KR200244392Y1 - Air bubble generator of drum washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a drum type washing machine, and more particularly, to an air bubble generator of a drum type washing machine in which a plurality of partitions are installed at equal intervals in order to generate air bubbles uniformly. The air bubble generator includes a case including a bottom surface having a compressed air inlet formed therein, a porous member including a plurality of partition walls spaced at equal intervals from the inlet and moving through the compressed air, and coupled to an upper portion of the case. And an air bubble generating plate having through holes formed therein to form air bubbles from the compressed air. The plurality of partitions are disposed in parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction of the bubble generating plate. The partitions are arranged to be longer in length from the inlet. The spacing between the partitions is the same. The barrier ribs having different lengths may make the amount of air bubbles generated from the air bubble generating plate uniform.

Description

Air bubble generator of drum type washing machine

The present invention relates to a drum-type air bubble washing machine, and more particularly, is installed in the lower portion of the cylindrical washing tank to distribute the air bubbles uniformly to the wash water by installing a plurality of partitions that are longer in length from the inlet through which air is introduced It relates to a bubble generator of the drum type washing machine.

In general, washing machines for washing laundry such as clothes can be classified into two types. The first category includes vortex washers and the second category includes drum washers. The drum type washing machine has a horizontal rotating drum that is partially submerged in the wash water. In such a drum type washing machine, since the drum rotates about a horizontal axis, the laundry contained in the rotating drum is rubbed and washed with each other.

In order to increase the washing efficiency of the drum type washing machine, a drum type washing machine having an air bubble generator has been devised. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional drum-type bubble washing machine, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the bubble generator and the rotating drum shown in FIG. 1. In the following, a conventional drum-type air bubble washing machine will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

The drum type washing machine generally includes a housing 10 and a washing tub 20 installed inside the housing 10 to accommodate washing water. In the washing tub 20, a rotating drum 30 capable of accommodating laundry is installed in a horizontal direction. The lower part of the rotating drum 30 is immersed in the wash water. The rotating drum 30 has a plurality of through holes 32. The through holes 32 are distributed in a predetermined shape so that washing water flows into or out of the rotating drum 30. The rotating drum 30 has four axially extending notches 34 spaced a predetermined distance along the outer circumferential surface of the rotating drum 30. Each notch 34 has a curved guide surface 36 and a flat trailing surface 37 perpendicular to the guide surface 36. The flat trailing surface 37 has an axial slot 38 formed therein, the width of which must be wide enough to allow the bubbles to pass smoothly. The air bubble generator 40 is located on the bottom surface of the washing tub 20 and connected to an air pump (not shown) through a conduit 42. The air bubble generator 40 will operate to supply a predetermined amount of air bubbles into the rotary drum 30 at once and periodically. The bubble generator 40 is completely submerged in the wash water. As shown in FIG. 2, the air bubble generator 40 includes a box-shaped case 44 and an air bubble generator plate 48 having an open top surface. The air bubble generating plate 48 is coupled to the upper portion of the case 44 to form a space therein. The case 44 prevents the air introduced through the conduit 42 from leaking out of the air bubble generator 40 except for the air bubble generator plate 48. The bottom surface 43 of the case 44 has an inlet 45 connected to the conduit 42. The porous member 46 is filled between the case 44 and the air bubble generating plate 48. The bubble generating plate 48 has a plurality of through holes 49 for supplying bubbles to the wash water. The through holes 48 should be narrow enough to maintain the shape of the bubbles.

The operation of the conventional air bubble generator having the above configuration will be described. The porous member 46 immersed in the wash water filled in the air bubble generator 40 transfers the air introduced through the inlet 45 to the air bubble generating plate 48. Most of the introduced air rises directly above the inlet 45, and only a part of the air is diffused and transferred into the porous member 46. Very few of the directly raised air bubbles are ejected toward the rotary drum 30 through the through holes 49. However, most of the bubbles are moved to both sides of the bubble generating plate 48 along the bottom surface of the bubble generating plate 48 due to the water film formed in the through holes 49. The air gathered at both sides of the bubble generating plate 48 is impinged on both sides of the case 44 and is no longer moved and is discharged toward the rotating drum 30 through the through holes 49. The discharged air bubbles are introduced into the wash water inside the rotating drum 30 through the axial slot 38 of the axial notch 34 as the rotating drum 30 rotates. Laundrys are washed by the introduced air bubbles.

However, in the conventional air bubble generator, since the diameter of the through holes 49 is very small, the flow resistance in the through holes is large. That is, the air supplied through the inlet 45 rises upward to meet the through holes above the inlet. At this time, it is easier to move in both directions along the lower surface of the bubble generating plate 48 than the air moved upward due to the flow resistance is blown out through the through holes 49. Therefore, the amount of air bubbles emitted through the through holes 49 on both sides of the air bubble generating plate 48 is higher than the air bubbles emitted through the through holes 49 above the inlet 45. many. Therefore, there is a problem that the amount of air bubbles introduced into the rotating drum 30 is not uniform as the rotating drum 30 rotates. As a result, the washing efficiency of the laundry drops.

Further, in the drum type washing machine equipped with the conventional bubble generator, since the distance between the rotating drum from both sides of the bubble generator is far, the generated air bubbles in the wash water before reaching the rotary drum. The probability of extinction at was high.

The present invention is designed to solve the above problems, the first object of the present invention is to provide an air bubble generator in which air bubbles are generated uniformly.

A second object of the present invention is to provide an air bubble generator that can improve the washing efficiency of the laundry.

One embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above object is as follows.

A drum type washing machine comprising: an air bubble generator for generating air bubbles from the compressed air introduced and ejecting the air bubbles into the wash water in a washing tank; A case comprising a bottom surface having an inlet for receiving the compressed air and side surfaces forming a space for holding the compressed air; A porous member which is a passage through which the compressed air is moved and includes a plurality of partition walls which are filled in the case and are longer in both directions from the inlet; And an air bubble generating plate coupled to an upper portion of the case to seal the case and having through holes for supplying air bubbles to the washing tank.

The plurality of partitions are arranged at equal intervals about the inlet.

The air bubble generator according to the present invention provides the following effects. The plurality of partitions increase resistance from the inlet to both sides of the case. That is, the barrier ribs prevent the air moved above the inlet from collecting on both sides of the air bubble generating plate and adjusts the movement amount of the air. Therefore, the amount of air bubbles emitted from the air bubble generating plate can be made uniform. As a result, since the amount of air bubbles supplied to the washing water inside the rotating drum is uniform, high washing efficiency can be obtained.

1 is a schematic view of a conventional drum-type bubble washing machine;

2 is an enlarged perspective view of the air bubble generator and the rotating drum shown in FIG. 1;

3 is a longitudinal sectional view of an air bubble generator according to an embodiment of the present invention; And

Figure 4 is a top perspective view of the bubble generating plate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for main parts of drawing>

300: air bubble generator 310: rotating drum

315: rotating shaft 320: case

340: bottom surface 345: inlet

360: air bubble generation plate 365: through hole

380: porous members 382, 384, 386: partitions

Hereinafter, an air bubble generator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

As shown in FIG. 3, the air bubble generator 300 is installed at a lower portion of the rotating drum 310 rotating about the rotating shaft 315. The air bubble generator 300 is a device designed to uniform air bubble generation distribution of the air bubble generating plate. The air bubble generator 300 is composed of a case 320, a porous member 380, and the air bubble generating plate 360. The case 320 and the bubble generating plate 360 are coupled to each other to form a cavity therein. The porous member 380 is filled in the cavity. The compressed air inlet 345 is formed on the bottom surface 340 of the case 320. The inlet 345 is connected to the compressed air generating device (not shown) and the conduit 70. The bubble generating plate 360 has a plurality of through holes 365. The bubble generating plate 360 is formed to have the same curvature as the curvature of the rotating drum (310). Accordingly, the distance between the rotating drum 310 and the bubble generating plate 360 is constant.

The porous member 380 has a pair of first partitions 382 and 382, a pair of second partitions 384 and 384, and a pair of third partitions 386 and 386. Each partition wall is spaced apart from the bottom surface 340. The upper surface of each partition wall is in contact with the lower surface of the bubble generating plate 360, it is disposed between the columns in which the through holes 365 are formed. The partitions are disposed in parallel with the rotation axis 315 of the rotary drum 310. As shown in FIG. 4, the distances between the partition walls are all the same. The inner space of the case 320 is partitioned into a first section I, a second section II, a third section III, and a fourth section IV by the partition walls. The distance from the bottom surface 340 to the partitions 382, 384, and 386 is determined so that the amount of air bubbles generated in each section of the air bubble generating plate 360 is uniform. The distances from the bottom surface 340 to the first partition 382, the second partition 384, and the third partition 386 are the same. However, since the air bubble generating plate 360 is formed to have the same curvature as the rotary drum 310, the length H1 of the first partition 382 is the length H2 of the second partition 384. Shorter, the length H2 of the second partition 384 is shorter than the length H3 of the third partition 386. That is, the farther away from the inlet 345, the longer the length of the partition wall.

The operation and effects of the air bubble generator 300 according to the present invention will be described.

Compressed air is introduced into the bubble generator 300 through the conduit 70. The introduced air passes through the porous member 380 which is immersed in the wash water, and moves to the air bubble generating plate 360. At this time, the introduced air is divided into the first section I and the second section by the first partitions 382, the second partitions 384, and the third partitions 386. It is divided into (II), the third section (III), and the fourth section (IV). The amount of air moved from the inlet 345 to the first section I is greater than the amount of air moved to other sections.

When the air moved to the first section (I) reaches the lower surface of the air bubble generating plate 360, the air moved due to the flow resistance of the through holes 365 is ejected through the through holes (365) Is moved along the bottom surface of the bubble generating plate 360. When the moved air meets the first partition 382, part of the air remains in the first section I because of the height of the first partition 382, and the second part passes through the first partition 382. You are moved to section II. The air remaining in the first section I overcomes the flow resistance of the through holes 365 by the pressure of the air itself and the buoyancy of the wash water. Accordingly, the air remaining in the first section I is blown out of the air bubble generator through the through holes 365 formed above the inlet 345 to form air bubbles. Meanwhile, when the air moved to the second section II reaches the air bubble generating plate 360, the air moves along the lower surface of the air bubble generating plate 360 to meet the second partition 384. As in the first section I, a part of the air moved to the second section II is ejected through the through holes 365, and the rest is moved to the third section III. When the air moved to the third section III reaches the air bubble generating plate 360, the air moves along the lower surface of the air bubble generating plate 360 to meet the third partition 386. As in the first section I, a part of the air moved to the third section III is ejected through the through holes 365 and the rest is moved to the fourth section IV.

The movement amount of air between the sections is determined according to the length of the partition walls. The length of the first partitions 382 is shorter than the length of the second partitions 384. The length of the second partitions 384 is shorter than the length of the third partitions 386. That is, the ratio of air moved from the first section I to the second section II and the ratio of air moved from the second section II to the third section III are the partitions ( 382, 384, 386).

The air bubble generator according to the present invention controls the air flow by changing the distance from the bottom surface to the partitions. Therefore, each time the introduced air passes through sections equally divided by the partition walls formed with different lengths, the amount of air moves to the next section. Therefore, air bubbles may be generated uniformly without being generated only in a specific portion of the air bubble generating plate.

Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above-described embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto and modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of ordinary knowledge of those skilled in the art.

Claims (2)

A drum type washing machine comprising: an air bubble generator for generating air bubbles from the compressed air introduced and ejecting the air bubbles into the wash water in a washing tank; A case configured to form a space capable of holding the compressed air by having a bottom surface 43 formed with an inlet 45 for receiving the compressed air and side surfaces 43a integrally erected on both sides of the bottom surface 43 ( 44); A pair of first partitions 382 and installed so as to be a passage through which the compressed air moves in the spaces between the bottom surface 43 and the side surface 43a, and spaced apart from the bottom surface 43 at equal intervals. The second partition 384 and the third partition 386 are sequentially disposed, and the porous member 380 is formed to be longer in length toward the first partition 382, the second partition 384, and the third partition 386. ; And an air bubble generating plate which is coupled and sealed to the upper portion of the case 44 to cover the upper surface of the porous member 380 and through holes 365 for supplying air bubbles to the washing tank 20 are formed. Air bubble generator of the drum type washing machine comprising a (48). The air bubble generator of claim 1, wherein the spaces between the partition walls are the same.