Washing nozzle and dishwasher using the same

Abstract

To provide a dishwasher equipped with a washing nozzle that works with a space-saving arrangement configuration so that injection water collides in a wide range by changing injection directions while maintaining high collision force against dish surfaces.SOLUTION: A shower head 7 of a washing nozzle includes a sphere storage part 12 having a sphere 14 and a guide body 13 in which the sphere 14 slides and an inflow port 21 and a discharge port 18 communicated with the sphere storage part 12. The guide body 13 pivotally supports the center so that the right and the left are inclined alternately. The discharge port 18 is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the pivotal support, matching with the pivotally supporting position of the guide body 13, and the inflow port 21 is disposed at a position opposed to the two ends where the sphere slides. The guide body 13 is inclined alternately by the pressing difference of washing water that flows in, and, at the same time, the sphere 14 makes reciprocating movements on the guide body 13 so that an injection direction of the injection water flow from the discharge port 18 changes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a washing nozzle that sprays washing water to wash dishes and the like, and a dishwasher using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to efficiently wash a large number of dishes, a typical dishwasher has multiple dish baskets (upper dish basket 101 / lower dish basket 103) in the washing tub, as shown in Figures 18 and 19, and washing nozzles for washing the dishes placed in each dish basket are arranged corresponding to each basket.The washing water pressurized by the built-in washing pump is sprayed toward the dishes from a shower head attached to the washing nozzle, and the spray from each washing nozzle is alternated to wash all the dishes using a small amount of water.

[0003] For example, a washing nozzle for washing dishes set in the lower dish basket 103 generally comprises a rotating shaft and an arm section below the lower dish basket 103, with the arm section equipped with multiple shower heads whose outlets are oriented to provide various spray angles toward the lower dish basket 103, and a rotating nozzle 102 that uses the reaction force of the spray to rotate the arm section to spread the spray over a wide area. In the upper dish basket 101, as in the above-mentioned lower dish basket 103, a rotating nozzle 102 is generally configured below the upper dish basket 101 (Figure 18), or a fixed nozzle 104 is configured with multiple shower heads whose outlets are oriented to provide various spray angles, fixed to the side wall inside the washing tank, as shown in Figure 19 (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-282831 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2012-91041 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present disclosure provides a dishwasher capable of spraying wash water at a wide angle while changing the spray direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the cleaning nozzle of the present invention is a cleaning nozzle equipped with a shower head that sprays pressurized cleaning water, the shower head comprises a sphere storage section having a sphere inside and a guide body along which the sphere slides, and an inlet and an outlet communicating with the sphere storage section, the guide body is supported at the center so that the left and right sides are tilted alternately, the outlet is aligned in a direction perpendicular to the support, coinciding with the support position of the guide body, and the inlet is positioned opposite both ends along which the sphere slides, the guide body alternately tilts due to the difference in pressure of the incoming cleaning water, and at the same time, the sphere moves back and forth on the guide body, thereby changing the spray direction of the fountain flow from the outlet port to the left and right. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The cleaning nozzle of the present invention can change the direction of the jet to impact over a wide area while maintaining a high impact force on the dish surface, and can spray the jet onto dishes placed in a dish basket in a space-saving arrangement. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] Top perspective view of dishwasher with dishes loaded [Diagram 2] AA cross section of a dishwasher [Diagram 3] B-B cross section of dishwasher [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a central vertical cross-sectional view taken along the inlet of a shower head according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a central cross-sectional view of a shower head according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a central vertical cross-sectional view of a shower head according to the first embodiment, taken along the inlet. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a discharge port in a sphere storage section according to the first embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a guide body in a sphere storage section according to the first embodiment; [Figure 9] Cross-sectional view of the initial state in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of a guide body and a sphere according to the first embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a central vertical cross-sectional view taken along the inlet of a shower head according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a central vertical cross-sectional view of the shower head according to the second embodiment, taken along the inlet. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the discharge port in the sphere storage section in the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a plan view of the wing portion and the shielding plate in the sphere storage section in the second embodiment. [Figure 15] Cross-sectional view of the initial state in the second embodiment. [Figure 16] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of a guide body and a sphere according to the second embodiment. [Figure 17] Another embodiment of the first and second embodiments [Figure 18] Diagram of the cleaning system in a conventional dishwasher [Figure 19] A diagram of the washing system in a conventional dishwasher [Figure 20] Cross-sectional view of a shower head in a conventional dishwasher DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present invention, in a cleaning nozzle equipped with a shower head that sprays pressurized cleaning water, the shower head comprises a sphere storage section having inside thereof spheres and a guide body along which the spheres slide, and an inlet and an outlet communicating with the sphere storage section, the guide body is supported at the center so that the left and right sides are tilted alternately, the outlet is aligned in a direction perpendicular to the support, coinciding with the support position of the guide body, and the inlet is positioned opposite both ends along which the spheres slide, so that the guide body is alternately tilted due to the pressure difference of the flowing-in cleaning water, and at the same time, the spheres reciprocate on the guide body.

[0010] As a result, when the water flow enters the sphere storage chamber from the inlet, the water flow is subjected to the total pressure of the water flow toward the discharge port, and moves on one end of the guide body. When the end of the guide body to which the sphere has moved is inclined toward the wall surface of the sphere storage chamber where the discharge port is provided, the water flow passes through the discharge port from the space on the symmetric side of the sphere that has moved relative to the guide body support, and a fountain flow is sprayed. At this time, the Coanda effect that follows the curved surface of the sphere simultaneously acts on the fountain flow, so the fountain flow is sprayed at an inclination angle. And, since the pressure difference in the discharge port direction applied to the sphere and the guide body in the sphere storage section changes self-excitingly around the guide body support axis, the fountain flow can be sprayed at a wide angle while periodically changing the spray direction symmetrically, and a wider range of spraying can be achieved.

[0011] According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the inlet is disposed in a side wall of the ball storage section that is approximately parallel to a sliding direction of the ball.

[0012] As a result, the sphere that has moved to one end of the guide body is subjected to static pressure acting in the direction towards the outlet, and total pressure acting parallel to the inflow, i.e., perpendicular to the outlet side. Since a pressure difference acts in the direction of the outlet between the sphere side and the other end side of the guide body, a self-exciting action occurs, and the fountain flow can be sprayed at a wide angle while periodically changing the spray direction symmetrically.

[0013] According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, when the sphere moves to one end of the guide body and the guide body is tilted toward the discharge outlet, the pressure applied to the end of the guide body opposite the sphere becomes greater than the pressure applied to the sphere in the direction of inclination of the guide body, so that the inclination of the left and right sides of the guide body changes and the sphere moves, and the guide body tilts alternately due to the difference in pressure of the flowing in cleaning water, while at the same time the sphere moves back and forth on the guide body.

[0014] As a result, the total pressure toward the discharge port acts on the end of the guide body symmetrically to the sphere that has moved relative to the guide body support, while on the sphere side, only static pressure acts toward the discharge port, so a pressure difference is generated in the direction of the discharge port at both ends of the guide body, changing the inclination direction of the guide body, and the sphere also moves to the other end of the guide body as the inclination of the guide body changes. When the sphere moves, the action is reversed, and the spray direction of the fountain stream also changes symmetrically. Since the pressure difference in the direction of the discharge port acting on the sphere and the guide body in the sphere storage section changes self-excited around the guide body support axis, the fountain stream can be sprayed at a wide angle while periodically changing the spray direction symmetrically, allowing for a wider range of spraying.

[0015] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the inlet is arranged on the wall surface of the sphere storage section opposite the discharge outlet, one at a time, at a position opposite the sliding end of the sphere, and a shielding plate having a plurality of openings arranged upstream of the inlet so as to alternately open and close the inlet is rotatably supported on a shaft, and the shielding plate is provided with a blade portion that acts as a reaction force in the rotational direction due to the inflow of cleaning water, thereby alternately switching between opening and closing the two inlets.

[0016] This allows the change in the inclination direction of the sphere and guide body to be linked to the switching period of the inlet by the rotation of the shielding plate, making it possible to adjust the variable period of the fountain flow direction by adjusting the rotation speed of the shielding plate.

[0017] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, in a dishwasher having a washing tank for accommodating items to be washed, such as tableware, and a washing pump for pressurizing washing water to be sprayed toward the items to be washed, the dishwasher is provided with one or more showerheads.

[0018] This allows the fountain stream of water to hit the dishes to be sprayed over a wider area, improving washing performance.

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0020] (Embodiment 1) [1-1.Basic configuration] As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the dishwasher 1 is provided with a washing tank 2 that can be opened and closed by pulling out a door from a housing (not shown), and dishes and other items to be washed are placed in a dish basket and stored in the washing tank 2. Washing water is supplied into the washing tank 2 by a water supply valve (not shown), and the washing water is pressurized by a washing pump 3 and supplied to a plurality of washing nozzles (washing means) with discharge ports, and the washing water is sprayed toward the dishes from the washing nozzles. The washing pump 3 uses an inverter motor that can change the rotation speed to vary the pressurization of the washing water. Three types of dish baskets, an upper dish basket 4, a middle dish basket 5, and a lower dish basket 6, are installed in the washing tank 2, and washing nozzles with a plurality of shower heads 7 corresponding to each dish basket are provided. The washing nozzle corresponding to the lower dish basket 6 is a rotating nozzle 8 that rotates around an axis by a jet reaction force, and the washing nozzles corresponding to the upper dish basket 4 and the middle dish basket 5 are fixed nozzles 9 fixed to the side wall of the washing tank. In addition, it is not necessary to have both the upper and middle dish baskets. It is sufficient to have at least one of the upper and middle tiers. Furthermore, the washing nozzles corresponding to the upper and middle tier dish baskets 4 and 5 are not limited to the fixed nozzles 9 fixed to the side wall of the washing tank. The bottom of the washing tank 2 has a drain port 10 connected to the suction side of the washing pump 3, and this drain port 10 is provided with a residue filter (not shown) for collecting residue and a drain pump (not shown) for draining the washing water from the washing tank 2.

[0021] A water distribution device is installed to selectively switch between the washing means that supplies washing water to the discharge path of the washing pump 3. This water distribution device 11 switches the supply of washing water pressurized by the washing pump 3 to each washing means, i.e., the supply to the rotary nozzle 8 and the fixed nozzle 9, by a valve body (not shown) inside the casing of the water distribution device 11.

[0022] [1-2.Basic operation] First, the basic operation of the dishwasher 1 having the above configuration will be described.

[0023] The dishes and other items to be washed are placed in a dish basket and stored in the washing tank 2. After detergent is added, the opening of the dishwasher 1 housing is closed with the door and operation begins. The processes are carried out in the following order: the "washing process" to remove dirt from the items to be washed, the "rinsing process" to wash away any detergent or residue adhering to the items, and the "drying process" to dry off any water droplets adhering to the items to be washed.

[0024] First, the water supply valve is operated to supply a predetermined amount of washing water to the washing tank 2, and the washing water is stored in the bottom of the washing tank 2. When the washing pump 3 is operated, the washing water passes through the residue filter and is sucked into the washing pump 3, and the pressurized washing water is supplied to a predetermined washing means (washing nozzle) in the washing tank 2 and is sprayed from this washing nozzle, and the fountain hits the surface of the dishes to wash away dirt. The washing water that hits the dishes or the side wall of the washing tank flows down to the bottom of the washing tank 2 and returns to the drain 10, circulating in this manner. At this time, residue that falls off the dishes flows into the residue filter together with the washing water, and residue that is too large to pass through the residue filter is collected in the residue filter. After spraying for each predetermined time, the washing means corresponding to each dish basket is switched to the next means by the water distribution device 11, and the whole dishes are washed while switching between the washing means in order.

[0025] After the washing process is completed for a predetermined time, the washing water containing dirt is discharged outside the machine by the drain pump, and new washing water is supplied. The washing pump 3 is operated, and washing water is sprayed again from the washing nozzle to rinse the dishes and the walls of the washing tank that have detergent and residue attached thereto. Here, as in the washing process, after each washing means is sprayed for a predetermined time, the water distribution device switches to the next washing means, and while switching between the washing means in order, the dishes and the entire walls of the washing tank are rinsed. After operating for a predetermined time, the washing water is discharged outside the machine by the drain pump, and washing water is again supplied into the washing tank 2 to resume the rinsing process. This rinsing process is performed two to three times in succession, and finally the washing water is discharged outside the machine to end the rinsing process.

[0026] Next, a drying process is carried out for a predetermined period of time to evaporate water droplets adhering to the dishes and the wall surfaces of the washing tank, and then a series of operations is completed.

[0027] [2-1. Shower head configuration] Next, the configuration and operation of the shower head of the cleaning nozzle, which is a feature of this embodiment, will be described.

[0028] Fig. 4 shows a central vertical cross-sectional view along the inlet 21 of the showerhead 7, Fig. 5 shows a central horizontal cross-sectional view looking toward the outlet from inside the sphere storage section, and Fig. 6 shows a central vertical cross-sectional view cutting the inlet 21 of the showerhead 7.

[0029] 2 and 3, the showerhead 7 is provided on the rotary nozzle 8 or fixed nozzle 9 within the dishwasher 1 so that the outlet 18 faces upward or toward the inside of the washing tub. However, when explaining the showerhead 7 alone below, if the up, down, left, and right directions on the drawing (paper surface) are specified, the explanation will follow the directions on the drawing. Note that the direction in which the outlet 18 is provided can be changed as appropriate and is not limited to the above and drawings.

[0030] In the following, the shower head 7 provided on the fixed nozzle 9 in FIG. 3 and having a discharge port 18 facing toward the inside of the cleaning tank will be described as an example.

[0031] As shown in Figure 5, inside the approximately elliptical cylindrical sphere storage section 12, a guide body 13 and a sphere 14 are stored which are arranged parallel to the long side of the sphere storage section 12. The guide body 13 is provided with an axis portion 15 which extends horizontally to enable tilting movement so that the left and right ends shown in Figure 4 on the paper move alternately like a seesaw, with the center position in the long side of the sphere storage section 12 as the axis, and as shown in Figure 6, the guide body 13 is supported by a bearing portion 16 provided inside the sphere storage section 12.

[0032] 5 and 6, when the guide body 13 is tilted, the sphere 14 moves on the guide body 13 from one end to the other end of the guide body 13. The vertical cross section of the sphere receiving surface 17 provided on the bottom surface of the guide body 13 shown in the figures has a semicircular arc shape that matches the diameter of the sphere, and in this embodiment 1, the sphere size is a sphere with a diameter of Φ6 mm, the maximum tilt angle of the guide body 13 is configured to be θ=about 10 degrees with respect to the balanced horizontal position as shown in FIG. 4, and the amplitude of the sphere 14 is set to about 4 mm.

[0033] An outlet 18 is provided on the wall surface of the sphere storage section 12 that is perpendicular to the axial direction of the guide body 13, i.e., the direction of the shaft portion 15, and is in the columnar direction of the sphere storage section 12, and the outlet 18 is in the shape of a track ellipse parallel to the longitudinal direction of the guide body 13 (FIG. 7). As shown in FIG. 8, a guide body opening 19 is provided in the central portion of the sphere receiving surface 17 of the guide body 13, which is in the shape of a track ellipse along the longitudinal direction, and both ends of the guide body opening 19 in the longitudinal direction are almost aligned with the center of the sphere 14 that has moved to the end of the guide body 13. This configuration increases the angle of the oblique direction of the fountain flow. In addition, when the sphere 14 moves to one end of the guide body 13, the water flow is sprayed from the outlet 18 through the guide body opening 19 that is not blocked by the sphere 14.

[0034] The positional relationship between both ends of the guide body opening 19 in the longitudinal direction and the sphere 14 mentioned above affects the angle at which the fountain flow is jetted out obliquely due to the Coanda effect. If the amplitude of the sphere 14 were a little larger, in other words, if the range of the sphere that is covered by the outlet 18 when the sphere 14 moves to the end becomes smaller, the oblique angle of the fountain flow would become smaller.

[0035] Two inlets 21 connecting the water conduit 20 from the cleaning pump 3 to the sphere storage section 12 are provided facing each other on the wall surface of the sphere storage section 12, which is perpendicular to the opening direction of the discharge port 18 and approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the guide body 13. As shown in Figure 4, the inlet 21 is positioned so that the end of the guide body 13 in an inclined state does not overlap with the opening of the inlet 21.

[0036] The outlet 18 is provided at a position opposite the water channel 20 in the columnar direction.

[0037] In the above configuration, when the cleaning pump 3 starts operating, the water flowing in from the water conduit 20 flows into the sphere storage section 12 through the two inlets 21 of the showerhead 7. When the cleaning pump 3 is stopped, that is, when the sphere storage section 12 is not filled with water, the spheres 14 are out of contact with the sphere receiving surface 17 of the guide body 13 (Figure 9a).

[0038] This is because, in the case of the shower head 7 in the dishwasher 1, the outlet 18 is directed toward the inside of the washing tub, and when the sphere storage section 12 is not filled with water, the sphere 14 is pulled by gravity. This is because the chisel is moved to a position away from the sphere receiving surface 17 of the guide body 13.

[0039] When water flows into the sphere storage section 12, the sphere 14 receives the total pressure of the water flow toward the discharge port 18, so that the sphere 14 moves toward the guide body 13 and is accommodated in the sphere receiving surface 17 of the guide body 13, and further, the sphere 14 moves to one end of the guide body 13, and the guide body 13 tilts in the direction in which the sphere 14 has moved (Fig. 9b). At this time, the sphere 14 moves to the left as shown in Fig. 9b on the paper, and the weight of the sphere 14 causes the left end of the guide body 13 to tilt downward.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 10a, when the water flow pressurized by the washing pump 3 enters the sphere storage section 12 from the inlet 21 and the sphere 14 moves to one end of the guide body 13, if the end of the guide body 13 on the sphere 14 side is inclined toward the outlet 18, the water flow entering from the inlet 21 on the side of the moved sphere 14 flows in a direction approximately perpendicular to the direction of the outlet 18, and when it passes the position of the sphere 14, the direction of the flow changes to the direction of the outlet 18. Therefore, the sphere 14 is subjected to a static pressure acting in the direction of the outlet 18 and a total pressure acting in a direction approximately perpendicular to the direction of the outlet 18.

[0041] On the other hand, at the end of guide body 13 on the symmetrical side to the position of sphere 14, the water flow entering from inlet 21 facing sphere 14 flows toward outlet 18, so that total pressure is applied to sphere receiving surface 17 at the end of guide body 13 in the direction of outlet 18. In this state, the pressure difference in the direction of outlet 18 applied to both ends of guide body 13 is greater on the symmetrical side than on the side of moved sphere 14, so that the inclination direction of guide body 13 acts in the reverse direction as shown in Figure 10b, and sphere 14 moves to the other end of guide body 13 on the symmetrical side due to the change in the inclination of guide body 13 as shown in Figures 10c and 10d.

[0042] When the sphere 14 moves along the guide body 13, the flow direction of the water flowing from the two inlets 21 in the sphere storage section 12 to the outlet 18 is reversed, and the distribution of pressure acting on the sphere 14 and the guide body 13 in the direction of the outlet 18 is reversed, which acts to return the inclination of the guide body 13 to its original direction again.Thereafter, the inclination of the guide body 13 and the movement of the sphere 14 perform a self-excited reciprocating motion.

[0043] When sphere 14 is moving to one end of guide body 13, the fountain flow ejected from outlet 18 passes through guide body opening 19 of guide body 13 that is not blocked by sphere 14 on the symmetrical side and is ejected from the outlet. At this time, the Coanda effect acts along the surface of sphere 14, so that the water is ejected from outlet 18 with an inclination toward the position of sphere 14, as shown in Figure 10a.

[0044] When the sphere 14 moves toward the other end on the symmetrical side, when the sphere 14 reaches the center of the guide body 13 during its movement, the water flows through the guide body openings 19 on both sides of the sphere 14, and the fountain flow is sprayed in the direction of the central axis of the outlet, as shown in Figure 10c. Then, when the sphere reaches the other end of the guide body 13, the fountain flow from the outlet 18 is sprayed with an inclination toward the sphere position, as shown in Figure 10d, resulting in a fountain flow in the opposite direction to before.

[0045] In this way, the inclination of the fountain flow direction changes into a fan shape in conjunction with the movement of the sphere 14.

[0046] The fan-shaped spray range δ (FIG. 10b) is about 70° to 90° in this embodiment, but this angle can be set appropriately by changing the amplitude range of the sphere 14, the longitudinal dimension of the outlet 18, and the columnar dimension of the outlet 18.

[0047] In general shower heads, the shape of the outlet is designed to spread the water flow from the outlet into a fan shape. In this case, the water flow hits the tableware surface in a uniformly spread state, so the impact force per area of ​​the fountain stream is small. In addition, among conventional shower heads 105 shown in FIG. 20, there is a shower head that can make the oblique fountain stream swirl in a cone shape by covering a part of the outlet 107 with a circling sphere 106. In this case, however, in order to make the sphere swirl near the outlet, a cylindrical part 108 that restricts the swirl trajectory is required at a position that coincides with the center of the outlet, making it difficult to increase the inclination angle of the fountain stream and to increase the wide-angle range.

[0048] In the configuration of this embodiment, the impact area of ​​the fountain stream on the tableware surface remains small, but the direction of the fountain stream is changed and the impact position of the fountain stream is moved to make the impact range wider, so that compared to a general shower head, a higher impact force can be obtained on the tableware surface even with the same impact range, and the effect of removing dirt from the tableware surface can be more effective. Also, compared to the conventional configuration, the fountain stream can be made to impact the tableware at a wider angle, improving cleaning performance, and enabling a space-saving arrangement to spray a jet stream with high impact force over the entire tableware placed in the tableware basket.

[0049] (Embodiment 2) The washing nozzle in the present embodiment 2 will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the main configuration of the present embodiment is similar to that of the washing nozzle and the dishwasher described in the embodiment 1, and therefore detailed description will be omitted.

[0050] [3-1. Shower head configuration] FIG. 11 is a central vertical cross-sectional view taken along the water channel 20 of the showerhead 7, and FIG. 12 is a central vertical cross-sectional view taken along the water channel 20 of the showerhead 7. As shown in FIG.

[0051] As shown in the figure, showerhead 7 has guide body 13 journaled by shaft 15 so as to be tiltable, and sphere 14 sliding on sphere receiving surface 17 provided on the bottom surface of guide body 13, in a generally elliptical cylindrical sphere storage section 12 that stores therein outlet 18 that is perpendicular to the axial direction of guide body 13 and in the cylindrical direction of sphere storage section 12, and outlet 18 has a generally track-elliptical shape parallel to the longitudinal direction of guide body 13 (FIG. 13). In this embodiment, outlet 18 is provided on the inner wall surface of sphere storage section 12, particularly in the center of the bottom surface.

[0052] Two second inlets 22 are provided on the wall surface of the sphere storage section 12 opposite the coaxial discharge outlet 18 in the opening direction of the discharge outlet 18, and the two second inlets 22 are provided at positions opposite the left and right sliding ends of the sphere 14 sliding on the guide body 13, as shown in Figure 11.

[0053] 14, a shield plate 24 is provided in the water conduit 20 upstream of the second inlet 22, with three to five openings 23 connected to the second inlet 22 and rotatably supported by a blade rotating shaft 26, and the shield plate 24 is provided with a blade portion 25 for rotating the shield plate 24 by the water flow. When one opening 23 of the shield plate 24 is aligned relative to one of the second inlets 22, the other second inlet 22 is blocked by the shield plate 24, and the diameter size of the opening 23 of the shield plate 24 is set to about 4 mm so that the two second inlets 22 are not closed by the shield plate 24 at the same time.

[0054] In the above configuration, when the water flow pressurized by the washing pump 3 passes through the water conduit 20 and collides with the blades 25 of the shielding plate 24, the shielding plate 24 starts to rotate. When the washing pump 3 is not pressurized, the opening 23 of the shielding plate 24 may overlap a part of the two second inlets 22. However, when the shielding plate 24 starts to rotate, the opening 23 of the shielding plate 24 and one of the second inlets 22 overlap. When 22 are aligned, the water flow enters the sphere storage section 12, which is not filled with water flow, only from the second inlet 22 on the side that is aligned with the opening 23 of the shielding plate 24, and after colliding with the guide body 13, the sphere storage section 12 is filled with water flow.

[0055] When the sphere storage section 12 is not filled with water, the sphere 14 is out of the sphere receiving surface 17 on the guide body 13 as shown in Fig. 15a, but when the water flow enters from the second inlet 22, the guide body 13 receives the total pressure from the water flow toward the outlet 18 and tilts toward the outlet 18 as shown in Fig. 15b, and as a result, the sphere 14 moves to the tilted side. At this time, the sphere 14 moves to the left as shown in Fig. 15b on the paper, and the left end of the guide body 13 tilts downward due to the weight of the sphere 14.

[0056] When the shielding plate 24 is rotated so that the opening 23 of the shielding plate 24 is aligned with the other second inlet 22 (Figure 16b), the guide body 13 receives the total pressure of the water flow from the second inlet 22 through which the water flow enters in the direction of the outlet 18, and on the side where the sphere 14 is located, only static pressure is applied in the direction of the outlet 18, so that the pressure difference causes the inclination angle of the guide body 13 to reverse, as shown in Figure 16c.

[0057] As the inclination angle of guide body 13 is reversed, sphere 14 moves on guide body 13 to the other end position as shown in Figs. 16d and 16e.

[0058] Next, when the shielding plate 24 rotates and the opening 23 of the shielding plate 24 switches to coincide with the other second inlet 22, the pressure difference acting toward the sphere 14 and the discharge outlet 18 of the guide body 13 switches to the other second inlet 22 side through which the water flow enters, so that the inclination of the guide body 13 reverses to the side of the second inlet 22 through which the water flow enters, and in conjunction with this, the sphere 14 moves toward the other end position, which is the inclination direction of the guide body 13.This reversal action of the inclination of the guide body 13 and the sliding of the sphere 14 linked thereto occurs in conjunction with the rotation of the shielding plate 24.

[0059] When the sphere 14 is moving to one end of the guide body 13, the Coanda effect along the sphere surface acts on the fountain stream from the outlet 18, and the fountain stream is ejected from the outlet 18 with an inclination toward the sphere 14 position (Figs. 16a, 16b, and 16c). When the sphere 14 moves toward the other end of the symmetrical side, the water flow passes through the guide body openings 19 on both sides of the sphere 14 when the sphere 14 is positioned at the center of the guide body 13 during its movement, and the fountain stream is ejected in the direction of the central axis of the outlet 18 (Fig. 16d). When the sphere 14 reaches the other end of the guide body 13, the fountain stream from the outlet 18 is ejected with an inclination toward the sphere 14 position, and the fountain stream is ejected in the opposite direction to the previous one (Fig. 16e). In this way, the fountain stream changes the inclination of the ejection direction to a fan shape in conjunction with the movement of the sphere 14, and is ejected over a wide range.

[0060] [3-2. Water flow] In the above configuration, when the cleaning water is pressurized by the cleaning pump 3, the water flows through the water conduit 20 and collides with the blade portion 25 of the shielding plate 24 through the inlet 21, and the shielding plate 24 begins to rotate around the blade rotation axis 26.

[0061] When the cleaning pump 3 is not pressurized, one of the multiple openings 23 provided in the shielding plate 24 completely overlaps with one of the two second inlets 22 leading to the sphere storage section 12 (Figure 14), or the two openings 23 partially overlap with each of the two second inlets 22, the sphere storage section 12 is not filled with water, and the sphere 14 is outside the guide body 13.

[0062] The washing water is pressurized by the washing pump 3, and the water flow from the inlet 21 rotates the shielding plate 24, and one of the multiple openings 23 of the shielding plate 24 becomes the second inlet 22 of the sphere storage section 12. When the first inlet 22 overlaps with the second inlet 22, the water flow enters the sphere storage section 12 and collides with the guide body 13, and as shown in Figure 15b, the end of the guide body 13 that entered through the second inlet 22 tilts so that it moves downward on the page.

[0063] When the inside of sphere storage section 12 is immediately filled with water, a total pressure is applied to sphere 14 in the direction of discharge port 18, so that sphere 14 moves to the left side as shown in Fig. 15b along sphere receiving surface 17 of inclined guide body 13. In this state (sphere 14 is at the left end in the figure), the fountain jet of water ejected from discharge port 18 is ejected diagonally to the left in the figure, as shown in Fig. 16a, due to the Coanda effect along the side surface of sphere 14.

[0064] As the rotation of the shielding plate 24 continues and another opening 23 next overlaps with the other second inlet 22 (Figure 16b), the total pressure from the water flow entering from the second inlet 22 is applied to the sphere receiving surface 17 opposite the end of the guide body 13 where the sphere 14 is located, causing the guide body 13 to tilt with the right side in the figure lowered, as shown in Figure 16c, and further, due to the total pressure applied to the sphere 14 itself, the sphere 14 moves on the guide body 13 as shown in Figure 16d, and moves to the other end of the guide body 13 (Figure 16e).

[0065] As sphere 14 moves, the direction of the fountain stream from outlet 18 changes as shown in Figure 16d when sphere 14 is located near the center of guide body 13, as the water flow passes through both sides of sphere 14 toward outlet 18, so the fountain stream is sprayed in the axial direction as shown in the figure. Then, as shown in Figure 16e, when sphere 14 reaches the other end of guide body 13, the Coanda effect acts on the water flow along the left side surface of sphere 14 in the figure, and the fountain stream is sprayed in a diagonal direction to the right in the figure.

[0066] In this way, the rotation of the shielding plate 24 alternates the entry of the water flow into the second inlet 22, and in conjunction with this, the inclination direction of the guide body 13 changes alternately, causing the sphere 14 to oscillate left and right. As a result, the direction of the fountain flow from the outlet changes in a fan shape, from left diagonal direction → axial direction → right diagonal direction → axial direction → left diagonal direction.

[0067] The fountain stream acts to change direction of the jet to collide over a wide area while maintaining a high impact force on the surface of the dishes, thereby more effectively removing dirt from the surface of the dishes, improving cleaning performance and enabling a jet stream with high impact force to be sprayed over the entire surface of the dishes placed in the dish basket in a space-saving arrangement.

[0068] In the first and second embodiments, a fixed nozzle is described for washing dishes in the upper and middle baskets in the dishwasher, but as shown in FIG. 17, it is also possible to configure a rotating nozzle shower head for washing dishes in the lower basket, and by spraying a high-pressure jet of water at a wide angle, cleaning performance can be improved.

[0069] (Other embodiments) As described above, the first and second embodiments have been described as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited to these, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. In addition, it is also possible to combine the components described in the above embodiments to create new embodiments.

[0070] Therefore, other embodiments will be exemplified below.

[0071] In the first and second embodiments, the washing nozzle of a dishwasher for washing dishes has been mainly described, but the technology of the present embodiment can be applied to washing objects for any purpose.

[0072] In addition, in the first and second embodiments, the wash pump 3 uses an inverter motor that can vary the rotation speed to change the pressurization of the wash water, but of course other motors may be used.

[0073] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the technology of the present disclosure, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, and the like can be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

[0074] (Additional Note) The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques.

[0075] (Technology 1) A cleaning nozzle equipped with a shower head that sprays pressurized cleaning water, the showerhead includes a sphere storage unit having a sphere therein and a guide body along which the sphere slides, and an inlet and an outlet communicating with the sphere storage unit; The guide body is supported at the center so that the left and right sides are alternately inclined, The discharge port is aligned with the pivotal position of the guide body and is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the pivotal position, The inlet is disposed at a position opposite to both ends along which the sphere slides, This cleaning nozzle is characterized in that the guide body is alternately tilted due to the pressure difference of the inflowing cleaning water, and at the same time, the sphere moves back and forth on the guide body, thereby changing the spray direction of the fountain flow from the outlet.

[0076] As a result, when the water flow enters the sphere storage chamber from the inlet, the water flow is subjected to the total pressure of the water flow toward the discharge port, moves on one end of the guide body, and when the one end of the guide body to which the sphere has moved is inclined toward the wall surface of the sphere storage chamber where the discharge port is provided, the water flow passes through the discharge port from the space on the symmetric side of the sphere that has moved relative to the guide body support, and a fountain flow is sprayed. At this time, the Coanda effect that follows the curved surface of the sphere simultaneously acts on the fountain flow, so the fountain flow is sprayed at an inclination angle. Since the pressure difference in the direction of the discharge port applied to the sphere and the guide body in the sphere storage section changes self-excitingly around the guide body support axis, the fountain flow can be sprayed at a wide angle while periodically changing the spray direction symmetrically, and a wider range of spraying can be achieved.

[0077] (Technology 2) The cleaning nozzle according to Technology 1, wherein the inlet is disposed on a side wall of the sphere storage section that is approximately parallel to the sliding direction of the sphere.

[0078] As a result, the sphere that has moved to one end of the guide body is subjected to static pressure acting in the direction toward the outlet and total pressure acting parallel to the inflow, i.e., perpendicular to the outlet side, and a pressure difference acts in the direction of the outlet between the sphere side and the other end side of the guide body, causing a self-exciting action and allowing the fountain flow to be sprayed at a wide angle while periodically changing the spray direction symmetrically.

[0079] (Technology 3) A cleaning nozzle as described in Technology 1 or 2, in which, when the sphere moves to one end of the guide body and the guide body is tilted toward the discharge port, the pressure applied to the end of the guide body opposite the sphere becomes greater than the pressure applied to the sphere in the tilt direction of the guide body, so that the left and right inclinations of the guide body change and the sphere moves, and the guide body tilts alternately due to the pressure difference of the flowing in cleaning water, and at the same time, the sphere moves back and forth on the guide body.

[0080] As a result, the total pressure toward the discharge port acts on the end of the guide body symmetrically to the sphere that has moved relative to the guide body support, while only static pressure acts toward the discharge port on the sphere side, so that a pressure difference acting toward the discharge port occurs at both ends of the guide body, changing the inclination direction of the guide body, and the sphere also moves toward the other end of the guide body with the change in inclination of the guide body. When the sphere moves, the action is reversed, and the spray direction of the fountain stream also changes symmetrically. Since the pressure difference acting toward the discharge port on the sphere and the guide body in the sphere storage section changes self-excitingly around the guide body support axis, the fountain stream can be sprayed at a wide angle while periodically changing the spray direction symmetrically, and a wider range of spray can be achieved.

[0081] (Technology 4) The cleaning nozzle described in any one of Techniques 1 to 3, wherein the inlet is arranged on the wall surface of the sphere storage section opposite the discharge outlet, one at a time at a position opposite the sliding end of the sphere, and a shielding plate having a plurality of openings arranged on the upstream side of the inlet so as to alternately open and close the inlet, is rotatably supported by a shaft, and the shielding plate is provided with a blade portion that acts as a reaction force in the rotational direction due to the inflow of cleaning water, thereby alternately opening and closing the two inlets.

[0082] As a result, the change in the inclination direction of the sphere and the guide body can be linked to the switching period of the inlet by the rotation of the shielding plate, so that the variable period of the spray direction of the fountain flow can be adjusted by the rotation speed of the shielding plate.

[0083] (Technology 5) A dishwasher comprising a washing tank for accommodating items to be washed such as dishes, and a washing pump for pressurizing washing water to be sprayed toward the items to be washed, characterized in that the dishwasher is equipped with the washing nozzle according to any one of techniques 1 to 4, which is equipped with one or more shower heads.

[0084] This allows the fountain stream of water to hit the dishes to be sprayed over a wider area, improving washing performance. [Industrial Applicability]

[0085] As described above, the washing nozzle of the present invention can diffuse the fountain flow over a wide angle while maintaining a high impact force on the surface of the dishes, and can spray the fountain flow over the entire surface of the dishes with a space-saving washing nozzle configuration, making it useful not only in dishwashers, but also as a washing nozzle for commercial washing machines, washing machines for other items to be washed, washlet toilet seats, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 7. Showerhead 12 Sphere storage section 13 Guide body 14 Sphere 18 Outlet 21 Inlet 22 Second inlet 23 Aperture 24 Shield plate 25 Wing

Claims

1. A cleaning nozzle equipped with a shower head that sprays pressurized cleaning water, the showerhead includes a sphere storage unit having a sphere therein and a guide body along which the sphere slides, and an inlet and an outlet communicating with the sphere storage unit; The guide body is supported at the center so that the left and right sides are alternately inclined, The discharge port is aligned with the pivotal position of the guide body and is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the pivotal position, The inlet is disposed at a position opposite to both ends along which the sphere slides, This cleaning nozzle is characterized in that the guide body is alternately tilted due to the pressure difference of the inflowing cleaning water, and at the same time, the sphere moves back and forth on the guide body, thereby changing the spray direction of the fountain flow from the discharge port.

2. The cleaning nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet is disposed in a side wall of the sphere storage portion that is approximately parallel to a sliding direction of the sphere.

3. 2. The cleaning nozzle described in claim 1, wherein, when the sphere moves to one end of the guide body and the guide body is tilted toward the discharge port, the pressure applied to the end of the guide body opposite the sphere becomes greater than the pressure applied to the sphere in the tilt direction of the guide body, changing the left and right inclinations of the guide body, causing the sphere to move, and the guide body tilts alternately due to the pressure difference of the flowing-in cleaning water, while at the same time the sphere moves back and forth on the guide body.

4. The cleaning nozzle of claim 1, wherein the inlets are arranged on the wall surface of the sphere storage section opposite the discharge outlet at a position opposite the sliding end of the sphere, and a shielding plate having a plurality of openings arranged on the upstream side of the inlets so as to alternately open and close the inlets is rotatably supported by a shaft, and the shielding plate is provided with a blade portion that acts as a reaction force in the rotational direction due to the inflow of cleaning water, thereby alternately opening and closing the two inlets.

5. A dishwasher comprising a washing tank for accommodating items to be washed such as tableware, and a washing pump for pressurizing washing water to be sprayed toward the items to be washed, characterized in that the dishwasher is provided with the washing nozzle of any one of claims 1 to 4 having one or more shower heads.

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