CN112746427B

CN112746427B - Drum type washing machine

Info

Publication number: CN112746427B
Application number: CN202010743232.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 本村隆行; 田中俊行
Original assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products and Services Corp
Current assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products and Services Corp
Priority date: 2019-10-30
Filing date: 2020-07-29
Publication date: 2023-11-14
Anticipated expiration: 2040-07-29
Also published as: JP7360899B2; JP2021069594A; CN112746427A; JP2023166008A

Abstract

Provided is a drum-type washing machine capable of suppressing entry of water into a circulation air passage during dehydration and reducing pressure loss. A drum-type washing machine is provided with: an outer cylinder having an air supply port and an air exhaust port; a drum rotatably provided in the outer cylinder about a horizontal axis and having a dehydration hole group in a peripheral wall; a circulating air path arranged outside the outer cylinder in a way of communicating the air supply port and the air exhaust port; a fan device for circulating the air in the drum through the circulating air path; and a dehumidifying unit disposed in the circulating air path, wherein the drum-type washing machine has the following structure: the opposing surface portion of the peripheral wall of the drum, which faces the exhaust port, is set as a non-formation region of the dehydration hole group, and the size of the exhaust port is expanded in correspondence with the non-formation region.

Description

Drum type washing machine

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a drum type washing machine.

Background

Conventionally, as a drum-type washing machine, for example, a washing and drying machine having a washing function and a drying function for laundry is known. The washer-dryer is formed as follows: a circulating air passage is provided outside a water drum functioning as a drying chamber, air in the water drum is circulated by an air blowing action of an air blowing device through the circulating air passage, and dehumidification and heating of the circulating air are performed by a heat pump type evaporator and a condenser.

In such a washing and drying machine, centrifugal dewatering of laundry (clothes) is performed by rotating a drum at a high speed in a dewatering stroke. At this time, there are the following problems: water formed by dehydrating the clothes in the drum enters the circulating air passage through the exhaust port on the peripheral wall of the outer drum, i.e., the water drum, and wets the filter for capturing the return thread in the circulating air passage. Accordingly, there is provided a washing and drying machine in which the intake of water to the filter is suppressed by shifting the respective centers of the air discharge hoses on the air discharge side, which is the inflow side in the circulation air passage, in the left-right direction in the inflow side portion and the outflow side portion (for example, refer to patent document 1).

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2017-74187

However, in the exhaust hose described above, there is a concern that pressure loss occurs between the inflow side portion and the outflow side portion that are offset in the left-right direction, the circulation air volume or the flow rate decreases, and the drying efficiency also decreases.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, a drum-type washing machine capable of reducing pressure loss while suppressing entry of water into a circulation air path during dehydration is provided.

The drum-type washing machine of the embodiment comprises: an outer cylinder having an air supply port and an air exhaust port; a drum rotatably provided in the outer cylinder about a horizontal axis, the drum having a dehydration hole group on a peripheral wall; a circulating air path which is arranged outside the outer cylinder in a way of communicating the air supply port and the air exhaust port; a fan device for circulating air in the drum through the circulating air path; and a dehumidifying unit provided in the circulation air path, wherein the drum-type washing machine has the following structure: the opposing surface portion of the peripheral wall of the drum, which faces the exhaust port, is set as a non-formation region of the dehydration hole group, and the size of the exhaust port is expanded in accordance with the non-formation region.

Effects of the invention

Since the dehydration holes are not opposed to the exhaust port of the outer tub in the radial direction of the drum, water dehydrated from laundry does not directly flow from the dehydration holes of the drum to the exhaust port of the outer tub, and entry of water into the circulation duct can be suppressed. Further, if the range of the exhaust port corresponding to the non-formation region of the dehydration hole group in the drum is extended, entry of water into the circulation air path can be suppressed, and the pressure loss can be reduced and the drying efficiency can be improved by an amount corresponding to the extension of the exhaust port.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view schematically showing the inside of the washing and drying machine in the first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a rear view schematically showing the structure of the washer-dryer together with the heat pump.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view showing the vicinity of the exhaust pipe together with the filter.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the vicinity of the exhaust duct.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a positional relationship between a dehydration hole group and an exhaust port on the peripheral wall of a drum.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional plan view showing the positional relationship between the dehydration hole group and the exhaust port on the drum peripheral wall.

Fig. 7 is a view showing the corrugated portion in a natural state.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the bellows in a compressed state.

Fig. 9 is a plan view showing an enlarged view of a filter portion disposed in the filter housing portion.

Fig. 10 is a view showing the second dewatering holes in the drum peripheral wall of the second embodiment together with the first dewatering holes.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional plan view showing the form of the exhaust port of the third embodiment.

Description of the reference numerals

In the figure, 1 is a washer-dryer (drum-type washing machine), 7 is a water drum (outer drum), 10 is a drum, 10a is a first dehydration hole, 10B is a second dehydration hole, 12 'is an exhaust port, 13 is an air supply port, 15 is a circulation air passage, 16' are exhaust pipes, 16B is a curved portion, 21 is a bellows portion, 22 is a lint filter (filter), 23 is a fan device, 27 is an evaporator (dehumidification unit), 32 is a drain box, 33 is a drain pump, 35 is a peripheral wall, 35A is a non-opposing face portion, 35B is an opposing face portion, 37 is an inclined face, 38 is a mountain fold portion, 39 is a valley fold portion, 40 is a face portion, and 43a is a small hole (water passing portion).

Detailed Description

The present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The washing and drying machine 1 shown in fig. 1 is a so-called horizontal drum type washing machine having a function as a washing machine for washing laundry in the drum 10 and a function as a laundry dryer for drying laundry in the drum 10.

The outer case 2 constituting the outer contour in the washing and drying machine 1 has a rectangular box shape. The front surface portion 2a of the outer casing 2 is formed in an inclined shape with a slightly lowered front, and a door 3 for opening and closing a laundry inlet and outlet, not shown, is provided in the front surface portion 2 a. Although not shown in detail, an operation panel 4 (see fig. 1) including a power switch key and a display unit is provided at the front portion of the top plate portion 2b of the outer case 2. The display unit has a touch panel for receiving a touch operation by a user, and can perform various display and settings of operation programs for the user.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, a drum 10 and a water drum 7 for housing the drum 10 are provided inside the outer casing 2. The drum 10 is a bottomed cylindrical rotary drum capable of accommodating laundry therein, and the water drum 7 is a bottomed cylindrical outer drum capable of storing water.

The water tube 7 is elastically supported by a suspension, not shown, in an inclined state in which its axis is slightly raised in the lateral direction in the front-rear direction. The front opening of the water drum 7 is connected to the laundry inlet/outlet via a bellows 7 a. Although not shown, a water supply mechanism for supplying water into the water tube 7 is provided at an upper portion in the outer casing 2, and the water supply mechanism is connected to a tap of the tap water tube via a water supply hose.

A drain port 7b is provided at the bottom of the rear side of the water drum 7. A drain pipe 9 is connected to the drain port 7b via a drain valve 8. When water is supplied from the water supply mechanism into the water tank 7 in a state where the drain valve 8 is closed, the water is stored in the water tank 7. With the drain valve 8 opened, the water originally stored in the water tank 7 is discharged to the outside through the drain pipe 9.

The drum 10 is disposed in an inclined state in which the axis is slightly raised in the front direction in the lateral direction, similarly to the water drum 7. The front surface opening of the drum 10 communicates with the front surface opening of the water drum 7 and the laundry inlet and outlet, and by opening the door 3, laundry can be taken from the laundry inlet and outlet through the respective front surface openings of the water drum 7 and the drum 10 to the drum 10. The drum 10 is provided with a plurality of dewatering holes 10a as shown in fig. 1. The dewatering holes 10a function as holes for water passage during the washing operation and as holes for ventilation holes during the drying operation.

A drum motor 11, which is, for example, a DC brushless motor, is provided on the back side of the water drum 7. The rotary shaft of the drum motor 11 penetrates the rear surface of the water drum 7 and is connected to the rear surface of the drum 10, and the drum 10 is directly rotationally driven by the drum motor 11. In this case, the drum 10 continuously rotates in the forward direction (i.e., in the clockwise direction as viewed from the front (direction of arrow B in fig. 4)) in a dehydration process described later, and repeats forward rotation and reverse rotation in a washing process or a rinsing process.

As shown in fig. 1, an exhaust port 12 for exhausting air is provided in the right portion of the front upper portion of the water drum 7, and an air supply port 13 for supplying drying air is provided in the left portion of the rear upper portion shown in fig. 2. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, a circulation duct 15 is provided inside the outer casing 2 outside the water tube 7 to communicate between the air supply port 13 and the air discharge port 12. The inlet side of the circulation duct 15 is connected to the exhaust port 12 of the water drum 7, and the outlet side is connected to the air supply port 13.

Specifically, the circulation duct 15 is configured as a duct that connects the exhaust duct 16, the filter duct 17, the rear exhaust duct 18, the heat pump duct 19, and the air supply duct 20 in this order. As shown in fig. 1, 3, 4, etc., the lower end portion of the exhaust duct 16 is connected to the exhaust port 12, and the upper end portion is connected to the inlet portion of the filter duct 17 via the bellows portion 21. The filter duct 17 extends rearward from the right upper portion in the outer case 2, and is connected at its rear end portion to the upper end portion of the rear exhaust duct 18. A lint filter 22 for capturing lint such as return from the drying air is provided in the filter duct 17. Details of the exhaust duct 16 and the filter duct 17 will be described later.

As shown in fig. 2, the rear exhaust duct 18 extends downward behind the water drum 7, and the lower end thereof is connected to the right end portion (left end side in this figure) of the heat pump duct 19. The heat pump pipe 19 extends in the left-right direction at a position rearward of the lower portion of the outer casing 2, and a fan device 23 is provided on the left end side (right end side in the drawing) thereof. The fan device 23 includes, for example, a centrifugal fan 23a and a fan motor 23b for driving the centrifugal fan 23a in a fan housing 24. A lower end portion (base end portion) of the air supply duct 20 is connected to an outlet portion of the fan housing 24. The air supply duct 20 is located on the left side in the outer case 2 and extends upward behind the water drum 7, and its upper end (front end) is connected to the air supply port 13.

As shown in fig. 2, an evaporator 27 and a condenser 28 constituting the heat pump 26 are positioned in this order in the right-left direction (right-left in the drawing) in the heat pump pipe 19. The heat pump 26 is configured as a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor 29, a condenser 28, a throttle valve 30 as a pressure reducing means, and an evaporator 27 are circularly connected by a refrigerant pipe 31, and the refrigerant enclosed therein is circulated through the refrigerant pipe 31. In the heat pump 26, the condenser 28 functions as a heating means for heating the drying air, and the evaporator 27 functions as a dehumidifying means for removing moisture from the drying air.

That is, in the heat pump 26, the compressor 29 is driven during the drying operation, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 29 flows into the condenser 28, and is cooled by the condenser 28, and condensed. The refrigerant liquefied in the condenser 28 is depressurized by the throttle valve 30 and flows into the evaporator 27. The refrigerant vaporized by the heat exchange in the evaporator 27 is returned to the compressor 29, compressed again by the compressor 29, and discharged at a high temperature and a high pressure, and this cycle is performed.

At the same time as the above-described driving of the heat pump 26, the fan device 23 is driven, whereby the air in the water drum 7 (drum 10) passes through the exhaust port 12, the exhaust duct 16, the filter duct 17, and the rear exhaust duct 18 to reach the heat pump duct 19 as indicated by an arrow a in fig. 1 and 2. At this time, the air passing through the filter duct 17 is captured by the lint filter 22 by the return threads and the like contained therein.

The air having passed through the rear exhaust duct 18 flows through the heat pump duct 19, sequentially passes through the evaporator 27 and the condenser 28, flows into the air supply duct 20, and is supplied into the drum 10 through the air supply port 13 and the dehydration holes 10a, and thus circulates. In this way, the air having a large amount of vapor extracted from the laundry in the drum 10 passes through the evaporator 27 in the heat pump duct 19 to be cooled, and the vapor is condensed to be dehumidified, and the dehumidified air is heated to be dry hot air by passing through the condenser 28, and is supplied again into the drum 10 to dry the laundry.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, a drain box 32 is provided at the bottom of the heat pump pipe 19, and a drain pump 33 is attached. The drain box 32 is configured as a drain pan for receiving and storing the dehumidified water dehumidified by the evaporator 27 or the water existing in the circulation air path 15. The drain pump 33 is driven to drain water (including the dehumidified water) in the drain box 32 to the outside.

Although not shown, a plurality of temperature sensor groups for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant or the temperature of the drying air are provided in the heat pump 26 or a main portion of the circulating air passage 15. The control device 34 that controls the entire operation of the washing and drying machine 1 shown in fig. 1 drives the heat pump 26 and the fan device 23 based on the detected temperature of the temperature sensor group, and rotates the drum 10 in one direction, thereby executing the drying operation. The control device 34 is configured as follows: even when the drain pump 33 is driven after the execution of the drying operation or only the washing operation is executed, the drain pump 33 is driven after the end of the dehydration stroke of the washing operation, thereby draining the water in the drain box 32 to the outside.

In the present embodiment, the peripheral wall 35 of the drum 10 has the following structure: the facing surface 35B facing the exhaust port 12 is set as a non-formation region of the dehydration hole 10a group, and the size of the exhaust port 12 is expanded in accordance with the non-formation region. The above configuration will also be described in detail with reference to fig. 5 and 6. The two-dot chain line 120 shown in fig. 6 is a tangential line passing through the rear end of the exhaust port 12, and is perpendicular to the center axis of the drum 10.

The peripheral wall 35 of the drum 10 is cylindrical as a whole, and a region of the peripheral wall 35 on the front side of the two-dot chain line 120 is referred to as a facing surface 35B, and the remaining region is referred to as a non-facing surface 35A.

That is, in the peripheral wall 35 of the drum 10 shown in fig. 5 and 6, the non-opposing surface portion 35A is a portion that does not face the exhaust port 12 on the outer side in the radial direction, and corresponds to a region other than the non-formation region. The group of dewatering holes 10a is constituted by a plurality of dewatering holes 10a formed at a predetermined interval or a known arrangement pitch (arrangement pitch Pa in fig. 10 described later) over substantially the entire area of the non-opposing surface portion 35A. The dewatering holes 10a are circular holes of the same diameter Da as shown in fig. 6, and penetrate through the peripheral wall 35 which is the non-opposing surface portion 35A. In fig. 5, for convenience of explanation, the dehydration holes 10a are shown only in the cross-sectional portion of the peripheral wall 35, but the dehydration holes 10a are formed throughout the entire periphery of the peripheral wall 35.

In contrast, the opposing surface portion 35B of the peripheral wall 35 of the drum 10 serves as a non-formation region of the group of dewatering holes 10a, and the dewatering holes 10a are not formed. The facing surface 35B is located at a front side portion of the peripheral wall 35 of the drum 10 facing the exhaust port 12 on the radially outer side thereof.

As shown in fig. 5, the front portion of the drum 10 where the facing surface 35B is located is formed in a shape narrowed so that the diameter of the front end side is slightly smaller, and the front cover 36 is attached to the front end side. Although not shown, a front surface opening of the drum 10 communicating with the laundry inlet and outlet is provided in a central portion of the front cover 36. The facing surface 35B has an inclined surface 37 that increases in diameter so as to gradually increase in diameter from the immediately rear side of the front cover 36, which is the narrowed portion, toward the deep side.

The opposing surface portion 35B is connected to the non-opposing surface portion 35A via the inclined surface 37 so as to have a relatively gentle inclination such that the opposing surface portion 35B and the non-opposing surface portion 35A form a cross section "line" (see fig. 5). Therefore, when the drum 10 is rotated at a high speed in the dehydration stroke, the water dehydrated from the laundry located on the front side in the drum 10 flows on the inclined surface 37 of the opposing surface portion 35B, reaches the non-opposing surface portion 35A on the deep side, and flows out from the dehydration holes 10a of the non-opposing surface portion 35A. Therefore, in the dehydration process, even the facing surface 35B where the dehydration holes 10a are not formed can be dehydrated without any obstacle by the presence of the inclined surface 37, and the water dehydrated from the laundry does not flow directly from the dehydration holes 10a of the drum 10 to the air outlet 12 of the water drum 7.

As shown in fig. 4 and 6, the exhaust port 12 is provided in a right portion of the peripheral wall 7c of the water drum 7 facing the facing surface 35B of the drum 10, and is provided in a front upper portion of the peripheral wall 7 c. The exhaust port 12 is opened in a long circular shape long in the circumferential direction of the water tube 7, and the circumferential dimension L2 and the longitudinal dimension L1 are enlarged to increase the opening area as much as possible.

Specifically, in the plan view of fig. 6, the size L1 of the air outlet 12 in the front-rear direction is set to a length that does not allow the individual dewatering holes 10a to be peeped from the air outlet 12, from the front end portion of the water drum 7 to the position of the two-dot chain line 120. In this case, the corresponding opposing surface portions 35B are expanded to form the smoother inclined surface 37 with respect to the exhaust port 12, and even if the formation region of the group of the dewatering holes 10a is narrowed toward the deep side (rearward), the two-dot chain line 120 is shifted toward the deep side in accordance with this, and the size L1 in the front-rear direction can be enlarged.

The size L2 (length in the arrow B direction in fig. 4) of the exhaust port 12 in the circumferential direction of the water tube 7 is set to be larger than L1 (L2 > L1), whereby the exhaust port 12 has an oblong shape. Even if the circumferential dimension L2 of the exhaust port 12 is expanded to be equal to or larger than the longitudinal dimension L1 (l2+l1) in this way, the amount of water entering the exhaust port 12 during dehydration does not increase due to the relationship with the facing surface 35B, and the pressure loss can be reduced by increasing the amounts of L1 and L2.

As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the exhaust duct 16 is formed in a cross-sectional oblong shape corresponding to the sizes L1 and L2 of the exhaust port 12, and a curved portion 16b is provided midway from the exhaust port 12 to the filter duct 17.

The exhaust duct 16 is formed as shown in fig. 3 in a structure in which: a lower half 16a extending upward from the exhaust port 12; an upper half 16c provided with the bellows 21; and a curved portion 16b curved such that a central axis 161 of the lower half portion 16a and a central axis 162 of the upper half portion 16c form an obtuse angle with each other. Thus, in the exhaust duct 16, the lower half 16a thereof is directed in the up-down direction (see fig. 4) which is the direction intersecting the radial direction of the drum 10, and the curved portion 16b inclines the bellows portion 21 so as to be upward as it goes toward the filter duct 17.

The bellows portion 21 is formed of a flexible material such as rubber, and has a shape in which a plurality of mountain portions 38 and valley portions 39 are alternately repeated in the direction of the central axis 162 between the connection ports 21a and 21b at both ends, and is formed in a bellows shape as a whole, as shown in fig. 7.

The ridge portion 38 is a portion bent on the outer peripheral surface side of the corrugated portion 21, and the apex of the ridge portion 38 protrudes outward from the inner peripheral surfaces of the two connection ports 21a and 21b. The Gu She portions 39 are portions bent on the inner peripheral surface side of the corrugated portion 21, and the apexes of the valley-folded portions protrude inward from the inner peripheral surfaces of the two connection ports 21 a.

Fig. 7 shows a state in which no external force, particularly, an external force in the direction of the central axis 162 is applied as a natural state of the corrugated portion 21. With respect to the bellows portion 21, the face portions 40 between the apexes of the mountain fold portions 38 and the valley fold portions 39 are separated from each other in a natural state. When an external force in the direction of the central axis 162 is applied to the bellows portion 21, the bellows portion is compressed from the natural state of fig. 7 to the compressed state of fig. 8, and the face portions 40 between the apexes of the mountain-folded portions 38 and the valley-folded portions 39 are in contact with each other. That is, by bringing the corrugated portion 21 into a compressed state, the apexes of the plurality of valley-folded portions 39 are brought close to each other, and the inner peripheral surface of the corrugated portion 21 is formed into a substantially planar inner peripheral surface (see fig. 8) in which the plurality of valley-folded portions 39 are closely adjacent. In this way, the bellows portion 21 is assembled in the circulating air duct 15 in a state compressed to such an extent that the faces 40 between the apexes of the mountain fold portions 38 and the valley fold portions 39 are in close contact with each other completely or almost completely.

As a result, the bellows 21 maintains the compressed state when laundry is not put into the drum 10 or when water is not supplied into the drum 7. Therefore, the inner surface of the corrugated portion 21 is configured so that water is less likely to remain, and occurrence of rust, freezing, and the like due to moisture remaining in the corrugated portion 21 can be suppressed. In the washing or rinsing stroke, the drum 7 is submerged downward due to the presence of the laundry put into the drum 10 and a large amount of water supplied into the drum 7, and the bellows 21 is opened from the compressed state. Accordingly, it is needless to say that the vibration absorbing effect can be sufficiently exhibited even in the washing step or the rinsing step. When the drying process is performed after the dewatering process, the corrugated portion 21 is brought close to the close contact state (the inner peripheral surface is brought close to the plane) of the face 40 between the apex of the mountain portion 38 and the apex of the valley portion 39 by the dewatering in the dewatering process, so that the pressure loss due to the corrugated shape of the inner peripheral surface can be suppressed, and the reduction in the circulating air volume and the noise can also be suppressed.

As shown in fig. 3, the filter pipe 17 is formed integrally in a square tubular shape long in the front-rear direction. A filter device 41 is provided at the front of the filter duct 17, and a connection portion 21b of the exhaust duct 16 (corrugated portion 21) is connected to the front side thereof. The filter duct 17 gradually descends and inclines rearward, and the rear lower end portion is connected to the upper end portion of the rear exhaust duct 18.

The filter device 41 includes a filter housing portion 42 that houses the lint filter 22 so as to partition the air passage in the filter duct 17. As shown in fig. 9, the lint filter 22 includes, for example, a synthetic resin frame 43 and a nonwoven fabric filter 44 provided so as to block the opening of the frame 43. The lint filter 22 is inclined or curved (for example, curved in a side view of fig. 3) with a predetermined inclination with respect to the horizontal plane, and is formed in a convex curved plate shape on the rear lower corner side of the filter housing portion 42.

As shown in fig. 3 and 9, the filter housing portion 42 is provided with: an upper locking part 42b for locking the upper edge of the frame 43 in the lint filter 22; and a lower locking portion 42c for locking the lower edge of the frame 43. In the lint filter 22, the upper side and the lower side of the frame 43 are detachably engaged with the upper side engaging portion 42b and the lower side engaging portion 42c, respectively, so as to fit without any gap. A plurality of small holes 43a (see fig. 9) serving as water passing portions are provided along the lower edge of the housing 43.

In the lint filter 22, the plurality of small holes 43a penetrate the frame 43 in the plate thickness direction and are arranged in a direction substantially orthogonal to the flow of air (arrow a direction) passing through the filter duct 17. Further, since the lower edge of the housing 43 in the lint filter 22, that is, the portion where the plurality of small holes 43a are formed, is located at the front end side of the bottom 42a of the filter housing 42 shown in fig. 3, it can be said that the small holes 43a pass only water easily. The bottom 42a of the filter housing 42 is also referred to as the bottom 42a of the filter duct 17, and is distinguished from the bottom 17a of the duct 17 on the rear side of the bottom 42 a.

As shown in fig. 1, a filter cover 45 is provided at a portion of the top plate 2b of the outer casing 2 corresponding to the filter device 41. A handle, not shown, is provided to the filter cover 45, and the lint filter 22 can be cleaned by putting a finger on the handle to open the filter cover 45.

As shown in fig. 3, the continuous bottom portions 42a, 17a extending in the front-rear direction in the filter duct 17 are each formed as a flow-down portion gradually falling and inclining as it goes rearward. Therefore, even if water enters from the exhaust duct 16 side and reaches the lint filter 22, the water flows on the surface of the lint filter 22 and falls from the small holes 43a on the lower side toward the bottom 42 a. The water thus dropped flows down in sequence at the bottom portions 42a, 17a of the filter pipe 17, reaches the bottom portion of the heat pump pipe 19 through the rear exhaust pipe 18, and is received by the drain box 32.

In the washing and drying machine 1 of the present embodiment described above, the following configuration is formed: the facing surface 35B facing the exhaust port 12 of the drum 7 is formed in the peripheral wall 35 of the drum 10 as a non-formation region of the group of the dehydration holes 10a, and the size of the exhaust port 12 is expanded in correspondence with the non-formation region.

Accordingly, for example, even if the drum 10 is rotated at a relatively high speed during the dehydration process, the dehydration holes 10a do not face the exhaust ports 12 of the water drum 7 in the radial direction of the drum 10, so that water dehydrated from laundry does not directly flow from the dehydration holes 10a of the drum 10 to the exhaust ports 12 of the water drum 7, and entry of water into the circulation duct can be suppressed. Further, if the range of the exhaust port 12 corresponding to the non-formation region of the dehydration hole 10a group in the drum 10 is extended, entry of water into the circulation air path can be suppressed, and the pressure loss can be reduced and the drying efficiency can be improved by an amount corresponding to the extension of the exhaust port 12.

The facing surface 35B has an inclined surface 37, and the inclined surface 37 is located on the front side of the peripheral wall 35 of the drum 10, is inclined, and is inclined in a direction in which the diameter increases as going from the front side toward the deep side, so that the peripheral wall 35 is expanded in diameter. Accordingly, for example, water dehydrated by centrifugal dehydration in the dehydration step flows through the inclined surface 37 of the opposed surface portion 35B to reach the non-opposed surface portion 35A on the deep side, and can be caused to flow out from the dehydration holes 10a of the non-opposed surface portion 35A. Therefore, the opposite surface 35B of the drum 10 does not cause any obstacle to the dehydration of the laundry even if the dehydration holes 10a are not provided.

The exhaust port 12 is located on the peripheral wall 35 of the outer tube (water tube 7) facing the facing surface 35B of the drum 10, and is extended so that the size L2 of the exhaust port 12 in the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall 35 is equal to or more than the size L1 of the exhaust port 12 in the front-rear direction (l2+l1). Accordingly, in the device having the exhaust port 12 increased, the opening area of the exhaust port 12 can be increased as much as possible in the limited space facing the facing surface portion 35B of the drum 10.

The exhaust duct 16 is provided with a curved portion 16b that curves midway from the exhaust port 12 toward the lint filter 22 (hereinafter simply referred to as "filter 22"), and a bellows portion 21 is provided on the filter 22 side of the curved portion 16b of the exhaust duct 16. Accordingly, in comparison with a device in which the corrugated portion 21 is provided on the exhaust port 12 side of the curved portion 16b of the exhaust duct 16, the entry of water into the corrugated portion 21 can be suppressed by the amount of water that is separated from the exhaust port 12, and the occurrence of corrosion or the like in the corrugated portion 21 can be suppressed.

The bellows portion 21 is assembled as a part of the exhaust duct 16 in a compressed state in which the faces 40 between the ridge portions 38 and the valley portions 39 of the bellows portion are in contact with each other. Accordingly, the corrugated portion 21 can be made to have an inner peripheral surface close to a plane shape, so that water is less likely to remain, and occurrence of rust, freezing, and the like due to the remaining moisture can be suppressed. In addition, as described above, by setting the degree of compression of the corrugated portion 21 in the drying process so that the face portions 40 between the apexes of the mountain fold portions 38 and the valley fold portions 39 are in close contact with each other, it is possible to suppress pressure loss, that is, resistance to circulating wind due to the corrugated shape of the inner peripheral surface of the corrugated portion 21, and also to suppress reduction in the circulating wind volume or noise.

Since the filter 22 is inclined or curved with a predetermined inclination with respect to the horizontal plane, even if water enters the filter 22 or dew condensation occurs, the water can easily flow down along the inclined or curved surface. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of rust or other bacteria due to the retention of water adhering to the filter 22, and the inconvenience of the cleaning of the filter, which is labor-consuming.

A plurality of small holes 43a are provided in the lower side of the filter 22 as a water passage portion for passing water. Accordingly, even if water enters the filter 22 or dew condensation occurs, the water can be caused to flow down from the filter surface through the water passage portion at the lower side, and the above-described drawbacks can be eliminated. The water passage portion is not limited to the plurality of small holes 43a, and may be formed in a slit shape or the like, and the shape, number, or the like of the water passage portion may be appropriately changed.

The water-saving device is provided with a drain box 32 for receiving the dehumidified water generated by the dehumidification unit or the water existing in the circulating air passage 15, and a flow-down part for making the water passing through the filter 22 flow down into the drain box 32 is provided in the circulating air passage 15. For example, by forming the lower part to include the bottom parts 42a, 17a of the filter duct 17 inclined downward as described above, the water passing through the filter 22 can be guided from the bottom parts 42a, 17a into the drain box 32, and the water can be prevented from being retained in the circulation duct 15. Further, by providing the drain pump 33 for discharging the water in the drain box 32, the drain pump 33 can be driven to discharge the water in the drain box 32 to the outside.

Fig. 10 and 11 show second and third embodiments of the present invention. The following describes points substantially different from the above-described embodiments.

In the peripheral wall 35 of the drum 10 of the second embodiment shown in fig. 10, a set of dewatering holes 10B is provided in the facing surface 35B. For convenience of explanation, each of the dehydration holes 10B in the opposing surface portion 35B is referred to as a "second dehydration hole 10B", and each of the dehydration holes 10a in the non-opposing surface portion 35A is referred to as a "first dehydration hole 10a", and the two dehydration holes 10a and 10B are distinguished.

That is, a plurality of second dewatering holes 10B different from the first dewatering holes 10a are provided in the facing surface 35B of the drum 10. The second dewatering holes 10B are circular holes of the same diameter Db as shown in fig. 10, and penetrate the peripheral wall 35 at the opposed face 35B. When the radial dimension Db of the second dewatering holes 10b is set to a standard value, for example, the radial dimension Da of the first dewatering holes 10a is set to a value smaller than the standard value (Db < Da). The second dewatering holes 10B are arranged at predetermined intervals so as to extend over substantially the entire area of the facing surface 35B, and the arrangement pitch Pb is set to be larger than the arrangement pitch Pa of the first dewatering holes 10a (Pb > Pa). Therefore, the number of the second dewatering holes 10b formed of the plurality of second dewatering holes 10b per unit area can be said to be smaller than the number of the first dewatering holes 10a.

Therefore, in the drum 10 of the second embodiment, although the second dewatering holes 10B of the facing surface 35B face the exhaust port 12 of the water drum 7, it can be said that the amount of water entering the circulation duct 15 can be reduced as compared with the first dewatering holes 10a. In addition, the second dewatering holes 10b may be formed smaller than at least the first dewatering holes 10a or smaller in number per unit area, and in either case, the amount of water entering the circulation duct 15 from the exhaust port 12 can be reduced.

The exhaust port 12' of the third embodiment shown in fig. 11 is formed in a circular shape by setting the size L2' of the exhaust port 12 in the circumferential direction of the water tube 7 to be the same size L1 (L2 ' =l1) as the front-rear direction. In this case, a cylindrical pipe having a circular cross-section corresponding to the exhaust port 12 'is used as the exhaust pipe 16'.

Even if the exhaust port 12 'is formed in a circular shape or a substantially circular shape in this way, the opening area can be increased as much as possible by setting the entire size L2' (=l1) thereof to correspond to the opposing surface portion 35B, and the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be achieved, for example, the reduction of the pressure loss can be achieved.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described and illustrated embodiments, and the above-described embodiments and modifications can be combined, or a part of the structure thereof can be omitted, and the present invention can be implemented with appropriate modifications.

The dewatering holes of the facing surface 35B of the drum 10 are not limited to the second dewatering holes 10B of fig. 10, and may be formed in a shape that can suppress entry of water into the exhaust port 12 as compared with the first dewatering holes 10a, or may be formed in a different radial dimension from the first dewatering holes 10a. When the corresponding facing surface 35B is expanded along with the expansion of the exhaust port 12, that is, when the tangential line 120 at the rear end of the exhaust port 12 is shifted to the right (the deep side of the drum 10) in fig. 10, for example, the exhaust port 12 can be increased in the front-rear direction to a position where the tangential line 120 contacts or overlaps with the first dewatering holes 10B in the front row.

The facing surface 35B is integrally formed as an inclined surface 37 which is inclined, but may be formed in a stepped shape or the like which inclines a part of the facing surface 35B, and the shape thereof may be changed. The lower portion for making the water passing through the filter 22 flow down into the drain box 32 is formed to include the bottom portions 42a and 17a inclined downward in the filter pipe 17, but for example, a groove portion or a pipe portion (both not shown) may be provided in the bottom portion of the filter pipe 17, and the water may be made to flow down into the drain box 32 with the groove portion or the pipe portion as the lower portion.

While the present invention has been described with reference to several embodiments, the above embodiments are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above-described novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The above-described embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Claims

1. A drum-type washing machine is provided with: an outer cylinder having an air supply port and an air exhaust port; a drum rotatably provided in the outer cylinder about a horizontal axis, the drum having a dehydration hole group in a peripheral wall; a circulating air path which is arranged outside the outer cylinder in a way of communicating the air supply port and the air exhaust port; a fan device for circulating air in the drum through the circulating air path; and a dehumidifying unit provided in the circulation air path, wherein the drum-type washing machine has the following structure: the opposing surface portion of the peripheral wall of the drum, which faces the exhaust port, is set as a non-forming region in which the dehydration hole group is not formed, and the size of the exhaust port is expanded in correspondence with the non-forming region.

2. A drum-type washing machine is provided with: an outer cylinder having an air supply port and an air exhaust port; a drum rotatably provided in the outer cylinder about a horizontal axis, the drum having a dehydration hole group in a peripheral wall; a circulating air path which is arranged outside the outer cylinder in a way of communicating the air supply port and the air exhaust port; a fan device for circulating air in the drum through the circulating air path; and a dehumidifying unit provided in the circulation air path, wherein the drum-type washing machine has the following structure: in the peripheral wall of the drum, the dehydration hole group is composed of a plurality of first dehydration holes formed on a non-opposing face portion not opposing the exhaust port, and a second dehydration hole which is different from the first dehydration hole and is at least smaller than the first dehydration hole or fewer dehydration holes per unit area is formed on an opposing face portion opposing the exhaust port, and the size of the exhaust port is expanded correspondingly to the opposing face portion.

3. A drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the facing surface has an inclined surface which is located at a front side of a peripheral wall of the drum and is inclined in a direction in which a diameter becomes larger as going from the front side toward the deep side, thereby expanding the peripheral wall.

4. The drum-type washing machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the air outlet is located at a peripheral wall of the outer tub facing the facing surface of the drum, and is expanded such that a size of the air outlet in a circumferential direction of the peripheral wall is equal to or larger than a size of the air outlet in a front-rear direction.

5. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drum type washing machine comprises: an exhaust duct which constitutes a part of the circulation air path and is connected to the exhaust port; and a filter that captures lint from circulating air flowing through the exhaust duct, wherein the exhaust duct is provided with a curved portion that curves midway from the exhaust port toward the filter, and wherein the exhaust duct is provided with a bellows portion on the filter side of the curved portion.

6. A drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the bellows portion is assembled as a part of the exhaust duct in a compressed state in which faces between the mountain and valley folds in the bellows shape are in contact with each other.

7. A drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the filter has a slant or curved shape having a predetermined slant with respect to a horizontal plane.

8. A drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein a water passing portion for passing water is provided at a lower edge portion of the filter.

9. A drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein a drain box for receiving the dehumidified water generated by the dehumidifying unit or the water existing in the circulation air path is provided, and a flow-down portion for flowing down the water having passed through the filter into the drain box is provided in the circulation air path.

10. The drum-type washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: a drain box for receiving the dehumidified water generated by the dehumidification unit or the water existing in the circulating air path; and a drain pump for draining the water in the drain box.