JP7231593B2 - Water supply hose for washing machine with microbubble water generator - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a water supply hose for a washing machine with a microbubble water generator, which is used in general household washing machines.

Microbubbles are microbubbles or nanobubbles (about 50 to 500 nm in diameter) with a diameter of about 100 μm or less. In recent years, it has been rapidly used, especially in the fields of beauty and health, because it can effectively remove the dirt that has entered.

In addition, attention has also been paid to the cleaning effect due to the electrical action of microbubbles. The surfaces of microbubbles are usually negatively charged, and the microbubbles are dispersed and suspended in the microbubble water without coalescing. On the other hand, dirt such as oil, sebum, and fine foreign matter is normally positively charged and electrically coupled to the negatively charged object to be cleaned. Therefore, when the minus-charged microbubbles adhere to the plus-charged dirt, they are electrically neutralized, and the dirt is easily separated from the object to be cleaned.

Dirt that is electrically neutralized and separated from the object to be cleaned rises to the surface of the water due to the buoyancy of the air bubbles while being adsorbed on the gas-liquid interface of the microbubbles. It is washed without adhering to the object to be washed again in water.

High-speed shearing methods, pressure crushing methods, and cavitation methods are known for generating water containing many microbubbles. ing. Or they are forcibly injected. As one of them, a mixed fluid consisting of a liquid accelerated by an acceleration means and a gas (bubbles with a diameter of about several millimeters) introduced into the casing by a gas-liquid mixing means is caused to cause cavitation in the casing, thereby A microbubble generator that generates bubbles is known (see Patent Document 1, for example).

In addition, as a method of generating microbubbles by a cavitation method from the so-called dissolved air dissolved in water without inhaling air from the outside, the cross-sectional area perpendicular to the central axis from the inlet to the outlet is It is arranged continuously through the first nozzle on the side of the inlet for water passage that gradually decreases and the communication passage provided from the outlet of the first nozzle, and the section perpendicular to the central axis from the inlet to the outlet. A microbubble generator is known that has a second nozzle on the outlet side for water flow whose area gradually increases, and a gap or a side chamber that opens only to the communication path (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

A shower head is known as an application of a microbubble generator that generates microbubbles from dissolved air in water by a cavitation method for beauty and health effects (for example, patent documents 3).

Similarly, a microbubble generator that generates microbubbles from dissolved air by a cavitation method is applied to a washing machine. There is known a washing machine equipped with such a washing machine (see, for example, Patent Document 4).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-21343 JP 2009-136864 A Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2016-2196 JP 2016-209331 A

However, the microbubble generator according to Patent Document 1 is not suitable for home use where a simple type directly connected to a water supply is desired because the gas-liquid mixing performed by accelerating the water stored in the tank is large.

In addition, the microbubble generator according to Patent Document 2 may not be able to supply a sufficient amount of water for use because the water flow that has rapidly expanded in the communication passage provided with the side chamber is decompressed by throttling with the second nozzle. . Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the width size of the side chamber in the axial direction according to the water pressure at that time, and it cannot be easily attached to a household water pipe.

Patent document 3 and patent document 4 make it possible to use microbubble water for showering and washing at home. However, these have been proposed as devices in which a microbubble generator is incorporated in advance in a shower head or a washing machine, and are not configured so that a microbubble generator can be attached to such existing devices.

In view of the above points, the present invention provides an existing washing machine with a washing function using micro-bubble water easily by providing a water supply hose to a household washing machine that uses tap water with a micro-bubble water generating function. It is an object.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a coupling part having a cylindrical projection that can be detachably connected to an adapter attached to a water faucet, and a hole having a diameter smaller than the outer shape of the projection. is formed on the bottom, and a coupler made of a flexible material that is in contact with the convex portion and holds the connection with the joint portion in a state of covering the joint portion; a water inlet side of which is connected to the hole and a water outlet side of which forms a hose connecting portion ; and a hose, wherein the micro-bubble water generating unit is integrally formed with the joint, the micro-bubble water generating nozzle, and the hose connecting portion connected to the water supply hose, and is coupled to the water faucet . A hose for a washing machine having a fine bubble water generating function, wherein the fine bubble water generating nozzle is provided with a plurality of water intake holes provided at the inlet thereof, and a water flow from the inlet side to the outlet side A water intake plate whose center axis is inclined with respect to the center axis of said water intake plate; and a narrowing portion that changes the tap water that has passed through the first water passage parallel to the flow direction, and the tap water that has passed through the narrowing portion and is blown out from the narrowing portion parallel to the flowing direction along the flow direction. and a second water passage whose diameter gradually increases and diffuses, and is replaceable with a normal washing machine water supply hose.

A sphere is provided on the inner peripheral wall of the adapter, and a through hole into which the sphere is fitted is formed on the outer periphery of the joint portion. By fitting, the joint portion can be connected to the water faucet with one touch.

Here, the tap water discharged obliquely from the water intake hole is directed to the first water passage by tilting the central axis of the water intake hole from the inlet side to the outlet side with respect to the central axis of the water intake plate. As it turns around the inner wall and increases the flow velocity, it moves downstream, diffuses in the second water passage and is discharged to the equipment. Air bubbles are generated.

In addition, the first water passage has a larger diameter dimension of the maximum diameter portion of each of the first water passage and the second water passage, and the length dimension along the direction of tap water flow is the second water passage. By providing a large water passage, tap water is rapidly squeezed in the first water passage and blown out to the second water passage at high pressure, creating a large pressure difference and effectively generating cavitation bubbles. .

Furthermore, by setting the water intake plate thickness of the water intake plate to be at least 1/4 or more of the diameter dimension, the tap water flows vigorously into the first water passage, and a swirl flow with a high rotation rate flows into the first water passage. It is formed and can effectively generate a large number of microbubbles. At this time, by bending the water intake hole from the inlet side toward the outlet side, the water intake hole is twisted, so that the tap water becomes a swirling flow with a higher rotation rate and is introduced into the first water passage. be done.

If an uneven surface for generating turbulence is formed on the inner surface of the water intake hole, the degree of turbulence increases when the tap water passes through the water intake hole, and dissolved air in the tap water can be easily taken out. Cavitation bubbles can be effectively generated.

In one embodiment, by providing an opening adjustment mechanism for varying the opening area for each water intake hole, the water intake capacity to the microbubble water generating nozzle can be changed according to the pressure and flow rate of the supplied tap water. The aperture adjustment mechanism at this time is preferably an iris diaphragm mechanism formed by overlapping a plurality of diaphragm blades.

According to the water supply hose for a washing machine with a micro-bubble water generator of the present invention, by providing the micro-bubble water generating part in which the joint part of the tap, the micro-bubble water generating nozzle part, and the hose connecting part are integrated, Microbubble water can be easily supplied to the washing machine just by connecting to a faucet. Therefore, an existing washing machine can be provided with a washing function using microbubble water only by replacing the water supply hose for the washing machine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The whole block diagram of the water supply hose for washing machines with a fine bubble water generator of this invention is shown. The side view of a microbubble water production|generation part is shown. The cross-sectional view shows a state in which the joint part of the micro-bubble water generating part is connected to the water faucet via an adapter. The side view of the micro-bubble water production|generation part which shows a part of joint part in a cross section is shown. The sectional side view of a micro-bubble water generation|occurrence|production nozzle part is shown. (a) shows a plan view of a water intake plate, and (b) shows a side view of the water intake plate. An explanatory view of attaching a hose for a washing machine with a fine bubble water generation function to a water faucet and a washing machine is shown. The schematic diagram explaining generation|occurrence|production of the cavitation bubble in a micro-bubble water production|generation nozzle part is shown. The external perspective view of the water intake plate which equips a water intake hole with the opening adjustment mechanism which changes an opening area is shown. The schematic diagram explaining the change of the opening area of the intake of the water intake hole adjusted by the opening adjustment mechanism is shown. 4A and 4B respectively show modifications of the water intake holes of the water intake plate.

An embodiment of a water supply hose for a washing machine with a microbubble water generator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the overall structure of a water supply hose 1 for a washing machine with a microbubble water generator. 3, and a washing machine side connecting portion 5 attached to the drain end of the hose body 2.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the micro-bubble water generator 3. As shown in FIG. The micro-bubble water generator 3 is a functional component in which a joint portion 6, a micro-bubble water generating nozzle, and a hose connection portion 8 connected to the hose main body 2 are integrally formed. By connecting the micro-bubble water generator 3 to the hose body 2, a washing machine water supply hose that easily supplies micro-bubble water to the washing machine can be obtained.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the joint portion 6 is detachably covered with an adapter 9 attached to the water faucet 15 . When the adapter 9 is connected, the tip of the adapter 9 is engaged with a convex portion 6a protruding around the rear end (downstream side) of the joint portion 6. As shown in FIG. Four radial through-holes 6b are provided at the distal end of the joint portion 6 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

The through hole 6b serves as a receiving portion for a sphere 9a incorporated in the adapter 9. As shown in FIG. Four of these spheres 9a are provided inside the adapter 9 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The joint portion 6 and the adapter 9 are connected with one touch. A concave portion 6c into which an annular packing 10 is fitted is formed around the tap water inlet of the joint portion 6. As shown in FIG.

The adapter 9 is provided with four screws 11 for fixing to the water faucet 15 at the upper end, and is fixed to the water faucet 15 by radially tightening the side surface of the water faucet 15 through the screw guide 12. - 特許庁A tubular packing 13 made of rubber or the like is incorporated inside the adapter 9, and the upper end of the packing 13 is pressed against the tip of the water faucet 15 to prevent water leakage. The lower end of the packing 13 is in pressure contact with the upper end of the contact portion 6 of the fine bubble water generating portion 3 fitted in the adapter 9 .

The coupler 4 is a bottomed cylindrical member made of a flexible material, and the bottom has a hole with a smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the projection 6a provided around the joint 6. When the microbubble water generating part 3 is fitted into the hole, it is engaged with the convex part 6a and covers the joint part 6. As shown in FIG.

An integrally formed locking arm 14 extends laterally from the coupler 4 . A hook 14a is formed at the tip of the locking arm 14, and engagement with a flange 16 formed on the outer periphery of the adapter 9 prevents the connection between the adapter 9 and the joint portion 6 to be easily disconnected. When removing the micro-bubble water generator 3 from the adapter 9, the locking arm 14 is expanded outward from the illustrated state to release the lock, the micro-bubble water generator 3 is pulled out from the adapter 9, and the joint 6 is removed. The fitting between the through hole 6b and the ball 9a is released.

As shown in the side cross-sectional view of FIG. 5, the microbubble water generating nozzle portion (hereinafter simply referred to as "nozzle") has a circular water intake plate 17 at the water intake side end and a side portion of the nozzle portion 7 on the outer periphery. The taper 18 is annularly formed at the peripheral end on the water intake side so as to facilitate the intake of tap water.

In this example, the water intake plate 17 has a diameter d of 13.5 mm and a thickness t of 5 mm. As shown in FIG. 6(a), the water intake plate 17 has four circular water intake holes 20 axially penetrating at equal intervals on a plane. As shown in the side view of FIG. 6B, the water intake hole 20 has a central axis L extending from the tap water inlet side to the outlet side with respect to the central axis H of the water intake plate 17 at a predetermined angle α. , for example, in the form of an oblique cylinder inclined at 15 degrees.

At this time, the direction of inclination of each water intake hole 20 is formed in the counterclockwise direction in the drawing as indicated by the arrow. As a result, the tap water sent in the horizontal direction is discharged in an inclined direction by passing through each water intake hole 20, thereby adding a twist to the tap water flow. Therefore, by screwing the water intake plate 17 to the inner periphery of the nozzle part 7 with a left-handed screw that rotates in the same direction as the discharged water flow, the tightening direction of the screw coincides with the direction of rotation of the discharged water flow. do not have. In addition, in FIG.6(b), only one of the water intake holes 20 is shown as a representative.

The nozzle 7 has a first water passage 21 whose inner diameter gradually narrows from the water intake plate 17 toward the center, a narrowed portion 22 connected to the first water passage 21, and an inner diameter connected to the narrowed portion 22 toward the outlet side. A second water passage 23 that gradually widens is formed.

In this example, the diameter of the inlet side of the first water passage 21 of the nozzle 7 is set larger than the diameter of the outlet side of the second water passage 23, and the first water passage 21 and the second water passage 23 are separated. The axial dimension is set longer than the second water passage 23 . The diameter and length of the inlet of the first water passage 21 can be varied depending on the situation in order to control the water pressure and the amount of microbubbles generated. The narrowed portion 22 is provided so as to communicate the small-diameter ends of the first and second water passages 21 and 23 .

The hose connecting portion 8 is a slightly small-diameter cylindrical tube integrally provided at the lower end of the nozzle 7 via a stepped portion 25, and has a plurality of stepped portions on its outer periphery, and the hose body 2 is fitted over it. ing. The hose body 2 covered with the hose connecting portion 8 is tightened with a tightening fitting 31 .

The washing machine side connection portion 5 is connected to the water supply port 27 of the washing machine 26 as shown in FIG. The water supply port 27 is composed of a cylindrical body projecting from the bottom surface of a water supply section recessed from the main body surface of the washing machine 26, and a male screw 27a is formed on the outer periphery. The washing machine side connection portion 5 is connected to the washing machine 26 by screwing a female thread 7a cut on the inner circumference with a male thread 27a of the water supply port 27 .

The action of generating micro-bubble water in the washing machine hose with the function of generating micro-bubble water having the above configuration will be described. Tap water supplied from the tap faucet 15 to the joint 6 through the adapter 9 first passes through each water intake hole 20 of the water intake plate 17. Deviate from the central axis direction of the plate 17 and flow out in an oblique direction.

As a result, the tap water after passing through the water intake hole 20 obliquely hits the inner wall of the first water passage 21, so as schematically shown in FIG. Since the first water passage 21 has a narrowed structure, the speed increases as it approaches the narrowed portion 22 and is discharged from the narrowed portion 22 to the second water passage 23 .

The tap water thus increased in speed is blown out at high pressure from the throttle portion 22 and diffused within the second water passage 23 . As a result, a sudden pressure drop occurs, and a boiling phenomenon causes countless fine cavitation bubbles in the tap water to be generated in the second water passage 23 and jetted into the washing machine 26 through the hose body 2 . Therefore, under normal tap water pressure, fine air bubbles originating from cavitation are effectively generated from the dissolved air in the tap water and supplied to the washing machine 26 .

At this time, the diameter of the inlet side of the first water passage 21 of the nozzle 6 is larger than the diameter of the outlet side of the second water passage 23, and the axial dimension of the first water passage 21 and the second water passage 23 is the If it is shorter than the two water passages 23, the tap water will be rapidly squeezed and blown out at a higher pressure, resulting in a large pressure difference and effectively generating cavitation bubbles.

In the washing tub of the washing machine 26 into which the microbubble water is injected, the surfaces of the microbubbles are negatively charged, so that the microbubbles do not coalesce and are diffused and floating in the microbubble water. On the other hand, dirt such as sebum and fine foreign matter adhering to the fibers that are immersed in microbubble water in the washing tub for washing is positively charged. neutralize to Dirt that has been electrically neutralized and separated from the fibers floats to the surface of the water due to the buoyancy of the microbubbles while being adsorbed on the air-liquid interface of the microbubbles. It does not adhere to the surface, which allows the washing to take place.

Therefore, washing with microbubble water enables effective washing without the use of detergent, which is ideal for people with detergent allergies. More effectively, the detergent may be injected into the microbubble water, but the amount of detergent required is less than that of normal water.

According to the nozzle 7 of the present invention, it is possible to effectively generate fine air bubbles by cavitation using the air contained in the tap water supplied to general households. In the case of direct water connection, the lower limit of general tap water pressure is 1.5 kgf/cm ² to 3 kgf/cm ² (0.15 to 0.3 MPa). The air contained in the tap water in the water can be turned into tap water containing microbubbles by cavitation only by this tap water pressure. The tap water pressure in this case is preferably 2.0 to 4.0 kgf/cm ² (0.2 to 0.39 MPa).

In another embodiment shown in FIG. 9, each water intake hole 20 is provided with a variable orifice 28, which is an opening adjustment mechanism, so that the water intake capacity of the nozzle 7 can be changed according to the pressure and flow rate of tap water supplied. The variable orifice 28 is an orifice that has an iris diaphragm mechanism and is configured to change the opening area of the water intake hole 20 . The iris diaphragm mechanism is generally known as the diaphragm of a camera lens, etc. As shown in FIGS. The area of the opening 29 can be changed in four ways by rotating the plurality of metal pieces 30 that are superimposed as described above by driving a gear (not shown). In this case, the gears of each variable orifice 28 are simultaneously driven by rotating a hole diameter adjusting dial provided outside the main body case, so that the opening area of each water intake hole 20 can be adjusted to the same size all at once. are doing.

By providing such a variable orifice 28, when the supply pressure of tap water is low, it is possible to increase the supply pressure by reducing the opening area of the water intake hole 20 and introduce it into the nozzle 7. The tap water supply pressure to 7 can be adjusted constant.

Further, tap water is discharged from the intake hole 20 while increasing the degree of turbulence by making the inner wall surface of the intake hole 20 an uneven surface 20a as shown in FIG. 11(a). In this example, a large number of protrusions are provided to form the uneven surface 20a. By improving the degree of turbulence in this manner, dissolved air in the tap water can be easily taken out, and cavitation bubbles can be effectively generated in the nozzle 7 .

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the water intake hole 20 may have a shape in which a bent portion is provided in an oblique cylinder extending from the inlet side to the outlet side to add a twist. As a result, the flow of tap water passing through the water intake hole 20 is twisted, and a swirl flow with a higher rotation rate can be generated in the first water passage 21. As a result, the inner wall of the water intake hole 20 is uneven. Together with the surface 20a, the degree of turbulence is further increased, and the effect of generating cavitation bubbles within the nozzle 11 can be improved.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible based on the gist of the present invention. For example, up to about 20 water intake holes 20 can be provided depending on the flow rate of the installed tap water pipes. Therefore, when the number of water intake holes 20 increases, it is preferable to arrange them evenly on the plane of the water intake plate 17 rather than arranging them in a circle at regular intervals.

In the above embodiment, the diameter of the inlet side of the first water passage 21 is larger than the diameter of the outlet side of the second water passage 23, and the distance in the central axis direction is longer in the second water passage 23. However, they may be configured to have the same diameter and be symmetrical with respect to the narrowed portion 22 . The point is that the relationship between the pressure of the tap water blown out from the first water passage 21 and the pressure drop due to diffusion in the second water passage 23 allows an appropriate amount of fine cavitation bubbles of high quality to be produced. It is set so that it can be generated.

In order to generate fine air bubbles more efficiently, a plurality of nozzles 7 are arranged in series so that the first water passage 21 of the rear nozzle 7 is connected to the second water passage 23 of the front nozzle 7, It is preferable to adopt a configuration in which cavitation occurs repeatedly.

1 Water supply hose for washing machine with microbubble water generator 2 Hose body 3 Microbubble water generator 4 Coupler 6 Joint 6b Through hole 7 Microbubble water generator nozzle 8 Hose connector 9 Adapter 9a Sphere 15 Tap 17 Water intake plate 20 Water intake hole 21 First water channel 22 Constriction part 23 Second water channel 26 Washing machine 28 Opening adjustment mechanism 30 Aperture blade

Claims (8)

a coupling portion having a cylindrical convex portion that can be detachably connected to an adapter attached to a water faucet;
a coupler made of a flexible material that has a hole formed in the bottom portion with a diameter smaller than the outer shape of the protrusion, and that is in contact with the protrusion and covers the joint portion so as to maintain connection with the joint portion ;
a micro-bubble water generating part fitted into the coupler, the water inlet side of the micro-bubble water generating nozzle being connected to the hole, and the water outlet side forming a hose connecting part;
a water supply hose that covers the water outlet of the microbubble water generator and connects to the water receiving port of the washing machine ;
consists of
The micro-bubble water generating part has a micro-bubble water generating function in which the joint part, the micro-bubble water generating nozzle, and the hose connecting part connected to the water supply hose are integrally formed and connected to the water faucet . A washing machine hose comprising:
The fine bubble water generating nozzle is
a water intake plate provided with a plurality of water intake holes provided in its inlet portion, and having a central axis from the inlet side toward the outlet side inclined with respect to the central axis of the water intake plate;
a first water passage whose diameter gradually decreases so that the tap water that has passed through the water intake plate spirally turns and increases in speed;
a constriction section for changing tap water passing through the first water passage parallel to the direction of flow;
a second water passage that passes through the narrowed portion and diffuses with its diameter gradually increasing along the flow direction of the tap water that is blown out from the narrowed portion parallel to the flow direction;
A water supply hose for washing machines with a fine bubble water generator that can be replaced with a normal water supply hose for washing machines. A sphere is provided on the inner peripheral wall of the adapter, and a through hole into which the sphere is fitted is formed on the outer periphery of the joint portion. The water supply hose for a washing machine with a micro-bubble water generator according to claim 1, wherein the joint is connected to the water faucet by doing so. In the first water passage and the second water passage, the maximum diameter of each of the first water passage is large, and the length of the second water passage along the direction of tap water flow is large. 2. The water supply hose for a washing machine with a fine bubble water generator according to claim 1, wherein the water supply hose is provided so that the diameter of the water supply hose is increased. 2. The water supply hose for a washing machine with a micro-bubble water generator according to claim 1, wherein the water intake plate has a thickness dimension of at least 1/4 of a diameter dimension of the water intake plate. 2. The water supply hose for a washing machine with a micro-bubble water generator according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said water intake holes are provided in a circular shape at equal intervals. 2. The water supply hose for a washing machine with a micro-bubble water generator according to claim 1, wherein an inner surface of said water intake hole is formed with an uneven surface for generating turbulent flow. 2. The water supply hose for a washing machine with a micro-bubble water generator according to claim 1, further comprising an opening adjustment mechanism for varying an opening area for each water intake hole. 8. The water supply hose for a washing machine with a micro-bubble water generator according to claim 7, wherein the opening adjustment mechanism is an iris diaphragm mechanism formed by overlapping a plurality of diaphragm blades.

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