JP2010264103A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently wet the whole laundry without rotating a rotary tub when water is fed. <P>SOLUTION: The washing machine has a circulation water pathway 25 and a circulation port 29 within the rotary tub 7. Pump vanes 28 are disposed on the rear side of an agitator 14, and water within the rotary tub 7 is discharged from the circulation port 29 through the circulation water pathway 25 when the agitator 14 is rotated with water stored within the rotary tub 7. A magnet 33 is disposed in a balance ring 13 in the rotary tub 7, and a reed switch 34 is disposed in a water tub cover 10. A control circuit positions and stops the rotary tub 7 in the direction of rotation so that the circulation port 29 is located on the opposite side from a water inlet 22 as seen from the top by using a detection signal of the reed switch 34 before the state of water feeding in a washing step, and rotates the agitator 14 with the rotary tub 7 in the stopped state when water is fed from the water inlet 22 into the rotary tub 7. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine provided with a stirring body in a rotating tub and having a function of discharging water in the rotating tub through a circulation channel from a circulation port into the rotating tub as the stirring body rotates.

  Conventionally, in a vertical washing machine in which the axial direction of the water tub and the rotating tub is directed vertically, water supply to the rotating tub is generally performed from one water supply port. For this reason, there is a problem that it takes time to wet the entire laundry housed in the rotating tub during water supply in the washing process.

  Therefore, in order to wet the entire laundry as quickly as possible when water is supplied, conventionally, the laundry is agitated by rotating the stirring body from a relatively low water level when supplying water into the rotating tub (for example, patents). It has been proposed to rotate the entire rotating tank with the drain valve closed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent No. 3868886 Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-41115

  Of those described above, in the case where the stirring body is rotated at the time of water supply, even if the laundry is stirred by the stirring body, it often takes time until the entire laundry positioned above gets wet uniformly. In addition, with the one that rotates the entire rotating tub with the drain valve closed, especially when the amount of laundry contained in the rotating tub is large, the laundry may jump out or the wet laundry may be offset. There are problems such as unbalance being easily generated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine that can efficiently wet the entire laundry without rotating the rotating tub during water supply.

In order to achieve the above-described object, a washing machine of the present invention includes a water tub, a rotating tub having a dewatering hole and provided rotatably in the water tub, and a stirring provided rotatably in the rotating tub. Body, drive means for rotating the rotating tank and the stirring body, a water supply port for supplying water from a water supply source into the rotating tank, and the rotating tank extending from the lower part to the upper part of the rotating tank. A circulating water channel having a circulation port at the top, and a pump blade provided in the stirring body, and discharges water in the rotating tank from the circulating port through the circulating water channel into the rotating tank as the stirring body rotates And a position detecting means for detecting the position of the rotating tub in the rotational direction, and a control means for controlling the washing machine load so as to execute each step of washing, rinsing and dewatering,
The control means uses the detection signal of the position detection means before the start of water supply from the water supply port to the inside of the rotary tank in the washing process, and the circulation port is connected to the water supply port in a plan view. On the other hand, the rotation tank is positioned and stopped so as to be on the opposite side, and when the water is supplied from the water supply port to the rotation tank, the rotation tank is stopped. The stirrer is rotated.

  In the above-described means, when the agitator is rotated during water supply from the water supply port, water is discharged from the circulation port into the rotary tank by the pump action of the pump blade. At this time, since the circulation port is located on the opposite side to the water supply port, the laundry in the rotating tub is multiplied by the water supplied from the water supply port and the water discharged from the circulation port. become. For this reason, the whole laundry can be wetted more efficiently than the case where only the stirring body is rotated at the time of water supply. In addition, since the rotating tub is not rotated during this water supply, even when the amount of laundry contained in the rotating tub is large, the laundry may jump out or the wet laundry may be unbalanced. Can also be prevented.

1 is a longitudinal side view of a washing machine showing a first embodiment of the present invention. Schematic plan view showing the positional relationship between the water supply port, the circulation port, and the detergent charging section during water supply Block diagram showing electrical configuration Washing process and rough time chart The 2nd Embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is an external appearance perspective view from the upper part of a tank cover and water injection case vicinity, (b) is an external perspective view from the downward direction of a tank cover part. 2 equivalent diagram FIG. 2 equivalent view showing the third embodiment of the present invention

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, in FIG. 1, the outer box 1 of the washing machine for combined use has a rectangular box shape, and a top cover 2 is provided on the outer box 1. Near the center of the top cover 2 is provided with a laundry entrance 3 for taking in and out laundry, and a lid 4 for opening and closing the laundry entrance 3 is rotatably provided. A water tank 5 having a bottomed cylindrical shape is elastically supported by the elastic suspension mechanism 6 inside the outer box 1, and the water tank 5 also serves as a bottomed cylindrical washing tank and a dehydration tank. A rotating tub 7 is provided to be rotatable around a vertical vertical axis. A number of dewatering holes 8 are formed in the peripheral wall portion of the rotating tub 7.

  A water tank cover 10 is provided on the upper part of the water tank 5. An opening 11 is formed in the water tank cover 10 so as to be positioned below the laundry entrance 3. A balance ring 13 is provided at the upper end of the rotating tub 7. A stirring body 14 is rotatably provided at the bottom of the rotary tank 7. A driving device 15 constituting driving means is provided on the outer bottom of the water tank 5. The drive device 15 includes a motor 16 (see FIG. 3) capable of forward and reverse rotation, and a clutch mechanism (not shown), and selectively rotates the stirrer 14 and the rotating tub 7. It has become.

  The top cover 2 is provided with a water supply valve 18 and a water injection case 19 located behind the laundry entrance 3. The water supply valve 18 is provided with a hose connection port 20, and a connection hose connected to a faucet (not shown) of a water supply (water supply source) is connected to the hose connection port 20. A bellows-shaped water supply hose 21 is connected to the outlet of the water injection case 19. A lower end portion of the water supply hose 21 is a water supply port 22, and the water supply port 22 is connected to the water tank cover 10. The water supply port 22 faces the rotating tank 7 from above. Here, when the water supply valve 18 is opened in a state where the connection hose is connected to the hose connection port 20, water from the water supply (water supply source) connects the connection hose, the water supply valve 18, the water injection case 19, and the water supply hose 21. Then, the water is supplied from the water supply port 22 into the rotary tank 7 and thus into the water tank 5.

  A circulating water channel forming cover 24 extending in the vertical direction along the peripheral wall portion is mounted in the rotary tank 7, and extends in the vertical direction between the circulating water channel forming cover 24 and the inner surface of the rotary tank 7. A circulating water channel 25 is formed. An inlet 26 at the lower end of the circulating water passage 25 communicates with a pump chamber 27 on the back side of the stirring body 14. A plurality of pump blades 28 are provided on the back side of the stirring body 14 so as to be positioned in the pump chamber 27. A circulation port 29 is formed in the upper part of the circulation water channel forming cover 24 (upper part of the circulation water channel 25). Here, when the stirrer 14 is rotated in a state where water is stored in the water tank 5 and thus in the rotary tank 7, the pump blades 28 are also rotated. Then, the water in the pump chamber 27 is discharged from the inlet 26 of the circulation channel 25 into the circulation channel 25 by the pump action of the pump blade 28. The water circulates in such a manner that the water flows upward in the circulation channel 25 and is then discharged from the circulation port 29 into the rotary tank 7.

  In the rotary tank 7, a detergent charging cover 31 extending in the vertical direction is provided in the vicinity of the circulation water channel forming cover 24, and a detergent charging part 32 is provided above the detergent charging cover 31. Is provided. In this case, when the detergent introduction part 32 is opened and the detergent is introduced from here, the detergent is guided to the bottom side in the rotary tank 7 through the inside of the detergent introduction cover 31.

  A magnet 33 is provided in a predetermined portion of the balance ring 13 at the upper end of the rotating tub 7, in this case, in the rotating tub 7, located on the opposite side of the circulation port 29 across the rotation center of the rotating tub 7. Yes. The aquarium cover 10 on the fixed side is provided with a reed switch 34, for example, as a magnetic detection element, located near the water supply port 22. The magnet 33 and the reed switch 34 constitute position detecting means for positioning the rotating tank 7 in the rotational direction.

  A drain pipe 37 is connected to the bottom of the water tank 5 via a drain valve 36. When the drain valve 36 is opened, the water in the water tank 5 is discharged outside the machine through the drain pipe 37. In the present embodiment, a motor (not shown) that opens and closes the drain valve 36 also serves as a clutch switching motor of the driving device 15. In this case, when the drain valve 36 is opened, the clutch transmits the rotation of the motor 16 to the rotating tub 7, and when the drain valve 36 is closed, the clutch controls the rotation of the motor 16 as a stirrer. 14 is transmitted to only 14.

  An operation panel 38 is provided at the front portion of the top cover 2. The operation panel 38 is provided with a plurality of input units 39 (see FIG. 3) and display units 40 (see FIG. 3), each including an operation switch. A control circuit 43 (see FIG. 3) having a microcomputer is provided on the back side of the operation panel 38.

  In FIG. 3, the electrical configuration related to the gist of the present invention is shown by blocks. In FIG. 3, signals from the input unit 39, the rotation sensor 44 provided in the motor 16, the water level sensor 45, and the reed switch 34 are input to the control circuit 43. Among these, the rotation sensor 44 detects the rotation speed of the motor 16. The water level sensor 45 detects the water level in the water tank 5 and thus in the rotating tank 7. The control circuit 43 has a function of controlling the display unit 40, the motor 16, the water supply valve 18, the drain valve 36, and the like, which are washing machine loads, based on these input signals and a control program that is previously stored. As will be described later, the control circuit 43 controls the washing machine load so as to execute washing, rinsing and dewatering steps, and constitutes a control means of the present invention.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG.
A user accommodates laundry (not shown) in the rotating tub 7 and starts the washing operation by operating the input unit 39 in a state where the detergent is loaded into the detergent loading unit 32. In this case, it is assumed that a standard course is set as the washing operation. When the washing operation is started, the control circuit 43 first positions the rotary tub 7. This positioning is performed by rotating the rotating tub 7 at a low speed by the motor 16, detecting the position of the rotating tub 7 in the rotation direction by the reed switch 34, and stopping the rotating tub 7 at a predetermined position. At this time, the position of the rotating tub 7 in the rotation direction is detected by the reed switch 34 detecting the position of the magnet 33 provided in the rotating tub 7. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, the circulation port 29 provided in the rotary tank 7 in a plan view is positioned on the opposite side of the water supply port 22 across the rotation center of the rotary tank 7. The rotary tank 7 is positioned.

  Thereafter, the control circuit 43 detects the amount of the laundry stored in the rotating tub 7. In this cloth amount detection, only the stirring member 14 is rotated by the motor 16, and the cloth amount is determined based on the magnitude of the rotation speed of the rotation sensor 44 at that time and a table previously stored in the control circuit 43. When the amount of cloth is large and heavy, the rotation speed detected by the rotation sensor 44 is low, and when the amount of cloth is small and light, the rotation speed detected by the rotation sensor 44 is high. The control circuit 43 determines the feed water level based on the determination of the cloth amount.

  When the cloth amount detection is completed, the control circuit 43 supplies water by opening the water supply valve 18. When the water supply valve 18 is opened, water from the water supply is supplied from the water supply port 22 through the water supply case 19 and the water supply hose 21 to the inside of the rotary tank 7 and eventually into the water tank 5 to be stored. At this time, the drain valve 36 is closed. The laundry supplied under the water supply port 22 is wetted by the water supplied from the water supply port 22 into the rotary tub 7. The water level stored in the water tank 5 is detected by a water level sensor 45.

  The control circuit 43 rotates the stirrer 14 forward and backward by the motor 16 after a while from the start of water supply. Then, the laundry in the rotating tub 7 is stirred by the stirring body 14, and the water in the rotating tub 7 passes through the circulation channel 25 through the circulation port 29 by the pumping action of the pump blades 28 provided on the back side of the stirring body 14. To the rotary tank 7. At this time, since the circulation port 29 is located on the opposite side to the water supply port 22, the laundry is wetted by the water discharged from the circulation port 29 on the side opposite to the water supply port 22. As a result, the entire laundry is wetted as efficiently as possible by the water supplied from the water supply port 22 and the water discharged from the circulation port 29.

  When the water level in the water tank 5 reaches the water supply water level set based on the cloth amount detection, the control circuit 43 closes the water supply valve 18 and stops water supply. Even if the water supply is stopped, the forward / reverse rotation of the stirring member 14 continues and the washing process is continued. And when preset time passes, the control circuit 43 will stop rotation of the stirring body 14, and will complete | finish a washing process. Then, the drain valve 36 is opened to drain water. Thereby, the water in the water tank 5 and the water in the rotating tank 7 are discharged outside the apparatus. After draining, the control circuit 43 performs dehydration by rotating the rotating tub 7 at high speed with the motor 16. Thereby, the laundry in the rotating tub 7 is centrifugally dehydrated.

  After performing dehydration for a predetermined time, the control circuit 43 temporarily stops the rotation of the rotary tank 7 and then performs the first shower water injection. The shower water rinsing is performed by rotating the rotating tub 7 while opening the water supply valve 18 and supplying water into the rotating tub 7. Thereby, the laundry in the rotating tub 7 is rinsed. At this time, the rinsing water is sequentially discharged out of the apparatus while the drain valve 36 is kept open. The control circuit 43 performs dehydration by rotating the rotating tub 7 in a state where the water supply is stopped by closing the water supply valve 18 after rinsing the shower water for a predetermined time.

  After the dehydration, the control circuit 43 temporarily stops the rotation of the rotating tub 7 and then performs the second shower water injection. The second shower water rinse is performed in the same manner as the first shower water rinse. The control circuit 43 performs the second shower water rinsing and dehydration, and then temporarily stops the rotation of the rotary tank 7 and then positions the rotary tank 7 in the rotational direction. As in the positioning immediately after the start, this positioning is also performed at a position where the circulation port 29 provided in the rotating tub 7 is opposite to the water supply port 22 across the rotation center of the rotating tub 7 as shown in FIG. Then, the rotating tub 7 is stopped.

  Next, the control circuit 43 performs rinsing. The rinsing is performed by opening the water supply valve 18 with the drain valve 36 closed and supplying water into the rotary tank 7 and rotating the stirring member 14 forward and backward while accumulating water in the water tank 5. At this time, as in the case of water supply in the washing process, the laundry in the rotating tub 7 is stirred by rotating the stirring body 14 forward and backward while supplying water, and the pump provided on the back side of the stirring body 14 Due to the pumping action of the blades 28, the water in the rotating tub 7 is discharged from the circulation port 29 into the rotating tub 7 through the circulation channel 25. As a result, the entire laundry is wetted as efficiently as possible by the water supplied from the water supply port 22 and the water discharged from the circulation port 29.

  When the water level in the water tank 5 reaches the set water level, the control circuit 43 closes the water supply valve 18 and stops water supply. Even if the water supply is stopped, the forward / reverse rotation of the stirring member 14 continues, and the rinsing process is continued. And when preset time passes, the control circuit 43 will stop rotation of the stirring body 14, and will complete | finish a rinse process. Then, the drain valve 36 is opened to drain water. After draining, the control circuit 43 performs final dehydration by rotating the rotating tub 7 at a high speed by the motor 16.

  When the final dehydration is completed, the control circuit 43 once stops the rotation of the rotary tank 7 and then positions the rotary tank 7 in the rotational direction. As in the positioning immediately after the start, this positioning is also performed at a position where the circulation port 29 provided in the rotating tub 7 is opposite to the water supply port 22 across the rotation center of the rotating tub 7 as shown in FIG. Then, the rotating tub 7 is stopped. Thus, the washing operation is completed.

According to the above-described embodiment, the following operational effects can be obtained.
Before starting the water supply in the washing process, the control circuit 43 positions the rotary tank 7 in the rotational direction so that the circulation port 29 is located on the opposite side of the water supply port 22 in plan view. The agitator 14 was rotated while the rotary tank 7 was stopped when water was supplied from the water supply port 22 to the rotary tank 7. In this case, when the stirring member 14 is rotated during water supply from the water supply port 22, water is discharged from the circulation port 29 into the rotary tank 7 by the pump action of the pump blades 28. At this time, since the circulation port 29 is located on the opposite side to the water supply port 22, water supplied from the water supply port 22 and water discharged from the circulation port 29 are included in the laundry in the rotating tub 7. And will be multiplied. For this reason, the whole laundry can be wetted more efficiently than the case where only the stirring body 14 is rotated at the time of water supply. In addition, since the rotating tub 7 is not rotated at the time of water supply, even when the amount of laundry stored in the rotating tub 7 is large, the laundry may jump out or the wet laundry may be unbalanced. Can also be prevented.

  The rotating tank 7 is provided with a detergent charging part 32, and this detergent charging part 32 is arranged in the vicinity of the circulation port 29. Thereby, the detergent introduction part 32 can be located in the position away from the water supply port 22, and it can make it easy to put a detergent into the detergent introduction part 32 even during water supply. Moreover, since the detergent introduction part 32 is arrange | positioned in the vicinity of the circulation water channel 25 where movement of water is intense at the time of rotation of the stirring body 14, there also exists an advantage which can dissolve the detergent thrown in from the detergent introduction part 32 easily.

  The control circuit 43 positions the rotary tub 7 after final dehydration at the end of the washing operation. According to this, it becomes possible to easily position the rotary tub 7 at the start of the next washing operation. Further, the control circuit 43 positions the rotary tub 7 before the start of water supply in the washing process, and in this embodiment, before the cloth amount is detected. According to this, even when the power is turned off during the previous washing operation, for example, the rotary tub 7 can be positioned reliably.

  The control circuit 43 positions the rotating tub 7 even before rinsing because water is accumulated in the water tub 5. According to this, by rotating the stirrer 14 at the time of rinsing water supply, water can be efficiently applied to the laundry as in the case of water supply before the washing process, and the entire laundry is efficiently wetted. Can do. In addition, in place of rinsing, when the water rinsing is performed while water is supplied into the water tank 5 and water is supplied into the rotating tank 7 from the water supply port 22, the rotating tank 7 can be positioned before water supply. preferable. In the water rinsing, the agitator 14 is rotated while rinsing the water while overflowing the water.

  By the way, in what rotates a rotary tank in the state which closed the drain valve, the motor for opening and closing a drain valve and the motor for clutch switching are required separately. In this respect, in the present embodiment, the motor that opens and closes the drain valve 36 also serves as a clutch switching motor, so the number of motors can be reduced.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof will be omitted, and different parts will be described.
In the water tank cover 10 shown in FIG. 5, a branch case 50 is attached to the lower surface side on the rear side to which the lower end portion of the water supply hose 21 is connected. As shown in FIG. 5B, the branch case 50 includes a first branch path 51 that branches from the center to the left side, and a second branch path 52 that branches to the right side. A first water supply port 51 a that opens forward in the vicinity of the opening 11 is formed at the tip of the first branch 51. A second water supply port 52 a that opens forward in the vicinity of the opening 11 is also formed at the tip of the second branch path 52. Both the first water supply port 51a and the second water supply port 52a are divided into a plurality of ports.

  Here, the first branch path 51 and the second branch path 52 of the branch case 50 communicate with the opening at the lower end portion of the water supply hose 21, and the water supplied to the water supply hose 21 is separated from the branch case. At 50, the first branch 51 and the second branch 52 are branched. The water branched into the first branch channel 51 is supplied into the rotary tank 7 from the first water supply port 51a, and the water branched into the second branch channel 52 is supplied from the second water supply port 52a to the rotary tank. 7 is supplied.

  In FIG. 6, the 1st water supply port 51a and the 2nd water supply port 52a are shown by one. Also in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the control circuit 43 is configured so that the circulation port 29 has a first water supply port 51 a and a second water supply port 52 in a plan view before the start of water supply in the washing process. Positioning in the rotation direction of the rotating tub 7 is stopped so that the position is opposite to the water supply port 52a, and the rotation from the first water supply port 51a and the second water supply port 52a to the rotation tub 7 is stopped. At the time of water supply, the stirring body 14 is rotated in a state where the rotating tub 7 is stopped. By doing in this way, in the laundry in the rotary tub 7, the water supplied from the two water supply ports, the first water supply port 51a and the second water supply port 51b, and the positions opposite to these are provided. Since the water discharged from the circulation port 29 is applied, the entire laundry can be wetted more efficiently than when the stirring member 14 is merely rotated during water supply.

Further, the control circuit 43 positions the rotating tub 7 at the position shown in FIG. 6 and stops it before the rinsing and at the end of the washing operation as in the first embodiment.
Also in the second embodiment having such a configuration, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The same parts as those in the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof will be omitted, and different parts will be described.
In the third embodiment, there are two water supply ports, a first water supply port 51a and a second water supply port 52a, as in the second embodiment. And it has the structure which provided the circulating water channel 25 (refer FIG. 1) which has the circulation port 29 in two places in the rotation tank 7. FIG. In FIG. 7, the circulation channel 25 is not shown. A detergent charging part 32 is disposed between the two circulation ports 29.

  Also in the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the control circuit 43 has two circulation ports 29 in plan view before the start of water supply in the washing process. The rotation tank 7 is positioned in the rotation direction so as to be opposite to the second water supply port 52a and stopped. From the first water supply port 51a and the second water supply port 52a, the rotation tank is stopped. When the water is supplied to 7, the stirring body 14 is rotated in a state where the rotary tank 7 is stopped. By doing in this way, in the laundry in the rotary tub 7, the water supplied from the two water supply ports, the first water supply port 51a and the second water supply port 51b, and the positions opposite to these are provided. Since the water discharged from the two circulation ports 29 is applied, the entire laundry can be wetted more efficiently.

Further, the control circuit 43 positions the rotating tub 7 at the position shown in FIG. 7 and stops it before the rinsing and at the end of the washing operation as in the first embodiment.
Also in the third embodiment having such a configuration, the same operational effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

  In the drawings, 5 is a water tank, 7 is a rotating tank, 8 is a dewatering hole, 14 is a stirring member, 15 is a driving device (driving means), 22 is a water supply port, 25 is a circulation channel, 28 is a pump blade, and 29 is a circulation port. , 32 is a detergent inlet, 33 is a magnet (position detecting means), 34 is a reed switch (position detecting means), 43 is a control circuit (control means), 51a is a first water supply port, and 51b is a second water supply port. Indicates.

Claims (4)

A tank,
A rotating tub having a dewatering hole and rotatably provided in the water tank;
An agitator provided rotatably in the rotating tank;
Driving means for rotating the rotating tank and the stirring body;
A water supply port for supplying water from a water supply source into the rotary tank;
A circulating water channel provided in the rotating tank so as to extend from the lower part to the upper part of the rotating tank, and having a circulation port in the upper part;
A pump blade that is provided in the stirring body and discharges the water in the rotating tank from the circulation port into the rotating tank through the circulation channel along with the rotation of the stirring body;
Position detecting means for detecting the position of the rotating tank in the rotation direction;
Control means for controlling the washing machine load so as to perform washing, rinsing and dewatering processes,
The control means uses the detection signal of the position detection means before the start of water supply from the water supply port to the inside of the rotary tub in the washing process, and the circulation port is connected to the water supply port in plan view. On the other hand, the rotation tank is positioned and stopped so as to be on the opposite side, and when the water is supplied from the water supply port to the rotation tank, the rotation tank is stopped. A washing machine characterized by rotating a stirring body. Provided with a detergent charging part provided in the rotating tank,
The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the detergent charging part is disposed in the vicinity of the circulation port.   The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control means positions the rotating tub at the end of the washing operation.   The said control means positions the said rotary tank before rinsing in order to accumulate water in the said water tank, or performing the water injection rinse performed while supplying water in the said rotary tank from the said water supply port. The washing machine according to any one of 1 to 3.

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