JP2007050059A - Washing machine pulsator and washing machine provided with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing machine pulsator capable of obtaining complicated water streams effective for improving a washing effect by a relatively simple structure, and a washing machine of high washing efficiency using the pulsator. <P>SOLUTION: The washing machine 1 is provided with a water tub 20 and a washing tub 30 inside an outer box 10. Water and laundry are agitated by rotating a pulsator 33 at the bottom part of the washing tub 30 and washing and rinsing are performed. In the pulsator 33, a plurality of ribs 33b are radially formed on the surface of a disk, and a plurality of projections 35 are arrayed at prescribed intervals along the extending direction of the ribs 33b on the surfaces of the respective ribs 33b. The projections 35 are formed of a soft material. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

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

Washing machines that are mainstream in Japan are of the type that generates a spiral water flow by rotating a pulsator at the bottom of a washing tub. In order to enhance the cleaning effect, the pulsator has been devised in various ways. For example, in the pulsator described in Patent Document 1, a metal upper pulsator and a synthetic resin lower pulsator are combined and integrated, and water is sucked from an inlet at the center of the upper pulsator and moved in a vertical direction in the washing tub. To improve washing performance.
JP 2003-311063 A (page 7-11 [0031]-[0039], [0053]-[0054], [0068], FIG. 1-11)

  When the water flow is monotonous, the relative movement of the laundry and water is not actively performed, and a high cleaning effect cannot be expected. Therefore, it is desirable that the water flow of the washing machine is not a simple swirl but a complicated one that takes into account vertical movement. The washing machine described in Patent Document 1 also recognizes this point, and provides a complex water flow that combines a horizontal water flow and a vertical water flow. There was a problem that a high special pulsator was required.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine pulsator capable of realizing a complicated water flow effective for enhancing the cleaning effect with a relatively simple structure. is there. Another object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine with good washing efficiency using this pulsator.

  (1) In order to achieve the above object, the washing machine pulsator of the present invention has a plurality of ribs radially formed on the surface of the disk, and a plurality of protrusions along the extending direction of the ribs on the surface of each rib. It is characterized by being arranged at a predetermined interval.

  According to this configuration, when the pulsator rotates, a spiral water flow is formed by the plurality of radial ribs, and a turbulent flow due to the presence of protrusions is generated in the water flow, thereby complicating the water flow. As a result, the water flow escapes from the monotonous spiral, and the water movement in the interior is complicated and the cleaning effect is high. Since the plurality of protrusions are arranged at predetermined intervals along the extending direction of the rib, the water flow is complicated over a wide range, and the cleaning effect is further enhanced.

  (2) Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the washing machine pulsator configured as described above, the protrusion is formed of a soft material.

  According to this configuration, when the laundry is caught on the protrusion, the laundry is released by the deflection of the protrusion itself. Therefore, the laundry is not dragged and damaged.

  (3) In the washing machine pulsator configured as described above, the present invention is characterized in that a plurality of dimples are formed on the surface of the protrusion.

  According to this configuration, a fine turbulent flow is formed in the water flow by the dimples. This further complicates the water flow and improves the cleaning effect.

  (4) In the washing machine pulsator configured as described above, the present invention is characterized in that a through hole is formed in the protrusion.

  According to this configuration, when the protrusion moves in water, a cavitation phenomenon occurs in the water flow passing through the through hole, and a sound wave is generated. The energy of the sonic wave promotes separation of dirt from the laundry and improves the cleaning effect.

  (5) Moreover, this invention is a washing machine provided with the pulsator of the said structure, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to this configuration, the water flow formed in the washing tub by the pulsator can be complicated, and the cleaning effect can be enhanced. Moreover, since the structure of the pulsator is not complicated, the use of such a pulsator does not greatly increase the cost.

  According to the present invention, the plurality of protrusions arranged on the surface of the rib of the pulsator at predetermined intervals along the extending direction of the rib can complicate the water flow over a wide range and obtain a high cleaning effect.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the overall configuration of the washing machine 1. The washing machine 1 is a fully automatic type and includes an outer box 10. The outer box 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is formed of metal or synthetic resin, and the upper surface and the bottom surface are openings. An upper surface plate 11 made of synthetic resin is stacked on the upper surface opening of the outer box 10 and fixed to the outer box 10 with screws. In FIG. 1, the left side is the front of the washing machine 1, and the right side is the back. Similarly, a back panel 12 made of synthetic resin is superimposed on the upper surface of the upper surface plate 11 positioned on the rear surface side, and fixed to the upper surface plate 11 with screws. A base 13 made of synthetic resin is applied to the bottom opening of the outer box 10 and fixed to the outer box 10 with screws. Note that none of the screws described so far are shown.

  Legs 14 a and 14 b for supporting the outer box 10 on the floor are provided at the four corners of the base 13. The rear leg portion 14 b is a fixed leg integrally formed with the base 13. The front leg portion 14a is a screw leg of variable height, and is turned to level the washing machine 1.

  The upper surface plate 11 is formed with a laundry insertion port 15 for putting laundry to be washed into a washing tub (described later). A lid 16 covers the laundry input port 15 from above. The lid 16 is coupled to the upper surface plate 11 by a hinge portion 17 and rotates in a vertical plane.

  Inside the outer box 10 is rinse water containing washing substances such as alkaline components and surfactants, or rinse water for rinsing the washing substances (hereinafter collectively referred to as “washing water”). A washing tub 30 that also serves as a dehydration tub and a water tub 20 that stores washing water are disposed. Both the water tub 20 and the washing tub 30 have the shape of a cylindrical cup having an open top surface, and are arranged concentrically with the axis line vertical, the water tub 20 being the outside, and the washing tub 30 being the inside. A suspension member 21 suspends the water tank 20. Suspension members 21 are provided at a total of four locations so as to connect the lower outer surface of the water tank 20 and the inner corners of the outer box 10 and support the water tank 20 so that it can swing within a horizontal plane.

  A large number of dewatering holes 31 are provided in the peripheral wall of the washing tub 30, and the edge of the upper opening of the washing tub 30 vibrates when the washing tub 30 is rotated at high speed for dehydration of the laundry. An annular balancer 32 that functions to suppress is mounted. A pulsator 33 for causing the washing water to flow in the tub is disposed on the inner bottom surface of the washing tub 30. A drain hole 34 is formed in the bottom wall of the washing tub 30 covered with the pulsator 33.

  A drive unit 40 is attached to the lower surface of the water tank 20. The drive unit 40 includes a motor 41, a clutch device 42, and a brake device 43, and a dehydrating shaft 44 and a pulsator shaft 45 are projected upward from the central portion thereof. The dewatering shaft 44 and the pulsator shaft 45 have a double shaft structure with the dewatering shaft 44 on the outside and the pulsator shaft 45 on the inside, and after entering the water tank 20, the dewatering shaft 44 is connected to the washing tub 30. Support this. The pulsator shaft 45 further enters the washing tub 30 and is connected to and supports the pulsator 33. Seal members for preventing water leakage are disposed between the dewatering shaft 44 and the water tank 20 and between the dewatering shaft 44 and the pulsator shaft 45, respectively.

  A water supply valve 50 that opens and closes electromagnetically is disposed in the space below the back panel 12. The water supply valve 50 takes water from an external water source such as a water supply through a water intake path (in many cases, a hose) and supplies the water to the washing tub 30 and the water tub 20 outside thereof as washing water. A hose is connected to the intake pipe 51 of the water supply valve 50 through a through hole 18 formed in the back panel 12. A water supply pipe 52 of the water supply valve 50 is connected to a container-like water supply port 53 provided at a position facing the inside of the washing tub 30. The water supply port 53 includes a drawer (not shown) that is taken in and out from the front side. By putting a detergent in the drawer, the detergent can be mixed into the water and supplied to the washing tub 30. The same applies to finishing agents such as softeners and pastes.

  A drain hose 60 for draining water in the water tank 20 and the washing tank 30 out of the outer box 10 is attached to the bottom of the water tank 20. Water flows into the drain hose 60 from a drain pipe 61 connected to the bottom of the water tank 20. The drain pipe 61 is provided with a drain valve 62 that opens and closes electromagnetically. In addition, the pressure guiding pipe 70 extends from the location on the upstream side of the drain valve 62 to the drain pipe 61. A water level sensor 71 is connected to the upper end of the pressure guiding tube 70.

  On the front side of the outer box 10 is disposed a control unit 80 that controls the operation of the entire washing machine 1. The control unit 80 is placed under the top plate 11, receives an operation command from the user through the operation / display unit 81 provided on the top surface of the top plate 11, and receives the drive unit 40, the water supply valve 50, and the drain valve. An operation command is issued to 62. The control unit 80 issues a display command to the operation / display unit 81.

  The operation of the washing machine 1 will be described. The lid 16 is opened, and the laundry is put into the washing tub 30 from the laundry loading port 15. A detergent is put into the drawer of the water supply port 53. Then, the lid 16 is closed, the operation button group of the operation / display unit 81 is operated to select the washing condition, and finally the start button in the operation button group is pressed, the control unit 80 performs washing → rinsing → A series of washing operations called dehydration are performed.

  In the process of washing and rinsing, the brake device 43 brakes the dewatering shaft 44 and stops the rotation of the washing tub 30. The motor 41 rotates only the pulsator shaft 45. Then, the pulsator 33 rotates together with the pulsator shaft 45, and a spiral water flow is generated in the water in the washing tub 30. Thereby, the water and the laundry in the washing tub 30 are stirred. During this time, the drain valve 62 is kept closed.

  In the process of dewatering, the drain valve 62 is opened, and the brake device 43 releases the brake for the dewatering shaft 44. Then, the clutch device 42 connects the motor 41 and the dewatering shaft 44, and the motor 41 dehydrates and rotates the washing tub 30 via the dewatering shaft 44.

  During the washing and rinsing process, water and laundry must be effectively stirred. Therefore, in the present invention, the pulsator 33 is provided with the following structure.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view of the pulsator, and FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of the pulsator. The pulsator 33 has a plurality of ribs 33b (six strips in the figure) formed radially on the surface of a disc-shaped pulsator body 33a. On the surface of each rib 33b, a plurality of protrusions 35 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the extending direction of the rib 33b (in this case, the radial direction of the pulsator 33). In the drawing, three protrusions 35 are provided on each rib 33b on the ridge line of the rib 33b. The protrusion 35 has a shape in which a hemispherical head is formed at the upper end of a short cylinder, and its diameter and height are about 10% of the diameter of the pulsator 33.

  The protrusion 35 is made of a soft material such as soft silicon rubber or soft synthetic resin. In the drawing, the rib 33b is provided with a through hole, and the protrusion 35 is formed so as to sandwich the rib 33b through the through hole. However, the combination structure of the rib 33b and the protrusion 35 is not limited thereto. The part that becomes the protrusion 35 may be fixed with an adhesive or a screw, and a soft material disk approximately the same size as the pulsator 33 is stacked on the back surface of the pulsator 33, and the protrusion formed on the soft material disk penetrates the rib 33b. You may make it protrude from a hole.

  When the pulsator 33 having the above configuration is rotated in water, a spiral water flow is formed by the plurality of radial ribs 33b, and turbulent flow due to the presence of the protrusions 35 is generated in the water flow, making the water flow complicated. Turn into. As a result, the water flow escapes from the monotonous spiral, and the water movement in the interior is complicated and the cleaning effect is high. Since the plurality of protrusions 35 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the extending direction of the rib 33b, the water flow is complicated over a wide range, and the cleaning effect is further enhanced.

  Since the protrusions 35 are formed of a soft material, when the laundry is caught on the protrusions 35, the protrusions 35 are bent to release the laundry. Therefore, the laundry is not dragged and damaged.

  A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of the pulsator.

  In the second embodiment, a plurality of dimples 36 are formed on the surface of the protrusion 35. Due to the presence of the dimples 36, a fine turbulent flow is formed in the water flow, which further complicates the water flow and improves the cleaning effect.

  A third embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view of the pulsator.

  In the third embodiment, a horizontal through hole 37 is formed in the protrusion 35. When the protrusion 35 moves in water, a cavitation phenomenon occurs in the water flow passing through the through hole 37, and a sound wave is generated. The energy of the sonic wave promotes separation of dirt from the laundry and improves the cleaning effect.

  The angle of the through hole 37 is not limited to horizontal. It may be diagonal and may be vertical in some cases. The arrangement angle of the through holes 37 when viewed from above is also free. A plurality of through holes 37 may be provided for each protrusion 35.

  The dimple 36 of the second embodiment and the through hole 37 of the third embodiment are not mutually exclusive. Accordingly, it is possible to carry out the duplication by a method such as providing both the dimple 36 and the through hole 37 in one projection 35 or mixing the projection 35 having only the dimple 36 and the projection 35 having only the through hole 37. can do.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  The present invention is widely applicable to washing machines using pulsators.

Vertical section of washing machine Top view of pulsator Partial sectional view of pulsator Partial sectional view of a pulsator according to a second embodiment Partial sectional view of a pulsator according to a third embodiment

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Washing machine 10 Main body 20 Water tank 30 Washing tank 33 Pulsator 33a Pulsator main body 33b Rib 35 Projection 36 Dimple 37 Through hole 40 Drive unit 44 Dehydrating shaft 45 Pulsator shaft 50 Water supply valve 62 Drain valve 80 Control device

Claims (5)

  A washing machine pulsator, wherein a plurality of ribs are formed radially on a disk surface, and a plurality of protrusions are arranged on the surface of each rib along a direction in which the ribs extend.   The washing machine pulsator according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is made of a soft material.   The washing machine pulsator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of dimples are formed on the surface of the protrusion.   The washing machine pulsator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a through hole is formed in the protrusion.   A washing machine comprising the pulsator according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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