washing machine

Abstract

To provide a washing machine capable of capturing lint without deteriorating mountability of a foreign substance trap.SOLUTION: A washing machine includes: a housing; an outer tub stored in the housing and for storing water; a drum included in the outer tub and for storing clothing; a discharge hose for discharging washing water in the outer tub; a circulation pump 20 for returning the washing water in the outer tub into the drum; and a foreign substance trap 40 provided on an upstream of the circulation pump 20 and for capturing a foreign substance. The foreign substance trap 40 includes: a foreign substance capturing part 41c for capturing a foreign substance; and a filter case 42 for detachably storing the foreign substance capturing part. An angle α of a lower surface side storage part 41c1 of the foreign substance capturing part 41c is smaller than an insertion angle β of the foreign substance capturing part 41c with respect to the filter case 42.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a washing machine.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a drum washing machine equipped with a circulation pump, in order to suppress clogging of foreign matter in the runner part (impeller) of the circulation pump, it has been common to provide a foreign matter trap on the upstream side of the circulation path. And this foreign matter trap is often composed of a lattice or a comb so that lint and dirt can be entangled at the same time (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). In addition, since this foreign matter trap is installed at the bottom of the drum washing machine and is a part that the user can remove and clean, there are certain restrictions on the angle (mountability) during installation (for example, about 30°).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, in a coarse collection configuration such as a lattice or a comb, it is difficult to collect (accumulate) fine lint, and the washing operation has been carried out by reattaching it to the clothes and draining it. Reattachment to the clothes is a problem directly related to claims from users, and there is a concern that draining of lint may lead to poor drainage due to clogging of the drain trap, and countermeasures are necessary.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and provide a washing machine capable of collecting lint without deteriorating the mountability of the foreign matter trap.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention comprises a housing, an outer tank housed in the housing for storing water, an inner tank enclosed within the outer tank for storing clothes, a drainage path for discharging the washing water from the outer tank, a circulation pump for returning the washing water from the outer tank to the inside of the inner tank, and a foreign matter trap provided upstream of the circulation pump for collecting foreign matter, wherein the foreign matter trap comprises a foreign matter collection section for collecting foreign matter and a collection case for detachably housing the foreign matter collection section, and the foreign matter collection section Root side bottom against the horizontal plane The angle is ,before Recorded by the Foreign Object Collection Department against the horizontal plane It is characterized by being smaller than the insertion angle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, a washing machine that can collect lint without worsening the ease of attaching a foreign object trap can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the washing machine according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing the flow of laundry water when the circulation pump is running. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing a lint filter device. [Figure 4] This is a top view of the filter section. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of the lint filter device, taken from the front after cutting the filter section midway in the front-to-back direction. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view of the lint filter device, taken by cutting it in the center of the filter section in the left-right direction and viewing it from the side. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing the movement of lint during drainage in the filter section of this embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram showing the movement of lint during drainage in the filter section of the comparative example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications and applications are included within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. Furthermore, the following description will be based on the direction shown in Figure 1. Also, the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 1 is the left-right direction. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of a drum-type washing machine and dryer according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the drum-type washer-dryer (hereinafter abbreviated as washing machine) 100 comprises a housing 1, an outer tub 2 housed in the housing 1 for storing water, a drum 3 (inner tub) enclosed within the outer tub 2 for storing clothes, a circulation pump 20 that returns the wash water in the outer tub 2 to the drum 3, and a foreign matter trap 40 provided upstream of the circulation pump 20 for collecting foreign matter (lint).

[0010] The enclosure 1 is constructed by combining side plates (not shown) and reinforcing members (not shown), mainly made of steel plates and resin molded products, to form a frame on top of the base 1h, and then attaching a front cover 1a, a lower front cover 1b, and a top cover 1c, all made of resin molded products, on top of that. The front cover 1a is also provided with a door 9 that is opened and closed when putting in or taking out laundry (clothes).

[0011] The door 9 consists of a door glass 9a fixed to a resin door frame 9b, and is attached to the housing 1 so as to be able to open and close by a hinge (not shown). The door 9 is positioned so that the door frame 9b abuts against the periphery of a circular opening 1s formed in the housing 1. The door glass 9a is also configured to have a convex shape so as to extend further back (towards the rear) than the opening 1s in the housing 1.

[0012] The outer tank 2 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape and is elastically supported by a plurality of dampers (not shown) provided at its lower part. The outer tank cover 4 is attached to the front opening (door 9 side) formed on the front side of the outer tank 2.

[0013] The outer tub cover 4 is connected at the rear side to the front opening of the outer tub 2, and a circular opening 4a through which laundry is put in and taken out is formed at the front side. Further, a rubber door packing (also called a bellows) 10 made of an elastic body is attached to the outer tub cover 4. This door packing 10 is formed in a substantially annular shape, and the opening edge portion on the back side (rear side) is attached to the opening 4a of the outer tub cover 4, and the opening edge portion on the front side (front side) is attached to the edge of the opening 1s of the housing 1. By closing the door 9, the door glass 9a adheres to the door packing 10, and it plays a role of maintaining the watertightness between the outer tub 2 and the door 9. Thereby, prevention of water leakage during washing, rinsing, and dehydration is achieved.

[0014] The drum 3 is capable of accommodating laundry (clothes) formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape, and an opening 3a is located at the front side. Further, a fluid balancer (not shown) for reducing vibration caused by unbalance of the laundry during dehydration is provided on the outer periphery of the opening 3a of the drum 3. Further, a plurality of lifters (not shown) for lifting the laundry are provided inside the drum 3. Further, the drum 3 is directly connected to a motor (not shown) for driving the drum. Further, the drum 3 has a number of small holes (not shown) for centrifugal dehydration and ventilation in the cylindrical portion which is the side wall. Further, the rotation axis O of the drum 3 is inclined such that the front side is higher than the rear side. Note that the rotation axis of the drum 3 may be configured to be substantially horizontal.

[0015] In addition, a blower duct 25 (circulation air passage) that connects the outer tub 2 and the blower fan 26 (blowing means) is provided on the back of the outer tub 2. The blower duct 25 guides air flow to the laundry in the drum 3, and one end thereof is connected to the lower part of the back surface of the outer tub 2. The blower fan 26 is connected to the other end of the blower duct 25 via the drying filter 27. Also, the blower fan 26 and the drying filter 27 are fixed to the housing 1. The air generated by the blower fan 26 is heated by the heater 28 and then becomes warm air, which is discharged into the drum 3 from the blowing nozzle 29. The warm air blown onto the laundry becomes hot and humid air, which is sucked into the blower duct 25 and cooled and dehumidified by a water-cooled dehumidifying mechanism (not shown) provided in the blower duct 25 to become low-temperature air. Note that a heat pump may be used instead of the heater and the water-cooled dehumidifying mechanism.

[0016] The circulation pump 20 is provided below the outer tub 2 and fixed to the base 1h side of the housing 1. The washing water is sent from the drain port 2b of the water receiving portion 2a (see FIG. 2) provided at the lower part of the outer tub 2 through the pipe 21 to the foreign matter trap 40. Also, the drain port 2b communicates with the drain hose 24 (drainage path) via the foreign matter trap 40 and the drain valve 23, so that the water in the outer tub 2 can be drained outside the machine.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of washing water when the circulation pump is driven. Note that the drainage path is not shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the circulation pump 20 is composed of a motor 20a and an impeller 20b. When the motor 20a drives during washing or rinsing, the impeller 20b rotates, and as indicated by the arrow, the washing water is sucked from the drain port 2b at the bottom of the outer tub 2, passes through the pipe 21 and the circulation path 31, and is supplied in a shower shape into the drum 3 from the upper part of the outer tub cover 4 (see FIG. 1).

[0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the lint filter device. As shown in Figure 3, the foreign matter trap 40 comprises a filter section 41 for collecting lint and a filter case 42 (collection case) that detachably houses the filter section 41. The filter section 41 has a knob 41a, which can be attached to the filter case 42 by turning the knob 41a in one direction, and removed from the filter case 42 by turning the knob 41a in the other direction. Figure 3 shows the filter section 41 attached to the filter case 42.

[0019] The filter case 42 comprises a substantially cylindrical housing 42a in which the filter unit 41 is installed, a connecting part 42b that connects to the piping 21 (see Figure 2) extending from the outer tank 2 (see Figure 1), and a connecting part 42c (see Figure 6) that connects to the drain hose 24 (see Figure 1). A circulation pump 20 is also mounted on the side of the filter case 42.

[0020] The circulation pump 20 has an impeller case 20c in which an impeller 20b (see Figure 2) is housed. A connection portion 20d is formed in this impeller case 20c that connects to the circulation path 31 (see Figure 2). The impeller case 20c is also configured to communicate with the side surface of the housing portion 42a of the filter case 42.

[0021] Figure 4 is a top view of the filter section. As shown in Figure 4, the filter section 41 comprises a substantially cylindrical base 41b that is inserted into the housing section 42a (see Figure 3) of the filter case 42, and a foreign matter collection section 41c that extends inward (rearward) from the base 41b. The base 41b is also provided with an annular packing (sealing member) 41d to prevent washing water from leaking out from the gap between the filter case 42 and the filter section 41 when the filter section 41 is attached to the filter case 42.

[0022] The foreign matter collection section 41c is for collecting foreign matter such as lint, and has a lower side collection section 41c1, a pair of side side collection sections 41c2, 41c2 that rise from the left and right edges of the lower side collection section 41c1, and a front section 41c3 that rises from the front end edge of the lower side collection section 41c1 and is connected to the side side collection sections 41c2, and has a concave shape with a rectangular opening on the top surface.

[0023] The lower side collection section 41c1 and the left and right side collection sections 41c2 are integrally formed by insert molding, for example, a metal mesh member (see Figure 6 for the mesh shape of the side collection section 41c2). The mesh is an opening that is mainly capable of capturing lint. Furthermore, the mesh member is not limited to metal, but may be made of a mesh of chemical fibers.

[0024] The front section 41c3 is a solid wall without any mesh members. Similarly, the wall surface 41b1 of the base section 41b, which faces the front section 41c3, is also a solid wall without any holes.

[0025] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the lint filter device, taken from the front after cutting the filter section midway in the front-to-back direction. Figure 5 shows the filter section 41 in a horizontal position. Also, Figure 5 omits the illustration of the electric motor 20a and impeller 20b. As shown in Figure 5, the filter case 42 has an inlet 43 with a fan-shaped cross-section formed above the filter section 41, through which the wash water from the connection section 42b flows in. The filter case 42 also has an outlet 44 formed below the filter section 41, through which the wash water that has passed through the filter section 41 flows out. The outlet 44 is in communication with the connection section 42c. The outlet 44 is also in communication with the impeller case 20c via the suction port 42d.

[0026] The filter section 41 has a small gap 42f between the side collection section 41c2 and the side surface 42e of the filter case 42. Furthermore, the side collection section 41c2 is inclined such that the gap 42f widens from the top end to the bottom end.

[0027] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the lint filter device, taken by cutting the filter section in the center in the left-right direction and viewing it from the side. As shown in Figure 6, the foreign object trap 40 is positioned inside the housing 1 (see Figure 1) such that the connection parts 42b and 42c of the filter case 42 extend horizontally in the front-rear direction. The connection part 42b is located above the connection part 2c. The connection parts 42b and 42c are formed to extend in the same direction (rearward). The foreign object trap 40 is also tilted such that the housing part 42a of the filter case 42 is higher on the front side than on the back side. Furthermore, since the foreign object trap 40 is installed at the bottom of the housing 1, the filter part 41 is positioned upward at a predetermined angle (for example, 30°), so that the user's ability to attach and detach the filter part 41 is not impaired. In other words, the foreign object trap 40 is set at an angle that is easy for the user to operate, so that the attachment and detachment direction (insertion angle) of the filter part 41 is not at angles such as 80°, 90°, 0°, or 10°.

[0028] Furthermore, in the foreign matter trap 40, the filter section 41 is inserted into the housing section 42a of the filter case 42, so that the filter section 41 is inclined so that the front side is higher than the back side. At this time, the lower side collection section 41c1 of the filter section 41 is positioned to be smaller than the insertion angle of the filter section 41. That is, the lower side collection section 41c1 is the lowest surface of the filter section 41 (foreign matter collection section 41c), and is positioned to be at an angle α (angle of the lowest surface of the foreign matter collection section) with respect to the horizontal plane S. For example, angle α is 20°. Also, the filter section 41 is positioned so that its insertion angle with respect to the filter case 42 is at an insertion angle β (insertion angle of the foreign matter collection section) with respect to the horizontal plane S. For example, insertion angle β is 30°. Thus, the angle α of the lower surface collection section 41c1 of the filter section 41 (the angle of the lowest surface of the foreign matter collection section) is configured to be smaller than the insertion angle β of the foreign matter collection section 41c relative to the filter case 42. The angle α is set appropriately within a range that does not impair the amount of foreign matter collected by the foreign matter collection section 41c.

[0029] Furthermore, a suction port 42d leading to the circulation pump 20 is formed on the side surface of the housing portion 42a of the filter case 42. This suction port 42d is, for example, a circular hole, and in the side view of Figure 6 (side view from the axial direction of the suction port 42d), it is positioned so as not to overlap with the foreign matter collection portion 41c. In other words, a part of the foreign matter collection portion 41c is located above the suction port 42d. In this embodiment, a part of the foreign matter collection portion 41c is located above the suction port 42d, but the entire foreign matter collection portion 41c may be located above the suction port 42d.

[0030] Furthermore, the connecting portion 42b is formed in a tubular shape with its axial direction horizontal and communicates with the upper part of the housing portion 42a. In addition, the wall surface 41b1 of the base portion 41b is located on the forward extension line of the opening 42b1 of the connecting portion 42b to the housing portion 42a. Furthermore, the connecting portion 42c is formed in a tubular shape with its axial direction horizontal and communicates with the lower part of the housing portion 42a. In addition, the upper part of the opening 42c1 of the connecting portion 42c to the housing portion 42a faces the front portion 41c3.

[0031] In the foreign matter trap 40 configured in this way, when the circulation pump 20 is driven (ON) during the washing or rinsing process, the water (wash water) stored in the outer tub 2 is introduced from the connection part 42b to the foreign matter collection part 41c of the filter part 41. Foreign matter such as lint accompanying the wash water is collected and accumulated in the foreign matter collection part 41c, and the wash water flows out from the mesh part of the foreign matter collection part 41c to the outlet part 44. The wash water is then sucked in from the suction port 42d and discharged into the drum 3 through the circulation path 31 (see Figure 2) by the circulation pump 20. When washing and rinsing are finished, after the circulation pump 20 stops, the drain valve 23 (see Figure 1) opens, and the wash water is discharged to the drain outside the washing machine 100 through the connection part 42c and the drain hose 24 (see Figure 1).

[0032] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the movement of lint during drainage in the filter section of this embodiment. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing the movement of lint during drainage in the filter section of a comparative example. Note that the filter section in Figure 8 is also a mesh. As shown in the upper part of Figure 7, when the circulation pump 20 is driven during washing and rinsing, the washing water introduced from the connection part 42b to the foreign matter collection part 41c hits, for example, the wall surface 41b1 of the filter part 41, and foreign matter 50 (lint) accumulates on the wall surface 41b1 side (base side) of the foreign matter collection part 41c. Also, before draining, the water level 60 is located above the foreign matter trap 40, and the foreign matter trap 40 is completely submerged.

[0033] As shown in the lower diagram of Figure 7, when the drain valve 23 (see Figure 1) is opened and the washing water is drained, the water level 60 of the washing water gradually decreases while remaining parallel to the installation surface (floor) of the washing machine 100. At this time, the foreign matter 50 (lint) collected and accumulated in the foreign matter collection section 41c is separated from the decrease in the water level 60 and can remain on the base side wall 41b1 (upper side) of the foreign matter collection section 41c. This is because the angle α of the lower side collection section 41c1 of the foreign matter collection section 41c is smaller than the insertion angle β of the foreign matter collection section 41c.

[0034] On the other hand, as a comparative example, the foreign matter trap 200 shown in the upper part of Figure 8 comprises a filter case 110 and a filter part attached to the filter case 110. The angle α100 of the lower side collection part 120a of the foreign matter collection part 120 of the filter part is the same as the insertion angle β100 of the foreign matter collection part 120 (for example, 30°). In the foreign matter trap 200 as a comparative example configured in this way, as shown in the upper part of Figure 8, when the foreign matter trap 200 is submerged in water, foreign matter 50 is collected and accumulated on the base side (right side in the figure) of the lower side collection part 120a of the foreign matter collection part 120. Then, when the drain valve is opened and the washing water is drained, the water level 60 of the washing water gradually decreases while maintaining a state parallel to the installation surface (floor surface) of the washing machine 100. At this time, as shown in the lower diagram of Figure 8, the foreign matter 50 accumulated in the foreign matter collection unit 120 flows to the back side (left side in the diagram) of the foreign matter collection unit 120 as the water level 60 drops, and as indicated by the arrow, it eventually flows out to the outside of the foreign matter collection unit 120 along with the washing water and is discharged outside the machine through the drain hose. As a result, the foreign matter may clog the drain trap and cause it to become blocked.

[0035] Furthermore, in the foreign matter trap 200, the foreign matter collection section 120 is positioned so as to overlap with the suction port 110a of the circulation pump in a side view. As a result, there is a risk that laundry water may be sucked in from the side of the foreign matter collection section 120, flow out of the foreign matter collection section 120, and allow foreign matter 50 to flow out from the suction port 110a. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the foreign matter collection section 41c is positioned so as not to overlap with the suction port 42d in a side view, and a part of the foreign matter collection section 41c is positioned above the suction port 42d. This allows the laundry water to flow mainly through the underside of the foreign matter collection section 41c (underside collection section 41c1) to the suction port 42d, thus ensuring that foreign matter 50 is reliably collected and accumulated in the foreign matter collection section 41c.

[0036] As described above, the washing machine 100 of this embodiment comprises a housing 1, an outer tub 2 housed in the housing 1 for storing water, a drum 3 enclosed within the outer tub 2 for storing clothes, a drain hose 24 for discharging the wash water from the outer tub 2, a circulation pump 20 for returning the wash water from the outer tub 2 to the inside of the drum 3, and a foreign matter trap 40 provided upstream of the circulation pump 20 for collecting foreign matter 50. The foreign matter trap 40 comprises a foreign matter collection section 41c for collecting foreign matter 50 and a filter case 42 that detachably houses the foreign matter collection section 41c. The angle α of the lower side collection section 41c1 (lowest surface) of the foreign matter collection section 41c is smaller than the insertion angle β of the foreign matter collection section 41c relative to the filter case 42 (see Figures 6 and 7). According to this design, foreign matter (lint) 50 can be retained in the foreign matter collection section 41c during drainage, thereby suppressing the discharge of foreign matter 50 outside the machine and preventing clogging of the drain trap. Furthermore, since the insertion angle β of the foreign matter collection section 41c can be set to the same angle as in conventional designs, the ease of attachment and detachment by the user is not impaired.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the foreign matter collection section 41c is configured in a mesh-like manner. This allows for the collection of finer lint (foreign matter) than a grid-like or comb-shaped foreign matter collection section.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the filter case 42 is equipped with an intake port 42d for drawing in wash water when the circulation pump 20 is driven, and the foreign matter collection section 41c does not overlap with the intake port 42d in a side view, and a part of the foreign matter collection section 41c is located above the intake port 42d. This prevents foreign matter from being sucked in from the side of the foreign matter collection section 41c, and ensures that foreign matter 50 is reliably collected inside the foreign matter collection section 41c.

[0039] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are included. For example, although this embodiment was described using a drum-type washer-dryer as an example, it can also be applied to a drum-type washing machine that does not have a drying function. Also, although this embodiment was described using a configuration in which the filter part 41 is attached to the filter case 42 by screwing it in, the filter part 41 does not have to be attached by screwing it in. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 1 cabinet 2 Outer tank 3 drums (inner tubs) 4. Outer tank cover 20 Circulation pump 20a electric motor 20b Impeller 20cm Impeller Case 20d Connection part 23 Drain valve 24. Drain hose (drainage route) 40 Foreign object trap 41 Filter section 41a Knob 41b base 41b1 Wall 41c Foreign matter collection section 41c1 Bottom side collection part 41c2 Side collection part 41c3 Front part 42. Filter case (collection case) 42a Storage area 42b, 42c connection section 42d Inlet 50 Foreign matter 60 water surface 100 Drum-type washing machine / dryer α angle (angle of the lowest surface of the foreign object collection section) β Insertion angle (insertion angle of the foreign object collection part)

Claims

1. The system comprises a housing, an outer tank housed within the housing for storing water, an inner tank enclosed within the outer tank for storing clothes, a drainage path for discharging the washing water from the outer tank, a circulation pump for returning the washing water from the outer tank to the inside of the inner tank, and a foreign object trap provided upstream of the circulation pump for collecting foreign objects. The foreign object trap comprises a foreign object collection unit for collecting foreign objects and a collection case for detachably housing the foreign object collection unit. A washing machine characterized in that the angle of the lowest surface at the base of the foreign matter collection unit with respect to the horizontal plane is smaller than the insertion angle of the foreign matter collection unit with respect to the horizontal plane.

2. The washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the foreign matter collection section is configured in a mesh-like manner.

3. The collection case is equipped with a suction port for drawing in laundry water when the circulation pump is driven, The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the foreign matter collection unit does not overlap with the suction port in a side view, and a part of the foreign matter collection unit is located above the suction port.

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