Cleaning Equipment

Abstract

To provide a washing machine equipped with a fine bubble generator for producing fine bubble water, having an enhanced washing performance owing to fine bubbles.SOLUTION: A washing machine in an embodiment comprises a washing tank, a water supply mechanism for supplying water to the washing tank, a pressurized dissolution device for dissolving air components into water, disposed in a water supply passage of the water supply mechanism, and a fine bubble generator for producing fine bubble water containing fine bubbles, disposed downstream of the pressurized dissolution device in the water supply passage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE An embodiment of the present invention relates to a cleaning appliance. [Background technology]

[0002] In a so-called vertical axis washing machine as a cleaning device, it has been considered to incorporate a fine bubble generator that utilizes the so-called Venturi effect of fluid dynamics to generate fine bubbles, for example, with diameters of several tens to several hundreds of nanometers, i.e., ultrafine bubbles or microbubbles (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this washing machine, fine bubble water containing a large number of fine bubbles is supplied to the washing tub, and the washing process is carried out with washing water in which detergent is dissolved in the fine bubble water, thereby improving the cleaning effect. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-113395 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a configuration incorporating a fine bubble generator as described above, the concentration of fine bubbles contained in the water in the washing tub is highest when the water is supplied to the washing tub, and then the concentration of fine bubbles gradually decreases. Therefore, as time passes after the water is supplied, the cleaning effect due to the characteristics of the fine bubbles gradually decreases. Therefore, there is still room for improvement in terms of maintaining high cleaning performance even after time has passed since the water was supplied to the washing tub when using fine bubble water.

[0005] Therefore, we provide a cleaning device that is equipped with a fine bubble generator that produces fine bubble water and can further improve the cleaning performance using fine bubbles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The cleaning equipment of the embodiment includes a cleaning tank, a water supply mechanism that supplies water to the cleaning tank, a pressurized dissolving device that is provided in a water supply path of the water supply mechanism and dissolves air components in water, and a fine bubble generator that is provided downstream of the pressurized dissolving device in the water supply path and generates fine bubble water containing fine bubbles. A cleaning device that The pressurized dissolving apparatus includes a pressurized dissolving tank in the form of a sealed container, an inlet for introducing water into the pressurized dissolving tank, an outlet for discharging water from the pressurized dissolving tank, an air introduction pipe for introducing air into the pressurized dissolving tank, and an opening / closing valve for opening and closing the air introduction pipe. A water supply is connected to the inlet as a water supply source, and tap water is supplied from the water supply source into the pressurized dissolution tank. .

[0007] In the embodiment, "fine bubbles" or "fine bubbles" refers to microbubbles with diameters of about 1 μm to several hundred μm, and ultrafine bubbles or nanobubbles with diameters of about 50 nm to 1 μm. Fine bubble water refers to water that contains a large amount of such fine bubbles. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment, and is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a water supply mechanism portion. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing a schematic configuration of a drum-type washing machine; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a pressurized dissolution apparatus. [Figure 4] Cross-sectional top view of pressurized dissolving tank [Diagram 5] A vertical cross-sectional view showing the structure of a UFB unit [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a second embodiment, and is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a water supply mechanism of a drum-type washing machine. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a third embodiment, and is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a water supply mechanism of a vertical axis type washing machine. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a fourth embodiment, and is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a water supply mechanism part of a vertical axis type washing machine. [Figure 9] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a fifth embodiment, and is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a water supply mechanism of a drum-type washing machine. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional side view showing a schematic configuration of a dishwasher according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a top view showing a schematic configuration of a toilet device according to a seventh embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Several embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. The first, second, and fifth embodiments described below are applied to a drum-type washing machine as the cleaning appliance, and the third and fourth embodiments are applied to a so-called vertical-axis washing machine as the cleaning appliance. The sixth embodiment is applied to a dishwasher as the cleaning appliance, and the seventh embodiment is applied to a flush toilet device as the cleaning appliance. In addition, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same parts in the multiple embodiments, and new illustrations and repeated explanations are omitted.

[0010] (1) First embodiment A first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 5. Fig. 2 shows a schematic overall configuration of a drum-type washing machine 1 as a cleaning device according to this embodiment. Fig. 1 also shows a schematic specific configuration of a water supply mechanism provided in the washing machine. As shown in Fig. 2, an outer box 2 constituting the main body of the drum-type washing machine 1 is substantially rectangular box-shaped, and a circular entrance through which clothes are put in and taken out is provided in the center of the front surface, and a door 3 is attached so as to be able to open and close the entrance.

[0011] Inside the outer box 2, there is provided a substantially cylindrical water tub 4 with an open front for storing wash water, which is elastically supported via an elastic support mechanism (not shown). Inside the water tub 4, there is provided a drum 5 which functions as a washing tub in which clothes are stored together with the water tub 4 and washed. Although not shown in detail, this drum 5 is cylindrical with a slightly smaller diameter than the water tub 4, has a baffle inside for agitating the laundry, and has a number of spin-drying holes in the peripheral wall. The center of the rear side of this drum 5 is connected to a drum motor 6, and the drum 5 is rotated around an inclined axis that is slightly inclined downward toward the rear.

[0012] In addition, a water supply mechanism 7 is provided in the outer box 2, located above the water tub 4, for supplying water into the water tub 4. Details of this water supply mechanism 7 will be described later. Meanwhile, a drain port 4a is formed at the rear end of the bottom of the water tub 4, and a drainage channel 9 equipped with a drain valve 8 is connected to this drain port 4a. In this embodiment, a recess 4b is provided in the bottom of the water tub 4, where the washing water is stored, so that it is convex downward, and a hot water heater 10 is provided as a heating device for generating hot water in the water tub 4, located in this recess 4b. This hot water heater 10 is made of, for example, a sheath heater, and realizes the function of hot water washing, and also functions as an energy adding device as described later. Although not shown, an operation panel is provided on the upper part of the outer box 2 for a user to perform various settings. In addition, a control device consisting mainly of a computer and controlling the entire washing machine 1 is provided in the outer box 2.

[0013] The water supply mechanism 7 will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and other figures. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the water supply mechanism 7 is attached to the top of the water tank 4 so as to protrude from the top surface of the outer box 2. Set up The water supply mechanism 7 is provided with a connection port 11 fitted in the water tub 4, a water injection case 12 provided on the top of the water tub 4, and a water supply duct 13 connecting the water injection case 12 and the water tub 4. A water faucet serving as a water supply source is connected to the connection port 11 via a hose or the like. In this embodiment, the water supply mechanism 7 is also provided with an automatic dispenser 14 capable of automatically supplying detergent and fabric softener as cleaning agents to the water tub 4.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, the connection port 11 branches into two at the bottom, and two water supply paths, a first water supply path 15 and a second water supply path 16, are provided, each of which is connected to the water injection case 12. A first water supply valve 17 is provided in the first water supply path 15, and a second water supply valve 18 is provided in the second water supply path 16. These first and second water supply valves 17 and 18 are electromagnetically opened and closed, and are controlled to be opened and closed by a control device (not shown). A first UFB unit 19, which serves as a fine bubble generator (described later), is provided at the outlet of the first water supply valve 17 in the first water supply path 15.

[0015] A pressurized dissolving device 20 for dissolving gas components, i.e., air components, in water is provided downstream of the second water supply valve 18 in the second water supply path 16, and a second UFB unit 21 as a fine bubble generator is provided downstream of the pressurized dissolving device 20. Details of the pressurized dissolving device 20 and the second UFB unit 21 will be described later. Furthermore, an automatic mixing section 22 is provided downstream of the second UFB unit 21, where a cleaning agent, i.e., a detergent or fabric softener, is supplied by the automatic supply device 14 and mixed with water. The water that has passed through the automatic mixing section 22 is supplied to the water injection case 12.

[0016] Here, the automatic dispenser 14 will be briefly described. As shown in Fig. 1, the automatic dispenser 14 includes a detergent tank 23 that contains a liquid detergent as a detergent for multiple uses, a fabric softener tank 24 that contains a liquid fabric softener as a detergent for multiple uses, and a pump 25. Although not shown in detail, the pump 25 has two sets of intake ports and discharge ports, and is configured to use a motor as a drive source. The pump 25 is controlled by the control device, and is configured to switch between the intake port for sucking in liquid and the discharge port for discharging liquid by switching the rotation direction of the motor, i.e., the direction of current supply.

[0017] In this case, one of the suction ports is connected to the detergent tank 23 side, and the detergent is drawn up by the rotation of the motor in one direction and discharged from one of the discharge ports. The other suction port is connected to the fabric softener tank 24 side, and the fabric softener is drawn up by the rotation of the motor in the other direction and discharged from the other discharge port. The two discharge ports of this pump 25 are disposed above the automatic mixing section 22 of the second water supply path 16. Also, the discharge amount of detergent and fabric softener, i.e., the supply amount to the automatic mixing section 22, is controlled by controlling the driving time of the pump 25.

[0018] In this way, by driving pump 25, automatic dispenser 14 can supply only the required amount of detergent contained in detergent tank 23 to automatic mixing section 22, and can also supply only the required amount of fabric softener contained in fabric softener tank 24 to automatic mixing section 22. When detergent or fabric softener is supplied to automatic mixing section 22 and second water supply valve 18 is turned on to supply water to second water supply path 16, the water flows in automatic mixing section 22 while dissolving the detergent or fabric softener, and is supplied into water tub 4 through water supply case 12 etc.

[0019] The pressurized dissolving apparatus 20 is constructed as follows. That is, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the pressurized dissolving apparatus 20 is equipped with a pressurized dissolving tank 26 in the form of a sealed container having a substantially rectangular cross section. An inlet 27 for introducing water is provided on the upper wall of the pressurized dissolving tank 26, located on the left side in the figure, and an outlet 28 for discharging water is provided at the lower part of the right side wall in the figure. A partition wall 29 is provided inside the pressurized dissolving tank 26 to separate the lower part into left and right parts, and as shown in Figure 4, this partition wall 29 has a vertical To A slit 29a is formed extending through the tank 26. Furthermore, an air inlet pipe 30 is connected to the right side of the upper wall of the pressurized dissolving tank 26 in the figure, and an on-off valve 31 is provided for opening and closing the air inlet pipe 30. The on-off valve 31 is normally closed, and is opened when air is to be replenished into the pressurized dissolving tank 26.

[0020] A pipe constituting the second water supply path 16 is connected to the inlet 27, and water from the water supply valve is supplied into the pressurized dissolution tank 26 at a relatively high pressure. As a result, water accumulates in the pressurized dissolution tank 26, and the air inside is pressurized, dissolving air components in the water. At this time, the water passes through the slit 29a of the partition wall 29, removing large air bubbles in the water, and the water supersaturated with air components is discharged from the outlet 28. When the water level in the pressurized dissolution tank 26 rises to a predetermined position, the water supply is temporarily stopped, and the opening / closing valve 31 is opened to introduce new air into the pressurized dissolution tank 26. Instead of the opening / closing valve 31, an air pump for introducing high-pressure air may be provided.

[0021] The second UFB unit 21 is provided at the outlet 28 of the pressurized dissolution tank 26 of the pressurized dissolution device 20. Since the first UFB unit 19 and the second UFB unit 21 have the same configuration, the second UFB unit 21 will be described here as a representative. The second UFB unit 21 generates fine bubbles, which are minute air bubbles, by utilizing the principle of a Venturi tube, and is formed by combining two parts, an upstream flow path member 32 and a downstream flow path member 33, both of which are made of synthetic resin, as shown in Fig. 5.

[0022] In FIG. 5, the second UFB unit 21 is shown in the reversed left-right direction from FIG. 3, but the second UFB unit 21 is generally cylindrical with the axial direction being the left-right direction in the figure and a flange portion 34 at the rear end, i.e., the right end in FIG. 5, and a flow path 35 is formed in the center thereof, penetrating left-right in FIG. 5, through which water flows in the direction of arrow A. The flow path 35 has an opening on the right side in FIG. 5 as an inlet 35a, and an opening on the left side in FIG. 5 as an outlet 35b. A constricted portion 35c is formed in the middle of the flow path 35 by a protruding portion 36 protruding to the inner periphery side. The flow path 35 is configured in a tapered shape in which the flow path cross-sectional area gradually decreases over a range of about 1 / 4 of the total length from the inlet 35a, and the remaining portion is configured in a straight shape with an almost constant inner diameter except for the constricted portion 35c.

[0023] The upstream flow path member 32 is integral with a protrusion 36 that constitutes the upstream side of the flow path 35 and narrows the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the throttle section 35c. The downstream flow path member 33 constitutes the downstream side of the protrusion 36 of the flow path 35. The protrusions 36 are located at four locations (only two locations are shown) spaced 90 degrees apart and extend toward the inner periphery with pointed tips, thereby narrowing the flow path 35 and making the portion of the throttle section 35c with the smallest flow path cross-sectional area an X-shaped, in other words, a cross-shaped slit.

[0024] The second UFB unit 21 constructed as above is inserted between the outlet 28 and the pipe leading to the automatic mixer 22, and is fitted and fixed. Thus, relatively high-pressure tap water is supplied to the second UFB unit 21 from the outlet 28 of the pressurized dissolving device 20, and flows in the direction of arrow A from the inlet 35a through the flow path 35, as shown in Fig. 5. Then, since the constriction portion 35c by the protrusion 36 is provided in the middle of the flow path 35, the flow rate is increased and the pressure is suddenly reduced by the so-called Venturi effect of fluid dynamics. This allows a large amount of fine bubbles to be precipitated.

[0025] This second UFB unit 21 can generate a large amount of fine bubbles or nanobubbles, which are fine bubbles including ultrafine bubbles with diameters of about 50 nm to 1 μm and microbubbles with diameters of about 1 μm to several hundred μm. Thus, by opening the second water supply valve 18, fine bubble water containing a large amount of fine bubbles is supplied to the automatic mixer 22 through the second water supply path 16. At this time, if a cleaning agent is supplied to the automatic mixer 22 by the automatic dosing device 14, the fine bubble water and the cleaning agent are mixed. Then, the fine bubble water containing the cleaning agent is supplied to the water supply case 12, and further supplied from the water supply duct 13 into the water tank 4.

[0026] 1, when the first water supply valve 17 is opened, fine bubble water containing a large amount of fine bubbles can be produced by the first UFB unit 19 provided in the first water supply path 15, and the fine bubble water can be supplied to the water supply case 12 through the first water supply path 15. Although not shown in detail, the water supply case 12 is provided with a pull-out manual storage case 37 (see FIG. 2) located at the top and allowing the user to manually add detergent and fabric softener as cleaning agents for one use.

[0027] The fine bubble water supplied to the water supply case 12 through the first water supply path 15 and the second water supply path 16 passes through the manual storage case 37, and if a cleaning agent is stored in the manual storage case 37, it is mixed in the water supply case 12 while the cleaning agent is flowing, and then supplied from the water supply duct 13 to the water tank 4. Therefore, in this embodiment, the automatic mixer 22 and the water supply case 12 function as a downstream cleaning agent mixer. In this embodiment, when supplying water, both the first water supply valve 17 and the second water supply valve 18 are opened simultaneously, and water is supplied from both the first water supply path 15 and the second water supply path 16.

[0028] Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. When the user starts the washing machine 1, he / she puts the clothes to be washed into the drum 5, and sets the operation course, such as the standard course, the warm water washing course, or the soaking course, on the operation panel, and sets the automatic or manual addition of detergent. Here, it is assumed that the automatic addition of detergent is set in the standard course. When the washing operation is started, the amount of clothes in the drum 5 is detected first, and the water level, the time of each step, the amount of detergent to be added, etc. are determined. Then, the washing operation is started, and the automatic addition device 14 supplies the required amount of detergent to the automatic mixing section 22, and water is started to be supplied into the water tub 4 for the washing step.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 1, when water supply is started, both the first water supply valve 17 and the second water supply valve 18 are opened. In the first water supply path 15, water supplied from the tap passes through the first UFB unit 19 to become fine bubble water and is supplied to the water injection case 12. Meanwhile, in the second water supply path 16, water supplied from the tap is first supplied to the pressurized dissolving device 20. As described above, air components are dissolved in the water in the pressurized dissolving device 20, and the water in which the air components are supersaturated is discharged from the outlet 28.

[0030] Then, the water passes through the second UFB unit 21, producing fine bubble water that contains a large amount of fine bubbles and is supersaturated with air components, and is supplied to the automatic mixer 22. , No. The water passing through the second UFB unit 21 is supersaturated with air components by the dissolving device 20, so it is possible to generate a large amount of fine bubbles, and fine bubble water containing a high concentration of fine bubbles can be obtained. However, the fine bubble water still contains a large amount of air components that did not become bubbles even after passing through the second UFB unit 21, and is supplied downstream in this state.

[0031] The automatic mixer 22 is already supplied with a required amount of detergent by the automatic dispenser 14, and the fine bubble water and the detergent are mixed. By mixing the detergent with the fine bubble water in this way, fine bubble washing water with high washing ability and in which the detergent is well dissolved can be obtained, and the fine bubble washing water is supplied to the water supply case 12 in this state. In the water supply case 12, the fine bubble washing water that has passed through the second water supply path 16 and the fine bubble water that has passed through the first water supply path 15 join together and are supplied to the water tank 4 through the water supply duct 13. In the water tank 4, i.e., the drum 5, the washing process is performed with the clothes immersed in the washing water in which the detergent is dissolved in the fine bubble water containing a large amount of fine bubbles. In addition, since water is supplied from both the first water supply path 15 and the second water supply path 16, the time required for water supply can be shortened.

[0032] Fine bubbles undergo Brownian motion, which causes irregular movements in water, and because their speed is faster than their rising speed, they have the property of remaining in the liquid for a long time. Furthermore, because the surface of fine bubbles is negatively charged, they adsorb and break up the detergent particles contained in the wash water, improving the dispersion of the detergent. Fine bubbles repel each other and do not bond together. Furthermore, fine bubbles that have adsorbed detergent particles in this way can easily penetrate into the gaps between the fibers of clothes, efficiently transporting the detergent to the inside of the clothes and removing dirt, and suppressing the re-adhesion of the dirt to the clothes. This allows for high cleaning performance.

[0033] At this time, the concentration of fine bubbles contained in the water in the water tub 4 is highest when the water is supplied to the water tub 4, and thereafter, the concentration of fine bubbles gradually decreases over time. However, in this embodiment, the water supplied to the water tub 4 has a large amount of air components dissolved in it by the pressurized dissolution device 20, and even after some time has passed since the water was supplied, it is possible to make the air components appear in the water as fine bubbles during the washing operation by, for example, applying an external physical stimulus, in other words, adding energy.

[0034] In this embodiment, for example, the hot water heater 10 is operated to heat the water, and even if the concentration of the fine bubbles generated by the UFB units 19 and 21 decreases over time, new fine bubbles can be generated from the water containing air components in a supersaturated state. At this time, by heating, fine bubbles can be generated gradually in the water tank 4 even after the water is supplied, rather than all at once, and a high fine bubble concentration can be maintained for a long period of time. Although a detailed explanation is omitted, if the automatic supply of detergent is not selected, the user can supply one dose of detergent to the manual storage case 37, and the fine bubble water that has passed through the second water supply path 16 passes through the automatic mixer 22 and is mixed with the detergent in the water supply case 12 together with the fine bubble water that has passed through the first water supply path 15 and is supplied to the water tank 4.

[0035] As described above, according to the washing machine 1 of this embodiment, the second water supply path 16 of the water supply mechanism 7 is provided with the second UFB unit 21 that generates fine bubble water, and the pressurized dissolving device 20 that dissolves air components in water is located upstream of the second UFB unit 21. This makes it possible to generate fine bubble water containing fine bubbles at a high concentration, and furthermore, new fine bubbles can be generated in the water tub 4 even after the water is supplied. As a result, the washing machine equipped with the UFB unit 21 that generates fine bubble water can achieve the excellent effect of further improving the cleaning performance by the fine bubbles.

[0036] In this embodiment, downstream of the second UFB unit 21 in the second water supply path 16, an automatic mixer 22 and a water injection case 12 are provided as a downstream detergent mixer for mixing the detergent with the water supplied to the water tank 4. As a result, the detergent is mixed with the fine bubble water in the automatic mixer 22 or the water injection case 12. This makes it possible to obtain fine bubble cleaning water with high cleaning ability in which the detergent is well dissolved, and to supply the water tank 4 in this state.

[0037] In this embodiment, a hot water heater 10, which is a heating device, is provided as an energy adding device that applies a physical stimulus to the water in the water tub 4. As a result, fine bubbles can be generated from the water in the water tub 4 even if time has passed since water was supplied, and the washing operation can be performed with a high fine bubble concentration. In this case, the hot water heater 10 for realizing the hot water washing function is used as the energy adding device, so the configuration can be simplified without adding any parts.

[0038] (2) Second embodiment 6 shows the main configuration of a drum-type washing machine 41 according to the second embodiment. Drum-type washing machine 41 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in the configuration of a water supply mechanism 42. That is, water supply mechanism 42 includes a first water supply path 15 opened and closed by a first water supply valve 17, a second water supply path 16 opened and closed by a second water supply valve 18, a water injection case 12, an automatic inserting device 14, and the like. A first UFB unit 19 is provided in first water supply path 15.

[0039] The second water supply path 16 is provided with the pressurized dissolving device 20, the second UFB unit 21 located downstream thereof, and the automatic mixer 22 located downstream thereof, and is also provided with an upstream detergent mixer 43 located upstream of the pressurized dissolving device 20 for mixing detergent with water supplied to the water tub 4. Although not shown in detail, the upstream detergent mixer 43 is provided with a storage case that stores a single dose of detergent, i.e., detergent or fabric softener, and when the second water supply valve 18 is opened, the water that has flowed into the upstream detergent mixer 43 flows downstream while carrying the detergent.

[0040] In this embodiment, an ultrasonic generator 44 is provided at the bottom of the water tank 4 as an energy adding device instead of the hot water heater 10, which irradiates ultrasonic waves to the water in the water tank 4. Although not shown in detail, the ultrasonic generator 44 includes an ultrasonic transducer that is ultrasonically vibrated by a piezoelectric element, and is configured to irradiate ultrasonic waves to the fine bubble water in the water tank 4 and impart a physical stimulus by applying a high-frequency voltage to the piezoelectric element.

[0041] According to the above configuration, in the second water supply path 16, water supplied from the tap first passes through the upstream detergent mixer 43 to be mixed with the detergent. The water mixed with the detergent becomes supersaturated with air components in the pressurized dissolving device 20, and the water passes further through the second UFB unit 21 to generate fine bubble water containing a large amount of fine bubbles and with a large amount of dissolved air components. At this time, when the water mixed with the detergent passes through the pressurized dissolving device 20 and the second UFB unit 21, the detergent can be well dissolved in the water, and the water can be supplied to the water injection case 12 and ultimately to the water tank 4 in the form of fine bubble cleaning water with high cleaning ability.

[0042] In this embodiment, after the start of the washing operation, the ultrasonic generator 44 is driven to impart stimulation to the water in the water tub 4, and new fine bubbles can be generated from the water in which a large amount of air components are dissolved. This allows the washing operation to be performed with a high concentration of fine bubbles even after a period of time has passed since the water was supplied. At this time, the fine bubbles are vibrated by the ultrasonic generator 44, which is expected to provide a cleaning effect due to the vibrations, further improving the cleaning ability.

[0043] Therefore, in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, by providing the pressurized dissolution device 20, fine bubble water containing a high concentration of fine bubbles can be produced, and furthermore, new fine bubbles can be generated in the water tank 4 even after the water is supplied. As a result, in a device equipped with the UFB unit 21 that produces fine bubble water, it is possible to obtain the excellent effect of further improving the cleaning performance by the fine bubbles.

[0044] (3) Third embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. In this third embodiment, the present invention is applied to a vertical axis type washing machine 51 as a cleaning device. Although not shown in detail, as is well known, the vertical axis type washing machine 51 according to this embodiment includes a water tub 52 with an open top in a rectangular box-shaped outer box, and a cylindrical container-shaped dehydration tub 53 with an open top in water tub 52. These water tub 52 and dehydration tub 53 function as a cleaning tub.

[0045] Agitator blades 54 are provided at the bottom of dehydration tub 53 as an agitator for agitating the water in dehydration tub 53. Agitator blades 54 are driven by drive mechanism 55 provided at the outer bottom of water tub 52, and also function as an energy adding device. Although not shown in detail, drive mechanism 55 includes a motor, a reduction mechanism, a clutch mechanism, and the like, and is configured to rotate agitator blades 54 forward and backward at a low speed during the washing process and the pool-and-rinse process, and to rotate dehydration tub 53 at a high speed during the dehydration process.

[0046] A water supply mechanism 56 for supplying water into the water tank 52 is provided on the upper part of the outer box. This water supply mechanism 56 basically has the same configuration as the water supply mechanism 42 of the second embodiment. That is, the water supply mechanism 56 includes a first water supply path 15 opened and closed by a first water supply valve 17, a second water supply path 16 opened and closed by a second water supply valve 18, a water injection case 12, an automatic injection device 14, and the like. A first UFB unit 19 is provided in the first water supply path 15. In the second water supply path 16, an upstream cleaning agent mixer 43, a pressurized dissolving device 20, a second UFB unit 21, and an automatic mixer 22 are provided in this order from the upstream side.

[0047] In the above configuration, in the second water supply path 16, water supplied from the tap first passes through the upstream detergent mixer 43 to be mixed with the detergent. The water mixed with the detergent becomes supersaturated with air components in the pressurized dissolving device 20, and the water passes further through the second UFB unit 21 to generate fine bubble water containing a large amount of fine bubbles and with a large amount of dissolved air components. At this time, when the water mixed with the detergent passes through the pressurized dissolving device 20 and the second UFB unit 21, the detergent can be well dissolved in the water, and the water can be supplied to the water injection case 12 and ultimately to the water tank 52 in the form of fine bubble cleaning water with high cleaning ability.

[0048] In this embodiment, after the start of the washing operation, the agitator 54 is driven to impart a physical stimulus to the water in the water tank 52, so that new fine bubbles can be generated from the water containing a large amount of air components. If necessary, the agitator 54 can be rotated faster than the normal rotation speed at least in the initial stage of the washing operation to generate fine bubbles more efficiently. This allows the washing operation to be performed with a high concentration of fine bubbles even after a long time has passed since the water was supplied. In this case, the agitator 54 that is originally installed is used, so that the energy addition device can be realized without adding any additional components. Therefore, in the third embodiment, as in the first and second embodiments, excellent effects such as improved cleaning performance by fine bubbles can be obtained in a machine equipped with a UFB unit 21 that generates fine bubble water.

[0049] (4) Fourth embodiment FIG. 8 shows the fourth embodiment, which is applied to a vertical-shaft washing machine 58 as a washing machine. The difference between the fourth embodiment and the third embodiment is that instead of making the agitator 54 function as an energy adding device, the spin-drying tub 53 as a washing tub is rotated by the drive mechanism 55 as a tub drive device to give a physical stimulus to the water in the water tub 52. Therefore, like the third embodiment, the fourth embodiment can also obtain excellent effects such as improving the cleaning performance of fine bubbles in a device equipped with the UFB unit 21 that generates fine bubble water. Furthermore, like the third embodiment, fine bubbles can be generated more efficiently by rotating the spin-drying tub 53 faster than the normal rotation speed at least in the initial stage of the washing operation.

[0050] (5) Fifth embodiment 9 shows the main configuration of a drum-type washing machine 61 according to the fifth embodiment. The fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a water circulator 62 for circulating the water in the water tub 4 is provided outside the water tub 4, and the water circulator 62 functions as an energy adding device. As is well known, the water circulator 62 is provided with a circulation water channel 63 that connects the bottom of the water tub 4 to an outlet provided at the top of the water tub 4 outside the water tub 4, and a circulation pump 64 is provided in the circulation water channel 63. As a result, when the circulation pump 64 is driven, the water in the water tub 4 is circulated through the circulation water channel 63 and discharged from the outlet into the water tub 4, i.e., the drum 5.

[0051] In this embodiment, a third UFB unit 65 is provided in the circulating water passage 63, located downstream of the circulating pump 64. This allows a large amount of fine bubbles to be contained in the water discharged into the drum 5 through the circulating water passage 63 as the water circulator 62 is driven. Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the water supply mechanism 66 has a configuration substantially equivalent to the water supply mechanism 42 of the second embodiment, but the first UFB unit 19 in the first water supply path 15 is omitted. This allows the water flow rate in the first water supply path 15 to be increased, and the water supply time to be shortened.

[0052] In this embodiment, after water is supplied, the water circulator 62 is driven in the washing step or the fill-and-rinse step to impart a physical stimulus to the water in the water tub 4, and new fine bubbles can be generated from the water containing a large amount of air components. This allows the washing operation to be performed with a high concentration of fine bubbles even after some time has passed since water was supplied. In this case, too, the water circulator 62 can be used to realize an energy addition device without adding any additional components. Therefore, in the fifth embodiment, as in the first to fourth embodiments, excellent effects such as improved cleaning performance due to fine bubbles can be obtained in a machine equipped with a UFB unit 21 that generates fine bubble water.

[0053] (6) Sixth embodiment Next, a sixth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. In this sixth embodiment, the present invention is applied to a dishwasher 71 as a washing device. As is well known, a washing tank 74 that is opened and closed by a door 73 on the front side is provided in a rectangular outer case 72 of the dishwasher 71, and a dish basket 75 for supporting dishes D is arranged in the washing tank 74. A washing nozzle 76 is provided below the dish basket 75 in the washing tank 74. A water circulation device 78 including a circulation pump 77 and the like is provided at the bottom of the outer case 72. A heater 79 is provided at the bottom of the washing tank 74 as a heating device for generating hot water.

[0054] A water supply mechanism 80 for supplying water to the cleaning tank 74 is provided in the rear part (the right side in the figure) of the outer box 72. The water supply mechanism 80 includes a water supply valve 82, a pressurized dissolving device 83, and a UFB unit 84 as a fine bubble generator in a water supply path 81, in that order from the upstream side. The water supply path 81 is connected to a water supply source such as a water supply at its base end, and has a water supply port 81a at its tip that opens into the cleaning tank 74. When the water supply valve 82 is opened, water supplied from the water supply is first supplied to the pressurized dissolving device 83, where air components are dissolved in the water, and water in which the air components are supersaturated is generated. Then, the water passes through the UFB unit 84, whereby fine bubble water containing a large amount of fine bubbles and in which the air components are supersaturated is generated, and the required amount of fine bubble water is supplied to the cleaning tank 74 from the water supply port 81a.

[0055] At this time, a detergent has been put into the washing tank 74 by the user in advance, and is mixed with the fine bubble water. In this state, the heater 79 and the circulation pump 77 are driven, and the fine bubble water in which the detergent has been dissolved and turned into warm water is sprayed from the washing nozzle 76 toward the tableware D to wash the tableware D. In this case, the use of fine bubble water can improve the washing performance of the tableware D. In this embodiment, the provision of the pressurized dissolving device 83 allows water in a supersaturated state with air components to be supplied to the UFB unit 84, and fine bubble water containing a large amount of fine bubbles to be supplied to the washing tank 74.

[0056] At the same time, water with many air components remaining in the water can be supplied to the washing tank 74, and when that water is subjected to physical stimulation by the heater 79 and the circulation pump 77 in the washing tank 74, the air components become bubbles and appear in the water. Therefore, according to the sixth embodiment, new fine bubbles can be generated in the washing tank 74 even after water has been supplied, and dishes can be washed with high-concentration fine bubble water for a long time. As a result, in the dishwasher 71 equipped with the UFB unit 84 that generates fine bubble water, the excellent effect of further improving the washing performance by fine bubbles can be obtained.

[0057] (7) Seventh embodiment and other embodiments 11 shows the seventh embodiment. In this seventh embodiment, the present invention is applied to a flush toilet apparatus 91 as a flushing device. This flush toilet apparatus 91 comprises a toilet bowl 92 as a flushing tank, and a water supply mechanism 93 at the rear of the toilet bowl 92 that supplies water to the toilet bowl 92. The toilet bowl 92 comprises a valve bowl 92a and a rim 92b provided on the outer periphery of the upper end of the valve bowl 92a.

[0058] The water supply mechanism 93 includes a main water supply path 94, a valve bowl water supply path 95, and a rim water supply path 96, which extend from the tip of the main water supply path 94 and branch into two. The main water supply path 94 is adapted to have a water supply source such as a water line connected to its base end, and includes, in order from upstream, a water supply valve 82, a pressurized dissolving device 83, and a UFB unit 84 as a fine bubble generator. The tip of the valve bowl water supply path 95 is provided with a discharge port 95a for supplying water to the valve bowl 92a, and the tip of the rim water supply path 96 is provided with a discharge port 96a for supplying water to the rim 92b. The toilet bowl 92 is also provided with a detergent supply device 97 that automatically supplies a detergent, i.e., a detergent, via a detergent supply pipe 97a when the toilet bowl 92 is flushed.

[0059] When the water supply valve 82 is opened, water supplied from the mains is first supplied to the pressurized dissolution device 83, where air components are dissolved in the water, producing water in which the air components are supersaturated. Then, the water passes through the UFB unit 84, producing fine bubble water that contains a large amount of fine bubbles and is supersaturated with the air components. The fine bubble water is supplied from the main water supply path 94 through the valve bowl water supply path 95 and the rim water supply path 96 into the toilet bowl 92, where it is used to flush the toilet bowl 92.

[0060] In this case, the use of fine bubble water can improve the cleaning performance of the toilet bowl 92. In this embodiment, by providing the pressurized dissolving device 83, water in a supersaturated state with air components can be supplied to the UFB unit 84, and fine bubble water containing a large amount of fine bubbles can be supplied to the toilet bowl 92. In the toilet bowl 92, the air components of the fine bubble water become bubbles and appear in the water. Therefore, even with this seventh embodiment, in a flush toilet device 91 equipped with a UFB unit 84 that generates fine bubble water, it is possible to obtain the excellent effect of further improving the cleaning performance of the fine bubbles.

[0061] In the above-mentioned first to fifth embodiments, several examples of the energy adding device, such as a heating device and an ultrasonic generator, have been given, but they can be combined or some of them can be omitted in various cleaning equipment. The first water supply path does not need to be provided with a UFB unit as a fine bubble generator. Of course, it does not need to be provided with an automatic detergent dispenser. In addition, various modifications are possible with respect to the specific structure of the UFB unit as a fine bubble generator, the configuration of the water supply mechanism, the overall configuration of the cleaning equipment, etc.

[0062] The above-described embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] In the drawings, 1, 41, 51, 58, and 61 are washing machines (cleaning devices), 4 and 52 are water tanks, 5 is a drum, 7, 42, 56, 66, 80, and 93 are water supply mechanisms, 10 is a hot water heater (heating device, energy adding device), 11 is a connection port, 12 is a water injection case (downstream detergent mixing section), 14 is an automatic dosing device, 15 is a first water supply path, 16 is a second water supply path, 17 is a first water supply valve, 18 is a second water supply valve, 19 is a second UFB unit (fine bubble generating device), 20 and 83 are heating and dissolving devices, and 21 is a second UFB unit (fine bubble generating device). Reference numeral 22 denotes an automatic mixing section (downstream detergent mixing section), 26 denotes a pressurized dissolving tank, 37 denotes a manual storage case, 43 denotes an upstream detergent mixing section, 44 denotes an ultrasonic generator (energy adding device), 53 denotes a dehydration tank, 54 denotes a mixing blade, 55 denotes a drive mechanism, 62 and 78 denote water circulation devices, 71 denotes a dishwasher (cleaning equipment), 74 denotes a cleaning tank, 81 denotes a water supply path, 84 denotes a UFB unit (fine bubble generating device), 91 denotes a flush toilet device (cleaning equipment), 92 denotes a toilet (cleaning tank), 94 denotes a main water supply path, 95 denotes a water supply path for the toilet bowl, and 96 denotes a water supply path for the rim.

Claims

1. A cleaning tank; a water supply mechanism for supplying water to the cleaning tank; a pressurized dissolving device provided in a water supply path of the water supply mechanism for dissolving air components in water; A fine bubble generator is provided downstream of the pressurized dissolving device in the water supply path, and generates fine bubble water containing fine bubbles. A cleaning device comprising: The pressurized dissolution apparatus is A pressurized dissolving tank in the form of a sealed container; an inlet for introducing water into the pressurized dissolution tank; an outlet for discharging water from the pressurized dissolution tank; an air introduction pipe for introducing air into the pressurized dissolution tank; an on-off valve for opening and closing the air introduction pipe; Equipped with A water supply is connected to the inlet as a water source, A cleaning device in which tap water is supplied from the water supply source into the pressurized dissolution tank.

2. The cleaning equipment according to claim 1, wherein a downstream detergent mixing section for mixing a detergent with the water supplied to the cleaning tank is provided downstream of the fine bubble generator in the water supply path.

3. 3. The cleaning equipment according to claim 1, further comprising an upstream detergent mixer for mixing the detergent with the water supplied to the cleaning tank, the upstream of the pressurized dissolving device being disposed in the water supply path.

4. The cleaning device according to claim 1 , further comprising an energy adding device that applies a physical stimulus to the water in the cleaning tank.

5. 5. The cleaning equipment of claim 4, wherein the energy addition device comprises a heating device for heating the water in the cleaning tub.

6. 5. The cleaning equipment according to claim 4, wherein the energy adding device comprises an ultrasonic generator for irradiating the water in the cleaning tank with ultrasonic waves.

7. 5. The cleaning device according to claim 4, wherein the energy adding device comprises an agitating device for agitating the water in the cleaning tank.

8. 5. The cleaning appliance of claim 4, wherein the energy adding device comprises a tub drive device for moving the cleaning tub.

9. 5. The cleaning equipment according to claim 4, wherein the energy adding device comprises a water circulating device for circulating water in the cleaning tank.

10. The cleaning appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which is a washing machine that cleans clothes contained in the cleaning tub.

11. The washing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which is a dishwasher that washes dishes contained in the washing tub.

12. The flushing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is a flush toilet device for cleaning the inside of a toilet bowl as the flushing tank.

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