JP4023800B2 - Washing machine - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a washing machine that sucks air from outside the machine and exhausts it outside the machine.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there have been provided stirring type washing and drying machines that can be dried by blowing air such as warm air in addition to washing, rinsing, and dehydrating laundry.
A conventional washing and drying machine has a hot air supply device that sucks outside air and heats it with an internal heater and then supplies hot air with a fan. Warm air is blown onto the item by the warm air supply device, and the laundry is dried by slightly stirring. At that time, the warm air in the washing tub containing moisture due to contact with the wet laundry stays in the washing tub and the upper part of the outer box, while the hand provided in the gap between the outer box and the top cover and the washing lid. It is common to exhaust air from the opening on the lower surface of the outer box through the hanging portion and the water tank (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2000-271377 A (3rd and 4th pages, FIG. 1)
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the washing and drying machine provided with the drying function as described above, the discharge of the warm air including the moisture from the laundry during the drying process is not always efficiently performed due to the gap or the like, so that it stays inside the washing machine. It was easy to do and became a factor which reduced drying efficiency. In addition, condensation may occur on the inner surface of the outer box constituting the outer shell of the washing machine made of sheet metal, such as a color steel plate, and the condensed water may cause problems such as wetting the floor. Furthermore, in the above-described structure in which the exhaust lid is formed in the handle portion of the washing lid, it is easy to allow entry of dust and the like, and not only the appearance is impaired, but also is blocked by an object placed immediately above the washing lid. There was also a risk.
[0005]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to improve the drying efficiency by smoothly exhausting air and to prevent the dew condensation inside the washing machine without causing condensation. It is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine that prevents intrusion and the like, and does not impair the beauty.
[0006]
In order to achieve the above object, a washing machine of the present invention includes an outer box, a water tank housed inside the outer box, and a washing tank housed in the water tank for washing, rinsing, dehydrating and drying laundry. And a top cover provided at an upper part of the outer box and having an opening for taking in and out laundry, and a laundry lid that covers the opening of the top cover so as to be openable and closable, and has a flange on the periphery. , the washing lid, with an air in the cleaning tank by communicating the outer box inside and outside the flange portion of each side of the two folded lids ventilation unit for discharging to the outside of the outer box, occlusion of the washing lid The flange portion of the portion sandwiched between the ventilation portions at the time is configured to abut against the top cover (invention of claim 1).
[0007]
In what is configured in this manner, moisture is taken from the laundry, and the moist air is exhausted through the ventilation portion provided in the flange portion of the laundry lid, that is, through the gap between the top cover and the laundry lid. It does not stay in the washing machine body. Therefore, the drying efficiency can be improved without impairing the aesthetic appearance of the upper surface of the washing machine.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a washing / drying machine as an embodiment of the washing machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, FIG. 1 is a longitudinal side view showing the overall configuration of the washing / drying machine. As shown in this figure, the washing / drying machine main body includes a rectangular tubular metal outer box 1 and an upper end opening of the outer box 1. An outer shell of the washing / drying machine main body is constituted by the top cover 2 attached to the inside, and a water tank 3 is arranged inside the outer box 1. The water tub 3 is elastically supported by four suspension rods 4 (only two are shown) suspended from the upper end of the outer box 1 via springs 5, and a washing tub 6 is rotatably provided therein. is doing. A stirring body 7 is provided at the inner bottom of the washing tub 6, and the washing tub 6 and the stirring body 7 are connected via a rotating shaft 9 by a driving device 8 including a motor attached to the outer bottom surface of the water tub 3. It is selectively rotated.
[0009]
The top cover 2 has an opening 2a through which laundry can be taken in and out of the washing tub 6, and for example, a double-folded laundry lid 10 is attached to be opened and closed by a hinge 10a provided on the rear surface thereof. Yes. In particular, as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 2, an operation panel 11 for operating the washing / drying machine is provided on the upper surface of the front portion of the top cover 2. A control device 12 is arranged. Further, a water supply valve 13 as a water supply means, a hot air supply device 14 as a hot air supply means, and the like are disposed on the rear upper surface of the top cover 2, and a rear surface opening of the top cover 2 by a detachable back cover 15. The whole part is covered.
[0010]
The hot air supply device 14 is entirely unitized by a casing 16 having an intake port 16a and a blowout port 16b, and a blower fan 17 and a heater 18 are provided therein, while the blower fan 17 is connected to the hot air supply device 14. A motor 19 to be driven is attached to the outer surface of the casing 16 and is connected to the blower fan 17 through a rotating shaft. The heater 18 is disposed on the leeward side of the blower fan 17. The back cover 15 covering the hot air supply device 14 is formed with a vent 15b at a position facing the back cover 15 so as not to block the intake port 16a of the hot air supply device 14.
[0011]
Further, a water tank cover 20 is disposed on the upper surface of the water tank 3, and an inner lid 21 that opens and closes the central opening portion of the water tank cover 20 is rotatably provided. The inner lid 21 has an opening 21a formed of, for example, a plurality of slit grooves at a substantially center thereof, and an exhaust filter 22 is detachably provided in the opening 21a so as to cover the opening 21a. In addition, a bellows-like duct 23 connected to the outlet 16 b of the casing 16 is connected to the water tank cover 20.
[0012]
Now, as shown in FIG. 3, a flange portion 10b is formed on the peripheral edge of the washing lid 10 in the form of a hanging wall over the entire circumference. Is provided with a cutout portion 10c that is a ventilation portion so as to partially cut out the gap, so that a gap, that is, a so-called ventilation portion is formed between the washing lid 10 and the top cover 2 in a closed state. It has become.
[0013]
In addition, the top cover 2 is formed with an inclined surface 2b that forms a communication path toward a gap formed between the top cover 2 and the laundry lid 10 on the wall surface along the hinge 10a of the laundry lid 10 in the opening 2a. Thus, a so-called escape portion is formed at the upper part of the opening 2a, and the entrance to the gap with the washing lid 10 is widened. Therefore, it is possible to easily discharge the warm air containing moisture to the outside of the machine. In addition, this effect can be further enhanced if the end of the flange portion 10b on the side of the washing lid 10 facing this is formed in an edge shape inclined substantially parallel to the inclined surface of the top cover 2.
[0014]
In addition, the casing 16 of the hot air supply device 14 shown in FIG. 1 has an engaging portion 16c formed in a convex ring shape so as to surround the outer periphery of the intake port 16a. On the back cover 15 side opposite to this, a convex ring-shaped engaged portion 15a is formed on the outer periphery of the vent hole 15b so as to be slightly larger in diameter so that it can be engaged with the engaging portion 16c. Yes. Accordingly, the casing 16 and the back cover 15 of the hot air supply device 14 are positioned by engaging the engaging portion 16c and the engaged portion 15a. The back cover 15 has a filter case 24 as a filter that is detachably provided so as to cover the vent hole 15b. The filter case 24 is provided with a mesh portion (not shown) at a position facing the vent hole 15 b, and the mesh portion is rougher than the exhaust filter 22.
[0015]
Further, by engaging the engaging portion 16c of the casing 16 of the hot air supply device 14 and the engaged portion 15a provided on the back cover 15, the opening positions of both the intake ports can be made to coincide with each other accurately. Therefore, outside air can be sucked in smoothly and without leakage.
[0016]
The operation of the washing / drying machine configured as described above will be described. By operating the operation panel 11, the steps of washing, rinsing, and dewatering are sequentially executed. First, in a washing process, after putting laundry in the washing tub 6, tap water is supplied into the washing tub 6 through the water supply valve 13 together with the detergent, and a predetermined amount of water is stored. After that, the washing body is agitated by rotating the agitator 7 with the drive device 8 by automatically reversing it, and the washing process is performed to remove the dirt of the laundry.
[0017]
When this washing process is completed, after draining, the washing tub 6 is rotated at a high speed to perform intermediate dehydration. As a result, most of the washing liquid containing the detergent is squeezed out of the laundry and discharged out of the machine, so that the next rinsing process can be completed efficiently and in a short time. The rinsing process is basically performed in the same manner as the washing process.
[0018]
When the rinsing process is completed, the finishing dehydration process is performed by rotating the washing tub 6 at a high speed, and the laundry is dehydrated.
Now, in drying the laundry completed up to the dehydration process in this way, the operation of the drying process of the laundry dryer will be described below.
[0019]
In the drying process, first, the blower fan 17 is rotated by driving the motor 19 in the hot air supply device 14, and thereby the hot air supply device from the outside of the outer box 1 through the vent hole 15 b of the back cover 15 and the intake port 16 a of the casing 16. Air is taken into 14. In FIG. 1, the flow of air and the drying air as warm air are indicated by arrows. Thereafter, the air sent along the air passage through the casing 16 is heated by the heater 18 and supplied as dry air into the washing tub 6 through the duct 23. This dry wind evaporates from the laundry by giving vaporization heat to the moisture in the laundry while in contact with the laundry, thereby depriving the moisture, so that the dry wind is in a state containing moisture. As a result, warm and moist air rises in the washing tub 6, passes through the opening 21 a provided in the inner lid 21 and the exhaust filter 22, and is discharged out of the washing tub 6. Is naturally exhausted from the gap formed between the top cover 2 and the notch 10c provided in the flange portion 10b.
[0020]
As described above, the damp air in the drying process is likely to stay in the space between the washing lid 10 and the inner lid 21 in the past, but according to the present embodiment, a wide area around the washing lid 10 is obtained. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the moist air from staying in the outer box 1 as much as possible. Therefore, since moist air does not stay inside the outer box 1, it is possible to prevent a state in which the back surface of the outer box 1 that is made of metal and easily exchanges heat is condensed due to moisture. Further, by smoothly discharging the air containing moisture in the washing tub 6, it is possible to promote the introduction of new drying air instead, and to improve the air flow as a whole and improve the drying efficiency. Furthermore, the exhaust of the humid air after contributing to the drying is directly blocked by an object placed on the laundry lid 10 by using the notch 10c of the flange portion 10b around the laundry lid 10. There is no loss of aesthetics on the top of the body.
[0021]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and illustrated. About the notch part of the flange part of a washing lid, what is necessary is just to connect the inside and outside in the flange part of a washing lid, for example, the hole opened in the flange part may be sufficient. The washing lid is not limited to a two-fold structure, and the filter structure can be variously modified. For example, the washing lid can be implemented with specific modifications without departing from the gist of the present invention.
[0022]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, moist air in the tub can be smoothly exhausted from the ventilation portion between the peripheral flange portion of the washing lid and the top cover. It is possible to increase the efficiency of drying without obstructing the exhaust port with the placed object and without losing the aesthetic appearance.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal side view of a washing / drying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a state in which a main part of a laundry lid is closed. FIG. Figure [Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Outer box 2 Top cover 3 Water tank 6 Washing tank 10 Washing lid 10b Flange part 10c Notch part (ventilation part)
14 Hot air supply device (hot air supply means)
15 Back cover 15a Engagement part 16 Casing 16a Intake port 16c Engagement part 17 Blower fan 18 Heater 19 Motor 24 Filter case (filter)

Claims (3)

An outer box, a water tank housed inside the outer box, a washing tank housed in the water tank for washing, rinsing, dehydration and drying of the laundry, and provided on the upper part of the outer box for putting in and out the laundry a top cover having an opening, openable cover the opening of the top cover, includes a washing lid flange portion is provided on the periphery, the washing lid, and communicating said outer box and out the the air in the cleaning tank and having the flange portion of each side of the two folded lids ventilation unit for discharging to the outside of the outer box, the flange portion is the top cover of the portion sandwiched ventilation part during closure of the washing lid A washing machine characterized by being configured to abut against the machine.   The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the ventilation portion of the washing lid is formed by cutting out the flange portion. An outer box, a water tank housed inside the outer box, a washing tank housed in the water tank for washing, rinsing, dehydration and drying of the laundry, and provided on the upper part of the outer box for putting in and out the laundry A top cover having an opening, and a washing lid that covers the opening of the top cover so that the opening can be opened and closed, and a flange portion is provided on a peripheral edge of the top cover. openably provided, Rutotomoni of having a ventilation unit for discharging air in the cleaning tank communicating said outer box and out to the outside of the outer box with the flange portion of the rear surface, the top cover facing the washing lid rear surface to form a communication path between the, washing machines you and forming a gripping space in the top cover.

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