Cleaning equipment

Abstract

To provide a washing device comprising a washing nozzle extending horizontally on the lower side of a washing tank and spraying wash water, even when the washing nozzle turns in a tilted state from a horizontal attitude, preventing a lower surface of a flange part from being scraped by a corner part 441b on one side in a width direction of a claw part 441, in the washing device comprising: a cylindrical inflow port 42 provided at a center of a lower surface of the washing nozzle, projecting from a bottom wall 22 of the washing tank and in which a cylindrical shaft 25, the inside of which wash water is supplied, is inserted, where the washing nozzle is configured to turn around the cylindrical shaft 25; a flange part 251 protruding outward, provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical shaft 25; and an engaging piece 44 installed vertically, located radially outward of an inflow port 42 on the lower surface of the washing nozzle, and including a claw 441 projecting radially inward on the lower end and being engageable with the lower surface of the flange part 251.SOLUTION: A width dimension W of a claw 441 is so set that end parts 441a on both sides in the width direction of a radially inner end of the claw part 441 overhang outward the flange part 251 in a plan view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a washing device such as a dishwasher that includes a washing tub capable of accommodating dishes or other items to be washed, and a washing nozzle that extends horizontally at the bottom of the washing tub and sprays washing water. [Background technology]

[0002] In general, a washing device has a cylindrical shaft that protrudes upward from the bottom wall of a washing tank and into which washing water is supplied, and a cylindrical inlet into which the cylindrical shaft is inserted is provided in the center of the bottom surface of a washing nozzle.A nozzle hole is provided on the top surface of the washing nozzle to spray washing water supplied into the washing nozzle via the cylindrical shaft, and the washing nozzle is configured to rotate around the cylindrical shaft due to the reaction force of the washing water spraying from the nozzle hole.

[0003] In addition, a conventional cleaning device of this type is known in which a flange portion that protrudes outward is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical shaft, and an engaging piece is vertically provided on the underside of the cleaning nozzle, positioned radially outward of the inlet, protruding radially inward and having a claw portion at its lower end that can engage with the underside of the flange portion, so that the claw portion engages with the underside of the flange portion to prevent the cleaning nozzle from floating up (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] However, it was discovered that the underside of the flange would become scratched after a certain amount of use. After extensive research, the inventors of the present application discovered the cause of this scratching. Specifically, the cleaning nozzle often rotates while tilted slightly from a horizontal position. When the cleaning nozzle tilts, one of the widthwise corners of the engaging piece's claws, which is perpendicular to the radial direction, hits the underside of the flange. This corner scrapes and scratches the underside of the flange. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-124203 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device in which the underside of the flange is not scraped even when the cleaning nozzle is rotated in a tilted state from the horizontal position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a washing device comprising a washing tank capable of storing an object to be washed, and a washing nozzle extending horizontally at the bottom of the washing tank for spraying washing water, wherein a cylindrical shaft protruding upward is provided on the bottom wall of the washing tank and into which washing water is supplied, a cylindrical inlet into which the cylindrical shaft is inserted is provided in the center of the bottom surface of the washing nozzle, and a nozzle hole is provided on the top surface of the washing nozzle for spraying washing water supplied into the washing nozzle via the cylindrical shaft, and the washing nozzle rotates around the cylindrical shaft due to the reactive force of the spraying of washing water from the nozzle hole. The cleaning nozzle is configured to rotate around the nozzle, and further, an outwardly protruding flange is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical shaft, and an engaging piece is vertically provided on the underside of the cleaning nozzle, positioned radially outward of the inlet, protruding radially inward and having a claw portion at its lower end that can engage with the underside of the flange, so that the claw portion engages with the underside of the flange to prevent the cleaning nozzle from floating up, and the width dimension of the claw portion perpendicular to the radial direction is set so that the ends on both widthwise sides of the radially inner end of the claw portion protrude outside the flange in a plan view.

[0008] According to the present invention, the corners on both widthwise sides of the claws are located outside the flange along the radially inner ends of the claws. Therefore, even if the cleaning nozzle tilts from the horizontal position, the corner on one widthwise side of the claws will not come into contact with the underside of the flange. Therefore, even if the cleaning nozzle pivots while tilted from the horizontal position, the underside of the flange will not be scraped by the corners.

[0009] In addition, in the present invention, it is preferable that the flange has a notch whose width dimension is smaller than that of the claw. This allows some of the cleaning water flowing down from the cleaning nozzle to flow around the underside of the flange via the notch. Therefore, any foreign matter that has entered between the flange and the claw can be washed away by the cleaning water that has flowed around the underside of the flange. This maintains smooth rotation of the cleaning nozzle and prevents the underside of the flange from being scratched by foreign matter.

[0010] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is desirable to provide a water drop hole on the underside of the washing nozzle above the claws, through which some of the wash water flowing into the washing nozzle falls. This makes it easier for the wash water falling from the water drop hole to flow between the flange and the claws. As a result, as with the above, foreign matter that has entered between the flange and the claws can be washed away by the wash water, maintaining smooth rotation of the washing nozzle and preventing damage to the underside of the flange by foreign matter.

[0011] In the present invention, the flow rate of cleaning water supplied to the cleaning nozzle is desirably set so that the upward force acting on the cleaning nozzle due to the supply of cleaning water to the cleaning nozzle is smaller than the weight of the cleaning nozzle, thereby preventing the claws from coming into contact with the underside of the flange and more reliably preventing wear on the underside of the flange. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a dishwasher as a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cutaway side view of a main part of the dishwasher of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional plan view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view of the central portion of the washing nozzle of the dishwasher of FIG. 1, seen from diagonally below. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The washing device according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 1 is a built-in dishwasher for washing tableware W, which is the object to be washed, and includes a washing tub 2 that is stored in a housing 1 with an open front so that it can be freely pulled out forward. A dish basket 3 made up of a lower basket 31 and an upper basket 32 that support the tableware W is stored in the washing tub 2, and a washing nozzle 4 that sprays washing water toward the dish basket 3 is provided. A front cover 21 is attached to the front of the washing tub 2, which closes the front of the housing 1 when the washing tub 2 is stored. A seal cover 11 is provided at the top of the housing 1, which closes the open top of the washing tub 2 when the washing tub 2 is stored.

[0014] A washing water reservoir 24 is provided in front of the bottom wall 22 of the washing tank 2, which communicates with the inside of the washing tank 2 via a food residue filter 23. A washing pump 5, which communicates with the reservoir 24, is installed below the bottom wall 22 of the washing tank 2. When the washing pump 5 is rotated forward, the washing water in the washing tank 2 is supplied to the washing nozzle 4 via the reservoir 24 and the washing pump 5, and when the washing pump 5 is rotated reversely, the washing water is drained from the washing tank 2.

[0015] The cleaning nozzle 4 extends horizontally at the bottom of the cleaning tank 2 (below the lower basket 31). A center nozzle portion 41 extending upward is provided in the center of the cleaning nozzle 4. Referring also to FIG. 2, a cylindrical shaft 25 protrudes upward from the bottom wall 22 of the cleaning tank 2, into which cleaning water is supplied from the cleaning pump 5. A cylindrical inlet 42 into which the cylindrical shaft 25 is inserted is provided in the center of the underside of the cleaning nozzle 4. Furthermore, a plurality of nozzle holes 43 are provided in the upper surface of the cleaning nozzle 4, which spray cleaning water supplied into the cleaning nozzle 4 via the cylindrical shaft 25. The cleaning nozzle 4 rotates around the cylindrical shaft 25 due to the reactive force of the spraying of cleaning water from the nozzle holes 43.

[0016] In addition, an outwardly protruding flange 251 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical shaft 25. Referring also to Figures 3 and 4, a pair of engagement pieces 44, 44 are vertically provided on the underside of the cleaning nozzle 4, radially outward from the inlet 42, positioned at a portion that sandwiches the inlet 42 from both sides in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning nozzle 4. A claw 441 is provided at the lower end of each engagement piece 44, protruding radially inward and engageable with the underside of the flange 251. The engagement of the claw 441 with the underside of the flange 251 prevents the cleaning nozzle 4 from floating up.

[0017] A pair of support pieces 45, 45 are vertically attached to the underside of the cleaning nozzle 4, positioned radially outward from the inlet 42 and 90° circumferentially away from the engaging pieces 44, 44. The lower end of each support piece 45 is positioned slightly higher than the lower end of the claw portion 441, which is the lower end of each engaging piece 44. When the cleaning nozzle 4 tilts from the horizontal position around its center line along its longitudinal direction, one of the support pieces 45 abuts against the bottom wall 22 of the cleaning tank 2, preventing the cleaning nozzle 4 from tilting any further.

[0018] 3, the widthwise dimension of the claw portion 441, which is perpendicular to the radial direction, is set so that end portions 441a, 441a on both sides in the widthwise direction of the radially inner end of the claw portion 441 protrude outward from the flange portion 251 in a plan view. As a result, corners 441b, 441b on both sides in the widthwise direction of the claw portion 441 are located outside the flange portion 251 across the radially inner end of the claw portion 441. Therefore, even if the cleaning nozzle 4 tilts from the horizontal position around the central axis, the corner 441b on one side in the widthwise direction of the claw portion 441 will not come into contact with the underside of the flange portion 251. Therefore, even if the cleaning nozzle 4 rotates while tilted from the horizontal position, the underside of the flange portion 251 can be prevented from being scraped by the corner 441b.

[0019] The flange 251 is also provided with four notches 251a spaced at 90° intervals around the circumference. The width dimension of the notches 251a is smaller than the width dimension of the claws 441. Furthermore, water drop holes 46 are provided above the claws 441 on the underside of the cleaning nozzle 4, allowing some of the cleaning water that has flowed into the cleaning nozzle 4 to fall. This allows the cleaning water that falls from the water drop holes 46 to flow around the underside of the flange 251 via the notches 251a. Therefore, foreign matter that has entered between the flange 251 and the claws 441 can be washed away by the cleaning water that has flowed around the underside of the flange 251. This maintains smooth rotation of the cleaning nozzle 4 and also prevents the underside of the flange 251 from being scratched by foreign matter.

[0020] Note that some of the flushing water that falls on the upper surface of flange 251 flows along the outer periphery of flange 251 and flows around to the lower surface of flange 251. Therefore, notch 251a is not essential. However, providing notch 251a is advantageous because it allows the flushing water that falls on the upper surface of flange 251 to flow around to the lower surface of flange 251 efficiently.

[0021] Furthermore, a portion of the flushing water flowing into the washing nozzle 4 from the cylindrical shaft 25 flows down onto the upper surface of the flange 251 through the gap between the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical shaft 25 and the inlet 42. Therefore, the water drop hole 46 is not essential. However, providing the water drop hole 46 is advantageous because it allows the flushing water to reliably fall onto the upper surface of the flange 251. In particular, if the water drop hole 46 and the notch 251a are provided as in this embodiment, when the claw 441 rotates to a position where it matches the notch 251a, the flushing water from the water drop hole 46 located above the claw 441 falls onto the claw 441 through the notch 251a. Therefore, foreign matter that has entered between the flange 251 and the claw 441 can be efficiently washed away.

[0022] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the flow rate of cleaning water supplied to the cleaning nozzle 4 is set so that the upward force acting on the cleaning nozzle 4 due to the supply of cleaning water to the cleaning nozzle 4 is smaller than the weight of the cleaning nozzle 4. This prevents the claws 441 from coming into contact with the underside of the flange 251, thereby more reliably preventing wear on the underside of the flange 251.

[0023] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in the above embodiment, the number of engagement pieces 44 provided on the underside of the washing nozzle 4 is two, and the number of notches 251a provided on the flange 251 is four. However, the number of engagement pieces 44 may be three or more, and the number of notches 251a may be other than four. Furthermore, although the above embodiment applies the present invention to a dishwasher, the present invention can also be applied to a washing device that washes items other than tableware. [Explanation of symbols]

[0024] 2...cleaning tank, 22...bottom wall, 25...cylindrical shaft, 251...flange portion, 251a...notch portion, 4...cleaning nozzle, 42...inlet, 43...nozzle hole, 44...engaging piece, 441...claw portion, 441a...ends on both widthwise sides of the radially inner end of the claw portion, 46...water drop hole.

Claims

1. A cleaning device comprising a cleaning tank capable of accommodating an object to be cleaned, and a cleaning nozzle extending horizontally at the bottom of the cleaning tank for spraying cleaning water, A cylindrical shaft protruding upward is provided on the bottom wall of the cleaning tank, into which cleaning water is supplied, a cylindrical inlet into which the cylindrical shaft is inserted is provided in the center of the lower surface of the cleaning nozzle, a nozzle hole is provided on the upper surface of the cleaning nozzle, and the cleaning water supplied into the cleaning nozzle via the cylindrical shaft is sprayed out, and the cleaning nozzle is configured to rotate around the cylindrical shaft by the reaction force of the spraying of cleaning water from the nozzle hole, Furthermore, an outwardly protruding flange is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical shaft, and an engaging piece is provided on the underside of the cleaning nozzle, positioned radially outward of the inlet, protruding radially inward and having a claw at its lower end that can engage with the underside of the flange, so that the claw engages with the underside of the flange to prevent the cleaning nozzle from floating up, A cleaning device characterized in that the widthwise dimension of the claw portion, perpendicular to the radial direction, is set so that the ends on both sides of the widthwise direction of the radially inner end of the claw portion extend outward from the flange portion in a plan view.

2. 2. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the flange has a notch whose width is smaller than the width of the claw.

3. 3. The washing device according to claim 1, wherein a water drop hole is provided in a portion of the underside of the washing nozzle above the claw portion, through which a portion of the washing water flowing into the washing nozzle drops.

4. 3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the flow rate of cleaning water supplied to the cleaning nozzle is set so that the upward force acting on the cleaning nozzle due to the supply of cleaning water to the cleaning nozzle is smaller than the weight of the cleaning nozzle itself.

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