JP2022167547A - washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a washing machine capable of reducing cleaning frequency of a drain filter.SOLUTION: A drum type washing machine includes a drain filter 62 which is stored in a filter case 61 so as to be taken out. The drain filter 62 includes: a filter body 210 in which a filter net 260 is provided at a peripheral surface 210b; a slider 220 which is arranged so as to slide in an axial direction of the peripheral surface 210b, and which divides the inside of the filter body 210 into a first chamber R1 connected to an inflow port 103 and a second chamber R2; and a coil spring 240 for imparting elastic force in the direction where the second chamber R2 expands to the slider 220. An outer peripheral end of the slider 220 comes into contact with a surface of the filter net 260. When drain water flows in the first chamber R1, according to a size of a water pressure inside the first chamber R1, the slider 220 slides in the direction where the first chamber R1 expands, and when the inflow of the drain water into the first chamber R1 stops, by the elastic force of the coil spring 240, the slider 220 slides in the direction where the second chamber R2 expands.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to washing machines.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a washing machine provided with a drain filter for collecting foreign matter such as lint contained in drain water in a drain channel through which water used for washing is discharged (see, for example, Patent Document 1). .

JP 2013-81712 A

In the washing machine described above, by making the mesh of the drainage filter finer, it is possible to increase the efficiency of collecting lint from the laundry, especially microplastics from synthetic laundry. However, as the drainage filter becomes finer, clogging is more likely to occur, so there is concern that the frequency of cleaning the drainage filter will increase and the burden on the user will increase.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine capable of reducing the frequency of cleaning the drain filter.

A washing machine according to a main aspect of the present invention comprises an outer tub arranged in a housing, a washing tub arranged in the outer tub for containing laundry, and discharging water in the outer tub to the outside of the machine. a filter case arranged in the drainage channel and having an inlet for inflow of the waste water from the outer tank and an outlet for the outflow of the waste water; and a drainage filter. Here, the drainage filter has a cylindrical peripheral surface, and a filter part for allowing the drainage to pass through and collecting foreign matter contained in the drainage is provided on the peripheral surface of the filter body. a first chamber disposed inside the body so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the peripheral surface, dividing the inside of the filter body in the axial direction in the region where the filter portion is provided, and connected to the inlet; a slider divided into a second chamber; and an elastic member for imparting an elastic force to the slider in a direction in which the second chamber expands. The outer peripheral edge of the slider contacts the surface of the filter section. When the waste water flows into the first chamber, the slider slides in the direction in which the first chamber expands according to the magnitude of the water pressure in the first chamber, thereby preventing the waste water from flowing into the first chamber. When stopped, the slider slides in the direction in which the second chamber expands due to the elastic force of the elastic member.

According to the above configuration, the filter portion is automatically cleaned by sliding the slider based on the inflow and stoppage of the inflow of wastewater, so that the frequency of cleaning the wastewater filter by the user can be reduced.

In the washing machine according to this aspect, the filter portion may be configured to be provided along the entire circumference of the peripheral surface in the circumferential direction.

According to the above configuration, a large amount of foreign matter can be collected by the filter net.

In the washing machine according to this aspect, the filter body has an open end face on the first chamber side, the slider can be inserted into and removed from the inside of the filter body through the opening of the end face, and the inflow port is A configuration may be adopted in which the end surface contacts the formed surface of the filter case, and the opening and the inlet are connected.

According to the above configuration, the user can remove the slider and clean the filter section from the inside of the filter body. Moreover, the waste water that has flowed into the inlet can flow into the first chamber through the opening.

In the above configuration, the slider may further have a handle on the surface facing the opening of the filter body.

With such a configuration, the user can hold the handle and slide the slider to manually clean the filter section.

In the washing machine according to this aspect, the outlet may be provided on a surface of the filter case facing the peripheral surface of the filter body. In this case, the position where the slider partitions the interior of the filter body in a state where the inflow of the waste water into the first chamber is stopped is such that the outflow port falls within the region of the first chamber in the axial direction. position.

When the waste water flows into the first chamber, if the outflow port is within the region of the first chamber in the axial direction of the peripheral surface, the waste water that has passed through the portion of the filter portion near the outflow port will immediately flow into the outflow port. Since the waste water flows into the first chamber, the flow resistance of the waste water in the first chamber becomes small, and the flow rate of the waste water can be increased.

According to the above configuration, when the inflow of waste water is stopped and no water pressure is applied to the first chamber, the outflow port is within the region of the first chamber in the axial direction of the peripheral surface. Even if the slider is not slid in the direction in which the first chamber expands due to water pressure, a good drainage flow rate can be ensured.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the washing machine which can reduce the cleaning frequency of a drainage filter can be provided.

The effects and significance of the present invention will become clearer from the description of the embodiments shown below. However, the following embodiment is merely an example of carrying out the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a drum-type washing machine according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the filter device according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the filter device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the filter device cut along line AA' in FIG. 2, according to the embodiment. FIG. 5(a) is a side cross-sectional view of the drainage filter according to the embodiment. FIG. 5(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the drainage filter according to the embodiment. 6(a) and 6(b) are cross-sectional views of the filter body and the slider, respectively, taken at the same positions as in FIG. 4, according to the embodiment. FIGS. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views schematically showing main parts of a filter device according to Modification 1. FIG.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A drum-type washing machine, which is an embodiment of the washing machine of the present invention, will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a drum-type washing machine 1. As shown in FIG.

A drum-type washing machine 1 includes a rectangular housing 10 . A circular loading port 11 into which laundry is loaded is formed on the front surface of the housing 10 . The slot 11 is covered with a door 12 that can be opened and closed.

An outer tub 20 is elastically supported in the housing 10 by a plurality of dampers 21 and springs 22 . A drum 23 is rotatably arranged in the outer tub 20 . The drum 23 rotates around a horizontal axis. The drum 23 has a circular opening 23a on its front surface. The outer tub 20 has a circular opening 20a in front of the opening 23a of the drum 23 . The drum 23 corresponds to the washing tub of the present invention.

A peripheral edge portion of the opening 20a of the outer tub 20 and a peripheral edge portion of the inlet 11 of the housing 10 are connected by an annular packing 24 made of an elastic material. The peripheral surface of the closed door 12 contacts the packing 24, and the space between the inlet 11 and the door 12 is water-sealed.

A large number of dewatering holes 23b are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the drum 23 . An annular balancer 25 is provided at the front portion of the inner peripheral surface of the drum 23, and three baffles 26 having a substantially triangular prism shape are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

A drive motor 30 that generates torque for rotating the drum 23 is arranged behind the outer tub 20 . The drive motor 30 is, for example, an outer rotor type DC brushless motor. During the washing process and the rinsing process, the drive motor 30 rotates the drum 23 at a rotational speed at which the laundry in the drum 23 is tumbling because the centrifugal force applied to the laundry in the drum 23 is less than the gravity. On the other hand, the drive motor 30 rotates the drum 23 at a rotation speed at which the centrifugal force applied to the laundry in the drum 23 is far greater than the gravity and the laundry sticks to the inner peripheral surface of the drum 23 during the dewatering process.

The bottom of the outer tub 20 is provided with a recess 20b that is recessed downward. A drainage channel 40 for discharging the water in the outer tank 20 to the outside of the machine is connected to a drainage port provided on the bottom surface of the recess 20b.

The drainage channel 40 is provided with two filter devices 50 and 60 on the upstream side and the downstream side for collecting foreign matters such as lint contained in the drainage from the outer tank 20 .

The upstream filter device 50 is arranged in the lower front portion of the housing 10 . The filter device 50 includes a filter case 51 arranged in the drainage channel 40 and a drainage filter 52 removably housed in the filter case 51 . The filter case 51 is connected to an entrance provided in the lower front portion of the housing 10, and the drain filter 52 can be taken in and out of the filter case 51 through the entrance. A door can be provided at the entrance. As the filter device 50, for example, a filter unit described in JP-A-2020-103718 can be used.

The downstream filter device 60 is arranged in the upper front portion of the housing 10 . The filter device 60 includes a filter case 61 arranged in the drainage channel 40 and a drainage filter 62 removably housed in the filter case 61 . The filter case 61 is connected to a doorway provided in the upper front portion of the housing 10, and the drain filter 62 can be taken in and out of the filter case 61 through the doorway. A door can be provided at the entrance. The drain filter 62 can collect foreign matter smaller than the size that the drain filter 52 on the upstream side can collect, especially microplastics, which are fine lint from synthetic laundry. The configuration of the filter device 60 will be described later in detail.

A drainage pump 70 is arranged in the drainage channel 40 between the filter device 50 on the upstream side and the filter device 60 on the downstream side. In the drainage channel 40 , a first drainage hose 41 is connected to the recess 20 b of the outer tank 20 and the filter device 50 , and a second drainage hose 42 is connected to the filter device 50 and the drainage pump 70 . A third drain hose 43 is connected to the drain pump 70 . The third drain hose 43 is lifted to the top of the housing 10 and connected to the filter device 60 . A fourth drain hose 44 extending to the outside of the machine is connected to the filter device 60 .

Water accumulates in the drainage channel 40 to the same height as the water level of the water accumulated in the outer tank 20.例文帳に追加When the drainage pump 70 operates, the water accumulated in the drainage channel 40 and the water in the outer tank 20 are discharged to the outside of the machine. At this time, the wastewater from inside the outer tub 20 passes through the two filter devices 50 and 60, and foreign matter is collected by these filter devices 50 and 60. As shown in FIG. The upstream filter device 50 collects large foreign matter, thereby preventing the drainage pump 70 from malfunctioning due to entry of large foreign matter into the drainage pump 70 . In the filter device 60 on the downstream side, only foreign matter that has passed through the filter device 50 on the upstream side is collected by the drain filter 62, so that the drain filter 62 is less likely to clog.

A water supply unit 80 is arranged in the rear part of the housing 10 . The water supply unit 80 includes a water supply valve 81 and a water supply hose 82 . The water supply hose 82 has one end connected to the water supply valve 81 and the other end connected to the water inlet 20 c provided on the rear surface of the outer tank 20 . When the water supply valve 81 is opened, tap water from the faucet flows through the water supply hose 82 and is supplied into the outer tub 20 from the water inlet 20c.

A detergent input device (not shown) is further provided in the housing 10 . The detergent dosing device contains detergent and softener prior to the wash run. During the water supply in the washing process, the detergent is supplied from the detergent supply device into the drum 23, and during the water supply in the rinsing process, the softener is supplied into the drum 23 from the detergent supply device.

In the drum-type washing machine 1, washing operations of various operation courses are performed. In the washing operation, a washing process, an intermediate dehydration process, a rinsing process and a final dehydration process are sequentially performed. Depending on the operation course, the rinsing process and the intermediate dehydration process may be performed twice or more.

In the washing process, water containing detergent is accumulated in the outer tub 20 up to a predetermined water level corresponding to the load of the laundry accommodated in the drum 23, and the laundry soaked in the water is washed into the drum 23. The tumbling is performed by repeating the forward and reverse rotations of the . The water containing the detergent permeates into the inside of the laundry, and dirt adhering to the surface and inside of the laundry is removed by the force of the detergent and the mechanical force of tumbling.

In the rinsing process, the drum 23 rotates forward and backward while the outer tub 20 is filled with water up to a predetermined water level to tumble the laundry. As a result, the detergent contained in the laundry is discharged together with the water, and the laundry is rinsed.

In the intermediate dehydration process and the final dehydration process, the drive motor 30 rotates in one direction at a high speed, and the drum 23 rotates in one direction at a speed at which the centrifugal force acting on the laundry in the drum 23 is far greater than the gravity. . The centrifugal force presses the laundry against the inner peripheral surface of the drum 23 and dehydrates it. In the final dewatering process, the drum 23 rotates at a higher rotational speed than in the intermediate dewatering process.

Next, the configuration of the filter device 60 will be described in detail.

2 and 3 are side sectional views of the filter device 60. FIG. FIG. 2 shows a state in which waste water has not flowed into the inside of the filter body 210 . FIG. 3 shows a state in which the slider 220 is slid most due to water pressure when waste water flows into the inside of the filter body 210 . FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the filter device 60 taken along line AA' of FIG. FIG. 5(a) is a side sectional view of the drainage filter 62. FIG. FIG. 5(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the drainage filter 62. As shown in FIG. 6(a) and 6(b) are cross-sectional views of the filter body 210 and the slider 220 taken at the same positions as in FIG. 4, respectively. Note that the illustration of the coil spring 240 is omitted in FIG.

The filter case 61 is made of a resin material and has a cylindrical shape with an open front end and a closed rear end. The filter case 61 includes a filter housing portion 101 and a handle housing portion 102 located in front of the filter housing portion 101 and having an outer diameter larger than that of the filter housing portion 101 .

The filter accommodating portion 101 has a circular inlet 103 formed in the central portion of the rear end surface 101a, and a circular outlet 104 formed in the lowermost position of the rear end portion of the peripheral surface 101b. The filter housing portion 101 has a cylindrical connecting portion 105 protruding rearward from the inflow port 103 , and the third drain hose 43 is connected to the connecting portion 105 . Further, the filter housing portion 101 has a cylindrical connecting portion 106 protruding downward from the outflow port 104 , and the fourth drain hose 44 is connected to this connecting portion 106 .

The handle accommodating portion 102 is provided at its rear end with a tapered portion 107 whose outer diameter gradually decreases. Further, the handle accommodating portion 102 is provided with an annular mounting flange 108 at the front end portion. A mounting flange 108 is attached to the front surface of the housing 10 with screws or the like. An opening 102 a on the front end surface of the handle accommodating portion 102 is aligned with the entrance on the front surface of the housing 10 .

The drainage filter 62 includes a filter body 210 , a slider 220 , a slide guide 230 , a coil spring 240 and a handle 250 .

The filter body 210 is a bottomed cylindrical body with a closed front end face and an open rear end face, made of a resin material, and has a circular front end face 210a and a cylindrical peripheral face 210b. A filter net 260 is provided along the entire circumference of the peripheral surface 210b of the filter body 210 in the circumferential direction. The filter net 260 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel and has a cylindrical shape. For example, the filter net 260 may be configured to form a mesh by weaving wires in a grid pattern, or may be configured to form a mesh by punching countless holes in a sheet-like material. may In the latter configuration, the size of the pores is the size of the mesh. The mesh size of the filter net 260 is, for example, approximately 30 to 50 microns. The filter network 260 corresponds to the filter section of the present invention.

The filter net 260 is integrally formed with the filter body 210 by insert molding. The filter net 260 occupies more than half of the rear end portion of the peripheral surface 210b of the filter body 210 in the front-rear direction, that is, the axial direction of the peripheral surface 210b of the filter body 210 . The filter body 210 is provided with a plurality of, for example, eight crosspieces 211 extending in the axial direction at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction in the area of the filter net 260 . A portion of the filter net 260 is embedded in each crosspiece 211, and the area of the filter net 260 is divided into a plurality of areas in the circumferential direction. Note that the number of crosspieces 211 is preferably determined in consideration of the strength of the filter body 210 . Moreover, the crosspiece 211 may not be provided on the filter body 210 .

A front end face 210 a of the filter body 210 is formed with a recess 212 in the center of the inner side, and a cylindrical mounting boss 213 is provided in the center of the recess 212 . The recess 212 has a deep outer peripheral edge.

The slider 220 is slidably arranged inside the filter body 210 . The slider 220 is made of a resin material, and includes a slider body 221, a flange 222, and a handle 223. The slider body 221 has a bottomed cylindrical shape with an open front end face and a closed rear end face. The flange 222 has an annular shape and is provided at a predetermined position on the peripheral surface of the slider body 221 . As shown in FIG. 6(b), on the outer peripheral edge of the flange 222, recesses 222a are formed at positions corresponding to the plurality of crosspieces 211 of the filter body 210. be done. As shown in FIG. 5, an outer peripheral end 222b of the flange 222, which is the outer peripheral end of the slider 220, contacts the surface of the filter net 260. As shown in FIG. A slight gap is generated between each crosspiece 211 of the filter body 210 and the concave portion 222 a of the flange 222 . The handle 223 has a plate shape and protrudes rearward from the rear end surface of the slider body 221 . If the filter body 210 is not provided with the crosspiece 211, the flange 222 is not provided with the concave portion 222a.

The slider body 221 and the flange 222 of the slider 220 divide the inside of the filter body 210 in the axial direction of the filter body 210 in the area where the filter net 260 is provided. As a result, the inside of the filter body 210 is divided into a first chamber R1 connected to the inlet 103 of the filter case 61 and a second chamber R2.

The slide guide 230 is arranged inside the filter body 210 . The slide guide 230 is made of a resin material and has a bottomed cylindrical shape with a closed front end face and an open rear end face. The slide guide 230 is fixed to the center of the front end surface 210 a of the filter body 210 . That is, the front end of the slide guide 230 has a shape corresponding to the recess 212 of the front end face 210a and is fitted into the recess 212. As shown in FIG. The mounting boss 213 is fitted into the mounting recess 231 provided on the front end face of the slide guide 230 , and the mounting recess 231 is fixed to the mounting boss 213 with a screw 232 . An O-ring 233 seals water between the outer peripheral surface of the front end portion of the slide guide 230 and the inner peripheral surface of the recess 212 .

The slide guide 230 is inserted inside the slider body 221 and supports the slider 220 in a slidable manner. As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of, for example, eight ribs 234 extending in the axial direction are formed on the peripheral surface of the slide guide 230 at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. These ribs 234 are in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the slider body 221 to reduce the frictional resistance when the slider 220 slides. An annular packing 235 is provided at the front end of the slide guide 230 . The packing 235 contacts the inner peripheral surface of the slider body 221 . This prevents water from entering the interior of the slider body 221 and the slide guide 230 .

The coil spring 240 has a front end housed inside the slide guide 230 and a rear end protruding rearward from the slide guide 230 . The coil spring 240 corresponds to the elastic member of the invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the initial position of the slider 220 is the position where the rear end surface of the slider body 221 contacts the rear end of the natural length coil spring 240 . The slider 220 is at the initial position when the water is not drained from the outer tub 20, that is, when the flow of water into the first chamber R1 is stopped. At this time, the position where the slider 220 partitions the inside of the filter body 210, that is, the position of the flange 222 of the slider 220 is the position where the outflow port 104 falls within the region of the first chamber R1 in the axial direction of the filter body 210. An outflow port 104 exists directly below the first chamber R1.

A mounting portion 214 to which a handle 250 is mounted is integrally formed on the front portion of the filter body 210 . The mounting portion 214 has a cylindrical shape and an outer diameter larger than that of the filter body 210 . A flange 214a is provided in the intermediate portion of the mounting portion 214, and an O-ring 215 is mounted behind the flange 214a. Further, the mounting portion 214 is formed with a claw 214b at the front end portion.

The handle 250 is made of a resin material and includes a disk-shaped base portion 251 and a plate-shaped knob 252 projecting from the central portion of the base portion 251 . The handle 250 is attached to the attachment portion 214 . At this time, the claw 251 a provided on the base portion 251 engages with the claw 214 b of the mounting portion 214 . As a result, the handle 250 cannot be removed forward from the mounting portion 214, but is rotatable.

The drain filter 62 inserted into the filter case 61 has the filter body 210 housed in the filter housing portion 101 and the handle 250 housed in the handle housing portion 102 . The handle 250 is provided with a male screw portion (not shown) on the outer peripheral surface of the base portion 251, and the handle accommodating portion 102 is provided with a female screw portion (not shown). When the handle 250 is rotated, the male threaded portion engages the female threaded portion, and the filter body 210 moves rearward together with the handle 250 . The O-ring 215 is pressed against the tapered portion 107 of the handle accommodating portion 102 to seal the gap between the mounting portion 214 and the tapered portion 107 . This prevents water leakage from inside the filter case 61 .

The rear end surface of the filter body 210 contacts the rear end surface 101a of the filter accommodating portion 101, and the opening 210c of the rear end surface of the filter body 210 and the inlet 103 are connected. An annular projection 216 is formed at the rear end of the filter body 210 , and this projection 216 fits into an annular groove 109 formed in the rear end surface 101 a of the filter housing portion 101 . This makes it difficult for the waste water that has flowed into the first chamber R1 to leak out of the filter body 210 from between the rear end face of the filter body 210 and the rear end face 101a of the filter housing portion 101 .

Next, the operation of the filter device 60 will be described.

When the drainage pump 70 operates, the drainage from the outer tub 20 flows into the first chamber R1 of the filter body 210 through the inlet 103 . The slider 220 slides forward, that is, in the direction in which the first chamber R1 expands, to a position where the water pressure in the first chamber R1 and the sliding resistance of the coil spring 240 and the packing 235 are balanced. For example, the spring constant of the coil spring 240 is set so that the slider 220 does not move or moves slightly at a stage where almost no foreign matter such as microplastics is collected in the area of the filter net 260 included in the first chamber R1. can.

The waste water that has flowed into the first chamber R1 passes through the filter net 260, flows out of the filter body 210, and flows into the outflow port 104. As shown in FIG. Foreign matter contained in the waste water is collected by the filter net 260 and accumulated on the surface of the filter net 260 . Since waste water tends to flow through paths with low flow resistance, foreign matter tends to accumulate particularly in the portion of the filter net 260 near the outflow port 104 .

As the foreign matter accumulates in the area of the filter net 260 included in the first chamber R1, the water pressure inside the first chamber R1 increases and the slider 220 slides forward. Since the area of the filter net 260 included in the first chamber R1 is expanded, the decrease in the flow resistance of the waste water is suppressed, and the decrease in the flow rate of the waste water is suppressed. As shown in FIG. 3, the slider 220 can slide up to the front end position of the filter net 260. When the slider 220 moves to this position, the entire area of the filter net 260 can be drained.

When the drain pump 70 stops, the water pressure in the first chamber R1 decreases, and the slider 220 is pushed by the elastic force of the coil spring 240 and slides rearward, that is, in the direction in which the second chamber R2 expands. When the slider 220 slides, the slider 220, that is, the outer peripheral end 222b of the flange 222 slides on the surface of the filter net 260, and the foreign matter accumulated on the surface of the filter net 260 is pushed backward. The extruded foreign matter accumulates behind the stopped slider 220, that is, in the first chamber R1 after the slider 220 completes sliding.

In this manner, the surface of the filter net 260 within the slide range is cleaned by the slider 220 sliding due to the change in water pressure in the first chamber R1. As a result, a large amount of foreign matter can be collected by the filter net 260 before the entire filter net 260 becomes clogged to such an extent that the minimum amount of wastewater flow cannot be secured. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the frequency of cleaning the drain filter 62 by the user.

When the waste water flows into the first chamber R1, the flange 222 of the slider 220 is positioned forward of the outflow port 104 as shown in FIG. , the waste water that has passed through the portion of the filter net 260 near the outflow port 104 immediately flows into the outflow port 104, so that the flow resistance of the waste water in the first chamber R1 is reduced and the flow rate of the waste water is reduced. can be increased. In this embodiment, when the slider 220 is at the initial position, the outflow port 104 is already within the area of the first chamber R1. That is, it is possible to secure a good drainage flow rate without sliding the first chamber R1 in the expanding direction. Therefore, the slider 220 does not need to be slidable under low water pressure, and the elastic force of the coil spring 240 can be increased accordingly. Therefore, when the slider 220 is slid rearward, that is, in the direction in which the second chamber R2 expands, the foreign matter accumulated on the surface of the filter net 260 can be strongly pushed out, making it easier to remove the foreign matter.

When the slider 220 reciprocates, air enters and exits the interior of the slider body 221 and the slide guide 230 through the ventilation hole 217 passing through the front end surface 210 a of the filter body 210 and the front end surface of the slide guide 230 . This allows the slider 220 to slide smoothly.

In addition, since the drainage pump 70 is configured to send drainage to the filter device 60, that is, the drainage filter 62, the water supply pressure can be increased, and the mesh of the filter net 260 can be made small so as to collect microplastics. Also, it is easy to obtain a sufficient drainage flow rate.

The user can remove the drain filter 62 from the filter case 61 and clean the filter net 260 .

As shown in FIG. 5A, the user can hold the handle 223 and pull the slider 220 backward from the initial position. The outer peripheral end 222b of the flange 222 slides on the surface of the filter net 260 behind the initial position, that is, on the surface of the filter net 260 in the area where the slider 220 does not slide due to changes in water pressure, and foreign matter accumulated on the filter net 260 is removed. is pushed out from the opening 210c of the filter body 210.

As shown in FIG. 5(b), the inner peripheral wall surface of the rear end of the filter body 210 protrudes slightly inward from the filter net 260, and when the flange 222 of the slider 220 moves to the rear end, At this time, the outer peripheral end of the flange 222 abuts against the projecting portion 218 . This prevents the slider 220 from accidentally slipping out of the filter body 210 through the opening 210c.

On the other hand, when the slider 220 is strongly pulled from the state in which the outer peripheral end of the flange 222 is in contact with the protruding portion 218, the rear end of the filter body 210 and the flange 222 are elastically deformed, and the flange 222 protrudes. Beyond the portion 218 , the slider 220 exits from the interior of the filter body 210 . Thereby, the user can use a cleaning tool such as a brush to clean the surface of the filter net 260 from the inside of the filter body 210 to remove foreign substances.

As shown in FIG. 5(b), the projecting portion 218 has an inclined surface 218a that widens the opening 210c of the front end surface of the filter body 210. As shown in FIG. This makes it easier to return the removed slider 220 to the inside of the filter body 210 through the opening 210c.

<Effect of Embodiment>
According to this embodiment, in the drain filter 62, the inside of the filter body 210 having the filter net 260 on the peripheral surface 210b is partitioned by the slider 220 to be divided into the first chamber R1 and the second chamber R2. When the waste water flows into the first chamber R1, the slider 220 slides in the direction in which the first chamber R1 expands according to the water pressure inside the first chamber R1, and the waste water flows into the first chamber R1. stops, the slider 220 is pushed by the coil spring 240 and slides in the direction in which the second chamber R2 expands. When the slider 220 slides in the direction in which the second chamber R2 expands, the outer peripheral end 222b of the slider 220 slides on the surface of the filter net 260, and foreign matter accumulated on the surface of the filter net 260 is removed. As described above, the filter net 260 is automatically cleaned by sliding the slider 220 based on the inflow and stoppage of the inflow of wastewater, so that the frequency of cleaning the wastewater filter 62 by the user can be reduced.

Further, since a driving device such as a motor is not used to slide the slider 220, the filter device 60 can be realized at low cost.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, since the filter net 260 is provided over the entire circumference of the peripheral surface 210b of the filter body 210, the filter net 260 can collect a large amount of foreign matter.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, filter body 210 has an opening at the rear end face, which is the end face on the first chamber R1 side, and slider 220 can be inserted into and removed from inside filter body 210 through opening 210c in the rear end face. is. The rear end surface of the filter body 210 contacts the rear end surface 101a of the filter case 61, and the opening 210c and the inlet 103 are connected. This allows the user to remove the slider 220 and clean the filter net 260 from the inside of the filter body 210 . In addition, the waste water that has flowed into the inlet 103 can flow into the first chamber R1 through the opening 210c.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the slider 220 is provided with the handle 223 on the rear end face facing the opening 210c of the filter body 210, so that the user can hold the handle 223 and slide the slider 220 manually. to clean the filter net 260.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, when the inflow of waste water is stopped and water pressure is not applied to the first chamber R1, the outflow port 104 is located in the region of the first chamber R1 in the axial direction of the filter body 210. , a good drainage flow rate can be ensured even if the slider 220 is not slid in the direction in which the first chamber R1 expands due to water pressure from the stage when the filter net 260 is not clogged. As a result, the slider 220 does not need to be slidable under low water pressure, and the elastic force of the coil spring 240 is increased to allow the slider 220 to slide vigorously. are easier to remove.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the like, and the embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various ways other than those described above. be.

<Modification 1>
7A to 7C are cross-sectional views schematically showing main parts of a filter device 60 according to Modification 1. FIG.

In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, when the inflow of waste water into the first chamber R1 is stopped and the slider 220 is in the initial position, the slider 220 partitions the inside of the filter body 210. The position, that is, the position of the flange 222 of the slider 220 is in front of the outflow port 104, and the drainage filter 62 is configured so that the outflow port 104 is within the region of the first chamber R1 in the axial direction of the filter body 210. was done.

In Modified Example 1, as shown in FIG. 7(a), when the inflow of waste water into the first chamber R1 is stopped and the slider 220 is in the initial position, the slider 220 is positioned above the filter body 210. The position of partitioning the interior, that is, the position of the flange 222 of the slider 220 is behind the outflow port 104, and in the axial direction of the filter body 210, the outflow filter is arranged so that the outflow port 104 is out of the region of the first chamber R1. 62 are configured.

In Modified Example 1, by appropriately setting the spring constant of the coil spring 240 and the like, as shown in FIG. From the uncollected stage, the slider 220 slides forward to a position where the outflow port 104 is within the area of the first chamber R1 when waste water flows into the first chamber R1.

As shown in FIG. 7(c), when the water pressure in the first chamber R1 rises as foreign matter accumulates in the region of the filter net 260 included in the first chamber R1, the slider 220 moves the filter net 260 to the maximum. Slide forward to the front end position.

This is because, in the configuration of Modification 1, the portion of the filter net 260 near the outflow port 104 where foreign matter is likely to accumulate is included in the sliding range of the slider 220 . This part can be cleaned automatically.

When the inflow of waste water into the first chamber R1 is stopped and the slider 220 is at the initial position, the slider 220 partitions the inside of the filter body 210, that is, the position of the flange 222 of the slider 220. is within the range of the outflow port 104, and in the axial direction of the filter body 210, the drainage filter 62 may be configured such that a part of the outflow port 104 is within the range of the region of the first chamber R1.

<Other modification examples>
In the above embodiment, the filter net 260 is provided along the entire circumference of the peripheral surface 210b of the filter body 210 in the circumferential direction. However, the filter net 260 does not necessarily have to be provided along the entire circumference of the peripheral surface 210b of the filter body 210 in the circumferential direction. The waste water that has flowed into the inside of the filter body 210 tends to flow downward. Therefore, for example, the filter net 260 may be provided in the lower half of the circumferential surface 210b in the circumferential direction.

Furthermore, although the filter net 260 is made of a metal material in the above embodiment, it may be made of a resin material.

Furthermore, the shape of the handle 223 provided on the slider 220 is not limited to the shape of the above embodiment, and may be any shape as long as it can be held with fingers.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the downstream filter device 60 is arranged in the upper front portion of the housing 10, but is arranged in the lower front portion of the housing 10, that is, in a position lower than the recessed portion 20b of the outer tank 20. may be When the filter device 50 on the upstream side is arranged in the lower front part of the housing 10 as in the above embodiment, the two filter devices 50 and 60 are preferably arranged separately on the left and right sides. When the filter device 60 is arranged in the lower part of the housing 10, the drainage pump 70 may be omitted if the water supply pressure of the drainage flowing to the drainage filter 62 is properly obtained.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the coil spring 240 is used to apply elastic force to the slider 220, but a spring other than the coil spring 240 or an elastic member other than the spring may be used.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is applied to the drum-type washing machine 1 having the horizontal drum 23 . However, the present invention can also be applied to a so-called vertical-type fully automatic washing machine having a vertical axis-type washing/dehydrating tub with a pulsator inside. The present invention can also be applied to a drum-type washing/drying machine and a fully automatic washing/drying machine having a drying function.

In addition, the embodiments of the present invention can be appropriately modified in various ways within the scope of the technical idea indicated in the scope of claims.

10 housing
20 outer tank
23 drum (washing tub)
40 drainage
61 filter case
62 drain filter
103 inlet
104 outlet
210 filter body 210b peripheral surface 210c opening
220 slider 222b outer peripheral end
223 Handle
240 coil spring (elastic member)
260 filter network (filter part)
R1 Room 1
R2 Room 2

Claims (5)

an outer tank disposed within the housing;
a washing tub arranged in the outer tub and containing laundry;
a drainage channel for discharging the water in the outer tank to the outside of the machine;
a filter case arranged in the drainage channel and having an inlet into which waste water from the outer tank flows and an outlet from which the waste water flows out;
a drainage filter removably housed in the filter case,
The drainage filter is
a filter body having a cylindrical peripheral surface and provided on the peripheral surface with a filter portion that allows the waste water to pass therethrough and collects foreign matter contained in the waste water;
A first chamber which is arranged inside the filter body so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the peripheral surface, partitions the inside of the filter body in the axial direction in a region in which the filter portion is provided, and is connected to the inlet. and a slider that divides into a second chamber,
an elastic member for applying an elastic force to the slider in a direction in which the second chamber expands;
an outer peripheral edge of the slider is in contact with the surface of the filter section;
When the waste water flows into the first chamber, the slider slides in the direction in which the first chamber expands according to the water pressure in the first chamber,
When the inflow of the waste water into the first chamber stops, the slider slides in the direction in which the second chamber expands due to the elastic force of the elastic member.
A washing machine characterized by: In the washing machine according to claim 1,
The filter part is provided over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction of the peripheral surface,
A washing machine characterized by: In the washing machine according to claim 1 or 2,
The filter body has an open end face on the first chamber side,
The slider can be put in and taken out from the inside of the filter body through the opening of the end face,
The end surface contacts the surface of the filter case on which the inlet is formed, and the opening and the inlet are connected.
A washing machine characterized by: In the washing machine according to claim 3,
The slider is provided with a handle on a surface facing the opening of the filter body,
A washing machine characterized by: In the washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The outflow port is provided on a surface of the filter case facing the peripheral surface of the filter body,
The position where the slider partitions the inside of the filter body in the state where the inflow of the waste water into the first chamber is stopped is the position where the outflow port falls within the region of the first chamber in the axial direction. Ru
A washing machine characterized by:

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