Washing and drying machine

Abstract

To provide a washing and drying machine having improved washability in a second channel, through suppression of channel blockage by lint, while reducing the amount of lint collected by a second filter.SOLUTION: A washing and drying machine includes an outer tank 20 in which water is stored, a rotary drum 29 in which clothing is washed, a return duct 26 through which humid air is exhausted from inside the outer tank 20 during drying operation, an in-tank duct 21 disposed at inner back 20 of the outer tank 20, a primary filter 40 attached to the in-tank duct 21 to collect lint, a secondary filter 50 attached to a communication port 22 of the return duct 26, having a mesh finer than the first filter 40, and a channel cover 70 attached to the in-tank duct 21 at a lower position than the first filter 40. A second channel 81 composed of the in-tank duct 21 and the channel cover 70 has a projection shape 75 projecting alternately from the side face 21c and the side face 21d of the second channel 81.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Regarding a conventional washer-dryer equipped with two filters within its housing, Patent Document 1 describes the following: "A washer-dryer comprising: an outer tub for storing water; a rotatable inner tub for storing laundry; an air blower for supplying air to the outer tub and the inner tub; an air duct connecting the outer tub and the air blower; and a first collection section for collecting lint, the lowest end of the first collection section being located above a waterline that is the water level of the outer tub; and a second collection section being located downstream of the dry air from the first collection section, the second collection section being located above the waterline, the second collection section having a smaller area than the first collection section; an air flow path passing through the first collection section and the second collection section being divided into a first flow path and a second flow path; and the second flow path having a higher pressure loss than the first flow path." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7368565 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The washer-dryer described in Patent Document 1 has a first filter and a second filter for capturing foreign matter such as cotton dust and lint (hereinafter referred to as "lint"). However, the second filter has a smaller surface area than the first filter, and an increase in the amount of lint captured by the second filter significantly reduces drying performance. As a countermeasure, the document describes increasing the amount of lint captured by the first filter and increasing the pressure loss of the second flow path to reduce the amount of lint captured by the second filter. However, the document does not mention a detailed structure for increasing the pressure loss of the second flow path. A commonly used method for increasing pressure loss is to reduce the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path, but this method has the problem of making the second flow path more susceptible to clogging when large clumps of lint flow through it. Furthermore, because wash water used to wash lint adhering to the second filter passes through the second flow path and is discharged outside the machine, cleansing performance that prevents lint from remaining in the second flow path is also important.

[0005] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional washing machine, and aims to provide a washing machine that reduces the amount of lint collected by the second filter while suppressing blockage of the flow path by lint, thereby improving the cleanability of the second flow path. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention comprises 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, and is characterized in that the flow path formed by the in-tub duct and the flow path cover has protrusions that protrude alternately from the sides of the flow path. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a washing / drying machine that reduces the amount of lint trapped in the second filter while suppressing clogging of the flow path by lint, thereby improving the cleanability of the inside of the second flow path. [Brief explanation 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; [Figure 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. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the rotating drum and the outer tub with the tub cover removed from the outer tub and a portion cut away. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the outer tank with the rotating drum, primary filter, and secondary filter removed. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a primary filter and a flow path cover are attached to an outer tank. FIG. [Figure 6A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a flow path cover from the front side. [Figure 6B] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the flow path 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 the secondary filter. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the flow of cleaning water from the in-tank duct to the drain outlet. [Figure 10] 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. [Figure 11] 10 is a schematic plan view illustrating the flow of dry air in a second flow path formed by an in-tank duct and a flow path cover. FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is a schematic plan view illustrating the flow of cleaning water in a second flow path formed by an in-tank duct and a flow path cover. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A washing / drying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying 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 has a frame formed by combining side panels 1a, made mainly of steel plates and resin molded parts, and reinforcing materials (not shown) on top of a base 1h, and a front cover 1c and a top cover 1e attached to the frame to form a 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 wash water (water, liquid) therein, and its lower portion is supported by a plurality of suspensions (not shown) and its upper portion is suspended by springs (not shown), so that the outer tub 20 is elastically supported within the housing 1. A door 9 is opened and laundry 30 (clothes) is placed 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 are provided inside the rotating drum 29 to lift up the laundry 30. The rotating drum 29 is directly connected to a drum-driving motor 28 (drive unit) via a main shaft 35 connected to a metal flange 34 for the rotating drum.

[0011] An elastic rubber bellows 10 is attached to the opening of the outer tub 20. This bellows 10 serves to maintain a watertight seal between the interior of the outer tub 20 and the door 9, thereby preventing water leakage during washing, rinsing, and spin-drying. The rotating drum 29 has a number of small holes 29a (see Figure 3) on its sidewall 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 this water receiving section 54 to drain wash water and other liquids accumulated in the outer tub 20.

[0012] A heat pump unit 90 and a blower fan (not shown) are provided below outer tub 20. The drying process of this embodiment uses a warm air drying method in which air is circulated between rotating drum 29 and heat pump unit 90 by a blower fan (not shown) to dry the clothes. In this embodiment, the drying device is made up of the blower fan and heat pump unit 90, which dehumidifies and then heats the circulated air. The washer-dryer 100 also includes a feed duct (not shown) that guides warm air to outlet nozzle 24 (see FIG. 3) of outer tub 20 to blow it into rotating drum 29, and a return duct 26 (air path) that returns moist air from rotating drum 29 to heat pump unit 90. Return duct 26 and heat pump unit 90 are connected by 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 is also configured with multiple solenoid valves, including a water supply solenoid valve. That is, the water supply unit 16 supplies water to a powder detergent dispenser chamber (not shown) and a liquid detergent dispenser chamber (not shown) of the detergent case via a water supply pipe by opening a first solenoid valve, and supplies water to a fabric softener dispenser chamber (not shown) via 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 via a water supply pipe by opening a third solenoid valve, and supplies water to a washing unit 60 (described later) via a water supply pipe by opening a fourth solenoid valve.

[0014] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rotating drum and outer tub with the tub cover removed and a portion cut away. Note that in Figure 3, portions of the side and bottom of the rotating drum 29 are cut away to reveal the members on the rear side of the inside of the outer tub 20. 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 attached to a front opening 20a1 of the outer tub body 20a. The tub cover 20b is provided with a flow path 20b1 through which wash water pumped up by a circulation pump (not shown) passes. A sprinkler nozzle 23 is formed at the end of this flow path 20b1, and is configured to discharge the pumped wash water into the rotating drum 29. The tub cover 20b is also formed with an outlet nozzle 24 from which dry air is blown out. An outlet duct 24a is connected to the outlet nozzle 24. The outlet duct 24a is connected to a heat pump unit 90, which will be described later.

[0015] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the outer tub with the rotating drum, primary filter, and secondary filter removed. Note that Figure 4 shows a cutaway view of part of the side of the outer tub 20 and half of the right side of the rotating drum 29. Figure 4 also omits the illustration of the tub cover 20b. As shown in Fig. 4, an in-tank duct 21 is provided on the rear surface 20s (bottom surface) inside the outer tub 20. One end of this in-tank duct 21 is located at the top of the outer tub 20, and the other end is located below half the height of the rear surface of the outer tub 20. The in-tank duct 21 is curved (generally arc-shaped) from the top to the bottom of the outer tub 20 in a manner that avoids 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 part of which is shown in FIG. 4) made of metal or the like into a frame 40a made of synthetic resin.

[0017] A communication port 22 (inlet) that communicates with the outside of the outer tub 20 is formed at the upper part of the back surface inside the outer tub 20. A return duct 26 (see FIG. 2) is provided on the outer back surface of the outer tub 20 from the communication port 22 to a heat pump unit 90 (see FIG. 2). A secondary filter 50 is also provided in the communication port 22. In FIG. 4, the primary filter 40 is located on the front side in the front-to-rear direction, and the secondary filter 50 is located on the rear side (deep side). That is, the primary filter 40 and the secondary filter 50 are arranged with the communication port 22 between them so that their airflow directions overlap, and a first flow path 80 (see FIG. 5) is formed in which air passes through the primary filter 40 and flows to the secondary filter 50. Furthermore, 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 disrupting the flow, thereby reducing ventilation resistance. Furthermore, by configuring the filter in two pieces in the flow direction, the meshes can be overlapped in a flat pattern, and each mesh (opening) can be made larger than in a single-piece configuration. This allows lint to be collected across both pieces, preventing the lint from becoming densely packed 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 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 and is a filter with a smaller area.

[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 drain outlet 54a (see FIG. 5) formed in the water receiving portion 54.

[0020] 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the primary filter and the flow path cover are attached to the outer tub 20. Note that in FIG. 5, the tub cover 20b and the rotating drum 29 have been removed from the outer tub 20. As shown in FIG. 5, a primary filter 40 is attached to the top 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 circumferential side, an outer peripheral frame 40a2 provided on the outer peripheral side of the inner peripheral frame 40a1, and partition portions 40a3 extending radially to divide the frame portion 40a into multiple sections. In this embodiment, the primary filter 40 is divided into four filter portions 40s (collection portions), but it may be composed of three or fewer filter portions 40s, or five or more filter portions 40s. The frame portion 40a of the primary filter 40 is fixed to the back surface 20s with screws.

[0021] The width W1 of the inner peripheral frame 40a1 is greater (wider) than the width W2 of the outer peripheral frame 40a2. Specifically, the filter section 40s of the primary filter 40 located at the top (left end in the figure) and the filter section 40s adjacent to it (second from the left in the figure) have the same width of inner peripheral frame 40a1. The filter section 40s third from the left in the figure has an inner peripheral frame 40a1 wider than those of the left end and second filter sections 40s in the figure. The filter section 40s on the right end in the figure has an inner peripheral frame 40a1 wider than that of the third filter section 40s from the left in the figure. The inner peripheral frame 40a1 of this right end filter section 40s is formed to be approximately the same as the width of the flow path cover 70.

[0022] A flow path cover 70 is attached to the in-tank duct 21 located below the primary filter 40 on the rear surface 20s inside the outer tank body 20a. The in-tank duct 21 is formed concavely on the rear surface 20s and is composed of a bottom surface 21b, a side surface 21c located on the inner periphery of the bottom surface 21b, and a side surface 21d located on the outer periphery of the bottom surface 21b. The second flow path 81 is formed by closing (covering) the front opening of the concave groove of the in-tank duct 21 with the flow path cover 70. The flow path cover 70 is screwed to the rear surface 20s, similar to the primary filter 40. The flow path cover 70 is formed narrower than the width of the primary filter 40 and curved to fit the concave groove of the in-tank duct 21. The lower end of the flow path cover 70 is formed with an opening 21a that communicates with the in-tank duct 21 and is connected to 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 curved synthetic resin plate portion 71. The plate portion 71 is formed of a water- and air-tight wall. The lower end of the plate portion 71 is notched in a generally triangular (inverted V) shape, 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 linear. The plate portion 71 is provided with a plurality of mounting portions 74 on both the inner and outer peripheral sides 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 toward the inner periphery of the flow path cover 70. The rib 73 is formed in a plate shape and protrudes toward the in-tank duct 21.

[0025] Furthermore, a plurality of triangular prism-shaped protrusions 75 protruding toward the in-tank duct 21 are provided alternately on the left and right sides of the plate portion 71 of the flow path cover 70. That is, the flow path formed by the in-tank duct 21 and the flow path cover 70 has the protrusions 75 protruding alternately from the side surfaces of the flow path. The protrusion shape 75 is formed by a protrusion outer surface 79 facing the inner and outer periphery of the in-tank duct 21, a protrusion inclined surface 76 inclined downward in the direction of gravity, a protrusion bottom surface 78 which is a surface approximately perpendicular to the protrusion outer surface 79, and a protrusion abutment surface 77 which is a surface that abuts against the in-tank duct 21.

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

[0027] The cleaning unit 60, which washes away lint trapped by the secondary filter 50 and cleans the secondary filter 50, is attached to the top of the secondary filter 50. The cleaning unit 60 is also provided with a water supply port 61 on its top surface for supplying cleaning water. 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 a solenoid valve that opens when water is supplied to the water supply port 61.

[0028] The primary filter 40 is positioned so that the surface of the mesh member 40b is approximately parallel to the back surface 20s of the outer tub 20. On the other hand, the secondary filter 50 is tilted so that the upper part of the mesh member 50b is positioned further forward than the lower part, and is positioned so that the upper part of the mesh member 50b is closer to the primary filter 40 than the lower part. Also, 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. Multiple nozzles are provided at intervals along the length (left-right direction) of the secondary filter 50. Also, a return duct 26 is connected to the rear of the secondary filter 50, and air that has passed through the secondary filter 50 is sent to the heat pump unit 90 provided below 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 in-tank duct to the drain outlet. Note that Fig. 8 shows the state where the rotating drum 29 has been removed from the outer tub 20. As indicated by the dashed arrows in FIG. 8 , cleaning water supplied from the water supply port 61 is sprayed from the top of the secondary filter 50 onto the mesh member 50b. At this time, the cleaning water is sprayed onto the rear surface of the secondary filter 50. Lint is collected on the front surface of the secondary filter 50. When cleaning water is sprayed onto the rear surface of the secondary filter 50, the lint absorbs moisture and flows down along the surface of the mesh member 50b of the secondary filter 50 to the bottom of the secondary filter 50. Furthermore, as the lint absorbs moisture, its own weight causes it to peel off from the surface of the mesh member 50b of the secondary filter 50 from the height at which the lint was attached and drop to the bottom of the secondary filter 50. The cleaning water that flows down along the rear surface of the secondary filter 50 to the bottom of the secondary filter 50 then flows through the mesh member 50b toward the front primary filter 40. The cleaning water then passes through the communication port 22 and flows downward along the second flow path 81.

[0031] As shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 9, the flush water that flows down the second flow path 81 flows out from the opening 21a formed at the lower end of the in-tub duct 21. The flush water then flows along the back surface 20s of the outer tub 20, flows into the water receiving section 54 formed at the lower end of the outer tub 20, and is discharged outside the machine from the drain outlet 54a.

[0032] The primary filter 40 is cleaned by rotating the rotating drum 29 while water (wash water, rinse water, and water newly supplied after the rinse cycle) is pooled at the bottom of the outer tub 20, and the submerged portion of the rotating drum 29 stirs up the water, bathing it at the back of the outer tub 20 (spraying the cleaning water). By repeating this operation, the primary filter 40 can be cleaned. The water used to clean the primary filter 40 may be newly supplied water, or the water used to clean the secondary filter 50 may be used. In this case, water conservation can be improved.

[0033] 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. 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 to bend rearward and then extend downward, and a step corresponding to the thickness of the upper end 71a is formed in the lower end 40c. This prevents cleaning water from leaking into the outer tub 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.

[0034] Here, the effect that the protrusion shape 75 has on the flow of dry air will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a schematic plan view illustrating the flow of dry air in the second flow path formed by the in-tank duct and the flow path cover. 11, the dry air flowing in from the lower side of the second flow path 81 flows upward while meandering due to the protrusion shapes 75 arranged alternately on the left and right. At this time, the dry air meanders while colliding with the protrusion bottom surfaces 78 of the protrusion shapes 75, which increases loss of the dry air as it flows. Here, when the loss in the second flow path 81 increases, the amount of dry air flowing through the second flow path 81 decreases, and therefore the proportion of dry air passing through the first flow path 80 (see FIG. 5) increases. In other words, the amount of lint collected in the primary filter 40 increases, and the amount of lint collected in the secondary filter 50 can be reduced. At this time, by providing the protrusion shape 75 so that the minimum flow path width L2 (see FIG. 11), which is the distance between the protrusion tip 82, where the protrusion slope 76 and the protrusion bottom surface 78 meet, and the outer peripheral side surface 21d of the in-tank duct 21, is equal to or less than half the maximum flow path width L1 of the second flow path 81, the drying air can be made to collide more easily with the protrusion bottom surface 78, thereby increasing loss. In this embodiment, providing multiple protrusion shapes 75 increases the number of collisions and further increases loss.

[0035] Furthermore, by providing the protrusion shapes 75 so that the distance (minimum flow path width) L2 is equal to or less than half the maximum flow path width L1 of the second flow path 81, the ratio between the maximum flow path width L1 and the distance L2 that is the minimum flow path width in the second flow path 81 becomes large, and when the dry air flows from the lower side to the upper side of the second flow path 81, the dry air undergoes a sudden contraction at the position of the protrusion tips 82, thereby increasing loss. In this embodiment, by providing multiple protrusion shapes 75, the number of sudden contractions is increased, further increasing loss.

[0036] Furthermore, the protrusion shape 75 is formed so that the angle θ between the protrusion inclined surface 76 and the protrusion bottom surface 78 (the angle between the bottom surface and the inclined surface of the protrusion shape) is 70 degrees or less. As a result, when the dry air flows from the protrusion tip 82 to the upper side of the second flow path 81, the expansion rate of the flow path width increases, causing a separated flow in which the dry air flows without adhering to the wall surface near the protrusion inclined surface 76, thereby increasing loss. In this embodiment, by providing multiple protrusion shapes 75, the number of times a separated flow occurs is increased, further increasing loss.

[0037] The effect that the protrusion shape 75 has on the flow of cleaning water will be explained using Figure 11. Figure 11 is a schematic plan view illustrating the flow of cleaning water in the second flow path formed by the in-tank duct and the flow path cover. The cleaning water passes through the upper communication port 22 (see FIG. 7) and flows downward through the second flow path 81. At this time, the protrusion tip 82, which is the position where the protrusion slope 76 and the protrusion bottom surface 78 meet, is positioned lower than the protrusion outer surface 79, so the protrusion slope 76 is inclined downward in the direction of gravity. This makes it easier for the cleaning water flowing from above to flow downward by the protrusion slope 76, and prevents the second flow path 81 from being blocked by lint.

[0038] In addition, in this embodiment, the loss is increased by meandering, collision, separation, sudden contraction, etc. due to the shape of the protrusions, so the minimum flow path width L2 can be made larger than when the loss is increased by simply reducing the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path, thereby making it possible to suppress clogging of the second flow path 81 by lint.

[0039] As described above, the washing machine includes outer tub 20 for storing water, rotary drum 29 (drum) for washing clothes, return duct 26 (air passage) for discharging moist air from inside outer tub 20 during drying operation, in-tub duct 21 provided on rear surface 20s inside outer tub 20, primary filter 40 attached to in-tub duct 21 for collecting lint, secondary filter 50 attached to communication port 22 (inlet portion) of return duct 26, and flow path cover 70 attached to in-tub duct 21 at a position lower than primary filter 40 (see FIG. 5). In this way, the drying air flowing through second flow path 81 formed by in-tub duct 21 and flow path cover 70 meanders while colliding with protrusion bottom surfaces 78 of protrusion shapes 75, which increases loss and reduces the amount of lint adhering to secondary filter 50.

[0040] In this embodiment, the protrusion shape 75 is provided so that the distance (minimum flow path width) L2 (see FIG. 11) between the protrusion tip 82, which is the position where the protrusion slope 76 and the protrusion bottom surface 78 meet, and the outer peripheral side surface 21d of the in-tank duct 21 is equal to or less than 1 / 2 of the maximum flow path width L1 of the second flow path 81. This makes it easier for the dry air to collide with the protrusion bottom surface 78, thereby increasing loss.

[0041] In addition, in this embodiment, a plurality of protrusion shapes 75 are provided, which increases the number of collisions and further increases the loss.

[0042] In this embodiment, the protrusion shape 75 is formed so that the angle θ between the protrusion inclined surface 76 and the protrusion bottom surface 78 is 70 degrees or less. As a result, when the dry air flows from the protrusion tip 82 to the upper side of the second flow passage 81, the expansion rate of the flow passage width increases, and therefore a separated flow occurs near the protrusion inclined surface 76, where the dry air flows without adhering to the wall surface, and this can increase loss.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the protrusion tip 82, which is the position where the protrusion slope 76 and the protrusion bottom surface 78 meet, is positioned below the protrusion outer surface 79. As a result, the protrusion slope 76 is inclined downward in the direction of gravity, making it easier for the cleaning water flowing from above to flow downward by the protrusion slope 76, and preventing the second flow path 81 from being blocked by lint.

[0044] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modifications. For example, although the flow path cover 70 is provided with the protrusion 75, the protrusion 75 may be provided on the in-tank duct 21. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 20 Outer tank 20s back 21 In-tank duct 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 Lower end (lower end of primary filter) 50 Secondary Filter 60 Cleaning Unit 70 Flow path cover 75 Protrusion shape 76 Protruding slope 77 Protrusion contact surface 78 Bottom of protrusion 79 Outer surface of protrusion 80 First Channel 81 Second flow path 82 Tip of protrusion (tip of protrusion) L1 Maximum channel width L2 Minimum flow path width θ Angle between the protrusion slope and the protrusion base

Claims

1. An outer tank for storing water, A drum for washing clothes, an air duct for discharging humid air from the outer tub during a drying operation; an in-tank 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-tank duct at a position lower than the primary filter, The flow path formed by the in-tub duct and the flow path cover has protrusions that protrude alternately from the side surfaces of the flow path.

2. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, The washer / dryer is characterized in that a plurality of the protrusions are provided.

3. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, The washer / dryer is characterized in that the protrusions are provided so that the minimum width of the flow path is half or less of the maximum width of the flow path.

4. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, The washer-dryer is characterized in that a tip of the protrusion of the protrusion shape is provided to be located lower than an upper end of the protrusion shape on a wall surface side of the flow path.

5. The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, The washer-dryer is characterized in that the angle formed between the bottom surface of the protrusion and the inclined surface is set to be 70 degrees or less.

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