KR100700534B1 - Steam generation apparatus for washing machine and water level sensor therof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a steam generator of a washing machine and a water level sensor thereof. The steam generator of the washing machine according to the present invention includes: a lower case having an upwardly open rectangular cylindrical shape; An upper case having a rectangular opening having a downward opening and integrally coupled to an upper end of the lower case in an up and down direction to form a receiving space cooperatively, and having a connection portion formed to connect the water supply pipe and the steam discharge pipe to each other; A heater arranged to be spaced apart from each of the side walls and the bottom surface of the lower case to heat water therein; A plurality of electrodes each of which is fixed to the upper case so as to be spaced apart from each other along one side of the upper surface of the upper case and each lower end is extended downward to a different length to detect the heater protection level and water supply interruption level A water level sensor having a; A lower diaphragm which is disposed around the electrode and integrally formed to protrude upward from an inner side of the bottom surface of the lower case so as to have a lower height than an upper end of the lower case; It is characterized in that it comprises an upper diaphragm which is disposed on the periphery of the electrode in an open flat cross-sectional shape with one side extending downward from the inside of the upper surface of the upper case to a length that can overlap the lower diaphragm. Thereby, the steam generator of the washing machine is provided, which allows a compact configuration to be limited in installation and to reduce water and power consumption when steam is generated.

Description

Steam generator of washing machine and its level sensor {STEAM GENERATION APPARATUS FOR WASHING MACHINE AND WATER LEVEL SENSOR THEROF}

1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional drum washing machine,

2 is a view showing a state of use of the steam generator for a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a perspective view of the steam generator of FIG.

4 is a view showing the inside of the steam generating device of FIG.

5 is a front sectional view of the steam generator of FIG. 3;

6 is an enlarged view illustrating main parts of FIG. 5;

7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part corresponding to FIG. 6 of a steam generator of a washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention;

8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part corresponding to FIG. 6 of a water level sensor of a steam generator for a washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

11: cabinet 21: tub

31 drum 41 steam generator

42: lower case 44: heater coupling portion

45: inclined portion 47: lower diaphragm

48: communication slit 52: upper case

54: water supply part 62: upper diaphragm

63: heater 64: water supply diaphragm

65 level sensor 69 electrode

70: insulation pad

The present invention relates to a steam generator of a washing machine and a water level detection sensor thereof, and more particularly, to a compact construction, which enables a compact construction, which reduces installation and reduces water and power consumption when steam is generated. And a level sensor.

 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional drum washing machine. As shown in the drawing, the drum washing machine includes a cabinet 111 forming an accommodating space therein, a tub 121 disposed along the front and rear direction inside the cabinet 111 to accommodate washing water therein, and a tub ( A drum 131 is rotatably coupled to the inside of 121.

The front of the cabinet 111 is provided with a door 113 to allow the laundry to enter and exit, the inside of the cabinet 111 is installed so that the tub 121 is buffered by the support spring 123 and the damper 125. It is.

A drum 131 is rotatably installed in the tub 121, and a drum driving motor 127 is provided in the rear region of the tub 121 so as to rotate the drum 131.

On the other hand, a heater installation space 128 and a heater 129 are provided in the bottom region of the lower tub 121 of the drum 131 to heat the wash water.

By the way, in the conventional drum washing machine, the heater installation space 128 is provided at the bottom of the tub 121 so that the washing water can be heated, and the heater 129 in a state where water is supplied so that the heater 129 can be locked. Since the washing water is heated, the residual amount of detergent is easily generated in the heater installation space 128, and the amount of washing water used and the power consumption of the washing water are increased because additional washing water must be supplied to maintain the proper level. There is a problem.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a steam generator of a washing machine and a water level sensor thereof, which can be compactly configured, so that the installation is limited and the water and power consumption can be reduced when steam is generated.

The object is, according to the present invention, a lower case having a rectangular cylindrical shape that is upwardly opened; An upper case having a rectangular opening having a downward opening and integrally coupled to an upper end of the lower case in an up and down direction to form a receiving space cooperatively, and having a connection portion formed to connect the water supply pipe and the steam discharge pipe to each other; A heater arranged to be spaced apart from each of the side walls and the bottom surface of the lower case to heat water therein; A plurality of electrodes each of which is fixed to the upper case so as to be spaced apart from each other along one side of the upper surface of the upper case and each lower end is extended downward to a different length to detect the heater protection level and water supply interruption level A water level sensor having a; A lower diaphragm which is disposed around the electrode and integrally formed to protrude upward from an inner side of the bottom surface of the lower case so as to have a lower height than an upper end of the lower case; A steam generator of the washing machine comprising an upper diaphragm having one side open at a circumference of the electrode and extending downward from an inner side of an upper surface of the upper case to a length that may overlap the lower diaphragm. Is achieved by.

Here, one side of the water level sensor of the upper case is formed with a water supply protruding upward to supply water, it is preferable that the water supply diaphragm extending downward between the water supply and the water level sensor. .

It is effective that the lower diaphragm is formed with a communication slit extending through the side wall in the vertical direction.

The lower portion of the lower case is preferably formed with an inclined portion inclined downward so as to reduce the area of the bottom surface.

The water level sensor may further include an electrode gap disposed to extend downward between the electrodes.

Preferably, the water level sensor further includes an insulation pad formed in an upper region of each electrode.

The water level sensor includes a housing formed of an insulator supporting the electrodes spaced apart from each other, and the bottom surface of the housing disposed inside the upper case is inclined with respect to the bottom surface of the lower case. to be.

On the other hand, according to another field of the present invention, the insulator is a rectangular parallelepiped housing formed to have a longer length than the width; They are formed to have different lengths, and each upper end is fixedly coupled to the housing to be spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the housing, and each lower end extends downward from the bottom of the housing to a different length, respectively, to protect the heater and the water supply stoppage. Provided is a water level sensor of a steam generator of a washing machine comprising a plurality of electrodes for sensing the water level.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view showing a state of use of the steam generator for a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the steam generator of Figure 2, Figure 4 is a view of the inside of the steam generator of Figure 3 5 is a front sectional view of the steam generator of FIG. 3, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 5. As shown in these figures, the drum washing machine includes a cabinet 11 forming an accommodating space therein, a tub 21 disposed along the front and rear directions inside the cabinet 11, and an interior of the tub 21. It is provided with a drum 31 rotatably coupled to the.

A support spring 23 and a damper 25 are respectively provided at the upper side and the lower side of the tub 21 so as to buffer and support the tub 21, and the lower side of the tub 21 can circulate washing water therein. The circulation passage 27 and the circulation pump 28 are provided. The front portion of the tub 21 is provided with a nozzle unit 29 to spray washing water and steam into the tub 21.

On the other hand, the upper side of the tub 21 is provided with a detergent supply unit 30 so as to supply a detergent, the upper side of the tub 21, the washing machine steam generator 41 according to an embodiment of the present invention is It is installed.

The steam generator 41 for the washing machine is integrally coupled to an upper end of the lower case 42 having a rectangular cylindrical shape which is upwardly opened, and having a rectangular cylindrical shape which is downwardly opened, along a vertical direction. The upper case 52 which mutually cooperates to form the receiving space, the heater 63 is disposed in the lower case 42 spaced apart from each side wall and the bottom surface to heat the water therein, and the upper case 52 Water level sensor 65 and the electrode having a plurality of electrodes (69) spaced apart from each other along the upper side of the upper surface side of the lower case 42 and extending downward to different lengths into the interior of the lower case 42, Lower diaphragm 47 integrally formed so as to protrude upward from the inner bottom surface of the lower case 42 so as to have a lower height than the upper end of the lower case 42 so as to be arranged around the lower case 42, and a flat cross section is one side. Is formed in an open "U" shape The upper diaphragm 62 is disposed around the electrode 69 and extends downward from the inside of the upper surface of the upper case 52 to a length that may overlap the lower diaphragm 47.

The upper case 52 has a rectangular cylindrical shape which is opened downwardly, and the water supply part 54 is formed to protrude upward to supply water on one side of the long side part, and steam generated therein at the opposite end along the longitudinal direction. The steam collecting portion 58 is formed to protrude upward so that the spool can be collected. One side of each of the water supply unit 54 and the steam collecting unit 58 is formed with connecting portions 55 and 59 protruding outward so that the water supply tube 57 and the steam discharge tube 60 may be connected to each other.

The lower case 42 has a rectangular cylindrical shape which is upwardly opened and has a small quantity in the lower region, and the heater 63 is reduced in the longitudinal direction to form a heater protection level existing under the water surface to form a stepped cross-sectional shape. A plurality of inclined portions 45 inclined downward inward so that the area of the bottom surface is small in the lower region of the long side portion in which the coupling portion 44, the opposite side end of the heater coupling portion 44, and the water supply portion 54 are formed. Each is provided. One side of the heater 63 is coupled to pass through the heater coupling portion 44, and the other side is supported by the heater support 49 spaced apart from the bottom surface of the lower case 42.

On the other hand, between the water supply unit 54 and the steam collection unit 58 of the upper case 52 is provided with a water level sensor 65 to detect the water level of the water inside.

The water level sensor 65 has a plurality of electrodes 69 formed to have different lengths, coupled downwardly, and spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of one long side of the upper case 52. The upper end of each electrode 69 is exposed to the outside and the connector portion 71 which is open to the outside so as to be connected to the outside is formed.

Insulation pads 70 extending downward from the top surface of the electrodes 69 are formed to prevent short circuits caused by condensate during condensation of steam. The heaters 63 are formed around the electrodes 69. The upper diaphragm 62 extends downward so as to suppress fluctuations in water level due to bubbles generated during heating. The upper diaphragm 62 has a “U” cross-sectional shape in which adjacent long side portions are opened in planar projection to prevent a portion from being melted by heat during fusion bonding of the upper case 52 and the lower case 42. The water supply diaphragm 64 is formed to extend downwardly between the water supply part 54 and the upper diaphragm 62 so that fluctuations in the water level due to flow during water supply can be suppressed.

On the other hand, the lower case 42 is formed with a lower diaphragm 47 which is disposed around the electrode 69 and extends upward from the bottom surface so as to overlap the upper diaphragm 62. The lower diaphragm 47 is formed to have a lower height than the top surface of the side wall of the lower case 42, and is formed to have a rectangular cross-sectional shape in planar projection. Both side walls of the lower diaphragm 47 are formed with communication slits 48 extending in the vertical direction through the side walls to allow water to enter and exit.

By such a configuration, when the steam use mode is selected during washing and rinsing, the internal water level is detected by the water level sensor 65, and the control unit (not shown) is a water supply unit when the internal water level is the heater protection level based on the detection result. Make water supply through (54). At this time, the water supply diaphragm 64 prevents the water supplied through the water supply pipe 57 from rapidly flowing into the open area of the upper diaphragm 62, thereby preventing frequent water level fluctuations due to flow during water supply.

When the water supply stop level is detected by the water level sensor 65, the controller stops the water supply, and the power is applied to the heater 63 to heat the water supplied so that steam is generated in the cases 42 and 52. do. At this time, the upper diaphragm 62 and the lower diaphragm 47 suppress fluctuations in the water level due to bubbles generated when the heater 63 is heated.

The generated steam is located in the upper upper region of the case 42 and is mainly collected in the steam collecting unit 58 and is discharged to the outside through the connecting unit 59 when the pressure inside thereof is increased, and along the steam discharge pipe 60. It is moved and sprayed into the tub 21 through the nozzle unit 29.

On the other hand, the insulating pads 70 formed in the upper region of each electrode 69 prevents each electrode 69 from being short-circuited with each other by condensate when vapor condenses.

7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part corresponding to FIG. 6 of a steam generator of a washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention. The same and equivalent parts as those described above and shown in the drawings will be described with the same reference numerals for convenience of description. As shown in FIG. 7, the steam generator of the present washing machine is coupled to the case 42 to heat the water in the case 42 and 52 and the water in the case 42 and 52. It is configured to include a heater 63 and a water level sensor 65 for detecting the water level inside the case (42, 52).

The upper surface of the case 52 has a sensor coupling portion 53 is formed so that the water level sensor 65 can be coupled, the inside of the case (52, 42) by the bubbles generated during the heating of the heater (63) The upper diaphragm 62 and the lower diaphragm 47 are respectively formed so that the water level fluctuation can be suppressed.

On the other hand, the water level sensor 65, the insulator is formed to have a long length compared to the width and has a housing 67 having a bottom surface 68a inclined so that the vertical thickness is gradually changed, and has a different length And a plurality of electrodes 69 coupled along the thickness direction of the housing 67 so as to be spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the housing 67.

Insulating pads 70 are formed in the upper region of each electrode 69 to extend downward from the bottom of the housing 67 to suppress the occurrence of a short circuit of each electrode 69 by condensed water generated when condensation of steam occurs.

With this configuration, when the power supply of the heater 63 is cut off, condensation of steam occurs inside the cases 42 and 52, and condensed water condenses on the bottom of the housing 67. At this time, the inclined bottom surface 68a of the housing 67 promotes the flow of condensate so that the condensed water falls from the bottom surface 68a of the housing 67, and the insulating pad 70 provides the condensed water with the electrode 69. The contact between the and the direct contact with each other to suppress the short circuit between the electrodes 69 by the condensate.

8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part corresponding to FIG. 6 of a water level sensor of a steam generator for a washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the present steam generator for a washing machine, the case (42, 52) to form a receiving space therein, and the heater (63) coupled to heat the water inside the case (42, 52) and In addition, the water level sensor 65 for detecting the water level inside the case (42, 52) is provided.

An upper diaphragm 62 and a lower diaphragm 47 are formed around the inner water level sensor 65 of the case 52 so as to suppress the water level fluctuation caused by bubbles when the heater 63 is heated. The sensor 65 is an insulator, which is formed to have a different length from the housing 67 formed to have a longer length than the width, and is coupled to the housing 67 to be spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the housing 67. A plurality of electrodes 69 are provided.

On the other hand, between the electrodes 69 of the bottom surface of the housing 67, the inter-electrode diaphragm 75 which extends downward is formed so that the short circuit between the electrodes 69 by the condensed water produced at the time of condensation of steam can be suppressed. .

By this configuration, when the power supply of the heater 63 is cut off, condensation of steam is generated inside the cases 42 and 52, and condensed water condenses on the bottom surface of the housing 67. At this time, the interelectrode diaphragm 75 formed between the electrodes 69 prevents the electrodes 69 from being shorted to each other by condensate.

In the above-described embodiment with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6, the electrode is integrally coupled to the upper case, and the bottom surface of the portion to which the electrode is coupled is illustrated as an example. The bottom surface of the periphery of the electrode may be inclined, such as the inclined bottom surface of the housing shown in FIG.

In addition, in the above-described and illustrated embodiments, the case in which the upper diaphragm is formed integrally with the upper case has been described as an example. However, the upper diaphragm may be integrally formed with the housing to extend downward along the bottom edge of the housing illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. It may be.

As described above, according to the present invention, the upper case and the lower case are coupled to each other along the up and down direction to form a mutually cooperative receiving space therein, the heater is coupled to the lower case to heat the water inside, and different It is formed to have a length is provided with a plurality of electrodes which are spaced apart from each other along one edge of the upper case and has a plurality of electrodes extending downward, and a water level sensor for detecting the water level, compared to the top of the side wall of the lower case from the inside of the bottom of the lower case By having a lower diaphragm protruding upward to have a low height and an upper diaphragm extending downward to overlap with the lower diaphragm from the inside of the upper surface of the upper case, a compact configuration is possible, so that there is little restriction in installation and water and power consumption when steam is generated. It can reduce the upper case and the lower case, respectively, the upper diaphragm and the lower diaphragm It is formed integrally there is provided a steam generator of a washing machine suitable for mass production.

In addition, by forming a heater coupling portion and an inclined inclined portion inwardly at the bottom of the lower case to maintain the heater protection level in a small quantity, the steam of the washing machine that can suppress the water and power consumption during steam generation A generator is provided.

In addition, according to the present invention, a case forming an accommodation space therein, a heater disposed inside the case to heat the water inside, and the insulator bottom having a length longer than the width and inclined so that the thickness gradually changes And a water level sensor having a different length from the bottom of the housing and extending in a thickness direction from the bottom of the housing so as to be spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the housing. In this way, a condensed water condensed at the bottom of the housing during steam condensation is quickly released, thereby providing a washing machine steam generator capable of preventing misdetection due to short circuit between electrodes by condensed water.

Claims (8)

A lower case having an upwardly open rectangular cylindrical shape; An upper case having a rectangular opening having a downward opening and integrally coupled to an upper end of the lower case in an up and down direction to form a receiving space cooperatively, and having a connection portion formed to connect the water supply pipe and the steam discharge pipe to each other; A heater arranged to be spaced apart from each of the side walls and the bottom surface of the lower case to heat water therein; A plurality of electrodes each of which is fixed to the upper case so as to be spaced apart from each other along one side of the upper surface of the upper case and each lower end is extended downward to a different length to detect the heater protection level and water supply interruption level A water level sensor having a; A lower diaphragm which is disposed around the electrode and integrally formed to protrude upward from an inner side of the bottom surface of the lower case so as to have a lower height than an upper end of the lower case; A steam generator of the washing machine comprising an upper diaphragm having one side open at a circumference of the electrode and extending downward from an inner side of an upper surface of the upper case to a length that may overlap the lower diaphragm. . The method of claim 1, One side of the water level detection sensor of the upper case is formed with a water supply protruding upward to supply water, washing machine characterized in that the water supply diaphragm extending downward between the water supply and the water level detection sensor is formed. Steam generator. The method of claim 1, The lower diaphragm is a steam generator of the washing machine, characterized in that the communication slit extending in the vertical direction through the side wall is formed. The method of claim 1, The lower portion of the lower case steam generator of the washing machine, characterized in that the inclined portion is formed to be inclined downward so as to reduce the area of the bottom surface. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The water level detection sensor further comprises an electrode separator disposed between the electrodes extending downwardly between the steam generator of the washing machine. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The water level sensor further comprises an insulating pad formed in the upper region of each electrode steam generator of the washing machine. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The water level sensor includes a housing formed of an insulator supporting the electrodes spaced apart from each other, and the bottom surface of the housing disposed inside the upper case is inclined with respect to the bottom surface of the lower case. Steam generator of the washing machine. A housing having a rectangular parallelepiped shape formed to have a length longer than the width of the insulator; They are formed to have different lengths, and each upper end is fixedly coupled to the housing to be spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the housing, and each lower end extends downward from the bottom of the housing to a different length, respectively, to protect the heater and the water supply stoppage. The water level sensor of the steam generator of the washing machine comprising a plurality of electrodes for detecting the water level.

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