Ultrasonic cleaning device

Abstract

To provide an ultrasonic cleaning device which can prevent a placement location from getting wet with water overflowing from a water storage part.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic cleaning device 1 includes: a water storage part 400 having a water storage tank 410 below an ultrasonic wave generator 110; a drain container 800 in which water discharged from the water storage tank 410 accumulates; and an overflowing water receiving part 600 which encloses left and right sides and a front side of the water storage part 400 and receives water overflowing from the water storage part 410. The overflowing water receiving part 600 has: a left groove part 620 and a right groove part 630 extending in a front-back direction at left and right sides of the water storage part 400; and a front groove part 640 extending in a lateral direction in front of the water storage part 400. Bottom surfaces 621, 631 of the left groove part 620 and the right groove part 630 incline downward toward the front groove part 630 side. A bottom surface 641 of the front groove part 640 is provided with drain holes 650. The drain container 800 has an opening which exists below the drain holes 650 and through which water discharged from the drain holes 650 passes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic cleaning device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 describes an ultrasonic cleaning device that is placed on a table or other mounting location and used, and that includes an ultrasonic cleaning unit including an ultrasonic generator that generates ultrasonic waves, a main body that holds the ultrasonic cleaning unit behind the ultrasonic cleaning unit, a water storage unit that is located below the ultrasonic generator and has a water storage tank for storing water, and a water supply tank that is housed within the main body and stores water that is supplied to the water storage recess.

[0003] In this ultrasonic cleaning device, the dirty part of the object to be cleaned is placed between the ultrasonic generator and the water tank. The object is immersed in the water in the tank, and the water penetrates the dirty part of the object. Ultrasonic waves generated by the operation of the ultrasonic generator are propagated to the water that has penetrated the dirty part, and the dirt is removed from the object by the action of the ultrasonic waves. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-195749 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the ultrasonic cleaning device, the user moves the object horizontally during cleaning operation to successively bring the soiled part to the position of the ultrasonic generator. During this movement, the water in the water tank may be scraped out by the moving object, causing it to overflow outside the water tank. This may cause the table or other surface where the ultrasonic cleaning device is placed to become wet with the overflowing water.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic cleaning device that can prevent the placement location from getting wet due to water overflowing from the water reservoir. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A primary aspect of the present invention relates to an ultrasonic cleaning device that is placed in a mounting location for use. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to this aspect includes an ultrasonic cleaning unit having an ultrasonic generator that generates ultrasonic waves, a base unit that supports the ultrasonic cleaning unit behind the ultrasonic cleaning unit, a water storage unit disposed in front of the base unit and having a water storage tank below the ultrasonic generator for storing water for immersing an object to be cleaned, a water supply tank housed within the base unit for storing water to be supplied to the water storage tank, a drainage container disposed detachably from the base unit for storing water drained from the water storage tank, and an overflow receiver that surrounds both the left and right sides and the front of the water storage unit and receives water overflowing from the water storage tank. Here, the overflow receiver has left and right grooves extending in the front-to-rear direction on the left and right sides of the water storage unit, and a front groove extending in the front-to-rear direction on the front side of the water storage unit and connecting the front ends of the left and right grooves to the front ends of the left and right grooves. The bottom surfaces of the left and right grooves are inclined downward toward the front groove. A drain hole is provided in the bottom surface of the front groove. The drain container is located below the drain hole and has an opening through which water discharged from the drain hole passes.

[0008] According to the ultrasonic cleaning device of this aspect, even if the water in the water tank overflows from the water storage section due to the movement of objects to be cleaned in the water storage section during cleaning operation, the water can be collected in the left, right, and front grooves of the overflow receiver. This prevents the installation location of the ultrasonic cleaning device from becoming wet with water overflowing from the water storage section. Furthermore, the bottom surfaces of the left and right grooves are sloped downward toward the front groove, and a drain hole is provided in the bottom of the front groove. This allows water collected in the left and right grooves to be collected in the front groove and discharged through the drain hole. Furthermore, a drain container that collects water discharged from the water storage tank is located below the drain hole and has an opening through which the water discharged from the drain hole passes. This allows the water discharged from the drain hole to be collected in the drain container and disposed of together with the water discharged from the water storage tank.

[0009] In the ultrasonic cleaning device according to this aspect, a plurality of the drain holes may be provided in the bottom surface of the front groove portion so as to be aligned in the left-right direction.

[0010] According to the above configuration, water that has flowed from the left groove portion and the right groove portion into the front groove portion can be efficiently discharged.

[0011] In the ultrasonic cleaning device according to this aspect, the water storage unit may be configured to have a drain outlet through which drainage from the water storage tank flows and a valve for opening and closing the drain outlet between the water storage tank and the front groove unit. In this case, the opening may be provided on the upper surface of the drain container so as to be below the drain hole and the drain outlet.

[0012] With the above configuration, water discharged from both the drain hole and the drain outlet can be introduced into the drain container through a single opening. In addition, because the drain hole and the drain outlet are adjacent to each other in the front-to-rear direction, the area of the opening is not unnecessarily large, and water is less likely to leak from the drain container through the opening when the drain container is carried to a water disposal location.

[0013] In the above configuration, the drain hole may further include a cylindrical protrusion protruding downward from the rear side of the bottom surface of the front groove portion. In this case, the lower end of the protrusion may be inclined so that its rear end is lower.

[0014] With this configuration, when the water discharged from the drain hole does not have much force, it tends to flow along the slope of the lower end of the protrusion and fall from the rear side of the protrusion, which makes it easier for the water to fall inside the opening that is located directly below the drain outlet and is wider behind the drain hole than in front of it. This makes it easier for the water discharged from the drain hole to enter the drain container without leaking out of the opening.

[0015] In the ultrasonic cleaning device according to this aspect, a configuration can be adopted in which the upper surface of the overflow receiver is lower than the upper surface of the water reservoir.

[0016] According to the above configuration, the overflow receiver is less likely to interfere with the user's operation of moving the items to be washed during the washing operation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, an ultrasonic cleaning device can be provided that can prevent the placement location from getting wet due to water overflowing from the water reservoir.

[0018] The effects and significance of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiments, however, the following embodiment is merely an example of how the present invention can be implemented, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ultrasonic cleaning device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic cleaning device cut at a central position according to an embodiment. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the main unit with the water supply tank removed according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 4(a) and (b) are perspective views of the water storage unit according to the embodiment, as viewed from above the front and below the rear, respectively. [Figure 5] Fig. 5(a) is a plan view of a water storage unit according to an embodiment. Fig. 5(b) is a side cross-sectional view of the water storage unit taken along line AA' in Fig. 5(a). Fig. 5(c) is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the water storage unit, with the area enclosed by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 5(b) enlarged. [Figure 6] 6(a) and 6(b) are perspective views of the drainage container as seen from above the front and below the rear, respectively, according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] <Configuration of ultrasonic cleaning equipment> FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the ultrasonic cleaning device 1. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the ultrasonic cleaning device 1 cut at the center. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the main unit 10 (ultrasonic cleaning section 100, base section 200, mounting base section 300) with the water supply tank 700 removed. FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are perspective views of the water storage unit 20 as seen from the front upper side and the rear lower side, respectively. FIG. 5(a) is a plan view of the water storage unit 20. FIG. 5(b) is a side cross-sectional view of the water storage unit 20 cut along line AA' in FIG. 5(a). FIG. 5(c) is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the water storage unit 20, with the area indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5(b) enlarged. FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are perspective views of the drainage container 800 as seen from the front upper side and the rear lower side, respectively.

[0022] The ultrasonic cleaning device 1 of this embodiment can be used to remove stains that have partially adhered to the object to be cleaned, such as sebum stains on the sleeves and collar of a dress shirt or oil stains on work clothes, prior to washing in a fully automatic washing machine or a drum-type washing machine. The ultrasonic cleaning device 1 is portable and can be placed in various locations, such as on a table, workbench, or the top of a drum-type washing machine.

[0023] The ultrasonic cleaning device 1 comprises a main body unit 10 including an ultrasonic cleaning section 100, a base section 200 and a mounting base section 300, a water storage unit 20 including a water storage section 400, a water supply section 500 and an overflow receiving section 600, a water supply tank 700 and a drainage container 800.

[0024] The ultrasonic cleaning unit 100 has an ultrasonic generator 110 that generates ultrasonic waves. The base unit 200 holds the ultrasonic cleaning unit 100 behind it. The water storage unit 400 is disposed in front of the base unit 200 and has a water tank 410 below the ultrasonic generator 110 that stores water for immersing the object to be cleaned. The overflow receiver 600 is formed integrally with the water storage unit 400, surrounds both the left and right sides and the front of the water storage unit 400, and receives water overflowing from the water tank 410. The water supply tank 700 is housed within the base unit 200. The water supply tank 700 stores water to be supplied to the water storage tank 410. The drainage container 800 stores water discharged from the water storage tank 410.

[0025] The water storage unit 20 and the drainage container 800 are detachably mounted on the mounting base 300. The water storage unit 20 and the drainage container 800 can be detached from the base 200 by detaching them from the mounting base 300.

[0026] In this embodiment, the water stored in the water supply tank 700 and supplied to the water storage tank 410 contains detergent. Hereinafter, water containing detergent will be referred to as "wash water."

[0027] The ultrasonic cleaning unit 100 includes an ultrasonic generator 110, a housing 120, and a tip cover 130. The ultrasonic generator 110 includes an ultrasonic vibrator 111 and a vibrating horn 112 coupled to the ultrasonic vibrator 111. The ultrasonic generator 110 generates ultrasonic waves from the tip of the vibrating horn 112 by high-frequency vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator 111.

[0028] The housing 120 has a box shape that is long in the front-to-rear direction. The ultrasonic generator 110 is disposed in the front part of the housing 120. The ultrasonic generator 110 is pressed down from above by a frame-shaped fixing member 140. A vibrating horn 112 protrudes downward from the underside of the tip of the housing 120.

[0029] The tip cover 130 is attached to the underside of the tip of the housing 120. The portion of the vibrating horn 112 that protrudes from the housing 120 is covered with the tip cover 130. The tip of the vibrating horn 112 protrudes downward from the tip cover 130.

[0030] The base unit 200 has a substantially rectangular box shape. An attachment unit 210 is provided in the center of the front surface of the base unit 200. The rear end of the housing 120 of the ultrasonic cleaning unit 100 is attached to the attachment unit 210. An operation button 201 for starting and stopping the cleaning operation is provided on the top surface of the base unit 200.

[0031] A water supply unit accommodating chamber 220 is provided inside base portion 200 at a position below mounting portion 210. Water supply unit accommodating chamber 220 has a substantially square insertion opening 221 on the front surface of base portion 200. Water supply unit 500 of water storage unit 20 is accommodated in water supply unit accommodating chamber 220 through insertion opening 221.

[0032] Furthermore, a tank housing chamber 230 is provided inside base unit 200 above water supply unit housing chamber 220. Tank housing chamber 230 has a substantially rectangular insertion opening 231 on the top surface of base unit 200. Tank housing chamber 230 has an opening 232 at its bottom that connects to water supply unit housing chamber 220. Water supply tank 700 is housed in tank housing chamber 230 through insertion opening 231.

[0033] Furthermore, inside base section 200, control unit 900 is arranged below water supply section housing chamber 220. Control unit 900 includes control section 910, which is configured by mounting various electrical components such as a microcomputer on a board, and case 920, which houses control section 910. Control section 910 controls ultrasonic vibrator 111 and the like based on the operation of operation button 201.

[0034] The mounting base 300 is provided integrally with the base 200 at the front of the lower part of the base 200. The mounting base 300 includes a substantially rectangular plate-shaped bottom 310 and two side surfaces 320 rising from the left and right ends of the bottom 310. A pair of left and right rails 311 extending in the front-to-rear direction are provided on the bottom 310. The bottom 310 is also provided with an engaging portion 312 having an arc-shaped protrusion 312a at its tip that is elastically deformable up and down. Rail grooves 321 extending in the front-to-rear direction are formed on the outer surfaces of the upper parts of the left and right side surfaces 320. The rail grooves 321 have an inclined portion in the middle, with the front side lower and the rear side higher.

[0035] The mounting base 300 includes a locking member 330 for locking the water storage unit 20. The locking member 330 is attached to the front surface of the base 200 at a position below the insertion port 221. An upwardly protruding ridge 331 is provided at the upper end of the locking member 330. The locking member 330 has a pair of left and right elongated holes 332 that are long in the vertical direction, and each elongated hole 332 is inserted into a pair of upper and lower bosses 240 that protrude from the front surface of the base 200, allowing the locking member 330 to move up and down a predetermined amount. The locking member 330 is fastened to the heads of screws 250 attached to each boss 240 so as not to slip out forward.

[0036] When the drainage container 800 is not attached to the mounting base 300, the locking member 330 is at the lowest position due to its own weight, and the protrusion 331 is located lower than the insertion opening 221 of the base 200. Note that Fig. 3 shows the locking member 330 in the uppermost position.

[0037] Water storage section 400 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape that is flat in the vertical direction. A generally square water tank 410 is formed on top surface 400a of water storage section 400 and recessed from top surface 400a. A groove 412 is formed on bottom surface 411 of water tank 410, in the center in the left-right direction, and crosses bottom surface 411 in the front-rear direction.

[0038] The water storage unit 400 is provided with a drain outlet 420 in front of the water storage tank 410. The drain outlet 420 is connected to the front end of the groove 412 of the water storage tank 410 via a groove-shaped drainage channel 430. A cylindrical drain outlet 421 that protrudes downward is formed on the bottom surface of the drain outlet 420. A boss 422 is provided in the center of the drain outlet 421. The front and rear sides of the boss 422 are connected to the inner peripheral edge of the drain outlet 421 by two ribs 423.

[0039] The drain outlet 420 is provided with a drain mechanism 440. The drain mechanism 440 includes an operation button 441, an operation pin 442, a valve body 443, and a coil spring 444. The operation button 441 has a rectangular shape when viewed from above. The operation pin 442 is integrally formed on the back side of the operation button 441 and protrudes downward. The operation pin 442 is passed through a boss 422 so as to be movable up and down. The valve body 443 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber and is attached to the lower end of the operation pin 442. The coil spring 444 is disposed between the back side of the operation button 441 and the peripheral edge of the drain outlet 421 on the bottom surface of the drain outlet 420. The coil spring 444 is in a compressed state, and the operation button 441 and the operation pin 442 are pushed upward by the coil spring 444, causing the valve body 443 to close the drain outlet 421 from below.

[0040] Water supply unit 500 is provided integrally with water storage unit 400 behind water storage unit 400, and has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape that is flat in the vertical direction. A circular water supply tank 510 is formed on top surface 500a of water supply unit 500, recessed from top surface 500a. A cylindrical protrusion 512 with a pointed tip is formed in the center of bottom surface 511 of water supply tank 510. Water supply tank 510 is connected to the rear end of groove 412 of water storage tank 410 via groove-shaped water supply channel 520.

[0041] Bottom surface 511 of water supply tank 510, the bottom surface of water supply channel 520, the bottom surface of groove 412 of water storage tank 410, and the bottom surface of drainage channel 430 slope gently downward toward drain outlet 420. This makes it easier for water to flow from water storage tank 410 and water supply tank 510 to drain outlet 420 when draining.

[0042] The overflow receiver 600 is provided integrally with the water storage section 400, has a substantially U-shape in top view, and surrounds both the left and right sides and the front side of the water storage section 400. A substantially U-shaped water receiving groove 610 is formed in the upper surface 600a of the overflow receiver 600, recessed from the upper surface 600a. The upper surface 600a of the overflow receiver 600 is lower than the upper surface 400a of the water storage section 400.

[0043] The water receiving groove 610 is composed of a left groove 620 and a right groove 630 that extend in the front-to-rear direction on the left and right sides of the water storage unit 400, and a front groove 640 that extends in the left-to-right direction on the front side of the water storage unit 400 and connects the front ends of the left groove 620 and the right groove 630. The bottom surfaces 621, 631 of the left groove 620 and the right groove 630 slope downward toward the front groove 640. The top surface 600a of the overflow receiving unit 600 slopes gently forward. However, the slope of the top surface 600a of the overflow receiving unit 600 is gentler than the slope of the bottom surfaces 621, 631 of the left groove 620 and the right groove 630, so the water receiving groove 610 becomes deeper toward the front groove 640.

[0044] A plurality of drainage holes 650 are provided in the bottom surface 641 of the front groove portion 640, aligned in the left-right direction. Each drainage hole 650 has, for example, an oval shape that is long in the front-to-rear direction. Each drainage hole 650 includes a cylindrical protrusion 651 that protrudes downward from the back side of the bottom surface 641 of the front groove portion 640. The lower end of the protrusion 651 is inclined so that it is lower toward the rear. Furthermore, the inlet portion 652 of each drainage hole 650 has a tapered shape that widens toward the bottom surface 641 of the front groove portion 640 due to a chamfered C-surface.

[0045] The water storage unit 20 has a storage space 21 that is open to the front, rear, and downward below the water storage tank 410 and the water receiving groove 610, and that accommodates the middle section 800b and rear section 800c of the drainage container 800 and the left and right side sections 320 of the mounting base 300. Rib pieces 450 extending in the front-to-rear direction protrude into the storage space 21 from two locations on the left and right sides of the underside of the water storage tank 410. Rib pieces 660 extending in the up-down direction protrude into the storage space 21 from the front end and two locations further rearward on the left and right sides 600b of the overflow receiving section 600, and a semi-cylindrical shaft portion 670 protrudes into the storage space 21 from the rear end. The water storage unit 20 also has a protrusion 530 that protrudes downward from the front end of the water supply section 500.

[0046] Drainage container 800 has a vertically flat shape and includes a container body 810 with an open top, and a lid 820 that covers the top of container body 810. The left-right dimension of drainage container 800 is smaller at a middle section 800b than at a front section 800a, and is smaller at a rear section 800c than at the middle section 800b. An opening 830 that is long in the left-right direction is formed in the top surface of drainage container 800, i.e., in lid 820, so as to occupy most of the front section 800a.

[0047] A handle 840 is provided on the lower front surface of the drainage container 800. A pair of left and right rail grooves 850 and a circular engaging recess 860 are provided on the bottom surface of the drainage container 800, which correspond respectively to the pair of rails 311 and the protrusion 312a of the engaging portion 312 of the mounting base 300. Furthermore, a protrusion 870 that protrudes rearward is provided on the lower rear surface of the drainage container 800. The upper surface of the protrusion 870 has an inclined rear end.

[0048] When the water storage unit 20 and the drainage container 800 are mounted on the mounting base 300 of the main unit 10, the water storage unit 20 is mounted on the mounting base 300, and then the drainage container 800 is mounted on the mounting base 300.

[0049] The water storage unit 20 is attached to the mounting base 300 by sliding it from front to rear. At this time, the shaft 670 of the water storage unit 20 is inserted into the rail grooves 321 on the left and right side surfaces 320 of the mounting base 300, and moves rearward within the rail grooves 321. Because the rail grooves 321 are inclined at their middle portions, lower at the front and higher at the rear, the water storage unit 20, which slides along the rail grooves 321, rises to its final height when the vibration horn 112 of the ultrasonic generator 110 enters the water tank 410. This prevents the tip of the vibration horn 112 from coming into contact with the water storage unit 400 or the water supply unit 500. When the water storage unit 20 is attached to the mounting base 300, the water supply unit 500 is accommodated in the water supply unit accommodation chamber 220. This enables water to be supplied to the water storage tank 410 via the water supply tank 510.

[0050] The drainage container 800 is attached to the mounting base 300 so that its middle section 800b and rear section 800c are inserted from the front into the accommodation space 21 of the water storage unit 20. At this time, a pair of rail grooves 850 on the bottom surface of the drainage container 800 fit into the rails 311 on the bottom surface section 310 of the mounting base 300, so the drainage container 800 slides straight backward without wobbling left or right. The front section 800a of the drainage container 800 is exposed in front of the accommodation space 21.

[0051] When the drainage container 800 is attached to the mounting base 300, the protrusion 870 of the drainage container 800 moves rearward and pushes up the locking member 330 of the mounting base 300, as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 2. This causes the protrusion 331 of the locking member 330 to protrude higher than the insertion opening 221 of the base 200 and engage with the protrusion 530 of the water storage unit 20 in front of said protrusion 530. In this way, the water storage unit 20 is locked by the locking member 330 so that it does not move forward and come off the mounting base 300.

[0052] When the drain container 800 is attached to the mounting base 300, an opening 830 on the top surface of the drain container 800 is located directly below the drain outlet 421 of the water storage unit 400 and the multiple drain holes 650 of the overflow receiver 600. This allows water discharged from the drain outlet 421 and each drain hole 650 to enter the drain container 800 through the opening 830. In addition, the two rib pieces 450 of the water storage unit 20 approach the top surface of the drain container 800 from above, making it difficult for the drain container 800 to move upward. Furthermore, the protrusion 312a of the engagement part 312 of the mounting base 300 fits into the engagement recess 860 on the bottom surface of the drain container 800, making it difficult for the drain container 800 to slip out forward.

[0053] When the water storage unit 20 and the drainage container 800 are removed from the mounting base 300 of the main unit 10, the drainage container 800 is first removed from the mounting base 300 by being pulled out of the accommodation space 21 of the water storage unit 20, in the opposite direction to when they were attached. At this time, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 2, the protrusion 870 of the drainage container 800 moves forward, causing the locking member 330, which had been pushed up, to descend under its own weight. This causes the protrusion 331 to fall below the insertion opening 221, and the lock on the water storage unit 20 is released. Following the drainage container 800, the water storage unit 20 is pulled forward and removed from the mounting base 300.

[0054] The water supply tank 700 includes a tank body 710 and a cap 720. The cap 720 is provided with an opening / closing valve mechanism 730.

[0055] Tank body 710 is a container with an upper part 710a in the shape of a rectangular tube and a lower part 710b in a cylindrical shape. A water inlet / outlet 711 is formed in the center of the bottom surface of tank body 710, and cylindrical connection ports 712 are provided around inlet / outlet 711 so as to protrude downward.

[0056] Recesses 713 are formed on both the left and right sides of the upper end of the tank body 710. The portion between the two recesses 713 forms a handle 714. When the water supply tank 700 is inserted into or removed from the tank housing chamber 230 of the base body 200, the handle 714 is held by hand.

[0057] Cap 720 is attached to connection port 712 by a screw method and covers port 711. Outlet 721 is formed on the bottom surface of cap 720. A boss 722 is provided in the center of outlet 721. Both sides of boss 722 are connected to the periphery of outlet 721 by two ribs (not shown).

[0058] The on-off valve mechanism 730 includes a valve element 731, a pin 732, and a coil spring 733. The valve element 731 is made of an elastic material such as rubber. The pin 732 is made of a metal material or a resin material, and is passed through a boss 722 so as to be movable up and down. The valve element 731 is attached to the upper end of the pin 732. The lower end of the pin 732 has an outer diameter larger than other portions of the pin 732, and a coil spring 733 is disposed between this lower end and the boss 722. The coil spring 733 is in a compressed state, and the pin 732 is pushed downward by the coil spring 733, causing the valve element 731 to close the outflow port 721 from above.

[0059] A cylindrical outlet portion 723 is formed on the outer bottom surface of cap 720 so as to surround pin 732. The outlet of outlet portion 723 becomes outlet 701 for the final water in water supply tank 700, that is, for the flush water.

[0060] Wash water is produced by mixing detergent with water in water supply tank 700, i.e., tank body 710. Water and detergent are poured into tank body 710 through inlet / outlet 711 with cap 720 removed.

[0061] As shown in Figure 2, when water storage unit 20 and drainage container 800 are attached to mounting base 300 and water supply tank 700 containing flush water is accommodated in tank accommodation chamber 230 of base 200, pin 732 of water supply tank 700 collides with protrusion 512 of water supply tank 510 and is pushed up against the pressing force of coil spring 733. This causes valve body 731 to move away from outlet 721, opening outlet 721 and allowing flush water in water supply tank 700 to be released from discharge port 701. The released flush water is received in water supply tank 510 and sent to water storage tank 410 via water supply channel 520.

[0062] When flush water accumulates in water tank 410, the water level in water supply tank 510 rises along with the water level in water tank 410. As shown by the dashed dotted line in Figure 2, when the water levels in water tank 410 and water supply tank 510 rise to the height of outlet 701 of water supply tank 700 and outlet 701 becomes blocked by flush water, the balance between the air pressure inside water supply tank 700 and the external air pressure causes valve body 731 to remain open and water supply from water supply tank 700 stops.

[0063] <Ultrasonic cleaning device operation> When performing a cleaning operation using the ultrasonic cleaning device 1, the user places the water supply tank 700 containing cleaning water in the tank housing chamber 230 of the base unit 200. As described above, the cleaning water in the water supply tank 700 is supplied to the water storage tank 410, and the cleaning water is stored in the water storage tank 410.

[0064] Once cleaning water has been stored in the water tank 410, the user places the dirty part of the object to be cleaned between the water tank 410 and the vibration horn 112 of the ultrasonic generator 110. The dirty part of the object to be cleaned is immersed in the cleaning water, and the cleaning water that has penetrated into the object to be cleaned seeps out to the surface. A thin layer of water is formed on the surface of the object to be cleaned, and the vibration horn 112 comes into contact with this water layer.

[0065] Furthermore, as the object to be washed absorbs water, the water level in water storage tank 410 drops, causing the water level in water supply tank 510 to drop, and when discharge port 701 of water supply tank 700 is no longer blocked by flush water, flush water is replenished from water supply tank 700 into water supply tank 510, i.e., water storage tank 410, until discharge port 701 is again blocked by flush water. This maintains the water level, i.e., the amount of water, in water storage tank 410 at an appropriate state.

[0066] The user presses the operation button 201 to start the cleaning operation. The control unit 910 energizes the ultrasonic vibrator 111, activating the ultrasonic generator 110. Ultrasonic waves are generated from the tip of the vibration horn 112, and the action of the ultrasonic waves peels off dirt from the object to be cleaned. At this time, the power of the detergent is added, thereby increasing the cleaning power.

[0067] The user moves the object to be cleaned horizontally, i.e., left and right or front and back, in water tank 410 to bring the dirty portion of the object to the position of ultrasonic generator 110. At this time, there is a risk that the water in water tank 410 will be scraped out by the moving object to be cleaned and will overflow outside water storage section 400.

[0068] During the flushing operation, the object to be washed is frequently moved left and right, so water is likely to leak left and right from the water storage section 400. After the flushing operation, when the object to be washed is moved forward to be removed, water is likely to leak forward from the water storage section 400.

[0069] In the ultrasonic cleaning device 1 of this embodiment, the left side, right side, and front side of the water storage unit 400 are surrounded by the overflow receiver 600. Therefore, when water overflows from the left side or right side of the water storage unit 400, the water flows into the left groove 620 or the right groove 630 of the overflow receiver 600, and flows into the front groove 640 due to the inclination of the bottom surface 621 of the left groove 620 or the bottom surface 631 of the right groove 630. Furthermore, when water overflows from the front side of the water storage unit 400, the water flows into the front groove 640 of the overflow receiver 600. The water collected in the front groove 640 is drained from the plurality of drain holes 650 and flows into the drainage container 800 through the opening 830.

[0070] At this time, because the inlet portion 652 of each drain hole 650 is widened, water accumulated in the front groove 640 is easily guided into each drain hole 650, and water is smoothly discharged from each drain hole 650. Furthermore, because the front wall surface of the front groove 640 has an arc-shaped surface with a center portion bulging forward, water flowing into the front groove 640 from the left groove 620 and the right groove 630 is easily guided along the front wall surface toward the center of the front groove 640, facilitating even drainage from each drain hole 650 aligned in the left-right direction. Furthermore, because the water receiving groove 610 becomes deeper toward the front groove 640, more water can be stored in the front groove 640. This makes it less likely that water collected in the front groove 640 will overflow from the front groove 640.

[0071] Furthermore, each drain hole 650 includes a cylindrical protrusion 651 that protrudes downward from the back side of the bottom surface 641 of the front groove portion 640, and the lower end of the protrusion 651 is inclined so that it is lower toward the rear. Therefore, when the water discharged from each drain hole 650 does not have much force, for example because the amount of water is small, the water flows along the inclination of the lower end of the protrusion 651 and tends to fall from the rear side of the protrusion 651. The opening 830 of the drain container 800 is also located directly below the drain outlet 421 of the water storage portion 400, and therefore is wider toward the rear than the front of each drain hole 650. Therefore, water tends to fall from the rear side of the lower end of the protrusion 651, which makes it easier for water to fall inside the opening 830, and water discharged from each drain hole 650 tends to enter the drain container 800 without leaking outside the opening 830.

[0072] In this way, water overflowing from the water storage section 400 is collected in the overflow receptacle 600 and sent to the drainage container 800. Therefore, it is unlikely that the place where the ultrasonic cleaning device 1 is placed, such as a table, will be wetted by water overflowing from the water storage section 400. Furthermore, the upper surface 600a of the overflow receptacle 600 is lower than the upper surface 400a of the water storage section 400. Therefore, the overflow receptacle 600 is unlikely to interfere with the user's operation of moving the object to be cleaned horizontally. Note that if the overflow receptacle 600 is higher than the water storage section 400, the overflow receptacle 600 may interfere with the movement operation, for example, the user's hand may hit the overflow receptacle 600.

[0073] When the user has completed cleaning of the object to be cleaned by the ultrasonic cleaning device 1, he or she again presses the operation button 201. The control unit 910 stops the operation of the ultrasonic generator 110, and the cleaning operation ends.

[0074] When the flushing operation is finished, the user presses down operation button 441. When operation button 441 is pressed down, valve body 443 moves downward together with operation pin 442, and valve body 443 moves away from drain outlet 421, opening drain outlet 421. Flush water stored in water storage tank 410 and water supply tank 510 is drained from drain outlet 421. Flush water remaining in water supply tank 700 is also drained from drain outlet 421 via water storage tank 410 and water supply tank 510. The water drained from drain outlet 421 flows into drain container 800 through opening 830 and is collected in drain container 800.

[0075] When all flush water has been drained from water storage tank 410, water supply tank 510, and water supply tank 700, the user releases operation button 441. The elastic force of coil spring 444 moves valve body 443 upward together with operation pin 442, and valve body 443 closes drain outlet 421.

[0076] If the user does not want to discard the flush water remaining in the water supply tank 700, the user removes the water supply tank 700 from the base unit 200 before draining the water from the water storage tank 410.

[0077] When disposing of the water stored in drain container 800, the user detaches drain container 800 from mounting base 300. The user carries the detached drain container 800 to a place where water can be disposed of, such as a sink, and disposes of the cleaning water in drain container 800 there. In ultrasonic cleaning device 1 of the present embodiment, water that overflows from water storage section 400 and is collected in overflow receiving section 600 is also collected in drain container 800, so that this water can be discharged from water storage tank 410 and disposed of together with the water stored in drain container 800.

[0078] <Effects of this embodiment> As described above, according to this embodiment, even if the water in water tank 410 overflows from water storage section 400 due to the movement of the object to be cleaned in water storage section 410 during cleaning operation, the water can be received in left groove 620, right groove 630, and front groove 640 of overflow receiver 600. This prevents the installation location of ultrasonic cleaning device 1 from getting wet with water overflowing from water storage section 400.

[0079] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the bottom surfaces 621, 631 of the left groove portion 620 and the right groove portion 630 are inclined downward toward the front groove portion 640, and a drain hole 650 is provided in the bottom surface 641 of the front groove portion 640, so that water received by the left groove portion 620 and the right groove portion 630 can be collected in the front groove portion 640 and discharged through the drain hole 650.

[0080] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the drainage container 800 that collects the water drained from the water tank 410 is located below the drainage hole 650 and has an opening 830 through which the water drained from the drainage hole 650 passes, so that the water drained from the drainage hole 650 can be collected in the drainage container 800 and disposed of together with the water drained from the water tank 410.

[0081] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a plurality of drainage holes 650 are provided in the bottom surface 641 of the front groove portion 640 in a row in the left-right direction, so that water that has flowed into the front groove portion 640 from the left groove portion 620 and the right groove portion 630 can be efficiently drained.

[0082] Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, water storage section 400 has, between water storage tank 410 and front groove section 640, drain outlet 421 through which drainage water from water storage tank 410 flows, and valve body 443 for opening and closing drain outlet 421, and opening 830 is provided on the top surface of drain container 800 so as to be located below drain hole 650 and drain outlet 421. With this configuration, water discharged from both drain hole 650 and drain outlet 421 can be let into drain container 800 through single opening 830. In addition, because drain hole 650 and drain outlet 421 are adjacent in the front-to-rear direction, the area of opening 830 is not unnecessarily large, and water is less likely to leak from drain container 800 through opening 830 when drain container 800 is carried to a water disposal location.

[0083] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, drain hole 650 includes a cylindrical protrusion 651 that protrudes downward from the back side of bottom surface 641 of front groove portion 640, and the lower end of protrusion 651 is inclined so that it is lower toward the rear. With this configuration, when water discharged from drain hole 650 does not have much momentum, it flows along the inclination of the lower end of protrusion 651 and tends to fall from the rear side of protrusion 651, and therefore tends to fall inside opening 830, which is located directly below drain outlet 421 and therefore extends further rearward than forward of drain hole 650. This makes it easier for water discharged from drain hole 650 to reliably enter drain container 800 without leaking out of opening 830.

[0084] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the upper surface 600a of the overflow receiving portion 600 is lower than the upper surface 400a of the water storage portion 400. This makes it less likely that the overflow receiving portion 600 will get in the way of the user moving the object to be washed during the wash operation.

[0085] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications to the embodiments of the present invention are possible.

[0086] For example, in the above embodiment, a plurality of drain holes 650 are provided in the bottom surface 641 of the front groove portion 640 so as to be aligned in the left-right direction. However, the shape, number, and position of the drain holes 650 provided in the front groove portion 640 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the drain holes 650 may be circular or rectangular. Furthermore, one drain hole 650 may be provided in the center of the front groove portion 640 in the left-right direction. In this case, it is desirable that the drain hole 650 has a shape that is elongated in the left-right direction, and it is desirable that the bottom surface 641 of the front groove portion 640 slopes downward toward the center in the left-right direction.

[0087] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the lower end of the protrusion 651 of the drain hole 650 is inclined so that the rear end is lower, but it may be horizontal.

[0088] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, drain outlet 421 is provided between water tank 410 and front gutter 640 in water storage unit 400, and opening 830 is provided in the top surface of drain container 800 so as to be located below drain hole 650 and drain outlet 421. However, drain outlet 421 may be provided in any position in water storage unit 400, and when drain outlet 421 is provided in a position away from drain hole 650, drain container 800 may be provided with two openings, one for drain outlet 421 and one for drain hole 650.

[0089] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the opening 830 is provided in a part of the upper surface of the drainage container 800. However, the opening 830 may be provided so as to occupy the entire upper surface of the drainage container 800. In this case, for example, the drainage container 800 is not provided with a lid 820, and the drainage container 800 is composed of only the container body 810.

[0090] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the upper surface 600a of the overflow receiving portion 600 is lower than the upper surface 400a of the water storage portion 400. However, the upper surface 600a of the overflow receiving portion 600 may be set to the same height as the upper surface 400a of the water storage portion 400, or may be set to be higher than the upper surface 400a of the water storage portion 400.

[0091] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the water stored in the water supply tank 700 and supplied to the water storage tank 410 contains detergent, but it may also be water that does not contain detergent. In this case, when performing the washing operation, it is preferable to apply detergent to the soiled parts of the object to be washed in advance.

[0092] In the above embodiment, the water storage unit 20 is detachably attached to the main unit 10. However, the water storage unit 20 does not have to be detachable from the main unit 10.

[0093] In addition, the embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways as appropriate within the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1. Ultrasonic cleaning equipment 100 Ultrasonic cleaning section 110 Ultrasonic generator 400 Water storage section 400a top 410 Water Tank 421 Drain 443 Valve body 600 Overflow receiver 600a top 620 Left groove 621 bottom 630 Right groove 631 bottom 640 Front groove 641 bottom 650 Drain hole 651 Protrusion 700 Water Tank 800 Drain container 830 Opening

Claims

1. In an ultrasonic cleaning device that is placed in a placement location and used, an ultrasonic cleaning unit having an ultrasonic generator that generates ultrasonic waves; a base portion that holds the ultrasonic cleaning unit behind the ultrasonic cleaning unit; a water storage unit disposed in front of the base unit and having a water storage tank below the ultrasonic generator for storing water for immersing the object to be cleaned; a water supply tank accommodated within the base portion and configured to store water to be supplied to the water storage tank; a drainage container that is detachably disposed on the base portion and that collects water discharged from the water tank; an overflow receiving portion surrounding both the left and right sides and the front side of the water storage portion and receiving water overflowing from the water storage tank; The overflow receiving portion is a left groove portion and a right groove portion extending in the front-rear direction on the left and right sides of the water storage portion; a front groove portion extending in the left-right direction on the front side of the water storage portion and connected to a front end of the left groove portion and a front end of the right groove portion; The bottom surfaces of the left groove portion and the right groove portion are inclined downward toward the front groove portion, A drain hole is provided on the bottom surface of the front groove portion, The drain container is located below the drain hole and has an opening through which the water discharged from the drain hole passes. An ultrasonic cleaning device characterized by:

2. 2. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 1, A plurality of the drain holes are provided in the bottom surface of the front groove portion so as to be aligned in the left-right direction. An ultrasonic cleaning device characterized by:

3. 3. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 1, the water storage section has, between the water storage tank and the front groove section, a drain outlet through which drainage from the water storage tank flows and a valve body for opening and closing the drain outlet; The opening is provided on the upper surface of the drain container so as to be below the drain hole and the drain outlet. An ultrasonic cleaning device characterized by:

4. 4. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 3, The drain hole includes a cylindrical protrusion protruding downward from the rear side of the bottom surface of the front groove portion, The lower end of the protrusion is inclined so that the rear end is lower. An ultrasonic cleaning device characterized by:

5. 2. The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 1, The upper surface of the overflow receiving portion is lower than the upper surface of the water storage portion. An ultrasonic cleaning device characterized by:

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