JP3471240B2 - Washing machine with partial washing device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washing machine equipped with a partial washing device for washing off partial stains on clothes by utilizing the cleaning action of ultrasonic waves.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In conventional household washing machines, the stubborn stains on the collars, cuffs and socks of cutter shirts are hard to remove, and it is common to perform pre-washing with a brush or hand wash before putting them into a washing tub. there were. However, this has a problem that it is troublesome and that the cloth is damaged due to friction of the fibers.

Therefore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-224793 proposes a washing machine with a partial washing device. The structure of this washing machine is shown in FIG. The spray nozzle 21, which is a partial washing device, is located above the washing tub 23 in the main body 22 of the washing machine, and the washing water supplied from the pump 26 of the washing water supply member 25 is jetted toward the washing tub 23. .

At this time, ultrasonic vibration is transmitted to the cleaning water from the jet nozzle 21 by the ultrasonic wave generating member 27.
When the dirty portion of the object to be cleaned is applied to the cleaning water to which ultrasonic vibration is applied, the dirt drops due to the synergistic effect of the vibration acceleration of the cleaning water and the jet pressure of the jet.

[0005]

However, the above conventional washing machines have the following problems. First, the spray nozzle 21 is provided in the washing machine main body 22 at the height of the opening 24, and the position at which the cleaning water is sprayed is below the opening 24. In fact, the user has to carry out a partial washing operation at a height of about 750 to 800 mm, which requires a slightly forward leaning posture, which makes him very tired.

Further, in the above-mentioned conventional washing machine, the ultrasonic vibration is narrowed down by the injection nozzle 21 to increase the energy density, and the flow rate of the washing water to be jetted is several m / sec.
Becomes Therefore, when washing water hits an article to be washed, it is often scattered around and wets the periphery of the washing machine.

Further, ultrasonic waves in a relatively high frequency band of about 500 kHz to several MHz are used here, and the ultrasonic wave intensity of the cleaning water is highest in the vicinity of the jet nozzle 21. However, although it depends on the frequency, the frequency of the wash water abruptly attenuates when it is separated from the jet nozzle 21 by several tens of mm.

Therefore, in order to obtain a high cleaning effect, the object to be cleaned must be held at a certain distance from the spray nozzle 21. For example, if the frequency is 1 MHz, it is necessary to wash at a distance of about 20 mm from the injection nozzle 21. Therefore, in the conventional configuration in which it is difficult to keep the distance from the spray nozzle 21 to the object to be cleaned constant, the cleaning effect may be significantly reduced depending on the working method.

Further, since the cleaning water near the spray nozzle 21 to which the ultrasonic vibration is transmitted has a high energy density and is in a frequency band which is transmitted to the deep part of the human body, it feels a lot of pain when touching the hand of a person. . In addition, it is said that cartilage is adversely affected, and thus a washing machine for home use needs to be constructed with careful attention.

In addition, the injection nozzle 21 is provided in the main body opening 24.
Since it is protruding, it was an obstacle to putting in and out the laundry unless partial washing was performed. In particular, when the laundry is taken out from the washing tub 23, there is a concern that the laundry may be caught by the spray nozzle 21 and damage the spray nozzle 21.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and is a washing machine equipped with a partial washing device which is excellent in workability, obtains a high cleaning power without damaging the cloth, and is safe and has a good storability. The purpose is to provide.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above object, a washing machine with a partial washing device of the present invention has an opening for a washing machine.
It is equipped with a lid that opens and closes the part, and the lid is divided into two at the front and rear.
It is a mountain fold that opens and opens.
Clean the object to be cleaned with ultrasonic waves on the front surface of the covered lid.
Ultrasonic cleaning device for cleaning is provided
It In the washing machine with the above configuration, while opening the lid
The front edge of the front lid reaches the diameter of the washing machine
And the ultrasonic cleaning device installed on the upper surface of the front lid
Located near the center of the washing tub. Fix the lid in this state
If so, it is possible to use a wide frontage at the opening of the washing machine.
Partial cleaning work with a sonic cleaning device can be performed,
In addition, another washing machine with a partial washing device of the present invention is an ultrasonic vibrator that vibrates ultrasonically in order to remove partial stains on an object to be cleaned by washing water to which ultrasonic vibration is applied, and the ultrasonic wave. A washing machine provided with an ultrasonic vibration horn that amplifies the vibration of the vibrator, and an ultrasonic cleaning unit including a water supply unit that supplies cleaning water, to which the cleaning water is vibrated by the tip of the ultrasonic vibration horn, to the object to be cleaned. in front be divided into two later been made to open folded into a mountain fold, open Mr.
The leading edge is locked at the diameter of the washing tub on the way
It is characterized in that the ultrasonic cleaning section is provided at the center in the lateral direction on the upper surface of the front side lid section of the divided lids. Also, other parts of the present invention
A washing machine equipped with a washing device can be washed with ultrasonic water.
Ultrasonic waves to remove partial stains on the object to be cleaned by
The ultrasonic oscillator that vibrates and the vibration in the ultrasonic oscillator
Amplifying ultrasonic vibration horn, and the ultrasonic vibration horn
Apply the cleaning water, which is vibrated by the tip, to the object to be cleaned.
For a washing machine equipped with an ultrasonic cleaning unit consisting of water supply means for supplying
In front, it is divided into two before and after it is folded in a mountain fold
Equipped with a lid that opens, and when the lid opens, the ultrasonic cleaning unit
Is located near the center of the washing tub
And

In this ultrasonic cleaning unit, the amplitude is amplified and the vibration energy is converged by the ultrasonic vibration horn, so that the energy given to the cleaning water becomes very high. Therefore, even if the frequency is in a relatively low frequency band, cavitation can be generated inside the fiber with a small amount of water supply, and a high cleaning effect can be obtained. In this case, the fibers are not rubbed or deformed excessively as compared with the case of cleaning with a brush or the like, so that the damage to the cloth can be extremely reduced.

Further, in the washing machine having the above structure, when the front edge of the front lid portion reaches the position of the diameter of the washing tub while the lid is being opened, the super lid provided on the upper surface of the front lid portion is reached. The sonic cleaning unit is located in the center of the washing tub. If the lid is fixed in this state, the ultrasonic cleaning section can perform a partial cleaning operation at a wide opening in the opening of the washing machine body.

Further , the present invention includes any one of the above configurations.
In addition , a slit is formed below the tip of the ultrasonic vibration horn of the ultrasonic cleaning unit, and the cleaning water is supplied to the cleaning target by passing the cleaning target through the slit.

Therefore, in this washing machine, since the object to be cleaned is simply passed through the slit, it is difficult for the cleaning water and the ultrasonic vibration horn to come into direct contact with the hands. Further, since the position of the water supply means with respect to the slit of the case is fixed, the object to be cleaned is always supplied with water in the same positional relationship as the water supply means.

Further , the present invention has the above-mentioned structure, wherein the water supply means is an upper cover located below the ultrasonic vibration horn so as to have a substantially hemispherical shape with an open top and to be convex downward.
The tip of the ultrasonic horn is equipped with a lower cover that is located below the upper cover so that it has a semi-spherical shape with an open top and is convex upward, and a water supply pipe that supplies water into the case from a position higher than the upper cover. Is positioned lower than or the same height as the opening of the upper cover, and the object to be cleaned passing through the slit passes between the upper cover and the lower cover.

In the washing machine having the above structure, the washing water supplied from the water supply pipe flows down along the inner surface of the upper cover. Then, ultrasonic vibration is applied to the cleaning water by the tip of the ultrasonic vibration horn. When the user passes the cleaning object through the slit of the case, the ultrasonic vibration water flowing down from the upper cover is supplied to the cleaning object. The object to be cleaned can slightly touch the tip of the ultrasonic vibration horn.

Further , the ultrasonic cleaning section is attached to the front lid section via a rotating means provided on the rear wall of the case of the ultrasonic cleaning section, and when the ultrasonic cleaning section is rotated 90 degrees, the case is rotated. Is characterized in that its side wall is close to and parallel to the upper surface of the front side lid portion.

The ultrasonic cleaning unit has a rectangular parallelepiped case,
When the one having the smaller area out of the four side walls of the case is used as the rear wall and is attached to the front lid,
When it is rotated 0 °, the length of the ultrasonic cleaning section protruding from the front lid section becomes shorter than that before rotation.

Further, the front cover portion are formed freely recess out ultrasonic cleaning unit, the front lid section when accommodating the ultrasonic cleaning unit into the recess top surface and the ultrasonic cleaning unit It is characterized by being horizontal with the front wall of the case. Therefore, when the ultrasonic cleaning section is completely housed in the concave section, no projection is formed on the upper surface of the front lid section. In addition, the water supply means
A cover is provided below the ultrasonic vibration horn to cover the ultrasonic vibration horn, the cover has an opening for passing the cleaning liquid, and a slit is formed below the cover. In the washing machine having the above structure, the wash water supplied from the water supply means flows down along the inner surface of the cover. Then, ultrasonic vibration is applied to the cleaning water by the tip of the ultrasonic vibration horn. The user is supplied to the slit below the cover with ultrasonic vibration water flowing down from the cover to the object to be cleaned. The object to be cleaned can slightly touch the tip of the ultrasonic vibration horn.

[0022]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a washing machine with a partial washing device according to this embodiment. Reference numeral 10 denotes an ultrasonic cleaning unit for cleaning partial stains on clothes by ultrasonic waves, which is attached to the lid 2 of the washing machine body 1. Further, 3 is an oscillator for generating electric pulses for driving ultrasonic waves, 4 is a lead wire for transmitting a drive signal from the oscillator 3 to the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10,
Reference numeral 5 is a water supply hose that branches from the wash water supply port 6 and communicates with a water supply pipe 11 of the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10, and 7 is a washing tub.

As shown in the figure, the lid 2 is opened by folding it in two at the front and back, and the ultrasonic cleaning portion is located at the lateral center of the front lid portion 2a close to the front edge. 10 is attached. The lid 2 can be easily locked by a magnet (not shown) or the like when the front edge portion reaches the position of the diameter of the washing tub 7 during opening. As a result, the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 is located substantially in the center of the washing tub 7,
The operating posture of the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 is adjusted.

As described above, the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 is fixed in position near the center of the washing tub 7 because the front opening 1a of the main body has a wide frontage and the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 removes long dirt such as collar dirt. This is because the workability is very good when cleaning.

The height from the floor surface to the lid 2 is about 900 mm or more, though it varies depending on the washing machine. In this washing machine, since the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 is provided on the lid 2, the user can take a substantially upright work posture. Therefore, the work can be performed very easily.

Next, the ultrasonic cleaning section 10 will be described. The ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 has the configuration disclosed by the present inventor (Japanese Patent Application No. 10-197126). FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ultrasonic vibration unit provided in the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10. Reference numeral 12 is an ultrasonic vibrator, and 13 is an ultrasonic vibration horn that amplifies the vibration and transmits it to the cleaning water.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of the ultrasonic cleaning section 10. The ultrasonic vibrator 12 and the ultrasonic vibration horn 13
Are fixed by a support member 15 in the case 14 of the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10.

Below the ultrasonic vibration horn 13, a cover 16 having a substantially hemispherical shape and having an open top is attached so as to be convex downward. At this time, the tip portion 13a of the ultrasonic vibration horn 13 is located at the same height as the opening 16a of the cover 16 or slightly below it.
The cover 17 has the same shape as the cover 16, and is attached below the cover 17 so as to be convex upward.

The case 14 has a slit 14a formed therein. The article to be cleaned 8 such as clothes inserted into the case 14 through the slit 14a passes through a gap provided between the upper cover 16 and the lower cover 17. The slit 14a is shown in the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 shown in FIG.

The water supply pipe 11 is connected to the water supply pipe from the washing water supply port 6 via the water supply hose 5 (see FIG. 1) or a pressurized supply means such as a pump, and is located higher than the upper cover 16. Water is being supplied from the inside to the case 14. This washing water flows down along the inner surface of the upper cover 16, and flows down from the lower end of the case 14 to the washing tub 7 (see FIG. 1) through the openings 16a and 17a of the upper and lower covers 16 and 17.

Partial cleaning by the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 having the above structure will be described. The ultrasonic vibrator 12 vibrates at the resonance frequency by the drive signal from the oscillator 3 (see FIG. 1),
The vibration is amplified by the ultrasonic vibration horn 13. The tip portion 13a vibrates with an amplitude of several times to several tens of times or more depending on its material and shape. At the same time, water is supplied from the water supply pipe 11 into the case 14, and the water is guided to the tip portion 13 a of the ultrasonic vibration horn 13 by the upper cover 16.
The washing water is then subjected to strong vibrations, generating capillary surface waves and atomizing.

The user inserts the dirty portion of the article 8 to be cleaned into the slit 14a of the case 14 and moves it to the left and right. At this time, the cleaning water to which the ultrasonic vibration is applied is supplied to the object to be cleaned 8 and the tip portion 13a of the ultrasonic vibration horn 13 slightly contacts the object to be cleaned 8. As a result, the strong cavitation generated on the surface of the article 8 to be cleaned and the fibers inside the fiber and the synergistic effect of the physical vibration mechanical force of several tens kHz directly applied to the article 8 to be cleaned result in the partial stain being extremely effective. Will be removed.

The user may determine whether to stop or continue the work while visually checking the cleaning condition. Then, the article to be cleaned 8 that has been partially washed is put into the washing tub 7 as it is,
Continue normal washing.

In the washing machine having the above-mentioned structure, the water to which ultrasonic vibration is applied is in a mist state, and even if the water is brought close to the object to be cleaned 8, the water permeates and does not scatter around. Therefore, the inconvenience of splashing water around and getting wet unlike the conventional case does not occur.

Further, since the vibration energy from the ultrasonic vibrator 12 at this time is converged by the ultrasonic vibrating horn 13, the energy density at the tip portion 13a is very high and is easily several tens W /. Reaches a strong power density above cm ² . Therefore, if the tip portion 13a is touched by hand, there is a risk of absorbing vibrations and causing burns.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the object to be cleaned 8 is passed through the slit 14a of the case 14 to prevent the hand from contacting the tip portion 13a. Therefore, the height of the slit 14a may be set to a size that is difficult for the fingers to enter, for example, 10 mm. At this time, at least the ultrasonic vibration horn 1
When the height of the slit 14a is about 10 mm in the vicinity of 3, the collar of a cutter shirt that is used for frequent partial washing,
You can easily insert sleeves, socks, shirts, and underwear.

Also, several tens of kHz used in this type of device
In the comparatively low frequency ultrasonic wave, the vibration wave is not concentrated in a beam shape unlike the high frequency wave, and therefore ultrasonic vibration due to water excitation is not transmitted to the continuously flowing liquid with high intensity.
Therefore, there is no problem even if the water that flows down from the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 and falls into the washing tub 7 is touched by the hand.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the washing machine body 1 of this embodiment, showing a state in which the lid 2 is opened and the lock is performed. As shown in the figure, a rectangular parallelepiped ultrasonic cleaning unit 1
0 is attached to the front side lid portion 2a via a hinge portion 18 provided on the rear wall. The ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 at the time of partial cleaning is, as shown by a solid line X, a front lid 2a.
It is held in a position perpendicular to.

When partial cleaning is not performed, the upper and lower sides in the axial direction are rotated by 90 degrees (arrow A in the figure), and the side wall of the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 is parallel to the front lid 2a as indicated by the dotted line Y. Close to. As a result, the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 does not significantly project from the lid 2, and thus the object to be cleaned in and out of the washing tub 7 is prevented from being caught by this.

Further, FIG. 5 shows a configuration in which the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 is attached to the front side lid portion 2a differently from the embodiment shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, in this washing machine, a concave portion 9 having substantially the same size as the ultrasonic cleaning portion 10 is formed in the front side lid portion 2a.

The ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 can be put in and taken out from the concave portion 9 (arrow B in the figure), and is structured to be locked especially when it is pulled out more than a certain amount. As this locking means, for example, it is preferable to provide convex portions that are caught on the rear edge portions of both side surfaces of the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 and concave portions that are fitted to the convex portions on the front side lid portion 2a.

Therefore, the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 is pulled out when performing partial cleaning, and the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 is otherwise activated.
Are housed in the recess 9. Since the upper surface of the front lid portion 2a and the front wall of the case 14 of the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 are substantially flush with each other and do not project during storage, the ultrasonic cleaning unit 10 does not interfere.

Next, the results of the actual cloth washing test conducted by the washing machine according to the present invention are shown below. In this test, JIS
An artificially contaminated cloth according to the C9606 washing test of an electric washing machine
The degree of cleaning (%) was obtained by using a test cloth (simulating collar stain) as a test cloth. For comparison, brush cleaning and hand scrubbing are simultaneously performed. The cleaning degree (%) is the cleaning degree (%) =
It is calculated by (reflectance after washing-reflectance before washing) / (reflectance of original cloth-reflectance before washing) × 100.

The test conditions are an output of 30 W and a frequency of 40 kHz.
We used a transmitter to generate the frequency. Further, tap water adjusted to 25 ° C. was used as washing water, and a commercially available liquid detergent for partial washing was applied to a contaminated cloth in a standard amount in advance.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the results of this test, showing the cleaning degree (%) with respect to the cleaning time. As shown in the figure, according to the ultrasonic cleaning section of the present invention, a cleaning degree exceeding 90% is obtained in only about 10 seconds. On the contrary,
In the brush cleaning and the scrubbing cleaning, the cleaning degree is 90% or less even when the cleaning time is 12 times, and it can be seen that the ultrasonic cleaning section exhibits a remarkable cleaning effect. In addition, the state of the artificially contaminated cloth after cleaning showed frictional damage in both brush cleaning and hand scrubbing, but almost no damage was observed in ultrasonic cleaning, and its superiority against damage is clear.

[0046]

As described above, since the washing machine with the partial washing device of the present invention is washed with water to which ultrasonic vibration is applied, the contact resistance of the cloth is reduced and the friction damage is eliminated. Therefore, wrinkles and damages are less than those of the conventional cleaning with a hand brush or brush, and a strong cleaning effect can be obtained. In addition, after the partial cleaning, the item to be cleaned can be put in the washing tub as it is and washed in its entirety, which is very convenient.

In addition to being able to work in a comfortable posture, anyone can obtain the same cleaning effect by a simple motion of moving clothes left and right. Furthermore, there is no risk of splashing water around during cleaning. Therefore, the partial cleaning can be easily performed without any trouble.

Further, since the ultrasonic vibrating horn and the washing water having high vibration energy do not touch the hand, the hand can be safely washed without being damaged.

Further, when the partial cleaning is not performed, the ultrasonic cleaning section is easily housed so that it does not largely protrude from the lid, so that the cleaning of the ultrasonic cleaning does not disturb the ultrasonic cleaning. There is no danger of damaging the parts.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an embodiment of a washing machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an ultrasonic vibration unit of the ultrasonic cleaning unit of the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic cleaning section of this embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the washing machine of this embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a view showing another embodiment of mounting the ultrasonic cleaning unit in the washing machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing the results of a cleaning test using the washing machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an external perspective view showing an embodiment of a conventional washing machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 lid 2a Front lid part 3 oscillators 8 Items to be cleaned 9 recess 10 Ultrasonic cleaning section 11 water pipe 12 Ultrasonic transducer 13 Ultrasonic vibration horn 14 cases 14a slit 16 upper case 17 Lower case 18 Hinge part

Front Page Continuation (72) Inventor Hiroshi Yoshikawa 22-22 Nagaike-cho, Abeno-ku, Osaka City Sharp Corporation (56) References JP-A-52-30068 (JP, A) JP-A-62-137091 (JP, A) JP 2000-61192 (JP, A) Fukukaihei 2-63790 (JP, U) Fumikaku Sho 41-18157 (JP, Y1) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) D06F 1/00-51/02

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. A lid for opening and closing an opening of a washing machine,
The lid is divided into two at the front and the rear, and is opened by folding in a mountain fold. An ultrasonic cleaning device for ultrasonically cleaning an object to be cleaned is provided on the front surface of the divided lid. A washing machine with a partial washing device, which is provided. 2. An ultrasonic vibrator that vibrates ultrasonically in order to remove partial stains on an object to be cleaned by cleaning water to which ultrasonic vibration is applied, and an ultrasonic wave that amplifies the vibration in the ultrasonic vibrator. vibrating horn, and the ultrasonic vibration horn tip washing machine having an ultrasonic cleaning unit consisting of the water supply means for supplying cleaning water given vibration to the object to be cleaned by, before being divided into two later It is folded up in a mountain fold and opened , and the front edge is a washing tub in the middle of opening.
The washing machine with a partial washing device is characterized in that it has a lid that can be locked at the position of the diameter, and the ultrasonic cleaning section is provided at the center of the horizontal direction on the upper surface of the front side lid section of the divided lids. Machine. 3. An ultrasonic vibrator that vibrates ultrasonically to remove partial stains on an object to be cleaned by cleaning water to which ultrasonic vibration is applied, and an ultrasonic wave that amplifies the vibration in the ultrasonic vibrator. vibrating horn, and the ultrasonic vibration horn tip washing machine having an ultrasonic cleaning unit consisting of the water supply means for supplying cleaning water given vibration to the object to be cleaned by, before being divided into two later And fold it in a mountain fold to open it
Equipped with a lid, when the lid is opened, the ultrasonic cleaning section
A washing machine with a partial washing device, which is provided so as to be located substantially in the center . 4. A slit through which an object to be cleaned is formed below the tip of the ultrasonic vibration horn, and the cleaning water is supplied to the object to be cleaned by passing the object to be cleaned through the slit. The washing machine with the partial washing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . 5. An upper cover which is located below the ultrasonic vibrating horn and has a substantially hemispherical shape with an open top so as to project downward as the water supply means, and a substantially hemispherical shape with an open top that projects upward. A lower cover located below the upper cover, and a water supply pipe for supplying water into the case from a position higher than the upper cover. 5. The washing machine with a partial washing device according to claim 4 , wherein the washing target is located at a lower position or at the same height, and the object to be cleaned passing through the slit passes between the upper cover and the lower cover. . 6. The ultrasonic cleaning section is attached to the front side lid section via a rotating means provided on a rear wall of a case of the ultrasonic cleaning section, and the ultrasonic cleaning section is rotated by 90 degrees. claims a side wall of the case and is characterized by parallel proximity with the upper surface of the front lid 2, 4, 5
A washing machine with a partial washing device according to any one of 1. 7. The front lid portion is formed with a concave portion into which the ultrasonic cleaning portion can be inserted and removed, and when the ultrasonic cleaning portion is housed in the concave portion, the upper surface of the front lid portion and the The washing machine with a partial washing device according to any one of claims 2 , 4 , and 5 , wherein the ultrasonic cleaning unit is horizontal with the front wall of the case. 8. The water supply means includes a cover which is located below the ultrasonic vibration horn to cover the ultrasonic vibration horn and which has an opening for passing cleaning water, and the water supply means is provided below the cover. The washing machine with a partial washing device according to claim 4 , wherein a slit is formed.