CN108625120B - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a water tank; a water supply valve connected to an external water source; a water injection cartridge that injects the water supplied from the water supply valve into the water tank; a water supply path unit provided between the water supply valve and the water injection cartridge; and a fine bubble generator that generates fine bubble water containing fine bubbles; the water supply path unit includes: a path for normal water through which normal water containing no fine bubbles flows; and a fine bubble water path through which the fine bubble water generated by the fine bubble generator flows; the normal water path has a normal water supply port for supplying the normal water to the water injection cartridge; the fine bubble water supply path has a fine bubble water supply port for supplying the fine bubble water to the water injection cartridge.

Description

Washing machine

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a washing machine.

Background

In recent years, fine bubbles having a size of several tens of nm to several μm in diameter, which are called micro bubbles or nano bubbles, have been attracting attention, and it is considered that fine bubble water containing a large amount of fine bubbles is used in a washing machine. The washing performance can be improved by dissolving the detergent in the fine bubble water to wash the laundry. Therefore, development of a water supply structure for efficiently dissolving a detergent in fine bubble water and supplying the detergent into a tank is being sought.

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2014-158599

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

Accordingly, the present invention provides a washing machine capable of efficiently dissolving detergent in fine bubble water and supplying the detergent to a tub.

Means for solving the technical problem

A washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a water tank, a water supply valve, a water supply box, a water supply path unit, and a fine bubble generator. The water supply valve is connected to an external water source. The water supply valve is connected to the water tank. The water supply path unit is disposed between the water supply valve and the water injection cartridge. The fine bubble generator generates fine bubble water containing fine bubbles. The water supply path portion includes a normal water path through which normal water not containing the fine bubbles flows, and a fine bubble water path through which the fine bubble water generated by the fine bubble generator flows. The normal water path includes a normal water supply port for supplying the normal water to the water injection cartridge, and the fine bubble water path includes a fine bubble water supply port for supplying the fine bubble water to the water injection cartridge.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional side view schematically showing a configuration example of a washing machine according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a configuration example of the water supply mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration example of the water supply mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration example of the detergent box.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing an example of a positional relationship between a normal water supply port and a fine bubble water supply port above a detergent treatment agent box.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional side view schematically showing a configuration example of the fine bubble generator.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional side view schematically showing a configuration example of the fine bubble generator along the line F7-F7 in fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional front view schematically showing a configuration example of a washing machine according to the second embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration example of the water supply mechanism.

Fig. 10 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration example of the water supply mechanism.

Fig. 11 is a schematic enlarged plan view of a configuration example of the water supply valve unit and its peripheral portion.

Fig. 12 is a schematic enlarged sectional view of the water supply valve unit and its peripheral portions taken along line F12-F12 in fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is (a) a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of a water supply mechanism according to a third embodiment.

Fig. 14 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of a water supply mechanism according to a third embodiment (the second drawing).

Fig. 15 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of a water supply mechanism according to a third embodiment (third embodiment).

Fig. 16 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of a water supply mechanism according to the third embodiment (fourth embodiment).

Fig. 17 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of a water supply mechanism according to the third embodiment (the fifth embodiment).

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments relating to a washing machine will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, substantially the same elements in the respective embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. In each embodiment, the lower side of the washing machine is defined as the vertical lower side on the installation surface side of the washing machine, and the upper side of the washing machine is defined as the vertical upper side opposite to the installation surface. In addition, the left side is the left side of the washing machine and the right side is the right side of the washing machine as viewed from the front side of the washing machine.

(first embodiment)

The washing machine 100 illustrated in fig. 1 is a horizontal-axis type, so-called drum-type washing machine in which the rotation axis of the rotation tub is horizontal or inclined downward toward the rear, and includes a water tub 102, a drum 103, a motor 104, and a water supply mechanism 105 inside an outer casing 101 constituting the outer shell thereof. The outer box 101 is made of, for example, a steel plate, and is formed in a rectangular box shape as a whole. The water tank 102 and the drum 103 function as a washing tank and a dewatering tank for storing laundry. The water tank 102 is elastically supported by a hanger not shown in the drawing in the outer case 101. The water tank 102 and the drum 103 are formed in a bottomed cylindrical container shape with an open front surface. The drum 103 is an example of a rotary tub, and has a plurality of small holes 103a in its peripheral wall, and water flows in and out between the drum 103 and the water tub 102 through the small holes 103 a. Further, a plurality of baffles, not shown, are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 103.

A water supply port, not shown, is formed in the upper portion of the water tank 102. The water supply port is connected to a water supply mechanism 105. A configuration example of the water supply mechanism 105 will be described later. A drain port, not shown, is formed in the bottom of the water tank 102. A drainage mechanism, not shown, is connected to the drainage port. Although not shown in detail, the drain mechanism includes a drain valve in a middle of a drain path extending from the drain port to the outside of the machine, and discharges the water in the water tank 102 to the outside of the machine by controlling the driving of the drain valve in a drain stroke for discharging the water in the water tank 102 to the outside of the machine.

The motor 104 is provided on the back of the water tub 102, and is connected to the back of the drum 103 via a rotary shaft 104 a. Motor 104 is driven by a control device, not shown, which controls the overall operation of washing machine 100, to rotate drum 103. The water supply mechanism 105 is provided in the outer box 101 at a position above the water tank 102. The water supply mechanism 105 supplies water supplied from a water supply source outside the machine into the water tank 102, for example, in a washing process of washing the laundry stored in the drum 103 and a rinsing process of rinsing the laundry.

Next, a configuration example of the water supply mechanism 105 will be described with reference to fig. 2 to 5. As illustrated in fig. 2 and 3, the water supply mechanism 105 includes a water supply tank 110, a washing treatment agent tank 111, a water supply valve unit 112, a fine bubble generator 113, and a water supply path portion 114. The water filling cartridge 110 is in the form of an elongated container with its front surface and upper surface open, and is disposed above the water tank 102. The front opening 110a of the water filling cartridge 110 is connected to an opening, not shown, provided in the front surface of the outer box 101, and opens forward in the front surface of the outer box 101. The open port 110a in the front of the water injection cartridge 110 is closed by housing a detergent treatment agent cartridge 111 in the water injection cartridge 110.

In this case, water filling cartridge 110 is disposed slightly to the left above water tub 102 as viewed from the front side of washing machine 100. Furthermore, the bottom of water filling box 110 is formed in a shape in which the right portion is gently inclined downward from the right side toward the left side along the circular arc shape of the upper surface of water tub 102, as viewed from the front side of washing machine 100. Further, the bottom of the water filling box 110 is formed in a shape gently inclined downward from the front side toward the rear side as viewed from the side surface side of the washing machine 100. Further, a water filling port 110b is provided at the rear of the bottom of water filling cartridge 110. The water filling port 110b is connected to a water filling port, not shown, provided in an upper portion of the water tank 102 via a water supply hose, not shown.

The water flowing into the water injection cartridge 110 flows into the bottom of the water injection cartridge 110 through a detergent treatment agent cartridge 111, which will be described in detail later. The water that has fallen to the bottom is guided to the water inlet 110b along the inclined surface of the bottom, and then is injected into the water tank 102 through the water inlet 110 b.

The detergent treatment agent box 111 is in the form of a long container with its upper and rear surfaces open, and can be inserted into and removed from the water injection box 110 through an opening 110a in the front surface of the water injection box 110. In this case, the water injection cartridge 110 and the washing process cartridge 111 extend in the front-rear direction of the washing machine 100. The bottom of the washing treatment agent box 111 is formed in a shape in which a right portion is gently inclined downward from the right side toward the left side along the inclined shape of the bottom of the water injection box 110, as viewed from the front side of the washing machine 100. Further, the bottom of the washing treatment agent box 111 is formed in a shape gently descending and inclining from the front side to the rear side along the inclined shape of the bottom of the water injection box 110 as viewed from the side surface side of the washing machine 100. An opening 111a is provided in the rear of the bottom of the detergent box 111. In a state where the washing treatment agent cartridge 111 is housed in the water injection cartridge 110, the bottom of the open port 111a faces the water injection port 110b of the water injection cartridge 110.

The washing treatment agent box 111 is a box body that accommodates various washing treatment agents such as detergent and softener. That is, as illustrated in fig. 4, in this case, a liquid detergent containing portion 120 that contains a liquid detergent, a powder detergent containing portion 121 that contains a powder detergent, and a softener containing portion 122 that contains a softener are provided in the washing treatment agent box 111. The powder detergent containing part 121 and the softener containing part 122 are examples of a non-liquid detergent containing part that contains a detergent treatment agent other than a liquid detergent.

The liquid detergent container 120 and the softener container 122 are arranged in the right and left direction in the front of the detergent treatment agent box 111. In this case, the liquid detergent storage portion 120 is provided on the right side, i.e., the water tank 102 side, and the softener storage portion 122 is provided on the left side, i.e., the left side surface side of the outer box 101, as viewed from the front side of the washing machine 100. A detergent outlet 120a is provided at the rear of the bottom of the liquid detergent storage part 120. The bottom of the liquid detergent storage part 120 has an inclined part 121c that gently descends and inclines toward the detergent outlet 120 a. Thus, the liquid detergent and water supplied into the liquid detergent storage part 120 easily flow toward the detergent outlet 120 a.

The softener storage part 122 is provided with a softener inlet 122 a. A softener outlet, not shown, is provided at the rear of the bottom of the softener storage portion 122. Further, the bottom of the softener storage part 122 has an inclined part gently descending and inclined toward the softener outlet.

The powder detergent container 121 is provided at the rear of the liquid detergent container 120 and the softener container 122. An outlet port 121b is provided at a lower portion of a partition wall 121a constituting a rear wall of the powder detergent containing part 121. In this case, the outlet 121b is provided on the left side, i.e., on the left side surface side close to the outer casing 101, as viewed from the front side of the washing machine 100. In this case, the outlet 121b is formed of a plurality of slits extending in the vertical direction. The bottom of the powder detergent container 121 has an inclined portion 121c inclined downward toward the outlet 121 b. Thus, the powder detergent and water supplied into the powder detergent container 121 easily flow toward the outlet 121 b.

The water supply valve unit 112 is provided at the rear side of the water filling cartridge 110 as viewed from the side surface side of the washing machine 100. The water supply valve unit 112 includes a normal water supply valve 112b and a fine bubble water supply valve 112c in the main body 112 a. A water supply port 112d connected to a faucet of an external water source, not shown, such as a tap water pipe, is provided at an upper portion of the main body 112 a. The water supply port 112d is connected to a normal water supply valve 112b and a fine bubble water supply valve 112c, respectively. The water supply valve 112b for normal water is not connected to the water supply path portion 114 via the fine bubble generator 113. On the other hand, the water supply valve 112c for fine bubble water is connected to the water supply path portion 114 via the fine bubble generator 113.

The fine bubble generator 113 serves to make water passing through the inside thereof contain fine microbubbles. As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the fine bubble generator 113 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin, and is formed in a cylindrical shape as a whole. The fine bubble generator 113 includes, for example, a throttle portion 113a, a straight tube portion 113b, and a protrusion portion 113 c. The throttle portion 113a and the straight portion 113b form a continuous single flow path. In this case, the throttle portion 113a side is an input side, and the straight portion 113b side is an output side.

The throttle portion 113a is formed in a shape having an inner diameter decreasing from the input side toward the output side of the fine bubble generator 113, that is, a conical shape in which the cross-sectional area of the flow path, that is, the inner diameter, is continuously gradually decreased. The straight tube 113b is formed in a cylindrical shape having a constant inner diameter, which is a cross-sectional area of the flow path, and is a so-called straight tube shape.

The protruding portion 113c is provided at a middle portion in the longitudinal direction of the straight portion 113 b. The protruding portion 113c is used to generate fine bubbles in the liquid passing through the straight tube portion 113b by locally reducing the cross-sectional area through which water can pass in the straight tube portion 113 b. In this case, the straight tube portion 113b is provided with a plurality of protruding portions 113c, and here, 4 protruding portions 113c are provided. The projecting portions 113c are each formed of a rod-like member having a sharp tip, and project from the inner peripheral surface of the straight tube portion 113b toward the center of the cross section of the straight tube portion 113 b. The protruding portions 113c are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the cross section of the straight portion 113 b.

When water flows into the fine bubble generator 113 from the throttle portion 113a side, the flow path sectional area narrows from the throttle portion 113a to the straight cylinder portion 113b, thereby increasing the flow velocity by the so-called venturi effect of the fluid mechanics. Then, the high-speed water flow collides with the projection 113c, and the pressure is rapidly reduced. This makes it possible to deposit a large amount of air dissolved in water as fine bubbles.

In this case, the fine bubble generator 113 can generate a large amount of fine bubbles including nano-bubbles having a diameter of about 50nm to about 1 μm and micro-bubbles having a diameter of about 1 μm to about several hundred μm in the liquid by circulating the liquid such as water therein. In the following description, water containing fine bubbles passing through the fine bubble generator 113 is referred to as "fine bubble water". In addition, the water that does not pass through the fine microbubble generator 113 and does not contain fine bubbles is simply referred to as "normal water". Further, the fine bubble generator 113 is not limited to the above-described so-called venturi type.

The water supply path portion 114 is a thin, long plate shape and is provided above the water injection cartridge 110. The water supply path portion 114 is an element of a water supply path from the water supply valve unit 112 to the water filling cartridge 110, and constitutes a portion between the water supply valve unit 112 and the water filling cartridge 110.

In this case, the upper surface of the water filling cartridge 110 is horizontal, and the water supply path portion 114 is attached to close the open port on the upper surface of the water filling cartridge 110. Therefore, the water supply path part 114 is formed in a horizontal state at the upper part of the water filling cartridge 110.

The water supply path portion 114 includes a main body portion 114a and a cover portion 114 b. The main body 114a is provided with a plurality of water supply paths, which will be described in detail later. The cover portion 114b covers the upper surface of the body portion 114 a. This structure forms a thin plate-like water supply path portion 114 having a plurality of types of water supply paths therein. Next, a description will be given of structural examples of the various types of water supply paths provided in the water supply path portion 114.

That is, as illustrated in fig. 3, at least the normal water passage 130 and the fine bubble water passage 160 are provided in the water supply passage section 114. In the water supply path portion 114, the normal water path 130 and the fine bubble water path 160 are provided so that the respective portions are adjacent to each other in the left-right direction or the front-rear direction as a whole. In the water supply path portion 114, the normal water path 130 and the fine bubble water path 160 are provided as separate paths completely separated from each other.

The upstream portion of the normal water passage 130 is connected to the normal water supply valve 112b of the water supply valve unit 112, and circulates the normal water supplied from the normal water supply valve 112 b. The normal water passage 130 includes, in order from the upstream side, a first passage portion 131, a second passage portion 132, a third passage portion 133, a fourth passage portion 134, a fifth passage portion 135, a sixth passage portion 136, and a seventh passage portion 137.

The first path portion 131 extends forward along the longitudinal direction of the water filling cartridge 110, i.e., the front-rear direction, from an upstream portion to which the normal water supply valve 112b is connected via a connection pipe, not shown. The second path portion 132 extends rightward in the lateral direction, which is the width direction of the water injection cartridge 110, from the end portion on the downstream side of the first path portion 131.

The third path unit 133 extends forward from the end of the second path unit 132 on the downstream side in the front-rear direction of the water injection cartridge 110. Further, a sub path unit 138 is provided at an intermediate portion of the third path unit 133. The sub path unit 138 includes a first sub path unit 138a, a second sub path unit 138b, and a third sub path unit 138 c. The first sub path unit 138a extends leftward from the middle of the third path unit 133 in the left-right direction of the water filling cartridge 110. The second sub path portion 138b extends forward from the end portion on the downstream side of the first sub path portion 138a along the front-rear direction of the water injection cartridge 110. The third sub path portion 138c extends rightward in the left-right direction of the water injection cartridge 110 from the downstream end portion of the second sub path portion 138b, and is connected to a portion of the middle portion of the third path portion 133 that is downstream of the connection portion with the first sub path portion 138 a. The sub path unit 138 is configured such that two sub path units 138a and 138c extending in the left-right direction are connected at one end side thereof by a sub path unit 138 b.

The fourth path unit 134 extends leftward in the right-left direction of the water injection cartridge 110 from the end portion on the downstream side of the third path unit 133. The fifth path unit 135 extends forward from the end of the downstream side of the fourth path unit 134 along the front-rear direction of the water injection cartridge 110. The sixth path unit 136 extends rightward in the left-right direction of the water injection cartridge 110 from the end portion on the downstream side of the fifth path unit 135.

Seventh path unit 137 extends forward from the downstream end of sixth path unit 136 in the front-rear direction of water injection cartridge 110. In this case, the sixth path portion 136 has a projecting portion 136a at its downstream end, and the projecting portion 136a projects rightward from the upstream end of the seventh path portion 137. A first branch portion 137a and a second branch portion 137b are provided at the downstream end of the seventh path portion 137. The first branch portion 137a branches to the left from the end on the downstream side of the seventh path portion 137. On the other hand, the second branch portion 137b branches rightward from the end portion on the downstream side of the seventh path portion 137, and further curves rearward. The distal end of the second branch portion 137b faces the distal end, which is the downstream end of the fine bubble water passage 160, from the front.

The normal water passage 130 constitutes a normal water supply passage 141 for the first powder detergent storage part through the third passage 133 to supply normal water to the powder detergent storage part 121. The normal water passage 130 forms a normal water supply passage 142 for the second powder detergent container for supplying normal water to the powder detergent container 121 through the fourth passage 134, the fifth passage 135, and the sixth passage 136. The normal water passage 130 forms a normal water supply passage 143 for the liquid detergent storage unit for supplying normal water to the liquid detergent storage unit 120 through the seventh passage 137. The normal water supply path 141 for the first powder detergent storage portion and the normal water supply path 142 for the second powder detergent storage portion are examples of normal water supply paths for non-liquid detergent storage portions.

In a state where the washing treatment agent cartridge 111 is accommodated in the water injection cartridge 110, the normal water supply path 141 for the first powder detergent accommodating portion is located above the powder detergent accommodating portion 121 and extends along the longitudinal direction of the water injection cartridge 110. In this case, the normal water supply path 141 for the first powder detergent containing portion extends above the right edge of the powder detergent containing portion 121 in the longitudinal direction of the water filling cartridge 110 as viewed from the front side of the washing machine 100. A portion that becomes the right edge of the powder detergent containing part 121 when viewed from the front side of the washing machine 100 can be defined as an example of an edge that does not have the outlet 121 b.

The normal water supply path 142 for the second powder detergent storage portion is located between the normal water supply path 141 for the first powder detergent storage portion and the normal water supply path 143 for the liquid detergent storage portion. In addition, in a state where the washing process agent cartridge 111 is accommodated in the water injection cartridge 110, the normal water supply path 142 for the second powder detergent accommodating portion is positioned above the powder detergent accommodating portion 121 and extends in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the water injection cartridge 110. In this case, the normal water supply path 142 for the second powder detergent storage portion extends above the front edge of the powder detergent storage portion 121 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the water injection cartridge 110. The edge portion of the powder detergent container 121 on the front side can be defined as an example of an edge portion having no outlet 121 b.

The normal water supply path 143 for the liquid detergent storage portion is located downstream of the normal water supply path 142 for the second powder detergent storage portion. In addition, in a state where the washing process agent cartridge 111 is accommodated in the water injection cartridge 110, the normal water supply water path 143 for the liquid detergent accommodating portion is positioned above the liquid detergent accommodating portion 120 and extends along the longitudinal direction of the water injection cartridge 110. In this case, the normal water supply path 143 for the liquid detergent storage portion extends along the longitudinal direction of the water filling cartridge 110 above the left edge of the liquid detergent storage portion 120 as viewed from the front side of the washing machine 100.

The normal water passage 130 includes a plurality of normal water supply ports 150 for supplying normal water into the water filling cartridge 110. In this case, the water supply ports 150 are each formed as a small hole having a circular opening.

The normal water passage 130 includes, as the normal water supply port 150, a normal water supply port 150a for the liquid detergent storage unit for supplying normal water to the liquid detergent storage unit 120 and a normal water supply port 150b for the powder detergent storage unit for supplying normal water to the powder detergent storage unit 121. The normal water supply port 150b for the powder detergent storage unit is an example of a normal water supply port for the non-liquid detergent storage unit.

The normal water supply port 150b for the powder detergent storage part is disposed separately in the normal water supply path 141 for the first powder detergent storage part and the normal water supply path 142 for the second powder detergent storage part. The normal water supply port 150a for the liquid detergent storage portion is disposed in the normal water supply water passage 143 for the liquid detergent storage portion.

On the other hand, the upstream portion of the fine bubble water passage 160 is connected to the water supply valve 112c for fine bubble water of the water supply valve unit 112, and the fine bubble water generated by the fine bubble generator 113 flows therethrough. The fine bubble water passage 160 includes, in order from the upstream side, a first passage portion 161, a second passage portion 162, a third passage portion 163, a fourth passage portion 164, and a fifth passage portion 165.

The first path portion 161 extends forward along the longitudinal direction of the water filling cartridge 110, i.e., the front-rear direction, from an upstream portion to which the fine bubble water supply valve 112c is connected via a connection pipe, not shown. The second path portion 162 extends rightward along the width direction of the water injection cartridge 110, i.e., the left-right direction, from the end portion on the downstream side of the first path portion 161. The third path unit 163 extends forward from the end portion on the downstream side of the second path unit 162 along the front-rear direction of the water injection cartridge 110. The fourth path unit 164 extends leftward in the lateral direction of the water filling cartridge 110 from a middle portion of the third path unit 163, in this case, a portion on the downstream side, i.e., the front side, of the center portion in the longitudinal direction.

The fifth path section 165 extends forward from the end of the downstream side of the third path section 163 along the front-rear direction of the water injection cartridge 110. The fifth path section 165 extends forward from a position slightly to the left, i.e., inward in the left-right direction of the water injection cartridge 110, with respect to the third path section 163. The tip of the fifth path portion 165, in other words, the tip of the fine bubble water path 160 faces the tip of the second branch portion 137b, in other words, the tip of the normal water path 130 from the rear.

The fine bubble water passage 160 forms a fine bubble water supply passage 171 for the first powder detergent storage part for supplying the fine bubble water to the powder detergent storage part 121 through the third passage 163. The fine bubble water passage 160 forms a second fine bubble water supply passage 172 for supplying fine bubble water to the powder detergent container 121 through the fourth passage 164. The fine bubble water passage 160 forms a fine bubble water supply passage 173 for the liquid detergent storage unit for supplying the fine bubble water to the liquid detergent storage unit 120 through the fifth passage 165. The fine bubble water supply water path 171 for the first powder detergent storage portion and the fine bubble water supply water path 172 for the second powder detergent storage portion are examples of the fine bubble water supply water path for the non-liquid detergent storage portion.

In a state where the washing treatment agent cartridge 111 is accommodated in the water injection cartridge 110, the fine bubble water supply water path 171 for the first powder detergent accommodating portion is positioned above the powder detergent accommodating portion 121 and extends along the longitudinal direction of the water injection cartridge 110. In this case, the fine bubble water supply path 171 for the first powder detergent storage part extends above the right edge of the powder detergent storage part 121 in the longitudinal direction of the water filling cartridge 110 as viewed from the front side of the washing machine 100. A portion that becomes the right edge of the powder detergent containing part 121 when viewed from the front side of the washing machine 100 can be defined as an example of an edge that does not have the outlet 121 b. The fine bubble water supply path 171 for the first powder detergent storage unit is provided outside the normal water supply path 141 for the first powder detergent storage unit, that is, on the right side in the left-right direction of the water injection cartridge 110.

The fine bubble water supply water path 172 for the second powder detergent container is located between the fine bubble water supply water path 171 for the first powder detergent container and the fine bubble water supply water path 173 for the liquid detergent container. In addition, in a state where the washing process agent cartridge 111 is accommodated in the water injection cartridge 110, the fine bubble water supply water channel 172 for the second powder detergent accommodating portion is positioned above the powder detergent accommodating portion 121 and extends in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the water injection cartridge 110. In this case, the fine bubble water supply water channel 172 for the second powder detergent containing part extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the water injection cartridge 110 above the front edge of the powder detergent containing part 121. The edge portion of the powder detergent container 121 on the front side can be defined as an example of an edge portion having no outlet 121 b.

In this case, the fine bubble water supply water passage 172 for the second powder detergent containing portion is constituted by the fourth passage portion 164 which is one water passage extending in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the water injection cartridge 110. The fine bubble water supply passage 172 for the second powder detergent containing part is sandwiched between the fourth passage 134 and the sixth passage 136, which are two passages of the normal water supply passage 142 for the second powder detergent containing part. In other words, the fine bubble water supply passage 172 for the second powdered detergent containing part is configured to fit into the normal water supply passage 142 for the second powdered detergent containing part from the right side.

The fine bubble water supply water passage 173 for the liquid detergent container is located downstream of the fine bubble water supply water passage 172 for the second powder detergent container. In addition, in a state where the washing treatment agent cartridge 111 is accommodated in the water injection cartridge 110, the fine bubble water supply water channel 173 for the liquid detergent accommodating part is positioned above the liquid detergent accommodating part 120 and extends along the longitudinal direction of the water injection cartridge 110. In this case, the fine bubble water supply water channel 173 for the liquid detergent storage portion extends above the right edge of the liquid detergent storage portion 120 in the longitudinal direction of the water filling cartridge 110 as viewed from the front side of the washing machine 100. The distal end of the fine bubble water supply water passage 173 for the liquid detergent storage portion faces the distal end of the second branch portion 137b of the normal water passage 130, in other words, the distal end of the normal water passage 130 from the rear.

The connection part between the fine bubble water supply water passage 172 for the second powder detergent containing part and the fine bubble water supply water passage 173 for the liquid detergent containing part is formed in a shape extending so as to bypass the protrusion 136a of the normal water passage 130. The fine bubble water supply path 172 for the second powder detergent storage portion is provided outside the normal water supply path 142 for the second powder detergent storage portion, that is, on the right side in the left-right direction of the water injection cartridge 110.

The fine bubble water supply path 160 includes a plurality of fine bubble water supply ports 180 for supplying the fine bubble water into the water injection cartridge 110. In this case, the fine bubble water supply port 180 is formed as a small hole having a circular opening.

The fine bubble water supply path 160 includes, as the fine bubble water supply port 180, a fine bubble water supply port 180a for the liquid detergent storage unit for supplying the fine bubble water to the liquid detergent storage unit 120, and a fine bubble water supply port 180b for the powder detergent storage unit for supplying the fine bubble water to the powder detergent storage unit 121. The supply port 180b for fine bubble water for the powder detergent storage unit is an example of a supply port for fine bubble water for the non-liquid detergent storage unit.

The fine bubble water supply port 180b for the powder detergent storage part is disposed separately in the fine bubble water supply water path 171 for the first powder detergent storage part and the fine bubble water supply water path 172 for the second powder detergent storage part. The supply port 180a for fine bubble water for the liquid detergent storage unit is disposed in the fine bubble water supply water passage 173 for the liquid detergent storage unit.

For example, according to the water supply path portion 114 configured as described above, when water supplied from an external water source is supplied as normal water containing no fine bubbles into the water tank 102 via the water filling cartridge 110, the normal water supply valve 112b of the water supply valve unit 112 is driven to supply the normal water to the normal water path 130. The normal water supplied to the normal water passage 130 flows through the normal water passage 130 from the upstream side to the downstream side, and in the process, drops from the plurality of normal water supply ports 150 into the detergent case 111. The normal water dropped into the washing treatment agent box 111 dissolves the washing treatment agent contained in the washing treatment agent box 111, flows out into the water injection box 110, and is further injected into the water tank 102 from the water injection box 110.

At this time, since the normal water supply port 150b for the powder detergent storage part is provided in the first normal water supply water passage 141 for the powder detergent storage part and the second normal water supply water passage 142 for the powder detergent storage part along the edge of the powder detergent storage part 121, the normal water dropping from the normal water supply port 150b for the powder detergent storage part among the plurality of normal water supply ports 150 drops from above the portion where the powder detergent easily remains, which is the edge of the powder detergent storage part 121, and thus, the dissolution and remaining of the powder detergent can be avoided.

Further, since the normal water supply port 150a for the liquid detergent storage portion is provided in the normal water supply water passage 143 for the liquid detergent storage portion along the edge of the liquid detergent storage portion 120, the normal water dropping from the normal water supply port 150a for the liquid detergent storage portion among the plurality of normal water supply ports 150 drops from above the portion where the liquid detergent easily remains, which is the edge of the liquid detergent storage portion 120, and thus, the dissolution and remaining of the liquid detergent can be avoided.

For example, when water supplied from an external water source is supplied as fine bubble water containing fine bubbles into the water tank 102 through the water filling cartridge 110 by the water supply path section 114 configured as described above, the fine bubble water supply valve 112c of the water supply valve unit 112 is driven to supply the fine bubble water to the fine bubble water path 160. The fine-bubble water supplied to the fine-bubble water passage 160 flows from the upstream side to the downstream side in the fine-bubble water passage 160, and in the process, the fine-bubble water drops into the washing agent box 111 from the plurality of fine-bubble water supply ports 180. The fine bubbles dropped into the washing agent case 111 dissolve the washing agent contained in the washing agent case 111, flow out into the water injection case 110, and are further injected into the water tank 102 from the water injection case 110.

At this time, since the supply port 180b for fine bubble water for the powder detergent storage part is provided in the first supply water channel 171 for fine bubble water for the powder detergent storage part and the second supply water channel 172 for fine bubble water for the powder detergent storage part along the edge of the powder detergent storage part 121, the fine bubble water dropping from the supply port 180b for fine bubble water for the powder detergent storage part among the plurality of supply ports 180 for fine bubble water drops from above the edge of the powder detergent storage part 121, that is, a portion where the powder detergent is likely to remain, and thus, the dissolution and remaining of the powder detergent can be avoided.

Further, since the supply port 180a for fine bubble water for a liquid detergent storage portion is provided in the normal water supply water passage 143 for a liquid detergent storage portion along the edge of the liquid detergent storage portion 120, fine bubble water dripping from the supply port 180a for fine bubble water for a liquid detergent storage portion among the plurality of supply ports 180 for fine bubble water drips from above a portion where liquid detergent easily remains, which is the edge of the liquid detergent storage portion 120, and thus, it is possible to avoid the dissolution and residue of liquid detergent.

As illustrated in fig. 5, in a state where the washing treatment agent cartridge 111 is housed in the water injection cartridge 110, the fine bubble water supply port 180 of the fine bubble water passage 160 located above the liquid detergent housing unit 120 is provided closer to the side wall, i.e., the edge of the liquid detergent housing unit 120 than the normal water supply port 150 of the normal water passage 130 located above the liquid detergent housing unit 120. In the state where the detergent treatment agent cartridge 111 is housed in the water feed cartridge 110, the fine bubble water supply port 180 of the fine bubble water passage 160 located above the powder detergent housing section 121 is provided closer to the side wall, i.e., the edge of the powder detergent housing section 121 than the normal water supply port 150 of the normal water passage 130 located above the powder detergent housing section 121.

According to the washing machine 100 of the present embodiment, the water supply path portion 114 includes the normal water path 130 through which the normal water containing no fine bubbles flows, and the fine bubble water path 160 through which the fine bubble water generated by the fine bubble generator 113 flows. The normal water passage 130 has a normal water supply port 150 for supplying normal water to the water injection cartridge 110, and the fine bubble water passage 160 has a fine bubble water supply port 180 for supplying fine bubble water to the water injection cartridge 110.

That is, according to the washing machine 100, the dedicated fine bubble water passage 160 for supplying the fine bubble water to the water supply cartridge 110 is provided separately from the normal water passage 130, and the fine bubble water supply port 180 for supplying the fine bubble water to the water supply cartridge 110 is provided separately from the normal water supply port 150 in the fine bubble water passage 160. According to this configuration, the fine bubble water can be efficiently supplied to the washing treatment agent cartridge 111 in the water injection cartridge 110 through the dedicated path and the supply port for supplying the fine bubble water, and the detergent can be efficiently dissolved in the fine bubble water and supplied into the water tank 102.

In the water supply path portion 114, the normal water path 130 and the fine bubble water path 160 are disposed adjacent to each other. According to this configuration, the normal water passage 130 and the fine bubble water passage 160 can be provided in substantially the same shape above the washing treatment agent cartridge 111 housed in the water injection cartridge 110, and the dropping amounts and dropping positions of the normal water dropped from the normal water passage 130 and the fine bubble water dropped from the fine bubble water passage 160 can be designed to be substantially the same. Thus, the washing treatment agent in the washing treatment agent box 111 can be dissolved well and supplied into the water tank 102, both in the case of supplying normal water into the water injection box 110 and in the case of supplying fine bubble water.

In addition, in a state where the washing treatment agent cartridge 111 is accommodated in the water injection cartridge 110, the fine bubble water supply port 180 of the fine bubble water passage 160 located above the powder detergent accommodation portion 121 is provided closer to the side wall, i.e., the edge portion of the powder detergent accommodation portion 121 than the normal water supply port 150 of the normal water passage 130 similarly located above the liquid detergent accommodation portion 120.

Here, since the fine-bubble water supplied to the fine-bubble water passage 160 is subjected to flow path resistance when passing through the fine-bubble generator 113, the flow rate, the supply amount per unit time, and the amount of dripping to the washing treatment agent box 111 tend to be smaller than those of the normal water supplied from the normal water passage 130. Therefore, the fine bubble water supplied from the fine bubble water passage 160 is more likely to cause the residual detergent dissolved therein than the normal water supplied from the normal water passage 130.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the supply port 180 for fine bubble water of the fine bubble water path 160 is disposed above the liquid detergent storage section 120 at a position closer to the side wall, i.e., the edge of the liquid detergent storage section 120 than the supply port 150 for normal water of the normal water path 130. Further, the fine bubble water supply port 180 of the fine bubble water passage 160 is disposed above the powder detergent storage part 121 at a position closer to the side wall, i.e., the edge, of the liquid detergent storage part 120 than the normal water supply port 150 of the normal water passage 130. This allows the fine-bubble water supplied from the fine-bubble water passage 160 to drip down to the edge of the washing treatment agent storage section where the washing treatment agent is more likely to be dissolved and left, and thus the washing treatment agent can be sufficiently dissolved even if the fine-bubble water has a weak water potential or a small amount of dripping.

The fine bubble water passage 160 includes, as the fine bubble water supply port 180, a fine bubble water supply port 180a for the liquid detergent storage unit for supplying the fine bubble water to the liquid detergent storage unit 120, and a fine bubble water supply port 180b for the powder detergent storage unit for supplying the fine bubble water to the powder detergent storage unit 121. With this configuration, the fine bubble water can be efficiently dropped into the liquid detergent storage unit 120 and the powder detergent storage unit 121 through the dedicated supply port for supplying the fine bubble water.

The fine bubble water path 160 includes a fine bubble water supply water path 173 for the liquid detergent storage portion and fine bubble water supply water paths 171 and 172 for the powder detergent storage portion, the fine bubble water supply water path 173 for the liquid detergent storage portion extends above the liquid detergent storage portion 120 along the longitudinal direction of the water injection cartridge 110, and the fine bubble water supply water paths 171 and 172 for the powder detergent storage portion extend above the powder detergent storage portion 121 along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the water injection cartridge 110. With this configuration, the fine bubble water can be efficiently dropped into the liquid detergent storage unit 120 and the powder detergent storage unit 121 through a dedicated path for supplying the fine bubble water.

The fine bubble water supply path 171 for the powder detergent container extends along the inclined portion 121c of the powder detergent container 121. According to this configuration, the fine-bubble water dropping from the fine-bubble water supply water passage 171 for the powder detergent container easily flows along the inclined portion 121c of the powder detergent container 121 to the outlet port 121b, and the powder detergent in the powder detergent container 121 can be efficiently dissolved in the fine-bubble water and supplied into the water tank 102 even if the water potential of the fine-bubble water is weak or the dropping amount is small.

The number of holes of the fine bubble water supply port 180a for the liquid detergent storage unit provided in the fine bubble water supply water path 173 for the liquid detergent storage unit may be smaller than the number of holes of the fine bubble water supply port 180b for the powder detergent storage unit provided in the fine bubble water supply water paths 171 and 172 for the powder detergent storage unit. That is, powder detergents tend to produce dissolution residues more easily than liquid detergents. Therefore, by making the number of holes of the supply port 180a for fine bubble water for the liquid detergent storage portion smaller than the number of holes of the supply port 180b for fine bubble water for the powder detergent storage portion, more fine bubble water is supplied to the powder detergent storage portion 121, and the residual dissolution of the powder detergent can be avoided.

The number of holes of the fine bubble water supply port 180 provided in the fine bubble water passage 160 may be equal to or smaller than the number of holes of the normal water supply port 150 provided in the normal water passage 130. That is, as described above, the fine bubble water may have a weaker water potential or a smaller amount of droplets than the normal water. Therefore, by setting the number of holes of the fine bubble water supply port 180 equal to or smaller than the number of holes of the normal water supply port 150, even if the water potential or the dropping amount of the fine bubble water is weak, the water potential and the dropping amount of the fine bubble water dropping from one fine bubble water supply port 180 can be maintained at the same level as the water potential and the dropping amount of the normal water dropping from one normal water supply port 150, and the fine bubble water can be supplied well.

Further, the size of the hole of the fine bubble water supply port 180 provided in the fine bubble water passage 160 may be equal to or smaller than the size of the hole of the normal water supply port 150 provided in the normal water passage 130. According to this configuration, the water potential and the amount of fine bubble water dropping from the single supply port 180 for fine bubble water can be maintained at the same level as the water potential and the amount of normal water dropping from the single supply port 150 for normal water, and fine bubble water can be supplied well.

In the so-called drum-type washing machine 100 in which the rotation axis of the rotation tub is horizontal or inclined downward toward the rear, since the cylindrical water tub 102 is provided in the shape of a horizontal shaft, it is easy to secure a space extending in the front-rear direction on the left and right of the upper portion of the water tub 102. According to washing machine 100 of the present embodiment, water supply path portion 114 including normal water path 130 and fine bubble water path 160 is provided in the left and right longitudinal spaces formed in the upper portion of water tub 102 in outer box 101. Therefore, the water supply path part 140 having the two types of paths 130 and 160 can be disposed by effectively utilizing the limited space formed in the outer case 101.

In addition, according to washing machine 100, water filling box 110, water supply valve unit 112, fine bubble generator 113, and water supply path portion 114 are arranged in the front-rear direction in the left and right front-rear direction spaces formed in the upper portion of water tub 102 in outer box 101. That is, since the plurality of components constituting water supply mechanism 105 are arranged by effectively utilizing the space in the front-rear direction formed in outer box 101, water supply mechanism 105 can be configured compactly, and further, the increase in size of washing machine 100 can be avoided.

(second embodiment)

The washing machine 200 illustrated in fig. 8 is a so-called vertical axis type washing machine in which the rotation axis of the rotary tub is oriented in the vertical direction, and includes an outer box 201, a top cover 202, a water tub 203, a rotary tub 204, a pulsator 205, a motor 206, and a water supply mechanism 207.

The outer casing 201 constitutes an outer shell of the washing machine 200, and is formed of, for example, a steel plate, and is formed in a rectangular box shape as a whole. The top cover 202 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, and is provided on the upper portion of the outer box 201. The water tank 203 and the spin tank 204 function as a washing tank and a spin-drying tank for storing laundry to be washed. The water tank 203 is provided in the outer box 201. The water tank 203 and the rotary tank 204 are formed in a bottomed cylindrical container shape having an upper surface opened. The rotary tub 204 has a plurality of small holes 204a, and water passes through the small holes 204a between the rotary tub 204 and the water tub 203. A drain port, not shown, is formed in the bottom of the water tank 203.

The motor 206 is connected to the rotary tub 204 and the pulsator 205 via a clutch mechanism not shown. The clutch mechanism selectively transmits the rotation of the motor 206 to the rotary tub 204 and the pulsator 205. The motor 206 and the clutch mechanism transmit the driving force of the motor 206 to the pulsator 205 in a state where the rotation of the spin basket 204 is stopped during the washing stroke and the rinsing stroke, and directly rotate the pulsator 205 in the forward rotation direction and the reverse rotation direction at a low speed. The motor 206 and the clutch mechanism transmit the driving force of the motor 206 to the rotary tub 204 during the spin-drying stroke, and rotationally drive the rotary tub 204 and the pulsator 205 at high speed in one direction.

The water supply mechanism 207 is located above the outer box 201 and is provided inside the top cover 202. As illustrated in fig. 9, the water supply mechanism 207 includes a water supply tank 210, a washing treatment agent tank 211, a water supply valve unit 212, a fine bubble generator 213, a bath water pump 214, and a water supply path diameter portion 215. The water filling box 210 is in the form of a rectangular container with its front surface and upper surface open, and is disposed above the water tank 203. The front opening 210a of the water injection box 210 is connected to a rear wall of a laundry entrance, not shown, provided above the water tank 203, and opens forward at the rear wall of the laundry entrance. The open port 210a in the front of the water injection cartridge 210 is closed by housing a detergent treatment agent cartridge 211 in the water injection cartridge 210.

A water filling port 210b is provided at the bottom of the water filling cartridge 210. The water filling port 210b communicates the inner space of the water filling cartridge 210 with the outside. The bottom of the water filling cartridge 210 is formed as, for example, a slope gently descending and inclining toward the water filling port 210b side. In this case, the water filling port 210b is provided at the rear of the bottom of the water filling cartridge 210.

The water flowing into the water injection cartridge 210 flows down to the bottom of the water injection cartridge 210 through a detergent treatment agent cartridge 211, which will be described in detail later. The water that has fallen to the bottom is guided to the water inlet 210b along the slope of the bottom, and then is injected into the water tank 203 through the water inlet 210 b.

The water inlet 210b is positioned above the water tub 203 and the spin tub 204, and is located at a position where a user can visually confirm from the user's perspective when using the washing machine 200. The water inlet 210b may be formed separately from the water filling box 210. Further, a piping member such as a hose may be interposed between the water filling box 210 and the water filling port 210 b.

The washing treatment agent box 211 is in the form of a rectangular container with an open top, and can be inserted into and removed from the water injection box 210 through an open port 210a in the front surface of the water injection box 210. In this case, the water injection cartridge 210 and the washing process cartridge 211 extend in the left and right direction of the washing machine 200. The bottom of the detergent box 211 is formed in a shape gently inclined downward from the front side toward the rear side along the inclined shape of the bottom of the water injection box 210, as viewed from the side surface side of the washing machine 200.

In this case, as illustrated in fig. 10, a liquid detergent containing part 221 containing a liquid detergent, a powder detergent containing part 222 containing a powder detergent, and a softener containing part 223 containing a softener are provided in the washing treatment agent box 211. The powder detergent container 222 and the softener container 223 are examples of a non-liquid detergent container for containing a detergent treatment agent other than a liquid detergent.

The liquid detergent container 221, the powder detergent container 222, and the softener container 223 are arranged in the detergent treatment agent box 211. In this case, the liquid detergent storage part 221 is provided at the center of the detergent treatment agent box 211, the powder detergent storage part 222 is provided at the left side of the liquid detergent storage part 221, and the softener storage part 223 is provided at the right side of the liquid detergent storage part 221, as viewed from the front side of the washing machine 200.

The powder detergent container 222 is a part of the internal space of the detergent treatment agent box 211, and is configured to contain powder detergent. That is, the powder detergent container 222 is configured to allow the powder detergent to be put in while the detergent treatment agent case 211 is pulled out from the water injection case 210. Thus, when the user uses the washing machine 200, the user can pull out the detergent treatment agent box 211 as needed and put the powder detergent into the powder detergent storage 222.

The powder detergent storage 222 includes a powder detergent outlet, not shown. The powder detergent outlet is configured to communicate the inside and outside of the powder detergent storage 222. In this case, the powdered detergent outlet part communicates the space inside the powdered detergent containing part 222 with the space formed between the outer surface of the washing process cartridge 211 and the inner surface of the water injection cartridge 210. The powder detergent outlet is formed by an opening penetrating the bottom surface of the powder detergent containing part 222. Further, the bottom of the powder detergent storage part 222 has an inclined portion gently inclined downward toward the powder detergent outlet portion. In this case, the powder detergent outlet port is provided at the rear of the bottom of the powder detergent containing part 222.

When water is supplied into the powder detergent containing part 222, the water supplied into the powder detergent containing part 222 flows out of the powder detergent containing part 222 from the powder detergent outlet part. At this time, when the powder detergent is contained in the powder detergent containing part 222, the water in which the powder detergent is dissolved flows out from the powder detergent outlet part to the outside of the powder detergent containing part 222.

The liquid detergent container 221 is a space other than the powder detergent container 222 and the softener container 223 in the internal space of the detergent treatment agent box 211, and is configured to be capable of containing a liquid detergent. That is, the liquid detergent storage part 221 is configured to be able to supply the liquid detergent in a state where the detergent treatment agent case 211 is pulled out from the water injection case 210. Thus, when the user uses the washing machine 200, the user can pull out the detergent treatment agent box 211 as needed and put the liquid detergent into the liquid detergent storage part 221.

The liquid detergent storage section 221 includes a liquid detergent outlet portion, not shown. The liquid detergent outlet portion is configured to communicate the inside and outside of the liquid detergent storage portion 221. In this case, the liquid detergent outlet part communicates a space within the liquid detergent holding part 221 with a space formed between the outer surface of the washing process cartridge 211 and the inner surface of the water injection cartridge 210. The liquid detergent outlet portion is constituted by a siphon structure, for example. In addition, the bottom of the liquid detergent storage part 221 has an inclined portion that gently descends and inclines toward the liquid detergent outlet portion. In this case, the liquid detergent outlet part is provided at the rear of the bottom of the liquid detergent storage part 221.

When the water level in the liquid detergent storage part 221 reaches a predetermined level, the water supplied into the liquid detergent storage part 221 flows out of the liquid detergent storage part 221 through the liquid detergent outlet part by the siphon principle. At this time, when the liquid detergent is contained in the liquid detergent storage part 221, the water in which the liquid detergent is dissolved flows out of the liquid detergent storage part 221 through the liquid detergent outlet part.

The softener container 223 is a space other than the liquid detergent container 221 and the powder detergent container 222 in the internal space of the detergent treatment agent box 211, and is configured to be capable of containing a softener. That is, the softener storage section 223 is configured to allow the softener to be introduced in a state where the detergent treatment agent box 211 is pulled out from the water injection box 210. Thus, when the user uses the washing machine 200, the user can pull out the detergent treatment agent box 211 and insert the softener into the softener storage part 223 as needed.

The softener storage section 223 includes a softener outlet section, not shown. The softener outlet portion is configured to communicate the inside and outside of the softener storage portion 223. In this case, the conditioner outlet part communicates the space inside the conditioner accommodating part 223 with the space formed between the outer surface of the detergent process cartridge 211 and the inner surface of the water injection cartridge 210. The softener outlet portion is constituted by a siphon structure, for example. Further, the bottom of the softener storage portion 223 has an inclined portion that gently descends and inclines toward the softener outlet portion. In this case, the softener outlet port is provided at the rear of the bottom of the softener storage part 223.

When the inside of the softener storage part 223 reaches a predetermined water level, the water supplied into the softener storage part 223 flows out from the softener outlet part to the outside of the softener storage part 223 by the siphon principle. At this time, when the softener is stored in the softener storage portion 223, water in which the softener is dissolved flows out of the softener storage portion 223 from the softener outlet portion.

The water supply valve unit 212 is provided at the right side of the water filling cartridge 210, as viewed from the front side of the washing machine 200. The water supply valve unit 212 includes a normal water supply valve 212b and a fine bubble water supply valve 212c in the main body 212 a. A water supply port 212d connected to a faucet of an external water source, not shown, such as a tap water pipe, is provided at an upper portion of the main body portion 212 a. The water supply port 212d is connected to a normal water supply valve 212b and a fine bubble water supply valve 212c, respectively. The water supply valve 212b for normal water is not connected to the water supply path portion 215 via the fine bubble generator 213. On the other hand, the water supply valve 212c for fine bubble water is connected to the water supply path portion 215 via the fine bubble generator 213.

The fine bubble water generator 213 has the same structure as the fine bubble water generator 113, and has a function of containing fine microbubbles in water passing through the inside thereof. The bath pump 214 is provided on the left side of the tub 210 as viewed from the front side of the washing machine 200.

In this case, the upper surface of the water filling cartridge 210 is formed in a shape inclined downward from the rear to the front, and the water supply path portion 215 is attached to close the opening of the upper surface of the water filling cartridge 210. Therefore, the water supply path portion 215 is inclined downward from the rear to the front at the upper portion of the water filling cartridge 210.

The water supply path portion 215 includes a main body portion 215a and a cover portion not shown. The main body 215a is provided with a plurality of water supply paths, which will be described in detail later. The cover portion covers the upper surface of the body portion 215 a. This structure forms a thin plate-like water supply path portion 215 having various water supply paths therein. Next, a description will be given of structural examples of various types of water supply paths provided in the water supply path portion 215.

That is, as illustrated in fig. 10, at least the normal water passage 230 and the fine bubble water passage 260 are provided in the water supply passage portion 215. In the water supply path portion 215, the normal water path 230 and the fine bubble water path 260 are provided so that, in a part thereof, the respective portions are adjacent in the left-right direction or the front-rear direction. In the water supply path portion 215, the normal water path 230 and the fine bubble water path 260 are provided as separate paths completely separated from each other.

The upstream portion of the normal water passage 230 is connected to the normal water supply valve 212b of the water supply valve unit 212, and the normal water supplied from the normal water supply valve 212b is circulated. On the other hand, the upstream portion of the fine bubble water passage 260 is connected to the fine bubble water supply valve 212c of the water supply valve unit 212, and the fine bubble water generated by the fine bubble generator 213 is circulated.

As illustrated in fig. 12, in the water supply valve unit 212, both the normal water pipe line 212A connecting the normal water supply valve 212B and the normal water passage 230 and the fine bubble water pipe line 212B connecting the fine bubble water supply valve 212c and the fine bubble water passage 260 are provided at a position lower than the water supply passage portion 215. The fine bubble water pipe 212B is provided at a position lower than the normal water pipe 212A at a position lower than the water supply path portion 215. The fine bubble water pipe 212B has a horizontal portion 212Ba extending in the horizontal direction on the upstream side and a vertical portion 212Bb extending in the vertical direction on the downstream side. The fine bubble generator 213 is provided in the horizontal portion 212Ba in the fine bubble water pipe 212B.

As illustrated in fig. 10, the normal water passage 230 includes, in order from the upstream side, a first passage 231, a second passage 232, a third passage 233, a fourth passage 234, a fifth passage 235, a sixth passage 236, a seventh passage 237, and an eighth passage 238. The first path portion 231 extends leftward in the longitudinal direction of the water filling cartridge 210, i.e., in the left-right direction, from an upstream portion to which the normal water supply valve 212b is connected via a connection pipe, not shown.

The second path portion 232 extends forward from the end portion on the downstream side of the first path portion 231 along the width direction of the water filling cartridge 210, i.e., the front-rear direction. The upstream end of the second path portion 232 protrudes upward beyond the downstream end of the first path portion 231. The protruding portion functions as a supply port 214a for supplying so-called priming water to the bath water pump 214. The downstream end of the second path unit 232 passes below the sixth path unit 266 of the fine bubble water path 260, which will be described in detail later, and is connected to the third path unit 233. That is, the second path portion 232 of the normal water path 230 and the sixth path portion 266 of the fine bubble water path 260 intersect with each other in a so-called solid-liquid intersection.

The vertically crossing portion may be configured such that the second path portion 232 of the normal water path 230 crosses over the sixth path portion 266 of the fine bubble water path 260, the sixth path portion 266 of the fine bubble water path 260 passes under the second path portion 232 of the normal water path 230, or the sixth path portion 266 of the fine bubble water path 260 crosses over the second path portion 232 of the normal water path 230.

The third path portion 233 extends leftward in the right-left direction of the water filling cartridge 210 from the end portion on the downstream side of the second path portion 232. Further, a spare space 233b is connected to an upstream end of the third path unit 233 via a connecting path unit 233 a. In this case, the spare space 233b is formed as a rectangular space having a predetermined size.

The fourth path portion 234 extends upward from the end portion on the downstream side of the third path portion 233 in the front-rear direction of the water filling cartridge 210. The fifth path portion 235 extends rightward in the right-left direction of the water filling cartridge 210 from the end portion on the downstream side of the fourth path portion 234. The sixth path portion 236 extends rearward along the front-rear direction of the water injection cartridge 210 from the end portion on the downstream side of the fifth path portion 235. The seventh path portion 237 extends leftward from the upstream portion of the sixth path portion 236 in the left-right direction of the water injection cartridge 210.

The eighth path portion 238 extends rearward along the front-rear direction of the water injection cartridge 210 from the end portion on the downstream side of the seventh path portion 237. Further, an auxiliary space 238a is connected to the downstream end of the eighth path portion 238. In this case, the auxiliary space 238a is formed as a rectangular space having a predetermined size.

The normal water passage 230 constitutes a normal water supply passage 241 for the powder detergent container for supplying normal water to the powder detergent container 222 through the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth passage portions 233, 234, 235, 236, 237 and 238. The normal water passage 230 does not include a normal water supply passage for the liquid detergent storage unit for supplying normal water to the liquid detergent storage unit 221.

In a state where the detergent box 211 is accommodated in the water filling cartridge 210, the first path part 231, the second path part 232, and the preliminary space 233b constituting the upstream side of the normal water path 230 are positioned above the liquid detergent accommodating part 221. In addition, in a state where the washing process agent cartridge 211 is accommodated in the water injection cartridge 210, a part of the third path unit 233, the fourth path unit 234, the fifth path unit 235, the sixth path unit 236, the seventh path unit 237, the eighth path unit 238, and the auxiliary space 238a constituting the downstream side of the normal water path 230 is positioned above the powder detergent accommodating unit 222. That is, the normal water path 230 is formed as follows in a state where the washing treatment agent box 211 is accommodated in the water injection box 210: that is, the water passes from the upstream portion connected to the normal water supply valve 212b first through the upper portion of the liquid detergent storage portion 221, and then reaches the upper portion of the powder detergent storage portion 222.

The normal water passage 230 has a plurality of normal water supply ports 250 for supplying normal water into the water filling cartridge 210. In this case, the water supply ports 250 are each formed as a small hole having a circular opening.

The normal water supply port 250 is a supply port 250b for normal water for the powder detergent container 230, and the supply port 250b for normal water for the powder detergent container supplies normal water to the powder detergent container 222. The normal water supply port 250b for the powder detergent storage portion is an example of a normal water supply port for the non-liquid detergent storage portion. In this case, the normal water supply path 230 is configured such that all the normal water supply ports 250 function as the normal water supply ports 250b for the powder detergent storage portion by disposing all the normal water supply ports 250 in the normal water supply water path 241 for the powder detergent storage portion. Therefore, the normal water passage 230 does not include a normal water supply port for the liquid detergent storage unit for supplying normal water to the liquid detergent storage unit 221.

In addition, in a state where the washing agent cartridge 211 is accommodated in the water injection cartridge 210, particularly, the fourth path portion 234 in the normal water supply path 241 for the powder detergent accommodating portion is positioned above the front portion of the powder detergent accommodating portion 222. Therefore, in a state where the detergent treatment agent box 211 is accommodated in the water injection box 210, the supply port 250b for normal water for the powder detergent accommodating portion provided in the fourth path portion 234 is also positioned above the front portion of the powder detergent accommodating portion 222.

The normal water passage 230 has a plurality of auxiliary normal water supply ports 250h, and the plurality of auxiliary normal water supply ports 250h supply normal water to a portion of the water filling cartridge 210 other than the washing treatment agent cartridge 211. In this case, the auxiliary normal water supply ports 250h are each formed as a small hole having a circular opening. In this case, the auxiliary normal water supply ports 250h are all disposed in the rear portion of the auxiliary space 238 a. The normal water supplied from the auxiliary normal water supply port 250h drips to the rear of the detergent case 211 accommodated in the water filling box 210, in this case, to the rear of the powder detergent accommodating portion 222.

On the other hand, the fine bubble water passage 260 includes, in order from the upstream side, a first passage portion 261, a second passage portion 262, a third passage portion 263, a fourth passage portion 264, a fifth passage portion 265, a sixth passage portion 266, and a seventh passage portion 267. The first path portion 261 extends forward in the front-rear direction, which is the width direction of the water filling cartridge 210, from an upstream portion to which the fine bubble water supply valve 212c is connected via a connection pipe, not shown.

The second path portion 262 extends leftward from the end portion on the downstream side of the first path portion 261 along the longitudinal direction of the water filling cartridge 210, i.e., the left-right direction. The third path portion 263 extends leftward in the right-left direction of the water filling cartridge 210 from the end portion on the downstream side of the second path portion 262. In this case, the third path portion 263 extends leftward from a position slightly offset forward with respect to the second path portion 262. The fourth path portion 264 extends downward in the front-rear direction of the water filling cartridge 210 from the end portion on the downstream side of the third path portion 263.

The fifth path unit 265 and the sixth path unit 266 are branched from the downstream end of the fourth path unit 264 to the left and right. The fifth path portion 265 extends leftward in the right-left direction of the water injection cartridge 210 from the end portion on the downstream side of the fourth path portion 264. On the other hand, the sixth path portion 266 extends rightward along the left-right direction of the water injection cartridge 210 from the downstream end of the fourth path portion 264. The seventh path portion 267 extends rearward along the front-rear direction of the water filling box 210 from an intermediate portion of the sixth path portion 266, in this case, from the center portion in the left-right direction.

The fine bubble water passage 260 includes an auxiliary water passage portion 268. The auxiliary water channel 268 includes a first auxiliary water channel 268a, a second auxiliary water channel 268b, and a third auxiliary water channel 268 c. The first auxiliary water passage portion 268a extends rearward along the front-rear direction of the water filling cartridge 210 from the connection portion of the second passage portion 262 and the third passage portion 263. The second auxiliary water passage 268b extends leftward in the right-left direction of the water injection cartridge 210 from the downstream end of the first auxiliary water passage 268 a. The third auxiliary water passage 268c extends rightward in the left-right direction of the water injection cartridge 210 from the downstream end of the first auxiliary water passage 268 a.

The fine bubble water passage 260 constitutes a fine bubble water supply passage 271 for the powder detergent storage part to supply the fine bubble water to the powder detergent storage part 222 through the fifth passage 265. The fine bubble water passage 260 also constitutes a fine bubble water supply passage 272 for the liquid detergent storage unit for supplying the fine bubble water to the liquid detergent storage unit 221 via the fourth passage 264, the sixth passage 266, and the seventh passage 267.

In a state where the washing treatment agent cartridge 211 is accommodated in the water injection cartridge 210, a part of the second path portion 262, the third path portion 263, and the fourth path portion 264 constituting the upstream side of the fine bubble water path 260, and a sixth path portion 266 and a seventh path portion 267 constituting a part of the downstream side are positioned above the liquid detergent accommodating portion 221. In addition, in a state where the washing treatment agent cartridge 211 is accommodated in the water injection cartridge 210, the fifth path portion 265 constituting a part of the downstream side of the fine bubble water path 260 is positioned above the powder detergent accommodating portion 222.

That is, the fine bubble water path 260 is formed as follows in a state where the washing treatment agent cartridge 211 is accommodated in the water injection cartridge 210: that is, the water supply valve 212c for fine bubble water is connected to the upstream portion thereof, and the water supply valve is first passed through the upper portion of the liquid detergent storage part 221, and then branched to the upper portion of the liquid detergent storage part 221 and the upper portion of the powder detergent storage part 222.

The fine bubble water supply path 260 has a plurality of fine bubble water supply ports 280 for supplying fine bubble water into the water filling cartridge 210. In this case, the fine bubble water supply ports 280 are each formed as a small hole having a circular opening.

The fine bubble water supply path 260 includes a fine bubble water supply port 280a for the liquid detergent storage unit and a fine bubble water supply port 280b for the powder detergent storage unit, the fine bubble water supply port 280a for the liquid detergent storage unit supplying the fine bubble water to the liquid detergent storage unit 221, and the fine bubble water supply port 280b for the powder detergent storage unit supplying the fine bubble water to the powder detergent storage unit 222, as the fine bubble water supply port 280. The supply port 280b for fine bubble water for the powder detergent storage portion is an example of a supply port for fine bubble water for the non-liquid detergent storage portion. In this case, the fine bubble water passage 260 is configured such that the fine bubble water supply port 280a for the liquid detergent storage portion is disposed in the fine bubble water supply water passage 272 for the liquid detergent storage portion, and the fine bubble water supply port 280b for the powder detergent storage portion is disposed in the fine bubble water supply water passage 271 for the powder detergent storage portion.

The fine bubble water supply path 260 has a plurality of auxiliary fine bubble water supply ports 280h, and the plurality of auxiliary fine bubble water supply ports 280h supply the fine bubble water to the water injection cartridge 210 except for the washing treatment agent cartridge 211. In this case, the auxiliary fine bubble water supply ports 280h are each formed as a small hole having a circular opening. In this case, the auxiliary fine bubble water supply port 280h is disposed in the second auxiliary water passage portion 268b and the third auxiliary water passage portion 268c, respectively.

The second auxiliary water channel 268b has one auxiliary fine bubble water supply port 280h at the downstream end thereof. On the other hand, the third auxiliary water channel 268c is formed such that a plurality of auxiliary fine bubble water supply ports 280h, in this case three auxiliary fine bubble water supply ports 280h, are arranged at predetermined intervals. The fine bubble water supplied from the auxiliary fine bubble water supply port 280h drops to the rear of the detergent box 211 accommodated in the water injection box 210.

In this case, in a state where the detergent box 211 is accommodated in the water injection box 210, the auxiliary fine bubble water supply port 280h of the second auxiliary water channel 268b is located behind the detergent box 211, particularly, at the upper portion of the rear side of the powder detergent accommodating portion 222. Therefore, the fine-bubble water supplied from the auxiliary fine-bubble water supply port 280h of the second auxiliary water channel 268b drops to the rear of the powder detergent storage part 222.

On the other hand, in a state where the washing treatment agent box 211 is accommodated in the water injection box 210, the auxiliary fine bubble water supply port 280h of the third auxiliary water channel portion 268c is located at the rear of the washing treatment agent box 211, particularly, at the rear of the right portion of the liquid detergent accommodating portion 221 and at the upper portion of the rear of the left portion of the softener accommodating portion 223. Therefore, the fine bubble water supplied from the auxiliary fine bubble water supply port 280h of the third auxiliary water channel 268c drops to the rear of the right portion of the liquid detergent storage part 221 and the rear of the left portion of the softener storage part 223.

According to the washing machine 200 of the present embodiment, the water supply path portion 215 includes the normal water path 230 through which the normal water containing no fine bubbles flows, and the fine bubble water path 260 through which the fine bubble water generated by the fine bubble generator 213 flows. The normal water passage 230 has a normal water supply port 250 for supplying normal water to the water pouring box 210, and the fine bubble water passage 260 has a fine bubble water supply port 280 for supplying fine bubble water to the water pouring box 210.

That is, according to the washing machine 200, the dedicated fine bubble water path 260 for supplying the fine bubble water to the water inlet box 210 is provided separately from the normal water path 230, and the fine bubble water supply port 280 for supplying the fine bubble water to the water inlet box 210 is provided separately from the normal water supply port 250 in the fine bubble water path 260. According to this configuration, the fine bubble water can be efficiently supplied to the washing treatment agent cartridge 211 in the water injection cartridge 210 through the dedicated path and the supply port for supplying the fine bubble water, and the detergent can be efficiently dissolved in the fine bubble water and supplied into the water tank 203.

The fine bubble water passage 260 includes an auxiliary water passage 268 for supplying fine bubble water to a portion other than the washing treatment agent cartridge 211 in the water injection cartridge 210. A part of the water flowing out of the detergent box 211 after the detergents in the detergent box 211 are dissolved may remain inside the water injection box 210, for example, at corners of the side or rear part. Therefore, by supplying fine bubble water to the portion of the water injection cartridge 210 other than the washing treatment agent cartridge 211, the detergent remaining in the water injection cartridge 210 after flowing out of the washing treatment agent cartridge 211 can be caused to flow into the water tank 203, and the detergent can be prevented from remaining in the water injection cartridge 210.

Further, in a state where the washing treatment agent box 211 is accommodated in the water injection box 210, the auxiliary water channel 268 is located at a rear upper portion of the washing treatment agent box 211. According to this configuration, the detergent remaining behind the detergent treatment agent box 211 in the water injection box 210 can be efficiently flowed into the water tank 203, and the configuration is particularly suitable for providing the water injection port 210b in the rear portion of the bottom of the water injection box 210.

In addition, the water path 230 is generally formed to pass through the upper side of the liquid detergent storage part 221 and then reach the upper side of the powder detergent storage part 222 in a state where the detergent treatment agent box 211 is stored in the water injection box 210. According to this configuration, for example, a portion that intersects the fine bubble water passage 260 at a position before reaching the upper side of the powder detergent containing portion 222 can be provided in the normal water passage 230, and the water supply passage 215 including both the normal water passage 230 and the fine bubble water passage 260 can be compactly provided in the interior of the outer box 201 of the washing machine 200 having a limited space, and the water supply mechanism 207 can be compactly provided.

The normal water supply port 250 is a normal water supply port 250b for the powder detergent container 230, which supplies normal water to the powder detergent container 222, and the normal water supply port 250b for the powder detergent container is provided corresponding to the upper portion of the front portion of the powder detergent container 222. According to this configuration, since the normal water can be dropped from the upper part of the front part of the powder detergent containing part 222 and the dropped normal water flows from the front part to the rear part at the bottom part of the powder detergent containing part 222, the normal water can be made to flow through the whole powder detergent containing part 222, and the residual dissolution of the powder detergent can be further avoided.

Further, since the two paths 230 and 260 intersect each other in a solid manner, flow resistance, flow velocity loss, and the like are likely to occur at the intersection, the flow of water is likely to be weakened particularly on the downstream side of the intersection. According to the washing machine 200 of the present embodiment, the fine bubble water supply passage 260 has the fine bubble water supply port 280 provided on the upstream side of the portion that vertically intersects the normal water passage 230. Thus, the fine bubble water can be supplied into the detergent treatment agent box 211 before the water flow is weakened on the upstream side of the vertical crossing portion. Since the flow of the fine bubble water is easily weakened as compared with the normal water by passing through the fine bubble generator 213, it is very effective particularly when the supply port 280 is provided on the upstream side of the vertically crossing part in the fine bubble water passage 260. The supply port 280 may be provided upstream of the vertical intersection in the normal water passage 230.

The normal water passage 230 does not include a normal water supply water passage for the liquid detergent storage portion and a normal water supply port for the liquid detergent storage portion. Here, assume a case where the following control is performed: in the case where, in the water supply process of supplying water into the water tank 203, for example, the powder detergent is dissolved by normal water having a water potential and supplied into the tank, and then the liquid detergent is dissolved by fine bubble water having a weak water potential and supplied into the tank, in a configuration in which a path and a supply port for supplying normal water to the liquid detergent storage portion are provided in the normal water path 230, when normal water is initially supplied, a part of the normal water is also supplied to the liquid detergent storage portion, and the liquid detergent is supplied into the water tank 203 before coming into contact with the fine bubble water.

Liquid detergents penetrate into the wash more easily than powder detergents. Therefore, in order to activate the liquid detergent with the fine bubble water, it is necessary to mix the liquid detergent with the fine bubble water before the liquid detergent comes into contact with the laundry, and therefore, in the configuration in which the liquid detergent is supplied into the water tank 203 when normal water is first supplied, the liquid detergent cannot be mixed with the fine bubble water before the liquid detergent comes into contact with the laundry, and the effect of the fine bubble water cannot be sufficiently exhibited.

According to the washing machine 200 of the present embodiment, the normal water passage 230 does not include a normal water supply water passage for the liquid detergent storage portion and a normal water supply port for the liquid detergent storage portion. Therefore, even when the control is performed such that the normal water is supplied first and the fine bubble water is supplied later, the liquid detergent can be prevented from flowing into the water tank 203 when the normal water is supplied first, and the liquid detergent can be sufficiently mixed with the fine bubble water and then brought into contact with the laundry in the water tank 203 when the fine bubble water is supplied later.

In addition, according to the washing machine 200, the supply port 214a for supplying the priming water to the bath water pump 214 is provided in the normal water passage 230, and the normal water passage 230 does not have a passage and a supply port for supplying the normal water to the liquid detergent storage portion. According to this configuration, when the start-up water is supplied to the bath water pump 214, it is possible to prevent a part of the start-up water from being supplied to the liquid detergent storage part 221, and it is possible to sufficiently mix the liquid detergent with the fine bubble water and then bring the liquid detergent into contact with the laundry in the water tub 203 when the fine bubble water is supplied later.

In addition, according to the washing machine 200, the fine bubble generator 213 is disposed in a space provided in a rear portion of a right portion, which is a part of the water inlet box 210. Therefore, the water supply mechanism 207 can be prevented from being enlarged, and the washing machine 200 can be prevented from being enlarged.

In addition, according to the washing machine 200, the fine bubble generator 213 is provided at a position lower than the water supply path portion 215, and the fine bubble water, which is the water passing through the fine bubble generator 213, is supplied to the water supply path portion 215 by being pushed upward from below through the vertical portion 212Bb of the fine bubble water pipe 212B. With this configuration, the occurrence of residual water in the fine bubble water pipe 212B can be suppressed, and damage to the fine bubble water pipe 212B due to freezing of the residual water can be avoided.

Further, by providing the fine bubble water piping 212B at a position where it is easily visible from the outside of the water supply mechanism section 207 and by providing at least a portion of the fine bubble water piping 212B where the fine bubble generator 213 is attached, in the present embodiment, the horizontal portion 212Ba, with a translucent or transparent member, it is possible to confirm that the fine bubble generator 213 is attached from the outside, and it is possible to improve the manufacturing efficiency.

Further, since the water supply path portion 215 is inclined rather than horizontal, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of residual water in the water supply path portion 215 and to avoid damage to the water supply path portion 215 due to freezing of the residual water.

Further, the water supply path portion 215 has a normal water supply port 250 as an outlet of the normal water in the inside of the lower portion thereof, here, in the third path portion 233 of the normal water path 230, and further has a fine bubble water supply port 280 as an outlet of the fine bubble water in the fifth path portion 265 and the sixth path portion 266 of the fine bubble water path 260. Therefore, when water is not supplied, water remaining in the water supply path portion 215 is easily discharged, and the occurrence of residual water can be further suppressed.

Further, by reducing the cross-sectional area of the flow path of the fine bubble water passage 260, the flow velocity can be sufficiently ensured even for the fine bubble water having a small flow rate.

Further, by providing at least one vertical intersection portion in both the paths 230 and 260, it is not necessary to pass one path around the other path in the horizontal direction, and therefore, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the water supply path portion 215 and, further, an increase in the size of the water supply mechanism portion 207.

Further, since the supply port 214a for supplying the priming water to the bath water pump 214 is provided in a part of the normal water passage 230 having a larger flow rate than the fine bubble water, the flow rate of the priming water supplied to the bath water pump 214 can be sufficiently secured.

(third embodiment)

The water supply mechanism 305 illustrated in fig. 13 includes a water injection cartridge 310, a washing agent cartridge 311, a water supply valve unit 312, and a water supply path diameter portion 315. The washing treatment agent box 311 is housed in the water injection box 310, and includes a liquid detergent housing portion 320, a powder detergent housing portion 321, and a softener housing portion 322. The water supply valve unit 312 includes a normal water supply valve and a fine bubble water supply valve, which are not shown, in the main body thereof.

The water supply path portion 315 includes a normal water path 330 and a fine bubble water path 360. An upstream end of the normal water path 330 is connected to a normal water supply valve of the water supply valve unit 312. In addition, the downstream end of the water path 330 is generally branched into a supply port 330a for the liquid detergent storage portion and a supply port 330b for the powder detergent storage portion. The supply port 330a for the liquid detergent container is connected to the liquid detergent container 320, and the supply port 330b for the powder detergent container is connected to the powder detergent container 321.

Further, the downstream end of the fine bubble water passage 360 branches into a supply port 360a for the liquid detergent storage portion and a supply port 360b for the powder detergent storage portion. The supply port 360a for the liquid detergent container is connected to the liquid detergent container 320, and the supply port 360b for the powder detergent container is connected to the powder detergent container 321.

According to the water supply mechanism 305 of the present embodiment, a dedicated fine bubble water path 360 for supplying fine bubble water to the washing treatment agent cartridge 311 in the water injection cartridge 310 is provided separately from the normal water path 330, and further, supply ports 360a and 360b for supplying fine bubble water are provided separately from the supply ports 330a and 330b for supplying normal water in the fine bubble water path 360. According to this configuration, the fine bubble water can be efficiently supplied to the washing treatment agent cartridge 311 in the water injection cartridge 310 through the dedicated path and the supply port for supplying the fine bubble water, and the detergent can be efficiently dissolved in the fine bubble water and supplied into the water tank.

Further, as shown in fig. 14, the downstream end of the fine bubble water path 360 may be provided as a supply port 360a without being branched, and the supply port 360a may be connected to the liquid detergent storage portion 320 only, and not to the powder detergent storage portion 321. That is, since the liquid detergent needs to be mixed with the fine bubble water before contacting the laundry in the tank, the effect of the fine bubble water can be further exhibited by supplying the fine bubble water to the liquid detergent storage unit 320 in a concentrated manner.

As illustrated in fig. 15, the downstream end of the water passage 330 may be provided with only the supply port 330a without being branched, and the supply port 330a may be connected to only the powder detergent storage portion 321, not the liquid detergent storage portion 320. That is, since the powder detergent that is difficult to dissolve can be dissolved efficiently when normal water having a water potential is supplied, the powder detergent can be prevented from remaining dissolved. In addition, even if the powder detergent is supplied into the tank before coming into contact with the fine bubble water, the powder detergent does not immediately permeate into the laundry as compared with the liquid detergent. Therefore, the powder detergent can sufficiently exhibit its effect even when the fine bubble water is supplied into the tank and then acted. Therefore, even if the powder detergent is supplied into the tank with normal water having a water potential and then mixed by supplying fine bubble water into the tank, giving priority to avoiding the dissolution residual, the cleaning effect can be sufficiently improved.

As illustrated in fig. 16 and 17, the downstream end of the normal water path 330 may be provided with only one supply port 330a, the downstream end of the fine bubble water path 360 may be provided with only one supply port 360a, and the supply ports 330a and 360a may be disposed to face the upper portion of the partition wall 311a that partitions the liquid detergent storage portion 320 and the powder detergent storage portion 321. With this configuration, normal water and fine bubble water can be supplied to both the liquid detergent storage portion 320 and the powder detergent storage portion 321 at the same time, and a highly efficient water supply operation can be performed.

In the example shown in fig. 17, the water injection cartridge 310 is in the form of a container opened at the upper side, and the detergent box 311 is detachably attached to the water injection cartridge 310 from the upper side. A cap 310a for opening and closing the opening is rotatably provided on the upper portion of the cartridge 310. However, the water injection cartridge 310 may have a container-like structure with an open front, and the washing agent cartridge 311 may be configured to be accessible from the front with respect to the water injection cartridge 310.

(other embodiments)

The present embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be extended or modified as described below. For example, the contents of the above embodiments can be combined as appropriate.

The shape, length, flow path area, installation position, and the like of the normal water path and the fine bubble water path can be appropriately changed. The size, shape, number, installation position, and interval of the normal water supply port and the fine bubble water supply port can be appropriately changed. The shape, length, flow path area, installation position, and the like of the auxiliary water path can be appropriately changed and implemented. The auxiliary water passage may be implemented by appropriately changing the size, shape, number, installation position, interval, and the like of the auxiliary supply port provided in the auxiliary water passage.

According to the washing machine of the present embodiment, the water supply path portion includes a normal water path through which normal water not containing the fine bubbles flows, and a fine bubble water path through which the fine bubble water generated by the fine bubble generator flows, the normal water path includes a normal water supply port through which the normal water is supplied to the water reservoir cartridge, and the fine bubble water path includes a fine bubble water supply port through which the fine bubble water is supplied to the water reservoir cartridge. According to this configuration, the fine bubble water can be efficiently supplied to the detergent treatment agent box in the water filling box via the dedicated path for supplying the fine bubble water and the supply port, and the detergent can be efficiently dissolved in the fine bubble water and supplied into the tank.

The present embodiment is provided as an example, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in other various forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The present embodiment and modifications thereof are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Claims (10)

1. A washing machine is characterized by comprising:

a water tank;

a water supply valve connected to an external water source;

a water injection cartridge that injects the water supplied from the water supply valve into the water tank;

a water supply path unit provided between the water supply valve and the water injection cartridge; and

a fine bubble generator that generates fine bubble water containing fine bubbles;

the water supply path unit includes:

a path for normal water through which normal water containing no fine bubbles flows; and

a fine bubble water path through which the fine bubble water generated by the fine bubble generator flows;

the normal water path has a normal water supply port for supplying the normal water to the water injection cartridge;

the fine bubble water supply path has a fine bubble water supply port for supplying the fine bubble water to the water injection cartridge.

2. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1,

in the water supply path portion, the normal water path and the fine bubble water path are adjacent to each other.

3. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1,

the washing treatment agent box is arranged in the water injection box and is provided with a liquid detergent containing part for containing liquid detergent and a non-liquid detergent containing part for containing washing treatment agents except the liquid detergent;

the supply port for fine bubble water of the fine bubble water path is provided at a position closer to a side wall of the liquid detergent storage part than the supply port for normal water of the normal water path.

4. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1,

the fine bubble water passage includes, as the fine bubble water supply port:

a supply port for fine bubble water for a liquid detergent storage section, the supply port supplying the fine bubble water to the liquid detergent storage section; and

and a fine bubble water supply port for a non-liquid detergent storage unit for supplying the fine bubble water to the non-liquid detergent storage unit.

5. A washing machine according to claim 3,

the path for fine bubble water includes:

a fine bubble water supply path for the liquid detergent storage part, extending to the liquid detergent storage part along the length direction of the water injection box; and

the fine bubble water supply path for the non-liquid detergent storage part extends to the non-liquid detergent storage part along a direction orthogonal to the length direction of the water injection box.

6. A washing machine according to claim 5,

the non-liquid detergent containing part is provided with an outlet for discharging water inside and an inclined part descending and inclined towards the outlet;

the fine bubble water supply path for the non-liquid detergent storage portion extends along the inclined portion of the non-liquid detergent storage portion.

7. A washing machine according to claim 3,

the fine bubble water passage further includes an auxiliary water passage for supplying the fine bubble water to a portion of the water supply box other than the detergent box.

8. A washing machine according to claim 7,

the auxiliary water path is positioned at a rear upper portion of the washing treatment agent box in a state where the washing treatment agent box is accommodated in the water injection box.

9. A washing machine according to claim 3,

the normal water path extends from above the liquid detergent storage unit to above the non-liquid detergent storage unit in a state where the detergent treatment agent cartridge is stored in the water injection cartridge.

10. A washing machine according to claim 3,

the normal water path is provided with a normal water supply port for the non-liquid detergent storage part for supplying the normal water to the non-liquid detergent storage part as the normal water supply port;

the normal water supply port for the non-liquid detergent container is provided corresponding to the front part of the non-liquid detergent container.

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