KR101406185B1 - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The washing machine of the present invention is characterized in that in the washing machine provided with at least one electrode provided in the silver solution generating portion and a filter detachably provided in the electrode, the filter is provided with a decontamination portion capable of removing contaminants from the electrode . According to the present invention, when the filter is attached and detached, the contaminants attached to the electrodes of the silver solution generating part can be removed naturally, so that the performance of the silver solution generating part can be maintained without any cleaning.

Washing machine, contamination removing agent, electrode, coupling groove, silver solution

Description

Washing machine {WASHING MACHINE}

1 is a perspective view of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a filter in a pump case provided in the washing machine of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a combined state of the washing machine filter of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 4 is a view showing the action of the decontamination of FIG. 1;

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

10: Washing machine 20: Electrode

30: Filter 33: Coupling groove

40: pump case 50: housing

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly, to a washing machine capable of easily removing contamination of a silver solution generating electrode.

In general, a washing machine is a device for washing laundry by repeating a washing process such as washing and rinsing. The washing device performs dewatering at the time of a raning process or a dewatering process according to the progress of a washing process, And the pump is driven to discharge the washing water through the drainage hose.

In such a conventional washing machine, since the sterilization and bleaching effect of the laundry can not be sufficiently obtained only by performing the washing and rinsing steps, the laundry is heated and boiled prior to the rinsing step, or sterilization and bleaching are performed using bleaching agents.

However, the above conventional methods of boiling laundry and using bleaching agents are less effective in sterilizing bleaching than in sterilizing laundry, so that when clothes are washed with bacteria-infected clothes, clothes that are not infected with bacteria There is a problem of being infected with bacteria.

As a solution to this problem, a washing machine having a silver solution generating part for generating and supplying a silver solution has recently been commercialized.

The silver solution dissolves in water by generating silver ions (Ag +) and is also used as an antimicrobial agent or a disinfectant. Examples of the method for producing the silver solution include an electrolytic decomposition method, a chemical decomposition method, and a pulverization method.

Among them, the most effective one is an electric decomposition method. Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-12369 discloses a washing machine for decomposing silver ions into water using electricity.

However, in such a washing machine, contaminants are adhered to the electrodes due to the characteristics of the electrodes located in the washing water, and when the cleaning agent is regularly cleaned and the contaminants adhered to the electrodes are not removed, the performance of the silver solution generating portion is deteriorated .

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for removing a contaminant attached to an electrode of a silver solution generating part when a filter is attached and detached, And a washing machine.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a washing machine including at least one electrode provided in a silver solution generating part and a filter detachably provided in the electrode, And a decontamination portion is provided on the surface of the washing machine.

Preferably, the decontamination unit is a coupling groove provided in the filter to correspond to the electrode, and the coupling groove is fitted to the electrode and rubbed against the electrode surface.

When the filter is coupled to the electrode, the electrode can be completely embedded into the filter through the coupling groove.

Preferably, the electrode is a first electrode and a second electrode provided in the pump case on the wash water flow path, and the coupling groove is the first and second coupling grooves corresponding to the first and second electrodes.

The filter may be formed of a plastic material having a plurality of through holes.

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

1 is a perspective view of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the washing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 50 constituting an outer appearance of the washing machine 10, and a tub 51 provided therein with a drum 54 having a plurality of through- And a pump case 40 provided on the flow path of the washing water circulating hose 55 are provided.

The housing 50 forms the appearance of the washer 10. [ Various mechanisms for advancing the washing process are provided in the housing 50, including the tub 54.

The tub 51 is provided with a cylinder in which the door 29 side is opened inside the housing 50. The tub 51 drains wash water that has passed through the cold / hot water hose 56. A drum 51 is provided at the rear end of the tub 51 and includes a driving unit (not shown) for providing a rotational force during the washing process.

The drum 54 is provided inside the tub 51 in a cylindrical shape, and is a space in which the laundry is accommodated and the washing process proceeds substantially. The drum 54 is made of stainless steel or the like which does not cause rust since the washing water is directly contacted with the wash water. The drum 54 receives a rotational force transmitted from a driving unit (not shown) and rotates in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to perform a washing process on the laundry. The washing water circulating hose 55 extending from the drum 54 is coupled to the pump case 40.

The pump case 40 is connected to the washing water circulation hose 55 and the discharge hose 57, and a pump (not shown) for circulating and discharging washing water is accommodated. The pump case 40 is provided at an inner lower end of the housing 50. Since the circulation hose 55 and the discharge hose 57 are connected to each other, the washing water passes through the washing process. A filter 30 is provided in the pump case 40. Hereinafter, the coupling structure of the filter 30 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a filter in a pump case of the washing machine of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a coupling process of the washing machine filter of FIG.

As shown in these drawings, the washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an electrode 20 provided in a silver solution generating part, A filter 30 provided with a removing portion is provided.

The electrode 20 is a portion which substantially produces a silver solution in the silver solution generating portion. When power is applied to the electrode 20, a silver solution is generated by the electrolytic action, and the effect of sterilizing the laundry is generated. The electrode 20 is provided adjacent to the first electrode 20a and the second electrode 20b.

The first and second electrodes 20a and 20b are provided on the inner wall surface of the pump case 40. [ In the pump case 40 provided with the first and second electrodes 20a and 20b, the washing water flows in the washing process. The first and second electrodes 20a and 20b are contained in the washing water during the washing process. Since the first and second electrodes 20a and 20b are provided on the flow path of the washing water, the surface of the first and second electrodes 20a and 20b is not covered with the napkin, detergent residue, It is contaminated with water. The pollutants attached to the first and second electrodes 20a and 20b are removed by the pollutant removal provided in the filter 30.

The filter 30 is made of a plastic material having a plurality of through holes 31 and is coupled to the insertion hole 42 of the pump case 40 in the coupling direction A. [ When the filter 30 is coupled to the pump case 40, contaminants contained in washing water circulating in the washing machine are primarily filtered. If the filter 30 prevents contaminants from adhering to the filter 30 by filtering the contaminants, the electrode 20 already attached with contaminants is cleaned at the end of the filter 30 that is coupled to the insertion hole 42 A decontamination section is provided. The decontamination portion is an engaging groove 33 provided in the filter 30.

The coupling groove 33 is a slit-shaped groove provided in the filter 30 so as to correspond to the shape of the first and second electrodes 20a and 20b. The coupling groove 33 is divided into first and second coupling grooves 33a and 33b corresponding to the first and second electrodes 20a and 20b, respectively. The first and second coupling grooves 33a and 33b are provided at the ends of the filter 30 and correspond to the shapes of the first and second electrodes 20a and 20b. The first and second coupling grooves 33a and 33b are coupled to the first and second electrodes 20a and 20b in the pump case 40 when the filter 30 is moved in the coupling direction A. [ The first and second coupling grooves 33a and 33b are formed to have substantially the same dimensions as the first and second electrodes 20a and 20b, And 20b to be rubbed against and bonded to the surfaces of the first and second electrodes 20a and 20b. When the filter 30 is completely coupled to the pump case 40, the first and second electrodes 20a and 20b are embedded into the filter 30 through the first and second coupling grooves 33a and 33b.

The operation of the washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG.

The electrode 20 is provided on the flow path of the washing water. Accordingly, when the washing process is performed, the contaminant (d) adheres to the surface of the electrode (20).

In order to disengage from the pump case 40 for cleaning the filter 30 or the like, the filter 30 is pulled out in the direction of decomposition release B.

When the filter 30 is pulled in the disassembling direction B, the surface of the electrode 20 and the engaging groove 33 are rubbed to each other, and the engaging groove 33 scrapes the surface of the electrode 20 and is disassembled. The deterioration factor of the electrolysis performance is eliminated because the joining groove 33 scrapes and separates the surface of the filter 30 and the contaminant d attached to the surface of the electrode 20 is removed.

The user can remove the contaminant d on the surface of the electrode 20 merely by separating the filter 30, so that it is not necessary to separately clean the electrode 20 partly.

In the above-described embodiment, the case of the coupling groove provided in the filter as the contaminant removal has been described. However, the contaminant removal portion is not limited to the coupling groove as long as it is provided in the filter to remove the contamination.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, such modifications or variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

As described above in detail, the washing machine according to the present invention can remove contaminants adhered to the electrode of the silver solution generating part naturally when the filter is attached and detached, so that the performance of the silver solution generating part can be maintained without any cleaning.

Claims (5)

At least one electrode provided in the solution generating portion and a filter detachably attached to the electrode, Wherein the filter is provided with a decontamination portion capable of removing contaminants from the electrode, And the decontamination unit is a coupling groove provided in the filter so as to correspond to the electrode. The method according to claim 1, And the engaging groove is engaged with the electrode and rubbed against the electrode surface. 3. The method of claim 2, Wherein when the filter is coupled to the electrode, the electrode is completely embedded into the filter through the coupling groove. The method of claim 3, The electrode A first electrode and a second electrode provided inside the pump case on the wash water channel, And the coupling grooves are first and second coupling grooves corresponding to the first and second electrodes. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the filter is a plastic material having a plurality of through holes.

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