JP2024036220A - washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing machine capable of avoiding failure risks in an air duct changeover part.

SOLUTION: A washing machine comprises a housing, an outer tank 2 disposed in the housing, a rotatable drum enclosed in the outer tank 2, a blower fan 30 to send air into the drum, a discharge duct 22 in which the air sent from the blower fan 30 flows, a discharge port 25 connected to the discharge duct 22 to send the air into the outer tank 2 for drying, a discharge nozzle that is connected to the discharge duct 22 and disposed in the outer tank 2, and a damper unit 50 that switches the air channel between the discharge port 25 for drying and the discharge nozzle. The damper unit 50 is disposed at the top of the outer tank 2.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a washing machine.

Patent Document 1 describes a case, a blower disposed at the bottom of the case, an outer tank for storing water, and a duct connected to the upper part of the outer tank and the lower part of the outer tank and extending above the blower. A washing machine is described in which a damper (flap) that switches between the upper part and the lower part of the outer tank is housed in the duct.

JP2019-97965A

However, in the washing machine described in Patent Document 1, if the damper is located at the bottom of the outer tub, there is a risk of water leakage and a risk of failure of the drive unit. For example, if the driving part of the damper is located outside the duct, the rotation axis of the flap passes through the duct wall and is connected to the driving part, which poses a risk of water leaking from the hole in the duct wall. Furthermore, if the damper drive section is located inside a duct, water flowing through the duct and high temperature, high humidity steam during drying operation will come into contact with the drive section, creating a risk of failure due to short circuits, rusting, etc. Further, in the washing machine described in Patent Document 1, the duct including the flap and the drive unit is separated from the housing, so the duct vibrates together with the outer tub, creating a risk of failure of the flap and drive unit due to vibration.

The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and aims to provide a washing machine that can avoid the risk of failure of the air path switching section.

The present invention includes a casing, an outer tank disposed in the casing, a rotatable drum enclosed in the outer tank, a blower for sending air into the drum, and a blower for blowing air from the blower. a flowing duct; a drying outlet connected to the duct and blowing air into the outer tank; a bubble generator connected to the duct and provided in the outer tank; the drying outlet and the bubble generator. an air path switching section that switches an air path between the outer tank and the outer tank, and the air path switching section is arranged at an upper part of the outer tank.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a washing machine that can avoid the risk of failure of the air path switching section.

It is an external perspective view showing a washing machine concerning this embodiment. It is a perspective view showing the inside of a washing machine concerning this embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram showing the inside of a washing machine of this embodiment. It is a block diagram of a heat pump unit. It is a perspective view showing an internal structure of a washing machine. FIG. 3 is a rear view showing the internal structure of the washing machine. It is a perspective view showing a damper device. It is a schematic diagram showing a bubble generator. It is a graph showing the relationship between the pressure of the ventilation fan and the air volume. It is a perspective view showing the impeller of the ventilation fan. This is the flat part of the impeller. 12 is a sectional view taken along the line XI-XI in FIG. 11. FIG. It is a perspective view showing the state where a damper device is attached to a discharge duct. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the damper device in an open state. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the damper device in a closed state. It is a perspective view showing a discharge nozzle. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of a discharge nozzle. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing another modification of the discharge nozzle. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of discharge nozzles. It is a schematic diagram at the time of using the discharge nozzle as a comparative example. It is a schematic diagram when the discharge nozzle of this embodiment is used. It is a flowchart which shows the washing operation of the washing machine of this embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail using the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and includes within its scope various modifications and applications within the technical concept of the present invention. Further, the following description will be made based on the directions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a washing machine according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the washing machine 100 is a drum-type washer/dryer, and on the top of a base 1h made of synthetic resin, side plates 1a and reinforcements are provided on the left and right sides and the back side mainly formed of steel plates. A frame is constructed by combining materials 1b (see Figure 2), etc., and a front cover 1c, a lower front cover 1f, and a top cover 1e made of resin molded products are attached thereon to construct the housing 1. There is. Further, the front cover 1c is provided with a door 9 that is opened and closed when loading and unloading laundry.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the washing machine according to this embodiment. Note that FIG. 2 shows a state in which the front cover 1c, lower front cover 1f, water supply unit 70, detergent case, etc. are removed.
As shown in FIG. 2, the inside of the casing 1 is provided with an outer tank 2 approximately in the center. This outer tank 2 is formed into a cylindrical shape with a bottom. Moreover, the outer tank 2 is configured by attaching a tank cover 2b to a front opening 2a1 of the outer tank main body 2a. The tub cover 2b has a rear side connected to a front opening 2a1 of the outer tub main body 2a, and a circular opening 2b1 through which laundry is put in and taken out at the front side.

Further, inside the outer tank 2, a rotatably supported drum 3 (see FIG. 3) is provided. The drum 3 is formed into a cylindrical shape with a bottom and is arranged so that the opening is located on the front side. Further, the rotation axis of the drum 3 is inclined so that the front side is higher than the rear side. Note that the rotation axis of the drum 3 may be configured to be substantially horizontal.

A plurality of lifters 3a (see FIG. 8) for lifting the laundry are provided on the inner wall of the cylindrical portion, which is the side wall of the drum 3. Further, the drum 3 has a large number of through holes 3b (see FIG. 19) for centrifugal dehydration and ventilation in the cylindrical portion.

The door 9 has a door glass 9a (see FIG. 1) fixed to a door frame 9b (see FIG. 1), and is attached to the housing 1 by a hinge 9c (see FIG. 1). A fluid balancer (not shown) is provided around the outer periphery of the opening of the drum 3 to reduce vibrations caused by unbalanced laundry during dewatering.

A rubber bellows 10 made of an elastic body is attached to the tank cover 2b. In this bellows 10, the opening edge on the back side (rear side) is attached to the opening 2b1, and the opening edge on the front side is attached to the housing 1 on the back side of the door frame 9b (see FIG. 1). By closing the door 9, the door 9 comes into close contact with the bellows 10, and serves to maintain watertightness between the inside of the outer tank 2 and the door 9. This prevents water leakage during washing, rinsing, and dehydration.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the inside of the washing machine of this embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 3, a blower duct 20 is provided in the housing 1 to guide airflow to the laundry in the drum 3. This ventilation duct 20 is provided with a ventilation fan 30 and a heat pump unit 40. A blower fan 30 is located downstream of the heat pump unit 40. Further, the ventilation duct 20 includes a suction duct 21 that connects the back of the outer tank 2 and the heat pump unit 40, and a discharge duct 22 that connects the outer tank 2 and the ventilation fan 30. The suction duct 21 has an air path that connects the outer tank 2 and the heat pump unit 40. The discharge duct 22 has an air path that connects with the blower fan 30 and the drying outlet 25 . Additionally, drying filters 6a and 6b are provided between the outer tank 2 and the suction duct 21.

The heat pump unit 40 dehumidifies and heats high-temperature, high-humidity air that has passed through the laundry and is discharged from the outer tub 2 during drying operation to make it high-temperature and low-humidity. (Drying air) passes through the discharge duct 22 by the blower fan 30 and is blown onto the laundry in the drum 3 from the drying discharge port 25 provided in the upper part of the outer tub 2. The hot air blown onto the laundry turns into high-temperature, high-humidity air, passes through the suction duct 21, and returns to the heat pump unit 40. Note that, instead of the heat pump unit 40, a water-cooled dehumidifying mechanism may be used to cool and dehumidify high-temperature, high-humidity air.

The washing machine 100 also includes a water supply unit 70 (water supply means) that supplies water into the outer tub 2, a water level sensor 71 that detects the water level in the outer tub 2, a control device 90 (that controls the water supply unit 70, the blower fan 30, etc.). control unit).

The water supply unit 70 includes a plurality of solenoid valves including a water supply solenoid valve, and by opening the first solenoid valve, water is supplied to the powder detergent input chamber and liquid detergent input chamber of the detergent case through the water supply pipe, and the second solenoid valve is opened. By opening the solenoid valve, water is supplied to the softener charging chamber via the water supply pipe, and by opening the third solenoid valve, water is supplied directly to the water supply port 2c (see Fig. 2) of the outer tank 2 via the water supply pipe. .

The water level sensor 71 is provided with an air trap (not shown) at the lowest part of the rear end surface of the outer tank 2, and is connected to a sensor section (not shown) via a tube (not shown), so that the water level sensor 71 can be installed inside the outer tank 2. Detect the water level. A signal detected by the water level sensor 71 is output to the control device 90.

A recessed portion 2d is provided in the vertically lower inner bottom of the outer tank 2. This recessed portion 2d is provided so as to have a substantially concave shape and extend in the axial direction of the drum 3. A drain port 2d2 is provided on the bottom surface 2d1 of the recessed portion 2d.

Further, a circulation pump 11 is provided below the outer tank 2. This circulation pump 11 has the function of sucking the washing water in the outer tub 2 from the drain port 2d2 through the hose 11a, pumping it up to the upper part of the outer tub 2 through the hose 11b, and spraying it on the laundry in the drum 3. It is fixed to the base 1h (see FIG. 1) side of the body 1. The washing water enters the suction port side of the circulation pump 11 from the drain port 2d2 of the recessed part 2d of the outer tub 2 through the lint filter 13 (see Fig. 2), is pressurized by the circulation pump 11, and then passes through the watering nozzle (not shown). water is sprayed toward the inside of the drum 3. Further, the drain port 2d2 of the recessed portion 2d is connected to the drain hose 12a via the lint filter 13 (see FIG. 2) and the drain valve 12, so that the water in the recessed portion 2d can be discharged to the outside of the machine. It has become.

Although not shown, the control device 90 includes electronic circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and various interfaces. Then, the program stored in the ROM is read out and expanded to the RAM, and the CPU executes various processes. Further, the control device 90 controls the water supply unit 70 and the damper device 50, and acquires the detection value detected by the water level sensor 71.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of the heat pump unit.
As shown in FIG. 4, the heat pump unit 40 includes a compressor 41, a heat exchanger for dissipating heat to the air (condenser 42), a pressure reducing device 43 (expansion valve, etc.), and a heat exchanger for dehumidifying the air (evaporation 44), and a refrigerant circuit 46 in which these devices are successively connected by refrigerant piping 45 is housed in a resin casing 47. The refrigerant flows in the direction of the arrow shown by F in the figure in the order of the compressor 41, the condenser 42, the pressure reducing device 43, and the evaporator 44, and returns to the compressor 41 again.

The high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 41 flows into the condenser 42, and is condensed and liquefied by radiating heat to the circulating air. The liquefied refrigerant is depressurized by an expansion valve (pressure reducing device 43) adjusted to a predetermined opening degree, becomes a gas-liquid two-phase state at low temperature and low pressure, and flows into the evaporator 44. The refrigerant that has flowed into the evaporator 44 absorbs heat from the circulating air and evaporates. The vaporized refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 41 and compressed again by the compressor 41 to become a high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant. A refrigerant is sealed in the refrigerant circuit 46, and examples of the refrigerant that can be used include a single HFC refrigerant, an HFC mixed refrigerant, HFO-1234yf, HFO-1234ze, and a natural refrigerant (for example, CO2 refrigerant).

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the washing machine. Note that the broken line arrows shown in FIG. 5 indicate the flow of air.
As shown in FIG. 5, the heat pump unit 40 is fixed on the base 1h (see FIG. 2) at the bottom of the outer tank 2 and at the rear of the housing 1. In addition, the circulating air that has been dehumidified and heated in the heat pump unit 40 passes through the blower fan 30, the discharge duct 22 from the bottom of the outer tank 2 to the top, and is passed through the discharge duct 22 provided at the top of the outer tank 2 (tank cover 2b). The laundry is sprayed from the drying outlet 25 onto the laundry in the drum 3 (see FIG. 3).

The blower fan 30 is located below the outer tank 2 and includes a fan case 31, an impeller 32 (see FIG. 8), a drive motor 33 that rotationally drives the impeller 32, and the like. A drive motor 33 is attached to one side of the fan case 31. Furthermore, a spiral scroll passage 31a is formed inside the fan case 31. The blower fan 30 has the function of decelerating the flow of air discharged from the impeller 32 (see FIG. 8) and recovering it as static pressure.

The discharge duct 22 includes a rear duct 22a that extends in the vertical direction on the back side of the outer tank 2, and an upper duct 22b that extends in the front and back direction on the upper part of the outer tank 2. Further, the upper duct 22b is provided with a damper device 50 for switching the air path to a discharge nozzle 82 (foaming discharge port) to be described later. Further, the upper duct 22b and the outer tank 2 are connected via a bellows pipe 26 for vibration absorption.

FIG. 6 is a rear view showing the internal structure of the washing machine. In addition, in FIG. 6, the air flow is shown by broken line arrows.
As shown in FIG. 6, the suction duct 21 has an air passage 21a that curves and extends downward from the upper rear surface of the outer tank 2, and an air passage 21b that extends linearly downward in the vertical direction. are doing. The air passage 21b is connected to the heat pump unit 40 via the bellows pipe 27.

The rear duct 22a of the discharge duct 22 is provided with a plurality of fixing portions 22c for fixing the discharge duct 22 to the side plate 1a (see FIG. 2) on the rear side of the housing 1 with screws. These fixing parts 22c are located at the upper part of the rear duct 22a (above the rotation center of the outer tank 2).

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the damper device.
As shown in FIG. 7, the damper device 50 is constructed integrally with the discharge duct 22, and can be attached as a single component. Further, the damper device 50 is attached to the discharge duct 22 via a damper fixing piece 51.

Further, the damper device 50 is located on the rear side of the upper duct 22b. In this way, the damper device 50 is arranged at the upper part of the outer tank 2. Note that the upper part of the outer tank 2 does not necessarily have to be above the outer tank 2, and may be any position at a height where the damper device 50 is not exposed to water. The water here refers to the water used for washing during the washing operation, and the high-temperature, high-humidity water during the drying operation.

Furthermore, a fixing portion 22d for fixing the discharge duct 22 to the reinforcing member 1b (see FIG. 2) is formed in the upper duct 22b on the front side of the damper device 50. That is, the upper duct 22b is screwed to the reinforcing member 1b of the housing 1.

Further, a connection port 22e connected to the bellows pipe 26 (see FIG. 5) is formed at the end of the upper duct 22b. Furthermore, a connection port 22f connected to the outlet of the blower fan 30 is formed at the end of the rear duct 22a.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a bubble generator. FIG. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between the pressure of the blower fan and the air volume. Note that in FIG. 8, the white arrows indicate the flow of air when bubbles are generated.
As shown in FIG. 8, the bubble generator 80 is a device that generates bubbles by sending air into the lower part of the outer tank 2, and is connected to a blow pipe 81 that is branched from the discharge duct 22. and a discharge nozzle 82 provided at the lower part of the outer tank 2. Air is blown from a position lower than the water surface of the detergent water stored in an outer tank 2, the drum 3 is rotated while foaming, and the clothes in the drum 3 are washed. By providing such a bubble generating device 80 and generating bubbles, it is possible to increase the cleaning power for the laundry in the drum 3. Further, when drying clothes, the damper device 50 switches the air path to the drying outlet 25 to blow air into the drum 3.

Further, the upstream end of the blower pipe 81 is connected between the damper device 50 of the discharge duct 22 and the blower fan 30. Further, the downstream end of the blower pipe 81 is connected to penetrate through the recess 2d provided in the lower part of the outer tank 2.

In the bubble generator 80 configured in this way, when the damper device 50 is closed, the air pressurized by the blower fan 30 passes through the blower pipe 81 from the discharge duct 22 and from the discharge nozzle 82 to the bottom of the outer tank 2. Air is sent into the detergent water W (washing water) stored in the washing machine. The air in the detergent water becomes air bubbles 83 formed by the detergent liquid film and comes into contact with the laundry soaked in the detergent water.

In addition, during the drying process, the damper device 50 is opened, and the air discharged from the blower fan 30 passes through the rear duct 22a and the upper duct 22b, and is delivered to the laundry in the drum 3 from the drying outlet 25 with high temperature and low humidity. air is blown.

By the way, in order to generate bubbles in the detergent liquid from the discharge nozzle 82 in the bubble generator 80, predetermined pressure conditions are required. In other words, if the pressure from the discharge nozzle 82 is too weak, bubbles cannot be generated. Therefore, in this embodiment, the pressure on the air suction side of the blower fan 30 is set as P0, the pressure on the air discharge side of the blower fan 30 is set as P1, the air upstream side of the damper device 50 is set as P2, and the pressure inside the drum 3 is set as P0. P3, and when the atmospheric pressure is Penv, the damper sealable pressure is made higher than the rising pressure of the blower fan 30. Note that the increased pressure of the blower fan 30 is the differential pressure between the pressure on the air suction side and the pressure on the air discharge side of the blower fan 30, and can be expressed by P1-P0. The differential pressure P1-P0 can also be determined from the static pressure generated by the fan at zero air flow with the fan characteristics shown in FIG. The damper sealable pressure can be expressed by the pressure (P2-Penv) when the pressure is increased by the blower fan 30 and the flap 53a (opening/closing member) of the damper device 50 starts to move. Here, the atmospheric pressure Penv is subtracted from the air upstream pressure P2 of the damper device 50 because the increased pressure (P1-P0) of the blower fan 30 is defined as a differential pressure, and this is to match this dimension. It is. Further, the pressure at which the flap 53a starts to move is the inflection point where P2 starts to decrease even if the rotation speed of the blower fan 30 is increased to increase the pressure, or the end of the flap 53a vibrates due to air leakage and an abnormal noise is generated. The pressure shall be the pressure at which the flap 53a is rotated at an angle (5°) or higher that can be visually confirmed, and shall not include minute movements of the flap 53a or air leakage that do not interfere with generating air bubbles from the discharge nozzle 82. do. As a result, the pressure P2 on the upstream side of the air of the damper device 50 can be increased, so that the increased pressure of the blower fan 30 can be used as power for generating bubbles in the drum 3, and the number of bubbles can be increased.

Further, as a pressure condition necessary to generate bubbles from the discharge nozzle 82 in the bubble generator 80, the increased pressure (P1-P0) of the blower fan 30 is set higher than the pressure necessary to generate bubbles. are also included in this embodiment. By increasing the height in this way, bubbles can be reliably generated from the discharge nozzle 82. Note that the pressure required to generate bubbles is determined by the pressure loss in the blower pipe 81, the pressure loss in the discharge nozzle 82, the head difference in the water level during washing operation (see Figure 8), the rapidly contracting flow in the air path (e.g. , the connection part between the discharge duct 22 and the air pipe 81, where the cross section of the air passage suddenly becomes small), and the pressure loss due to bending of the air passage. There is a need. Specifically, it can be determined by measuring the maximum pressure difference (P2-P3) at the start of foaming to generate bubbles.

As described above, in this embodiment, it is preferable to use a blower that can easily generate pressure, and a centrifugal fan is used as the blower fan 30. Furthermore, in order to obtain an even higher pressure difference (pressure increase), a blower fan 30 equipped with an impeller shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 was used.

10 is a perspective view showing an impeller of a blower fan, FIG. 11 is a plan view of the impeller, and FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along the line XI-XI in FIG. 11. Note that a fan case 31 (see FIG. 5) that accommodates the impeller may have a known shape.
As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the impeller 32 includes a shroud plate 32a, a hub plate 32b, and a plurality of blades 32c held between the shroud plate 32a and the hub plate 32b by caulking. has been done.

The shroud plate 32a is formed of a circular metal plate. Further, the shroud plate 32a has a cylindrical suction opening 32a1 formed in the radial center thereof to suck air. The suction opening 32a1 is formed to protrude outward on the opposite side of the hub plate 32b in the axial direction. Further, the shroud plate 32a has a through hole (not shown) formed around the suction opening 32a1, which fits into a claw 32c1 formed on each blade 32c.

The hub plate 32b is formed of a circular metal plate, and has a hole 32b1 formed in the center in the radial direction to which a rotating shaft (not shown) is fixed. Further, like the shroud plate 32a, the hub plate 32b is formed with a through hole (not shown) that fits into a claw (not shown) formed on each blade 32c.

The blades 32c are curved so as to recede from the inner diameter side toward the outer diameter side in a direction opposite to the rotation direction.

The blower fan 30 (see FIG. 5) having the impeller 32 configured as described above is of a centrifugal type, and is a high-pressure type blower having higher pressure increase performance than air volume. Incidentally, axial flow types such as propeller fans have a large air volume and low pressure rise performance. In this embodiment, when the impeller 32 rotates at high speed, air is sucked in the direction of the rotational axis from the intake port (not shown) of the fan case 31 (see FIG. 5), and the shroud plate 32a and the hub plate 32b are The liquid is discharged toward the outer circumference through the space between the blades 32c.

As shown in FIG. 12, the diameter R1 (suction diameter) of the suction opening 32a1 is set to be one half or less (half or less) of the outer diameter R2 of the impeller 32. In this way, by using the impeller 32 whose diameter R1 is relatively smaller than the outer diameter R2, it becomes easier to increase the pressure.

The washing machine 100 configured in this manner includes an outer tub 2, a rotatable drum 3 contained in the outer tub 2, a motor M (drive unit) that drives the drum 3, and an air blower that sends air into the drum 3. A fan 30 (air blower), a discharge duct 22 (duct) that connects the outer tank 2 and the blower fan 30 so that air can be circulated, a drying outlet 25 that discharges drying air into the drum 3, A discharge nozzle 82 (bubble generating section) that supplies air to the lower part of the tank 2 to generate bubbles, and a damper device 50 (air channel switching section) that switches the air path between the drying outlet 25 and the discharge nozzle 82 and. The sealable pressure to the drying outlet 25 of the damper device 50 is made higher than the rising pressure (P1-P0) of the blower fan 30. According to this, when the blower fan 30 is driven, the risk of the damper device 50 not being able to withstand the pressure and opening and being unable to supply air to the discharge nozzle 82 can be avoided, and air bubbles can be stably maintained in the drum 3. It becomes possible to supply

Furthermore, in the washing machine 100, the present embodiment also includes increasing the boost pressure (P1-P0) of the blower fan 30 higher than the pressure required to foam the foam. According to this, when the discharge duct 22 is sealed by the flap of the damper device 50, it becomes possible to stably supply air bubbles into the drum 3.

Further, in the washing machine 100, the sealable pressure to the drying outlet 25 of the damper device 50 is higher than the increasing pressure (P1-P0) of the blower fan 30, and the increasing pressure (P1-P0) of the blower fan 30 is ) is higher than the pressure required to generate bubbles is also included in this embodiment. According to this, it becomes possible to supply bubbles into the drum 3 more stably.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the damper device attached to the discharge duct.
As shown in FIG. 13, the damper device 50 switches the air path between the drying outlet 25 (see FIG. 5) and the discharge nozzle 82 (see FIG. 8), and has a flap 53a (see FIG. 8) that opens and closes the discharge duct 22. opening/closing member), a motor 53b (drive source) that drives the flap 53a, a shaft portion 53c that transmits the driving force of the motor 53b to the flap 53a, and an urging member 53d that urges the flap 53a in the closing direction. ing. Further, a rectangular opening 22s is formed through the discharge duct 22. A biasing member 53d is inserted through this opening 22s. In this manner, in this embodiment, the flap 53a is located inside the discharge duct 22, and the motor 53b and the shaft portion 53c, which are the drive portions, are located outside the discharge duct 22.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of the damper device in an open state. FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the damper device in a closed state. In addition, in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, the joint part 52 to which the blower pipe 81 (refer FIG. 8) is connected is shown by the two-dot chain line.
As shown in FIG. 14, the flap 53a is formed in a rectangular shape and is configured to operate with one side 53a1 perpendicular to the flow direction of the upstream wind as a fulcrum. Further, the flap 53a is configured such that the other side 53a2, which is perpendicular to the flow direction of the wind on the downstream side, moves in the vertical direction. Further, inside the discharge duct 22, there are formed a step-shaped contact portion 22t, which the other side 53a2 of the flap 53a contacts, and a step-shaped contact portion 22u, which the left and right edges of the flap 53a contact. .

The shaft portion 53c is a cam member that connects the output shaft of the motor 53b and one end of the biasing member 53d, and the biasing member 53d moves eccentrically by the rotation of the motor 53b. The other end of the biasing member 53d is rotatably connected to the back surface (upper surface) of the flap 53a. Further, the biasing member 53d includes a coil spring 53d1 (spring) and a spring case 53d2 that accommodates the coil spring 53d1. The coil spring 53d1 is housed in a compressed state within the spring case 53d2, and always biases the flap 53a in the direction of closing.

When the damper device 50 is open, the flap 53a is rotated counterclockwise while receiving the elastic force of the biasing member 53d due to the driving force of the motor 53b, and the drying air is directed in the direction of the white arrow. It's flowing. At this time, the entire opening 22s is closed by the outer peripheral edge of the flap 53a, so that the air blown from the blower fan 30 is prevented from leaking out of the discharge duct 22 through the opening 22s. Note that the cross-sectional area of the joint 52 to which the blower pipe 81 is connected is very small compared to the cross-sectional area of the discharge duct 22 during drying operation, so the amount of air flowing into the blower pipe 81 is small. The air volume required during drying operation is not impaired.

As shown in FIG. 15, when the damper device 50 is closed, the shaft portion 53c rotates clockwise by the driving force of the motor 53b, so that the flap 53a opens at the drying outlet 25 (see FIG. 5). It operates to close the air passage of the discharge duct 22 to the air. That is, the other side 53a2 of the flap 53a contacts the contact portion 22t of the discharge duct 22 from the downstream side. Further, the left and right sides of the flap 53a also contact the contact portion 22u (see FIG. 14) of the discharge duct 22 from the downstream side. Thereby, the entire air passage of the discharge duct 22 is closed by the flap 53a without any gap.

At this time, the force for closing the flap 53a increases as the flap 53a is biased in the closing direction by the biasing member 53d. As a result, the air path of the air supplied from the blower fan 30 to the drying outlet 25 is blocked before the flap 53a, and the air flows into the blower pipe 81 toward the discharge nozzle 82. Furthermore, when the flap 53a is opened, the force for closing the flap 53a is further increased due to the reaction force of the biasing member 53d. Air can flow through the tube 81. Note that when the flap 53a is closed, the opening 22s communicates with the inside of the housing 1, but since the air passage of the discharge duct 22 is closed by the flap 53a, air does not leak out from the opening 22s.

In the washing machine 100 configured as described above, the damper device 50 includes a flap 53a (opening/closing member) that opens and closes the discharge duct 22, a motor 53b (drive source) that drives the flap 53a, and a dryer when closing the flap 53a. and a biasing member 53d that biases in a direction to seal the air path to the air outlet 25. The flap 53a seals the discharge duct 22 by the urging force of the urging member 53d. Providing the biasing member 53d in this manner makes it difficult to form a gap between the discharge duct 22 and the flap 53a. Furthermore, dimensional errors of each component such as the damper device 50 can be absorbed. Furthermore, as the average sealing pressure when sealing the discharge duct 22 increases, it becomes easier to satisfy the above-described pressure relational expression.

Further, in the washing machine 100, the biasing member 53d is a coil spring 52d (spring). According to this, it becomes easier to press the flap 53a stably. Note that an elastic member such as rubber may be used instead of the spring.

Further, in the washing machine 100, the blower fan 30 is of a centrifugal type (see FIGS. 10 to 13). According to this, it becomes easier to generate pressure, the boosting pressure in the blower fan 30 can be increased, and bubbles can be stably supplied into the drum 3.

The washing machine 100 also includes a casing 1, an outer tub 2 disposed in the casing 1, a rotatable drum 3 enclosed in the outer tub 2, and a blower fan 30 ( a blower), a discharge duct 22 (duct) through which air blown from the blower fan 30 flows, a drying discharge port 25 that is connected to the discharge duct 22 and blows air into the outer tank 2, and a discharge duct 22 that is connected to the discharge duct 22; It includes a discharge nozzle 82 (bubble generating section) provided in the outer tank 2, and a damper device 50 (air channel switching section) that switches the air path between the drying discharge port 25 and the discharge nozzle 82. This damper device 50 is arranged at the upper part of the outer tank 2. According to this, failure of the damper device 50 due to water adhering to the damper device 50 can be avoided.

The washing machine 100 also includes a water supply unit 70 (water supply means) that supplies water to the outer tub 2, a water level sensor 71 that detects the water level in the outer tub 2, and a water supply unit 70 that controls the water supply from the water supply unit 70 based on the detected value of the water level sensor 71. A control device 90 (control unit) is provided. The damper device 50 (air path switching section) is arranged at a position higher than the highest water level controlled by the control device 90. According to this, it is possible to reliably prevent water from adhering to the damper device 50, and it is possible to avoid the damper device 50 from breaking down.

Although the damper device 50 is positioned higher than the highest water level controlled by the control device 90, the damper device 50 may be positioned higher than the central axis of the outer tank 2. In the case of a washing machine, the damper device 50 may be placed at a position higher than the overflow. Such a configuration is also included in this embodiment.

In the washing machine 100, the damper device 50 includes a flap 53a that opens and closes the discharge duct 22, and a shaft portion 53c that rotatably supports the flap 53a. The flap 53a is arranged inside the discharge duct 22, and the shaft portion 53c is arranged outside the discharge duct 22. According to this, since the driving portion (shaft portion 53c) is arranged outside the discharge duct 22, failure of the damper device 50 can be avoided.

Further, in the washing machine 100, the damper device 50 is fixed to the discharge duct 22, and the discharge duct is fixed to the housing 1. According to this, failure of the damper device 50 due to vibration of the outer tank 2 can be avoided.

The washing machine 100 also includes a heat pump unit 40 that generates drying air to be sent into the outer tub 2, and the damper device 50 is disposed on the upper side and the heat pump unit 40 is disposed on the lower side with the outer tub 2 in between. According to this, the installation efficiency of damper device 50 and heat pump unit 40 is increased, and washing machine 100 can be made more compact.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the discharge nozzle.
As shown in FIG. 16, the discharge nozzle 82A (bubble generating section) includes a cylinder 82a and a discharge port 82b (bubble-forming discharge port) formed through the cylinder 82a. The inner wall 82a1 of the cylinder 82a has a circular shape when viewed from the axial direction of the cylinder 82a. A plurality of discharge ports 82b are formed and are formed in a line from the introduction port 81a of the blow pipe 81 toward the end surface 82c of the cylinder 82a. These discharge ports 82b are formed to open in the horizontal direction (see the two-dot chain line). Further, the discharge ports 82b are all located at the same height position, and are formed at the center in the height direction H. Note that the number of discharge ports 82b is not limited to five, and may be four or less, or six or more. Moreover, the diameters of the discharge ports 82b do not all need to be the same diameter, and may be different diameters. Further, the discharge port 82b is not limited to a round shape, and may have other shapes such as a long hole, a square, or a triangle.

Furthermore, a fan-shaped (approximately semicircular) discharge port 82d is formed in the end surface 82c of the cylindrical body 82a. The arc portion of the discharge port 82d is formed to include the lower end of the inner wall 82a1.

Thereby, the air introduced into the cylindrical body 82a from the blast pipe 81 is discharged in the horizontal direction from each discharge port 82b, as shown by the white arrows. Moreover, the air introduced into the cylindrical body 82a from the blast pipe 81 is discharged in the horizontal direction from the fan-shaped discharge port 82d.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a modification of the discharge nozzle.
As shown in FIG. 17, the discharge nozzle 82B (bubble generating section) has a discharge port 82e (foaming discharge port) formed through the cylinder 82a. A plurality of discharge ports 82e are formed and are formed in a line from the inlet 81a of the blow pipe 81 toward the end surface 82c of the cylinder 82a at equal intervals. These discharge ports 82e are formed adjacent to the lowermost surface 82a2 of the cylindrical body 82a. Note that being adjacent to the lowermost surface 82a2 means that the lowermost surface 82a2 of the cylindrical body 82a and the lowermost surface 82e1 of the discharge port 82e coincide in the height direction. Further, the discharge port 82e is formed to open in the horizontal direction, similarly to the discharge nozzle 82A described above.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 17, the case where all five discharge ports 82e are formed adjacent to the lowest surface 82a2 of the cylindrical body 82a has been described as an example. Any structure may be used as long as it is adjacent to the lowermost surface 82a2 of the cylindrical body 82a.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing another modification of the discharge nozzle.
As shown in FIG. 18, the discharge nozzle 82C (bubble generating section) has a shape similar to the above-described discharge nozzle 82A without the discharge port 82d (foaming discharge port). The discharge nozzle 82C has no discharge port (foaming discharge port) formed on the end surface 82c facing the introduction port 81a. However, the discharge port 82b1 is located near the end surface 82c.

By the way, in the discharge nozzle of FIG. 18, when only the discharge port 82b closest to the inlet 81a is provided, the downstream side of the nearest discharge port 82b becomes a snowdrift, and even if air is sent in, water cannot escape. It becomes difficult. Therefore, in this embodiment, the discharge port 82b1 is formed on the side facing the introduction port 81a. Note that the side facing the introduction port 81a does not necessarily have to be formed on the surface facing the introduction port 81a, and may be in the vicinity of the opposing surface.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of discharge nozzles. Note that FIG. 19 shows a state in which the discharge nozzle 82D is arranged in the recess 2d of the outer tank 2.
As shown in FIG. 19, the discharge nozzle 82D (bubble generating section) includes a cylinder 82f having a circular inner wall cross section and a discharge port 82g (foaming discharge port) formed by penetrating the cylinder 82f. Configured with the necessary features. The cylindrical body 82f is formed to extend in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction (front-back direction) of the drum 3. A plurality of discharge ports 82b (five in this embodiment) are formed and are arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction. Further, the discharge port 82b is formed to open horizontally and forward. Further, the discharge nozzle 82D is integrally formed by resin molding of the recessed portion 2d. Thereby, the discharge nozzle 82D is stably held within the outer tank 2.

Further, the discharge nozzle 82D is arranged on the back side of the drum 3 (on the rear side in the axial direction of the drum 3) and around the lowest point 3s of the drum 3. That is, the discharge nozzle 82D of this embodiment is not arranged in the entire space forming the recess 2d, nor is the discharge nozzle arranged in the entire axial direction of the drum 3. Further, the area around the lowest point 3s means a part of the recessed portion 2d in the left-right direction including the lowest point 3s.

Further, the discharge nozzle 82D is connected to a connecting portion 81b (inlet) formed on the back surface 2e of the outer tank 2. Further, the connecting portion 81b is connected to the longitudinal center portion of the cylinder 82f. This connecting portion 81b communicates with the blow pipe 81 (see FIG. 8), and air from the blow pipe 81 is introduced. Note that the discharge ports 82b located at both ends of the arrangement direction (direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction) are located on the side facing the connecting portion 81b (inlet).

Further, the diameter R10 (discharge port diameter) of the discharge port 82b of the discharge nozzle 82D is equal to or larger than the diameter R20 (dehydration hole diameter) of the through hole 3b of the drum 3. That is, the discharge port 82b is formed to be the same size as the through hole 3b or larger than the through hole 3b. By the way, if the diameter of the bubbles coming out of the discharge port 82b is too small, the bubbles will hit the flat surface of the drum 3, making it difficult for the bubbles to enter the through holes 3b of the drum 3. Moreover, if the diameter of the bubble is too small, the probability that the bubble will hit a part of the drum 3 where there is no through hole 3b increases, and it becomes difficult for the bubble to escape from there through the through hole 3b. On the contrary, when the diameter of the bubble is large as in this embodiment, the bubble hits so as to cover the through hole 3b. To explain further, when a bubble having a diameter much larger than that of the through hole 3b is generated, the bubble will cover several of the through holes 3b, making it easier for the bubble to escape from the through hole 3b. In other words, by creating bubbles of a certain size, it is possible to increase the probability that the bubbles will pass through the through hole 3b.

The washing machine 100 configured in this manner includes an outer tub 2, a rotatable drum 3 enclosed in the outer tub 2, a blower fan 30 (blower) that blows air into the drum 3, and a blower that blows air from the blower fan 30. A discharge duct 22 (duct) through which air flows, a drying discharge port 25 connected to the discharge duct 22 and blowing air into the outer tank 2, and a discharge nozzle 82 connected to the discharge duct 22 and provided in the outer tank 2. (bubble generating section). The discharge nozzle 82 has discharge ports 82b and 82e (foaming discharge ports) in the horizontal direction (see FIGS. 16 and 19). According to this, the water inside the discharge nozzle 82 can be easily drained from the discharge ports 82b and 82e, and it is possible to eliminate the deterioration of cleaning performance and the generation of strange odor due to dirt adhesion inside the discharge nozzle 82.

Further, the washing machine 100 includes a plurality of discharge ports 82e (foaming discharge ports), and at least one of the discharge ports 82e is adjacent to the lowermost surface 82a2 of the discharge nozzle 82B (bubble generating portion) (see FIG. 17). According to this, the remaining water in the discharge nozzle 82 can be easily discharged.

Furthermore, in the washing machine 100, the discharge nozzle 82 has an inlet 81a (inlet) through which air is introduced, and the discharge ports 82b and 82e are formed on the side facing the inlet 81a. According to this, water is less likely to remain in the discharge nozzle 82 because the hole is formed downstream of the air path.

Further, in the washing machine 100, the discharge nozzle 82 (bubble generating section) is a cylindrical body with a circular inner wall. According to this, the area of the lowest surface of the inner wall is minimized, making it easier for water to come out from the discharge nozzle 82.

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram when a discharge nozzle as a comparative example is used, and FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram when a discharge nozzle according to the present embodiment is used.
By the way, the discharge nozzle 200 (see bold line) shown in FIG. 20 is provided so as to be parallel to the outer peripheral surface of the drum 3. In such a discharge nozzle 200, the space between the lower part of the drum 3 and the outer tank 2 becomes narrow. As described above, when the space between the lower part of the drum 3 and the outer tank 2 becomes narrower, the space for holding air bubbles existing outside the drum 3 becomes smaller. As a result, as the drum 3 rotates during the dewatering operation, the outer wall surface of the drum 3 and the air bubbles near the outer wall surface of the drum 3 tend to come into contact with each other, increasing the risk of excessive foaming.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 21, the washing machine 100 includes an outer tub 2, a rotatable drum 3 enclosed in the outer tub 2, a blower fan 30 that blows air into the drum 3, and a blower fan 30 that blows air. a discharge duct 22 through which air flows, a drying discharge port 25 connected to the discharge duct 22 and blowing air into the outer tank 2, and a discharge nozzle 82D connected to the discharge duct 22 and provided in the outer tank 2; Equipped with. The discharge nozzle 82D is located at least on the back side of the drum 3 and around the lowest point 3s of the drum 3 (see FIG. 19). According to this, since the discharge nozzle 82D can be made small, a wide space can be secured between the lower part of the drum 3 and the outer tank 2 (see FIG. 21), making it difficult for air bubbles to come into contact with the drum 3, and preventing air bubbles from coming into contact with the drum 3. It becomes possible to suppress the occurrence of abnormalities (avoid an increase in the risk of excessive foaming).

In addition, in the case of a washing machine 100 in which the rotation axis of the drum 3 is inclined so that the front side is higher than the rear side, the discharge nozzle 82D is arranged at the back side (backward) of the outer tub 2, so that the through hole 3b Since some of the air bubbles that could not pass into the drum 3 move along the slope of the drum 3 due to buoyancy, the air bubbles pass into the drum 3 through the through hole 3b located further forward (on the clothes input port side). Therefore, foam can be efficiently generated within the drum 3 without wasting the foam.

In the washing machine 100, the diameter (discharge port diameter) R10 of the discharge port 82b of the discharge nozzle 82D is greater than or equal to the diameter (dehydration hole diameter) R20 of the through hole 3b of the drum 3 (see FIG. 19). According to this, the probability that air bubbles pass through the through hole 3b increases, and foam can be efficiently generated within the drum 3.

Furthermore, in the washing machine 100, a connecting portion 81b is formed on the back surface 2e of the outer tub 2 to be connected to the discharge nozzle 82D via the discharge duct 22 (see FIG. 19). According to this, it becomes easy to provide the discharge nozzle 82D on the rear side (inner side) of the outer tank 2.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing the washing operation of the washing machine of this embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 22, the control device 90 executes cloth amount sensing in step S10. This laundry amount sensing is a process of detecting the weight (cloth amount) of the laundry loaded into the washing machine 100. Specifically, the drum driving motor M is driven to rotate the drum 3, and the calculation is performed based on the rotational speed of the motor M and the motor current value. For example, as the weight of the laundry increases, the load to rotate the drum 3 increases, and a large amount of motor current is required to flow through the motor M. can be calculated.

In step S20, the control device 90 executes one water supply step (first water supply). That is, the control device 90 opens the water supply solenoid valve (not shown) of the water supply unit 70 and starts supplying water into the outer tank 2 to raise the water level in the outer tank 2, and drives the motor M. The drum 3 is rotated in forward and reverse directions at a predetermined rotational speed to replace the laundry. The control device 90 also controls the circulation pump 11 to have a predetermined rotational speed, so that the detergent liquid sucked from the outer tank 2 is discharged from a discharge port (not shown) provided at the upper part of the outer tank 2 in the form of a shower. to soak the detergent solution into the clothes. When the water level sensor 71 determines that the predetermined water level has been reached, the control device 90 closes the water supply electromagnetic valve of the water supply unit 70 to stop water supply. In this manner, in the first step of water supply, when water supply is started and the clothes come in contact with the water, the clothes do not absorb moisture immediately, but after a certain time lag.

In step S30, the control device 90 executes a high concentration cleaning step. That is, the control device 90 controls the motor M to rotate the drum 3 in forward and reverse directions at a predetermined rotational speed, thereby replacing the clothes. The control device 90 also controls the circulation pump 11 to have a predetermined rotational speed, so that the detergent liquid sucked from the outer tank 2 is discharged from a discharge port (not shown) provided at the upper part of the outer tank 2 in a shower-like manner. to soak the detergent solution into the clothes. Then, the control device 90 executes the high concentration cleaning step until a predetermined period of time has elapsed. In this way, the high-concentration cleaning process is also a process of waiting for water to permeate into the clothing (a process of compensating for the time difference until it absorbs water).

In step S40, the control device 90 executes a second water supply step (second water supply). That is, the control device 90 opens the water supply solenoid valve (not shown) of the water supply unit 70 and starts supplying water to the outer tank 2 . When the water level sensor 71 determines that the predetermined water level has been reached, the control device 90 closes the water supply electromagnetic valve of the water supply unit 70 to stop water supply. In these two water supply steps, the water level may drop depending on the condition of the clothes. In this way, by executing the 2nd water supply process, you can check whether the water level sought in the 1st water supply process has been reached, and if the desired water level has not been reached, the water can be supplied to the desired water level. do. In addition, in the second water supply step, water supply may be performed while rotating the drum 3.

In step S50, the control device 90 executes a foam cleaning process. That is, the control device 90 controls the damper device 50 to operate the flap 53a to close the opening area of the discharge duct 22 toward the drying discharge port 25 side (or reduce the opening area). The control device 90 then controls the blower fan 30 to start blowing air into the outer tank 2 . At this time, since the opening area of the discharge duct 22 to the drying outlet 25 is narrowed by the flap 53a of the damper device 50, air is blown at high pressure into the flow path (blow pipe 81) on the side of the discharge ports 82b and 82e. Ru. As a result, the detergent liquid in the outer tank 2 forms foam (bubbles) by the air sent by the blower fan 30. Further, by rotating the drum 3 in forward and reverse directions, the clothes are washed while adhering bubbles to the surface of the clothes.

In this way, by generating air bubbles (foam) on the laundry in the drum 3, the cleaning power can be increased. This is because the detergent concentration is high at the interface (plateau boundary) where the bubbles are in close contact with each other, and when the bubbles burst, they give a high concentration of detergent to the laundry, and the impact when the bubbles burst (when the bubbles burst) Mechanical force acts on the laundry, increasing the cleaning effect. In addition, the lubrication effect of the foam can suppress fabric damage caused by friction between clothing items.

In step S60, the control device 90 executes a rinsing process. That is, the control device 90 opens the drain valve 12 to drain the water in the outer tank 2, and when it is detected by the water level sensor 71 that the water level in the outer tank 2 has fallen below a predetermined water level, the control device 90 opens the drain valve 12. The drum 3 is rotated at high speed while it is open, and the washing water contained in the clothes is dehydrated. When the control device 90 determines that a predetermined time has elapsed, the control device 90 ends the dehydration, closes the drain valve 12, and opens the water supply solenoid valve of the water supply unit 70 to supply water to the outer tank 2. When the water level sensor 71 detects that water has been supplied to a predetermined water level, the control device 90 stops the water supply, controls the motor M to rotate the drum 3 in the forward and reverse directions, and rinses the clothes while changing them. Execute.

In step S70, the control device 90 executes a dehydration process. That is, the control device 90 opens the drain valve 12 to drain the water in the outer tank 2, and when the water level sensor 71 detects that the water level in the outer tank 2 has fallen below a predetermined water level, the control device 90 opens the drain valve 12. The drum 3 is rotated at high speed while the drum 3 is still running, and the washing water contained in the clothes is dehydrated. Then, when the control device 90 determines that the predetermined time has elapsed, it ends the dehydration.

The washing machine 100 configured as described above includes an outer tub 2, a rotatable drum 3 contained in the outer tub 2, a water supply unit 70 (water supply means) that supplies water to the outer tub 2, and a drum 3 that is contained in the outer tub 2 and is rotatable. A blower fan 30 (blower) that blows air, a discharge duct 22 through which air blown from the blower fan 30 flows, a drying outlet 25 that is connected to the discharge duct 22 and blows air into the outer tank 2, and the discharge duct 22. A discharge nozzle 82 that is connected and provided in the outer tank 2, a damper device 50 (air volume adjustment section) that controls the amount of air blown to the drying outlet 25, and a control device 90 that controls the water supply unit 70 and the damper device 50. (control unit). It has a first water supply process (step S20) and a second water supply process (step S40) in which water is supplied to the outer tank 2 by the water supply unit 70. The control device 90 executes the second water supply process after executing the first water supply process, and also executes the foam cleaning process (step S50) after the second water supply process (generates bubbles from the discharge nozzle 82). . According to this, it is possible to foam the clothes in a state where they are sufficiently hydrated (at a sufficient water level), and it is possible to create a situation where it is easy to efficiently remove stains from the clothes. As a result, the cleaning effect due to foaming can be enhanced.

Furthermore, in the washing machine 100, the control device 90 switches the damper device 50 (air path switching section) after the second water supply step (step S40). According to this, foam can be generated in a state where clothing is sufficiently hydrated, and the cleaning effect due to foaming can be enhanced.

1 Housing 2 Outer tank 2a Outer tank body 2b Tank cover 3 Drum 3b Through hole 3s Lowermost point 21 Suction duct 22 Discharge duct (duct)
22a rear duct 22b upper duct 22s opening 25 drying outlet 30 blower fan (blower)
32 Impeller 40 Heat pump unit 50 Damper device (air path switching section)
53a Flap (opening/closing member)
53b Motor (drive source)
53c Shaft portion 53d Biasing member 53d1 Coil spring (spring)
70 Water supply unit (water supply means)
71 Water level sensor 80 Bubble generator 81 Blow pipe 81a Inlet 81b Connection part 82, 82A, 82B, 82C, 82D Discharge nozzle (bubble generator)
82a Cylindrical body 82a1 Inner wall 82a2 Bottom surface 82b, 82e Discharge port (foaming discharge port)
90 Control device (control unit)
100 Washing machine M Motor (drive unit)
R1 diameter (suction diameter)
R2 Outer diameter R10 Diameter (discharge port diameter)
R20 pore diameter (dehydration pore diameter)
S20 Water supply 1 process (first water supply process)
S40 Water supply 2 process (second water supply process)
S50 Foam cleaning process (bubbles are generated from the bubble generating part)

Claims (5)

A casing and
an outer tank disposed within the housing;
a rotatable drum contained in the outer tank;
a blower that sends air into the drum;
a duct through which air blown from the blower flows;
a drying outlet connected to the duct and blowing air into the outer tank;
a bubble generator connected to the duct and provided in the outer tank;
an air path switching section that switches an air path between the drying outlet and the bubble generating section;
The washing machine is characterized in that the air path switching section is disposed above the outer tub. The washing machine according to claim 1,
Water supply means for supplying water to the outer tank;
a water level sensor that detects the water level in the outer tank;
A control unit that controls water supply from the water supply means based on the detected value of the water level sensor,
The washing machine is characterized in that the air passage switching section is arranged at a position higher than a highest water level controlled by the control section. The washing machine according to claim 1,
The air path switching unit includes an opening/closing member that opens and closes the duct, and a shaft portion that rotatably supports the opening/closing member,
The washing machine characterized in that the opening/closing member is arranged inside the duct, and the shaft part is arranged outside the duct. The washing machine according to claim 1,
The air path switching unit is fixed to the duct,
The washing machine, wherein the duct is fixed to the casing. The washing machine according to claim 1,
comprising a heat pump unit that generates drying air to be sent into the outer tank,
A washing machine characterized in that the air path switching section is disposed on the upper side and the heat pump unit is disposed on the lower side with the outer tub in between.

Images