WO2022242615A1

WO2022242615A1 - Ultrasonic cleaning apparatus and washing machine

Info

Publication number: WO2022242615A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/093184
Authority: WO
Inventors: 吉田贤司
Original assignee: 青岛海尔洗衣机有限公司; Aqua株式会社; 海尔智家股份有限公司
Priority date: 2021-05-19
Filing date: 2022-05-17
Publication date: 2022-11-24
Also published as: CN117295564A; JP2022178224A

Abstract

An ultrasonic washing apparatus enabling easy placement of objects to be cleaned in a water storage drum. The ultrasonic cleaning apparatus (50) has: a water storage part (200) having a water storage drum (210) capable of storing water; an ultrasonic generator (110) configured directly above the water storage drum (210), so that ultrasonic waves generated from the front end of the ultrasonic generator (110) act on an object to be cleaned placed in the water storage drum (210); a support part (310) for supporting the water storage part (200) to be movable in the up-down direction; and an elastic component (320) configured between the water storage part (200) and the support part (310) to impart an upward elastic force to the water storage part (200). Thus, the user can easily insert a part to be cleaned between the water storage drum (210) and the ultrasonic generator (110), and easily place the part to be cleaned in the water storage drum (210).

Description

Ultrasonic cleaning device and washing machine

technical field

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic cleaning device and a washing machine provided with the ultrasonic cleaning device.

Background technique

Patent Document 1 describes a washing machine in which an ultrasonic cleaning device is disposed around a laundry inlet on an upper panel, for example, on the front side of the inlet. The ultrasonic cleaning device includes: a water storage tank capable of storing water; and an ultrasonic generator disposed directly above the water storage tank. The user places the part of the object to be cleaned, that is, the part to be cleaned, in which the dirt is attached, into the water tank so as to be inserted between the sonotrode and the water tank. The washed part is soaked in the water stored in the water storage tank.

The tip of the sonotrode is in contact with the water permeating to the part to be washed, and ultrasonic vibrations are emitted from the sonotrode in this state. Ultrasonic vibrations are propagated to the water contained in the part to be washed, and cavitation occurs in the water. Due to the effect of this cavitation, dirt is peeled off from the part to be washed.

In the above-mentioned ultrasonic cleaning device, it is desirable to make the distance between the front end of the ultrasonic generator and the bottom surface of the water tank relatively small so that the front end of the ultrasonic generator can easily contact the water that penetrates to the cleaned part. However, in this case, it may be difficult for the user to insert the part to be cleaned between the sonotrode and the water storage tank, and it may be difficult to place the part to be cleaned, that is, the object to be cleaned, in the water storage tank.

prior art literature

patent documents

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-10243

Contents of the invention

The problem to be solved by the invention

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic cleaning device and a washing machine which can easily place the object to be cleaned in the water storage tank.

solutions to problems

The first aspect of the present invention relates to an ultrasonic cleaning device. The ultrasonic cleaning device of this program is equipped with: a water storage part, which has a water storage bucket capable of storing water; an ultrasonic generating body, configured directly above the water storage bucket, so that the ultrasonic waves generated from the front end of the ultrasonic generating body act on the placed The object to be washed in the water storage tank; the support part supports the water storage part so as to be movable in the vertical direction; and the elastic member is arranged between the water storage part and the support part to support the water storage part The water storage portion imparts upward elasticity.

According to the above configuration, when the object to be cleaned is placed in the water storage tank, the water storage part can be depressed to expand the distance between the ultrasonic generator and the bottom surface of the water storage tank. Thereby, the user can easily insert the object to be cleaned between the water storage tank and the ultrasonic generator, and can easily place the object to be cleaned in the water storage tank.

In the ultrasonic cleaning device of this aspect, the following structure can be adopted, that is, it further includes: a housing for accommodating the ultrasonic generator; and a protective part provided in the housing for surrounding the front end of the ultrasonic generator. In this case, the guard part protrudes toward the water storage tank side rather than the front-end|tip of the said ultrasonic generator.

According to the above configuration, the part near the sonotrode in the object to be washed is sandwiched between the guard part and the bottom surface of the water tank, and the guard part can be pressed from below by the elastic force of the elastic member. Accordingly, the portion near the sonotrode in the object to be cleaned tends to spread flat, and the ultrasonic waves from the sonotrode easily act on the vicinity. Accordingly, it can be expected that the decontamination of the object to be cleaned becomes favorable.

In the case of adopting the above-mentioned structure, a structure may further be adopted in which the surface of the guard part facing the bottom surface of the water storage tank has a concavo-convex shape.

When such a structure is adopted, the vibration generated by the operation of the sonotrode propagates to vibrate the guard portion, thereby enabling the object to be cleaned to be hammered using the concave-convex portion. Accordingly, better decontamination of the object to be cleaned can be expected.

A second aspect of the present invention relates to a washing machine. The washing machine of this solution is equipped with: a washing tub for containing laundry for washing; and the ultrasonic cleaning device of the first solution.

According to the said structure, the same effect as the ultrasonic cleaning device of 1st aspect can be exhibited.

Invention effect

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ultrasonic cleaning device and a washing machine in which objects to be cleaned can be easily placed in a water storage tank.

The effects and significance of the present invention will be further clarified by the description of the embodiments shown below. However, the following embodiments are merely examples for carrying out the present invention, and the present invention is not limited at all by the contents described in the following embodiments.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of a fully automatic washing machine according to an embodiment.

In Fig. 2, (a) is the perspective view of the ultrasonic cleaning device and the upper panel in the state pulled out from the storage part according to the embodiment, and (b) and (c) are the ultrasonic cleaning in the state stored in the storage part according to the embodiment. Perspective view of the main part of the device and upper panel.

Fig. 3 is a side sectional view of the ultrasonic cleaning device according to the embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a front sectional view of the ultrasonic cleaning device according to the embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a front sectional view of the ultrasonic cleaning device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a front sectional view of an ultrasonic cleaning device according to Modification 1. FIG.

In FIG. 7 , (a) and (b) are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of a protective body according to Modification 1, respectively.

In FIG. 8 , (a) to (d) are diagrams for explaining another arrangement example of Modification 1. In FIG.

Explanation of reference signs

1: Fully automatic washing machine (washing machine); 20: Outer barrel (washing barrel); 22: Washing and dehydrating barrel (washing barrel); 50: Ultrasonic cleaning device; 110: Ultrasonic generator; 120: Shell; 160: Protective body ( protection part); 161: concave-convex shape; 200: water storage part; 210: water storage bucket; 310: support part; 320: coil spring.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a fully automatic washing machine 1 .

The fully automatic washing machine 1 includes a housing 10 constituting an outer shape. The housing 10 includes a rectangular cylindrical body part 11 with open upper and lower surfaces, an upper panel 12 covering the upper surface of the body part 11 , and a foot stand 13 for supporting the body part 11 . An inlet 14 for laundry is formed on the top panel 12 . The inlet 14 is covered with an openable and closable upper cover 15 . On the front part of the upper panel 12, the control part 16 is arrange|positioned inside. The control unit 16 controls the washing operation of the fully automatic washing machine 1 and the cleaning operation of the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 .

The outer barrel 20 with an open upper surface is elastically suspended and supported in the box body 10 by four suspension rods 21 with anti-vibration devices. Inside the outer tub 20, a washing and dehydrating tub 22 with an open upper surface is disposed. The washing and dehydrating tub 22 rotates around a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction. Many dehydration holes 22 a are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the washing and dehydrating tub 22 over the entire circumference. A balance ring 23 is provided on the top of the washing and dehydrating tub 22 . A pulsator 24 is disposed at the bottom of the washing and dehydrating tub 22 . A plurality of blades 24a are radially provided on the surface of the pulsator 24 . It should be noted that the washing tub of the present invention is composed of an outer tub 20 and a washing and dehydrating tub 22 .

A drive unit 30 that generates torque for driving the washing and dehydrating tub 22 and the pulsator 24 is disposed on the outer bottom of the tub 20 . The drive unit 30 includes a drive motor 31 and a transmission mechanism portion 32 . The transmission mechanism part 32 has a clutch mechanism 32a. Through the switching operation realized by the clutch mechanism 32a, the torque of the drive motor 31 is only transmitted to the pulsator 24 during the washing process and the rinsing process, and only the pulsator 24 is rotated. During the process, the torque of the drive motor 31 is transmitted to the pulsator 24 and the washing and dehydrating tub 22 so that the pulsator 24 and the washing and dehydrating tub 22 rotate integrally.

A drain opening 20 a is formed on the outer bottom of the tub 20 . The drain valve 40 is provided in the drain port part 20a. The drain valve 40 is connected to a drain hose 41 . When the drain valve 40 is opened, the water stored in the washing and dehydrating tub 22 and the outer tub 20 is discharged out of the machine through the drain hose 41 .

An overflow port 20b is formed on the upper portion of the tub 20 . When water above the specified overflow water level is stored in the outer tub 20, the water will be discharged from the overflow port 20b. An overflow receiving portion 25 is provided on the outer surface of the tub 20 so as to cover the overflow port 20b. One end of an overflow pipe 26 is connected to the bottom of the overflow receiving portion 25 . The other end of the overflow pipe 26 is connected to a drain hose 41 . The water discharged from the overflow port 20 b is received by the overflow receiving portion 25 and flows to the drain hose 41 through the overflow pipe 26 .

An ultrasonic cleaning device 50 is disposed substantially in the center of the rear portion of the upper panel 12 . The ultrasonic cleaning device 50 mainly performs a cleaning operation for removing dirt adhering to parts of the object to be washed before washing in the fully automatic washing machine 1 .

On the rear portion of the upper panel 12 , a storage tank 60 is disposed behind the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 , and a drain receiver 70 is disposed below the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 . The storage tank 60 can store detergent-containing water to be supplied to the water storage tank 210 of the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 as washing water. The storage tank 60 is provided with a supply valve 61 for opening and closing the outflow port of the washing water from the storage tank 60 . A supply nozzle 62 connected to the supply valve 61 extends from the storage tank 60 to above the water storage bucket 210 of the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 .

The drain receiver 70 has a tray shape and receives water drained from the water storage tank 210 . A discharge hole 71 through which received water is discharged is formed in the drain receiving portion 70 . One end of a drain pipe 72 is connected to the drain hole 71 . The other end of the drain pipe 72 is connected to the upper part of the overflow pipe 26 . The water received by the drain receiver 70 is discharged to the drain hose 41 through the drain pipe 72 and the overflow pipe 26 .

A water supply device 80 is disposed on the rear portion of the upper panel 12 so as to surround the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 . The water supply device 80 is connected to the faucet, and has the function of supplying water into the washing and dehydrating tub 22 . In addition, water supply device 80 has a detergent box and a softener box (not shown) that contain liquid detergent and softener, respectively, and also functions as an automatic input device that automatically injects detergent and softener into washing and dehydrating tub 22 . Furthermore, water supply device 80 also has a function of generating washing water from water from a faucet and detergent from a detergent box, and supplying it to storage tank 60 .

(a) of FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 and the upper panel 12 in a state pulled out from the storage portion 17 . (b) and (c) of FIG. 2 are perspective views of main parts of the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 and the upper panel 12 in a state accommodated in the storage portion. In (c) of FIG. 2 , illustration of the cover 19 is omitted so that the inside of the storage portion 17 can be seen.

On the upper panel 12, the storage part 17 which accommodates the ultrasonic cleaning apparatus 50 is provided in the center part of a rear part. In the upper panel 12, the front of the storage part 17 is opened as the entrance 18. As shown in FIG. A translucent substantially square cover 19 is provided at the entrance and exit 18 .

The ultrasonic cleaning device 50 includes an ultrasonic cleaning unit 100 , a water storage unit 200 , and a main body unit 300 . The ultrasonic cleaning unit 100 has a sonotrode 110 that generates ultrasonic waves. Water storage unit 200 is provided with water storage tank 210 for storing washing water. The sonotrode 110 is located right above the water storage bucket 210 . Wash water is supplied from storage tank 60 to water storage tank 210 through supply nozzle 62 .

As shown in FIG. 2( a ), during the cleaning operation, the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 is drawn forward from the storage portion 17 and protrudes inside the inlet 14 of the upper panel 12 . On the other hand, as shown in (b) and (c) of FIG. 2 , when the cleaning operation is not performed, the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 is housed in the housing portion 17 . The entrance and exit 18 of the storage unit 17 are closed by a cover 19 . At this time, the lower end of the cover 19 is in contact with the front end of the water storage unit 200 .

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 . 4 and 5 are front sectional views of the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 . Figure 3 is cut at the position of line BB' in Figure 4, and Figures 4 and 5 are cut at the position of line A-A' in Figure 3 . FIG. 4 shows a state where the water storage unit 200 is positioned uppermost, and FIG. 5 shows a state where the water storage unit 200 is positioned lowermost.

In the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 , the ultrasonic cleaning unit 100 and the water storage unit 200 are held by the main body 300 .

The ultrasonic cleaning unit 100 includes an ultrasonic generator 110 and a housing 120 . The ultrasonic generator 110 includes an ultrasonic vibrator 111 and a vibration horn 112 coupled to the ultrasonic vibrator 111 . The vibration horn 112 is formed of a conductive metal material and has a shape that tapers toward the front end. The shape of the front end surface 112a of the vibration horn 112 is an elongated rectangle. A flange portion 112 b is formed on an upper end portion of the vibration horn 112 . The sonotrode 110 generates ultrasonic waves from the tip of the vibrating horn 112 by the high-frequency vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator 111 .

The case 120 is formed of a resin material and has an arm shape extending in the front-rear direction and then bent downward, and includes a case main body 130 and a cover 140 . The housing body 130 extends along the front-rear direction, and has an opening 131 on the lower surface of the front end 130a. The housing main body 130 is provided with a mounting portion 132 around the opening portion 131 .

The cover 140 is attached to the front end portion 130 a of the case main body 130 from below so as to close the opening portion 131 , and constitutes the front end portion 121 of the case 120 . The cover 140 has a bottomed cylindrical shape that tapers downward. An elongated rectangular opening 141 is formed on a bottom surface of a cover 140 serving as a front end surface of the housing 120 . A guide rib 142 protruding forward is provided at the center in the left-right direction on the front surface of the cover 140 .

Inside the housing 120 , the ultrasonic generator 110 is attached to the attachment portion 132 so that the flange portion 112 b thereof is pressed from above by the frame-shaped fixing member 150 . The fixing member 150 is fixed to the installation part 132 by screws 172 . The front end of the vibration horn 112 , that is, the front end of the sonotrode 110 protrudes slightly downward from the opening 141 at the front end of the housing 120 .

The water storage part 200 is formed of a resin material and has a shape that is slightly long in the front-rear direction, flat in the up-down direction, and has a left side protruding rearward compared to a right side. On the upper surface portion 201 of the water storage unit 200, a water storage tank 210 having a shape following the outer shape of the water storage unit 200 is formed. The water storage tank 210 is inclined so that the inner peripheral surface expands upwards.

A circular drainage port 211 is formed at a lower portion of the rear surface of the water storage tub 210 . The drain port 211 is blocked by the valve body 220 . The valve body 220 is opened and closed by an unillustrated valve opening and closing mechanism. When the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 is pulled out from the storage portion 17 , the drain port 211 is closed by the valve body 220 . When the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 is stored in the storage portion 17, the valve body 220 is away from the drain port 211, and the drain port 211 is opened. When the drain port 211 is opened, the washing water in the water storage tank 210 is discharged to the drain receiving portion 70 .

In the water storage part 200, the front surface part 202 has a rectangular plate shape elongated in the left-right direction, and the left and right side parts 203 have a rectangular plate shape elongated in the front-rear direction. In the water storage part 200, the inside of the front surface part 202 is provided with an elongated rectangular plate-shaped inner wall part 204 extending parallel to the front surface part 202, and the inside of the left and right side surface parts 203 is provided with a wall part parallel to the left and right side surface parts 203. The inner wall part 205 of the elongated rectangular plate shape. Between each side part 203 and each inner wall part 205, an upwardly recessed groove part 206 extending in the front-rear direction is formed. In each groove portion 206 , the front is blocked by the inner wall portion 204 .

The main body portion 300 has a substantially square shape when viewed from the front. The rear portion 122 of the casing 120 of the ultrasonic cleaning unit 100 is fixed to the upper portion of the main body 300 . In the main body part 300, an opening part 301 is formed on the left side. The lower side of the opening 301 is wider than the upper side, the rear of the water storage part 200 passes through the lower side, and the supply nozzle 62 passes through the upper side.

Support parts 310 extending forward are provided at the left and right lower end parts of the main body part 300 . The support portion 310 has an elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape. On the upper surface 310a of each support portion 310, coil springs 320 are provided at the front and rear. The left and right support parts 310 are fitted into the left and right groove parts 206 of the water storage part 200 from below. The front surface 310b of the support part 310 is in contact with the inner wall part 204 of the water storage part 200 , and the left and right side surfaces 310c of the support part 310 are in contact with the side parts 203 and the inner wall part 205 of the water storage part 200 .

The water storage unit 200 is placed on the four coil springs 320 . The left and right support parts 310 support the water storage part 200 via four coil springs 320 so as to be movable in the vertical direction.

The upper end of each coil spring 320 is fitted to the protrusion 207 formed in the groove portion 206 of the water storage unit 200 , and the lower end is fitted to the protrusion 311 formed on the upper surface 310 a of the support portion 310 . The four coil springs 320 provide upward elastic force to the water storage part 200 .

In the state where the water storage part 200 is located at the uppermost position, the position of the front end surface 112a of the vibration horn 112 of the sonotrode 110 is slightly lower than the position of the upper surface of the water storage tank 210, and the front end of the vibration horn 112 is slightly lower. Enter the state in the water storage bucket 210.

The fully automatic washing machine 1 can perform washing operations in various operation modes. In the washing operation, a washing process, an intermediate dehydration process, a rinsing process, and a final dehydration process are sequentially performed.

During the washing process and the rinsing process, the pulsator 24 rotates to the right and to the left when water is stored in the washing and dehydrating tub 22 . Through the rotation of the pulsator 24 , a water flow is generated in the washing and dehydrating tub 22 . During the washing process, the laundry is cleaned by the generated water flow and the detergent contained in the water. During the rinsing process, the laundry is rinsed by the generated water flow.

During the intermediate dehydration process and the final dehydration process, the washing and dehydration tub 22 and the pulsator 24 are integrally rotated at high speed. The laundry is dehydrated by centrifugal force generated in the washing and dehydrating tub 22 .

In the fully automatic washing machine 1 , the cleaning operation of the laundry, that is, the object to be washed, by the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 can be performed.

When the washing operation is started, washing water is supplied from the storage tank 60 to the water storage tank 210 . When the supply of washing water to the water storage tank 210 is completed, the user places the dirt-attached part of the object to be washed, that is, the washed part, in the water storage tank 210 in a manner inserted between the water storage tank 210 and the ultrasonic generator 110. .

At this time, the user presses down on the water storage part 200 . For example, the user can both pull the part to be washed from both sides, press the water storage part 200 with the part to be washed in a tense state, or press the water storage part 200 with the hands holding both sides of the part to be washed. 200. As shown in FIG. 5 , the water storage part 200 moves downward against the elastic force of the coil spring 320 , and the distance between the sonotrode 110 and the bottom surface 210 a of the water storage tank 210 increases. Thereby, the user can easily insert the part to be washed between the water storage tank 210 and the ultrasonic generator 110 , and can easily place the part to be washed in the water storage tank 210 .

It should be noted that, even if the distance between the ultrasonic generator 110 and the bottom surface 210a of the water storage tank 210 is not enlarged, the cleaned object can be easily placed in the water storage tank 210 if the object to be cleaned is thin. It is not necessary to press down the water storage part 200 .

The washed portion of the object to be washed placed in the water storage tank 210 is soaked in the washing water, and the washing water soaked to the inside oozes out of the surface. A thin water layer is formed on the surface of the part to be cleaned, and the tip of the sonotrode 110 , that is, the tip of the vibration horn 112 is in contact with the water layer. The sonotrode 110 operates to emit ultrasonic vibrations from the tip of the vibrating horn 112 . Ultrasonic vibrations are propagated to the water contained in the washed part, where cavitation occurs. Due to the effect of this cavitation, dirt is peeled off from the part to be washed. In this case, the detergency becomes higher by adding the power of the detergent.

According to this embodiment, when the washed part of the object to be washed is placed in the water storage tank 210 , the water storage part 200 can be pressed down to expand the distance between the sonotrode 110 and the bottom surface 210 a of the water storage tank 210 . Thereby, the user can easily insert the part to be washed between the water storage tank 210 and the ultrasonic generator 110 , and can easily place the part to be washed in the water storage tank 210 . Thereby, the usability of a user can be improved.

In particular, even when washing a thick object to be washed, the part to be washed can be easily placed in the water storage tank 210 .

As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment at all, In addition, the embodiment of this invention can be changed variously besides the above.

＜Modification 1＞

FIG. 6 is a front cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic cleaning device 50 according to Modification 1. As shown in FIG. (a) and (b) of FIG. 7 are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of a shield 160 according to Modification 1, respectively.

In the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 according to Modification 1, a shield 160 is provided on the front end surface of the casing 120 . The shield 160 is formed of a rubber member such as silicone, and is fixed to the front end surface of the case 120 with an adhesive or the like. The shield 160 has a shape corresponding to the front end surface of the housing 120 , that is, the same shape as the opening 141 , and has a square plate shape with an open center, and surrounds the front end of the sonotrode 110 . The shield 160 protrudes toward the water storage tank 210 side than the front end of the sonotrode 110 . The shield 160 corresponds to the shield of the present invention.

A lower end surface 160 a of the protective body 160 facing the bottom surface 210 a of the water storage tank 210 has a corrugated concave-convex shape 161 . The concavo-convex shape 161 is formed over the entire area of the lower end surface 160a, that is, the entire periphery of the opening.

As shown in Fig. 6, in the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 of the modification example 1, the part near the sonotrode 110 of the object to be cleaned can be clamped by the protective body 160 and the bottom surface 210a of the water storage bucket 210, and the spiral can be used to The elastic force of the spring 320 presses the shield 160 from below. Thereby, the part near the sonotrode 110 of the object to be cleaned is easily spread flat, and the ultrasonic waves from the sonotrode 110 are easy to act on the part near the sonotrode. Accordingly, it can be expected that the decontamination of the object to be cleaned becomes favorable.

Moreover, the lower end surface 160a of the protective body 160 in contact with the object to be cleaned has a concave-convex shape 161, and the vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator 111 will propagate to vibrate the protective body 160, thereby enabling the object to be cleaned to be cleaned using the portion of the concave-convex shape 161. Beat wash. Accordingly, better decontamination of the object to be cleaned can be expected.

In addition, in the above-mentioned example, the corrugated concave-convex shape 161 is formed over the entire area on the lower end surface 160a of the shield 160 . However, as shown in FIG. 8( a ), the corrugated uneven shape 161 may be provided in a partial region of the lower end surface 160 a of the shield 160 . In addition, for example, as shown in (b) and (c) of FIG. The entire area or a partial area of the end surface 160a.

Moreover, as shown in FIG.8(d), the lower end surface 160a of the shield 160 may be made into a flat surface without uneven|corrugated shape. In this case, although the effect of hammer washing is difficult to expect, the effect of flattening the part of the object to be cleaned near the sonotrode 110 can be expected.

Furthermore, in the above example, the shield 160 is formed separately from the case 120 . However, the shield 160 may also be integrally formed with the housing 120 , that is, the cover 140 . In this case, the cover 140 may also be formed of a rubber material.

＜Other modification examples＞

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the water storage part 200 is supported by the two support parts 310 extending forward from the left and right lower end parts of the main body part 300 . However, the structure of a support part is not limited to the structure of the said embodiment, Any structure may be sufficient. For example, one flat support portion may be provided below the water storage portion 200 .

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the coil spring 320 is used in order to provide upward elastic force to the water storage unit 200 . However, springs other than the coil spring 320 may be used, and elastic members other than springs such as rubber may be used.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 is installed in the fully automatic washing machine 1 . However, the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 may also be installed in a washing machine other than the fully automatic washing machine 1 , such as a drum washing machine. Moreover, the ultrasonic cleaning device 50 may also be installed in, for example, a full-automatic washer-dryer or a drum-type washer-dryer with a drying function. In a drum washing machine and a drum type washer-dryer, a washing tub is formed by an outer tub and a drum arranged in the outer tub.

In addition, the embodiments of the present invention can be appropriately modified in various ways within the scope of the technical idea shown in the claims.

Claims

An ultrasonic cleaning device is characterized in that it has:

The water storage part has a water storage bucket capable of storing water;

The sonotrode is arranged directly above the water storage bucket, so that the ultrasonic waves generated from the front end of the sonotrode can act on the objects to be cleaned placed in the water storage bucket;

a supporting part supporting the water storage part to be movable in an up and down direction; and

The elastic member is arranged between the water storage part and the support part, and applies upward elastic force to the water storage part.
Ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 1, is characterized in that, also possesses:

a housing housing the sonotrode; and

The protective part is arranged on the shell and surrounds the front end of the ultrasonic generator,

The guard portion protrudes toward the water storage tank from the front end of the ultrasonic generator.
The ultrasonic cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that,

A surface of the guard portion facing the bottom surface of the water storage tub has a concave-convex shape.
A washing machine, characterized in that it has:

a wash tub for holding laundry for washing; and

The ultrasonic cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.