JP7225670B2 - cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to cleaning equipment.

A cleaning device is disclosed in Patent Document 1 listed below. This cleaning device includes a reservoir capable of storing detergent water, an air bubble generating means for generating bubbles in the detergent water inside the reservoir, and a discharger for discharging the foam generated inside the reservoir. .

JP 2018-94393 A

2. Description of the Related Art It is desired to more efficiently generate foam having an excellent cleaning effect in a cleaning device that discharges foam.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-described problems, and to provide a cleaning apparatus that is advantageous in efficiently generating foam having excellent cleaning effects.

A washing device according to the present invention includes a foam reservoir having an internal space surrounded by an inner peripheral surface, a water pump, a suction side flow path connecting the suction port of the water pump and the foam reservoir, and the water pump. a circulation channel having a discharge-side channel connecting the discharge port and the foam reservoir; bubble generating means for generating bubbles by mixing gas with the detergent water flowing through the circulation channel; a discharge part for discharging the foam to the outside, and when the water jet pump is operated, a flow is generated in the foam storage part along the inner peripheral surface . The cleaning device includes a water reservoir that stores water, a water supply channel that connects the bottom of the water reservoir and the suction side flow path, a water supply inlet that connects the upper part of the water reservoir and the water supply, and water supply. A valve that opens and closes the introduction part, a water level sensor provided in the water reservoir, and a control device that opens and closes the valve, and the inner space of the water reservoir and the inner space of the foam reservoir are arranged in a vertical direction. and the controller is configured to keep the height of the water surface in the water reservoir within a certain range by opening and closing the valve in response to the signal of the water level sensor. It is.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, when the water jet pump is operated, a flow is generated in the foam reservoir along the inner peripheral surface, thereby providing a cleaning device which is advantageous in efficiently generating foam having excellent cleaning effect. It becomes possible to

1 is a diagram showing a cleaning device according to Embodiment 1; FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a foam reservoir included in the cleaning device according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the foam reservoir provided in the washing device according to Embodiment 1 cut along a horizontal plane. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a foam reservoir provided in the washing device according to Embodiment 2, cut along a horizontal plane.

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Elements that are common or correspond to each figure are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are simplified or omitted.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 shows a cleaning device 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. The cleaning device 1 of Embodiment 1 can generate foam for cleaning an object. As used herein, foam means cream-like foam formed by a large number of air bubbles. That is, foam means foam. In the following description, water mixed with a detergent, such as a surfactant, is referred to as "detergent water". An object to be cleaned by the cleaning device 1 is called an "object to be cleaned". The object to be washed may be, for example, tableware, cooking utensils, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning device 1 of the present embodiment includes a detergent reservoir 2, a foam reservoir 3, an air bubble generator 4, a circulation flow path 6, a water jet pump 7, and a discharge part 10. , and a water reservoir 20 . The cleaning device 1 generates foam from detergent water. The cleaning device 1 may be installed in a kitchen, for example, and may be capable of supplying foam into the kitchen sink. Also, the washing device 1 may be provided in a dishwasher, for example, and may be capable of supplying foam into the washing tank of the dishwasher.

The foam reservoir 3 has an internal space capable of storing detergent water and foam. Foam is generated on the water surface 95 of the detergent water stored in the inner space of the foam storage part 3 . The foam reservoir 3 in this embodiment is a cylindrical container whose longitudinal direction is the vertical direction. FIG. 1 shows the foam reservoir 3 as a schematic cross-sectional view. At least part of the foam reservoir 3 may be made of a transparent material so that the interior of the foam reservoir 3 can be viewed from the outside through the transparent portion. The cleaning device 1 further includes a control device 50 that controls the operations of valves, pumps, etc., which will be described later.

The circulation channel 6 is provided outside the foam reservoir 3 . The circulation flow path 6 has a suction side flow path 6a and a discharge side flow path 6b. The suction side channel 6 a connects the suction port of the water pump 7 and the foam reservoir 3 . The discharge-side channel 6 b connects the discharge port of the water jet pump 7 and the foam reservoir 3 .

The suction side channel 6 a and the discharge side channel 6 b are connected to the side surface of the foam reservoir 3 . In the present embodiment, the connection position between the discharge side flow path 6b and the foam reservoir 3 is located higher than the connection position between the suction side flow path 6a and the foam reservoir 3 . In the illustrated example, the connection position between the discharge side flow path 6b and the foam reservoir 3 is at a position higher than the water surface 95 in the foam reservoir 3 . Without being limited to such a configuration, the connection position between the discharge side flow path 6b and the foam reservoir 3 may be located at a position lower than the water surface 95 in the foam reservoir 3 . Moreover, the connection position between the discharge side flow path 6b and the foam storage part 3 may be at the same height as the connection position between the suction side flow path 6a and the foam storage part 3 .

The bubble generator 4 mixes the detergent water flowing through the circulation channel 6 with gas to generate bubbles. This gas is, for example, air. The air bubble generating device 4 in this embodiment is arranged in the discharge side channel 6b. In the illustrated example, the air bubble generating device 4 is arranged at the connecting portion between the foam reservoir 3 and the discharge side channel 6b. As a modification, the air bubble generating device 4 may be arranged at a position in the middle of the discharge side channel 6b.

When the water pump 7 is operated, detergent water flows through the circulation flow path 6 as follows. The detergent water in the foam reservoir 3 is sucked into the suction side flow path 6 a and reaches the water pump 7 . After passing through the water jet pump 7 , the detergent water flows through the discharge side channel 6 b, passes through the bubble generator 4 , and returns to the foam reservoir 3 . Thus, the detergent water in the foam reservoir 3 circulates through the circulation flow path 6. As shown in FIG.

The bubble generator 4 has an intake passage 4a for sucking gas from the outside. The bubble generator 4 mixes the gas sucked from the intake passage 4a with the detergent water to generate bubbles. A valve 12 is provided in the intake passage 4a. By adjusting the degree of opening of the valve 12, the amount of intake air can be controlled. The water pump 7 may be operated with the valve 12 fully closed. In that case, the water in the foam reservoir 3 circulates through the circulation flow path 6 without generating bubbles.

The air bubble generator 4 in this embodiment may include an ejector (not shown) having the following structure. The ejector has a reduced diameter portion that reduces the diameter of the detergent water flow path. Negative pressure is generated as the detergent water passes through the constriction. Gas can be naturally sucked from the intake passage 4a by the negative pressure generated in the diameter-reduced portion. At the diameter-reduced portion, gas that has passed through the intake passage 4a is mixed in the direction perpendicular to the flow of the detergent water. A diameter-enlarged portion for increasing the diameter of the flow path is formed downstream of the diameter-reduced portion. The introduced gas is compressed in the diameter-reduced portion and then decompressed in the diameter-enlarged portion. As a result, the dissolved gas is re-bubbled to produce fine bubbles. A stationary blade may be provided at a position upstream of the diameter-reduced portion to swirl the water flow entering the diameter-reduced portion. The fixed blades form, for example, a swirling flow around the axis of the flow path. The swirling flow of the detergent water formed by the fixed blades shears the air bubbles to make them finer, thereby generating fine air bubbles.

It is desirable that the water pump 7 have an output capable of obtaining a circulation flow rate of 6 L/min or more, for example. As a result, the negative pressure generated in the diameter-reduced portion of the air bubble generating device 4 can be sufficiently increased, and a sufficient amount of intake air for generating fine air bubbles can be secured.

However, in the present disclosure, the method of taking air from the intake passage 4a is not limited to natural intake. Alternatively, an air pump (not shown) may be used to forcibly supply air to the bubble generator 4 .

The air bubble generating device 4 in the present embodiment is an example of air bubble generating means for generating air bubbles by mixing gas with detergent water. The air bubble generating device 4 in the present embodiment generates air bubbles by introducing gas into the discharge-side channel 6b. In the present embodiment, the channel length from the bubble generator 4 to the foam reservoir 3 is relatively short. For this reason, it is more advantageous in suppressing defoaming or coalescence of the bubbles generated by the bubble generator 4 before they flow into the foam reservoir 3 . The coalescence means that the diameter of a bubble becomes coarse due to coalescence of bubbles.

Detergent reservoir 2 stores detergent to be supplied to foam reservoir 3 . The detergent reservoir 2 is connected to the suction side flow path 6a by the detergent passage 5. As shown in FIG. A valve 14 opens and closes the detergent passage 5 . When the valve 14 is opened, the detergent can flow from the detergent reservoir 2 through the detergent passage 5 into the suction side channel 6a. The opening degree of the valve 14 may be adjustable. As a modification, the detergent passage 5 may be connected to the foam reservoir 3 so that the detergent from the detergent reservoir 2 can directly flow into the foam reservoir 3 .

The water storage part 20 stores water to be supplied to the foam storage part 3 . The water storage part 20 in this embodiment is a cylindrical container whose longitudinal direction is the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the water storage section 20 stores clean water supplied from the clean water introduction section 8 . The clean water introduction part 8 is a passage through which clean water passes. The upstream side of the water supply introduction part 8 is connected to the water supply. A clean water introduction portion 8 is connected to the upper portion of the water storage portion 20 . The valve 11 opens and closes the passage of the clean water introduction part 8 . When the valve 11 is opened, tap water flows from the tap water introduction portion 8 into the water storage portion 20 . When the valve 11 is closed, the inflow of clean water from the clean water introduction portion 8 into the water storage portion 20 is stopped.

The water supply path 21 connects the bottom of the water reservoir 20 and the suction side flow path 6a. The water in the water reservoir 20 can flow through the water supply path 21 into the suction side flow path 6a. Detergent water can be generated in the foam reservoir 3 by the water supplied from the water reservoir 20 and the detergent supplied from the detergent reservoir 2 . As a modification, the water supply path 21 may be connected to the foam reservoir 3 so that the water from the water reservoir 20 can directly flow into the foam reservoir 3 .

The inner space of the water reservoir 20 and the inner space of the foam reservoir 3 overlap at least partially with respect to their vertical positions. In the illustrated example, the volume of the interior space of the water reservoir 20 is smaller than the volume of the interior space of the foam reservoir 3 . This is advantageous in miniaturizing the cleaning device 1 .

A water level sensor 22 is provided in the water reservoir 20 . A water level sensor 22 detects the water level in the water reservoir 20 . That is, the water level sensor 22 detects the height of the water surface 96 within the water reservoir 20 . The water level sensor 22 may be of at least one of the float type, electrode type, capacitance type, differential pressure type, guide pulse type, vibration type, ultrasonic wave type, and radio wave type, for example.

The control device 50 has a function of keeping the water level in the water reservoir 20, that is, the height of the water surface 96 in the water reservoir 20, within a certain range by opening and closing the valve 11 according to the signal from the water level sensor 22. . For example, the control device 50 opens the valve 11 when the water level in the water reservoir 20 becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined lower limit water level, thereby supplying water from the clean water introduction part 8 to the water reservoir 20, and the water level in the water reservoir 20 decreases. When the water level exceeds a predetermined upper limit, the valve 11 is closed to stop the supply of water from the clean water introduction portion 8 .

An overflow hole (not shown) is provided in the upper part of the side surface of the water reservoir 20 . The overflow hole is positioned higher than the upper water level described above. Normally, the water level in the water reservoir 20 is maintained below the upper limit water level. However, for some reason, the water level in the water reservoir 20 may rise above the upper limit water level. When the water level in the water reservoir 20 rises above the upper limit water level, the water in the water reservoir 20 is discharged out of the water reservoir 20 through the overflow hole. As a result, the water level in the water reservoir 20 is prevented from rising beyond the position of the overflow hole. As a result, the water in the water storage section 20 can be reliably prevented from flowing back to the clean water introduction section 8 . A water receiving portion (not shown) such as a water receiving tray for receiving water discharged from the overflow hole is provided under the water storage portion 20 .

The water in the water reservoir 20 is supplied to the foam reservoir 3 through the water supply channel 21 . The amount of water supplied from the water reservoir 20 to the foam reservoir 3 may be controlled by the control device 50 controlling the opening/closing operation of a valve (not shown) provided in the water supply passage 21 .

By operating the water jet pump 7 and generating air bubbles in the detergent water with the air bubble generating device 4 , foam is generated on the water surface 95 of the detergent water in the foam reservoir 3 . The operation of generating foam in this manner is hereinafter referred to as "foam generation operation". The foam generation operation is as follows. The bubbles that have flowed into the foam reservoir 3 from the bubble generator 4 provided in the circulation flow path 6 float toward the water surface 95 of the detergent water due to buoyancy. A large number of air bubbles floating on the water surface 95 of the detergent water gather to generate foam. By continuing the foam generation operation, the space above the water surface 95 in the foam reservoir 3 is filled with foam. In this manner, foam is accumulated in the foam reservoir 3 .

In the present embodiment, the connection position between the discharge side flow path 6b and the foam reservoir 3 is higher than the connection position between the suction side flow path 6a and the foam reservoir 3, so that the following effects are obtained. is obtained. It is possible to more reliably prevent the bubbles that have flowed into the foam reservoir 3 from being sucked into the suction-side flow path 6 a before they float above the water surface 95 . As a result, the efficiency of generating foam above the water surface 95 is improved.

The discharge part 10 is a part for discharging the foam accumulated in the foam storage part 3 to the outside of the washing device 1 . A conduit 18 is connected to the upper portion of the foam reservoir 3 . A discharge portion 10 is provided at the tip of the conduit 18 . The ejection part 10 has an ejection port capable of ejecting foam. Conduit 18 has a passage for sending the foam in foam reservoir 3 to discharge portion 10 . By continuing the foam generation operation even after the space above the water surface 95 in the foam reservoir 3 is filled with foam, the foam reaches the discharge part 10 from the foam reservoir 3 through the conduit 18 and is discharged. Foam is discharged from the unit 10 . The internal space of the discharge portion 10 and the conduit 18 corresponds to the discharge passage 16 .

According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. The foam discharged from the discharge part 10 can be supplied to the object to be washed outside the foam storage part 3 . The foam contains a large number of air bubbles formed by the detergent water and has excellent cleaning ability. The object to be washed is placed outside the foam reservoir 3 . The volume of the foam reservoir 3 can be reduced because it does not contain the object to be washed. Since the volume of the foam reservoir 3 is small, the consumption of detergent water can be suppressed. Since the foam reservoir 3 has a small volume, it is possible to shorten the time from the start of the foam generating operation in the foam reservoir 3 until the ejection part 10 ejects the foam.

The discharge part 10 may be movable with respect to the foam reservoir 3 . For example, the outlet 10 and conduit 18 may be rotationally movable with respect to the foam reservoir 3 . Conduit 18 may be constructed of a rigid material. Alternatively, conduit 18 may comprise a bendable member such as a hose or corrugated tube. Conduit 18 may be of a structure that is telescopic in length. By making the conduit 18 bendable or extending/contracting the length of the conduit 18, the discharge part 10 can be moved closer to the object to be washed, so that the foam can be easily distributed to the object to be washed. can supply.

By arranging the object to be washed under the discharge part 10, the foam discharged from the discharge part 10 can be supplied to the upper part of the object to be washed. The cleaning component contained in the foam can remove stains adhering to the object to be cleaned. The foam adhering to the upper part of the object to be washed moves to the lower part of the object to be washed due to gravity. As the foam moves on the surface of the object to be washed, shear stress acts on the dirt on the surface of the object to be washed, so even a small amount of foam can remove the dirt more efficiently. Become.

A valve 15 is installed between the foam reservoir 3 and the conduit 18 . Valve 15 opens and closes the passage between foam reservoir 3 and conduit 18 . By opening and closing the valve 15, the operation of starting and stopping the ejection of foam from the ejection portion 10 can be performed. In this embodiment, a handle 19 for opening and closing the valve 15 is provided. When the user operates the handle 19, the valve 15 opens and closes. By manipulating the handle 19 to open and close the valve 15, the user can easily pause or resume the ejection of foam from the ejection portion 10. FIG. Alternatively, the control device 50 may control the opening and closing of the valve 15 .

The discharge part 9 has a channel for discharging the fluid in the foam storage part 3 to the outside of the cleaning device 1 . The valve 13 opens and closes the channel of the discharge section 9 . By opening the valve 13, the fluid remaining in the foam reservoir 3 can be discharged to the outside through the discharge part 9 after the end of washing. In the illustrated configuration, the discharge part 9 is connected in the middle of the suction side flow path 6a. For example, the discharging part 9 may be directly connected to the foam storing part 3 without being limited to such a configuration. The downstream side of the discharge part 9 is connected to a sewage pipe.

In the present embodiment, cleaning can be performed by attaching cream-like foam to the object to be cleaned instead of using the cleaning liquid containing air bubbles. Therefore, since the amount of detergent water used is small, the consumption of water and detergent can be suppressed. In addition, even when cleaning delicate objects such as glass products and plated products, damage to the objects to be cleaned can be reliably suppressed.

The diameter of the bubbles generated by the bubble generator 4 may range, for example, from 1 μm to 5000 μm. The bubble generator 4 may be capable of generating fine bubbles with a diameter of 50 μm or less. Foam containing microbubbles provides particularly good cleaning performance. The bubble generator 4 may be capable of generating bubbles with a diameter of 500 μm or more. By generating foam containing such relatively large diameter bubbles, it is possible to increase the foam generation rate.

The cleaning apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is equipped with a dirt determination means for determining at least one of the type and amount of dirt adhering to the object to be washed. The contamination determination means in this embodiment has a contamination determination sensor 17 . In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the contamination determination sensor 17 is attached near the discharge section 10 . The contamination determination sensor 17 may be arranged at another position. Also, the cleaning device 1 may include a plurality of contamination determination sensors 17 . The dirt determination sensor 17 may be configured to determine at least one of the type and amount of dirt adhering to the object to be washed in a non-contact manner.

The dirt determination sensor 17 may be able to determine, for example, solid dirt or fluid dirt. Further, the dirt determination sensor 17 may be capable of determining dirt components. For example, the dirt determination sensor 17 may be able to determine whether the dirt is oil-based dirt, protein-based dirt, or starch-based dirt.

For example, the dirt determination sensor 17 may have a camera, and the control device 50 may perform image processing and analyze an image of dirt captured by the camera to determine at least one of the type and amount of dirt. In addition, the contamination determination sensor 17 has an irradiating unit that irradiates dirt with electromagnetic waves such as infrared rays and a light receiving unit that receives electromagnetic waves reflected by the surface of the dirt. can be determined. Alternatively, the dirt determination sensor 17 may have an electrode for measuring the electrical conductivity of dirt, and the type of dirt may be determined based on the electrical conductivity of the dirt.

The control device 50 may control the operation of the cleaning device 1 according to at least one of the type and amount of dirt determined by the dirt determination sensor 17 . For example, the control device 50 may adjust the amount of foam discharged from the discharge section 10 according to at least one of the type and amount of dirt determined by the dirt determination sensor 17 .

In this embodiment, the bottom of water reservoir 20 is located higher than the bottom of foam reservoir 3 . For example, the lowest position of the inner space of the water reservoir 20 is higher than the lowest position of the inner space of the foam reservoir 3 . The water in the water storage part 20 can flow into the foam storage part 3 through the water supply path 21 and the suction side flow path 6a due to the height difference. In the present embodiment, since the bottom of water reservoir 20 is positioned higher than the bottom of foam reservoir 3, when there is water in water reservoir 20, there is always water in foam reservoir 3. It is possible to make it so that there is

Further, in the present embodiment, the top of water reservoir 20 is located higher than the top of foam reservoir 3 . For example, the highest position of the inner space of the water reservoir 20 is higher than the highest position of the inner space of the foam reservoir 3 . During execution of the foam generation operation, the pressure of the foam accumulated in the foam reservoir 3 may increase the pressure in the foam reservoir 3 . In that case, the height of the water surface 96 in the water reservoir 20 is higher than the height of the water surface 95 in the foam reservoir 3 . In the present embodiment, the top of water reservoir 20 is located higher than the top of foam reservoir 3, so the height of water surface 96 in water reservoir 20 is equal to the water surface in foam reservoir 3. Even when the height is higher than 95, it is possible to more reliably prevent the water in the water reservoir 20 from overflowing.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of foam reservoir 3 included in washing device 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the foam reservoir 3 of the cleaning device 1 according to Embodiment 1 cut along a horizontal plane. 2 and 3, illustration of the air bubble generator 4 is omitted. Moreover, FIG. 2 shows a state in which the foam reservoir 3 is cut at a position above the discharge side channel 6b.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the foam reservoir 3 has an internal space surrounded by an inner peripheral surface 3a. The inner peripheral surface 3a does not have a corner where two planes intersect in one straight line. That is, the inner peripheral surface 3a has a smooth shape over its entire circumference. The connecting portion of the discharge side channel 6b with the foam reservoir 3 extends along the tangential direction of the inner peripheral surface 3a in the horizontal cross section of FIG. In addition, the connecting portion of the suction side flow path 6a with the foam storage portion 3 extends along the tangential direction of the inner peripheral surface 3a in the horizontal cross section of FIG. As shown in FIG. 2 , the connecting portion of the discharge-side channel 6 b with the foam reservoir 3 and the connecting portion of the suction-side channel 6 a with the foam reservoir 3 are positioned horizontally from the side of the foam reservoir 3 . protruding in the direction

As shown in FIG. 3, when the water jet pump 7 is operated, a unidirectional flow 97 is generated in the foam reservoir 3 along the inner peripheral surface 3a. According to the present embodiment, the generation of such a flow 97 provides the following effects. Ruffles of the water surface 95 in the foam reservoir 3 can be suppressed during the foam generation operation. As a result, defoaming and coalescence of the foam generated on the water surface 95 can be suppressed. By suppressing defoaming of the foam, the speed at which foam is generated in the foam reservoir 3 can be increased. By suppressing foam coalescence, it is possible to prevent the generation of foam with a low cleaning effect and a large bubble diameter. For these reasons, it is possible to eject a large amount of foam having a relatively small bubble diameter and an excellent cleaning effect from the ejection portion 10 per unit time.

On the other hand, assuming that the flow 97 as described above does not occur, the water surface 95 in the foam reservoir 3 will be greatly undulated. When the water surface 95 is rippling, the bubbles generated on the water surface 95 are rubbed by the waves, and the bubbles tend to coalesce to increase the diameter of the bubbles. As a result, foam with a large bubble diameter is generated. Foam with a large bubble diameter has a low cleaning effect. Therefore, it is not preferable to generate foam with a large bubble diameter. Further, when the water surface 95 is rippling, the foam near the water surface 95 is swallowed up by the waves and disappears. As a result, the speed at which foam is generated in the foam reservoir 3 is reduced.

In the example shown in FIG. 3, the flow 97 in the foam reservoir 3 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from above. Conversely, it goes without saying that the flow 97 in the foam reservoir 3 may also rotate clockwise when viewed from above.

In FIG. 3, a flow 98 flowing into the foam reservoir 3 from the discharge-side channel 6b flows along the tangential direction of the inner peripheral surface 3a. Further, the flow 99 flowing out from the foam reservoir 3 into the suction side flow path 6a flows along the tangential direction of the inner peripheral surface 3a.

In the present embodiment, both the connection portion of the discharge side flow path 6b with the foam reservoir 3 and the connection portion of the suction side flow path 6a with the foam reservoir 3 are tangential to the inner peripheral surface 3a. extends along. Thereby, the flow 97 that rotates along the inner peripheral surface 3a can be generated more smoothly. As a modification, only one of the connection portion of the discharge side flow path 6b with the foam storage section 3 and the connection portion of the suction side flow path 6a with the foam storage section 3 is tangent to the inner peripheral surface 3a. It may be configured to extend along the direction. Even in that case, it is possible to reliably generate the flow 97 that rotates along the inner peripheral surface 3a.

In this embodiment, the shape of the inner peripheral surface 3a in the horizontal cross section of FIG. 3 is circular. As a result, the flow 97 can flow more smoothly along the inner peripheral surface 3a, so that the rippling of the water surface 95 can be further reduced.

The three-dimensional shape of the inner peripheral surface 3a may be, for example, a cylindrical shape or a conical shape. That is, the diameter of the inner peripheral surface 3a may be constant along the axial direction, or the diameter of the inner peripheral surface 3a may vary along the axial direction. Moreover, the inner peripheral surface 3a may include both a portion having a cylindrical shape and a portion having a conical shape.

The air bubble generating means in the present disclosure is not limited to a configuration like the air bubble generating device 4 . For example, the air bubble generating means may include an intake passage connected to the intake side passage 6a and an intake valve for opening and closing the intake passage. In this case, the controller 50 opens the intake valve when operating the water jet pump 7 to perform the foam generating operation. When the intake valve is opened, gas is sucked from the intake passage into the suction-side channel 6a by the negative pressure generated in the suction-side channel 6a, thereby supplying air bubbles into the foam reservoir 3. With such a configuration, the gas can be sucked by the negative pressure generated in the suction side flow path 6a when the water pump 7 is operated. A structure for generating is unnecessary. As a result, there is an advantage that the configuration of the air bubble generating means can be simplified.

The control device 50 included in the cleaning device 1 may be configured as follows. Each function of the control device 50 may be implemented by a processing circuit. The processing circuitry of controller 50 may comprise at least one processor and at least one memory. At least one processor may realize each function of the control device 50 by reading and executing a program stored in at least one memory. The processing circuitry of controller 50 may comprise at least one piece of dedicated hardware. A part of each function of the control device 50 may be realized by dedicated hardware, and another part may be realized by software or firmware. The processing circuitry may implement each function of controller 50 in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. The configuration is not limited to a configuration in which the operation is controlled by a single control device 50, and a configuration in which a plurality of control devices cooperate to control the operation may be employed.

Embodiment 2.
Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The description will focus on the differences from the above-described embodiment, and the same reference numerals will be used for elements that are common or correspond to the above-described elements. In addition, redundant explanations are simplified or omitted. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the foam reservoir 3 of the washing device according to Embodiment 2 cut along a horizontal plane. In addition, in FIG. 4, illustration of the circulation flow path 6 connected to the foam reservoir 3 is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inner peripheral surface 3b of the foam reservoir 3 in this embodiment has a polygonal shape with rounded corners in a horizontal cross section. That is, the shape of the inner peripheral surface 3b in a horizontal cross section has a linear portion 31b extending linearly and a curved portion 32b connecting two adjacent linear portions 31b extending in different directions. The curved portion 32b has, for example, an arcuate shape. Inner peripheral surface 3b in the present embodiment has a shape in which a plane formed by linear portion 31b and a concave curved surface formed by curved portion 32b are smoothly continuous.

In this embodiment, when the water jet pump 7 is operated, a unidirectional flow 97 is generated in the foam reservoir 3 along the inner peripheral surface 3b. As a result, it is possible to suppress rippling of the water surface 95 in the foam reservoir 3 during the foam generation operation, and an effect similar to that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

In the illustrated example, the inner peripheral surface 3b in a horizontal cross section has a square or rectangular shape with rounded corners. The configuration is not limited to such a configuration, and the inner peripheral surface 3b in a horizontal cross section may have, for example, a shape in which the corners of a polygon such as a triangle, a pentagon, or a hexagon are rounded. Moreover, the inner peripheral surface 3b in a horizontal cross section may have a shape in which the corners of a regular polygon are rounded.

The outer wall of the side surface of the foam reservoir 3 in the linear portion 31b of the inner peripheral surface 3b can be easily formed flat. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, most of the side wall of the foam reservoir 3 can be formed flat. As a result, it is advantageous in suppressing the formation of a gap between the outer wall of the side surface of the foam reservoir 3 and other components adjacent to the foam reservoir 3 . Therefore, it is more advantageous to miniaturize the cleaning device, and the cleaning device can be installed in a smaller space.

1 Cleaning device 2 Detergent reservoir 3 Foam reservoir 3a, 3b Inner peripheral surface 4 Air bubble generator 4a Intake passage 5 Detergent passage 6 Circulation passage 6a Suction side passage 6b Discharge side passage 7 Water pump 8 Tap water introduction portion 9 Discharge part 10 Discharge part 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 Valve 16 Discharge passage 17 Discrimination sensor 18 Conduit 19 Handle 20 Water storage part 21 Water supply passage 22 Water level sensor 31b Straight line portion 32b Curved portion 50 Controllers 95, 96 Water surface 97, 98,99 flow

Claims (7)

a foam reservoir having an internal space surrounded by an inner peripheral surface;
a water pump and
a circulation channel having a suction side channel connecting the suction port of the water jet pump and the foam reservoir, and a discharge side channel connecting the discharge port of the water jet pump and the foam reservoir;
a bubble generating means for generating bubbles by mixing gas with the detergent water flowing through the circulation channel;
a discharge section for discharging the foam accumulated in the foam storage section to the outside;
with
When the water pump is operated, it is configured to generate a flow that rotates along the inner peripheral surface in the foam reservoir,
a water storage part for storing water;
a water supply channel connecting the bottom of the water reservoir and the suction side channel;
a water supply introduction part that connects the upper part of the water storage part and a water supply;
a valve that opens and closes the water supply inlet;
a water level sensor provided in the water reservoir;
and a control device that opens and closes the valve,
the inner space of the water reservoir and the inner space of the foam reservoir have at least a partial overlap with respect to vertical position;
The control device keeps the height of the water surface in the water reservoir within a certain range by opening and closing the valve according to the signal from the water level sensor.
A cleaning device configured to : 2. A cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said inner peripheral surface has a circular shape in a horizontal cross section. 2. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the inner peripheral surface in a horizontal cross section is a polygon with rounded corners. 4. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a connection portion of the discharge side flow path with the foam reservoir extends along a tangential direction of the inner peripheral surface in a horizontal cross section. 5. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a connecting portion of the suction-side flow path with the foam reservoir extends along a tangential direction of the inner peripheral surface in a horizontal cross section. 6. The cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the bottom of the water reservoir is higher than the bottom of the foam reservoir. 7. A cleaning device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the top of the water reservoir is higher than the top of the foam reservoir.

Images