JP2007313231A - Washing machine and trap - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a trap which can be space-savingly arranged and a washing machine with the trap in which component members are compactly arranged. <P>SOLUTION: A feedwater trap 24 is structured so as to make water flowing in from an inlet 90 flow down and turn upward in a turning channel 91 and flow out in the direction of intersecting the center of turning in an outlet 92. Consequently, the inlet 90 and the outlet 92 mutually come close to each other, permits an inlet side member connected to the inlet 90 and an outlet side member connected to the outlet 92 to be closely arranged. Differently from this washing machine, a trap structured so as to prevent the opening direction of the inlet 90 from intersecting the opening direction of the outlet 92 is required to be arranged in the space where the inlet side member and the outlet side member face each other. Since the opening direction of the inlet 90 intersects the opening direction of the outlet 92, the feedwater trap 24, however, can be arranged by making effective use of the space other than the space where the members face each other. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine and a trap provided in the washing machine.

Conventionally, by providing a trap part in the water supply path connecting between the detergent container and the washing tub, water is stored in the trap part to seal the water supply path, and the hot and humid air generated in the washing tub during the drying process Patent Document 1 proposes a drum-type washing and drying machine that prevents water from leaking from the water supply path into the detergent container and causing condensation, and that this air leaks out of the machine from the detergent container. ing.
JP-A-11-114286

  In the drum-type washing and drying machine described in Patent Document 1, a water supply path (hereinafter collectively referred to as a trap) provided with a trap portion extends downward from an inlet connected to the detergent container and intersects the vertical direction. It is configured to bend toward one direction and then extend upward, and to be connected to the washing tub at an outlet formed at a position where it is further bent toward one direction and extends downward. That is, in this trap, the inlet opens upward, and the outlet opens downward at the position farthest from the inlet in the trap, so that the detergent container and the washing tub are placed in the opposite space in the entire trap. Must be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. Thereby, there exists a possibility that the volume of the whole drum type washing-drying machine may increase. On the contrary, when the detergent container and the washing tub are arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, the above-described facing space becomes small, and there is a possibility that the trap cannot be arranged.

In addition, the trap has a role of sealing the water supply path described above and a function of flowing water to the washing tub when water is supplied. In this case, it is desirable that the water can flow smoothly.
The main object of the present invention made in such a background is to provide a trap that can be arranged in a space-saving manner, and a washing machine that includes this trap and in which components are arranged compactly. .

Another object is to provide a trap that can smoothly flow water and a washing machine that includes this trap and can smoothly flow water.
Another object is to provide a washing machine capable of reliably preventing air leakage from the washing tub to the outside.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a housing that forms an outer shell, a washing tub that is disposed in the housing and stores water therein and stores laundry, an inlet for allowing water to flow in, and the inlet A swirling flow path that swirls water that flows in and flows downward, and an outlet that allows water swirled in the swirling flow path to flow out in a direction that intersects the swirling center. And a trap connected to the washing tub.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, a detergent container is provided on the upper side of the housing, the inlet communicates with the detergent container, and the outlet is disposed on one end surface side of the washing tub. And connected to the washing tub through a flexible hose, the washing tub is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the trap and the hose are provided between the housing and one end surface of the washing tub. And a water supply side peripheral surface of the peripheral surface of the washing tub provided with a water supply port to which the hose is connected, and a corner portion of the housing facing the water supply side peripheral surface in the radial direction of the washing tub. 2. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the washing machine is disposed between the two.

The invention according to claim 3 is the washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the lower end portion of the trap is thinner in the axial direction of the washing tub than the other portions.
The invention according to claim 4 includes a gas supply device that supplies a gas for purifying the laundry into the washing tub, while a gas for purifying the laundry is being supplied into the washing tub. The washing machine according to claim 2 or 3, wherein water is stored inside the trap.

  Invention of Claim 5 is equipped with the water supply apparatus for supplying water to the said detergent storage part, and the execution means which operates the said water supply apparatus and supplies water to the said detergent storage part, The said execution means is The water supply device is operated to supply water to the detergent container before the gas for purifying the laundry is supplied into the washing tub. It is a washing machine of description.

  The invention according to claim 6 is a housing that forms an outer shell, a washing tub that is disposed in the housing, stores water therein, and stores laundry, and drains water in the washing tub. A drainage channel, an inlet for allowing water flowing in the drainage channel to flow in, a swirling flow path for swirling water flowing in from the inlet and flowing downward, and swirling the water swung in the swirling flow path A washing machine comprising: a trap having an outlet for flowing out in a direction crossing the center.

  The invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that an inlet for allowing water to flow in, a swirl flow path for swirling water flowing in from the inlet and flowing downward, and water swirled in the swirl flow path as a swivel center. And an outlet for flowing out in a direction crossing the trap.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in this trap, water can be stored in a portion of the swirling flow path that swirls the water flowing from the inlet and flowing downward. As a result, since the water is sealed between the inlet and the outlet in the portion where the water is stored, the air in the washing tub connected to the outlet is prevented from leaking outside the housing through the trap. Can do.
Moreover, since this trap swirls the water which flows in from the inlet and flows downward in the swirl flow path and then flows out at the outlet, the inlet and the outlet are close to each other. Therefore, the member connected to the inlet (the inlet side member) and the washing tub connected to the outlet (the outlet side member) can be arranged close to each other.

  In this trap, the outlet is configured so that the water swirled in the swirling flow path flows out in a direction intersecting the swirling center, that is, the opening direction of the inlet and the opening direction of the outlet intersect. Has been. Unlike the present invention, in the case of a trap having a configuration in which the opening direction of the inlet and the opening direction of the outlet do not intersect (for example, the opening direction of the inlet is the upward direction and the opening direction of the outlet is the downward direction) However, when the inlet side member and the outlet side member are brought close to each other, the above-described opposing space becomes small, and there is a possibility that the trap cannot be arranged. However, since the opening direction of the entrance and the opening direction of the exit intersect each other, the trap of the present invention can be arranged by effectively using an empty space other than the above-described facing space.

Thereby, this trap can be arranged in a space-saving manner, and in a washing machine provided with this trap, the constituent members (inlet side member and outlet side member) can be compactly arranged.
Further, the water flowing from the inlet and going to the outlet has a higher flow velocity than the water flowing at the inlet as it is swirled in the swirling flow path. Therefore, in this trap, water can flow smoothly, and for example, difficult-to-flow objects such as a lump of detergent can be easily flowed to the outlet.

According to the invention described in claim 2, in the trap, the inlet communicates with the detergent container, and the outlet communicates with the washing tub via the flexible hose. With the hose having flexibility, vibration generated in the washing tub during the washing operation can be prevented from being transmitted to the trap, the detergent container, and the housing.
Moreover, since the outlet of the trap is disposed on the one end face side of the washing tub, the hose connecting the outlet and the washing tub can be shortened compared to the case where the outlet is disposed on the housing side.

And in this washing machine, the empty space formed between a housing | casing and the one end surface of a washing tub, and the water supply side surrounding surface in which the water supply port which connects a hose of the surrounding surface of a washing tub is provided, and a housing | casing Since the empty space can be effectively used by arranging the trap and the hose in the empty space formed between the corner portions, the washing machine can be configured compactly.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the lower end of the trap is close to the above-described one end surface of the washing tub due to the structure in which the water flowing downward in the swirling flow path is swung upward. Is thinner in the axial direction of the washing tub than the other parts), so that even if the washing tub during the washing operation vibrates in the axial direction or the direction crossing the axial direction, one end surface of the washing tub becomes a trap There is no risk of contact. Moreover, since the flow path of the water flowing through the inside of the thin portion of the trap described above is narrowed, the flow rate of the water flowing through this portion can be increased, and water can flow more smoothly with this trap.

According to invention of Claim 4, the laundry in a washing tub can be purified with the gas which a gas supply apparatus supplies. And while this gas is being supplied into the washing tub, water is stored inside the trap, so that the gap between the inlet and the outlet of the trap is sealed, and this gas passes through the trap into the washing tub. It is possible to reliably prevent leakage from the outside.
According to the invention described in claim 5, before the gas for purifying the laundry is supplied into the washing tub, even if the water is not accumulated inside the trap, the execution means operates the water supply means. By supplying water to the detergent container, the water is stored inside the trap communicating with the detergent container. As a result, the gap between the inlet and the outlet of the trap is sealed with water, so that even if the supply of this gas is started, it is possible to reliably prevent this gas from leaking from the inside of the washing tub through the trap. it can.

  According to the invention of claim 6, in this trap, water can be stored in a portion of the swirling flow path where the water flowing in from the inlet and flowing downward is swirled upward. As a result, since the water is sealed between the inlet and the outlet in the portion where the water is stored, the air in the washing tub connected to the inlet via the drainage channel leaks outside through the trap. Can be prevented.

Moreover, since this trap swirls the water which flows in from the inlet and flows downward in the swirl flow path and then flows out at the outlet, the inlet and the outlet are close to each other. Therefore, the member connected to the inlet (inlet side member) and the member connected to the outlet (outlet side member) can be arranged close to each other.
In this trap, the outlet is configured so that the water swirled in the swirling flow path flows out in a direction intersecting the swirling center, that is, the opening direction of the inlet and the opening direction of the outlet intersect. Has been. Unlike the present invention, in the case of a trap having a configuration in which the opening direction of the inlet and the opening direction of the outlet do not intersect (for example, the opening direction of the inlet is the upward direction and the opening direction of the outlet is the downward direction) However, when the inlet side member and the outlet side member are brought close to each other, the above-described opposing space becomes small, and there is a possibility that the trap cannot be arranged. However, since the opening direction of the entrance and the opening direction of the exit intersect each other, the trap of the present invention can be arranged by effectively using an empty space other than the above-described facing space.

Thereby, this trap can be arranged in a space-saving manner, and in a washing machine provided with this trap, the constituent members (inlet side member and outlet side member) can be compactly arranged.
Further, the water flowing from the inlet and going to the outlet has a higher flow velocity than the water flowing at the inlet as it is swirled in the swirling flow path. For this reason, water can flow smoothly in this trap. For example, difficult-to-flow things such as lint lump reaching the trap from the drainage channel can be easily flowed to the outlet.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, in this trap, water can be stored in a portion of the swirling flow path that swirls the water flowing in from the inlet and flowing downward. As a result, the water is sealed between the inlet and the outlet at the portion where the water is stored, so that the air on the inlet side reaches the outlet and the air on the outlet side does not reach the inlet. can do.
Moreover, since this trap swirls the water which flows in from the inlet and flows downward in the swirl flow path and then flows out at the outlet, the inlet and the outlet are close to each other. Therefore, the member connected to the inlet (inlet side member) and the member connected to the outlet (outlet side member) can be arranged close to each other.

  In this trap, the outlet is configured so that the water swirled in the swirling flow path flows out in a direction intersecting the swirling center, that is, the opening direction of the inlet and the opening direction of the outlet intersect. Has been. Unlike the present invention, in the case of a trap having a configuration in which the opening direction of the inlet and the opening direction of the outlet do not intersect (for example, the opening direction of the inlet is the upward direction and the opening direction of the outlet is the downward direction) However, when the inlet side member and the outlet side member are brought close to each other, the above-described opposing space becomes small, and there is a possibility that the trap cannot be arranged. However, since the opening direction of the entrance and the opening direction of the exit intersect each other, the trap of the present invention can be arranged by effectively using an empty space other than the above-described facing space.

Thereby, this trap can be arranged in a space-saving manner.
Further, the water flowing from the inlet and going to the outlet has a higher flow velocity than the water flowing at the inlet as it is swirled in the swirling flow path. Therefore, in this trap, water can flow smoothly. For example, difficult-to-flow objects such as a lump of detergent and a lint lump can easily flow to the outlet.

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.
<Configuration of drum type washing machine>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a so-called top open type drum type washing machine 1 as a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, about the attitude | position of the drum type washing machine 1, it shall follow the direction arrow shown in the upper right of the paper surface of FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main part of the drum-type washing machine 1 extracted from the rear upper side and the right side. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the main part of the drum type washing machine 1 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the drum type washing machine 1 and shows a cross section when viewed from the front when cut along a vertical plane along the left-right direction. 5A is a longitudinal sectional view of the drum-type washing machine 1, and is a view in which the outer lid 2A closes the opening 4 in a view of a cross section when viewed from the right side when cut along a vertical plane along the front-rear direction. FIG. 5B shows a state in which the outer lid 2A opens the opening 4 in FIG. 5A.
(Casing)
As shown in FIG. 1, the drum type washing machine 1 is partitioned by a housing 2 that forms an outer shell thereof. The upper wall of the housing 2 is formed in a fan shape in a side sectional view so as to be gently curved downward from the substantially central position in the front-rear direction and continue to the front wall. At the center position in the front-rear and left-right directions of the upper wall of the housing 2, an opening 4 for taking in and out the laundry into the housing 2 is formed. The opening 4 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape that is long in the front-rear direction, and can be opened and closed by the outer lid 2A. A pair of guide rails 21L and 21R are extended along the left edge and the right edge of the opening 4 on the upper wall of the housing 2 where the opening 4 is formed. Is slidable in the front-rear direction along the guide rails 21L, 21R.

The outer lid 2A is biased in a direction to open the opening 4 by a spring 38 (see FIG. 5A), that is, rearward. During the operation of the drum type washing machine 1, the outer lid 2A is encased in the housing 2 (for example, the opening 4). The outer lid locking mechanism 49 (see FIG. 5A) disposed at the front end portion is engaged with the outer lid 2A, so that the outer lid 2A is locked in a closed state.
A detergent accommodating portion 8 for accommodating a detergent used for washing is disposed at a substantially central position in the front-rear direction of a portion on the left side of the opening 4 on the upper wall of the housing 2. The detergent container 8 will be described in detail later. An operation display section 6 for performing setting operations and various displays related to the operation of the drum type washing machine 1 is disposed on the right side of the opening 4 on the upper wall of the housing 2.

  The operation display unit 6 is provided with a lid opening button 6A for operating when the outer lid locking mechanism 49 (see FIG. 5A) described above is disengaged from the outer lid 2A to open the outer lid 2A. . When the lid opening button 6A is pressed with the outer lid 2A closed, the engagement of the outer lid locking mechanism with the outer lid 2A is released, and the outer lid 2A opens the opening 4 by the biasing force of the spring 38 (see FIG. 5A). It slides back and the opening 4 is opened. A grip portion 2C is formed at the front end of the outer lid 2A, and the opening 4 is opened by the outer lid 2A by gripping the grip portion 2C and sliding it forward of the opening 4 with the opening 4 open. Can be closed. In the state where the opening 4 is opened, the grip portion 2C abuts on the rear end edge of the opening 4 to restrict further sliding of the outer lid 2A to the rear.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, a housing portion having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the left-right direction and having an upper surface opened on the inner side (lower side) of the rear portion of the upper wall 4 of the housing 2. 15 is provided integrally with the housing 2. The interior of the accommodating portion 15 is divided in order from the left by a partition wall 16L formed so that the upper end edge is continuous with the guide rail 21L and a partition wall 16R formed so that the upper end edge is continuous with the guide rail 21R. The chamber is divided into a first chamber 27, a second chamber 28, and a third chamber 29. As described above, since the partition wall 16L is continuous with the guide rail 21L and the partition wall 16R is continuous with the guide rail 21R, the sliding of the outer lid 2A (see FIG. 1) is performed in addition to the guide rails 21L and 21R. Also, it is guided by the upper end edges of the partition walls 16L and 16R. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the outer lid 2A is arranged so as to always block the upper part of the second chamber 28 regardless of whether the opening 4 is opened or closed. As shown in FIG. 5B, when the outer lid 2 </ b> A is opened, except for the portion of the outer lid 2 </ b> A that covers the upper side of the second chamber 28, along the rear side wall of the housing 2 below the housing portion 15. Be contained.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a tap water supply valve 2 </ b> B is disposed in the first chamber 27, and a bath water pump 2 </ b> D is disposed in the third chamber 29. The tap water supply valve 2B and the bath water pump 2D each have a water supply port at the top, and each water supply port is exposed to the outside from a corresponding position on the upper wall of the housing 2 as shown in FIG. Yes. Therefore, tap water can be supplied into the machine by connecting the tap water supply valve 2B and an external water supply facility (such as a water tap) with a water hose (not shown). Similarly, a bath water pump 2D is connected to a bathtub. By connecting a water supply hose (not shown) soaked in the bath, bath water can be supplied into the machine.

The tap water supply valve 2B is composed of a detergent valve 55 (see FIG. 14), a finishing agent valve 56 (see FIG. 14), and a dehumidifying water valve 14 (see FIG. 14), which will be described later. This is a triple valve.
The detergent valve 55 (see FIG. 14) and the finishing agent valve 56 (see FIG. 14) function as a water supply device, and are used for a detergent tap water inlet 511 (see FIG. 6) and a finishing agent, which will be described later, of the detergent container 8. Since they are connected to the tap water inlet 512 (see FIG. 6) via, for example, rubber packing, tap water can be supplied into the detergent container 8 by opening these valves.

Moreover, since the dehumidification water valve 14 (refer FIG. 14) is connected to the other end of the supply pipe | tube 39 (refer FIG. 11) connected to the dehumidification water supply port 36 (refer FIG. 13) mentioned later, By opening the dehumidifying water valve 14, tap water can be supplied into an air passage member 31 (see FIG. 11) described later.
On the other hand, the bath water pump 2D has one end connected to the other end of a bath water supply hose (not shown) that is connected to a bath water inlet 513 (see FIG. 6), which will be described later, of the detergent container 8. By driving 2D, bath water can be supplied into the detergent container 8.
(Detergent housing)
6 is a right side cross-sectional view of the detergent container storage chamber 81 with the detergent container 80 mounted thereon, FIG. 7 is a left side perspective view of members constituting the water injection unit 82, and FIG. It is an AA arrow line view. In FIG. 6, for convenience of explanation, the cylindrical portion 431 and the cap 432 are also shown in cross section.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the detergent container 8 is integrally formed with the detergent container 80 in which the powder detergent, the liquid detergent, the liquid bleach and the finishing agent are stored, and the housing 2, and the detergent container 80 is detachably accommodated. A detergent container storage chamber 81, a water injection unit 82 for supplying water to the detergent container 80, and a detergent lid 94 for closing the upper portion of the detergent container storage chamber 81 in which the detergent container 80 is stored. It has.

The detergent container storage chamber 81 is formed in a concave shape extending in the front-rear direction and having a bottom wall inclined downward toward the rear. An outlet 81A is provided at the lower end of the rear wall of the detergent container storage chamber 81, and the outlet 81A is connected to the inside of the machine.
The water injection unit 82 is disposed on the left side wall of the detergent container housing chamber 81, and has a structure in which a main plate 82A and a sub member 82B, which are long and thin in the front-rear direction, are bonded to each other in the left-right direction. A hollow water passage is formed between the two members 82A and 82B.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, a rib for forming a water passage is formed in a complicated manner inside the main member 82A located on the right side. Thereby, in the water injection unit 82, the detergent tap water inlet 511 communicating with the detergent tap water inlet 511 opened at the rear end of the main member 82A and the rear upper side of the detergent tap water inlet 511 A bath water passage 523 communicating with the bath water inlet 513 opened at, and a finishing agent tap water passage 522 communicating with the finishing tap water inlet 512 opened at the front side of the detergent tap water inlet 511. Is formed. And the 1st water outlet 534 and the 2nd water outlet 531 are provided in order in the tap water flow path 521 for detergents along the flow of water. Further, in the tap water flow channel 521 for the detergent, an auxiliary water outlet 536 is provided at the end in the water flow direction. A third water outlet 533 and a fourth water outlet 532 are sequentially provided in the bath water passage 523 along the flow of water. The finishing agent tap water passage 522 is provided with a fifth water outlet 535 at the end in the water flow direction. The fifth water outlet 535 is composed of two lower water outlets 535A arranged along the lower end edge of the finishing agent tap water passage 522 and an upper water outlet 535B arranged above the lower water outlet 535A. It is configured.

  As described above, the detergent tap water inlet 511 and the finishing agent tap water inlet 512 are connected to the detergent valve 55 (see FIG. 14) and the finishing agent valve 56 (see FIG. 14), respectively. Therefore, tap water from the tap water supply valve 2B can be selectively supplied to the detergent tap water inlet 511 and the finishing agent tap water inlet 512 by appropriately opening and closing these valves. The bath water inlet 513 is connected to the bath water pump 2D via the bath water supply hose described above. The bath water can be supplied to the bath water inlet 513 by driving the bath water pump 2D.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the detergent container 80 is formed in a box shape that is long in the front-rear direction and opened at the top, and the inside of the detergent container 80 includes a powder detergent container 85 for containing powder detergent from the front. Liquid detergent storage part 86 for storing liquid detergent and liquid bleach (liquid supplied simultaneously with detergent during washing) and finish agent storage for storing soft finish (liquid supplied at final rinse) It is divided into a part 87.

  Openings corresponding to the second water outlet 531 and the fourth water outlet 532 are formed in the left side wall of the powder detergent container 85, and the inside of the powder detergent container 85 and the tap water passage 521 for the detergent The bath water passage 523 is in communication. Therefore, tap water from the detergent tap water passage 521 or bath water from the bath water passage 523 can be supplied into the powder detergent container 85. On the other hand, the auxiliary water outlet 536 communicates with the interior of the detergent container housing chamber 81 at the front end, not inside the powder detergent housing 85.

The bottom wall of the powder detergent container 85 is gently inclined downward toward the rear, and a detergent outlet 412 is opened at the bottom of the rear wall. When the powder detergent is accommodated in the powder detergent accommodating portion 85 and tap water or bath water flows in, the powder detergent flows out into the detergent container accommodating chamber 81 through the detergent outlet 412 along with the flow of the inflowed water.
Openings corresponding to the first water outlet 534 and the third water outlet 533 are formed in the left side wall of the liquid detergent container 86, and the inside of the liquid detergent container 86 and the tap water passage 521 for the detergent The bath water passage 523 is in communication. Therefore, tap water from the detergent tap water passage 521 or bath water from the bath water passage 523 can be supplied into the liquid detergent container 86.

  An opening corresponding to the upper water outlet 535 </ b> B is formed in the left side wall of the finish agent accommodating portion 87, and the interior of the finish agent accommodating portion 87 and the tap water passage 522 for the finish agent are in communication with each other. Therefore, tap water from the finishing agent tap water passage 522 can be supplied into the finishing agent storage portion 87. On the other hand, the lower water outlet 535 </ b> A communicates with the interior of the detergent container housing chamber 81, not the interior of the finishing agent housing portion 87. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, a part of the tap water from the finishing agent tap water passage 522 is directly supplied into the detergent container storage chamber 81 from the lower water discharge port 535A.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, cylindrical portions 421 and 431 each having a vertically penetrating center are erected on the bottom walls of the liquid detergent storage portion 86 and the finishing agent storage portion 87, respectively. Cylindrical caps 422 and 432 which cover the upper part leaving the base part are covered. Narrow gaps are formed between the inner peripheral side wall surfaces of the caps 422 and 432 and the outer peripheral side wall surfaces of the cylindrical portions 421 and 431, respectively, and the liquid detergent container is formed via the gaps and the through holes of the cylindrical portions 421 and 431. The inside of 86 and the inside of finishing agent storage part 87 and the inside of detergent container storage chamber 81 communicate with each other. As a result, when water of a predetermined water level or more accumulates in the liquid detergent container 86, the water in the liquid detergent container 86 flows downward along with the liquid detergent, that is, into the detergent container storage chamber 81 by the siphon action. Similarly, when water of a predetermined level or more accumulates in the finishing agent storage portion 87, the water in the finishing agent storage portion 87 flows into the detergent container storage chamber 81 along with the finishing agent by siphon action.

In the case of liquid detergent, the outflow from the outlet 81A of the detergent container storage chamber 81 is smooth, but in the case of powder detergent, the powder detergent that has fallen into the detergent container storage chamber 81 is not dissolved and the detergent container It tends to remain on the bottom wall of the storage chamber 81. In such a case, the water from the auxiliary spout 536 described above is supplied to the front end portion of the detergent container storage chamber 81 and flows from the front end portion to the outlet 81A, thereby remaining on the bottom wall of the detergent container storage chamber 81. The powder detergent thus obtained can be smoothly discharged from the outlet 81A.
(Outer tank and drum)
As shown in FIG. 4, the outer tub 7 is housed in the housing 2 in detail below the housing portion 15 (see FIG. 2). The outer tub 7 is formed in a liquid-tight and air-tight manner by closing both end faces of a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall 7A as a peripheral face with end face walls (left end face wall 7L and right end face wall 7R), The axes are arranged so as to extend left and right (substantially horizontal). The outer tub 7 is supported by a plurality of dampers 5 (see FIG. 5A) at the lower part of the peripheral wall 7A.

Inside the outer tub 7, a drum 10 for storing laundry therein is arranged. The drum 10 is formed by closing both end faces of a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall 10C with end face walls (left end face wall 10L and right end face wall 10R), and is arranged so that its axis extends to the left and right (substantially horizontal). Has been. The outer tub 7 and the drum 10 function as a washing tub.
Rotating shafts 11L and 11R extending along the axis of the drum 10 are attached to the left and right end face walls 10L and 10R of the drum 10, respectively. The rotary shafts 11L and 11R are attached to the left and right end face walls 7L and 7R of the outer tub 7 so as to be rotatable. A drum driving motor 12 is connected to the left rotating shaft 11L by a so-called DD (direct drive) method, and the drum 10 connected to the rotating shaft 11L is axially driven by rotating the motor 12. It is designed to rotate around at the same rotational speed. On the inner surface of the peripheral wall 10C of the drum 10, three baffles 10B for lifting the laundry in the drum 10 when the drum 10 rotates are spaced at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall 10C (for example, 120 ° ) And projecting so as to extend in the left-right direction.

As shown in FIG. 5A, an opening 22 for taking in and out the laundry is formed in a part of the peripheral wall 10C of the drum 10. An opening 23 is formed in the peripheral wall 7 </ b> A of the outer tub 7 at a position facing the opening 4 of the housing 2.
The opening 22 of the drum 10 can be opened and closed by a drum lid 25 that can rotate outward, and the opening 23 of the outer tub 7 can be opened and closed by an inner lid 26 that can rotate outward. It has become. By opening all of the outer lid 2A, the inner lid 26 and the drum lid 25, the laundry is put into and out of the drum 10 through the opening 4 of the housing 2, the opening 23 of the outer tub 7, and the opening 22 of the drum 10. be able to.

  Note that when the laundry is put in and out of the drum 10, the drum lid 25 cannot be opened unless the opening 22 of the drum 10 is in a position facing the opening 23 of the outer tub 7. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower end wall 7 </ b> L of the outer tub 7 is engaged with the motor 12 when the operation of the drum type washing machine 1 is stopped, and the rotational position of the drum 10 is changed. A drum position fixing device 9 for fixing the opening 22 (see FIG. 5A) at a position facing the opening 23 (see FIG. 5A) of the outer tub 7 is attached.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, a water supply hose 17 as a hose communicating with the detergent container 8 is connected to the upper part of the rear end portion of the peripheral wall 7 </ b> A of the outer tub 7. By selectively opening the detergent valve 55 (see FIG. 14) and the finishing agent valve 56 (see FIG. 14) of the tap water supply valve 2B (see FIG. 1), or the bath water pump 2D (see FIG. 1) By driving, tap water or bath water (hereinafter collectively referred to as “water”) is supplied into the outer tub 7 via the detergent container 8 (see FIG. 1) and the water supply hose 17. . The water supply hose 17 is, for example, a flexible bellows hose. In addition to the role of water supply into the outer tub 7, vibration generated in the outer tub 7 when the drum 10 rotates is caused by the detergent container 8 and the housing. 2 can also be prevented. As shown in FIG. 2, in the outer tub 7, the water supply hose 17 is connected to an outer tub water supply port 88 as a water supply port provided in the peripheral wall 7A. In addition, in this peripheral wall 7A, including the part in which the outer tank water supply port 88 is provided, the area | region (illustrated hatched part shown in the figure) between each part most adjacent to the rear side wall and upper side wall (accommodating part 15) of the housing 2 is included. Hereinafter, the broken line arrow in FIG. 5A is referred to as a water supply side peripheral surface 89.

  A water supply trap 24 as a trap is interposed between the water supply hose 17 and the detergent container 8. The water supply trap 24 temporarily accumulates the water flowing from the detergent container 8 to the water supply hose 17, and the water between the detergent container 8 and the water supply hose 17 is blocked by this water so that the air in the outer tub 7 is connected to the outside. This is to prevent distribution and will be described in detail later. Further, the water supply hose 17 prevents the vibration of the outer tub 7 from being transmitted to the water supply trap 24 as in the case of the detergent container 8 and the housing 2 described above.

As shown in FIG. 4, a drain port 19 is formed at the lower right side of the peripheral wall 7 </ b> A of the outer tub 7. By supplying water with the drain valve 18 connected to the drain port 19 closed, water can be stored in the outer tub 7. A large number of water passage holes 10A are formed on the peripheral surface wall 10C of the drum 10 over almost the entire circumference except for the openings 22, and the water supplied into the outer tub 7 passes through the water passage holes 10A and enters the inside of the drum 10. It also comes to flow into. The water accumulated in the outer tub 7 is discharged out of the machine through the drain port 19 and the drain hose 20 by opening the drain valve 18. One end of an overflow pipe 37 (see FIG. 2) is connected to the middle of the drain hose 20. The drain hose 20 and the overflow pipe 37 function as a drainage channel. As shown in FIG. 2, the other end of the overflow pipe 37 is connected to the right end surface wall 7R of the outer tub 7 at a predetermined height, and water is stored in the outer tub 7 at a predetermined water level or higher. The excess water is forcibly drained out of the machine via the overflow pipe 37 and the drain hose 20 (see FIG. 4). A drain trap 45 is interposed between the overflow pipe 37 and the drain hose 20 (see FIG. 4). The drain trap 45 is formed in a V-shape that bends downward, and the water flowing through the overflow pipe 37 and / or the drain hose 20 (see FIG. 4) in this V-shaped portion (V-shaped portion 95). Is temporarily stored, and the water prevents the air in the outer tub 7 from circulating to the outside through the overflow pipe 37 and / or the drainage hose 20.
(Water supply trap)
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the water supply trap 24 as viewed from the front upper side and the right side. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the water supply trap 24 as viewed from the front upper side and the left side, with the inside exposed. FIG. 11 is a rear side view of the drum type washing machine 1 for explaining the arrangement position of the water supply trap 24, in which the rear wall of the housing 2 is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the water supply trap 24 has a hollow cylindrical inlet 90 that opens toward the front side, extends from the inlet 90 to the rear side, curves downward, extends downward, and then turns to the front upper side. That is, the swirl flow path 91 formed of a square tube bent in a substantially six-letter shape (Arabic numeral “6” shape: see FIG. 10) and the swirl flow path 91 swung upward as described above. It is integrally configured with a hollow cylindrical outlet 92 connected to the upper end of the portion and opened toward the right side. The inlet 90 is connected to the outlet 81A (see FIG. 6) of the detergent container housing chamber 81 of the detergent container 8, and the outlet 92 is connected to one end of the water supply hose 17 (see FIG. 2). Yes. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the swirl passage 91 is inclined so that the left side wall is parallel to the vertical direction along the left side wall of the housing 2 and the right side wall is inclined to the left side as it goes downward. Is formed.

  In this water supply trap 24, as shown in FIG. 10, the water flowing out from the detergent container storage chamber 81 is accumulated in the staying portion 100, which is the above-described swirling portion 91 (the hatched portion). Can do. Thereby, the water between the inlet 90 and the outlet 92 is sealed by the water stored in the staying part 100, so that the air in the outer tub 7 connected via the outlet 92 and the water supply hose 17 flows from the inlet 90. It is possible to prevent the detergent container 8 from leaking to the outside from the housing 2. Conversely, outside air in the detergent container 8 is also prevented from flowing into the outer tub 7 from the outlet 92.

  In the water supply trap 24, the water flowing in from the inlet 90 flows downward in the swirling flow path 91 and then swivels upward, and intersects the swirling center of the water in the swirling flow path 91 at the outlet 92. It can flow in the direction, that is, the right side. According to such a configuration, since the inlet 90 and the outlet 92 are close to each other, the detergent container 8 connected to the inlet 90 and the outlet 92 are connected via the water supply hose 17 as shown in FIG. 5A. The outer tub 7 can be placed close to each other.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10, in the water supply trap 24, the water flowing in from the inlet 90 flows out in a swirl at the outlet 92 when swirling in the swirling flow path 91. As a result, the water flowing from the inlet 90 to the outlet 92 is swirled in the swirling flow path 91, and the flow velocity is higher than when it flows in at the inlet 90. Therefore, in this water supply trap 24, water can be smoothly flowed. For example, a powder detergent lump that has reached the inlet 90 from the detergent container 8 can be easily flowed to the outlet 92. As described above, the swirl passage 91 is formed so as to be inclined leftward as the right side wall is directed downward, that is, thin in the left-right direction. Therefore, the flow path of water in the lower part of the swirl flow path 91 is narrowed, so that the flow velocity of water flowing through this part can be further increased, and the water trap 24 can flow water more smoothly. . Thereby, at the time of normal water supply to the outer tub 7 in a washing process etc., since a fixed quantity of water, such as 20L per minute, can be supplied from the detergent storage part 8 to the outer tub 7, the detergent storage part 8 The water level in the detergent container storage chamber 81 is also kept constant, and there is no possibility that water will overflow from the detergent container storage chamber 81.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the water supply trap 24 is such that the left end of the swirl passage 91 is located between the left side wall of the housing 2 and the left end face wall 7 </ b> L which is one end face of the outer tub 7 in the rear view. (Specifically, the left end portion of the swirl passage 91 does not oppose the left end wall 7L in the left-right direction), and the other portion is the upper side wall (accommodation of the housing 2 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5A). Part 15) and the corner portion 93 formed by the rear side wall and the water supply side peripheral surface 89 are disposed so as to be located in the facing space. Moreover, the water supply hose 17 is also arrange | positioned in this opposing space. As described above, since the detergent container 8 and the outer tub 7 are disposed close to each other, the vertical space between the detergent container 8 and the outer tub 7 is small. For example, when the water supply trap 24 is configured such that the opening direction of the inlet 90 is upward and the opening direction of the outlet 92 is downward, that is, the opening direction of the inlet 90 and the opening direction of the outlet 92 do not intersect. The trap must be disposed in the above-described vertical space, but if this space is small, the water supply trap may not be disposed. However, in the water supply trap 24 of the present invention, as described above, the opening direction of the outlet 92 is the right direction, and the opening direction of the inlet 90 is the front direction, so the opening direction of the inlet 90 and the opening direction of the outlet 92 are the same. And intersect. Therefore, not the above-described vertical facing space, but the empty space formed between the left side wall of the housing 2 and the left end surface wall 7L of the outer tub 7, and the water supply side peripheral surface 89 and the corner portion 93 By arranging the water supply trap 24 and the water supply hose 17 in the empty space formed between them, the empty space can be effectively used. Thereby, this water supply trap 24 can be arrange | positioned in space saving, and the drum type washing machine 1 provided with this water supply trap 24 can arrange | position components, such as the detergent accommodating part 8 and the outer tub 7, compactly. .

  Moreover, in the state where the water supply trap 24 is disposed at the above-described position, the lower end portion of the left end portion of the swirl passage 91 is close to the left end face wall 7L of the outer tub 7, as shown in FIG. As described above, the swirl passage 91 is formed so that its right side wall is inclined downward as it goes downward, that is, thin in the left-right direction. Even if it vibrates in the axial direction of the outer tub 7 or in the front-rear direction (the direction intersecting the axial direction of the outer tub 7), there is no possibility that the left end face wall 7L of the outer tub 7 contacts the swirl passage 91.

And since the exit 92 of the water supply trap 24 is arrange | positioned at the left end surface wall 7L side, ie, the right side, compared with the case where it is arrange | positioned at the left side wall side, ie, the left side of the housing | casing 2, the exit 92 and the outer tank water supply port 88 The water supply hose 17 connecting the two can be shortened.
(Drying unit)
As shown in FIG. 4, the drum type washing machine 1 can perform a drying process for drying laundry, and a drying unit 3 for a drying function is provided on the right end surface wall 7 </ b> R of the outer tub 7. It is attached from the outside.

12 is a perspective view of the outer tub 7, the drying unit 3, and the peripheral components as viewed from the upper rear side and the right side. FIG. 13 is a right side view of the outer tub 7, the drying unit 3, and the peripheral components shown in FIG. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 12, the drying unit 3 sucks air in the outer tub 7 and guides it upward, and sends air from the air passage member 31 toward the outer tub 7. A fan 32, a guide hood 33 for guiding the air sent from the fan 32 into the outer tub 7, and a pair of heaters 34A and 34B (see FIG. 13) for warming the air sent into the outer tub 7 I have. The air passage member 31 and the induction hood 33 function as an air passage for introducing the air flowing inside, that is, the wind into the outer tub 7. The fan 32 configured to be disposed in the middle of the air passage is disposed above the air passage member 31 so that the substantially upper half portion thereof is accommodated in the second chamber 28 of the accommodating portion 15 (see FIG. 3). It is arranged and is rotationally driven by a blower motor 35. The heaters 34A and 34B (see FIG. 13) are arranged side by side in the induction hood 33.

  As shown in FIG. 4, an exhaust port 71 having a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front is formed, for example, at a substantially central portion in the left-right direction at the rear lower portion of the peripheral wall 7 </ b> A of the outer tub 7. A suction port 30 (see FIG. 13) is formed at the lower end of the air passage member 31, and the exhaust port 71 and the suction port 30 (see FIG. 13) are connected by a connecting pipe 72 extending in the left-right direction. The air passage member 31 and the outer tub 7 are in communication. Therefore, when the fan 32 (see FIG. 12) is driven to rotate, the air passage member 31 located upstream of the fan 32 as viewed in the direction in which the wind flows becomes negative pressure. The air can be taken into the drying unit 3 (in the air passage member 31) through the exhaust port 71 and the connecting pipe 72.

  An opening 7B is formed in the central portion of the right end surface wall 7R of the outer tub 7, and an air outlet 41 (see FIG. 13) is formed in the lower end portion of the guide hood 33 (see FIG. 13). 41 and the opening 7B of the outer tub 7 communicate with each other, so that the inside of the induction hood 33 (see FIG. 13) and the outer tub 7 are in communication. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 12, the air taken into the air passage member 31 from the outer tub 7 is sent into the induction hood 33 by the fan 32, and further blown out into the outer tub 7 from the outlet 41. The wind can be circulated in a circulation air passage formed by the air passage member 31, the fan 32 and the induction hood 33, that is, the drying unit 3 and the outer tub 7. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, since the opening 10D is formed at the center of the right end face wall 10R of the drum 10 at a position facing the opening 7B of the outer tub 7, the wind circulating in the circulation air passage is formed. Is also supplied to the laundry in the drum 10.

  For example, during the drying process, the air circulating in the circulation air path is heated by the heater 34 and is sent from the blower outlet 41 into the drum 10 through the openings 7B and 10D of the outer tub 7 and the drum 10, while the drum 10 is Rotate. As a result, the operation of lifting the laundry in the drum 10 by the baffle 10B and letting it fall naturally from a certain height is repeated, so that the heated wind can be blown uniformly over the laundry, and the laundry is improved. Can be dried.

  It should be noted that by energizing only one heater of the pair of heaters 34 (heaters 34A and 34B) shown in FIG. 13, the heater 34 is driven “weak” (for example, about 700 W) to relatively low temperature. Wind can be supplied into the drum 10, and by energizing both heaters, the heater 34 is driven “strongly” (for example, about 1400 W) to supply relatively hot air into the drum 10. Be able to. Further, both heaters 34A and 34B are energized, and half-wave control (control for driving the heater using alternating current every half cycle) is performed on the AC current flowing through one of the heaters. It is also possible to drive 34 at “medium” (for example, about 1000 W) to supply wind in the middle of the temperature between “weak” and “strong” into the drum 10.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the air passage member 31 includes the first air passage member 311 in which the suction port 30 described above is formed at the lower end portion and extends from the lower end portion to the upper portion along the right end surface wall 7 </ b> R of the outer tub 7; A second air passage member 312 that is connected to the upper end portion of the first air passage member 311 and projects toward the left so as to face the peripheral wall 7A of the outer tub 7 is integrally formed. It is comprised by. The first air passage member 311 has a flat shape in which the thickness in the left-right direction is smaller than the thickness in the front-rear direction. On the other hand, the second air passage member 312 has a flat shape in which the thickness in the front-rear direction is smaller than the thickness in the left-right direction.

As shown in FIG. 13, the left side wall of the first air path member 311 is for supplying water into the first air path member 311 at a position slightly lower than the coupling portion with the second air path member 312. A dehumidified water supply port 36 is formed. One end of a supply pipe 39 (see FIG. 11) is connected to the dehumidified water supply port 36 from the outside, and the dehumidified water valve 14 (see FIG. 11) connected to the other end of the supply pipe 39 (see FIG. 11). 14) is opened, a predetermined amount (for example, about 0.5 liters per minute) of cooling water (tap water) is supplied to the first wind via the supply pipe 39 (see FIG. 11) and the dehumidified water supply port 36. It flows into the road member 311. During the drying process, the dehumidifying water valve 14 (see FIG. 14) is opened to supply cooling water from the dehumidified water supply port 36 into the first air path member 311. The first air path member 311 comes out of the laundry. It functions as a heat exchange part for cooling the wind containing moisture (water vapor) and condensing the water vapor.
(Ozone generator)
In this drum type washing machine 1, as shown in FIG. 12, as an example of gas for purifying laundry, an ozone generator 42 that generates ozone as a gas supply device, an ozone generator 42, and an air passage member And an introduction pipe 43 for guiding the ozone generated by the ozone generator 42 into the air passage member 31 in communication with the exhaust pipe 31. In addition, washing, deodorization, sterilization, or fragrance (applying a pleasant odor to the laundry) can be used to purify the laundry using gas.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the ozone generator 42 is accommodated in the second chamber 28 in the accommodating portion 15 of the housing 2. Specifically, the ozone generator 42 is adjacent to the tap water supply valve 2B across the partition wall 16L, and is adjacent to the fan 32 on the left side in the second chamber 28. The ozone generator 42 is located above the outer tub 7, the air passage member 31, and the induction hood 33.

As shown in FIG. 12, an ozone substrate 51 that actually generates ozone is disposed inside the ozone generator 42.
The ozone substrate 51 incorporates a pair of electrodes (not shown) arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction, and a high voltage is supplied to these electrodes (not shown) from a power supply substrate (not shown). Is applied, silent discharge occurs, and ozone is generated in the air around the rear side of the ozone substrate 51.

One end of the introduction pipe 43 is connected to the left end of the ozone generator 42, and the other end is connected to the left side wall of the second air passage member 312 of the air passage member 31, specifically to the vicinity of the fan 32. In this way, the inside of the ozone generator 42 and the inside of the above-described circulation air passage including the air passage member 31, that is, the drying unit 3, are communicated with each other. The introduction pipe 43 is gently bent downward from the one end portion described above, forms a path that is bent in the middle, extends further downward, and then bends again to reach the other end portion described above. Therefore, the air containing ozone generated by the ozone generator 42 flows downward along the introduction pipe 43 and is supplied into the air passage member 31. As described above, when the fan 32 is driven to rotate, the air passage member 31 has a negative pressure, so that the supply of ozone from the ozone generator 42 to the air passage member 31 is promoted.
<Drum-type washing machine washing operation>
FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the drum type washing machine 1.

As shown in FIG. 14, the operation of the drum type washing machine 1 is controlled by a control unit 40 as execution means including a microcomputer. The control unit 40 includes a CPU 41, a ROM 42, a RAM 43, a timer 44, and the like.
An operation display unit 6 (see FIG. 1) is connected to the control unit 40 so as to be able to input and output. Further, the control unit 40 detects a temperature of a water level sensor (not shown) for detecting the water level in the outer tub 7 and the temperature of air emitted from the exhaust port 71 (see FIG. 4) of the outer tub 7. A temperature sensor (not shown), a signal from a door switch (not shown) for detecting the opening / closing of the outer lid 2A, and the like are respectively input.

The control unit 40 includes the motor 12, the blower motor 35, the heater 34, the tap water supply valve 2B (the detergent valve 55, the finishing agent valve 56, the dehumidifying water valve 14), the bath water pump 2D, the drain valve 18, and the outside. The lid lock mechanism 49 and the ozone generator 42 are connected to each other via a load driving unit 48.
FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a flow of control by the control unit 40 when a predetermined washing operation by the drum type washing machine 1 is started.
(Washing process)
As shown in FIG. 15, when the operation of the drum type washing machine 1 is started, the control unit 40 (see FIG. 14) first performs the first washing process for a predetermined time (for example, 6 minutes) (step S1). ). At the start of the first washing step, water supply is performed by opening the detergent valve 55 (see FIG. 14) or by driving the bath water pump 2D (see FIG. 14). At this time, the powder detergent previously charged in the powder detergent container 85 of the detergent container 8 shown in FIG. 6 and the liquid detergent previously charged in the liquid detergent container 86 are dissolved in the supplied water. The water in which the detergent is dissolved flows out from the outlet 81 </ b> A and is stored in the outer tub 7 through the water supply trap 24 and the water supply hose 17. In the first washing process, after the water supply into the outer tub 7 shown in FIG. 4 is completed, the first intermittent control (for example, 10 seconds) in which the motor 12 is alternately forward / reversely rotated at 45 rpm with a predetermined stop time interposed therebetween. ON-3 seconds OFF), second intermittent control (for example, 10 seconds ON-3 seconds OFF) in which the motor 12 is rotated forward / reversely alternately at 30 rpm across a predetermined stop time, and the motor 12 is stopped for a predetermined time. Third intermittent control (for example, 10 seconds on to 3 seconds off) that alternately forwards / reverses at 60 rpm with a time interval is repeatedly performed in a predetermined order. In the first intermittent control, the washing in the drum 10 is achieved by repeating the operation (so-called tumbling) in which the laundry in the drum 10 is lifted by the baffle 10B and naturally falls from a certain height. In the second intermittent control, the washing at the bottom of the drum 10 is rolled by the baffle 10B, whereby the rice bran washing is achieved. In the third intermittent control, the laundry in the drum 10 rotates while sticking to the peripheral wall 10C of the drum 10, and the water stored in the outer tub 7 when the laundry comes to the bottom of the outer tub 7 is stored. The water absorbed in the laundry and the water absorbed in the laundry is removed from the laundry by centrifugal force, so that the dirt contained in the laundry is removed together with the water from the laundry. When the first washing process is completed, the water stored in the outer tub 7 is drained, and the laundry in the drum 10 is in a state containing water and a detergent component.

When the first washing process ends, as shown in FIG. 15, the control unit 40 performs the second washing process for a predetermined time (for example, 14 minutes) (step S2). In this second washing step, as shown in FIG. 4, steam is supplied into the outer tub 7 using the drying unit 3, and the drum 10 is rotated while warming the laundry. Thereby, the water contained in the laundry is warmed, and the laundry containing the warmed water rubs against the other laundry or the inner surface of the drum 10 as the drum 10 rotates, It is designed to be beaten. As shown in FIG. 13, the steam is generated by heating and evaporating the cooling water supplied from the dehumidified water supply port 36 into the first air path member 311 in a mist form. Since it is not necessary to supply water into the outer tub 7 in the second washing step, the amount of water used is compared with the case where washing is performed by rotating the drum 10 with water stored in the outer tub 7. Can be reduced.
(Intermediate dehydration process)
When the second washing process is completed, as shown in FIG. 15, the control unit 40 performs an intermediate dehydration process (step S3). In the intermediate dehydration process, as shown in FIG. 4, when the drum 10 is rotated at a high speed (for example, 300 to 1000 rpm), water contained in the laundry in the drum 10 is squeezed out by centrifugal force. The water squeezed out from the material is scattered to the outer tub 7 side through the water passage hole 10 </ b> A of the drum 10, and is discharged from the drain port 19. By this intermediate dehydration process, the detergent component contained in the laundry is squeezed out together with the water contained in the laundry.
(Rinse process)
When the intermediate dehydration process is completed, as shown in FIG. 15, the control unit 40 performs a rinsing process a plurality of times (for example, twice) (step S4). At the start of the rinsing process, the bath water pump 2D (see FIG. 14) is driven to supply water, and then a predetermined amount of water is stored in the outer tub 7 as shown in FIG. As the drum 10 is rotated, the laundry in the drum 10 is tumbled. In the final rinsing step, the finishing agent valve 56 (see FIG. 14) is opened to supply tap water. As a result, the soft finishing agent that has been put in advance in the finishing agent storage portion 87 shown in FIG. 6 is dissolved in the supplied water, and the water in which the soft finishing agent is dissolved flows out from the outlet 81 </ b> A and enters the outer tank 7. The laundry is rinsed with this water. At the end of the water supply in this final rinsing step, water is stored in the staying portion 100 of the water supply trap 24 shown in FIG. 10, and there is a gap between the outlet 92 and the inlet 90, that is, between the outer tub 7 and the detergent storage portion 8. Sealed with water.

By this rinsing process, the detergent components remaining in the laundry are diluted. When the rinsing process is finished, the water stored in the outer tub 7 is drained.
(Final dehydration process)
When the rinsing process is completed, as shown in FIG. 15, the control unit 40 performs a final dehydration process (step S5). In the final dehydration process, as shown in FIG. 4, when the drum 10 is rotated at a high speed (for example, 300 to 1000 rpm), the water contained in the laundry in the drum 10 is squeezed out by centrifugal force, and the drainage hose. 20 is drained. At the end of the drainage, water is accumulated in the V-shaped portion 95 of the drain trap 45 shown in FIG. 2, and the water is between the overflow pipe 37 and the outside of the machine, that is, between the outer tub 7 and the outside of the machine. Sealed.
(Drying process)
After the final dehydration process is completed and the water contained in the laundry is sufficiently squeezed, the control unit 40 performs a drying process as shown in FIG. 15 (step S6).

  In the drying process, as described above and as shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 40 (see FIG. 14) sends the air heated by the heater 34 from the drying unit 3 into the outer tub 7, while By rotating, the laundry in the drum 10 is tumbled. Thereby, the laundry in the drum 10 is uniformly exposed to the heated wind, and the laundry can be satisfactorily dried.

  In the drying process, as shown in FIG. 13, the blower motor 35 is driven (for example, 4500 rpm), and the heater 34 (34A and 34B) is energized, whereby the heater 34 is driven “strong”. As a result, during the drying process, air containing moisture from the laundry in the drum 10 flows from the inside of the outer tub 7 through the exhaust port 71 (see FIG. 4) and the connecting pipe 72 (see FIG. 4). It flows into the member 31 (in the first air passage member 311), is heated by the heater 34, and is sent again into the outer tub 7 (in the drum 10). During the drying process, the dehumidifying water valve 14 (see FIG. 14) is opened and cooling water is supplied from the dehumidifying water supply port 36 into the first air path member 311, so that in the first air path member 311, Air containing moisture is cooled by the cooling water, and moisture contained in the air is condensed by heat exchange. Accordingly, the air that has flowed into the first air passage member 311 is dehydrated in the process of passing through the first air passage member 311, and then heated by the heater 34, and again in the outer tub 7 (inside the drum 10). ). The moisture condensed by the heat exchange is condensed on the inner wall surface of the first air passage member 311 and flows down along the inner wall surface. And the water which flowed down to the bottom part of the 1st air path member 311 along the inner wall surface of the 1st air path member 311 flows out from the suction inlet 30 with cooling water, and as shown in FIG. After flowing into the outer tub 7 through the port 71, the water is discharged from the drain port 19.

In the drying process, a so-called cool-down operation for cooling the dried laundry to a predetermined temperature is performed for a predetermined time by supplying unheated air into the drum 10. During this cool-down operation, as shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 40 (see FIG. 14) operates the ozone generator 42 to generate ozone. The generated ozone flows into the air passage member 31 through the introduction pipe 43, so that it is sent into the outer tub 7 (in the drum 10) together with the air flowing in the circulation air passage described above and is bathed in the laundry. . As a result, the soil component, odor component, and germ component remaining in the laundry are cleaned, deodorized, or sterilized by being oxidized by the supplied ozone. That is, the laundry can be purified by ozone. In addition, while ozone is supplied in the outer tank 7, the drive of bath water pump 2D is stopped by the control part 40 shown in FIG. 14, and the tap water supply valve 2B and the drain valve 18 are closed. Further, as described above, when water is supplied in the final rinsing process, water is accumulated in the water supply trap 24 and a space between the inlet 90 and the outlet 92 of the water supply trap 24 is sealed. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the ozone from leaking outside through the water supply trap 24 while ozone is being supplied into the outer tank 7. Similarly, since water is stored in the drain trap 45 at the time of draining in the final dehydration step, it is possible to prevent ozone supplied into the outer tub 7 from leaking outside through the drain trap 45. In addition, while ozone is being supplied into the outer tub 7, and until all of the supplied ozone disappears due to the oxidation reaction, and the ozone concentration falls to a level that does not affect the human body, the control unit As shown in FIG. 14, 40 locks the outer lid 2A (see FIG. 1) closed by operating the outer lid locking mechanism 49.
(Other)
Since ozone easily penetrates into the dry laundry, a high purification effect can be obtained by supplying ozone to the dry laundry. Therefore, the purification of the laundry with ozone is not limited to the above-described drying process, but is also performed before the washing process. When performing ozone purification of the laundry before the washing process, water may not be accumulated in the water supply trap 24 (see FIG. 2) and the drain trap 45 (see FIG. 2). Therefore, the control unit 40 appropriately opens and closes the tap water supply valve 2B and the drain valve 18 before starting ozone purification (supply) in order to make the outer tank 7 in an airtight state. Water is stored in the staying portion 100 (see FIG. 10) of the water supply trap 24 and the V-shaped portion 95 (see FIG. 2) of the drain trap 45.

  In the water supply trap 24, the control unit 40 sets the finishing agent valve 56 to “open” for a very short time, for example, 0.1 seconds, and sets the “closed” time to, for example, 10 seconds. Control is performed so that only a small amount of water is supplied to the finishing agent water passage 522 (see FIG. 6), and this operation is repeated a plurality of times (for example, eight times). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the water supplied in one operation flows through a position lower than the height of the upper water outlet 535B of the finishing agent water passage 522 and flows out from the lower water outlet 535A. Water is supplied to the water supply trap 24 through the detergent container storage chamber 81 without passing through the storage portion 87. That is, the water from the finishing agent valve 56 is supplied to the water supply trap 24 through the bypass water supply passage that does not pass through the finishing agent storage portion 87 and is stored in the retention portion 100 (see FIG. 10) of the water supply trap 24. Thereby, since the space between the inlet 90 (see FIG. 10) and the outlet 92 (see FIG. 10) of the water supply trap 24 is sealed, ozone is supplied to the water supply trap 24 even if ozone supply to the outer tub 7 is started. It is possible to reliably prevent leakage from the inside of the outer tub 7 to the outside via the. Moreover, since the water supply operation described above is repeated a plurality of times (for example, 8 times), water can be reliably stored in the water supply trap 24. Further, since water is supplied through the bypass water supply channel, tap water not containing the finishing agent can be stored in the water supply trap 24, and the finishing agent component can be prevented from staying in the water supply trap 24.

  In the drain trap 45, as shown in FIG. 14, the control unit 40 first closes the drain valve 18 and then opens the dehumidified water valve 14, and as shown in FIG. Water is stored in the outer tub 7 from the suction port 30. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, the water supplied from the suction port 30 into the outer tub 7 travels along the peripheral wall 7 </ b> A of the outer tub 7 and the bottom end of the peripheral wall 10 </ b> C of the drum 10 and the outer tub 7. Since it is collected between the peripheral wall 7A, there is no possibility that the laundry in the drum 10 gets wet. After the water is stored in the outer tub 7 in this manner, as shown in FIG. 14, the dehumidifying water valve 14 is closed by the control unit 40 and then the drain valve 18 is opened. When the water flows through the drainage hose 20, the water is partially stored in the V-shaped portion 95 (see FIG. 2) of the drainage trap 45. Therefore, even if ozone supply to the outer tub 7 is started, it is possible to reliably prevent ozone from leaking out of the outer tub 7 through the drain trap 45.

The ozone supply may be performed either before the washing step or in the drying step, or may be performed in both. The longer the ozone supply time, the more the laundry is cleaned. Moreover, in this drum type washing machine 1, the function of purifying the laundry with ozone can also cope with the laundry that cannot be wetted with water.
<Modification>
The present invention is not limited to the contents of the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

  For example, the drain trap 45 (see FIG. 2) may have the same shape as the water supply trap 24 (see FIG. 9) instead of the V-shape described above. In that case, since the same effect as the water supply trap 24 can be obtained, the overflow pipe 37 (see FIG. 2) and the drain hose 20 (see FIG. 4) are arranged close to each other, or the overflow pipe 37 and the drain hose 20 are arranged. It is possible to effectively use the free space between the two. Further, similarly to the lump of powder detergent described above, it is possible to easily flow out difficult-to-flow items such as lint lump that flows into the drain trap 45 from the overflow pipe 37 and the drain hose 20. That is, by using the trap having the configuration of the water supply trap 24 shown in FIG. 9, the members (inlet side member and outlet side member) connected to the inlet 90 and the outlet 92, respectively, can be arranged close to each other, This trap can be arranged by effectively utilizing the empty space between the inlet side member and the outlet side member. And the water which flows in into a trap from the inlet 90 can be smoothly flowed to the outlet 92 with things which are hard to flow, such as a powder detergent and a lump of lint. The water supply trap 24 having such a configuration is not limited to a washing machine, and can be used as a water-surrounding part in many fields.

  Further, the drum 10 is not limited to the configuration in which the axis extends in the left-right direction, and may be configured to extend in the front-rear direction, for example. In this case, the axis of the drum is not limited to a configuration extending substantially in the horizontal direction, and may be inclined within a predetermined angle range (for example, up to about 30 °) with respect to the horizontal direction. Alternatively, the drum axis may extend vertically.

Further, the drum type washing machine 1 has a so-called top open type configuration in which the outer lid 2A is provided on the upper wall of the housing 2, but may be a so-called front open type configuration provided on the front wall.
In the above embodiment, the drum type washing machine 1 having a drying function has been described as an example of the drum type washing machine. However, the present invention uses a drum type washing machine that does not have a drying function and a pulsator. It can also be applied to a spiral washing machine.

  Further, the ozone generator 42 generates ozone for washing, deodorizing and sterilizing the laundry. However, the ozone generator 42 is not limited to this, and may generate, for example, a gas that gives fragrance to the laundry. .

1 is a perspective view of a drum type washing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the perspective view which extracted the principal part in the drum type washing machine 1 and was seen from the rear upper side and the right side. It is a top view of the principal part in the drum type washing machine 1 shown in FIG. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view of the drum type washing machine 1, Comprising: The figure which looked at the cross section when cut | disconnected by the vertical surface along the left-right direction from the front is shown. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the drum-type washing machine 1, and shows a state in which an outer lid 2 </ b> A closes an opening 4 in a cross-sectional view taken along a vertical plane along the front-rear direction when viewed from the right side. FIG. 5A shows a state in which the outer lid 2 </ b> A opens the opening 4. It is right side sectional drawing in the state where detergent container 80 was equipped in detergent container storage room 81. 4 is a left perspective view of members constituting the water injection unit 82. FIG. It is an AA arrow line view of FIG. For convenience of explanation, the cylindrical portion 431 and the cap 432 are also shown in cross section. It is the perspective view which looked at the water supply trap 24 from front upper direction and the right side. It is the perspective view which looked at the water supply trap 24 from front upper direction and the left side, Comprising: The inside is exposed. FIG. 3 is a rear side view of the drum type washing machine 1 for explaining the arrangement position of the water supply trap 24, in which the rear wall of the housing 2 is omitted. It is the perspective view which looked at the outer tank 7, the drying unit 3, and the peripheral components from the rear upper side and the right side. FIG. 13 is a right side view of the outer tub 7, the drying unit 3, and peripheral components shown in FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the drum type washing machine 1. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of control by the control part 40 when the predetermined washing operation by this drum type washing machine 1 is started.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Drum-type washing machine 2 Case 7 Outer tub 7A Circumferential wall 8 Detergent storage part 10 Drum 17 Water supply hose 20 Drain hose 24 Water supply trap 37 Overflow pipe 40 Control part 42 Ozone generator 55 Detergent valve 56 Finishing agent valve 88 Outside Tank water supply port 89 Water supply side peripheral surface 90 Inlet 91 Swirling flow path 92 Outlet 93 Corner part

Claims (7)

A housing forming an outer shell,
A washing tub disposed in the housing, for storing water therein and for storing laundry;
An inlet for inflowing water, a swirl flow path for swirling upward water flowing in from the inlet and flowing downward, and water swirled in the swirl flow path for flowing out in a direction intersecting the swirl center A trap having the outlet, the outlet connected to the washing tub,
A washing machine characterized by comprising: The upper side of the housing is provided with a detergent container, and the inlet communicates with the detergent container.
The outlet is disposed on one end surface side of the washing tub and is connected to the washing tub through a flexible hose,
The washing tub is formed in a cylindrical shape,
The trap and the hose are provided between the casing and one end surface of the washing tub, and on the peripheral surface of the washing tub, on the water supply side peripheral surface provided with a water supply port connected to the hose, The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the washing machine is disposed between a corner portion facing the water supply side circumferential surface in a radial direction of the washing tub.   The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein a lower end portion of the trap is thinner in an axial direction of the washing tub than other portions. A gas supply device for supplying a gas for purifying the laundry into the washing tub;
4. The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein water is stored in the trap while gas for purifying the laundry is supplied into the washing tub. A water supply device for supplying water to the detergent container;
Execution means for operating the water supply device to supply water to the detergent container;
With
The said execution means supplies the water to the said detergent accommodating part by operating the said water supply apparatus, before the gas for purifying a laundry is supplied in the said washing tub. A washing machine according to any one of the above. A housing forming an outer shell,
A washing tub disposed in the housing, for storing water therein and for storing laundry;
A drainage channel for draining water in the washing tub;
An inlet for flowing in water flowing through the drainage channel, a swirl flow path for swirling upward water flowing from the inlet and flowing downward, and water swirled in the swirl flow path intersecting the swivel center A trap having an outlet for flowing in a direction to
A washing machine characterized by comprising:   An inlet for allowing water to flow in, a swirl flow path for swirling upward water flowing in from the inlet and flowing downward, and water swirled in the swirl flow path flowing out in a direction intersecting the swirl center And an exit for the trap.

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