JP2001054695A - Ultrasonic washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonic washing machine convenient to use and high having a washing capability without damaging cloth. SOLUTION: This ultrasonic washing machine is provided with a washing tank 1 that accommodates washing 11, an upper cover comprising a cover part 9 and the like for opening/closing the washing tank 1; a vibrating plate 3 provided at the internal bottom face of the washing tank 1; and an ultrasonic vibrator 2 for vibrating the vibrating plate 3. When the washing 11 is brought into direct contact with the upper face of the vibrating plate 3 to close the upper cover, the washing 11 is pressed by the inner surface of a metal molded plate 12 of the upper cover and brought into light pressure contact with the vibrating plate 3. In the pressure contact state, washing liquid 6 is filled, and the ultrasonic vibrator 2 is driven.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultrasonic washing machine, and more particularly, to an ultrasonic washing machine for washing delicate clothes and garbage soiled clothes by using an ultrasonic washing action.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Laundry of delicate garments is difficult with conventional home washing machines. This is because excessive mechanical force applied to the clothes causes the fibers to expand and contract, fuzz, etc., and damages the clothes. In addition, with conventional home washing machines, stubborn stains (stain on the collar and cuffs of cutter shirts,
Pre-washing (brush washing, hand washing, etc.) is generally performed before putting in the washing machine because socks stains, mud stains, etc. are very difficult to remove. This pre-cleaning is troublesome and has a problem that the fabric is greatly damaged by friction of the fibers.

[0003] Under such circumstances, an ultrasonic washing machine utilizing an ultrasonic cleaning action has attracted attention. One example is an ultrasonic washing machine for partial washing proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-60697. As shown in FIG. 5 (a), this ultrasonic washing machine includes a vibrator (22) at the bottom of a housing (21) and a handle (23) at the top of the housing (21). . The vibrator (22) is connected to an oscillation circuit (25) by a cord (24), and the oscillation circuit (25) is provided with a switch (26), a cord (27), and an outlet plug (28). I have. For use, see Fig. 5 (b)
As shown in, the object to be cleaned (31) such as a handkerchief or clothing is immersed in the washing liquid (30) in the basin (29), and the bottom of the housing (21) is washed with a dirty portion of the object to be cleaned (31). Wash liquid (30) near (31 ')
Soak in Then, when power is supplied from the oscillation circuit (25) to the vibrator (22), ultrasonic cavitation occurs at the bottom of the housing (21), and the impact force of the cavitation is transmitted to the dirty portion (31 ′), Dirt separates from the object to be cleaned (31).

[0004]

However, the object to be cleaned (31) such as clothing is very easy to float in the washing liquid (30), and is difficult to be held parallel to the bottom surface of the housing (21). In some cases, the dirty portion (31 ') cannot be effectively irradiated with ultrasonic waves. This causes uneven cleaning. In addition, since the ultrasonic washing machine shown in FIG. 5 is only for partial washing, when washing the entire garment, the entire object to be washed (31) is carefully washed while moving the housing (21). I have to go. Therefore, there is a problem that it takes much time and effort.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an ultrasonic washing machine which can obtain high detergency without damaging a cloth and which is very easy to use. The purpose is to provide.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, an ultrasonic washing machine according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a washing tank for storing an object to be washed, an upper pig for opening and closing the washing tank, and A vibration plate provided on the inner bottom surface of the cleaning tank and an ultrasonic vibrator for vibrating the vibration plate, wherein an ultrasonic washing machine is provided, wherein an object to be cleaned is brought into direct contact with the upper surface of the vibration plate. When the upper pig is closed, the object to be cleaned is pressed against the inner surface of the upper pig to be lightly pressed against the diaphragm.

[0007] An ultrasonic washing machine according to a second aspect of the present invention is the ultrasonic washing machine according to the first aspect, wherein the washing tub is closed when the upper pig is closed.

An ultrasonic washing machine according to a third aspect of the present invention is the ultrasonic washing machine according to the first or second aspect, wherein the inner surface of the upper pig is formed of a metal plate.

The ultrasonic washing machine according to a fourth aspect of the present invention provides the ultrasonic washing machine
In the structure of the second or third invention, the inner surface of the upper pig is formed in a wavy shape.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic washing machine, comprising:
In the constitution of the second, third or fourth invention, an elastic member is provided so that the inner surface of the upper pig can move up and down according to the thickness of the object to be washed.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an ultrasonic washing machine (A) embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an outline of the entire configuration of the ultrasonic washing machine (A) in a longitudinal sectional view of a main part viewed from the front side. The ultrasonic washing machine (A) includes a washing tank (1) in which an object to be washed (11) is stored; a lid (9), a packing material (10),
An upper pig made of a metal forming plate (12) and a spring material (13), which opens and closes the washing tank (1); a diaphragm (3) provided on the inner bottom surface of the washing tank (1); 3) vibrating ultrasonic vibrator
(2); and an oscillator (4) for driving the ultrasonic vibrator (2). Power is supplied to the ultrasonic vibrator (2) through the lead wire (5), and the cleaning liquid (6) is supplied to the cleaning tank (1) from the liquid supply valve (7). Cleaning solution from (1)
The drainage of (6) is performed from the drainage valve (8). In addition, although this ultrasonic washing machine (A) is basically used in a state where it is horizontally installed, it is sufficiently possible to use it by installing vertically so that the drainage valve (8) side is located below. . If installed vertically, the installation space can be reduced, so this ultrasonic washing machine (A) is suitable as a washing machine for general household use.

When the object to be washed (11) is to be washed, first, the upper pig of the washing tank (1) is opened as shown in FIG. 2 and the object to be washed is placed on the upper surface of the diaphragm (3) as shown in FIG. (11) is installed in direct contact. When the upper pig is closed as shown in FIG. 1, the object to be cleaned (11) is corrugated metal forming plate (12).
Pressed lightly against diaphragm (3).
The pressure contact state may be any light state that does not adversely affect the ultrasonic vibrator (2) via the diaphragm (3).

The metal forming plate (12) which comes into contact with the object to be cleaned (11) when the upper pig is closed is a metal plate constituting the inner surface of the upper pig.
(Stainless steel or the like), the surface of which reflects ultrasonic waves from below is formed in a wavy shape. In addition, metal forming plate (1
2) is connected to the lid part (9) by the spring material (13), so when the upper pig is closed, the metal molding pressed according to the thickness of the object to be cleaned (11) (that is, the cloth thickness of the clothing) Plate (12) is spring material (13)
Move in the direction to shrink. As a result, the object to be cleaned (11) is maintained in a light pressure contact state with the metal forming plate (12) and the vibrating plate (3) by the elastic force of the spring material (13). An elastic member such as rubber may be used instead of the spring material (13) as long as the metal forming plate (12) can be moved up and down according to the thickness of the object (11) to be cleaned.

The lid (9) is provided with a packing material (1
0) is provided. Therefore, when the upper pig is closed as described above, the washing tank (1) is closed. When the cleaning liquid (6) is filled in the cleaning tank (1) by opening the liquid supply valve (7) connected to the cleaning liquid pressurizing supply means (not shown) with the upper pig closed, as shown in FIG. The object to be cleaned (11) lightly pressed between the metal forming plate (12) and the diaphragm (3) is immersed in a small amount of the cleaning liquid (6). When the ultrasonic vibrator (2) is driven, the vibration plate (3) vibrates, and as a result, the object to be cleaned (11) is cleaned by ultrasonic cavitation generated in the cleaning liquid (6). When the upper pig is closed, the pressure-contact state of the object to be cleaned (11) is maintained, so that the object to be cleaned (11) is cleaned while standing still. When the cleaning is completed, the drain valve (8) is opened and the cleaning liquid (6) is discharged from the cleaning tank (1). Then, fresh water may be supplied from the liquid supply valve (7) into the cleaning tank (1), and the rinsing step may be performed by driving the ultrasonic vibrator (2) as in the case of cleaning. After washing and rinsing, a post-treatment depending on the clothes may be performed, such as folding the object to be washed (11), performing light centrifugal dehydration, and drying in the shade.

When the ultrasonic vibrator (2) is driven as described above, the vibration plate (3) fixing the ultrasonic vibrator (2) vibrates, and the compression wave generated by the ultrasonic vibration generates the cleaning liquid ( It is transmitted to 6). As a result, pressure fluctuation occurs in the cleaning liquid (6), ultrasonic cavitation occurs in the negative pressure portion, and a shock wave due to the collapse of the cavity at the time of positive pressure causes dirt to be removed from the cleaning object (11). Also, since the inner surface of the upper pig in contact with the object to be cleaned (11) is made of a metal molded plate (12), the ultrasonic vibration transmitted from the bottom side of the cleaning tank (1) has high reflection. The light is reflected at a certain rate and returns into the cleaning liquid (6). Generally, at this time, a standing wave is generated from the diaphragm (3) toward the metal forming plate (12), and the maximum amplitude position is fixed at the antinode position of the half-wavelength (λ / 2). Since the cleaning effect is high at the maximum amplitude position, cleaning unevenness occurs. However, in the ultrasonic washing machine (A), since the lower surface of the metal forming plate (12) is formed in a wavy shape, the ultrasonic waves from the diaphragm (3) are radially reflected. As a result, the reflected wave is dispersed to the surroundings and it is difficult to return directly below, so that the uneven cleaning due to the standing wave is eliminated, and a uniform cleaning effect can be obtained over the entire object to be cleaned (11).

The diaphragm (3) and the metal forming plate (12) are objects to be cleaned.
Because of the close proximity of (11), strong ultrasonic cavitation can be generated between the diaphragm (3) and the metal forming plate (12). The object to be cleaned (11) is the diaphragm (3)
And high contact with the metal forming plate (12), so that high ultrasonic strength can be effectively used. The object to be cleaned
Since (11) is lightly pressed between the diaphragm (3) and the metal forming plate (12), the object to be cleaned (11) is lifted by the buoyancy in the cleaning liquid (6) and the ultrasonic wave is transmitted. The gas which hinders the remaining is prevented. Therefore, it is possible to transmit the ultrasonic vibration with high uniformity and high intensity, so that a high cleaning effect can be obtained and the object to be cleaned (11) can be uniformly cleaned.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration of an ultrasonic vibrating section composed of an ultrasonic vibrator (2) formed of a bolted Langevin type piezoelectric vibrator and a metal (for example, stainless steel) vibrating plate (3). Show. As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers (2) are arranged on the diaphragm (3). These ultrasonic transducers (2) are generally attached to the diaphragm (3) by bonding or screwing. The number of ultrasonic transducers (2) to be attached and the ultrasonic output may be appropriately selected depending on the volume of the cleaning tank, but in general, the difference between the area of the diaphragm (3) and the output of the ultrasonic transducer (2) is determined. The relationship is a strong type with an output density of 1 W / cm ² . Since this type of cleaning device mainly obtains the cleaning effect by ultrasonic cavitation, it has low power and large vibration amplitude.
(I.e. pressure fluctuation) frequency band of several tens of kHz (for example,
It is desirable to use an ultrasonic transducer (2) capable of oscillating at 28 kHz). More preferably, the resonance frequency of the ultrasonic vibrator (2) is set to about 28 kHz to 50 kHz at which cavitation is likely to occur at low input.

The cleaning by this type of ultrasonic cleaning device generally involves cavitation noise. However, in this ultrasonic washing machine (A), as described above, the washing tub (1) is closed with the upper pig closed, and the liquid supply, washing and rinsing operations are performed in the closed state, Leakage of the cleaning liquid (6) from the cleaning tank (1) is prevented, and unpleasant cavitation noise during cleaning and rinsing is also prevented.

As shown in FIG. 4, the object to be cleaned (11) is installed in the cleaning tank (1) without folding the object to be cleaned (11) or breaking its shape. Therefore, the object to be cleaned (1
1) is less likely to be wrinkled and, furthermore, the whole object can be washed at a time while the object to be washed (11) is kept still, so that washing can be performed without trouble without losing shape. Therefore, even a delicate garment such as wool or silk, which is difficult to wash with a normal stirring type washing machine, can obtain a high cleaning effect without damaging the cloth due to friction of the fibers. In addition, the high detergency due to strong ultrasonic cavitation is also effective for garlic stained clothing (such as socks) as opposed to delicate clothing. Even ganko stains that cannot be easily removed with a normal household washing machine (such as stains on the collar and cuffs, socks, and mud) can be removed without rubbing the fiber. Can be.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, cloth damage, wrinkles, etc. can be prevented for delicate clothes, fashionable clothes that do not want to lose their shape, and dirty clothes that are difficult to wash with a normal washing machine. A high cleaning effect without unevenness can be obtained. In addition, since the entire clothes can be washed at once by setting the clothes, a remarkable effect that the washing can be easily performed without much trouble is obtained. In addition, harsh cavitation noise, which has been a problem in conventional ultrasonic washing machines, is reduced by hermetic cleaning, so that very comfortable washing is possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram schematically showing an embodiment of an ultrasonic washing machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an external appearance of a main part of the ultrasonic washing machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an ultrasonic vibrating unit constituting the ultrasonic washing machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an installation example of an object to be cleaned in the ultrasonic washing machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an overall configuration diagram schematically showing a conventional ultrasonic washing machine for partial washing.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A Ultrasonic washing machine 1 Washing tank 2 Ultrasonic transducer 3 Vibrating plate 4 Oscillator 5 Lead wire 6 Cleaning liquid 7 Supply valve 8 Drain valve 9 Lid 10 Packing material 11 Object to be cleaned 12 Metal plate 13 Spring material

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A cleaning tank containing an object to be cleaned, an upper pig for opening and closing the cleaning tank, a diaphragm provided on an inner bottom surface of the cleaning tank, and an ultrasonic vibration for vibrating the diaphragm. And an ultrasonic washing machine comprising: a washing machine, wherein when the object to be washed is brought into direct contact with the upper surface of the diaphragm and the upper pig is closed, the object to be washed is pushed by the inner surface of the upper pig; An ultrasonic washing machine configured to be lightly pressed against a diaphragm. 2. The ultrasonic washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the washing tub is closed when the upper pig is closed. 3. The ultrasonic washing machine according to claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the upper pig is formed of a metal plate. 4. The ultrasonic washing machine according to claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the upper pig is formed in a wavy shape. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic member so that an inner surface of the upper pig can move up and down in accordance with a thickness of the object to be cleaned. 4. The ultrasonic washing machine according to 4.