JP2015062606A - Drum type washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drum type washing machine having high washing performance by achieving a high circulation flow rate while maintaining mountability of a circulation pump and low noise.SOLUTION: A drum type washing machine includes: an outer tub for storing water inside; a drum which is supported inside the outer tub in a rotatable manner and in which clothes are accommodated; a drum motor for rotationally driving the drum; water supply means for supplying water into the outer tub; a circulation pump for sucking water from the outer tub and sprinkling water toward the inside of the drum; a filter case disposed on an upstream side of the circulation pump and incorporating a filter for foreign object collection; and driving control means for controlling the drum motor, the water supply means and the circulation pump. A cross sectional area of an inflow port for allowing the water to flow inside the filter case and its upstream side flow passage is made to be equal to or more than 707 mm2, and a circulation flow rate by the circulation pump is made to be equal to or more than 35 L/min and equal to or less than 68 L/min.

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine for washing clothes and the like, and more particularly, to a drum-type washing machine including a drum that is inclined substantially horizontally or forwards upward.

  A drum-type washing machine performs washing, rinsing, and dewatering processes by putting clothes into a drum that is inclined substantially horizontally or with its front facing upward. In the washing process and the rinsing process, the drum is rotated at a low speed, the garments accumulated below the drum are lifted and dropped from above the drum. By this tumbling operation, washing and rinsing are performed by applying mechanical force to the clothes. At the time of the dehydration process, the drum is rotated at a high speed, and centrifugal dehydration is performed by pushing out moisture from the clothes by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation.

  In the washing process, the washing water in the washing tub (outer tub) is pumped up by the circulation pump and applied to the clothes, and the washing water in which the detergent is dissolved is uniformly permeated into the clothes. As described above, the drum type washing machine can save water by securing the washing performance even with less water than the vertical washing machine.

  The following Patent Document 1 collects foreign matters such as lint generated from washing clothes contained in an outer tub that stores a rotatable inner tub and stores washing water and washing water that flows out from the bottom of the outer tub. The filter device includes a filter case and a filter that is detachably attached to the filter case and collects foreign matter, and prevents the flow from the filter inlet to the filter case drainage path and disperses it. By providing the dispersion wall part provided in the said collection accommodating part, it is set as the structure which can collect efficiently the waste thread and foreign material discharged | emitted from laundry clothes.

JP2012-80928A

  However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, the foreign matter collecting performance by the filter is improved, but the cross-sectional area of the water inlet through which water flows into the filter case is small, and circulation that draws up washing water in the outer tub Resistant to pump water flow. Therefore, even if it is attempted to increase the circulation flow rate of the washing water, the circulation pump must be increased in output, and as the size of the pump due to the increase in output increases, the mountability in the machine deteriorates, and power consumption and noise are reduced. Increase.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a drum type washing machine that realizes a higher circulation flow rate than the conventional one and maintains a high cleaning performance while maintaining the mountability and low noise of the circulation pump.

  In order to solve such problems, a drum-type washing machine according to the present invention includes an outer tub that stores water therein, a drum that is rotatably supported in the outer tub, and stores clothes, and the drum. A drum motor that rotates and rotates, a water supply means for supplying water into the outer tub, a circulation pump that sucks water from the outer tub and sprays water into the drum, and is disposed on the upstream side of the circulation pump. In a drum type washing machine comprising: a filter case containing a collection filter; and an operation control means for controlling the drum motor, the water supply means and the circulation pump; and an inlet for allowing water to flow into the filter case; The cross-sectional area of the upstream flow path was 707 mm 2 or more, and the circulation flow rate by the circulation pump was 35 L / min or more and 68 L / min or less.

  According to the present invention, a high circulation flow rate can be realized while maintaining the mountability and low noise of the circulation pump, and as a result, a drum type washing machine with high cleaning performance can be provided.

It is an external appearance perspective view which shows the drum type washing-drying machine of embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which removes the side plate of the housing | casing of the drum type washing-drying machine of FIG. 1, and shows the internal structure roughly. (A) is III-III sectional drawing of FIG. 1, and explanatory drawing of the hollow part formed in the bottom part of an outer tub, (b) is formed in the bottom part of the outer tub in the conventional drum type washing-drying machine. It is explanatory drawing of a hollow part. (A) is a top view which shows the circulation flow path which goes to the circulation pump from the bottom part of the outer tub in the drum type washing / drying machine of FIG. 1, (b) circulates from the bottom part of the outer tub in the conventional drum type washing / drying machine. It is a top view which shows the circulation flow path which goes to a pump. It is a perspective view which shows the circulation pump and circulation flow path of the drum type washing-drying machine of FIG. It is the top view which looked at the circulation pump of FIG. 5 from upper direction. (A) is a perspective view which shows the circulation flow path provided in an outer tank cover, (b) is a perspective view which shows the bellows hose which connects a circulation pump and the circulation flow path provided in an outer tank cover. (A) is a top view which shows the circulation flow path provided in an outer tank cover, (b) is the elements on larger scale of the nozzle connected to a circulation flow path. It is a partial expansion perspective view of the nozzle vicinity connected to the circulation flow path of an outer tank cover. (A) is a graph which shows the relationship between the circulation flow rate of a circulation pump, and a washing | cleaning ratio, (b) is a graph which shows the relationship between the rotation speed of a circulation pump, and a circulation flow rate. (A) is a graph which shows the static pressure-flow characteristic of a circulation pump, (b) is a graph which shows the relationship between the suction port diameter / impeller diameter of a circulation pump, and a flow volume. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the circulation flow rate of a circulation pump, and the brightness variation of clothing. (A) is an outline perspective view of a circulation pump and a bellows hose constituting a circulation flow path, a filter case and a circulation motor, and (b) is a filter case sectional view and a filter. (A) is side surface sectional drawing of a filter case and a filter, (b) is a general-view perspective view of a filter.

  Next, the drum type washing and drying machine of the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The drum type washing / drying machine of the present embodiment enables washing that reduces the mechanical force applied to the clothes in order to improve the finish of washing by suppressing the wrinkle of the clothes. Generally, when the mechanical force is reduced, the cleaning performance is lowered. In this embodiment, the circulation flow rate is greatly increased, and the operation for ensuring the cleaning performance is performed.

  First, an overall configuration of the drum type washing and drying machine will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a drum type washing and drying machine S of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing the internal structure of the drum type washing and drying machine of FIG. 1 with the side plate removed. The front-rear, up-down, left-right directions in the following description are based on the front-rear, up-down, left-right directions shown in FIG.

  Reference numeral 1 denotes a housing constituting the outer shell. The housing 1 is mounted on a base 1h, and includes left and right side plates 1a and 1b, a front cover 1c, a back cover 1d, a top cover 1e, and a lower front cover 1f. The left and right side plates 1a and 1b are connected by a U-shaped upper reinforcing member 36, a front reinforcing member 37, and a rear reinforcing member (not shown), and form a box-shaped casing 1 including a base 1h. doing.

  Reference numeral 9 denotes a door that closes an insertion port for putting in and out clothing provided in the approximate center of the front cover 1c, and is supported by a hinge 9c provided in the front reinforcing member 37 so as to be opened and closed. When the door opening button 9d is pressed, a lock mechanism (not shown) is released and opened, and when the door 9 is pressed against the front cover 1c, the door is locked and closed. The front reinforcing member 37 has a circular opening for putting clothes in and out concentric with an opening of the outer tub 2 described later.

  Reference numeral 6 denotes an operation panel provided at the upper center of the housing 1 and includes a power switch 39, operation buttons 12 and 13, and a display 14. The operation panel 6 is electrically connected to a control device 38 provided at the lower part of the housing 1.

  Reference numeral 19 denotes a detergent container provided on the upper left side in the housing 1, and a drawer-type detergent tray 7 can be mounted from the front opening. When putting detergents, the detergent tray 7 is pulled out as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. The detergent container 19 is fixed to the upper reinforcing member 36 of the housing 1. Further, a water outlet 19 a is provided slightly on the left side of the detergent container 19. Therefore, the bottom surface of the detergent container 19 is formed in a mortar shape such that the position of the water outlet 19a is the lowest.

  On the rear side of the detergent container 19, water supply-related parts such as a water supply electromagnetic valve 16, a bath water absorption pump 17, and a water level sensor 34 are provided. A water supply unit 15 is provided in the upper opening of the detergent container 19. The top cover 1e is provided with a water supply hose connection port 16a from a water tap and a water absorption hose connection port 17a for remaining hot water in the bath.

  Reference numeral 3 denotes a cylindrical washing and dewatering tub (drum) supported rotatably, having a large number of through holes (not shown) for water flow and ventilation on the outer peripheral wall and bottom wall thereof, The end face is provided with an opening 3a for putting clothes in and out. A fluid balancer (not shown) integral with the drum 3 is provided outside the opening 3a. The rotation center axis of the drum 3 is inclined so that the horizontal or opening side is higher.

  Reference numeral 2 denotes a cylindrical outer tub that encloses the drum 3 coaxially, the front surface is open, and a motor 4 is attached to the outer center of the rear end surface. The rotating shaft of the motor 4 passes through the outer tub 2 and is coupled to the drum 3. An outer tank cover 2 d that enables water storage in the outer tank 2 is provided at the opening on the front surface. The outer tub 2 is supported by a damper 5 whose lower side is fixed to the base 1h. Reference numeral 10 denotes a rubber bellows, and the outer tub 2 is sealed with water by closing the door 9.

  A water supply port 2 a for supplying water and detergent into the outer tub 2 is provided at the rear side of the outer tub 2. The water supply port 2 a and the water outlet 19 a of the detergent container 19 are connected by a rubber bellows hose 20.

  On the bottom side inner peripheral surface of the outer tub 2, a concave recess 2 f is provided so as to extend in the axial direction of the outer tub 2. The bottom surface of the recess 2f is an inclined surface that descends from the front side to the rear side, and a drain port 21 is provided on the rear side of the recess 2f. A bellows hose 22 is connected to the drain port 21 via a joint 21a. A bottom circulating water inlet 18 is provided on the front side of the recess 2f.

  Reference numeral 26 denotes a drain hose, one end of which is connected to a water outlet 23b (see FIG. 4A) of a circulation pump 24 described later, and the other end extends outside the machine. Reference numeral 25 is a drain valve provided in the middle of the drainage hose 26 in the machine.

  3 (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2, and is an explanatory view of a recess formed at the bottom of the outer tub. FIG. 3 (b) is a diagram of the outer tub in a conventional drum-type washing and drying machine. It is explanatory drawing of the hollow part formed in a bottom part.

  As shown to Fig.3 (a), the partition W continuous from the internal peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall of the outer tank 2 is formed in the upper part of the hollow part 2f so that substantially half of the width | variety of the hollow part 2f may be covered. . The partition wall W extends along the outer peripheral surface of the drum 3 in a direction opposite to the rotation direction R when the drum 3 is dehydrated. The drain port 21 and the inflow port 18 are formed at positions shifted in the rotation direction R of the drum 3 from the center in the width direction of the recess 2f. As a result, the partition wall W is disposed above the drain port 21 and the inflow port 18.

  The hollow portion 2f is a rotational force of the drum 3 when water is discharged from the through hole (not shown) of the drum 3 toward the inner peripheral surface of the outer tub 2 by centrifugal force due to the rotation of the drum 3 during dehydration. The water flowing in the same direction as R is received and guided to the drain port 21. The partition wall W exerts an effect of damming the water so that the water that has entered the recess 2f does not return to the outer tub 2 again.

  Whereas the volume of the recess 2f of the conventional drum-type washing and drying machine shown in FIG. 3B is about 1 to 1.5 L, the drum-type washing and drying machine according to this embodiment shown in FIG. The volume of the recessed portion 2f of S is set to be 2.5L or more.

  That is, as is clear from the comparison between the recess 2f shown in FIG. 3A and the recess 2f shown in FIG. 3B, the recess 2f in the present embodiment is formed in the circumferential direction of the outer tub 2. Widely formed. You may set this hollow part 2f so that it may become 35% or more of width | variety of the internal diameter of the outer tank 2. FIG.

  Thereby, the drum type washing / drying machine S has a larger amount of water stored in the outer tub 2 than the conventional drum type washing / drying machine. By increasing the number of rotations of the circulation pump, which will be described later, by expanding the hollow portion 2f, a large amount of washing water is sucked into the circulation pump, and the circulation flow rate is increased. As a result, the washing efficiency of clothes is further improved than before. To do.

  Next, FIG. 4 (a) to be referred to is a plan view showing a circulation flow path from the bottom of the outer tub to the circulation pump in the drum type washing / drying machine S of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 (b) is a conventional drum type washing machine. It is a top view which shows the circulation flow path which goes to a circulation pump from the bottom part of the outer tank in a dryer.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the joint 21 a of the drain port 21 in this embodiment is formed so that the connection portion with the bellows hose 22 protrudes from the drain port 21 toward the left side. One end of the bellows hose 22 is connected to the joint 21 a, and the other end of the bellows hose 22 is connected to the inlet 23 a of the filter case 23.

  The bellows hose 22 in this embodiment constitutes a part of the circulation flow path, and the inner diameter of the bellows hose 22 is set to 35 mm or more, desirably about 37 to 50 mm. Incidentally, the inner diameter of the bellows hose 22 is defined by the bellows peak diameter (the inner diameter of the narrow portion of the bellows).

  The length of the bellows hose 22 is set to 400 mm or less, desirably about 150 to 300 mm. Incidentally, the length of the bellows hose 22 is defined by the length of the bellows hose 22 extending from the outlet of the joint 21a to the inlet of the inlet of the filter case 23.

  Thus, in this embodiment, since the bellows hose 22 is connected from the side of the filter case 23 in the lateral direction with respect to the outlet of the joint 21a, the length from the joint 21a to the inlet of the filter case inlet is shown. The flow path resistance is reduced. In addition, since the inner diameter of the bellows hose 22 on the outlet side of the circulation pump 24 is set to 35 mm or more, which is larger than usual, this point also leads to a decrease in flow path resistance. Therefore, as will be described in detail later, by increasing the rotational speed of the circulation pump 24, it is possible to suck in a large flow of washing water and circulate it into the drum 3.

  Incidentally, the joint 21a in the conventional drum type washing and drying machine is formed so as to protrude toward the rear side as shown in FIG. 4 (b). And the length of the conventional bellows hose 22a extended between the coupling 21a and the inflow port is about 460 mm, and the internal diameter of this conventional bellows hose 22a is about 30 mm.

  An air trap 2e is provided at the lowermost part of the rear end face of the outer tub 2. The lower part of the air trap 2e is provided with a hole 2e1 communicating with the outer tub 2 (recessed part 2f). The upper part of the air trap 2e and the water level sensor 34 are connected by a tube 35, and the water level in the outer tub 2 is controlled. To detect. Incidentally, in the conventional drum type washing and drying machine, an air trap 2e is provided above the rear portion of the drain port 21. The circulating water flows from the drain port 21 to the bellows hose 22a (see FIG. 4B) through the lower part of the air trap 2e. The inner diameter of the bellows hose 22a is narrower than the inner diameter of the bellows hose 22 (see FIG. 4 (a)) in the present embodiment. Therefore, when the circulation flow rate is increased, the flow velocity below the hole 2e1 of the air trap 2e is increased. Due to Bernoulli's theorem, there is a problem that the pressure in the air trap 2e decreases and the water level in the outer tub 2 cannot be detected accurately. In this embodiment, since the circulating water flows from the drain port 21 toward the left side (see FIG. 4A), the flow rate of the communication hole 2e1 is small, and the water level in the outer tub 2 can be detected accurately.

  A circulation pump 24, a filter case 23, and a drain valve 25 are provided between the outer tub 2 and the base 1h. The filter case 23 has a cylindrical shape having an opening on the front side, and a removable filter 60 is attached to the inside of the filter case 23. The filter case 23 collects foreign matter and lint in the washing water. The filter case 23 can be easily attached and detached by opening the door 1g provided on the lower front cover 1f and turning the handle 23d. The filter case 23 is inclined so that the front side becomes higher.

  The handle 23d of the filter case 23 is arranged on either the left or right side of the door 9 on the front side of the washing / drying machine. Here, the joint 21 a of the drain outlet 21 in the present embodiment is entirely provided in front of the bottom surface of the drum 3, and the joint 21 a is lateral and on the side where the circulation pump 24 is positioned (left side when viewed from the front). A drain hose (bellows hose 22) is connected. In this way, by shortening the path of the hose from the joint 21a of the drain port 21 to the filter case 23, a structure that easily realizes a large flow rate is obtained.

  Further, in this embodiment, the water flow resistance on the upstream side of the circulation pump 24 is reduced by securing a large cross-sectional area of the inflow port 23a through which water flows into the filter case 23 to 707 mm 2 or more. Hereinafter, the structure of the foreign matter collecting filter in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14.

  When the circulating water flow passes through the filter 60 in the filter case 23, foreign matter and waste thread contained in the circulating water flow are caught in the filter lattice hole 60a, and foreign matter and waste thread can be collected. However, if very fine lint or the like is contained in the washing water, lint or the like passes through the filter lattice hole 60a and follows the circulation path 41 to enter the outer tub 2 again. In the middle of the circulation path, there are an impeller 46 of the rotating circulation pump, a circulation shower outlet 27a, and the like. Therefore, foreign matter collides with the wings of the circulating pump rotating at high speed, and the wings are damaged. It becomes a hindrance to rotation and hinders rotation, and accumulates at the shower outlet 27a to narrow the outlet area. In particular, when the circulation flow rate is large, the chance of foreign matter and lint passing through the circulation path increases, and thus the possibility of causing the above-mentioned problem increases in proportion to the flow rate. However, if the lattice hole 60a of the filter is made extremely small to prevent slipping of foreign matter and lint, the filter itself becomes a resistance of the circulation flow path and deteriorates the circulation efficiency of the water flow. Therefore, the length of the longest side of the lattice hole 60a of the filter is made smaller than the narrowest distance of the shower outlet 27a in which the waste thread accumulates, thereby preventing the accumulation of waste thread at the shower outlet, and the motor of the circulation pump 24. By making the diameter smaller than the diameter of the shaft, entanglement of yarn waste on the shaft is prevented, and after satisfying the above conditions, the minimum filter lattice area (6 mm 2 or more) that does not cause circulation resistance is obtained. Solved the problem. In the present embodiment, since the narrowest distance of the shower outlet 27a is 3.7 mm and the diameter of the motor shaft is φ5 mm, the length of the longest side of the filter lattice hole 60 a is 3.5 mm, and the upstream side of the circulation pump 24. The water flow resistance of the circulation pump 24 was further reduced, and the circulation flow rate was efficiently increased while keeping the rotational speed of the circulation pump 24 low.

  Incidentally, during the drying operation, warm air is blown into the drum 3 by a heater, a blower fan, etc. (not shown), and moisture is evaporated from the clothes. The air that has become hot and humid is sucked into the drying duct 29, cooled and dehumidified by a water-cooled dehumidifying mechanism to become low-temperature air, heated by a heater (not shown), and then blown into the drum 3. A heat pump may be used instead of the heater and the water-cooled dehumidifying mechanism.

  Next, FIG. 5 to be referred is a perspective view showing a circulation pump and a circulation flow path constituting the circulation mechanism of the drum type washing and drying machine of FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the circulation pump 24 includes a casing 42 formed integrally with the filter case 23 and a circulation pump motor 47. As described above, the casing 42 is formed with the suction port 43, the discharge ports 44 and 45, the water inlet 23a, and the water outlet 23b.

  The suction port 43 is a substantially circular through hole that connects the filter case 23 and the casing 42, and is formed coaxially with the impeller 46 of the circulation pump 24.

  The discharge port 44 is connected via a bellows hose 41 to a circulation channel 27 (see FIG. 7B) described later provided on the inner peripheral wall of the outer tank cover 2d.

  In addition, this bellows hose 41 and the circulation flow path 27 comprise the circulation flow path from the bottom part of an outer tank to the upper part of an outer tank with the above-mentioned bellows hose 22 (refer Fig.4 (a)).

  The circulation channel 27 is connected to a later-described nozzle 27a (see FIG. 7A) provided on the upper inner side of the outer tank cover 2d.

  The discharge port 45 is connected to the joint 18 a via the bellows hose 40. This joint 18a is provided in the inflow port 18 formed so as to face the recess 2f (see FIG. 3A) at the bottom of the outer tub 2.

  When the circulation pump motor 47 of the circulation pump 24 is rotated forward with the drain valve 25 (see FIG. 2) closed, the washing water in the outer tub 2 passes through the bellows hose 22 from the drain port 21 (see FIG. 3A). As described above, foreign matters are removed by the filter 60 in the filter case 23. Thereafter, the washing water enters the casing 42 from the suction port 43 (arrow F in FIG. 6), is discharged from the discharge port 44, is sent to the circulation flow path 27, and from a nozzle 27a (see FIG. 7A) described later. Water is sprayed into the drum 3 (see FIG. 2).

  When the circulation pump motor 47 of the circulation pump 24 rotates in reverse, the washing water in the outer tub 2 passes through the bellows hose 22 from the drain port 21 (see FIG. 3A), and foreign matter is removed by the filter 60 in the filter case 23. Is done. Thereafter, the washing water enters the casing 42 from the suction port 43, is discharged from the discharge port 45, and returns into the outer tub 2 through the bellows hose 40 and the joint 18a. When the drain valve 25 (see FIG. 2) is opened, the washing water in the outer tub 2 passes through the filter 60 in the filter case 23 and is drained from the drain hose 26 to the outside of the machine.

  Incidentally, the circulation pump motor 47 in the present embodiment is rotatable at a rotational speed of 2000 to 4200 rpm in order to secure a circulation flow rate to be described later. This rotational speed is controlled by the control device 38 (see FIG. 2) as will be described later.

  Next, FIG. 7A to be referred to is a perspective view showing a circulation flow path provided in the outer tank cover, and FIG. 7B is a bellows hose connecting the circulation pump and the circulation flow path provided in the outer tank cover. FIG. FIG. 8A is a plan view showing a circulation channel provided in the outer tank cover, and FIG. 8B is a partially enlarged view of a nozzle connected to the circulation channel. FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of a nozzle connected to a circulation channel provided in the outer tank cover.

  As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the bellows hose 41 having one end connected to the discharge port 44 of the circulation pump 24 is connected to the inlet port 2 g of the circulation channel 27. As shown in FIG. 7B, the inlet port 2g is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer tub cover 2d.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the circulation flow path 27 in the present embodiment is configured by a tubular passage integrally formed on the inner peripheral wall of the resin outer tub cover 2d. The circulation flow path 27 is formed along the opening of the outer tank cover 2d, and is connected to a nozzle 27a formed on the upper part of the outer tank cover 2d. The cross-sectional shape of the circulation channel 27 is not particularly limited, and may be a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, or the like. The cross-sectional area of the circulation channel 27 is preferably equivalent to a diameter of 25 mm or more in terms of a circular shape.

  According to the circulation flow path 27 of the present embodiment, since it is provided on the inner peripheral wall of the outer tub cover 2d, it is formed by a conventional polyvinyl chloride pipe or the like provided on the outer peripheral wall of the outer tub cover 2d, for example. Unlikely, the possibility of breakage is further reduced, and even if broken, the washing water does not leak to the outside of the outer tub 2. In addition, since the circulation flow path 27 has a structure in which the groove 27b provided in the outer tub cover 2d is covered and integrated with the cover 27c, the number of parts is less than that of the conventional one.

  As shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 8B, it is preferable to connect the circulation flow path 27 to the wall 27e with a gentle curve in order to secure a flow rate because the pressure loss can be reduced. However, the washing water indicated by the arrow 50 is biased toward the wall 27e and is not uniformly sprayed into the drum 3. Therefore, the circulation flow path 27 is bent approximately 90 degrees by the wall 27d upstream of the nozzle 27a, and is formed so as to be connected to the nozzle 27a by a wall 27e and a wall 28f that open in a fan shape. Circulating water to the wall 27f side can be distributed by abruptly bending the flow direction by hitting the wall 27d and by the dynamic pressure generated by hitting the wall 27d. As a result, the washing water spreads in a fan shape as indicated by arrows 50a and 50b, is uniformly sprayed into the drum 3, and the washing water can be sprinkled evenly on the clothes.

  The nozzle 27a ejects wash water discharged from the discharge port 44 of the circulation pump 24 (see FIG. 5) from the upper part of the outer tub cover 2d into the drum 3 (see FIG. 2).

  As shown in FIG. 9, the nozzle 27 a has an opening formed in a slit shape so that the washing water can be spread and sprayed in a thin film shape, and can be sprayed over a wide area in the drum. Further, since the circulation flow rate of the washing water is increased as compared with the conventional case, even if the slit width (gap width) of the nozzle 27a is set wider than the conventional case, the momentum of the injection is not weakened. Therefore, the slit width (gap width) can be set to 3 mm or more, and the blockage of the nozzle 27a due to lint or the like is more reliably prevented. A rectifying portion 27g is formed on the bellows 10 side of the nozzle 27a, and the washing water is jetted toward the back side of the drum 3. Thereby, washing water can be sprinkled on clothing from the front side to the back side in the drum 3.

  Further, a small hole H communicating with the circulation flow path 27 may be formed in the outer tank cover 2d so as to be adjacent to the nozzle 27a. When the wash water is sprayed from the nozzle 27 a through the circulation channel 27, the wash water is sprayed from the small hole H toward the back side of the bellows 10. When the washing water sprayed from the small holes H flows from the upper side to the lower side of the bellows 10, it becomes possible to wash away lint and the like adhering to the back side of the bellows 10.

  Next, the control device 38 (see FIG. 2) will be described. The control device 38 includes a microcomputer, a drive circuit, and the like, and also includes an on / off signal of the operation buttons 12 and 13 shown in FIG. Further, the microcomputer receives various information signals in the operation of the user, the washing process, and the drying process. The microcomputer is connected to the motor 4, the water supply electromagnetic valve 16, the drain valve 25, the blower fan (not shown), and the like via a drive circuit, and controls opening / closing, rotation, and energization thereof. Further, in order to inform the user of the information related to the drum type washing and drying machine S, the display 14 and the buzzer (not shown) are also controlled.

  In general, a drum-type washing machine drops clothes and beats, so clothes are more likely to be stiff than a vertical washing machine. However, according to this embodiment, the washing time (conventional driving and normal By shortening (compared to the course), the drop impact is suppressed and the clothes are less stiff.

  On the other hand, when the mechanical force is suppressed, the cleaning performance may be deteriorated. On the other hand, the rotation speed of the circulation pump 24 in this embodiment is 2300 rpm or more, and the circulation flow rate is higher than that of the conventional drum type washing machine. As a result, washing water with a high concentration of detergent can be sufficiently infiltrated into the clothing, and dirt is easily removed from the clothing by the action of surfactants and adjuvants contained in the detergent. Even so, the cleaning performance can be secured.

  Here, the relationship between the flow rate (circulation flow rate) of the circulation pump 24 and the cleaning performance will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10A is a graph showing the relationship between the circulation flow rate of the circulation pump 24 and the cleaning ratio, and FIG. 10B is a graph showing the relationship between the rotational speed of the circulation pump 24 and the circulation flow rate. Incidentally, the washing ratio is the ratio between the washing degree of the test washing machine and the washing degree of the standard washing machine, and is specified in the Japanese Industrial Standard “Performance Measurement Method for Home Electric Washing Machine (JISC9811)”. That is, the higher the cleaning ratio, the higher the cleaning performance.

  Here, the graph shown by the solid line in FIG. 10A is a graph showing the relationship between the flow rate of the circulation pump 24 used in the drum type washer / dryer S according to the present embodiment and the cleaning ratio, and FIG. The value indicated by the broken line in () indicates the value of the cleaning ratio (cleaning ratio = 1.11) in the operation process of the conventional drum type washing and drying machine. Both washing times are the same.

  Moreover, the graph shown with the continuous line of FIG.10 (b) is a graph which shows the relationship between the rotation speed of the circulation pump 24 used for the drum type washing-drying machine S which concerns on this embodiment, and a circulation flow rate, FIG.10 (b). ) Is a graph showing the relationship between the number of revolutions of the circulation pump 24 used in the conventional drum type washing and drying machine and the circulation flow rate. As shown in FIG. 10B, the circulation pump 24 used in the drum-type washing and drying machine S according to the present embodiment uses a circulation pump having a large maximum circulation flow rate.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the cleaning ratio (cleaning performance) improves as the circulating flow rate increases. However, the increase in the cleaning ratio (cleaning performance) is saturated around the circulation flow rate of 60 L / min. Further, a cleaning ratio (cleaning performance) equivalent to that of a conventional drum type washing machine can be obtained at a circulating flow rate of about 35 L / min.

  Therefore, it is desirable that the circulation flow rate be 35 L / min or more and 60 L / min or less. When the circulation flow rate is less than 35 L / min, the cleaning ratio (cleaning performance) is lower than that of the conventional drum type washing machine, which is not preferable. Further, even if the circulation flow rate is higher than 60 L / min, the increase in the cleaning ratio (cleaning performance) is slight, but this is not preferable because the power consumption of the circulation pump 24 increases. As described above, the circulation flow rate has been described. In the circulation pump 24 of the present embodiment, referring to FIG. 10B, the rotation speed of the circulation pump is 2300 rpm or more and 3800 rpm or less.

  The circulation pump speed may not always be constant at each step, and the above-described range of the circulation pump speed of 2300 rpm to 3800 rpm includes the average value of the circulation pump speed at each step. Means that. For example, even if the rotation speed of the circulation pump 24 is changed between 2000 rpm and 3400 rpm during the pre-washing stirring process in step S7, the average value may be 2300 rpm or more.

  Here, as measures to increase the circulation flow rate of the circulation pump 24, (1) increase the rotation speed of the circulation pump, (2) improve the performance of the circulation pump, and (3) increase the capacity of the circulation pump. (4) to reduce the pressure loss of the circulation flow path.

  These will be described using a graph showing the static pressure-flow rate characteristics of the circulation pump shown in FIG. The downward-sloping curve indicates the static pressure-flow rate characteristic at the rotation speed (rev1, rev2, rev3) of the circulation pump 24. The curve that rises to the right is the resistance loss curve (mainly pressure loss) of the circulation path of the wash water.

  Assuming that the number of revolutions of the circulation pump of the conventional drum type washing and drying machine is rev1 and the resistance loss curve 1 of the circulation path, the intersection A of both curves is the operating point, and the flow rate Q1 and the static pressure P1. Here, if the diameter of the impeller 46 of the circulation pump is increased in order to increase the circulation flow rate while maintaining the number of rotations of the circulation flow path and the circulation pump, for example, the flow point-static pressure characteristic indicated by a one-dot chain line is obtained, and the operating point is Move to A ′ and the flow rate increases to Q1 ′. However, when the diameter of the impeller 46 is increased, the circulation pump is increased in size, so that an extra space is required for mounting on the drum-type washing / drying machine, and the casing of the drum-type washing / drying machine is also increased in size. This will lead to deterioration of the installation.

  Further, when the performance of the circulation pump 24 is improved (increase efficiency, specifically, the shape of the pump impeller is optimized and the gap between the pump impeller 46 and the pump casing 42 is reduced), for example, a two-dot chain line The operating point is A ′ and the flow rate is Q1 ′. However, in the circulation pump 24 used in the drum type washing machine, the waste water is contained in the wash water (circulation water), and if the pump gives priority to the efficiency, the above-described waste thread clogging into the pump is caused. Since the possibility increases, there is a limit to high performance.

  Next, in order to increase the circulation flow rate while maintaining the circulation flow path and the circulation pump 24, when the rotation speed of the circulation pump 24 is increased to rev2, the operating point becomes B, the flow rate Q2, and the static pressure P2. In this case, since the static pressure increases, it is necessary to improve the pressure resistance of the circulation channel 27 and the bellows hose 41, and it is difficult to realize the circulation channel as it is. Further, since the rotational speed increases, there is a problem that the noise of the circulation pump 24 increases. For this reason, it is not preferable to increase the circulation flow rate only by the rotation speed.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the flow path area of the circulation path is increased to reduce the pressure loss of the circulation path, the resistance loss of the circulation path is set to a resistance loss curve 2 indicated by a broken line, and the static pressure is approximately the same as P1 in the past. I did it. At this time, the rotational speed of the circulation pump 24 is rev3, and the operating point is C. Thereby, it is not necessary to change the pressure resistance of the circulation path from the conventional one. Specifically, the cross-sectional area of the circulation channel 27 was set to a diameter of 25 mm or more (cross-sectional area 491 mm 2 or more) in terms of a circle. Further, if it is attempted to increase the flow rate while the cross-sectional area of the water inlet 23a is small, not only the pressure loss increases, but also the pressure of the suction port 43 decreases, cavitation occurs, and noise increases rapidly. For this reason, the larger the cross-sectional area of the suction port 43 is, the better. However, if the suction port 43 is too large, the pump performance deteriorates. Therefore, the inner diameter of the suction port 43 of the circulation pump 24 is set to 35 mm.

  FIG. 11B is a diagram showing the relationship between the ratio of the inner diameter (d2) of the suction port 43 and the diameter (d1) of the pump impeller and the flow rate of the circulation pump 24. As the inner diameter of the suction port 43 increases, the flow rate increases. However, if the inner diameter is increased too much, the flow rate decreases. This is because, as indicated by the arrow F1 in FIG. 6, a circulating flow is generated in which a part of the water discharged by the impeller 46 of the circulation pump 24 returns to the suction side again. In the circulation pump of the present embodiment, d2 / d1 is 0.7 to 0.8 and the flow rate is maximized. Therefore, the inner diameter d2 of the suction port 43 is 35 mm with respect to the impeller diameter of 45 mm (22. 5 mm). Further, when the maximum circulating flow rate was 60 L / min, cavitation occurred when d2 / d1 was 0.6 or less (d2 was 27 mm or less). For this reason, the suction port 43 needs to have an inner diameter of 27 mm or more (cross-sectional area of 573 mm 2 or more), but it is better to set the inner diameter to 30 mm or more (cross-sectional area of 707 mm 2 or more) with a margin. The suction port 43 is not limited to a circular one. Here, it goes without saying that the upstream flow path from the suction port 43, that is, the water inlet 23a, the bellows hose 22 and the joint 21a are required to be at least the cross-sectional area of the suction port 43. In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the suction port 43 is 35 mm (cross-sectional area 962 mm 2), and the minimum inner diameter of the upstream flow path is 40 mm (cross-sectional area 1257 mm 2).

  From the above, in this embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the suction port 43 through which water flows into the casing 42 that houses the impeller 46 of the circulation pump 24 is 707 mm 2 or more, and the diameter when the suction port 43 is converted into a circle D2 / d1, which is a ratio of (d2) to the diameter (d1) of the pump impeller, is set to 0.66 or more and 0.8 or less, and the cross-sectional area of the upstream flow path of the suction port 43 is set to the cross-sectional area of the suction port 43. As described above, the cross-sectional area of the circulation flow path 27 from the bottom to the top of the outer tub 2 was set to 491 mm 2 or more, and the rotation speed of the circulation pump 24 was set to 2300 rpm or more and 3800 rpm or less. Thereby, a high circulating flow rate of 35 L / min or more can be realized while maintaining the mountability and low noise of the circulation pump 24, and the cleaning performance is improved.

  The washing water discharged from the nozzle 27a into the drum 3 flows into the outer tub 2 through the through-hole provided in the outer peripheral wall of the drum 3 through the gaps between the clothes in the drum 3 and the clothes, and the recess 2f. And is sucked into the circulation pump 24 again. At this time, if there is not enough water in the recess 2f, air is sucked into the circulation pump 24, making it difficult to circulate the washing water. For this reason, in this embodiment, the volume of the hollow part 2f is enlarged and the circulating water sucked is ensured.

  As described above, according to the operation process of the drum type washing / drying machine S according to the present embodiment, the circulation flow rate, which was conventionally about 20 L / min, is significantly increased to 35 L / min to 60 L / min, The washing water is sprayed from the nozzle to a wide area in the drum. When the circulation flow rate is increased, the washing ratio is improved because the clothes fall in a state where sufficient washing water penetrates the entire clothes lifted by the rotation of the drum 3, so that the washing water contained in the clothes falls. It is because it is pushed out of clothes with dirt by the impact of (tap wash). In addition, when the circulating flow rate exceeds 60 L / min, the increase in the washing ratio is almost saturated. There is a limit to the amount of water that can be contained in clothing, and even if the flow rate is increased more than necessary, This is because it flows outside and does not contribute to cleaning. Moreover, since washing water permeates the entire clothing, the detergent components can be diluted efficiently even in rinsing, and the rinsing performance can be improved.

  In general, the vertical washing machine has less stuffiness because the opening of the tub is on the upper surface side, and washing is carried out by pool washing at a high water level. However, since the opening of the drum type washing machine is on the front side, it is very difficult to increase the water level while preventing water leakage. Therefore, in this embodiment, the circulation flow rate is greatly increased, and plenty of washing water is included in the clothing, so that the cleaning power can be ensured even if the tapping time is shortened, and as a result, the clothing is less stiff. It becomes possible. That is, it is possible to realize washing with high detergency and less wrinkle without deteriorating the water saving characteristic of the drum type washing machine.

  Next, the effect of suppressing darkening that tends to occur in a drum type washing machine will be described. Darkening mainly occurs because part of the dirt removed from the garment again adheres to the garment (recontamination phenomenon). The drum type washing machine is characterized in that it uses less water than the vertical washing machine. However, if the amount of dirt on the clothes and the detergency are the same, the concentration of dirt in the washing water is higher in the drum type washing machine, and therefore it tends to darken. In general, a drum-type washing machine uses about half the amount of water compared to a vertical washing machine, and the concentration of dirt is approximately doubled. Also, the longer the washing time, the easier it is to darken.

  In the drum type washing machine of this embodiment, since the circulation flow rate of the washing water is large, a large amount of washing water is sprayed on the clothes that have come out in the air. For this reason, clothes will fall in water in the state covered with the film | membrane of washing water, and the stain | pollution | contamination of a water surface is hard to reattach, and there exists an effect which suppresses darkening. Furthermore, as described above, since there is also an effect of increasing the cleaning power, the time for the washing process is shortened, and hence darkening can be further suppressed.

  FIG. 12 is an example of an experimental result showing the relationship between the circulation flow rate and darkening. In the experiment, clothes that were coated with inorganic dirt such as artificial sebum dirt or carbon and white clothes were washed at the same time (3 kg of cloth). FIG. 12 shows data after 5 cycles of washing. The change in lightness is a value obtained by subtracting the lightness of a new article from the lightness after washing white clothing. The larger the value, the greater the darkness. As can be seen from the figure, the greater the circulating flow rate, the less the change in brightness and the less likely it is to darken. Considering not only detergency but also darkening, it is preferable to increase the circulation flow rate to about 68 L / min (circulation pump rotational speed 4200 rpm), and under this experimental condition, the occurrence of darkening can be almost suppressed.

  In the above embodiment, the drum type washing and drying machine has been described. However, the same applies to a drum type washing machine having no drying function.

2 Outer tank 3 Drum 4 Motor (Drum motor)
15 Water supply unit (water supply means)
24 Circulating pump 38 Control device (operation control means)
S Drum type washing and drying machine

Claims (3)

An outer tank for storing water inside,
A drum that is rotatably supported in the outer tub and in which clothing is stored;
A drum motor for rotating the drum;
Water supply means for supplying water into the outer tub;
A circulation pump that sucks water from the outer tub and sprinkles water into the drum;
A filter case that is disposed upstream of the circulation pump and contains a foreign matter collecting filter; an operation control means for controlling the drum motor, the water supply means, and the circulation pump;
In a drum-type washing machine equipped with
The cross-sectional area of the inlet for flowing water into the filter case and the upstream flow path is 707 mm 2 or more,
A drum type washing machine, wherein a circulation flow rate by the circulation pump is set to 35 L / min or more and 68 L / min or less. An outer tank for storing water inside,
A drum that is rotatably supported in the outer tub and in which clothing is stored;
A drum motor for rotating the drum;
Water supply means for supplying water into the outer tub;
A circulation pump that sucks water from the outer tub and sprinkles water into the drum;
A filter case that is disposed upstream of the circulation pump and contains a foreign matter collecting filter; an operation control means for controlling the drum motor, the water supply means, and the circulation pump;
In a drum-type washing machine equipped with
The cross-sectional area of the inlet for flowing water into the filter case and the upstream flow path is 707 mm 2 or more,
The drum type washing machine, wherein the operation control means drives the circulation pump at a rotational speed of 2300 rpm to 4200 rpm. In either claim 1 or 2,
An area of the lattice hole of the foreign matter collecting filter is larger than 6 mm 2, and the longest side of the lattice hole has a filter smaller than the narrowest distance of the circulation shower outlet and the diameter of the motor shaft of the circulation pump. Drum-type washing machine featuring.