CN116917565A

CN116917565A - Filter device and washing machine

Info

Publication number: CN116917565A
Application number: CN202280016973.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 竹内晴美
Original assignee: Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd; Aqua Co Ltd
Current assignee: Qingdao Haier Washing Machine Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd; Aqua Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-02-26
Filing date: 2022-02-25
Publication date: 2023-10-20
Also published as: WO2022179589A1; JP2022131454A

Abstract

A filter device capable of suppressing clogging of a filter to improve maintainability and a washing machine including the same. The filter device (20) comprises: a housing (21); a filter (23) disposed in the housing (21); a rotating body (32) disposed in the filter (23); and a scraping member (33) supported by the rotating body (32) in the filter (23). The filter (23) takes in the water flowing into the housing (21) from the inlet (25F) into the filter (23), and the foreign matter contained in the water is captured by the inner peripheral surface (23A). The rotating body (32) rotates by the water potential of the water taken into the filter (23) from the intake port (25F). The scraping member (33) is slidable between a forward position close to the inner peripheral surface portion (23A) and a retracted position away from the inner peripheral surface portion (23A), and is biased to the retracted position by a biasing member (49).

Description

Filter device and washing machine

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a filtering device and a washing machine including the same.

Background

The washing machine described in patent document 1 includes: a case; a washing barrel configured in the box body; a water drainage path for draining the water in the washing barrel to the outside of the box body; and a drain filter attached to and detached from the drain passage. The drain filter includes a comb portion having a plurality of teeth. When the drain flowing through the drain passage passes through the periphery of the needle teeth in the drain filter, foreign matter contained in the drain is caught by being entangled on the needle teeth.

The drainage filter described in patent document 1 captures long foreign matter such as lint and hair, and therefore the filter holes, which are gaps between adjacent needle teeth in the comb portion, are large, and therefore the drainage filter is not easily clogged. On the other hand, recently, countermeasures for preventing the release of resin foreign matters of several tens of μm in size called microplastic into the natural world have been demanded. In order to cope with such a demand, the filter holes should be reduced, but when the filter holes are reduced, the drain filter tends to be clogged, and therefore, the user has to frequently perform maintenance on the drain filter, which is very troublesome.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2020-103718

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a filter device capable of suppressing clogging of a filter and improving maintainability, and a washing machine including the filter device.

Solution for solving the problem

The present invention is a filter device comprising: a housing provided with an inflow port and an outflow port, wherein the housing allows water in a water discharge path of the washing machine to flow into the housing from the inflow port, and allows water in the housing to flow out from the outflow port; a filter disposed in the housing and having a cylindrical inner peripheral surface portion having a central axis extending in a longitudinal direction, and a plurality of filter holes distributed on the inner peripheral surface portion, the filter having an intake port for taking in water flowing into the housing from the inflow port into the filter, the filter capturing foreign matters contained in water flowing out of the filter from the filter holes after being taken into the filter from the intake port in the inner peripheral surface portion; a rotating body disposed in the filter and rotated about the central axis by a water potential of water taken into the filter from the intake port; a scraping member supported by the rotating body in the filter, the scraping member being configured to scrape foreign matter from the inner peripheral surface portion, the scraping member being slidable in a radial direction with respect to the central axis between an advanced position at which the scraping member approaches the inner peripheral surface portion and a retracted position at which the scraping member is away from the inner peripheral surface portion toward the central axis; and a biasing member that biases the scraping member toward the retracted position.

Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the rotating body includes: and a blade for receiving water taken into the filter from the inlet, wherein the blade is disposed in an upper side of the lower half of the inner space of the filter, and the inlet faces the blade from a circumferential direction around the central axis or a tangential direction with respect to the circumferential direction.

Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the filtering device includes: and a drop connected with the scraping component.

In the present invention, a water overflow hole for allowing water in the filter to overflow to the outside of the filter is provided in a region above the filter hole, a recess recessed away from the water overflow hole is provided in the housing, and the water outlet is arranged directly below the water overflow hole.

Further, the present invention is a washing machine including: a washing tub for accommodating washings; a drain path having an upstream path connected to the washing tub, and first and second downstream paths branched from the upstream path; a drain valve for opening and closing the first downstream path; a pump provided in the second downstream path, for causing water in the upstream path to flow to the second downstream path; and the filter device is arranged in a downstream area of the second downstream path, which is far away from the upstream path than the pump.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, in the filter device, water flowing through the drain passage of the washing machine flows into the housing from the inlet and is taken into the filter from the inlet, and then flows out of the filter through the filter hole in the inner peripheral surface portion of the filter and is discharged out of the washing machine from the outlet of the housing. When water flows out of the filter through the filter holes, foreign matter contained in the water is trapped at the inner peripheral surface portion of the filter. When the rotary body disposed in the filter rotates by the water potential of the water taken into the filter from the intake port, the scraping member supported by the rotary body counteracts the urging force of the urging member by centrifugal force, and advances from the retracted position to the advanced position to come into contact with the foreign matter on the inner peripheral surface portion of the filter. Then, the rotational speed of the rotating body is temporarily reduced, and the centrifugal force is thereby reduced, so that the scraping member is retracted toward the retracted position side by the urging force of the urging member. Then, when the rotational speed of the rotating body is restored and the centrifugal force becomes large, the scraping member advances again to the advanced position to come into contact with the foreign matter of the inner peripheral surface portion of the filter. In this way, the scraping member repeatedly moves back and forth between the advanced position and the retracted position during rotation of the rotating body associated with drainage to come into contact with the foreign matter on the inner peripheral surface portion of the filter a plurality of times, whereby the foreign matter can be scraped from the inner peripheral surface portion of the filter efficiently. This suppresses clogging of the filter in the filter hole, thereby improving maintenance performance.

Further, according to the present invention, the blades included in the rotating body receive the water taken into the filter from the intake port, whereby the rotating body rotates. The vane is disposed in the inner space of the filter at an upper side of the lower half part of the filter which is prone to water accumulation. The intake port faces the blade from a circumferential direction around a central axis of the inner peripheral surface portion of the filter, that is, a rotation axis of the rotating body, or a tangential direction with respect to the circumferential direction. In this way, the blades are less likely to receive the resistance of water stored in the lower half of the inner space of the filter, and the blades efficiently receive water taken into the filter from the intake port, so that the rotor can be rotated strongly. Therefore, by generating a large centrifugal force, the scraping member is easily advanced to the advanced position, and therefore the scraping member can scrape the foreign matter from the inner peripheral surface portion of the filter more efficiently. This can further suppress clogging of the filter in the filter hole, thereby further improving maintenance performance.

Further, according to the present invention, since the drop coupled to the scraping member generates a large centrifugal force, the scraping member is easily advanced to the advanced position, and therefore the scraping member can scrape the foreign matter from the inner peripheral surface portion of the filter more efficiently. This can further suppress clogging of the filter in the filter hole, thereby further improving maintenance performance.

Further, according to the present invention, even if the filter is clogged, water in the filter overflows from the overflow hole to the outside of the filter and flows out of the housing from the outflow hole, so that water in the drain passage of the washing machine can be smoothly discharged to the outside of the machine. Further, since the housing is provided with the recess recessed away from the overflow hole and the outflow port is disposed directly below the overflow hole, water overflowing from the overflow hole to the outside of the filter can be quickly transferred from the recess to the outflow port and discharged to the outside of the machine.

Further, according to the present invention, in the drain passage of the washing machine, a portion on the downstream side of the upstream passage connected to the washing tub is branched into the first downstream passage and the second downstream passage. A pump and a filter device are arranged in the second downstream path. When the pump is operated in a state that the drain valve closes the first downstream path, water in the upstream path is discharged to the outside after passing through the second downstream path and foreign matter is caught by the filtering device. When the water in the washing tub is reduced and the pump is easy to swallow the air, the pump is stopped and the first downstream path is opened by the drain valve. Accordingly, the residual water flows through the first downstream path from the upstream path and is discharged to the outside, so that the noise generated by the operation of the pump in a state of swallowing air can be suppressed, and the water in the washing tub can be discharged to the outside without residual water.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional right side view of a washing machine in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a filtering apparatus included in the washing machine.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a housing included in the filtering device.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a filter unit included in the filter device.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a filter included in the filtering unit.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the filter as seen from a direction different from fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a cleaning unit included in the filtering unit.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the filter device.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken from A-A of fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a B-B cross-sectional view of fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section of the filter device taken at a different location than fig. 8.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view showing a state in which the scraping member of the cleaning unit is located at the advanced position in the same cut-away position as fig. 9.

Description of the reference numerals

1: a washing machine; 5: a washing tub; 12: a water drainage path; 12A: an upstream path; 12B: a first downstream path; 12C: a second downstream path; 12CB: a downstream region; 13: a drain valve; 20: a filtering device; 21: a housing; 21G: an outflow port; 21I: an inflow port; 21L: a concave portion; 23: a filter; 23A: an inner peripheral surface portion; 25C: an inner space; 25F: an intake port; 25H: an overflow hole; 26A: a filter hole; 32: a rotating body; 33: a scraping member; 34: a drop; 40E: a blade; 49: a force application member; k: a central axis; p: a pump; q: washing; r: radial direction; s: circumferential direction; t: tangential direction; z1: and an upper side.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional right side view of a washing machine 1 of an embodiment of the present invention. The direction perpendicular to the paper surface in fig. 1 is referred to as a left-right direction X of the washing machine 1, the left-right direction in fig. 1 is referred to as a front-rear direction Y of the washing machine 1, and the up-down direction in fig. 1 is referred to as an up-down direction Z of the washing machine 1. Of the left-right directions X, the back side of the paper surface of fig. 1 is referred to as left side X1, and the front side of the paper surface of fig. 1 is referred to as right side X2. Of the front-rear directions Y, the left side of fig. 1 is referred to as front side Y1, and the right side of fig. 1 is referred to as rear side Y2. Of the vertical directions Z, the upper side is referred to as an upper side Z1, and the lower side is referred to as a lower side Z2.

The washing machine 1 includes a vertical washing machine, a drum washing machine, and a twin tub washing machine, but the washing machine 1 will be described below by taking a vertical washing machine that performs only a washing operation while omitting a drying function as an example. The washing machine 1 includes: a casing 2 constituting a contour of the washing machine 1; a washing tub 5 composed of an outer tub 3 and an inner tub 4 disposed in the cabinet 2; the rotary wing 6 is accommodated in the inner barrel 4; an electric motor 7 for generating a torque for rotating the inner tub 4 and the rotary wing 6; and a transmission mechanism 8 for switching a transmission target of the torque generated by the motor 7.

The case 2 is made of metal, for example, and is formed in a box shape. An opening 2B for communicating the inside and outside of the case 2 is formed in the upper surface 2A of the case 2. A door 9 for opening and closing the opening 2B is provided on the upper surface 2A. A display operation unit 10 including a touch panel or the like is provided on the upper surface 2A in a region on the front side Y1 of the opening 2B, for example. The display operation unit may be configured to be divided into a display unit such as a liquid crystal panel and an operation unit such as a switch and a button.

The outer tub 3 is formed in a bottomed cylinder shape having an opening 3A formed at an upper end. The outer tub 3 is connected to the cabinet 2 via a hanger bar 11, whereby the washing tub 5 is elastically supported. The opening 3A is disposed immediately below the opening 2B of the case 2. The water can be stored in the outer barrel 3. The washing machine 1 includes a drain 12 for draining water stored in the outer tub 3 to the outside of the washing machine 1. The drainage channel 12 has an upstream channel 12A connected to the outer tub 3 from the lower side Z2, and a first downstream channel 12B and a second downstream channel 12C branched from the upstream channel 12A.

The first downstream path 12B is pulled out of the machine. The second downstream path 12C merges with the first downstream path 12B in the tank 2. The structure related to the second downstream path 12C will be described later. A drain valve 13 is provided in the middle of the first downstream path 12B, and the drain valve 13 is opened and closed to start or stop the water discharge of the outer tub 3, that is, the water discharge. When the drain valve 13 is opened, the first downstream path 12B is opened, and thus drainage starts (refer to solid arrows in fig. 1). When the drain valve 13 is closed, the first downstream path 12B is closed, and thus the drainage is stopped.

The inner tub 4 has a central axis J extending in the up-down direction Z, is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape smaller than the outer tub 3 by one turn, and can house the laundry Q therein. An inlet and outlet 4A is formed at the upper end of the inner tub 4. The inlet/outlet 4A communicates with the opening 3A of the outer tub 3 and the opening 2B of the casing 2 from the lower side Z2. A user of the washing machine 1 opens the door 9 to open the opening 2B, the opening 3A, and the entrance 4A, and takes out the laundry Q and puts it into the inner tub 4.

The inner tub 4 is coaxially accommodated in the outer tub 3, and is disposed along the vertical direction Z, that is, disposed longitudinally. The inner tub 4 accommodated in the outer tub 3 is rotatable about the center axis J. The inner tub 4 has a plurality of through holes, not shown, through which water in the outer tub 3 can pass back and forth between the outer tub 3 and the inner tub 4. The bottom wall of the inner tub 4 is provided with a tubular support shaft 14 extending along the central axis J to the lower side Z2 and penetrating the bottom wall of the outer tub 3.

The rotary vane 6 is a so-called pulsator, and is formed in a disk shape centering on the center axis J, and is disposed on the bottom wall of the inner tub 4. The rotary wing 6 is provided with a rotary shaft 15 extending from the center thereof along the central axis J to the lower side Z2. The rotation shaft 15 is inserted into the hollow portion of the support shaft 14, and the lower end portion of the rotation shaft 15 is positioned below the bottom wall of the outer tub 3 by Z2.

The motor 7 has an output shaft 16 protruding upward Z1 and rotating about a central axis J, and is disposed on the lower side Z2 of the inner tub 4. The transmission mechanism 8 is an electric clutch interposed between the lower end portions of the support shaft 14 and the rotary shaft 15, respectively, and the upper end portion of the output shaft 16. The transmission mechanism 8 selectively transmits the torque output from the output shaft 16 by the motor 7 to one or both of the support shaft 14 and the rotation shaft 15. When torque is transmitted to the support shaft 14, the inner tub 4 rotates, and when torque is transmitted to the rotation shaft 15, the rotation wings 6 rotate.

In association with the water supply of the outer tub 3 and the inner tub 4, the washing machine 1 includes a water supply path 17 for supplying tap water from a tap (not shown) into the inner tub 4. One end (not shown) of the water supply path 17 is pulled out of the case 2 and connected to a faucet. The other end of the water supply channel 17 faces the inlet/outlet 4A of the inner tub 4 from the upper side Z1 as a water supply port 17A provided in the housing 2. A water supply valve 18 that can be opened and closed is provided in a portion of the water supply path 17 that is disposed in the tank 2.

The washing machine 1 includes a control unit 19 constituted by a microcomputer or the like. The motor 7, the transmission mechanism 8, the display operation unit 10, the drain valve 13, and the water supply valve 18 are electrically connected to the control unit 19. The user inputs the operation content of the display operation unit 10 to the control unit 19, and the control unit 19 controls the display content of the display operation unit 10. The control unit 19 controls the motor 7, the transmission mechanism 8, the drain valve 13, and the water supply valve 18 to perform a washing operation for washing the laundry Q in the washing tub 5. The washing operation includes: a cleaning process for cleaning the washings Q in the inner barrel 4 of the washing barrel 5; a rinsing process of rinsing the laundry Q after the cleaning process; and a dehydration process for dehydrating the laundry Q after the rinsing process.

In the cleaning process, first, the control unit 19 opens the water supply valve 18 for a predetermined time period while the drain valve 13 is closed, thereby supplying water into the washing tub 5 (see a dotted arrow in fig. 1). In the water supply, the control unit 19 may supply the bath water into the washing tub 5 by operating the bath water pump (not shown) without opening the water supply valve 18. At the timing before or after the water supply, the user may open the door 9 to input the detergent into the inner tub 4 through the inlet/outlet 4A.

When the water level in the washing tub 5 rises to a predetermined level, the control unit 19 controls the motor 7 and the transmission mechanism 8 to rotate the rotation wing 6 after stopping the water supply. Thereby, the laundry Q in the inner tub 4 is washed by being stirred or by being decomposed by the detergent. Finally, as a part of the drainage process, the control unit 19 drains the washing tub 5 by opening the drain valve 13.

In the rinsing process, first, the control unit 19 opens the water supply valve 18 for a predetermined time while closing the drain valve 13 to store tap water in the washing tub 5. The control unit 19, which has completed the water supply, controls the motor 7 and the transmission mechanism 8 to rotate the rotary wing 6. Thereby, the laundry Q in the inner tub 4 is rinsed. During the rinsing process, the user may open the door 9 to input the softener into the inner tub 4 from the inlet and outlet 4A at a timing before or after the water is supplied. The softener will soak the laundry Q. Finally, the control unit 19 performs a drainage process.

During the dehydration, the control unit 19 controls the motor 7 and the transmission mechanism 8 in a state where the drain valve 13 is opened to rotate the inner tub 4 at a predetermined dehydration rotation speed. Thereby, the laundry Q in the inner tub 4 is dehydrated by centrifugal force.

Next, a structure related to the second downstream path 12C of the drainage path 12 will be described. The second downstream path 12C has: an upstream area 12CA connected to a branching position of the upstream path 12A; and a downstream region 12CB, which is farther from the branching position than the upstream region 12 CA. The upstream region 12CA is curved upward Z1 after extending from the branching position, for example, toward the rear side Y2, and extends upward Z1 along the peripheral wall of the outer tub 3 in the space 2C of the rear side Y2 of the outer tub 3 in the case 2. The downstream region 12CB is disposed in the space 2C, for example, on the rear side Y2 of the upstream region 12CA, extends downward Z2, and merges with the first downstream path 12B.

The washing machine 1 includes: an electric pump P provided in the upstream area 12CA; and a filter device 20 provided in the downstream region 12CB. The filter device 20 captures foreign matter contained in the water flowing from the upstream path 12A to the second downstream path 12C in the drain path 12. The foreign matter to be captured by the filter device 20 is hair, lint, or dust. The dust includes fine garbage such as microplastic. The structure for restricting the flow of water in the first downstream passage 12B of the drain passage 12 is not provided outside the drain valve 13.

Hereinafter, the direction of the filter device 20 is determined using the left-right direction X, the front-rear direction Y, and the up-down direction Z of the washing machine 1, but the direction of the filter device 20 in the lateral direction, that is, the left-right direction X and the front-rear direction Y may be arbitrarily changed. The filter 20 is disposed at the upper end of the space 2C in the case 2. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the filter device 20 as seen from the front side Y1. The filter device 20 includes: a box-shaped housing 21 constituting a casing of the filter device 20; and a filter unit 22, most of which is accommodated in the housing 21.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the housing 21 as viewed from the front side Y1. The housing 21 integrally has: a semicircular bottom wall 21A bulging toward the rear side Y2; a vertical wall 21B rising from a front edge of the bottom wall 21A extending in the left-right direction X; and a curved wall 21C standing from the circular arc-shaped edge of the bottom wall 21A and erected between the left and right ends of the vertical wall 21B. The space surrounded by the vertical wall 21B and the curved wall 21C and blocked by the bottom wall 21A is an internal space 21D of the housing 21. The inner space 21D is opened to the upper side Z1 through a semicircular opening 21E surrounded by the upper edges of the vertical wall 21B and the curved wall 21C.

A circular tubular outflow path 21F protruding downward Z2 is provided at a right position of the front end portion of the bottom wall 21A. The inner space of the outflow path 21F is an outflow port 21G communicating with the inner space 21D from the lower side Z2. A circular tubular inflow path 21H protruding toward the front side Y1 is provided at an upper position in the left end portion of the front surface of the vertical wall 21B. The inner space of the inflow path 21H is an inflow port 21I communicating with the inner space 21D from the front side Y1. A rib-shaped first engaging portion 21J extending in the left-right direction X is provided at an upper end portion of the front surface of the vertical wall 21B. A rib-shaped second engaging portion 21K extending in the left-right direction X while being bent is provided at an upper end portion of the curved wall 21C facing the inner peripheral surface of the inner space 21D from the rear side Y2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the filter unit 22 as seen from the front side Y1. The filter unit 22 includes a filter 23 and a cleaning unit 24. Referring to fig. 5 and 6, which are perspective views of the filter 23, the filter 23 has a cylindrical shape, specifically, a cylindrical overall shape, and has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface portion 23A, and the cylindrical inner peripheral surface portion 23A has a central axis K extending in the longitudinal direction, i.e., the up-down direction Z. The outer peripheral surface 23B of the filter 23 may be cylindrical or square like the inner peripheral surface 23A.

The filter 23 includes: a cylindrical frame 25 constituting a housing of the filter 23; and a mesh 26 mounted on the frame 25 (see fig. 6). In fig. 5, the mesh 26 is not shown. Hereinafter, the radial direction with respect to the central axis K is referred to as a radial direction R, and the circumferential direction around the central axis K is referred to as a circumferential direction S. Among the radial directions R, a direction approaching the central axis K is referred to as a radial inner side R1, and a direction away from the central axis K is referred to as a radial outer side R2.

The frame 25 integrally has: a disk-shaped bottom wall 25A; and a cylindrical circumferential wall 25B rising from the entire area of the outer periphery of the bottom wall 25A. The space surrounded by the circumferential wall 25B and blocked by the bottom wall 25A is an internal space 25C of the frame 25. The internal space 25C is also the internal space of the filter 23. The inner space 25C is opened to the upper side Z1 through a circular opening 25D surrounded by the upper edge of the circumferential wall 25B. A circular-tube-shaped relay path 25E protruding toward the front side Y1 along the tangential direction T with respect to the circumferential direction S is provided at substantially the center of the circumferential wall 25B in the up-down direction Z. The internal space of the relay path 25E is an intake port 25F communicating with the internal space 25C from the tangential direction T.

A plurality of through holes 25G are formed in the bottom wall 25A and the circumferential wall 25B, respectively. Eight through holes 25G formed in the bottom wall 25A are provided so as to be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction S, and each through hole 25G is formed in an isosceles trapezoid that expands in the circumferential direction S as going toward the radial outside R2. The plurality of through holes 25G formed in the circumferential wall 25B are arranged so as to be distributed in the circumferential wall 25B in a region avoiding the relay path 25E, and each through hole 25G is formed in a rectangular shape with rounded four corners.

The through holes 25G are arranged in three layers in the region of the substantially front half of the circumferential wall 25B, and in two layers in the region of the substantially rear half of the circumferential wall 25B. Eight lowermost through holes 25G are provided so as to be arranged at equal intervals over the entire circumferential direction S of the lower end portion of the circumferential wall 25B. The uppermost through holes 25G in the region of the substantially rear half of the circumferential wall 25B are provided in four in the same size as the lowermost through holes 25G, and are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction S. The vertical dimension Z of the upper number of second-layer through holes 25G in the region of the substantially front half of the circumferential wall 25B is approximately half of the size of the lowermost-layer through holes 25G, and the second-layer through holes 25G are arranged at the same height position as the relay path 25E in three and are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction S. The uppermost through holes 25G in the region of the substantially front half of the circumferential wall 25B are provided in four as the minimum water overflow holes 25H in both the up-down direction Z and the circumferential direction S, and are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction S. The upper end of the uppermost through hole 25G in the region of the substantially rear half of the circumferential wall 25B is disposed at the same height position as the substantially center of the overflow hole 25H in the up-down direction Z.

At a position of the lower surface of the bottom wall 25A avoiding the through hole 25G, and at a position of the outer peripheral surface of the circumferential wall 25B avoiding the relay path 25E and the through hole 25G, a rib 25I reinforcing the frame 25 is provided. The rib 25I extends in the circumferential direction S and the radial direction R on the lower surface of the bottom wall 25A (see fig. 6), and extends in the up-down direction Z and the circumferential direction S on the outer peripheral surface of the circumferential wall 25B. A flange 25J protruding radially outward R2 over substantially the entire circumferential direction S is provided at the upper end portion of the circumferential wall 25B. Notches 25K are provided in the flange 25J at a plurality of positions equally spaced apart in the circumferential direction S, the notches being formed by cutting the flange 25J in the up-down direction Z.

As shown in fig. 6, the mesh 26 is provided in all the through holes 25G except the uppermost overflow hole 25H of the circumferential wall 25B, and the inner peripheral surface portion 23A of the filter 23 is configured by blocking each through hole 25G (see fig. 5). Each mesh 26 may be arranged to curve along the circumferential direction S. A plurality of filter holes 26A are formed in each mesh 26 as minute through holes. Accordingly, a plurality of filter holes 26A are distributed in the inner peripheral surface portion 23A of the filter 23. The overflow hole 25H is provided in the filter 23 at a region above all the filter holes 26A by Z1. In place of the mesh sheet 26, a grid (not shown) integrally formed with the frame 25 may be provided, and in this case, the gaps in the grid function as the filter holes 26A. The size of the filter hole 26A can be arbitrarily set, but is set to 10 μm to 20 μm when the micro plastic is the object of capturing, and is set to about 500 μm when the micro plastic is not the object of capturing.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the cleaning unit 24 as seen from the front side Y1. The cleaning unit 24 includes: a cover 30; a shaft 31 extending from the cover 30 to the lower side Z2; a rotating body 32 rotatably supported by the shaft 31; a pair of scraping members 33 supported by the rotating body 32; and a weight 34 connected to each scraping member 33.

The cover 30 has a semicircular shape and size substantially identical to those of the bottom wall 21A (see fig. 3) of the housing 21. A third engaging portion 30A having a frame shape long in the left-right direction X and hanging down from the front edge is provided at the front edge of the cover 30 extending in the left-right direction X.

An annular outer rib 30B is provided on the lower surface of the cover 30, which is formed by wrapping the outer periphery of the cover 30 and projects downward Z2. The outer rib 30B has a semicircular profile that is one turn smaller than the outer periphery of the cover 30. A claw-shaped fourth engaging portion 30C protruding toward the lower side Z2 and then bent toward the rear side Y2 is provided at the arcuate edge of the outer rib 30B protruding toward the rear side Y2. A seal 35 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the outer rib 30B to seal the outer peripheral surface. In the region surrounded by the outer rib 30B in the lower surface of the cover 30, an annular inner rib 30D protruding toward the lower side Z2 is provided. The lower end of the inner rib 30D is disposed at a position higher than the lower end of the outer rib 30B, that is, at the upper side Z1. A cylindrical support portion 30E protruding toward the lower side Z2 is provided on the lower surface of the cover 30 at a position corresponding to the center of the inner rib 30D.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the filter device 20. The filter 23 is disposed in the housing 21, and the cover 30 is fitted to close the opening 21E of the housing 21 and the opening 25D of the frame 25 of the filter 23 from the upper side Z1. The first engaging portion 21J of the housing 21 is engaged with the third engaging portion 30A of the cover 30, and the second engaging portion 21K of the housing 21 is engaged with the fourth engaging portion 30C of the cover 30, whereby the cover 30 is fixed so as not to be accidentally detached (see fig. 11).

In the lower surface of the cover 30, the outer rib 30B is sandwiched between the upper end portions of the vertical wall 21B and the curved wall 21C of the housing 21 and the upper end portion of the circumferential wall 25B of the frame 25 of the filter 23, and the upper end portion of the circumferential wall 25B is sandwiched between the outer rib 30B and the inner rib 30D (see also fig. 11). In this state, the inner rib 30D and the filter 23 are coaxially arranged, and therefore the support portion 30E provided on the lower surface of the cover 30 is arranged on the central axis K of the inner peripheral surface portion 23A of the filter 23. A cylindrical support portion 25L protruding toward the upper side Z1 is provided at a position corresponding to the central axis K in the bottom wall 25A of the frame 25 of the filter 23.

The gap between the housing 21 and the outer rib 30B is blocked by the seal 35. Further, a claw-shaped positioning portion 30F protruding radially inward R1 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the outer rib 30B (see fig. 11). The positioning portion 30F is in contact with the flange 25J of the upper end portion of the frame 25 from the lower side Z2, whereby the filter 23 in the housing 21 is positioned in a state in which the bottom wall 25A of the frame 25 is slightly suspended from the bottom wall 21A of the housing 21. The user may remove only the filter 23 by detaching the cleaning unit 24 by displacing the filter 23 in the circumferential direction S with respect to the cover 30 to align the positioning portion 30F with the notch 25K (see fig. 5) of the flange 25J and then moving the filter 23 from the cover 30 to the lower side Z2. Hereinafter, the shaft 31, the rotating body 32, the scraping member 33, and the weight 34 will be described with reference to the circumferential direction S and the radial direction R, with the state in which the cover 30 is attached to the housing 21 and the filter 23.

The shaft 31 is, for example, a metal shaft, and is disposed on the central axis K in the filter 23, that is, in the inner space 25C of the frame 25 of the filter 23. The shaft 31 has an upper end inserted into the support portion 30E of the cover 30 and a lower end inserted into the support portion 25L of the frame 25 of the filter 23. In order to prevent the shaft 31 from being detached, a pair of upper and lower washers 36 are provided at the upper end portion of the shaft 31 so as to sandwich the support portion 30E. The other washers 37 are disposed on the support portion 25L.

The rotary body 32 is disposed in the filter 23. The rotating body 32 may be divided into an upper unit 40 and a lower unit 41. Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken from A-A of fig. 8. The upper unit 40 integrally has: a disk-shaped susceptor 40A disposed coaxially with the central axis K; an upper cylindrical portion 40B protruding from the center of the upper surface of the base 40A toward the upper side Z1; and a pair of upper guide portions 40C disposed on the upper surface of the base 40A so as to sandwich the upper cylindrical portion 40B. Further, the upper unit 40 integrally has: a lower cylindrical portion 40D protruding from the center of the lower surface of the base 40A toward the lower side Z2; and a plurality of blades 40E disposed on the lower surface of the base 40A so as to surround the lower cylindrical portion 40D (see fig. 8).

Two recesses 40F recessed toward the radial inner side R1 are formed in the outer peripheral edge of the base 40A at 180 degrees apart in the circumferential direction S. The pair of upper guide portions 40C are arranged at the same positions as the respective recesses 40F in the circumferential direction S, one by one, and thus are arranged on the same straight line extending in the radial direction R. Each upper guide portion 40C is a hollow body elongated in the radial direction R extending from the upper cylindrical portion 40B to the recess 40F. The upper cylindrical portion 40B may be regarded as an end portion of the upper guide portion 40C on the radially inner side R1. Each upper guide portion 40C is provided with: an inner space 40G located radially inward R1; an outer space 40H located radially outward R2 from the inner space 40G; a partition wall 40I disposed between the inner space 40G and the outer space 40H; and an end wall 40J located radially outward R2 from the outer space 40H.

The inner space 40G and the outer space 40H communicate with each other via a through hole 40K provided in the partition wall 40I. The outer space 40H is opened to the radial outer side R2 via a through hole 40L provided in the end wall 40J. The inner space 40G and the outer space 40H are open to the upper side Z1. The upper unit 40 further includes a pair of upper covers 42 provided corresponding to the pair of upper guide portions 40C. The upper cover 42 is long in the radial direction R, and both end portions in the circumferential direction S of the upper cover 42 are bent toward the lower side Z2. The upper cover 42 is fitted to the corresponding upper guide portion 40C, sandwiches the upper guide portion 40C from both sides in the circumferential direction S, and blocks the inner space 40G and the outer space 40H (see also fig. 8) as the inner space of the upper guide portion 40C from the upper side Z1. Thereby, foreign matter is prevented from entering the inside space 40G and the outside space 40H. The upper cover 42 may be attached to and detached from the upper guide portion 40C by a known locking structure such as screw fixation or snap-fit.

The upper insertion hole 40M is formed by the inner space of the upper cylindrical portion 40B and the inner space of the lower cylindrical portion 40D being continuous (see fig. 8). The shaft 31 is inserted into the upper insertion hole 40M. Thereby, the whole of the rotating body 32 can rotate around the central axis K. Since the inner diameter of the upper cylindrical portion 40B is smaller than the inner diameter of the lower cylindrical portion 40D and is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the shaft 31, the rotating body 32, particularly, substantially the upper half of the rotating body 32 can smoothly rotate without rattling. A bearing (not shown) may be disposed between the inner peripheral surface of the upper insertion hole 40M and the shaft 31. The lower cylindrical portion 40D is provided with a locking hole 40N (see fig. 7 and 8) penetrating the lower cylindrical portion 40D in the radial direction R. In the present embodiment, the two locking holes 40N are provided at two places 180 degrees apart from each other in the circumferential direction S.

The blades 40E are substantially rectangular plate-like when viewed in the circumferential direction S, are disposed away from the lower cylindrical portion 40D toward the radial outer side R2, and are connected to the outer peripheral edge of the base 40A (see fig. 7). The corners of both ends in the radial direction R in the lower end portion of the blade 40E are rounded. In the present embodiment, eight blades 40E are arranged in such a manner as to be equally spaced in the circumferential direction S. The blades 40E are disposed at positions different from the recess 40F and the upper guide portion 40C of the base 40A in the circumferential direction S. The blades 40E are disposed in the inner space 25C of the frame 25 of the filter 23 at a position above the lower half Z1 (see fig. 8).

As shown in fig. 9, the overflow hole 25H of the frame 25 of the filter 23 is arranged in the periphery of the connecting portion between the vertical wall 21B and the curved wall 21C of the housing 21 in a plan view. The connection portion forms an angle of the housing 21 in a plan view, and thus a recess 21L recessed away from the overflow hole 25H is formed in the housing 21. A pair of right and left concave portions 21L are provided to form a part of the internal space 21D of the housing 21, in particular, the gap 21M between the filter 23 and the housing 21. Since the portion of the casing 21 that is offset from the overflow hole 25H in the circumferential direction S is arranged along the curved wall 21C, the gap 21M of the portion is narrower than the recess 21L in the radial direction R. Further, since the overflow hole 25H at the right end overlaps the outflow hole 21G of the bottom wall 21A of the housing 21 in plan view, the outflow hole 21G is disposed directly below the overflow hole 25H, that is, at a position on the lower side Z2 of the overflow hole 25H and coinciding with the overflow hole 25H in the circumferential direction S.

Fig. 10 is a B-B cross-sectional view of fig. 8. The intake 25F of the frame 25 of the filter 23 is disposed at the same height position as the blades 40E in the filter 23, and faces the blades 40E from the circumferential direction S, more precisely, from the tangential direction T with respect to the circumferential direction S. That is, the intake 25F faces the blade 40E from the circumferential direction S or the tangential direction T. The inlet 21I of the housing 21 is disposed so as to be parallel to the inlet 25F along the tangential direction T, and is in communication with the inlet 25F.

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the filter device 20 taken along another position offset 180 degrees from fig. 8 in the circumferential direction S. The lower unit 41 integrally has: a cylindrical portion 41A disposed immediately below the upper cylindrical portion 40B of the upper unit 40; a locking portion 41B extending from an upper end of the cylindrical portion 41A to the upper side Z1; and a pair of lower guide portions 41C arranged to sandwich the cylindrical portion 41A.

The inner space of the cylindrical portion 41A constitutes a lower insertion hole 41D. The shaft 31 is inserted into the lower insertion hole 41D. Since the inner diameter of the lower insertion hole 41D is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the shaft 31, the rotating body 32, particularly the lower half of the rotating body 32, can smoothly rotate without rattling. A bearing (not shown) may be disposed between the inner peripheral surface of the lower insertion hole 41D and the shaft 31.

The locking portion 41B is inserted from the lower side Z2 into the upper insertion hole 40M, which is the inner space of the upper cylindrical portion 40B, without being in contact with the shaft 31. A pair of claw portions 41E protruding opposite to each other toward the radial outer side R2 are provided at the upper end portion of the locking portion 41B, and the pair of claw portions 41E are locked one by one in the locking hole 40N of the lower cylindrical portion 40D (see fig. 7 and 8). Thereby, the lower unit 41 is coupled to the upper unit 40 so as to be rotatable integrally with the upper unit 40. The locking portion 41B is provided with a positioning portion 41F, and the positioning portion 41F contacts the lower cylindrical portion 40D from the lower side Z2 to position the lower unit 41 in the up-down direction Z with respect to the upper unit 40.

The pair of lower guide portions 41C are arranged on the same straight line extending in the radial direction R. Each lower guide portion 41C is a hollow body extending from the cylindrical portion 41A to the radial outer side R2 in an elongated manner. The cylindrical portion 41A may be regarded as an end portion of the radially inner side R1 of each lower guide portion 41C. Each lower guide portion 41C is configured in the same manner as the upper guide portion 40C of the upper unit 40. That is, the pair of lower guide portions 41C are arranged at the same positions as the pair of upper guide portions 40C in the circumferential direction S. Each lower guide portion 41C is provided with: an inner space 41G located radially inward R1; the outer space 41H is located radially outward R2 from the inner space 41G; a partition wall 41I disposed between the inner space 41G and the outer space 41H; and an end wall 41J located radially outward R2 from the outer space 41H.

The inner space 41G and the outer space 41H communicate with each other via a through hole 41K provided in the partition wall 41I. The outer space 41H is opened to the radial outer side R2 via a through hole 41L provided in the end wall 41J. The inner space 41G and the outer space 41H are open to the lower side Z2. The lower unit 41 further includes a pair of lower covers 43 provided in correspondence with the lower guide portions 41C. The lower cover 43 is long in the radial direction R, and both end portions in the circumferential direction S in the lower cover 43 are bent toward the upper side Z1. The lower cover 43 is fitted to the corresponding lower guide portion 41C, sandwiches the lower guide portion 41C from both sides in the circumferential direction S, and blocks the inner space 41G and the outer space 41H (refer to fig. 8) as the inner space of the lower guide portion 41C from the lower side Z2. Thereby, foreign matter is prevented from entering the inner space 41G and the outer space 41H. The lower cover 43 may be attached to and detached from the lower guide portion 41C by a known locking structure such as screw fixation or snap-fit.

As described above, the pair of scraping members 33 exist corresponding to the pair of upper guide portions 40C and lower guide portions 41C. The scraping members 33 are disposed at two places 180 degrees apart from each other in the circumferential direction S. The number of the scraping members 33 may be arbitrarily changed, and thus may be singular or may be three or more and may be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction S. Each scraping member 33 includes: two slide pins 45 are disposed one by one in the inner space of each of the upper guide portion 40C and the lower guide portion 41C; a seat 47 fixed to the slide pin 45 via a bolt 46; and a brush 48 provided on the holder 47.

The slide pin 45 has a cylindrical shape extending in the radial direction R. Referring to the slide pin 45 at the upper left in fig. 11, an annular inner flange portion 45A protruding a certain length from the outer peripheral surface of the slide pin 45 is provided at an end portion of the slide pin 45 at the inner side R1 in the radial direction. An annular outer flange portion 45B protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the slide pin 45 by a certain length is provided at a middle portion in the radial direction R of the slide pin 45, that is, at the radial outer side R2 than the inner flange portion 45A. The slide pin 45 has a screw hole 45C extending from the end surface of the radially outer side R2 to the outer flange 45B.

The slide pin 45 disposed in the inner space of the upper guide portion 40C is disposed so as to straddle the inner space 40G and the outer space 40H of the upper guide portion 40C. In the slide pin 45, the inner flange 45A is disposed in the inner space 40G, and the outer flange 45B is disposed in the outer space 40H. The slide pin 45 is slidable in the radial direction R. When the slide pin 45 slides toward the radial outer side R2, an end portion of the slide pin 45 on the radial outer side R2 can be exposed from the through hole 40L of the end wall 40J of the upper guide portion 40C toward the radial outer side R2. Since the outer flange 45B of the slide pin 45 faces the end wall 40J from the radial inner side R1, the slide pin 45 can be prevented from coming off the inner space of the upper guide portion 40C.

The slide pin 45 disposed in the inner space of the lower guide portion 41C is disposed so as to straddle the inner space 41G and the outer space 41H of the lower guide portion 41C. In the slide pin 45, the inner flange portion 45A is disposed in the inner space 41G, and the outer flange portion 45B is disposed in the outer space 41H. The slide pin 45 is slidable in the radial direction R. When the slide pin 45 slides toward the radial outer side R2, an end portion of the slide pin 45 on the radial outer side R2 can be exposed from the through hole 41L of the end wall 41J of the lower guide portion 41C toward the radial outer side R2. Since the outer flange 45B of the slide pin 45 faces the end wall 41J from the radial inner side R1, the slide pin 45 can be prevented from coming off the inner space of the lower guide portion 41C.

The seat 47 has a box shape long in the up-down direction Z and thin in the radial direction R, and an inner space thereof is opened to the radial outside R2. Thus, the seat 47 has: a bottom wall 47A extending in the up-down direction Z; an upper wall 47B extending from an upper end of the bottom wall 47A to the radial outer side R2; a lower wall 47C extending from a lower end of the bottom wall 47A to the radial outer side R2; and a pair of side walls 47D extending radially outward R2 from both ends of the bottom wall 47A in the circumferential direction S (see fig. 7). The dimension of the side wall 47D in the up-down direction Z is substantially the same as the dimension of the inner space 25C of the frame 25 of the filter 23 in the up-down direction Z. The bottom wall 47A of the seat 47 is disposed opposite to the upper guide portion 40C and the lower guide portion 41C located at the same position as the seat 47 in the circumferential direction S from the radially outer side R2.

The brush 48 is formed of bristles that are implanted in end surfaces of the radial outer sides R2 of the pair of side walls 47D of the holder 47 and protrude radially outward R2 (see also fig. 7). Specifically, the bundles 48A of a predetermined number of hairs are provided at equal intervals in the up-down direction Z over substantially the entire area of the end face of the radially outer side R2 of each side wall 47D. For example, instead of the bundle 48A made of wool, the brush 48 may be formed by an elastically deformable protrusion. In addition, instead of the brush 48, a wiper blade that is long in the up-down direction Z and protrudes from the side wall 47D to the radial outside R2 may be used.

The drop 34 is a metal plate which is long in the up-down direction Z and is accommodated in the inner space of the holder 47. The bolts 46 pass through the bottom walls 47A of the weights 34 and the holders 47 and are individually attached to the screw holes 45C of the slide pins 45, whereby the weights 34 and the holders 47 are fixed to the upper and lower slide pins 45 to complete the respective scraping members 33. Each scraping member 33 is supported by the upper guide portion 40C and the lower guide portion 41C of the rotating body 32 via the slide pin 45 in the filter 23, and is slidable in the radial direction R in accordance with the sliding of the slide pin 45. The head 46A of the bolt 46 is disposed so as not to be exposed from the end surface of the radially outer side R2 of the weight 34, and is buried in the weight 34.

The cleaning unit 24 further includes urging members 49 disposed one by one in the inner spaces of the upper guide portion 40C and the lower guide portion 41C, respectively. The urging member 49 is a coil spring extending in the radial direction R. In the upper guide portion 40C, the urging member 49 is disposed in the outer space 40H so as to surround the slide pin 45, and is compressed between the end wall 40J and the outer flange portion 45B of the slide pin 45, thereby urging the slide pin 45 to the radially inner side R1 at all times. In the lower guide portion 41C, the urging member 49 is disposed in the outer space 41H and surrounds the slide pin 45, and is compressed between the end wall 41J and the outer flange portion 45B of the slide pin 45 to always urge the slide pin 45 radially inward R1.

In fig. 8 to 11, all the slide pins 45 are retracted to the radial inner side R1 to the maximum extent. In this state, each scraping member 33 is located at a retracted position away from the inner peripheral surface portion 23A of the filter 23 toward the center axis J, that is, the radial inner side R1, and in each scraping member 33, the seat 47 is disposed in the recess 40F (see fig. 9) in the base 40A at the same position as the seat 47 in the circumferential direction S, and the bottom wall 47A of the seat 47 is in contact with the end wall 40J of the upper guide portion 40C and the end wall 41J of the lower guide portion 41C. The scraping members 33 are always biased to the retracted position by the biasing members 49.

In the above-described water discharge process, first, the control unit 19 operates the pump P in a state where the water discharge valve 13 is closed (see fig. 1). Then, the pump P causes the water flowing down from the washing tub 5 into the upstream path 12A of the drain path 12 to flow to the second downstream path 12C. As indicated by the arrow of the one-dot chain line in fig. 1, the water flowing through the second downstream path 12C rises in the upstream region 12CA of the second downstream path 12C, and then flows into the case 21 from the inflow port 21I of the case 21 of the filter device 20.

As shown by the arrow of the one-dot chain line in fig. 10, the water flowing into the housing 21 from the inflow port 21I is taken into the filter 23 through the intake port 25F by traveling straight to the intake port 25F of the filter 23 almost without missing any part of the water, and is sprayed to the vane 40E in the filter 23 from the tangential direction T. Then, the entire rotating body 32 having the blades 40E receiving the water taken into the filter 23 from the intake port 25F rotates in one direction in the circumferential direction S by the water force of the water, and in this embodiment, rotates in the clockwise direction in plan view.

The water taken into the filter 23 through the intake port 25F flows out of the filter 23 through the filter holes 26A of the inner peripheral surface portion 23A of the filter 23, that is, into the gap 21M between the filter 23 and the housing 21 in the housing 21. When water passes through the filter holes 26A, foreign matter contained in the water is trapped and adheres to the inner peripheral surface portion 23A. That is, the filter 23 captures foreign matter contained in the water flowing out of the filter 23 through the filter hole 26A in the inner peripheral surface portion 23A. The water flowing out of the filter 23 may pass not only through the mesh 26 of the inner peripheral surface portion 23A but also through the mesh 26 of the bottom wall 25A of the frame 25 toward the lower side Z2 toward the radially outer side R2.

The water flowing out of the filter 23 flows out of the casing 21 from the outflow port 21G of the bottom wall 21A of the casing 21, flows down in the downstream region 12CB of the second downstream path 12C, merges with the first downstream path 12B, and is discharged to the outside of the washing machine 1 (see the arrow of the two-dot chain line in fig. 1). When the amount of water flowing into the filter 23 exceeds the amount of water flowing out of the filter 23, the water in the filter 23 overflows from the overflow holes 25H (see fig. 8) provided in the upper end portion of the frame 25 to the outside of the filter 23 and flows out of the housing 21 from the outflow port 21G.

The scraping members 33 located at the retracted positions are disposed at the advanced positions near the inner peripheral surface portion 23A of the filter 23 as shown in fig. 12, so as to slide radially outward R2 against the urging force of the urging member 49 by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotating body 32. In each scraping member 33 located at the advanced position, the brush 48 contacts the foreign matter on the inner peripheral surface portion 23A of the filter 23 while rotating as a part of the rotating body 32, thereby scraping the foreign matter from the inner peripheral surface portion 23A of the filter 23. When the brush 48 contacts with the foreign matter on the inner peripheral surface portion 23A, the rotational speed of the rotating body 32 is temporarily reduced, and the centrifugal force is reduced, so that each scraping member 33 is retracted toward the retracted position side by the urging force of the urging member 49. In this way, each scraping member 33 can slide in the radial direction R between the retracted position and the advanced position.

Then, when the rotational speed of the rotating body 32 is restored and the centrifugal force becomes large, each scraping member 33 advances again to the advanced position to come into contact with the foreign matter of the inner peripheral surface portion 23A of the filter 23. In this way, during the rotation of the rotating body 32 caused by the drainage, the scraping member 33 repeatedly advances and retreats between the advanced position and the retracted position to come into contact with the foreign matter on the inner peripheral surface portion 23A of the filter 23A multiple times, whereby the foreign matter can be scraped from the inner peripheral surface portion 23A of the filter 23 efficiently. This suppresses clogging of the filter 23 in the filter hole 26A, thereby improving maintenance performance. That is, even if the foreign matter is a minute foreign matter such as a microplastic or a microfiber, the filter device 20 can continuously capture the foreign matter for a long period of time while peeling off the foreign matter adhering to the inner peripheral surface portion 23A, and therefore can capture a large amount of foreign matter. In particular, when the scraping member 33 is always located at the advanced position, the rotation of the rotating body 32 may be suddenly stopped by the scraping member 33 being caught by the inner peripheral surface portion 23A or the like, but in the present embodiment, the scraping member 33 is configured to be retractable, so that smooth rotation of the rotating body 32 can be continued.

The blades 40E for rotating the rotary body 32 by receiving the water taken into the filter 23 through the intake port 25F are disposed above the lower half portion of the filter 23 which is prone to water accumulation Z1 (see fig. 11). The intake 25F faces the blade 40E from the circumferential direction S or the tangential direction T (see fig. 10). Accordingly, the blades 40E are less likely to be subjected to the resistance of water stored in the lower half of the inner space 25C of the filter 23, and are capable of receiving water taken into the filter 23 from the intake port 25F with high efficiency, so that the rotating body 32 can be rotated strongly. Therefore, by generating a large centrifugal force, the scraping member 33 is easily advanced to the advanced position, and therefore the scraping member 33 can scrape the foreign matter from the inner peripheral surface portion 23A of the filter 23 more efficiently. This can further suppress clogging of the filter 23 in the filter hole 26A, thereby further improving maintenance performance.

Further, the weight 34 coupled to the scraping member 33 generates a large centrifugal force, whereby the scraping member 33 is easily advanced to the advanced position, and therefore the scraping member 33 can scrape the foreign matter from the inner peripheral surface portion 23A of the filter 23 more efficiently. This can further suppress clogging of the filter 23 in the filter hole 26A, thereby further improving maintenance performance.

In addition, even if the filter 23 is clogged, the water in the filter 23 overflows from the overflow hole 25H to the outside of the filter 23 and flows out of the casing 21 from the outflow port 21G, so that the water flowing through the water discharge path 12 of the washing machine 1 can be smoothly discharged to the outside. Further, since the recess 21L recessed away from the overflow hole 25H is provided in the casing 21 and the outflow port 21G is disposed directly below the overflow hole 25H (see fig. 9), water overflowing from the overflow hole 25H to the outside of the filter 23 can be quickly transferred from the recess 21L to the outflow port 21G and discharged to the outside.

In this way, when the pump P is operated in a state where the drain valve 13 closes the first downstream passage 12B, water in the upstream passage 12A flows through the second downstream passage 12C, and foreign matter is trapped by the filter device 20 and discharged to the outside. When the water in the washing tub 5 is reduced and the pump P is easy to swallow the air, the control unit 19 stops the pump P and opens the first downstream path 12B through the drain valve 13. Then, in the filter device 20, water no longer flows in, and therefore each scraping member 33 returns to the retracted position. That is, the retracted position is a waiting position of each scraping member 33.

When the first downstream path 12B is opened, the residual water in the washing tub 5 flows through the first downstream path 12B from the upstream path 12A and is discharged to the outside, so that the noise generated by the operation of the pump P in a state of sucking air can be suppressed, and the water in the washing tub 5 can be discharged without residual water. The control unit 19 determines that the water in the washing tub 5 has been reduced based on a detection value of a water level sensor (not shown) that detects the water level in the washing tub 5 and an elapsed time measured by a timer (not shown).

In the filter device 20, foreign matter peeled off from the inner peripheral surface portion 23A of the filter 23 is accumulated in the inner space 25C of the frame 25 of the filter 23 from the bottom wall 25A side. In the filter device 20, at least the cover 30 of the filter unit 22 is exposed from the upper surface 2A of the casing 2 of the washing machine 1 (see fig. 1). Therefore, the user can remove the filter unit 22 from the washing machine 1 by removing the first engaging portion 21J and the second engaging portion 21K of the housing 21 from the third engaging portion 30A and the fourth engaging portion 30C of the cover 30, respectively, in maintenance, and decompose the filter unit as described above to remove foreign matters in the filter 23. As described above, the filter device 20 can continuously capture foreign matter for a long period of time, so that the user can not perform maintenance on the filter 23 every day. It should be noted that the user can assemble the filter unit 22 and replace it in the washing machine 1 in the reverse order.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope described in the claims.

For example, the first downstream passage 12B in the drain passage 12 may be omitted, and the drain valve 13 may be omitted. In this case, the downstream path of the drain path 12 is only the second downstream path 12C, and the downstream area 12CB of the second downstream path 12C is pulled out of the washing machine 1. The first downstream path 12B and the second downstream path 12C may be drawn out of the washing machine 1 without merging each other.

Claims

A filter device, comprising:

a housing provided with an inflow port and an outflow port, wherein the housing allows water in a water discharge path of the washing machine to flow into the housing from the inflow port, and allows water in the housing to flow out from the outflow port;

a filter disposed in the housing and having a cylindrical inner peripheral surface portion having a central axis extending in a longitudinal direction, and a plurality of filter holes distributed on the inner peripheral surface portion, the filter having an intake port for taking in water flowing into the housing from the inflow port into the filter, the filter capturing foreign matters contained in water flowing out of the filter from the filter holes after being taken into the filter from the intake port in the inner peripheral surface portion;

A rotating body disposed in the filter and rotated about the central axis by a water potential of water taken into the filter from the intake port;

a scraping member supported by the rotating body in the filter, the scraping member being configured to scrape foreign matter from the inner peripheral surface portion, the scraping member being slidable in a radial direction with respect to the central axis between an advanced position at which the scraping member approaches the inner peripheral surface portion and a retracted position at which the scraping member is away from the inner peripheral surface portion toward the central axis; and

and a biasing member that biases the scraping member toward the retracted position.
A filter device as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

the rotating body includes: a blade for receiving water taken into the filter from the inlet, the blade being disposed in an upper portion of an inner space of the filter than a lower half portion of the inner space,

the intake port faces the blade from a circumferential direction around the central axis or a tangential direction with respect to the circumferential direction.
A filter arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

and a drop connected with the scraping component.
A filter device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

In the filter, overflow holes are arranged at the upper side of the filter holes to overflow the water in the filter to the outside of the filter,

a concave part which is concave in a way of being far away from the overflow hole is arranged in the shell,

the outflow port is disposed directly below the overflow hole.
A washing machine, comprising:

a washing tub for accommodating washings;

a drain path having an upstream path connected to the washing tub, and first and second downstream paths branched from the upstream path;

a drain valve for opening and closing the first downstream path;

a pump provided in the second downstream path, for causing water in the upstream path to flow to the second downstream path; and

the filter device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a downstream region of the second downstream path that is farther from the upstream path than the pump is provided.