Washing and drying machine

Abstract

To provide a washing and drying machine in which clothing is hard to hit by water with a simple structure.SOLUTION: A washing and drying machine includes: an outer tub 20 for storing water; a rotary drum 29 for washing clothing; a return duct 26 for exhausting the air containing humidity from the outer tub 20 during drying operation; an in-tub duct 21 provided at the inside back surface 20s of the outer tub 20; a primary filter 40 provided at the in-tub duct 21, and for collecting lint; a secondary filter 50 mounted on the communication port 22 of the return duct 26, and having mesh finer than the primary filter 40; and a flow passage cover 70 mounted on the in-tub duct 21 at a position lower than the primary filter 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a washing and drying machine. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a washing machine that has two filters for collecting lint generated from clothes during drying, with the first filter being removable and cleaned by the user, and the second filter being automatically cleaned by a cleaning mechanism installed above the filters. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-85687 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the washing machine described in Patent Document 1, the water used to wash the second filter passes through the first filter and flows into the drum, and a drain pipe is provided to prevent the washed water from splashing on the clothes in the drum. However, providing a drain pipe poses problems such as a complicated structure (laying out the drain pipe and securing the drain pipe route) and increased costs.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVETION The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and has an object to provide a washing and drying machine having a simple structure and capable of preventing washing water from splashing on clothes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is characterized by comprising an outer tub for storing water, a drum for washing clothes, an air duct for discharging humid air from inside the outer tub during drying operation, an in-tub duct provided on the inside back of the outer tub, a primary filter attached to the in-tub duct for collecting lint, a secondary filter attached to the inlet of the air duct, and a flow path cover attached to the in-tub duct at a lower position than the primary filter. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, a washing and drying machine having a simple structure and capable of preventing washing water from splashing on clothes can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an external perspective view showing a washing / drying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the right side showing the internal structure of the washer / dryer according to the embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view showing a tub cover removed from the outer tub, with the rotating drum and the outer tub partially cut away; [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view showing the outer tub with the rotating drum, the primary filter, and the secondary filter removed therefrom. FIG. [Diagram 5] 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a primary filter and a flow path cover are attached to the outer tank. FIG. [Figure 6A] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a flow path cover from the front side. [Figure 6B] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the flow passage cover from the back side. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing the upper rear surface of the outer tub. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the flow of cleaning water in a secondary filter. [Figure 9] A cross-sectional view showing the flow of cleaning water from the duct inside the tank to the drain outlet. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing the boundary between the primary filter of the internal duct and the flow path cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A washing and drying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a washer / dryer according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the right side showing the internal structure of the washer / dryer according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the washer / dryer 100 is a drum-type washer / dryer, and the frame is formed by combining side panels 1a, mainly made of steel plates and resin molded products, and reinforcing materials (not shown) on the top of the base 1h, and a front cover 1c and a top cover 1e are further attached on top of that to form the housing 1. The front cover 1c is provided with a door 9 that is opened and closed when loading and unloading laundry 30 (see Fig. 2).

[0010] As shown in FIG. 2, an outer tub 20 is provided inside the housing 1. The outer tub 20 can store washing water (water, liquid) therein, and is supported at its lower part by a plurality of suspensions (not shown) and at its upper part by a spring (not shown), so that the outer tub 20 is elastically supported inside the housing 1. A door 9 is opened and laundry 30 (clothes) is put into a rotating drum 29 (drum, inner tub) inside the outer tub 20. A fluid balancer 31 is provided on the outer periphery of the opening of the rotating drum 29 to reduce vibrations caused by imbalance of the laundry 30 during spin-drying. A plurality of lifters 33 for lifting up the laundry 30 are provided inside the rotating drum 29. The rotating drum 29 is directly connected to a motor 28 (drive unit) for driving the drum via a main shaft 35 connected to a metal flange 34 for the rotating drum.

[0011] A rubber bellows 10 made of an elastic body is attached to the opening of the outer tub 20. The bellows 10 serves to maintain the watertightness between the inside of the outer tub 20 and the door 9. This prevents water leakage during washing, rinsing and spin-drying. The rotating drum 29 has a number of small holes 29a (see FIG. 3) on its side wall for centrifugal spin-drying and ventilation. A water receiving section 54 is provided at the bottom of the outer tub 20. A drainage path 55 is provided at the bottom of the water receiving section 54 to drain wash water and the like accumulated in the outer tub 20.

[0012] A heat pump unit 80 and a blower fan (not shown) are provided below the outer tub 20. In the drying process of this embodiment, a hot air drying method is used in which air is circulated between the rotating drum 29 and the heat pump unit 80 by a blower fan (not shown) to dry the clothes. In this embodiment, the drying device is composed of the blower fan and the heat pump unit 80 that dehumidifies the circulating air and then heats it. The washer / dryer 100 also includes a feed duct (not shown) that guides the warm air to the blowing nozzle 24 (see FIG. 3) of the outer tub 20 in order to blow the warm air into the rotating drum 29, and a return duct 26 (air passage) that returns the moist air from the rotating drum 29 to the heat pump unit 80. The return duct 26 and the heat pump unit 80 are connected by a bellows 27b.

[0013] The washer / dryer 100 also includes a water supply unit 16 that supplies water into the outer tub 20. Water is supplied to the water supply unit 16 from a water supply port 17 provided on the top surface of the washer / dryer 100. The water supply unit 16 also includes a plurality of solenoid valves including a water supply solenoid valve. That is, the water supply unit 16 supplies water to a powder detergent input chamber (not shown) and a liquid detergent input chamber (not shown) of the detergent case through a water supply pipe by opening a first solenoid valve, and supplies water to a fabric softener input chamber (not shown) through a water supply pipe by opening a second solenoid valve. The water supply unit 16 also supplies water directly to a water supply port (not shown) of the outer tub 20 through a water supply pipe by opening a third solenoid valve, and supplies water to a washing unit 60 (described later) through a water supply pipe by opening a fourth solenoid valve.

[0014] Fig. 3 is a perspective view with the tank cover removed from the outer tank, and with the rotating drum and outer tank partially cut away. Note that Fig. 3 also cuts away parts of the side and bottom of the rotating drum 29 so that the members on the inner rear surface of the outer tank 20 can be seen. As shown in Fig. 3, the outer tub 20 is composed of a cylindrical outer tub body 20a with a bottom, and a tub cover 20b provided at a front opening 20a1 of the outer tub body 20a. The tub cover 20b is provided with a flow path 20b1 through which the washing water pumped up by a circulation pump (not shown) passes. A watering nozzle 23 is formed at the end of this flow path 20b1, and is configured to discharge the washing water pumped up into the rotating drum 29. The tub cover 20b is also formed with an outlet nozzle 24 for blowing out dry air. An outlet duct 24a is connected to the outlet nozzle 24. The outlet duct 24a is connected to a heat pump unit 80, which will be described later.

[0015] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the outer tub with the rotating drum, primary filter, and secondary filter removed. Fig. 4 shows a cutaway view of a portion of the side of the outer tub 20 and half of the right side of the rotating drum 29. Fig. 4 does not show the tub cover 20b. As shown in Fig. 4, an in-tank duct 21 is provided on the back surface 20s (bottom surface) inside the outer tub 20. One end of this in-tank duct 21 is located at the upper portion of the outer tub 20, and the other end is located below half the height of the back surface of the outer tub 20. The in-tank duct 21 is bent (generally arc-shaped) from the upper portion to the lower portion of the outer tub 20 in a manner to avoid the motor 28 (see Fig. 2) that drives the rotating drum 29.

[0016] A primary filter 40 for collecting lint from clothes is attached to the in-tub duct 21. The primary filter 40 is formed by insert molding a mesh member 40b (only a part of which is shown in FIG. 4) made of metal or the like, integrally with a synthetic resin frame 40a.

[0017] A communication port 22 (inlet) that communicates with the outside of the outer tank 20 is formed at the upper part of the back surface inside the outer tank 20. A return duct 26 (see FIG. 2) is provided on the outer back surface of the outer tank 20 from the communication port 22 to the heat pump unit 80 (see FIG. 2). A secondary filter 50 is also provided at the communication port 22. In FIG. 4, the primary filter 40 is located at the front side in the front-rear direction, and the secondary filter 50 is located at the rear side (deep side). That is, the primary filter 40 and the secondary filter 50 are arranged so that their ventilation directions overlap with each other across the communication port 22. In addition, the primary filter 40 and the secondary filter 50 are configured to face each other, and the circulating air that has passed through the primary filter 40 passes through the secondary filter 50 without disturbing the flow state, so that the ventilation resistance can be reduced. In addition, by configuring the filter as two sheets in the flow direction, the meshes can be overlapped in a planar manner, and each mesh (opening) can be made coarser than in a single sheet configuration. This allows the lint to be collected across two sheets, preventing the lint from becoming densely packed together and maintaining stable air circulation.

[0018] The secondary filter 50, like the primary filter 40, has a synthetic resin frame 50a and a mesh member 50b (only a part of which is shown in FIG. 4) made of metal or the like, which are integrally formed by insert molding. The secondary filter 50 has a finer mesh than the primary filter 40.

[0019] The outer tub 20 is also provided with a cleaning unit 60 for cleaning the secondary filter 50. Cleaning water is sprayed from this cleaning unit 60 toward the secondary filter 50, thereby washing away lint (foreign matter) trapped in the mesh member 50b of the secondary filter 50. The cleaning water that has cleaned the secondary filter 50 passes through the in-tub duct 21 together with the lint, and is discharged from an opening 21a (see FIG. 5) formed in the lower back surface of the outer tub 20. The cleaning water then flows into the water receiving portion 54 of the outer tub 20, and is discharged to the outside from a drainage outlet 54a (see FIG. 5) formed in the water receiving portion 54.

[0020] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the primary filter and the flow passage cover are attached to the outer tub 20. Note that Fig. 5 shows a state in which the tub cover 20b and the rotating drum 29 have been removed from the outer tub 20. As shown in FIG. 5, the primary filter 40 is attached to the upper part of the inner back surface 20s (inner back surface) of the outer tank body 20a. The frame portion 40a of the primary filter 40 has an inner peripheral frame 40a1 provided on the inner peripheral side, an outer peripheral frame 40a2 provided on the outer peripheral side of the inner peripheral frame 40a1, and a partition portion 40a3 extending in the radial direction to partition the frame portion 40a into a plurality of portions. In this embodiment, the primary filter 40 is divided into four filter portions 40s (collection portions), but may be composed of three or less filter portions 40s, or may be composed of five or more filter portions 40s. In addition, the frame portion 40a of the primary filter 40 is fixed to the back surface 20s by screws.

[0021] Moreover, the width W1 of the inner frame 40a1 is formed thicker (wider) than the width W2 of the outer frame 40a2. Specifically, the inner frame 40a1 of the filter part 40s of the primary filter 40 located at the top (left end in the figure) and the filter part 40s adjacent thereto (second from the left in the figure) are formed to have the same width. Moreover, the inner frame 40a1 of the third filter part 40s from the left in the figure is formed to be wider than those of the left end and the second filter part 40s in the figure. Moreover, the inner frame 40a1 of the filter part 40s at the right end in the figure is formed to be wider than the third filter part 40s from the left in the figure. The inner frame 40a1 of this right end filter part 40s is formed to be approximately the same as the width of the flow path cover 70.

[0022] In addition, a flow path cover 70 is attached to the in-tank duct 21 located below the primary filter 40 on the back surface 20s inside the outer tank body 20a. The in-tank duct 21 is formed in a concave shape on the back surface 20s, and is composed of a bottom surface 21b, a side surface 21c located on the inner periphery side of the bottom surface 21b, and a side surface 21d located on the outer periphery side of the bottom surface 21b. The flow path (duct) is formed by closing (covering) the opening on the front side of the concave groove of the in-tank duct 21 with the flow path cover 70. In addition, the flow path cover 70 is fixed to the back surface 20s with a screw, like the primary filter 40. In addition, the flow path cover 70 is formed narrower than the width of the primary filter 40, and is formed curved along the concave groove of the in-tank duct 21. In addition, an opening 21a communicating with the in-tank duct 21 is formed at the lower end of the flow path cover 70, and is configured to communicate with the inside of the outer tank 20.

[0023] FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing the flow path cover from the front side, and FIG. 6B is a perspective view showing the flow path cover from the back side. As shown in FIG. 6A, the flow path cover 70 includes a plate portion 71 made of synthetic resin and is curved. The plate portion 71 is formed of a wall that is impermeable to water and air. The lower end of the plate portion 71 is cut out in a substantially triangular shape (inverted V shape), and is formed branching from the center in the width direction toward the inner peripheral side surface 21c (see FIG. 5) and the outer peripheral side surface 21d (see FIG. 5) of the in-tank duct 21. The flow path cover 70 has an edge portion 72a extending toward the inner peripheral side surface 21c and an edge portion 72b extending toward the outer peripheral side surface 21d. These edges 72a and 72b are formed in a straight line. The plate portion 71 is formed with a plurality of mounting portions 74 on the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side, respectively, for screwing the flow path cover 70 to the in-tank duct 21 (see FIG. 5).

[0024] 6B, a rib 73 is formed along an edge portion 72a extending to the inner periphery side of the flow passage cover 70. The rib 73 is formed in a plate shape and is formed to protrude toward the in-tank duct 21.

[0025] However, when the flow path cover 70 does not have the shape shown in Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B, when the cleaning water flows down the back surface of the flow path cover 70, the cleaning water splashes out from the end of the flow path cover 70 toward the rotating drum 29. This phenomenon occurs because the wall (surface) through which the cleaning water flows is eliminated at the lower end of the flow path cover 70. Therefore, in this embodiment, the flow path cover 70 is shaped as shown in Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B, so that the cleaning water is guided to flow to the side surfaces 21c and 21d of the in-tank duct 21. As a result, the cleaning water flows from the flow path cover 70 to the side surfaces 21c and 21d of the in-tank duct 21, and it is possible to prevent the cleaning water from splashing out from the lower end of the flow path cover 70 toward the rotating drum 29.

[0026] 7 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing the upper rear surface of the outer tub 20 with the rotating drum removed. 7, the primary filter 40 is attached from the front side of the communication port 22 formed in the upper part of the back surface 20s of the outer tub 20, and the secondary filter 50 is attached from the rear side. In addition, the outer tub 20 is provided with a cleaning unit 60 for cleaning the secondary filter 50.

[0027] The cleaning unit 60, which washes away the lint captured by the secondary filter 50 and cleans the secondary filter 50, is attached to the upper part of the secondary filter 50. The cleaning unit 60 is provided with a water supply port 61 for supplying cleaning water to the upper surface. The water supply port 61 is connected to the water supply unit 16 (see FIG. 2) via a water supply pipe (not shown). The water supply unit 16 is provided with an electromagnetic valve that is opened when water is supplied to the water supply port 61.

[0028] The primary filter 40 is disposed so that the surface of the mesh member 40b is approximately parallel to the rear surface 20s of the outer tub 20. On the other hand, the secondary filter 50 is inclined so that the upper part of the mesh member 50b is located forward of the lower part, and is disposed so that the upper part of the mesh member 50b is closer to the primary filter 40 than the lower part. Although not shown, a nozzle is provided for spraying cleaning water supplied from the water supply port 61 onto the mesh member 50b of the secondary filter 50. A plurality of such nozzles are provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) of the secondary filter 50. A return duct 26 is connected to the rear of the secondary filter 50, and the air that has passed through the secondary filter 50 is sent to the heat pump unit 80 provided at the bottom of the outer tub 20.

[0029] The in-tank duct 21 is formed so as to be deeper in the depth direction (front-rear direction) above the position where the flow path cover 70 is provided, and is connected to the communication port 22.

[0030] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the flow of cleaning water in the secondary filter, and Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the flow of cleaning water from the duct inside the tank to the drain outlet. Note that Fig. 8 shows the state where the rotating drum 29 has been removed from the outer tank 20. As shown by the dashed arrow in FIG. 8, the cleaning water supplied from the water supply port 61 is sprayed from the upper part of the secondary filter 50 to the mesh member 50b. At this time, the cleaning water is sprayed to the rear surface of the secondary filter 50. The lint is collected on the front surface of the secondary filter 50. When the cleaning water is sprayed to the rear surface of the secondary filter 50, the lint absorbs moisture and flows down to the lower part of the secondary filter 50 along the surface of the mesh member 50b of the secondary filter 50. Also, when the lint absorbs moisture, it peels off from the surface of the mesh member 50b of the secondary filter 50 due to its own weight from the height position where the lint is attached, and falls to the lower part of the secondary filter 50. Then, the cleaning water that flows down to the lower part of the secondary filter 50 along the rear surface of the secondary filter 50 flows through the mesh member 50b to the front primary filter 40 side. Then, the cleaning water passes through the communication port 22 and flows downward along the wall surface of the in-tank duct 21.

[0031] 9, the wash water that flows down the in-tub duct 21 flows out from an opening 21a formed at the lower end of the in-tub duct 21. The wash water then flows along the back surface 20s of the outer tub 20, flows into a water receiving section 54 formed at the lower end of the outer tub 20, and is discharged outside the machine from a drain outlet 54a.

[0032] The primary filter 40 is washed by rotating the rotating drum 29 while water (washing water, rinsing water, and water newly supplied after rinsing) is pooled at the bottom of the outer tub 20, and the submerged parts of the rotating drum 29 scoop up the water and bathe (spray cleaning water) it on the back side of the outer tub 20. By repeating this operation, the primary filter 40 can be washed. The water used to wash the primary filter may be newly supplied water, or the water used to wash the secondary filter may be used. In this case, water conservation can be improved.

[0033] Fig. 10 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing the boundary between the primary filter of the in-tank duct and the flow path cover, taken along the flow path cover 70 and the inner peripheral frame 40a1 of the primary filter 40. As shown in Fig. 10, at the boundary between the primary filter 40 and the flow path cover 70, the upper end 71a of the flow path cover 70 is located in front of the inner peripheral frame 40a1 of the primary filter 40. That is, the lower end 40c of the inner peripheral frame 40a1 (the lower end of the primary filter 40) is formed by bending backward and then extending downward, and a step is formed in the lower end 40c by the thickness of the upper end 71a. This makes it possible to prevent the cleaning water from leaking into the outer tank 20 (the rotating drum 29 side) from between the lower end 40c of the inner peripheral frame 40a1 and the upper end 71a of the flow path cover 70, even if the cleaning water flows down the in-tank duct 21 from the secondary filter 50.

[0034] As described above, the washing machine includes the outer tub 20 for storing water, the rotary drum 29 (drum) for washing clothes, the return duct 26 (air passage) for discharging humid air from the outer tub 20 during drying operation, the in-tub duct 21 provided on the inner back surface 20s of the outer tub 20, the primary filter 40 attached to the in-tub duct 21 for collecting lint, the secondary filter 50 attached to the communication port 22 (entrance portion) of the return duct 26, and the flow passage cover 70 attached to the in-tub duct 21 at a position lower than the primary filter 40 (see FIG. 5). With this, even if the washing water that washed the secondary filter 50 flows down the in-tub duct 21, it is possible to prevent the washing water from falling on the rotary drum 29 and wetting the clothes. In addition, since the washing water flows into the in-tub duct 21, there is no need to provide a drain pipe outside the outer tub 20, so the structure is not complicated and the cost is not increased. In addition, in the past, the secondary filter 50 could not be washed during the drying process because the clothes would get wet with the wash water, but this is possible with the configuration shown in this embodiment. Also, the cleaning process of the secondary filter 50 can be incorporated into an operation that follows the drying process.

[0035] In this embodiment, the inner peripheral frame 40a1 of the primary filter 40 is formed wider than the outer peripheral frame 40a2 (see FIG. 5). With this, even if the cleaning water used to clean the secondary filter 50 flows toward the primary filter 40, the cleaning water hits the wide inner peripheral frame 40a1, thereby preventing the cleaning water from splashing onto the rotating drum 29.

[0036] In this embodiment, the lower end of the flow path cover 70 is formed branching from the center in the width direction of the flow path cover 70 toward the outer and inner circumferential sides of the in-tank duct 21, and a rib 73 that protrudes toward the in-tank duct 21 along an edge 72a of the flow path cover 70 extending toward the inner circumferential side is formed (see Figs. 6A and 6B). As a result, the cleaning water that has flowed up to the end of the flow path cover 70 can be made to flow along the rib 73 to the inner circumferential side of the in-tank duct 21, and the cleaning water can be prevented from directly falling on the rotating drum 29.

[0037] In this embodiment, the primary filter 40 and the flow path cover 70 are overlapped such that the lower end 40c of the primary filter 40 is located behind the upper end 71a of the flow path cover 70. This makes it possible to prevent the washing water used to wash the secondary filter from leaking out from the boundary between the primary filter 40 and the flow path cover 70 toward the rotating drum 29, even if the washing water flows down.

[0038] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modified examples. For example, the configuration in which the rib 73 is provided on the edge portion 72a has been described as an example, but the configuration in which the rib is provided on the edge portion 72b may be adopted, or the configuration in which the rib is provided on both the edge portions 72a and 72b may be adopted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 20 Outer tank 20s back 21 Duct inside the tank 22 Communication port (entrance) 26 Return duct (duct) 29 Rotating drum (drum) 30 Laundry (clothing) 40 Primary Filter 40a1 Inner frame 40a2 Outer frame 40c Bottom end (bottom end of primary filter) 50 Secondary Filter 60 Cleaning Unit 70 Flow passage cover 71 Board part 71a Upper end 72a Edge portion (edge ​​portion extending to the inner circumference side) 72b Edge (edge ​​extending to the outer periphery) 73 Ribs

Claims

1. An outer tank for storing water; A drum for washing clothes, an air passage for discharging humid air from the outer tub during a drying operation; An internal duct provided on the inner rear surface of the outer tank; A primary filter attached to the in-tank duct for collecting lint; a secondary filter attached to an inlet of the air passage; a flow path cover attached to the in-tub duct at a position lower than the primary filter.

2. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, The washing / drying machine according to claim 1, wherein an inner peripheral frame of the primary filter is formed to be wider than an outer peripheral frame of the primary filter.

3. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, The lower end portion of the flow path cover is formed by branching from the width direction center of the flow path cover toward the outer peripheral side and the inner peripheral side of the internal duct, A washing and drying machine characterized in that at least one edge of the flow path cover extending to the outer circumferential side and the inner circumferential side is formed with a rib protruding along the edge toward the in-tub duct side.

4. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, a boundary between the primary filter and the flow path cover such that the primary filter and the flow path cover are overlapped with each other so that a lower end of the primary filter is located rearward of an upper end of the flow path cover.

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