JP2023073750A - Washing and drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a washing and drying machine which can prevent clogging of an air passage filter by discharging a lint mass generated in an air passage leading to a blower from an air passage filter rear side, and which can suppress rolling up of cooling water by preventing drainage from the lower part of the air passage filter.SOLUTION: A washing and drying machine includes: a drum 11 for storing laundry and rotating at each step of washing, rinsing and dewatering; an outer tub 10 for surrounding the drum 11 and for storing water; a drain passage 70 for draining water in the outer tub 10; a blower 32 for supplying air to the drum 11 and the outer tub 10; an air passage 39 for connecting the outer tub 10 and the blower; an air passage filter 36 provided between the outer tub 10 and the air passage 39, and for collecting lint going toward a suction port of the air passage 39; and a lint discharge water passage 9 in which one end is connected to the air passage 39 and the other end is connected to the drain passage 70. The air passage filter 36 is provided only at the position higher than a lint discharge water passage air passage side connection part 9a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to a washer/dryer.

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional washing/drying machine, there is known one that uses water flow to remove foreign matter adhering to an air path filter on the upstream side of a blower. For example, in claim 1 of Patent Document 1, "a water tank, a rotating drum rotatably disposed in the water tank, a dehumidifying section for dehumidifying the air guided from the rotating drum, and a dehumidifying unit in the dehumidifying section. a heating unit for heating the heated air; a blowing unit for guiding the air in the rotating drum to the dehumidifying unit and blowing the air heated by the heating unit into the rotating drum; It is provided in a path on the suction port side, which is between the air blower and the upstream side of the air flow generated by the air blower during the drying process, and is immersed in the washing water supplied in the water tank during the washing process or the rinsing process. a cleaning means for removing foreign substances adhering to said filter means by generating a water flow in said washing water based on the rotational drive of said rotary drum; and a washing step. or a drying and washing machine characterized by comprising rotating drum rotation control means for changing the rotating speed of the rotating drum in the rinsing process."

In addition, in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 5 of the same document, by arranging a filter at the bottom of the back surface of the water tank that is immersed in the washing water during the washing process and the rinsing process, it is included in the circulating air during the drying process. , Collect foreign matter such as cotton dust and lint (hereinafter referred to as "lint") larger than the mesh roughness of the filter (1 mm to 3 mm in paragraph 0060 of the same document), and send it to the blower or heater downstream of the filter. prevents foreign matter from entering.

As described above, in the washing/drying machine of Patent Document 1, after removing the lint adhering to the front side of the filter during the drying process from the front side of the filter by the water flow when rotating the rotating drum during the subsequent washing process and rinsing process, Since the water is discharged from the drain opening at the bottom of the water tank, clogging on the front side of the filter can be eliminated, and a reduction in the amount of circulating air during the drying process can be suppressed.

Patent No. 3863167

However, in general, most of the lint contained in the circulating air during the drying process is several tens to several hundred μm smaller than the filter mesh, so most of the lint in the circulating air passes through the filter, intrudes into the air passage from the air outlet to the blower. The fine lint that has entered the air passage absorbs the cooling water supplied to the air passage for dehumidification during the drying process, or the water supplied to the water tank during the washing process and the rinsing process. It coalesces with the lint to form a lump of lint and deposit on the back side of the filter. The lint mass deposited on the back side of the filter larger than the mesh does not flow back to the front side of the filter in the cleaning of Patent Document 1, so if the drying process is repeated, the lint adhesion to the back side of the filter gradually increases, resulting in clogging of the back side of the filter. progress gradually.

As described above, in the washing/drying machine of Patent Document 1, the clogging of the rear side of the filter progresses over time, so that the amount of circulating air during the drying process decreases, resulting in insufficient drying of the clothes, etc., and the air path. Poor drainage could occur inside.

In addition, the lint generated from the clothes during the drying process accumulates in the filter, and the amount of intake air from the filter decreases. By draining the cooling water from the lower part of the filter surface, there is a place where the lint does not adhere to the lower part of the filter, and the air suction is concentrated there, and the suction air velocity increases. As a result, a phenomenon occurs in which the cooling water is blown up by the fan unit, which may lead to poor drying of the clothes.

In view of the above circumstances, the present invention can prevent clogging of the air duct filter and prevent the cooling water from being rolled up by discharging lint clumps generated in the air duct from the rear side of the air duct filter to the blower. It is an object of the present invention to provide a washing/drying machine capable of performing a normal drying operation.

One aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is a drum that accommodates laundry and rotates during each step of washing, rinsing, and dewatering, an outer tank that surrounds the drum and stores water, and a A drainage channel for draining water, a fan that supplies air to the drum and outer tank, an air channel that connects the outer tank and the fan, and a lint installed between the outer tank and the air channel and directed to the suction port of the air channel. and a lint discharge channel having one end connected to the air channel and the other end connected to the drainage channel, wherein the air channel filter is higher than the air channel side connection position of the lint discharge channel It is characterized by being provided only at the position.

More specific configurations of the invention are described in the claims.

According to the present invention, by discharging lint clumps generated in the air passage from the rear side of the air passage filter to the blower, it is possible to prevent clogging of the air passage filter, suppress the occurrence of the cooling water rolling up, and maintain normal operation. It is possible to provide a washing/drying machine that can perform a drying operation on a regular basis.

Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments.

1 is an external perspective view showing a first example of a drum-type washing machine of the present invention; FIG. Sectional view of the internal structure of the first example of the drum-type washing machine of the present invention viewed from the side. Sectional view of the internal structure of the first example of the drum-type washing machine of the present invention viewed from the side. Sectional view of the first example of the drum-type washing machine of the present invention seen from the back Sectional view of the internal structure of the second example of the drum-type washing machine of the present invention seen from the side Sectional view of the second example of the drum-type washing machine of the present invention seen from the back Sectional view of the internal structure of the third example of the drum-type washing machine of the present invention as seen from the side Sectional drawing which looked at the 2nd example of the drum-type washing machine of this invention from the front Sectional view of the third example of the drum-type washing machine of the present invention seen from the front FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the third example of the drum-type washing machine of the present invention when the circulation air path does not have a concave portion recessed toward the inner side of the drum; Sectional view of the internal structure of the third example of the drum-type washing machine of the present invention when the wall surface for preventing drainage is changed to a slope for preventing drainage, as viewed from the side.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar components are denoted by similar reference numerals, and similar descriptions are not repeated.

The various constituent elements of the present invention do not necessarily have to be independent entities, and one constituent element may consist of a plurality of members, a plurality of constituent elements may consist of one member, a certain constituent element may part of a component, part of one component overlaps part of another component, and so on.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a first example of the drum-type washing machine of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the first example of the drum-type washing machine of the present invention as seen from the side. be. 1 and 2, the outline of the configuration and operation of drum-type washing machine 100 will be described.

First, each direction for explanation is defined. In this embodiment, the horizontal direction when viewing the drum-type washing machine 100 from the user's viewpoint is the left-right direction, the height direction is the up-down direction, and the depth direction is the front-back direction.

In FIG. 1, the housing 1 constituting the outside of the drum-type washing machine 100 includes a housing body 1b having both side surfaces and a back surface integrally made of a steel plate and having a U-shaped shape when viewed from above, and a housing body. It is composed of an underplate (not shown) arranged below 1b, a front cover 1a (not shown) covering the front surface of the housing body 1b, and a top cover 1c arranged above. A door 2 that can be opened and closed is arranged on the front surface of the housing 1 .

The door 2 is supported by hinges provided on the front cover so that it can be opened and closed. By pulling the door opening handle 2a, the door 2 is unlocked and opened forward, and is locked and closed by pressing the door 2 against the front cover.

The front cover 1a has a circular opening (not shown) concentrically with the opening of the outer tub 10 (FIG. 2) for taking in and out clothes, and the door 2 covers this opening. A window 3 is provided.

The door 2 is provided with an operation section (not shown) in which operation switches and the like are arranged. The operation unit is of a glass touch panel type, and is electrically connected to a control unit 20 (FIG. 2) provided inside the housing 1 .

Inside the housing 1 of the drum-type washing machine 100, an outer tub 10 for storing water is provided. The outer tub 10 inserts a drum 11 for storing laundry. The outer tub 10 is hung from the housing 1 via a spring (not shown), and the center of gravity of the outer tub 10 is hung from the left and right. A lower portion of the outer tub 10 is supported by a vibration isolation member 12 fixed to the housing 1 .

A rotating shaft 4 connected to the drum 11 is provided behind the outer tub 10 , and a pulley 5 is connected to the rotating shaft 4 . A motor 13 is connected to the pulley 5 via a belt 6 . The motor 13 rotates the drum 11 via the belt 6 , the pulley 5 and the rotating shaft 4 .

A control unit 20 controls the rotation speed of the motor 13 .

Further, the control unit 20 acquires sensor values of a vibration sensor (not shown) provided in the drum-type washing machine 100 . During the dehydration process, when the vibration amplitude of the outer tub 10 detected by the vibration sensor exceeds a preset threshold value due to unbalance of the clothes thrown into the drum, the dehydration process is temporarily stopped and the drum 11 is rotated forward and reverse. After correcting the imbalance of the clothes, the dehydration process is redone. When the motor 13 is driven, the drum 11 is rotated in both forward and reverse directions.

On the inner peripheral surface of the drum 11, a plurality of dehydration holes 11a for draining the washing water in the drum to the outer tub 10 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the drum 11 and put into the drum. A plurality of baffles 14 are provided for lifting the garment. The baffle 14 is installed so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the drum 11 .

The opening of the outer tub 10 and the inlet of the housing 1 are connected by a bellows 15 that is easily stretchable in the front-rear direction. The bellows 15 is made of an annular elastic member and seals the drum 11 when the door 2 is closed. The inlet of the housing 1, the opening of the outer tub 10, and the opening of the drum 11 communicate with each other, and by opening the door 2, the clothes can be put in and taken out of the drum 11. FIG.

Next, a washing/drying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the first example of the drum-type washing machine of the present invention viewed from the side, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the first example of the drum-type washing machine of the present invention viewed from the back. It is a diagram. As shown in FIG. 3, the washing and drying machine of the present invention includes a housing 1, a door 2, an outer tub 10, a drum 11, an air blower (blower 32, a heater 33, an air outlet 34, a circulation air passage 39, an air passage hose, 35), an air channel filter 36, a drainage channel (internal drainage channel 70, channel filter 42, drainage hose 41), and a drainage pump 40.

The dashed arrow indicates the flow of air during drying. The air blower generates circulating air indicated by broken line arrows in the figure during the drying process, and dries the laundry. The air blown out from the blower 32 is heated by the downstream heater 33 and then supplied to the drum 11 through the air outlet 34 . The air supplied to the drum 11 heats the wet laundry accommodated in the drum 11 to dehydrate it, and then passes through the outer peripheral holes of the drum 11 and flows out into the space between the drum 11 and the outer tub 10. Furthermore, it passes through an air path filter 36 which is a mesh filter and reaches a circulation air path 39 .

Solid arrows indicate the flow of cooling water during drying. The air that has flowed into the circulation air passage 39 absorbs water from the laundry, and thus the humidity is high. By cooling the air, water vapor is condensed and the air is dehumidified. The dried air after dehumidification returns to the blower 32 through the air passage hose 35 . In this way, the blower supplies hot dry air to the wet laundry in the drum 11 to accelerate the drying of the laundry.

The internal drainage channel 70 communicates with the bottom opening of the outer tank 10 and is a path for draining water from the external tank 10. The channel filter 42 collects lint in the drainage flowing through the internal drainage channel 70, and the drainage passes through the channel filter 42. It consists of a drain hose 41 that The lint collected by the channel filter 42 is cleaned by the user as needed.

The drainage pump 40 is provided on the downstream side of the channel filter 42 and drains water through the internal drainage channel 70 .

Due to the mechanical force of the laundry in the drum 11 rubbing against each other during the washing process and the rinsing process, and the mechanical force of the wind supplied to the drum 11 during the drying process, the fibers of the laundry are peeled off and lint is generated. . At the beginning of the drying process, the generated lint is wet and heavy and does not float, but as the drying progresses it becomes lighter and starts to float. Of the floating lint, lint larger than the mesh size of the air path filter 36 is collected by the air path filter 36 and discharged into the internal drainage path 70 after the subsequent washing process and rinsing process are completed.

On the other hand, of the lint floating during the drying process, lint smaller than the mesh size of the air passage filter 36 passes through the air passage filter 36 and enters the circulation air passage 39 . Therefore, if the washing and drying machine 100 is used for a long period of time, lint lumps will accumulate on the back side of the air path filter 36 for the same reason as described in the "Problems to be Solved by the Invention" column.

The washing/drying machine 1 of the present invention is provided with a lint discharge channel 9 connecting the lower part of the circulation air channel 39 and the internal drainage channel 70 . The lint discharge channel 9 is connected to the circulation air channel 39 of the drum 11 via the lint discharge channel air channel side connection portion 9a. It is also connected to the internal drainage channel 70 via the lint discharge channel drainage channel-side connecting portion 9b.

The circulation air passage 39 of the drum 11 has a recessed portion 39a recessed toward the inside of the drum 11, and the lint discharge water passage air passage side connection portion 9a is provided in the recessed portion 39a. With such a configuration, the lint discharge channel 9 does not protrude outside the drum 11 beyond the circulating air channel depth limit line 31 when viewing the side cross section of the washing machine. That is, when the drum 11 and the lint discharge channel 9 are viewed in cross section from the side, the rearmost surface of the lint discharge channel 9 is housed inside the rearmost surface of the circulation air passage 39 . With such a configuration, the lint discharge channel 9 can be provided even when the washing machine is installed in a space with no extra depth. As a result, it is possible to provide a washing machine having a lint discharge channel 9 without affecting the dimensions of the main body of the washing machine.

In the washing and drying machine of the present embodiment having the above configuration, if the mesh roughness of the mesh of the air passage filter 36 is, for example, several hundred μm, lint having a size of about several tens of μm passes through the air passage filter 36 during the drying process. It passes through and enters the circulation air passage 39 . Inside the circulation air passage 39, clumps of lint are generated by the same action as described in the comparative example. When the water is drained after the rinsing process is finished, the lint is drained through the lint drain channel 9 and into the internal drain channel 70 as the water is drained from the outer tank 10 . At this time, it is desirable that the lint discharge water channel air channel side connecting portion 9a be located at a position lower than the maximum height reached by the water stream stirred by the high speed rotation of the drum 11. FIG. According to this, in addition to the lint discharging action by the cooling water alone, the discharging action by the water used for cleaning works, so that the lint can be discharged more reliably.

The diameter of the lint discharge channel 9 may be several millimeters, but it is desirable to design the lint discharge channel 9 to have a diameter of about 6 to 10 mm so that even lint clumps that have grown to some extent can be discharged. In addition, the lint discharge channel drainage channel side connection portion 9b provided at the lower end of the lint discharge channel 9 is connected to the upstream side of the channel filter 42 so that the lint discharged via the lint discharge channel 9 can be collected by the channel filter 42. However, it is also possible to connect the lint discharge channel drain channel side connection portion 9b to the downstream side of the channel filter 42 so that the lumps of lint can be directly discharged to the sewage channel or the like.

As described above, the circulation air passage 39 of the drum 11 has a recess that is recessed toward the inside of the drum 11, and the lint discharge water passage air passage side connection portion 9a is provided in this recess, so that the lint can be The discharge channel 9 is R-shaped. As a result, the lint can be discharged to the internal drainage channel 70 without being caught in the lint discharge channel 9. - 特許庁

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the internal structure of the second example of the drum-type washing machine of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the second example of the drum-type washing machine of the present invention as seen from the back. It is a diagram. The washing machine shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 differs from the washing machine shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 in that the lint discharge channel side connection portion 9b of the lint discharge channel 9 is not the internal drainage channel 70, but the outer tub. 10 is provided. Even with such a configuration, the effects of the present invention can be obtained.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a washing and drying machine capable of preventing clogging of the air path filter by discharging lint clumps generated in the air path from the rear side of the air path filter to the blower. shown.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of the internal structure of a third example of the drum-type washing machine of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a front sectional view of a second example of the drum type washing machine of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a front sectional view of a third example of the drum type washing machine of the present invention. The washing machine shown in FIGS. 7 and 9 differs from the washing machine shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 in that the lower end of the airflow filter 36 is set at a position higher than the lint discharge waterway airway-side connecting portion 9a, The point is that a wall surface 43 for preventing drainage is provided in a region from the lower end of the passage 39 to the lower end of the air passage filter 36 .

In the configurations of the first and second examples, cooling water is drained not only through the lint discharge channel 9 but also through the lower portion of the air filter 36 . Therefore, the lint generated during the drying process accumulates on the surface of the air path filter 36, but the lint does not accumulate on the lower part of the air path filter 36 due to the influence of the cooling water drainage. As the amount of intake air decreases due to the accumulation of lint in the air path filter 36, the intake of circulating air is concentrated in the lower part of the air path filter 36 where lint is not accumulated due to the discharge of the cooling water. The wind speed of the intake air passing through the lower part is improved. As a result, the cooling water is swirled up to the fan unit (not shown), and the swirled water is blown onto the clothes from the outlet of the fan unit, which may lead to poor drying.

On the other hand, in the third example, the air passage filter 36 in the first and second examples is divided into upper and lower parts at a position higher than the lint discharge water passage air passage side connection portion 9a, the upper portion remains the air passage filter 36, and the lower portion is closed with a wall surface 43 for preventing drainage. Here, the wall surface 43 for preventing drainage may be composed of the air path filter outer frame 45, or may be composed of a separate member such as a plate material. Furthermore, it may have the same structure as the outer tank. By providing the wall surface 43 for preventing drainage, the drainage path of the cooling water is limited to the lint discharge channel 9. - 特許庁Since the drainage from the air path filter 36 side is eliminated, the lint uniformly adheres to the air path filter 36, and air is uniformly sucked from the entire air path filter 36. - 特許庁Therefore, the phenomenon that the wind speed of the sucked air passing through the lower part of the air path filter 36 increases does not occur, and the cooling water does not rise up. With such a configuration, lint clumps generated in the air passage from the rear side of the air passage filter 36 to the blower 32 can be discharged, clogging of the air passage filter 36 can be prevented, and the cooling water can be prevented from being swirled up. It is possible to suppress it and carry out the drying operation normally.

The configuration for limiting the cooling water drainage path to the lint discharge channel 9 is not based on the drainage prevention wall surface 43 as described with reference to FIG. may be configured. The drainage prevention inclined member 44 may be configured by the air path filter 36 or a part of the lint drain channel 9, or may be a separate member.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the circulation air passage 39 of the drum 11 may be configured so as not to have a concave portion recessed toward the inside of the drum 11 .

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications. For example, the above embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the described configurations. Moreover, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Moreover, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 housing 1b housing main body 1c top cover 2 door 2a door opening handle 3 opening 9 lint discharge channel 9a lint discharge channel airway side connection 9b lint Drainage channel drain channel side connection part 10 Outer tank 11 Drum 31 Circulation air channel depth limit line 32 Blower 33 Heater 34 Air outlet 35 Air channel hose 36 Air channel filter 37... Flow of air during drying, 38... Flow of cooling water during drying, 39... Circulating air path, 39a... Recessed portion, 40... Drain pump, 41... Drain hose, 42... Water channel filter, 43... Wall surface for preventing drainage , 44 .

Claims (7)

a drum that accommodates the laundry and rotates during the washing, rinsing and spin-drying processes;
an outer tank that surrounds the drum and stores water;
a drainage channel for draining water in the outer tank;
an air blower that supplies air to the drum and the outer tank;
an air passage connecting the outer tank and the blower;
an air path filter provided between the outer tank and the air path for collecting lint directed toward the suction port of the air path;
a lint discharge channel having one end connected to the air channel and the other end connected to the drainage channel;
The washing and drying machine according to claim 1, wherein the air passage filter is provided only at a position higher than the position of the air passage side connecting portion of the lint discharge water passage. 2. The washer/dryer according to claim 1, further comprising a drain prevention wall surface extending from the lower end of the air passage to the lower end of the air passage filter. 2. The washer/dryer according to claim 1, further comprising an inclined member for preventing drainage from the lower end of the air passage to the lower end of the air passage filter. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said drainage channel has an internal drainage channel provided outside said outer tank, and said other end of said lint drainage channel is connected to said internal drainage channel. A washer-dryer according to any one of the preceding paragraphs. The washing and drying machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drainage channel has a drainage hose, and the other end of the lint drainage channel is connected to the drainage hose. 4. The outer tank according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the outer tank has a lint discharge channel drain channel side connection portion, and the other end of the lint discharge channel is connected to the lint discharge channel drain channel side connection portion. or the washing and drying machine according to item 1. The air passage has a recess recessed toward the drum, and one end of the lint discharge channel is connected to the recess,
7. The backmost surface of the lint discharge channel is housed inside the rearmost surface of the air channel when the drum and the lint discharge channel are seen in side cross-section. 1. The washing and drying machine according to item 1.

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