaning water W. At this time, the cleaning water W flows downward due to gravity, and therefore flows along the bottom surface 152c, the inner circumferential side inner surface 152a, and the outer circumferential side inner surface 152b of the groove portion 152h, so that the lint attached to the inner circumferential side inner surface 152a can flow, thereby cleaning the lint.

[0056] like Figure 2As shown in FIG. 1 , the washing water W flowing toward the lower side of the door bellows 15 flows toward the drain port 28a formed at the lower side of the water cylinder cover 22. Figure 1 As shown, water discharged from the drain port 28a passes through the drain path 28b and is discharged toward the drain port 13b of the water cylinder 13. A lint filter 28c is provided in the middle of the drain path 28b, so that lint can be easily collected.

[0057] like Figure 1 As shown, the drum 16 is arranged to be able to rotate with the central axis O1 (or the central axis O2) as the rotation axis inside the water drum 13, and to accommodate the laundry. A plurality of holes 16a for water and ventilation are arranged on the peripheral wall and the rear wall of the drum 16. A plurality of baffles 16b for stirring the laundry are arranged on the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the drum 16. After the laundry in the drum 16 is hooked on each baffle 16b and moves in the circumferential direction, it falls due to gravity and is stirred. The front surface of the front side of the drum 16 has a circular opening for the laundry to enter and exit.

[0058] The driving motor 17 is provided on the rear surface 13g of the rear side of the water cylinder 13. The driving motor 17 drives the drum 16 to rotate. The balancing ring 18 is installed on the front end of the drum 16. The central part of the balancing ring 18 has a circular opening 18a. The balancing ring 18 has a circular front wall formed on the front surface of the front side of the drum 16.

[0059] like Figure 1 As shown, the washing machine 1 further comprises: a water supply mechanism 30 , a drainage mechanism 50 , a circulation mechanism 60 and a drying mechanism 70 .

[0060] The water supply mechanism 30 is a mechanism for supplying water from a tap to the inside of the washing machine 1 and switching the water supply location. The water supply mechanism 30 includes, for example, a water supply path 31, a cleaning path 33, and a water supply switching valve 32. The water supply path 31 extends from the water supply port 11b of the housing 11 to the water supply port 13a of the water cylinder 13. The cleaning path 33 extends from the water supply switching valve 32 to the circulating water inlet 28 provided on the rear surface 22g of the rear side of the water cylinder cover 22. The water supply switching valve 32 is provided in the middle of the water supply path 31. The water supply switching valve 32 can be switched to a first state in which water is supplied to the water cylinder 13, a second state in which water is supplied to the circulating water inlet 28 via the cleaning path 33, and a third state in which water is supplied to both the water cylinder 13 and the circulating water inlet 28. In addition, the water supply switching valve 32 can be composed of two or more switching valves.

[0061] The drainage mechanism 50 is a mechanism for discharging water from the water drum 13 to the outside. The drainage mechanism 50 includes, for example, a drainage path 51 and a drainage valve 52. The drainage path 51 extends, for example, from the drainage port 13b of the water drum 13 to the outside of the washing machine 1. The drainage valve 52 is provided in the middle of the drainage path 51. The water in the water drum 13 is discharged to the outside of the washing machine 1 by opening the drainage valve 52.

[0062] Circulation mechanism 60 is a mechanism for circulating water in washing machine 1 inside washing machine 1. Circulation mechanism 60 includes, for example, a circulation path 61 and a circulation pump 62.

[0063] The circulation path 61 extends from the drain port 13b of the water cylinder 13 to the plurality of cleaning ports 26A, 26B. The circulation path 61 includes: an external circulation path 61a, which is disposed outside the water cylinder 13; and an internal circulation path 61b, which is disposed inside the water cylinder 13. Outside the water cylinder 13, the external circulation path 61a is connected to the circulating water inlet 13c of the water cylinder 13 from the drain port 13b of the water cylinder 13 via a circulation pump 62. A portion of the external circulation path 61a (for example, the portion from the drain port 13b of the water cylinder 13 to the circulation pump 62) is shared with the drain path 51. On the other hand, as Figure 2 As shown, on the rear surface 22g of the water tank cover 22, the internal circulation path 61b extends from the circulation water inlet 13c of the water tank 13 to the washing ports 26A, 26B.

[0064] The circulation pump 62 is driven, for example, in the cleaning stroke and the flushing stroke to suck the water in the water cylinder 13, and pressurize it, and spray the pressurized water in the water cylinder 13 from the plurality of cleaning ports 26A and 26B. Thus, the circulation mechanism 60 circulates the water in the water cylinder 13 through the circulation path 61 and sprays it in the water cylinder 13 in the form of a spray.

[0065] The drying mechanism 70 can use a conventionally known drying mechanism. For example, the drying mechanism 70 is provided in the housing 11, and supplies the warm air (drying air) for drying generated by a heating device such as a heat pump or a heater to the drum 16 through the water cylinder 13 by using an air supply fan from a duct provided outside the water cylinder 13. In addition, a lint filter can be provided in the duct.

[0066] Next, the control device 100 of the washing machine 1 will be described.

[0067] The control device 100 is housed in the washing machine 1. The control device 100 is mainly composed of a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The control device 100 controls the entire washing machine 1 in a unified manner, and executes a washing operation including a rinsing operation, a flushing operation, and a dehydration operation based on the washing machine 1, and a subsequent drying operation.

[0068] For example, the water supply switching valve 32 , the circulation pump 62 , the drive motor 17 , the drain valve 52 , and the drying mechanism 70 are connected to the control device 100 .

[0069] The water supply switching valve 32 controls the water supply from the water supply port 11b to the circulating water inlet 28 via the water drum 13 and the washing path 33. In addition, the circulating pump 62 circulates the water in the washing machine. The driving motor 17 rotates the drum 16 in the water drum 13. The drain valve 52 controls the discharge of the water inside the water drum 13 to the outside. The drying mechanism 70 generates dehumidified and heated air and circulates it.

[0070] The above configuration operates based on a control signal from the control device 100. In addition, an operation panel P is connected to the control device 100. Various operation buttons, operation guides, warnings, etc. are displayed on the operation panel P. The user performs input operations by operating the operation buttons, etc. displayed on the operation panel P.

[0071] Here, the cleaning operation of the door bellows 15 performed in this embodiment is described. Regarding the control device 100, for example, when the user operates the operation panel P and instructs the start of the operation of the washing machine 1 (for example, the washing and drying operation), the operation starts. The control device 100 performs a washing operation including a rinsing operation, a flushing operation, and a dehydration operation, and then performs a drying operation.

[0072] While the washing operation is based on the rinsing action and the flushing action, the cleaning action is performed. That is, in the control device 100, the circulation pump 62 is controlled to circulate the water in the washing machine. Then, the circulating water (cleaning water W) flows from the circulating water inlet 13c of the water drum 13 through the circulating water path 25 provided on the rear surface 22g of the water drum cover 22. The inside of the circulating water path 25 has: a main flow path 251, and a pair of branch flow paths 252 and 253 branched from the main flow path 251. The cleaning water W flowing in from the circulating water inlet 13c flows in the circulating water path 25 from the circulating water inlet 13c, and is sprayed from the cleaning ports 26A and 26B to the inside of the water drum 13. On the other hand, a part of the cleaning water W flowing into each branch flow path 252 and 253 from the circulating water inlet 13c is sprayed toward the door bellows 15 from a pair of spray holes 27A and 27B. Thus, the door bellows 15 is cleaned.

[0073] Next, the operation of the washing machine 1 will be described.

[0074] The washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment comprises: a housing 11 having an inlet and outlet 11a that allows laundry to enter and exit in the front-to-back direction Y; a water cylinder that is housed in the housing 11 and has an opening that is opposite to the inlet and outlet 11a; an annular water cylinder cover 22 that is installed along the opening and is centered on a central axis O1 along the front-to-back direction Y; and a door bellows 15 that is installed along the circumference of the water cylinder cover 22 and connects the inlet and outlet 11a to the water cylinder cover 22 in a watertight manner. Regarding the door bellows 15, a bending portion 152 formed by bending a portion toward the front is formed along the circumferential direction. The water cylinder cover 22 comprises: a spray hole 27 that is arranged at a position opposite to the bending portion 152 and sprays washing water W toward the bending portion 152.

[0075] Thus, according to the present embodiment, the cleaning water W is sprayed from the spray hole 27 toward the curved portion 152 of the door bellows 15 where the lint is likely to remain, thereby enabling the cleaning water W to flow along the curved portion 152 of the door bellows 15 at the connection portion between the housing 11 and the water cylinder 13. Thus, in the circulation path of the water cylinder cover 22 that allows the cleaning water W in the water cylinder 13 to effectively spread over the laundry, by providing the spray hole 27 as the discharge portion of the cleaning water W at a position opposite to the curved portion 152, the lint attached to the door bellows 15 can be efficiently washed and reliably dropped during the cleaning of the laundry in the water cylinder 13.

[0076] In addition, according to the present embodiment, the washing water W of the laundry in the water cylinder 13 is sprayed from the spray hole 27 provided in the water cylinder cover 22, so it is not necessary for the user to perform maintenance of removing the thread attached to the door bellows 15 after the washing action. Therefore, the user's work hours can be reduced.

[0077] According to the present embodiment, since spray holes 27 are set to spray washing water W toward bottom surface 152c of bending portion 152, washing water W can be sprayed to bottom surface 152c of bending portion 152 where lint is most likely to remain to drop it.

[0078] In addition, according to the present embodiment, the hole axis 27C of the injection hole 27 is located at a position higher than the lower end 152i of the bottom surface 152c of the flexure 152. By forming such a structure, even if the water cylinder 13 in which the laundry and the washing water W are retained sinks downward relative to the door bellows 15, the hole axis 27C of the injection hole 27 can be located at the height of the bottom surface 152c of the flexure 152. Therefore, the washing water W injected from the injection hole 27 will not deviate from the bottom surface 152c of the flexure 152, and the lint of the flexure 152 can be reliably washed regardless of the laundry in the water cylinder 13 or the capacity of the washing water W.

[0079] In addition, according to the present embodiment, the water is washing water W for washing the laundry in the water cylinder 13, and therefore, the washing water W can be guided to the injection hole 27 provided in the water cylinder cover 22 using a circulation path (circulation water path 25) provided in the water cylinder cover 22 for circulating the washing water W. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a path such as piping for injection water in a different system as in the past, and the thread attached to the door bellows 15 can be dropped with a simple structure. Thus, according to the present embodiment, there is no need for a path of a different system for injection water, and therefore the number of components can be reduced, and cost reduction can be achieved.

[0080] In addition, according to the present embodiment, a circulating water path 25 connecting the circulating water inlet 28 and the cleaning ports 26A and 26B is provided inside the water cylinder cover 22. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide piping for spraying water in different systems as in the past, and a simple structure is formed in which the spray hole 27 provided in the water cylinder cover 22 is connected to the circulating water path 25. Thus, according to the present embodiment, there is no need for different system paths for spraying water, so the number of components can be reduced, and cost reduction can be achieved.

[0081] In addition, according to the present embodiment, the circulating water path 25 has: a main flow path 251 extending in the circumferential direction; and branch flow paths 252 and 253 extending in a direction intersecting with the main flow path 251 when viewed from the front-rear direction Y, and having a flow path cross-sectional area smaller than that of the main flow path 251. The branch flow paths 252 and 253 are branched from the first flow path 251 and connected to the cleaning ports 26A and 26B. The injection hole 27 is connected to the branch flow paths 252 and 253. Therefore, the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the branch flow paths 252 and 253 located at the injection hole 27 is smaller than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the main flow path 251, the internal pressure increases, and the flow velocity of the cleaning water W injected from the injection hole 27 is increased, so that the cleaning performance of the door bellows 15 can be improved, and the thread ends retained in the door bellows 15 can be appropriately dropped.

[0082] In addition, according to the present embodiment, the injection hole 27 is provided at the portion near the front side of the cleaning ports 26A and 26B of the circulating water path 25. Therefore, the cleaning water W guided to the cleaning ports 26A and 26B can be divided toward the injection hole 27 and sprayed toward the door bellows 15. A stable amount of cleaning water W flows toward the cleaning ports 26A and 26B, so the injection amount of the cleaning water W sprayed from the injection hole 27 can also be kept constant, and the thread ends attached to the door bellows 15 can be efficiently washed.

[0083] According to the present embodiment, at least one injection hole 27 is provided on each of the left and right sides above the central axis O1 in the vertical direction when viewed in the front-rear direction Y. Therefore, a wide area on each of the left and right sides of the door bellows 15 can be cleaned.

[0084] In addition, according to the present embodiment, the spraying direction of the spray hole 27 is toward the front of the water cylinder 13, so the washing water W spreads in a conical shape from the spray hole 27. Therefore, the contact area of ​​the sprayed washing water W of the flexure 152 of the door bellows 15 can be increased. For example, even if the spray holes 27A and 27B are arranged on both sides of the uppermost part of the door bellows 15 as in the present embodiment, the washing water W can flow to the area between the spray holes 27A and 27B where lint is likely to remain, so that the area can be cleaned.

[0085] According to at least one embodiment described above, it is possible to provide a washing machine capable of reliably dropping threads attached to the door bellows 15 with a simple structure.

[0086] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, changes, etc. can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are also included in the scope and spirit of the invention and are also included in the invention recorded in the claims and their equivalents.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the injection hole 27 is formed into a circular shape, but other hole shapes may be used. Figure 8 As shown in the modified example, a long hole-shaped injection hole 270 that is long in the radial direction can also be used. The long hole of the injection hole 270 is arranged so that the long axis direction is toward the extending direction of the branch flow paths 252 and 253. By providing such a long hole injection hole 270, not only can the above-mentioned circular injection hole 27 (see Figure 5 ) and the same spraying performance as that of the spray hole 270, the following effect can also be obtained: the lint attached to the hole of the spray hole 270 is squeezed out by the washing water W flowing in the spray hole 270. That is, the lint is caught in the lower part of the spray hole 270 and accumulates in a manner that blocks the spray hole 270. Therefore, if the spray hole 270 is circular, the accumulated lint reduces the flow rate of the sprayed water and the lint cannot be squeezed out. Therefore, even if the lint begins to accumulate because the spray hole 270 is formed as a long hole, a sufficient flow rate can be ensured, and the effect of squeezing out the lint can be obtained. In this way, in the modified example, the clogging of the spray hole 270 can be suppressed, and the frequency of maintenance to remove the clogging can be reduced.

[0088] In addition, the position of the injection hole 27 provided in the water cylinder cover 22 is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, it is not limited to the structure in which the cleaning water W is injected toward the bottom surface 152c (the innermost part) of the bending portion 152. In addition, the hole axis 27C of the injection hole 27 is set to be located above the lower end 152i of the bottom surface 152c of the bending portion 152, but it can also be located at the same height as the lower end 152i, or below the lower end 152i.

[0089] In addition, in the present embodiment, the following structure is preferred: when viewed from the front-to-back direction Y, at least one injection hole 27A, 27B is respectively provided on the left and right sides of the upper side of the center axis O1 in the up-down direction, but it is not limited to this, and it can also be provided only on either side of the left or right, or provided near the center line L1 passing through the center axis O1 in the horizontal direction.

[0090] In addition, in the present embodiment, the following structure is formed: the inner side of the water cylinder cover 22 is provided with a circulating water path 25, and the injection hole 27 is connected to the circulating water path 25, but it is not limited to the structure in which the circulating water path 25 is provided in the water cylinder cover 22. In addition, as for the structure of the circulating water path 25, it also has a main flow path 251 extending along the circumferential direction as in the present embodiment, and a branch flow path 252, 253 extending in a direction intersecting with the main flow path 251 when viewed from the front-back direction and having a flow path cross-sectional area smaller than the main flow path 251, and it is not limited to the structure in which the injection hole 27 is connected to the branch flow path 252, 253. For example, it can be a structure in which the injection hole 27 is provided in the main flow path 251 on the circulating water path without the branch flow paths 252, 253.

Claims

1. A washing machine, wherein: The washing machine comprises: A housing having an inlet and an outlet that allow laundry to enter and exit in a front-to-back direction; a water cylinder, which is accommodated in the housing and has an opening portion opposite to the inlet and outlet; an annular water cylinder cover installed along the opening and centered on a central axis along the front-rear direction; and a door bellows, which is installed along the circumference of the water cylinder cover and connects the inlet and outlet to the water cylinder cover in a watertight manner; The bent portion of the door bellows formed by bending a portion thereof toward the front is formed along the circumferential direction, The water cylinder cover includes a spray hole that is disposed at a position facing the flexible portion and sprays water toward the flexible portion.

2. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein: The spray hole is used to spray the water toward the innermost part of the flexure.

3. The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein: The hole axis of the injection hole is located above the innermost lower end of the bending portion.

4. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein: The water is washing water for washing the laundry in the water drum.

5. The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein: The inner side of the water cylinder cover is provided with: a circulating water path connecting the circulating water inlet and the cleaning port, The injection hole is communicated with the circulating water path.

6. The washing machine according to claim 5, wherein: The circulating water circuit has: a first flow path extending along the circumferential direction; as well as a second flow path extending in a direction intersecting the first flow path when viewed from the front-rear direction, and having a flow path cross-sectional area smaller than the first flow path, The second flow path is branched from the first flow path and connected to the cleaning port. The injection hole is communicated with the second flow path.

7. The washing machine according to claim 5, wherein: The injection hole is provided at a portion of the circulating water channel near the cleaning port.

8. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: When viewed in the front-rear direction, the injection hole is provided at least one each on both left and right sides at an upper side in the up-down direction relative to the central axis.

9. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The spraying direction of the spray hole is toward the front of the water cylinder.

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