JP5404748B2 - Washing and drying machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing / drying machine including a rotating drum that rotates inside a water tank and a drying air passage that circulates drying air in the rotating drum.

  A drum-type washing machine that has been widely used in recent years supports a bottomed cylindrical water tank in an outer casing in a horizontal or oblique horizontal position, and has a bottomed cylindrical shape that rotates coaxially inside the water tank. (See, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  The water tank and the rotating drum have an opening that opens to the same side. The laundry is put into the inside of the rotating drum through these openings (front opening), immersed in the washing water accumulated in the bottom of the water tank and the rotating drum, repeatedly lifted and dropped by the rotation of the rotating drum, and dropped. Sometimes it is struck by the surface of the rotating drum and washed.

  After the laundry has been washed, most of the residual moisture is dehydrated and then dried by contacting with the drying air introduced into the rotary drum. The drying air circulates in the drying air path including the water tank and the rotating drum. The drying air passage is provided with a blower fan for raising dry air, a cooling unit on the upstream side of the blower fan, and a heater on the downstream side. The dry air comes into contact with the laundry in the rotating drum, takes the moisture of the laundry, cools in the cooling unit, becomes dry air from which the contained moisture is condensed and removed, and is heated when passing through the heater. Return to the rotating drum.

JP 2009-291233 A JP 2004-321316 A

  Now, in the washing / drying machine of Patent Document 1, the washing water used for washing is configured to be supplied into the water tank through a water supply opening provided in the peripheral wall of the water tank. In addition, the washing and drying machine of Patent Document 2 includes a detergent and finish storage part in the front upper part of the water tank, and passes water from the water supply source through the storage part so as to face the front opening of the water tank from above. It is comprised so that water may be supplied in the water tank through the water supply opening provided in the.

  The rotating drum has a large number of water passage holes penetratingly formed in the peripheral surface, and the washing water supplied as described above raises the water level in the water tank and enters the rotating drum through the water passage holes. Then, the laundry in the rotating drum is wetted. Therefore, in the conventional washing / drying machine, it takes time until the washing water starts to wet the laundry after the washing water supply is started. Since it is obtained at the stage where water has permeated, there is a problem that the time required until the start of wetting of the laundry increases the time required for the entire washing process (washing time).

  In the washing and drying machine of Patent Document 2, the water supply port of the wash water faces the front opening of the rotating drum, and a part of the wash water flowing out from the water supply port directly pours onto the laundry in the rotary drum. Although wetting of the laundry can be promoted, this promoting effect is limited and hardly contributes to shortening of the washing time.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a laundry dryer that can sufficiently wet the laundry in the rotating drum immediately after the start of the supply of the washing water and can reduce the washing time. To do.

A washing and drying machine according to the present invention includes a bottomed cylindrical water tank, a bottomed cylindrical rotating drum that rotates around a horizontal axis or an oblique horizontal axis inside the water tank, and a water supply channel connected to a water supply source. A drying air passage for circulating a drying air in the water tank and the rotating drum, and washing the laundry inside the rotating drum by immersing it in washing water supplied by the water supply passage and bringing it into contact with the drying air In the washer-dryer, the drying air passage is opened in the center of the bottom surface of the rotating drum and surrounding the fixed position of the output shaft of the drum motor for rotation driving , facing the inside of the rotating drum. The dry air inlet is provided, the water supply channel is extended in the dry air channel, and the extended end of the water supply channel is provided at a position facing the inlet, Connected to a water supply nozzle that supplies washing water into the rotating drum. It is characterized in.

In the present invention, wash water from the water source, through the water supply passage extending in the drying air passage reaches the water supply nozzle, with the bottom surface center portion of the rotary drum, fixed output shaft of the drum motor for driving the rotation A region surrounding the position is directly fed into the rotary drum through an inlet for dry air that opens to face the water supply nozzle . The washing water sent in this way hits the laundry in the rotating drum, flows out into the water tank through a water passage hole provided in the rotating drum, and accumulates in the water tank. The laundry in the rotating drum is wetted by the wash water immediately after the start of water supply and becomes sufficiently wet before being immersed in the wash water accumulated in the water tank, so that the washing time after the completion of water supply can be shortened.

  In the washing / drying machine according to the present invention, the water supply nozzle is a spray nozzle that sprays the water supply in a mist state by the action of water pressure of the water supply source.

  In the present invention, the water supply nozzle sprays the wash water in a mist form. The mist-like washing water is supplied by spreading into the rotating drum through the inlet of the drying air, and wets the laundry in the rotating drum well.

  The washer / dryer according to the present invention includes a bottomed cylindrical nozzle cap having a spray nozzle that is mounted so that the water supply nozzle closes the end of the water supply channel and penetrates the center of the bottom surface of the rotating drum. And a diffuser that is disposed in the nozzle cap and diffuses by adding a swirling component to the flow of water supplied from the water supply channel.

In the present invention, a diffuser is provided in the nozzle cap that closes the end of the water supply channel, and the diffuser diffuses by adding swirl to the water supply. spraying water. A water supply nozzle that sprays water in a mist form can be realized with a simple configuration.

  Moreover, the washing / drying machine according to the present invention is characterized in that the water supply nozzle is disposed at a position below the introduction port with a water supply spray port obliquely upward.

  In the present invention, the misted washing water sprayed by the water supply nozzle is fed into the rotating drum through the inlet at the upper position, while the large-diameter water droplets ejected from the water supply nozzle without being misted Therefore, it is possible to evenly wet the laundry distributed in the rotating drum without being dropped and introduced into the rotating drum.

  The washing / drying machine according to the present invention is characterized in that when the washing water is supplied by the water supply nozzle, the blowing fan in the drying air passage, or the blowing fan and the heater are operated.

  In the present invention, when the water supply nozzle supplies water, the blower fan in the dry air passage is driven, and the water supplied from the water supply nozzle is blown from the introduction port to the entire inside of the rotary drum by the blower fan, and distributed in the rotary drum. Wet laundry well. In addition, when water is supplied from the water supply nozzle, the heater is operated together with the blower fan, warm air generated by heating the heater is sent into the rotating drum, the laundry in the rotating drum is wetted in a heated state, and the washing water is infiltrated. Promote and improve the washing effect.

  In addition, the washing / drying machine according to the present invention includes a circulation water path that pressurizes the washing water in the water tank and circulates the washing water in the rotating drum, and the circulation water path is connected to the water supply nozzle. .

  In the present invention, a circulation channel for circulating the washing water during the washing operation is connected to a water supply nozzle provided in the vicinity of the inlet of the drying air, so that the circulating water is reliably supplied into the rotating drum to enhance the washing effect.

  Further, in the washing and drying machine according to the present invention, the circulating water channel is connected to the water supply channel through a switching valve, and the switching water is selectively used for washing water or circulating water from the water supply nozzle. It is comprised so that it may inject.

  In the present invention, a water supply channel and a circulation water channel are connected to a water supply nozzle via a switching valve, and by switching the switching valve, the washing water from the water supply source and the circulating water circulating during the washing operation are shared. Water can be selectively supplied from the nozzle.

  Further, the washing / drying machine according to the present invention is characterized in that a steam generator is provided in the middle of the water supply channel, and water vapor can be injected from the water supply nozzle.

  In the present invention, by operating a steam generator provided in the middle of the water supply channel, the water supply nozzle connected to the water supply channel injects water vapor and feeds it into the rotating drum through the inlet of the drying air. The laundry in the rotating drum gets wet in contact with water vapor in a heated state, and can promote the penetration of the washing water to further enhance the washing effect. The supply of water vapor may be performed during the drying operation. Thereby, water vapor | steam hits the laundry in the middle of drying, and it can remove the wrinkle of this laundry, and can make a finish favorable.

  In addition, the washing / drying machine according to the present invention is characterized in that an ion water generator is provided in the middle of the water supply channel, and ion water containing metal ions can be ejected from the water supply nozzle.

  In the present invention, the water supply nozzle jets ion water containing metal ions by operating an ion water generator provided in the middle of the water supply channel, and feeds it into the rotating drum. The laundry in the rotating drum is wetted with ionic water. Metal ions, such as silver ions, contained in ionic water have antibacterial action and decompose and remove bacteria that adhere to the laundry, and coat the surface of the laundry to suppress the adhesion of bacteria. Odor generation due to various germs can be prevented. The ionic water may be fed at an appropriate timing during the washing operation, but it is desirable to carry it out at the final stage of the rinsing operation in which water supply is finally performed.

  Moreover, the laundry dryer which concerns on this invention implements the water supply from the said water supply nozzle during the drying operation which dries the said laundry.

  In this invention, water supply by the water supply nozzle is performed during the drying operation, and an appropriate amount of water is fed into the rotating drum together with the drying air. This water supply is preferably carried out a plurality of times in a short time at the stage where the drying operation has progressed and the laundry has been sufficiently dried, and the water supplied into the rotating drum hits the laundry immediately before finishing, and the laundry It works to remove wrinkles.

  Moreover, the washing / drying machine according to the present invention is characterized in that the water supply during the drying operation is performed by changing the number of times and time according to the amount of the laundry.

  In the present invention, the number of times of water supply and the time of water supply during the drying operation are changed according to the amount of laundry in the rotating drum to prevent the laundry being dried in the rotating drum from getting wet excessively.

  Further, the washing / drying machine according to the present invention is characterized in that the water supply during the drying operation is stopped when the temperature of the drying air introduced into the rotary drum from the introduction port is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature. .

  In the present invention, when the temperature of the drying air in the drying air passage is low and the drying operation is not normally performed, the water supply is stopped and the laundry is prevented from getting wet.

  Moreover, the laundry dryer which concerns on this invention implements the water supply from the said water supply nozzle during the intermediate | middle dehydration operation before rinsing the said laundry.

  In this invention, the water supply by the water supply nozzle is also carried out during intermediate dehydration before rinsing, and an appropriate amount of water is fed into the rotating drum. This water supply penetrates into the intermediate dehydrated laundry and acts to dissolve out the detergent components remaining in the laundry. Thereby, the time required for rinsing can be shortened.

  Moreover, the washing / drying machine according to the present invention is characterized in that the water supply during the intermediate dehydration operation is performed by changing the time according to the type of the laundry.

  In this invention, the water supply time during intermediate dehydration is changed according to the type of laundry in the rotating drum, and an appropriate amount of water is infiltrated into the entire laundry in the rotating drum, effectively assisting in the dissolution of detergent components. To do.

In the washing and drying machine according to the present invention, the water supply passage for the washing water is extended into the drying air passage, and is provided in the vicinity of the inlet of the drying air that opens at the center of the bottom surface of the rotating drum toward the inside of the rotating drum. Since the washing water sprayed by the water nozzle is supplied into the rotating drum through the inlet, the laundry in the rotating drum is wetted by the washing water immediately after the water supply starts, and an appropriate amount is stored in the water tank. Before the washing water is accumulated, the water becomes sufficiently wet, so that the washing effect after the completion of water supply can be quickly increased and the washing time can be shortened.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing an appearance of a washing / drying machine according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which briefly shows the internal structure of the washing / drying machine which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the formation aspect of a lead-out duct and an introductory duct. It is an expanded sectional view near the support part of a drum motor. It is a disassembled perspective view of a water supply nozzle. It is a chart which shows an example of the water supply pattern during drying operation. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which briefly shows the internal structure of the washing / drying machine which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings illustrating embodiments thereof. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of the washing and drying machine according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal configuration of the washing and drying machine according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the washing / drying machine includes a water tank 2 and a rotating drum 3 inside an outer casing 1 constituting an exterior. The water tank 2 is a large-diameter bottomed cylindrical body having an opening 20 on the entire surface on one side, and a plurality of support legs 21 (only one is shown) erected on the bottom surface of the outer casing 1. It is elastically supported while maintaining an inclined posture with the side facing upward and tilting the axis with respect to the horizontal plane.

  On the front surface of the outer casing 1 (the left side surface in FIG. 2), a laundry inlet 11 is opened at a position facing the opening 20 of the water tub 2 so as to be opened and closed by a lid 10. The space between the openings 20 is liquid-tightly sealed by the bellows 12. As shown in FIG. 1, a door opening button 13 is provided in the vicinity of the lid 10 on the front surface of the outer casing 1. The lid 10 is opened by operating the door opening button 13.

  The rotating drum 3 is a bottomed cylindrical body slightly smaller in diameter than the water tank 2, and the bottom surface is fixed to the output shaft 40 of the drum motor 4 fixed at the center of the bottom of the water tank 2, and the opening 30 on one side is formed in the water tank 2. Is supported in a posture facing the inside of the opening 20. The rotating drum 3 supported in this manner rotates on the same axis within the water tank 2 by driving the drum motor 4. A number of water passage holes 32 are formed through the entire surface of the peripheral wall of the rotary drum 3. A plurality of baffles 33 extending in the axial length direction are provided on the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the rotary drum 3 so as to be equally spaced in the circumferential direction. In FIG. 2, only a part of the many water passage holes 32 and one baffle 33 are shown.

  In the washing and drying machine configured as described above, the lid 10 is opened, the laundry is put into the rotary drum 3 through the openings 20 and 30 located inside the loading slot 11, and the lid 10 is After closing, as will be described later, an appropriate amount of washing water is stored in the water tank 2, and the drum motor 4 is driven to rotate the rotating drum 3. As described above, the rotating drum 3 includes a large number of water passage holes 32 and a plurality of baffles 33, and the laundry inside the rotating drum 3 is introduced into the rotating drum 3 through the water passage holes 32. It is immersed in the washing water, repeatedly lifted and dropped by the action of the baffle 33, and is hit against the inner surface of the rotating drum 3 at the time of dropping to be washed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an operation panel 15 including an operation unit for various operations and a display unit for various displays is provided on the front upper portion of the outer casing 1. The operation panel 15 is connected to an operation control unit 16 (see FIG. 2) provided inside the front upper portion of the outer casing 1. The operation control unit 16 is a computer including a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. A washing operation and a drying operation described later, and a dehydration operation performed between these operations are performed by the operation control unit 16 according to the operation of the operation panel 15. Depending on the operation, it is executed as a series of operations or individually independent operations.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a connection port 50 that can be connected to a water supply source such as water supply is provided on the upper surface of the rear portion of the outer casing 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the connection port 50 is connected to a water supply valve 51 provided inside the outer casing 1. The water supply valve 51 is a multiple solenoid valve having a plurality of water supply outlets, and switches between a plurality of switching positions including a closed position in accordance with a command from the operation control unit 16.

  A first water supply outlet of the water supply valve 51 is connected to the water supply pipe 52. The water supply pipe 52 extends into an introduction duct 61 that constitutes a dry air passage, which will be described later, and is connected to a water supply nozzle 7 provided in the introduction duct 61. The water supply nozzle 7 is provided at the end of the introduction duct 61 in the vicinity of the introduction port 65 opened at the center of the bottom surface of the rotary drum 3 as described later so as to face the inside of the rotary drum 3 through the introduction port 65. is there.

  The operation control unit 16 switches the water supply valve 51 to the first water supply outlet when supplying the washing water used for the washing operation. By this switching, the water supply from the water supply source reaches the water supply nozzle 7 through the water supply pipe 52, is injected from the water supply nozzle 7, and is sent into the rotary drum 3 through the introduction port 65. The water supply pipe 52 extends forward along the upper part of the water tank 2 on the downstream side of the water supply valve 51, is connected to a known detergent case, and an appropriate amount of detergent previously stored in the detergent case is supplied to the water tank together with the water supply. It can also be configured so as to feed into 2.

  The second water supply outlet of the water supply valve 51 is connected to the front lower part of the water tank 2 via the cooling water pipe 53. A concave groove 22 extending in the axial length direction is formed in the lower circumferential surface of the water tank 2, and a cooling plate 23 is installed so as to cover the upper portion of the concave groove 22. The cooling plate 23 is inclined with the rear portion at the bottom, and a plurality of concave portions are arranged in parallel on the upper surface.

  The operation control unit 16 switches the water supply valve 51 to the second water supply outlet during a drying operation described later. By this switching, the water supply from the water supply source is sent to the front upper part of the cooling plate 23 through the cooling water pipe 53 and flows backward along the upper surface of the cooling plate 23 while staying in the plurality of recesses sequentially. As will be described later, this water supply is used as cooling water for cooling the drying air.

  The rear end portion of the recessed groove 22 communicates with a drainage pit 24, and the drainage pit 24 is connected to a cylindrical filter case 26 by a bellows-like drainage pipe 25 extending forward. An air trap 24 a is attached to the drain pit 24. The air trap 24a is an air chamber communicating with the inside of the drain pit 24, and a water level sensor 24b is attached to the upper portion of the air trap 24a.

  The filter case 26 is supported on the front lower part of the outer casing 1 in an inclined posture with the front part up, and a lint filter 26 a is accommodated in the filter case 26. The lint filter 26a is provided to capture foreign matters such as fiber waste mixed in the water flowing in the filter case 26 as will be described later. The lint filter 26 a is detachable from the front end portion of the filter case 26. The attachment / detachment of the lint filter 26a is performed in order to eliminate clogging due to the trapping of foreign matter.

  The rear part of the filter case 26 is connected to a drain hose 28 laid along the bottom surface of the outer casing 1 via a drain valve 27. The middle lower portion of the filter case 26 is connected to the suction side of the circulation pump 29. The circulation pump 29 includes a discharge pipe 29 a extending upward, and the discharge pipe 29 a is connected to the middle of the water supply pipe 52 through a switching valve 54.

  As described above, the washing water fed into the rotating drum 3 flows into the water tank 2 through the water passage holes 32 provided in the peripheral wall of the rotating drum 3. When the drain valve 27 is closed, the washing water enters the filter case 26 through the drain pit 24 and the drain pipe 25 and fills the filter case 26, drain pipe 25 and drain pit 24, and then the water tank 2. Accumulate inside. At this time, air is left inside the air trap 24a after the drain pit 24 is filled with the washing water. The air pressure in the air trap 24 a increases as the water level of the washing water accumulated in the water tank 2 increases. The water level sensor 24b is a pressure sensor that detects the air pressure in the air trap 24a. The detection signal of the water level sensor 24b is given to the operation control unit 16. The operation control unit 16 recognizes the water level of the washing water accumulated in the water tank 2 and the rotating drum 3 based on the detection signal of the water level sensor 24b.

  The circulation pump 29 is driven during a washing operation performed as described later after supplying the washing water, sucks and pressurizes the washing water in the filter case 26, and sends it out to the discharge pipe 29a. When the circulation pump 29 is driven, the lint filter 26 a is switched in accordance with a command from the operation control unit 16, and connects the discharge pipe 29 a to the water supply pipe 52. The washing water sent out by the circulation pump 29 reaches the water supply nozzle 7 through the discharge pipe 29 a and the water supply pipe 52, is jetted from the water supply nozzle 7, and is returned into the rotary drum 3 through the introduction port 65. In this way, the wash water circulates between the water tank 2 and the rotating drum 3 by driving the circulation pump 29.

  The drain valve 27 is opened after the washing operation. By this opening, the wash water in the water tank 2 is drained to the drain hose 28 through the drain pipe 25 and the filter case 26. At this time, foreign matters such as fiber waste contained in the washing water are captured and removed by the lint filter 26a in the filter case 26, and are not likely to be discharged to the sewer pipe through the drain hose 28.

  The washing dryer further includes a drying air path for circulating the drying air. The drying air passage has a lead-out duct 60 and an introduction duct 61 that extend along the bottom surface of the water tank 2 and are integrally formed with the water tank 2. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the formation mode of the lead-out duct 60 and the introduction duct 61. This figure shows the state which looked at the bottom face of the water tank 2 from the front, and the upper and lower sides of the figure correspond to the upper and lower sides of FIG. In addition, although many ribs for ensuring the strength are provided on the outer surface of the water tank 2, these ribs are not shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the lead-out duct 60 has an appropriate length in the circumferential direction including the lowermost part of the bottom surface of the water tank 2 and is provided so as to rise obliquely upward at one side end. . FIG. 3 also shows the groove 22 formed on the lower peripheral surface of the water tank 2 as described above, and the cooling plate 23 installed above the groove 22. The lower part of the lead-out duct 60 communicates with a lead-out port 62 that opens into the water tank 2 at the rear position of the cooling plate 23. The upper end portion of the lead-out duct 60 communicates with a lead-out pipe 63 that protrudes upward from the upper peripheral surface of the water tank 2.

  The introduction duct 61 includes a circular portion coaxially provided at the center of the bottom surface of the water tank 2 and a linear portion that is continuous with the circular portion and extends obliquely upward. The upper end of the straight line portion communicates with an introduction pipe 64 that protrudes upward from the upper peripheral surface of the water tank 2. On the other hand, an output shaft 40 of the drum motor 4 protrudes from the center of the circular portion, and an introduction port 65 having a circular cross section that is coaxial with the protruding portion and opens toward the inside of the water tank 2 is opened. .

  FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view in the vicinity of the support portion of the drum motor. An output shaft 40 of the drum motor 4, which is partially shown in the drawing, is rotatably supported by a bearing 41 and protrudes toward the inside of the water tank 2, and this protruding end portion is connected to the rotating drum via a connection bracket 42. 3 is fixed at the center of the bottom surface. A thin sealing plate 66 is clamped and fixed between the connection bracket 42 and the rotary drum 3. On the outer periphery of the sealing plate 66, a flange portion is provided around the inner side of the inlet port 65 at the end of the introduction duct 61, and an oil seal 67 fitted and fixed to the inlet port 65 is provided on the outer surface of the flange portion. Are in contact.

  On the bottom surface of the rotating drum 3, a plurality of introduction holes 34 are arranged in parallel on the outer periphery of the fixed portion of the connection bracket 42, and these introduction holes 34 are provided at corresponding positions of the sealing plate 66. The communication port 68 communicates with the introduction port 65.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a blower fan 6 for raising dry air is disposed on the upper part of the water tank 2. The blower fan 6 is unitized together with a suction-side filter 6 a and a discharge-side heater 6 b, and is fixedly supported inside the outer casing 1. The end of the outlet pipe 63 protruding from the upper part of the water tank 2 is connected to the suction side of the blower fan 6, and the end of the introduction pipe 64 is connected to the discharge side of the blower fan 6.

  When the blower fan 6 is driven, the blower fan 6 sucks and pressurizes the air in the water tank 2 through the lead-out duct 60 and the lead-out pipe 63 and sends it out to the lead-in pipe 64 and the lead-in duct 61 connected to the discharge side. . The air sent into the introduction duct 61 flows from the outer periphery of the water tank 2 toward the center, reaches the introduction port 65, and is introduced into the rotary drum 3 through the communication hole 68 and the introduction hole 34. The air introduced into the rotating drum 3 flows out into the water tank 2 through the water passage holes 32 formed in the peripheral wall, enters the outlet duct 60 through the outlet port 62 formed as described above, and is sent to the blower fan. 6 is sucked again.

  The blower fan 6 and the heater 6b operate according to a command from the operation control unit 16 during the drying operation of the washing / drying machine. During the drying operation, the operation control unit 16 drives the drum motor 4 to rotate the rotating drum 3 repeatedly at a low speed. Further, the operation control unit 16 switches the water supply valve 51 to the second water supply outlet to supply the cooling water on the cooling plate 23. Operates to flow.

  In the drying air passage including the water tank 2 and the rotating drum 3, the air (dry air) is circulated by driving the blower fan 6. This dry air is heated when passing through the heater 6 b and is introduced into the rotating drum 3, comes into contact with the laundry in the rotating drum 3, deprives the laundry of moisture, and flows into the water tank 2. The laundry in the rotating drum 3 is repeatedly lifted and dropped by the rotation of the rotating drum 3, and makes good contact with the drying air introduced into the rotating drum 3.

  The dry air that has flowed out of the water tank 2 flows toward the outlet 62 that opens at the bottom of the bottom of the water tank 2 and is cooled in contact with the cooling water flowing on the cooling plate 23 during this time, and the contained water is condensed and removed. It becomes dry air and is sent out to the outlet 62. The condensed and removed water flows backward together with the cooling water on the cooling plate 23, flows down into the concave groove 22, is collected in the drain pit 24, passes through the drain pipe 25 and the filter case 26, and enters the drain hose 28. Drained.

  On the other hand, the dry air that has become dry air rises in the lead-out duct 60, is sucked into the blower fan 6 through the lead-out pipe 63, is pressurized, is reheated by the heater 6b, becomes high temperature and low humidity, and is introduced into the duct. The inside of 61 is lowered and introduced into the inside of the rotating drum 3 through the introduction port 65. As described above, the laundry in the rotating drum 3 is dried by repeating contact with the drying air circulating with cooling and heating.

  As described above, the water supply pipe 52 is extended inside the introduction duct 61 constituting the dry air passage. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the water supply pipe 52 extends downward along the outer surface of the introduction duct 61 from the position of the water supply valve 51, enters the inside of the introduction duct 61 in the middle, and further along the inner surface. It extends downward and is connected to a water supply nozzle 7 provided at the end of the introduction duct 61. The water supply pipe 52 in the introduction duct 61 is embedded in, for example, a concave groove provided on the inner wall surface so that the above-described flow of dry air in the introduction duct 61 is not inhibited.

  FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the water supply nozzle 7. As illustrated, the water supply nozzle 7 includes a nozzle cap 70 and a waller 71. The nozzle cap 70 is a bottomed cylindrical cap that is attached so as to close the terminal opening of the water supply pipe 52, and includes a small-diameter spray port 72 that is formed through the center of the bottom surface. The waller 71 is formed by combining two rod-shaped diffusers so as to cross each other at a substantially right angle, and is fitted inside the nozzle cap 70 and attached to the end of the water supply pipe 52 together with the nozzle cap 70.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the water supply pipe 52 extends to the lowest part of the introduction duct 61, and as shown in FIG. 4, the water supply nozzle 7 is provided in the nozzle cap 70 at a position below the introduction port 65. Further, the spraying port 72 is attached so as to face the introduction port 65 while facing the obliquely upward direction.

  With the above configuration, the washing water supplied from the water supply pipe 52 as described above reaches the water supply nozzle 7 connected to the end of the water supply pipe 52, and the swirling component is generated by the action of the warler 71 disposed in the nozzle cap 70. In addition, it diffuses and becomes a mist and is sprayed from the spray port 72. The washing water sprayed in this way passes through the introduction port 65 facing the spray port 72 as shown by an arrow in FIG. 4, and is further fed into the rotary drum 3 through the communication hole 68 and the introduction hole 34. It is.

  The washing water sent in this way flows out into the water tank 2 through the water passage holes 32 provided in the peripheral wall of the rotating drum 3 and accumulates in the water tank 2 as described above. The washing operation is performed by driving the drum motor 4 by the operation of the operation control unit 16 and rotating the rotating drum 3 in a predetermined pattern (tumbling) after the washing water staying in the water tank 2 reaches a predetermined water level. The The laundry inside the rotary drum 3 is immersed in the wash water inside the rotary drum 3, repeatedly lifted and dropped by the rotation of the rotary drum 3, and is hit against the inner surface of the rotary drum 3 and washed when dropped.

  The washing water used for the washing operation is sprayed from the water supply nozzle 7 at the end of the water supply pipe 52 and fed into the rotary drum 3 through the inlet 65 of the drying air, and directly into the laundry in the rotary drum 3. Pour down. Accordingly, the laundry in the rotating drum 3 is wetted by the wash water immediately after the start of water supply, and a high cleaning effect and a rinse effect are obtained immediately after the start of the wash operation after the completion of water supply, thereby shortening the time required for the wash operation. Can do.

  The washing water is fed from the dry air inlet 65 opened at the center of the bottom surface of the rotating drum 3 and spreads throughout the rotating drum 3. Therefore, the laundry in the rotating drum 3 can be wetted well. Further, since the washing water is sprayed in a mist state by the action of the water supply nozzle 7, it spreads well in the rotating drum 3, and even in a state where the laundry is widely distributed in the rotating drum 3, The laundry can be wetted reliably, and the cleaning effect and the rinsing effect can be enhanced.

  The water supply nozzle 7 has a simple structure in which the large-diameter opening at the end of the water supply pipe 52 is closed with a bottomed cylindrical nozzle cap 70 and a warler (diffuser) 71 is disposed inside the nozzle cap 70. Then, the operation is performed so that the water supply from the water supply pipe 52 is diffused by the waterer 71 and sprayed from the spray port 72 provided in the nozzle cap 70. Accordingly, the mist-like washing water can be sprayed and supplied to the inside of the rotating drum 3 only by the water pressure of the water supply source (tap water) to which the water supply pipe 52 is connected, and the above-described cleaning effect and rinsing effect can be simply improved. Can be realized with a simple configuration.

  Moreover, you may operate the ventilation fan 6 provided in the dry air path, or the ventilation fan 6 and the heater 6b in the case of the supply of the above washing water. This can be realized by giving an operation command to the blower fan 6, or the blower fan 6 and the heater 6b when the water supply valve 51 is switched to the first water supply outlet by the operation of the operation control unit 16 to perform water supply.

  When the blower fan 6 is operated, the air flow described above is generated in the drying air passage, and is blown into the rotary drum 3 through the inlet 65 at the end of the inlet duct 61. The washing water sprayed by the water supply nozzle 7 is fed by the air flow so as to spread over the entire inside of the rotary drum 3, so that the laundry in the rotary drum 3 can be wetted more reliably.

  When the heater 6 b is operated together with the blower fan 6, a flow of warm air heated by the heater 6 b is generated and blown out into the rotary drum 3 through the introduction port 65 at the end of the introduction duct 61. The washing water sprayed by the water supply nozzle 7 is assisted by such a flow of warm air and is sent so as to spread throughout the rotating drum 3, so that the laundry in the rotating drum 3 can be reliably wetted. The laundry in the rotating drum 3 is heated by contact with warm air. As a result, in the washing step, the activity of the detergent component contained in the washing water is increased, and it is possible to improve the removal of dirt. On the contrary, in the rinsing step, it is possible to accelerate the dissolution of the detergent components remaining in the laundry and to shorten the rinsing time.

  The operations of the blower fan 6 and the heater 6b are stopped before the washing water level rises in the water tank 2 and the outlet 62 is closed. This is because air circulation does not occur when the outlet 62 is blocked. The operation control unit 16 operates the blower fan 6 and the heater 6b when supplying the washing water, then monitors the water level in the water tank 2 based on the output signal of the water level sensor 24b, and before the water level reaches the outlet 62. The operation of the blower fan 6 and the heater 6b is stopped.

  The washing operation is performed after the supply of the washing water as described above is completed. At this time, the operation control unit 16 drives the circulation pump 29 to switch the switching valve 54. Thereby, the circulation of the washing water described above occurs, and this circulating water is fed into the rotary drum 3 from the water supply nozzle 7 through the discharge pipe 29a and the water supply pipe 52. The water supply nozzle 7 faces the dry air inlet 65 and sprays the water supply in a mist form, so the circulating water sprayed from the water supply nozzle 7 is fed into the rotating drum 3 in a state of being spread and washed. Pour onto the laundry on the way like a shower. The washing effect and the rinsing effect can be further enhanced by the circulation of the washing water.

  In the washing / drying machine according to the first embodiment, the circulation of the washing water is combined with the water supply nozzle 7 provided for the supply of the washing water in the above-described circulation of the washing water. Can be done. The circulation pump 29 can also be connected to a dedicated water supply nozzle provided so as to be opposed to the inside of the rotary drum 3, and the water supply nozzle and the water supply nozzle 7 can be used in combination to supply the circulating water. . Thereby, circulating water can be reliably applied to the laundry in the rotating drum 3, and the washing effect and the rinsing effect can be further enhanced.

  You may implement the water supply by the water supply nozzle 7 in the intermediate | middle dehydration before a rinse operation. The intermediate dehydration is a process of rotating the rotating drum 3 at a high speed for a predetermined time after opening the drain valve 27 and draining the washing water in the water tank 2 after the washing operation is completed. The laundry in the rotating drum 3 rotates while being stuck to the peripheral surface of the rotating drum 3 by the action of centrifugal force, and the water contained in the laundry has a large number of water holes 32 formed on the peripheral surface. After that, it jumps out into the water tank 2, passes through the drain pit 24, the drain pipe 25 and the filter case 26 and is discharged into the drain hose 28.

  Such water supply during intermediate dehydration is performed by opening the water supply valve 51 by the operation of the operation control unit 16. As described above, the water supply from the water supply nozzle 7 is mist-like and spreads over the entire interior of the rotary drum 3 to reliably wet the laundry stuck to the peripheral surface of the rotary drum 3. It permeates into the water and assists in the dissolution of the contained detergent components. As a result, the detergent components remaining in the laundry before rinsing can be effectively removed in the process of intermediate dehydration, and the time for the rinsing operation performed after this can be shortened, and the time required for the entire washing operation can be shortened. Can do.

  Such water supply during intermediate dehydration is preferably performed by changing the time according to the type of laundry. The type of laundry can be determined by the operation content of the operation panel 15 by the user. The water supply time is, for example, 2 minutes when the laundry is mainly made of cotton, 1 minute when the synthetic fiber is mainly made, and when the main product is a blended product. Intermediate 1.5 minutes. By changing the water supply time in this way, it is possible to eliminate the influence of the ease with which the detergent component depends on the type of laundry. In addition, it is preferable to drive the blower fan 6 during this water supply to facilitate the supply of mist-like water into the rotary drum 3.

  Further, the water supply by the water supply nozzle 7 may be performed during the above-described drying operation. Water supply during the drying operation is performed by opening the water supply valve 51 for a short time by the operation of the operation control unit 16 when the laundry has sufficiently dried. As described above, the water supply from the water supply nozzle 7 is in the form of a mist and is sent to the entire interior of the rotary drum 3 along with the flow of the drying air. The mist-like water fed in this way hits the laundry that has been sufficiently dried in the rotary drum 3, and gives a slight dampness to loosen the fibers that are hardened by drying. Accordingly, the wrinkles of the laundry after drying are removed and the finish is improved. Furthermore, a thick laundry such as a towel cloth is raised and feels better.

  Such water supply during the drying operation is preferably performed by changing the number of times and time according to the amount of laundry. The amount of laundry can be calculated based on, for example, a result of detecting a change in weight of the water tub 2 before and after the laundry is loaded by a load sensor interposed in the support leg 21 of the water tub 2.

  FIG. 6 is a chart showing an example of a water supply pattern during the drying operation. This water supply is performed by repeatedly opening the water supply valve 51 during the on-time in the figure for the number of times displayed in the frequency column at the same interval of the off-time. For example, when the amount of laundry is 2 kg or less, the water supply valve 51 repeats opening for 1 second 18 times at 20 second intervals during a drying operation time of 20 minutes. The time required for such water supply is about 6 minutes in total, and is implemented in the second half of the drying operation time of 20 minutes. The drying operation is continued for a predetermined time from the time of the final water supply, and thereafter, only the blower fan 6 is operated to send cool air into the rotary drum 3 and complete a blow process for cooling the laundry that has become hot. To do.

  As described above, the water supply nozzle 7 has the spray port 72 attached obliquely upward at a position below the introduction port 65, and the mist water sprayed by the water supply nozzle 7 has the introduction port 65 at the upper position. Then, while being fed into the rotating drum 3, large-diameter water droplets that are ejected from the water supply nozzle 7 without being mist fall into the introduction duct 61 due to their own weight, and are discharged without being fed into the rotating drum 3. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the water quality from locally adhering to the laundry being dried distributed in the rotary drum 3 to cause a partial dry defect, and the finished quality after the drying is finished. .

  The water supply during the drying operation as described above is performed on condition that the drying operation is normally performed. The operation control unit 16 takes in the temperature of the drying air detected by a temperature sensor (not shown) provided in the vicinity of the inlet 65, and when the detected temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, the water supply valve during the drying operation 51 operation is prohibited. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the laundry in the rotating drum 3 from being wetted inadvertently under a situation where the drying operation is not normally performed.

  FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal configuration of the washing and drying machine according to the second embodiment. The washing / drying machine shown in the figure includes a steam generator 8 or an ionic water generator 9 interposed in the middle of the water supply pipe 52. The other configuration of the washing / drying machine shown in FIG. 7 is the same as that of the washing / drying machine according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and the same reference numerals as those in FIG. The description of is omitted.

  For example, the steam generator 8 has a known configuration in which a heater is provided in a room provided in the middle of the water supply pipe 52 and water flowing in the room is heated by the heater and evaporated to generate water vapor. The steam generator 8 operates in accordance with an operation command from the operation control unit 16, and water vapor generated by this operation reaches the water supply nozzle 7 through the water supply pipe 52, and is injected from the water supply nozzle 7 into the rotary drum 3. Is done.

  Such water vapor injection, for example, preheats the laundry in the rotary drum 3 before starting the supply of the washing water during the washing operation, and promotes the penetration of the washing water supplied thereafter to enhance the washing effect. In addition, it is carried out to apply the steam to the laundry in the rotary drum 3 to remove wrinkles before the end of the drying operation. In addition, the water supply mentioned above by the water supply nozzle 7 can be implemented by making the steam generator 8 into a non-operation state.

For example, the ion water generator 9 arranges a counter electrode in a room provided in the middle of the water supply pipe 52 and applies a voltage between them, thereby allowing metal ions, for example, silver ions, to flow in the indoor water. It has a known structure for eluting (Ag ⁺ ions). The ionic water generator 9 operates in accordance with an operation command from the operation control unit 16, and ionic water generated by this operation reaches the water supply nozzle 7 through the water supply pipe 52, and the water supply nozzle 7 supplies the rotation drum 3. It is sprayed inside to wet the laundry in the rotating drum 3.

  Silver ions have an antibacterial action, which decomposes and removes germs attached to the laundry and coats the surface of the laundry to suppress the reattachment of germs. Therefore, the finished laundry has no fear of generating odor due to various germs, and can ensure good finished quality. The silver ions contained in the ionized water also act on the inner surface of the water tank 2 to prevent the molds such as black mold from being generated in the water tank 2.

  Although such ionic water can be supplied at an appropriate timing during the washing operation, it is effective to supply water for rinsing in the final round of rinsing that is usually performed a plurality of times. It is. In addition, normal water supply by the water supply nozzle 7 can be implemented by putting the ionic water generator 9 in a non-operating state.

  The steam generator 8 and the ionic water generator 9 can be juxtaposed in the middle of the water supply pipe 52 and can be selectively used when necessary.

  In the above-described embodiment, the washing / drying machine in which the water tank 2 and the rotating drum 3 are supported in a slanting lateral position, that is, a so-called slanted drum type washing / drying machine has been described. Needless to say, the drum 3 can be applied to a washing / drying machine in which the drum 3 is supported in a horizontal position, and the same effect can be obtained.

2 Water tank 3 Rotating drum 6 Blower fan 6b Heater 7 Water supply nozzle 8 Steam generator 9 Ionized water generator 29 Circulation pump 29a Discharge pipe (circulation water channel)
52 Water supply pipe (water supply channel)
54 Switching valve 61 Introduction duct (dry air passage)
65 Inlet port 70 Nozzle cap 71 Waller (diffuser)
72 Spraying mouth

Claims (14)

A bottomed cylindrical water tank, a bottomed cylindrical rotating drum that rotates around a horizontal axis or an oblique horizontal axis inside the water tank, a water supply path connected to a water supply source, and drying in the water tank and the rotating drum A washing air dryer comprising a drying air passage for circulating air, wherein the laundry inside the rotating drum is washed by immersing the laundry in water supplied by the water supply passage, and is brought into contact with the drying air for drying.
The drying air passage is an inlet of the drying air that opens in the center of the bottom surface of the rotating drum and surrounds the fixed position of the output shaft of the drum motor for rotation driving so as to face the inside of the rotating drum. The water supply channel is extended in the drying air channel, and an extended end of the water supply channel is provided at a position facing the introduction port, and the washing water is directed toward the rotary drum. A washing / drying machine, wherein the washing / drying machine is connected to a water supply nozzle. The water supply nozzle, the washing and drying machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the action of the water pressure of the water supply source is a spray nozzle for spraying by the water mist. The water supply nozzle is mounted so as to close the end of the water supply channel, and has a bottomed cylindrical nozzle cap having a spray port penetrating the center of the bottom surface of the rotating drum, and is disposed in the nozzle cap. The washing / drying machine according to claim 2 , further comprising a diffuser that diffuses by adding a swirling component to a flow of water supplied from the water supply channel. The washing / drying machine according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the water supply nozzle is arranged at a position below the introduction port with a water supply spray port obliquely upward. The water supply time of the washing water by the water supply nozzle, the washing according to any one of the blowing fan of the drying air passage, or air blowing fan and claims 1 to 4, characterized in that to operate the heater Dryer. Comprising a water circulation passage for circulating said rotary the drum with pressurized washing water in the water tank, the water circulation passage is any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that is connected to the water supply nozzle The washing dryer according to one. The circulating water channel is connected to the water supply channel through a switching valve, and the switching water is configured to selectively inject washing water or circulating water from the water supply nozzle. The washing / drying machine according to claim 6 . The washing and drying machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein a steam generator is provided in the middle of the water supply path, and water vapor can be jetted from the water supply nozzle. It said provided ion water generator in the middle of the water supply channel, according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that you have to be capable of injecting constituting the ionic water containing metal ions from the water supply nozzle Laundry dryer. The laundry dryer according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein water supply from the water supply nozzle is performed during a drying operation for drying the laundry. The laundry dryer according to claim 10 , wherein the water supply during the drying operation is performed by changing the number of times and time according to the amount of the laundry. The washing / drying machine according to claim 11 , wherein the water supply during the drying operation is stopped when the temperature of the drying air introduced into the rotary drum from the inlet is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature. The washing / drying machine according to any one of claims 1 to 12 , wherein water supply from the water supply nozzle is performed during an intermediate dehydration operation before rinsing the laundry. The washing / drying machine according to claim 13 , wherein the water supply during the intermediate dehydration operation is performed by changing the time according to the type of the laundry.

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