Drum-type washing machine

Abstract

To provide a drum type washing machine capable of performing a washing operation of a drum in parallel with a normal washing operation, while it can properly remove dirt on an outer peripheral surface of the drum.SOLUTION: A drum type washing machine can execute a washing step. The drum type washing machine includes: an outer tub arranged in a housing; a drum arranged in the outer tub and rotatable around a horizontal axis; and a storage part provided on an inner peripheral side of the outer tub and for storing a dirt removal member opposing to an outer peripheral surface of the drum.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] A general drum washing machine installed in a general household or a coin laundry has an outer tub provided in the washing machine body and a drum accommodated in the outer tub so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis. In this drum washing machine, after clothes are put into the drum, washing is performed by rotating the drum in a state where water is supplied into the outer tub, and then dehydration is performed by draining water from the outer tub and rotating the drum at a high speed.

[0003] In a drum washing machine, when dirt accumulates on the outer peripheral surface of the drum, it causes the generation of mold, so it is necessary to regularly and thoroughly clean the outer peripheral surface of the drum. Therefore, some drum washing machines have a cleaning key. By turning on the cleaning key and the start key, water is supplied into the outer tub, and after reaching a predetermined water level, the drum is rotated for a predetermined time to perform cleaning. After the cleaning is completed, the rotation of the drum is stopped to keep it immersed, and after the immersion ends, the water in the outer tub is drained (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The drum-type washing machine described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a washing key, and a drum washing operation can be performed by performing a special operation. However, this drum-type washing machine attempts to remove dirt attached to the outer surface of the drum by water flow, but the water flow may not be sufficient to remove it. In addition, since the drum washing operation must be performed separately from the normal washing operation, it is an unnecessary hassle, and the normal washing operation cannot be performed while the drum washing operation is in progress, resulting in poor washing efficiency.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides a drum-type washing machine that can properly remove dirt adhering to the outer surface of the drum and can perform a drum cleaning operation in parallel with a normal washing operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The drum-type washing machine according to the present invention is a drum-type washing machine capable of performing a washing process, comprising: an outer tub disposed within a housing; a drum disposed within the outer tub and rotatable about a horizontal axis or an inclined axis tilted with respect to the horizontal direction; and a housing portion provided on the inner circumference side of the outer tub and housing a dirt removal member facing the outer surface of the drum. A drain port is provided in a protruding portion that extends radially outward from the inner circumferential surface of the outer tank, and the housing portion is located above the protruding portion on the inner circumferential surface of the outer tank and protrudes radially outward from the inner circumferential surface of the outer tank. It is characterized by the following:

[0008] In the drum-type washing machine according to the present invention, it is preferable that the dirt removal member moves by buoyancy when water is supplied to the outer tub and comes into contact with the outer surface of the drum, and moves by its own weight when water is drained from the outer tub and moves away from the outer surface of the drum.

[0009] In the drum-type washing machine according to the present invention, it is preferable that a plurality of the dirt removal members arranged along the rotation axis of the drum are housed in the housing section.

[0010] In the drum-type washing machine according to the present invention, a drain port is provided at the lower end of the outer tub, the housing is positioned above the drain port, and a drain channel is provided to allow water in the housing to flow toward the drain port. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, when the drum is driven to rotate during the washing process, the dirt removal member physically rubs against the outer surface of the drum, thereby properly removing dirt from the outer surface of the drum. Furthermore, since the drum cleaning operation is performed in parallel with the normal washing operation, dirt attached to the drum can be automatically removed without any effort or special operation. In addition, the movement of the dirt removal member can be controlled by limiting its movement to within the housing.

[0012] According to the present invention, when water is supplied to the outer tank, the dirt removal member moves due to buoyancy and comes into contact with the outer surface of the drum, and when water is drained from the outer tank, it moves due to its own weight and moves away from the outer surface of the drum. Therefore, when the drum rotates, the dirt removal member can be easily moved to a position where it comes into contact with the outer surface of the drum.

[0013] According to the present invention, since multiple dirt removal members are housed within the housing, the multiple dirt removal members rotate independently over a wide area, thereby removing dirt adhering to most of the outer surface of the drum.

[0014] According to the present invention, the water inside the storage compartment is configured to flow towards the drain outlet, so that the water inside the storage compartment can be properly drained from the drain outlet. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a drum-type washing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a drum-type washing machine 1. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a front view of the outer tub 3 of the drum-type washing machine 1. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of the outer tub 3 of the drum-type washing machine 1. [Figure 5]It is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the outer tub 3 of the drum washing machine 1 shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the outer tub 3 and the drum 4 of the drum washing machine 1 shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b) are partial enlarged cross-sectional views showing a state where the dirt removing member 52 is disposed at the non-contact position. [Figure 8] FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) are partial enlarged cross-sectional views showing a state where the dirt removing member 52 is disposed at the contact position. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a view showing a modified example of the dirt removing member.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, the drum washing machine 1 which is an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the drum washing machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the drum washing machine 1 of FIG. 1.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the drum washing machine 1 of the present embodiment has a box-shaped housing 2. Inside the housing 2, an outer tub 3 having a substantially cylindrical inner peripheral surface is disposed. Inside the outer tub 3, a drum 4 having a substantially cylindrical inner peripheral surface for accommodating laundry is supported by a main shaft 5 extending in the front-rear direction. The drum 4 is rotatable about a horizontal axis.

[0018] On the front surface of the housing 2, an operation unit 2a for the user to operate and a laundry inlet 6 facing an opening 4a formed at the front end of the drum 4 are formed. The housing 2 is provided with a door 8 for opening and closing the laundry inlet 6. The laundry inlet 6 is opened and closed by the door 8, and laundry can be put in and taken out of the drum 4 when the door 8 is open.

[0019] On the inner peripheral surface of the drum 4, a plurality of baffles 4b are provided so as to project into the drum 4. The baffle 4b is a protrusion for lifting the laundry accommodated in the drum 4. For example, during the washing process, when the drum 4 is rotated by the driving force of a driving motor 11 described later, the laundry containing water in the drum 4 is lifted by the baffle 4b and naturally falls, so-called pounding washing is performed.

[0020] On the inner peripheral surface of the drum 4, a large number of water through-holes 4c are drilled. The water supplied into the outer tub 3 during washing or rinsing flows into the drum 4 through the water through-holes 4c, and the water discharged from the laundry in the drum 4 during centrifugal dehydration scatters to the outer tub 3 side through the water through-holes 4c.

[0021] The main shaft 5 is rotatably supported by a bearing 5a attached to the rear wall of the outer tub 3. Further, a main pulley 10 is attached to the tip of the main shaft 5 that protrudes rearward. A driving motor 11 is installed at the bottom of the housing 2, and a motor pulley 12 is attached to the rotating shaft of the driving motor 11. The torque of the motor pulley 12 is transmitted to the main pulley 10 via a timing belt 16. Thereby, when the driving motor 11 is driven, the drum 4 rotates around the main shaft 5.

[0022] On the upper part of the rear wall of the outer tub 3, a water supply pipe 30 provided with a water supply valve 30a in the middle is connected. When the water supply valve 30a is opened, the water supplied from the outside is supplied to the outer tub 3 through the water supply pipe 30. A drain pipe 31 provided with a drain valve 31a in the middle is connected to a drain port 3a provided at the bottom of the outer tub 3. When the drain valve 31a is opened, the water in the outer tub 3 is discharged to the outside of the machine through the drain port 3a and the drain pipe 31.

[0023] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a housing section 50 is provided near the lower end of the outer tank 3. The housing section 50 is provided so as to protrude radially outward from a part of the inner circumferential surface of the outer tank 3. In Figure 4, a part of the outer tank 3 is omitted from the illustration, as is the illustration of the drum, in order to make the housing section 50 formed on the inner circumferential side of the outer tank 3 easier to see. The housing section 50 has a housing space for housing a dirt removal member 52, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the housing section 50 is located to the right and slightly above the bottom of the outer tank 3 when viewed from the front. The housing space within the housing section 50 extends in the front-rear direction and has approximately the same length as the outer tank 3.

[0024] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the outer tank 3 has a first outer tank member 3N1 positioned on the front side and a second outer tank member 3N2 positioned on the rear side. The first outer tank member 3N1 and the second outer tank member 3N2 are joined at the center of the outer tank 3 in the front-rear direction. The first outer tank member 3N1 is integrally molded with the first housing member 50T1 positioned on the front side of the housing section 50, and the second outer tank member 3N2 is integrally molded with the second housing member 50T2 positioned on the rear side of the housing section 50. Therefore, when the first outer tank member 3N1 and the second outer tank member 3N2 are joined, the first housing member 50T1 and the second housing member 50T2 are joined together to form the housing section 50.

[0025] For example, when water is supplied to the outer tub 3 during washing, the water also enters the storage section 50 and is stored in the storage section 50. After washing is finished, the water is drained from the outer tub 3. At this time, in order to ensure that the water in the storage section 50 flows toward the drain port 3a, a groove-shaped drain channel 51 is formed between the storage section 50 and the bottom of the outer tub 3, as shown in Figure 5. The drain channel 51 is formed at the point where the first outer tub member 3N1 and the second outer tub member 3N2 are joined. Therefore, in this embodiment, the storage section 50 is formed below the vertical center of the outer tub 3, in a position such that when water is drained from the outer tub 3, all the water in the storage section 50 flows toward the drain port 3a.

[0026] As shown in Figure 5, multiple dirt removal members 52 are housed within the housing section 50. The dirt removal members 52 are approximately spherical in shape and are made of materials such as rubber, urethane, or silicone. The width of the housing space within the housing section 50, along the circumferential direction, is slightly larger than the outer shape of the dirt removal members 52. Therefore, multiple dirt removal members 52 are housed in a single row within the housing section 50. The front and rear ends of the housing section 50 are configured to prevent the dirt removal members 52 from moving from inside the housing section 50 to the outside.

[0027] As shown in Figure 6, the multiple dirt removal members 52 housed within the housing section 50 face the outer circumferential surface of the drum 4 positioned within the outer tank 3. The depth (radial length) of the housing space within the housing section 50 is longer than the diameter of the dirt removal members 52. Therefore, the dirt removal members 52 are movable between a non-contact position away from the outer circumferential surface of the drum 4 and a contact position in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the drum 4. Figure 6 shows the state in which the dirt removal members 52 are positioned in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the drum 4.

[0028] In the drum-type washing machine 1, as will be described later, multiple water supply amounts are set for the amount of water supplied to the outer tub 3, but Figure 6 shows the state when the smallest amount of water is supplied. In the drum-type washing machine 1, as shown in Figure 6, even when the minimum amount of water is supplied, the supplied water enters the housing 50, the dirt removal member 52 is submerged, and the housing 50 is positioned so that the dirt removal member 52 moves upward due to buoyancy.

[0029] Figures 7(a) and 7(b) are partially enlarged cross-sectional views showing the state in which the dirt removal member 52 is positioned in a non-contact position, and Figures 8(a) and 8(b) are partially enlarged cross-sectional views showing the state in which the dirt removal member 52 is positioned in a contact position. Figures 7(a) and 8(a) are partially enlarged views of Figure 6, and Figures 7(b) and 8(b) are cross-sectional views of the outer tank 3 and drum 4 along the front-rear direction.

[0030] In other words, when no water is supplied to the outer tub 3, the dirt removal member 52 is positioned in a non-contact position by its own weight, as shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b). When water is supplied to the outer tub 3 during washing, the dirt removal member 52 floats due to the buoyancy of the water and is positioned in a contact position that contacts the outer surface of the drum 4, as shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b). When washing is finished and the water in the outer tub 3 is drained, the dirt removal member 52 is positioned in a non-contact position by its own weight.

[0031] Similarly, when water is supplied to the outer tub 3 during rinsing, the dirt removal member 52 floats due to the buoyancy of the water and is positioned in contact with the outer surface of the drum 4. When rinsing is complete and the water in the outer tub 3 is drained, the dirt removal member 52 is positioned in a non-contact position due to its own weight. During spin-drying, the dirt removal member 52 is positioned in a non-contact position.

[0032] As described above, during washing, the dirt removal member 52 is positioned in a contact position that contacts the outer surface of the drum 4. When the drum 4 is rotated in this state, the dirt removal member 52 is pressed toward the outer surface of the drum 4 by the buoyancy of the water, and rotates within the housing 50 due to the frictional force acting from the outer surface of the drum 4.

[0033] At this time, the multiple dirt removal members 52 can move a short distance in the front-to-back direction of the drum 4 within the housing 50. Therefore, dirt adhering to the outer surface of the drum 4 is removed by the dirt removal members 52 over the entire area of ​​the outer surface of the drum 4. In this way, when the drum 4 is rotated during washing, the movement of the multiple dirt removal members 52 can be controlled by limiting the movement of the dirt removal members 52 to within the housing 50. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the dirt removal members 52 from moving out of the housing 50.

[0034] The drum-type washing machine 1 is capable of performing washing, rinsing, and spin-drying cycles. During the washing and rinsing cycles, water is supplied to the outer tub 3 (and the water in the outer tub 3 may be drained as needed), and during the spin-drying cycle, the water in the outer tub 3 is drained. In the drum-type washing machine 1, the amount of water supplied to the outer tub 3 is automatically adjusted according to the amount (load) of laundry placed in the drum 4. That is, the water supply is set to be higher when there is a large amount of laundry, and lower when there is a small amount of laundry.

[0035] As described above, the drum-type washing machine 1 of this embodiment is a drum-type washing machine capable of performing a washing process, and comprises an outer tub 3 disposed within a housing 2, a drum 4 disposed within the outer tub 3 and rotatable about a horizontal axis, a drive motor 5 for rotating the drum 4, and a housing 50 provided on the inner circumference side of the outer tub 3 for housing a dirt removal member 52 that faces the outer surface of the drum 4.

[0036] As a result, with the drum-type washing machine 1 of this embodiment, when the drum 4 is driven to rotate during the washing process, the dirt removal member 52 physically rubs against the outer surface of the drum 4, thereby properly removing dirt from the outer surface of the drum 4. Furthermore, since the drum 4 cleaning operation is performed in parallel with the normal washing operation, dirt attached to the drum 4 can be removed automatically without any effort or special operation. In addition, if the dirt removal member 52 were to come out of the housing 50, it could cause clogging or abnormal noise. Therefore, the movement of the dirt removal member 52 is controlled by limiting its movement to within the housing 50, thereby preventing clogging and abnormal noise.

[0037] In the drum-type washing machine 1 of this embodiment, the dirt removal member 52 moves by buoyancy when water is supplied to the outer tub 3 and comes into contact with the outer surface of the drum 4, and moves by its own weight when water is drained from the outer tub 3 and moves away from the outer surface of the drum 4.

[0038] As a result, according to the drum-type washing machine 1 of this embodiment, the dirt removal member 52 moves due to buoyancy when water is supplied to the outer tub 3 and comes into contact with the outer surface of the drum 4, and moves away from the outer surface of the drum 4 when water is drained from the outer tub 3 and comes into contact with the outer surface of the drum 4 due to its own weight. Therefore, when the drum 4 rotates, the dirt removal member 52 can be easily moved to a position where it comes into contact with the outer surface of the drum 4.

[0039] In the drum-type washing machine 1 of this embodiment, a plurality of dirt removal members 52 are housed in the storage section 50, which are arranged along the rotation axis of the drum 4.

[0040] As a result, with the drum-type washing machine 1 of this embodiment, since multiple dirt removal members 52 are housed in the housing section 50, the multiple dirt removal members 52 rotate separately over a wide area, thereby removing dirt that has adhered to most of the outer surface of the drum 4.

[0041] In the drum-type washing machine 1 according to the present invention, a drain port 3a is provided at the lower end of the outer tub 3, the storage section 50 is positioned above the drain port 3a, and a drain channel 51 is provided so that the water in the storage section 50 flows toward the drain port 3a.

[0042] As a result, according to the drum-type washing machine 1 of this embodiment, the water in the storage compartment 50 is configured to flow toward the drain port 3a, so that the water in the storage compartment 50 can be properly drained from the drain port 3a.

[0043] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the configuration of this embodiment is not limited to those described above, and various modifications are possible.

[0044] For example, in the above embodiment, the dirt removal member 52 is a substantially spherical member made of rubber, urethane, silicone, or the like, but it is not limited to that. The material and shape of the dirt removal member 52 are arbitrary. For example, as shown in Figure 9(a), the dirt removal member 152 housed in the housing 50 may be a cylindrical member made of rubber, urethane, silicone, or the like. Also, as shown in Figure 9(b), the dirt removal member 252 housed in the housing 50 may be a brush-shaped member.

[0045] In the above embodiment, multiple dirt removal members 52 are housed in the housing 50, but this is not limited to that. There may be just one dirt removal member 52 housed in the housing 50, and the number is arbitrary.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the housing section 50 has approximately the same length as the outer tank 3, but is not limited to this. For example, the housing section 50 may be shorter than the front-to-back length of the outer tank 3 and may be arranged in a portion of the entire front-to-back area of ​​the outer tank 3.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the dirt removal member 52 moves by buoyancy when water is supplied to the outer tank 3 and comes into contact with the outer surface of the drum 4, and moves away from the outer surface of the drum 4 when water is drained from the outer tank 3, but is not limited to this. For example, there may be other means for moving the dirt removal member 52 between a contact position and a non-contact position.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the housing section 50 is positioned to the right and slightly above the bottom of the outer tank 3 when viewed from the front, but is not limited to this. The position of the housing section 50 on the inner circumferential surface of the outer tank 3 is arbitrary. However, if the dirt removal member 52 is to be moved by buoyancy when water is supplied into the outer tank 3, it is preferable to position it near the bottom of the outer tank 3.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the drum 4 is rotatable about a horizontal axis, but is not limited to that. For example, the drum 4 may be rotatable about an inclined axis that is tilted with respect to the horizontal direction.

[0050] Other configurations can also be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 1. Drum-type washing machine 2 cabinets 3 Outer tank 3a Drain 4 drums 5. Drive motor 50 Storage Units 51 Drainage channel 52 Dirt removal component 152 Dirt removal component 252 Dirt removal component

Claims

1. A drum-type washing machine capable of performing a washing cycle, An outer tank located inside the enclosure, A drum is placed inside the outer tank and is rotatable about a horizontal axis or an inclined axis that is tilted with respect to the horizontal direction, The outer tank is provided on the inner circumference side and includes a housing section for housing a dirt removal member that faces the outer circumference surface of the drum, A drain port is provided in the protruding portion that extends radially outward from the inner circumferential surface of the outer tank. The aforementioned storage portion is located above the protruding portion on the inner circumferential surface of the outer tub and protrudes radially outward from the inner circumferential surface of the outer tub, characterized in that it is a drum-type washing machine.

2. The drum-type washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the dirt removal member moves by buoyancy when water is supplied to the outer tub and comes into contact with the outer surface of the drum, and moves by its own weight when water is drained from the outer tub and moves away from the outer surface of the drum.

3. The drum-type washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a plurality of the dirt removal members arranged along the rotation axis of the drum are housed in the housing section.

4. A drain is provided at the lower end of the outer tank, and the housing is positioned above the drain. A drum-type washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a drain channel is provided to cause the water in the storage compartment to flow toward the drain outlet.

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