JP5010136B2 - Washing and drying machine and assembling method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing / drying machine including a lint trap in a circulation air passage communicating with a water tank, and an assembling method thereof.

  For example, in a drum-type washing / drying machine, a circulation air passage that communicates with the inside of the water tank is provided outside the water tank that houses the drum, and the air blower, heating means, dehumidifying means, and lint trap are provided in the circulation air passage. When the laundry contained in the drum is dried, the air in the water tank is circulated through the circulation air passage by the blower, the circulation air is heated by the heating means, and the moisture in the circulation air is There is a configuration in which the dehumidifying means condenses and dehumidifies, and the lint is captured from the air passing through the circulation air path by the lint filter in the lint trap (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In this patent document 1, the said lint trap is located in the clearance gap between the upper part of a water tank and the top-plate part of an outer case, and is provided fixed to the water tank side, The top-plate part of an outer case Is provided with a lid that can be opened and closed at a portion corresponding to the lint trap.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-200395

  In the thing of above-mentioned patent document 1, when checking and cleaning the lint filter in a lint trap, in the state which opened the lid | cover of the outer-box top-plate part, the outer box is opened from the opening opened by the lid | cover. It is necessary to remove the lint filter after inserting a hand and removing the cover of the lint trap. In this case, the lint catcher is fixed on the water tank side, and there is a relatively large gap between the outer box top plate and the lint catcher. When inserted, there is a risk of injury due to contact with parts other than lint traps.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a washing / drying machine that can easily check and clean the lint filter in the lint trap.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the washing and drying machine of the present invention is provided with an outer box, a water tank disposed in the outer box, having an intake port and an exhaust port, and rotatably disposed in the water tank. A rotating tub having a large number of holes through which water and air can flow and accommodating laundry, and a circulating air passage having one end connected to the air inlet of the water tub and the other end connected to the air outlet A fan that circulates the air in the water tank through the circulation air passage, a heating means that heats the air that passes through the circulation air passage, and a dehumidifying means that condenses and dehumidifies moisture in the air that passes through the circulation air passage. And a lint filter that is provided in the circulation air passage and captures lint in the air passing through the circulation air passage, and a lint trap that includes a filter case and a filter cover in which the lint filter is disposed. The phosphorus The filter case of the trap may be located in the gap between the top plate portion of the outer box and the top of the water tank, and fixed to the top plate portion side, the lint filter is formed on the top plate is out through by openings, the opening of the top plate is capable of closing in the filter cover of the lint trap lint capture of the lint filter thereby opening the opening portion by the filter cover It is possible to see the state of the surface.

  According to the present invention, the lint trap is positioned in the gap between the upper part of the water tank and the top plate part of the outer box and fixed to the top plate part side. There is no large gap between the catcher, so when inspecting or cleaning the lint filter in the lint catcher, there is no risk of injury due to contact with parts other than the lint catcher. The lint filter can be easily inspected and cleaned.

A first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a drum-type washing / drying machine will be described below with reference to FIGS.
First, in FIG. 1, a laundry doorway 2 is formed at the front portion (left side in FIG. 1) of the outer box 1, and a door 2a for opening and closing the laundry doorway 2 is rotatably provided. Yes. An operation panel 3 is provided at the upper part of the front portion of the outer box 1. A water tank 4 is disposed in the outer box 1. This aquarium 4 has a cylindrical shape with an open front side, and has a horizontal axis whose axial direction is the front-rear direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1), and is inclined forward (upward in FIG. 1). As it does, it is supported by the suspension. The rear surface of the water tank 4 is closed by a rear wall 4a.

  An annular water tank cover 5 is attached to the front of the water tank 4, and the water tank cover 5 is connected to the laundry entrance 2 through a bellows 7. The water tank cover 5 constitutes a part of the water tank 4. Accordingly, the front opening of the water tub 4 communicates with the laundry entrance 2 via the bellows 7. An intake port 8 is formed in the upper part of the rear wall 4 a of the water tank 4, and an exhaust port 9 is formed in the upper part of the water tank cover 5 in the front part of the water tank 4. Further, a drain port 10 is formed at the rear part of the bottom of the water tank 4, and a drain pipe 11 is connected to the drain port 10.

  Inside the water tank 4, a drum 12 which is a rotating tank is rotatably disposed. The drum 12 also has a cylindrical shape with an opening on the front side like the water tank 4, has a horizontal axis shape in which the axial direction is the front-rear direction in the water tank 4, and is inclined upward. The rear surface of the drum 12 is also closed by the rear wall 12a. A plurality of holes 13 through which water and air can be passed are formed in the peripheral wall portion and the rear wall portion 12 a of the drum 12. A plurality of baffles 12 b are provided on the inner periphery of the drum 12. A shaft 14 that protrudes rearward is projected at the center of the rear wall 12 a of the drum 12, and this shaft 14 penetrates the rear wall 4 a of the water tank 4. A motor 15 is disposed at the center of the rear wall 4 a of the water tank 4. The motor 15 is an outer rotor type DC brushless motor, and the rotor rotates integrally with the drum 12 via a shaft 14. The motor 15 functions as a driving unit that rotationally drives the drum 12 around the shaft 14.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a filter case 19 of a lint trap 18 is connected to the exhaust port 9 of the water tank cover 5 through a flexible duct 17 having a bellows-like portion 17a. The filter case 19 has a rectangular container shape having an opening 20 at the top, and a lint filter 21 is detachably disposed therein. In this case, the lint filter 21 is formed in a rectangular plate shape by a net-like material that can be ventilated, and is arranged in an inclined state that is inclined with respect to the flow of air flowing in the filter case 19. A filter cover 22 that opens and closes the opening 20 is mounted on the upper part of the filter case 19 so as to be rotatable about a shaft 23. The filter cover 22 is made of a transparent plastic. A plurality of boss portions 24 are provided on the outer periphery of the upper portion of the filter case 19. At the rear of the bottom of the filter case 19, two substantially L-shaped flexible ducts 25 having bellows-like portions 25a are connected to the left and right. The front ends of these flexible ducts 25 are directed to the front and connected to the left and right branch ducts 26 and 27 provided in the water tank cover 5.

  Here, the lint trap 18 is positioned in the gap 28 between the upper portion of the water tank 4 and the top plate portion 1a of the outer box 1, and screws 29 are inserted into the screw holes 24a of the boss portion 24 from the upper portion of the top plate portion 1a. By screwing, it is fixed to the top plate 1a side. The top plate 1a has an opening 30 corresponding to the lint trap 18, and the filter cover 22 is exposed at the opening 30. Accordingly, the filter cover 22 can be opened and closed from the outside of the outer box 1. The lint trap 18 is present on the downstream side in the immediate vicinity of the exhaust port 9. The inlet of the lint trap 18 is one flexible duct 17, but the outlet is divided into two flexible ducts 25.

  In the aquarium cover 5 at the front of the aquarium 4, the left and right branch ducts 26 and 27 are divided into left and right so as to surround the front opening of the aquarium 4, and are connected to one merging duct 31 at the lower part. And the lower end part of the confluence | merging duct 31 is connected to the one end part of the duct 33 for drying units arrange | positioned under the water tank 4 through the flexible duct 32 which has the bellows-shaped part 32a. The drying unit duct 33 extends rearward from the front part, and the rear part thereof is connected to a flexible duct 34 having a bellows-like part 34a. The upper end of the flexible duct 34 is connected to an air supply duct 35 provided on the back of the water tank 4. The front end of the air supply duct 35 is connected to the intake port 8 of the rear wall 4 a of the water tank 4.

  Here, the flexible duct 17 connected to the exhaust port 9 of the water tank cover 5, the filter case 19 of the lint trap 18, the two flexible ducts 25, the left and right branch ducts 26 and 27, the merging duct 31, The flexible duct 32, the drying unit duct 33, the flexible duct 34, and the air supply duct 35 connected to the intake port 8 of the water tank 4 constitute a circulation air passage 36 communicating with the inside of the water tank 4. ing. A blower 38 that circulates the air in the water tank 4 through the circulation air passage 36 is disposed at the rear of the drying unit duct 33.

  An evaporator (evaporator) 41 and a condenser (condenser) 42 of the heat pump mechanism 40 are disposed in the drying unit duct 33. As is well known, the heat pump mechanism 40 forms a refrigeration cycle by connecting a compressor (compressor) 43, a condenser 42, a capillary tube (throttle) (not shown), and an evaporator 41 in order by a pipe. As the compressor 43 is driven, the refrigerant circulates through them in order. At this time, in the condenser 42, the refrigerant releases heat and liquefies, and the condenser 42 functions as a heating means. Further, the evaporator 41 cools the surroundings by taking away the surrounding heat when the refrigerant evaporates, and the evaporator 41 functions as a cooling means.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
In the operation panel 3, for example, when a standard course is selected, washing (washing and rinsing), dehydration, and drying processes are automatically performed based on a control program of a control device (not shown). Since the washing and dehydration processes are not particularly different from those in the usual case, they will be described briefly. In the washing process, the laundry (not shown) is housed in the drum 12 and water is first supplied into the water tank 4 by a water supply device (not shown), and then the motor 15 is driven to drive the drum 12 at a low speed. It is rotated in both forward and reverse directions. Note that washing and rinsing in the washing process are different in that a detergent is used in the washing process and no detergent is used in the rinsing process, but otherwise the operation is the same. When the washing process is completed, a dehydration process is performed. The dehydration process is performed by rotating the drum 12 in one direction at a high speed by the motor 15 after discharging the water in the water tank 4. Thereby, the laundry in the drum 12 is centrifugally dehydrated.

  When this dehydration process is completed, a drying process is performed next. In the drying process, the motor 15 rotates the drum 12 in both forward and reverse directions at a low speed, and drives the blower 38 and the compressor 43 of the heat pump mechanism 40. Among these, when the blower 38 is driven, the air in the drying unit duct 33 is sucked to the blower 38 side by the blowing action, and the flexible duct 34 is blown from the blower 38. Then, the air is discharged to the air supply duct 35 side. The air discharged to the air supply duct 35 is supplied from the intake port 8 into the water tank 4. A part of the air supplied into the water tank 4 is also supplied into the drum 12 through the hole 13 of the drum 12. The air in the drum 12 and the water tank 4 is discharged from the exhaust port 9 at the front of the water tank 4 through the flexible duct 17 to the filter case 19 side of the lint trap 18 (see also the arrow A in FIG. 2). The air exhausted to the filter case 19 side is divided into two flexible ducts 25, passes through branch ducts 26 and 27, joins at the junction duct 31, passes through the flexible duct 32, and then is dried. It is circulated so as to be returned to the duct 33.

  When the compressor 43 is driven, a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows from the compressor 43 to the condenser 42, where it dissipates heat and liquefies. At this time, the air passing through the condenser 42 of the drying unit duct 33 is heated by the condenser 42. The liquefied refrigerant passes through the capillary tube and is depressurized, and then flows to the evaporator 41 where it takes away the surrounding heat and vaporizes. At this time, the air passing through the evaporator 41 of the drying unit duct 33 is cooled by the evaporator 41. The refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 41 returns to the compressor 43, is compressed again, and is discharged as a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant.

  In this way, the warm air heated by the condenser 42 is supplied into the drum 12, thereby heating the laundry in the drum 12, depriving the laundry of moisture, and drying the laundry. The air deprived of moisture is cooled in the process of passing through the evaporator 41 of the drying unit duct 33, and the moisture contained in the air is condensed and dehumidified. The dehumidified air is heated and warmed in the process of passing through the condenser 42 again, and circulates so that the warm air is supplied into the drum 12. As the air in the water tank 4 is thus circulated through the circulation air passage 36, the laundry in the drum 12 is dried.

  During this drying process, the lint that comes out of the laundry in the drum 4 is carried by the air flowing from the exhaust port 9 to the flexible duct 17 and reaches the filter case 19 of the lint trap 18. It is captured by the lint filter 21 in the case 19. The drying process ends when, for example, the drying rate of the laundry is detected and the drying rate reaches a predetermined value.

  On the other hand, if the amount of lint captured by the lint filter 21 increases, the ventilation resistance of the air passing therethrough increases and the drying efficiency decreases. For this reason, it is necessary to check the lint filter 21. In the present embodiment, the filter cover 22 is exposed at the top plate portion 1a of the outer box 1, and the filter cover 22 is formed of a transparent member. It is possible to see the state of the lint filter 21 through. For this reason, the lint filter 21 can be inspected without opening the filter cover 22.

  When cleaning the lint filter 21, with the filter cover 22 open (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1), insert a hand through the opening 30, take out the lint filter 21 in the filter case 19, Clean. When cleaning is completed, the lint filter 21 is inserted into the filter case 19 through the opening 30 and set at a predetermined position. Thereafter, the filter cover 22 is closed.

  According to the above-described embodiment, the following operational effects can be obtained. First, since the lint trap 18 is positioned in the gap 28 between the upper part of the water tank 4 and the top plate part 1a of the outer box 1, it is fixed to the top plate part 1a side. There is no large gap between 1a and the filter case 19 of the lint trap 18. Therefore, when the lint filter 21 in the filter case 19 is inspected or cleaned, there is no risk of injury due to contact with parts other than the lint trap 18, and the lint filter 21 can be easily inspected and cleaned. You can do it. In this case, since the lint filter 21 can be taken out by opening only the filter cover 22 from the outside of the outer box 1, the lint filter 21 can be more easily inspected and cleaned.

  In addition, since the lint trap 18 is disposed on the downstream side of the water tank 4 in the immediate vicinity of the exhaust port 9, it is possible to efficiently capture the lint flowing through the circulation air passage 36, and the lint capture in the circulation air passage 36. It is possible to prevent as much as possible that lint is caught in a portion other than the vessel 18.

  Since the lint filter 21 is disposed in the filter case 19 in an inclined state with respect to the air flow flowing therethrough, the lint capture area of the lint filter 21 can be increased. Accordingly, the lint capturing efficiency can be improved without increasing the size of the lint capturing device 18. In addition, although the inlet of the filter case 19 is one of the flexible ducts 17, the outlet is made of two flexible ducts 25, so the ventilation resistance can be reduced and the lint capture efficiency by the lint filter 21 is further improved. it can.

  Since the lint trap 18 is connected to the water tank 4 via the flexible ducts 17 and 25, even if the water tank 4 vibrates, the vibration can hardly be transmitted to the lint trap 18. Further, the flexible duct 17 that is the inlet of the air flow of the lint trap 18 and the two flexible ducts 25 that are the outlet are both connected to the aquarium cover 5 provided at the front of the aquarium 4. Therefore, it is easy to assemble.

  Moreover, the lint trap 18 is assembled in advance in the water tank 4, and these are inserted into the outer box 1 so that the filter case 19 is fixed to the top plate 1a with screws 29, whereby the lint trap 18 Can be easily fixed to the top plate portion 1a, and assemblability can be improved.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. This second embodiment is different from the first embodiment described above in the following points.
That is, the lint filter 50 in the lint trap 18 has a configuration in which the net bag 52 is attached to a rectangular frame portion 51. And the groove part 53 extended in an up-down direction is formed in the right-and-left both sides of the front part in the filter case 19, and the lint filter 50 inserts the right-and-left both sides of the frame part 51 in the groove part 53 from upper direction. Thus, the filter case 19 is detachably mounted.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified or expanded as follows.
The filter cover 22 in the lint trap 19 can be attached to the top plate portion 1a side of the outer box 1 instead of being attached to the filter case 19 .
The Drying means is not limited to the heat pump mechanism 40 with a condenser 41 and an evaporator 42, a heater as a heating means may be of a configuration using a heat exchanger of a water-cooled as dehumidifier.

1 is a longitudinal side view showing a first embodiment of the present invention. Perspective view around the lint trap FIG. 2 equivalent view showing the second embodiment of the present invention

Explanation of symbols

In the drawings, 1 is an outer box, 1a is a top plate part, 4 is a water tank, 5 is a water tank cover, 8 is an air inlet, 9 is an air outlet, 12 is a drum (rotary tank), 13 is a hole, and 17 is flexible. Duct, 18 is a lint trap, 19 is a filter case, 20 is an opening, 21 is a lint filter, 22 is a filter cover, 24 is a boss, 25 is a flexible duct, 28 is a gap, 29 is a screw, 30 is An opening, 36 is a circulation air passage, 38 is a blower, 40 is a heat pump mechanism, 41 is an evaporator ( dehumidifying means), 42 is a condenser ( heating means), 43 is a compressor, and 50 is a lint filter.

Claims (9)

An outer box,
A water tank disposed in the outer box and having an intake port and an exhaust port;
A rotating tub that is rotatably disposed in the water tub, has a plurality of holes through which water and air can pass, and accommodates laundry;
A circulating air passage having one end connected to the air inlet of the water tank and the other end connected to the exhaust;
A blower for circulating the air in the water tank through the circulation air passage;
Heating means for heating air passing through the circulation air passage;
Dehumidifying means for condensing and dehumidifying moisture in the air passing through the circulation air passage;
A lint filter that is provided in the circulation air passage and captures lint in the air that passes through the circulation air passage, and a lint trap that includes a filter case and a filter cover in which the lint filter is disposed,
The filter case of the lint trap is positioned in a gap between the upper portion of the water tank and the top plate portion of the outer box and fixed to the top plate portion side, and the lint filter includes the top plate portion. In and out through the opening formed in the
The opening of the top plate is capable of closing in the filter cover of the lint trap, possible to see the state of the lint capture surface of the lint filter thereby opening the opening portion by the filter cover A washing and drying machine characterized by that.   The washing / drying machine according to claim 1, wherein the lint filter is disposed in a state in which a lint capturing surface of the lint filter is inclined with respect to a flow of air flowing in the lint trap.   The washing and drying machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lint trap is connected to the water tank side via a flexible duct.   The laundry dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lint trap has one air flow inlet and a plurality of outlets.   The laundry dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein both an inlet and an outlet of the air flow of the lint trap are connected to a water tank cover provided in the water tank.   The filter case of the lint trapping device has a rectangular container shape having an opening in the upper portion, and the lint filter disposed in the filter case is formed in a plate shape by a net-like material that can be ventilated. The catcher is fixed to the top plate part side of the outer box by screwing a screw into a boss part provided on the outer peripheral part of the filter case. Washing and drying machine.   The filter case of the lint trap has a rectangular container shape with an opening at the top, and the opening of the filter case corresponds to the opening formed in the top plate of the outer box and is arranged in the filter case. The lint filter thus formed is formed into a bag shape by a net-like material that allows ventilation, and the lint trap is screwed into a boss provided on the outer periphery of the filter case, thereby The washing and drying machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the washing and drying machine is fixed to the top plate side. Off Irutakaba is washing and drying machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that attached to the top plate portion side of the outer box. An assembly method for assembling the washing and drying machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
An assembly of a washing / drying machine, wherein a water tank and a lint trap are assembled in advance and are inserted into an outer box to fix the lint trap to the top plate side of the outer box. Method.

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