WO2024024132A1

WO2024024132A1 - Washing machine and filter structure

Info

Publication number: WO2024024132A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/002980
Authority: WO
Inventors: 祐太朗林; 益明井上; 達成飛田; 瞬平安倍; 康平大月
Original assignee: 日立グローバルライフソリューションズ株式会社
Priority date: 2022-07-25
Filing date: 2023-01-31
Publication date: 2024-02-01

Abstract

This washing machine comprises: a housing; an outer tub that is accommodated in the housing and stores water; a drum that is included in the outer tub and accommodates a garment; a drainage hose that drains washing water in the outer tub; a circulation pump (20) that returns the washing water in the outer tub to the drum; and a foreign matter trap (40) that is provided upstream of the circulation pump (20) to trap a foreign matter. The foreign matter trap (40) comprises a foreign matter collecting portion (41c) that collects the foreign matter and a filter case (42) that detachably accommodates the foreign matter collecting portion. An angle (α) of a lower surface side collecting portion (41c1) of the foreign matter collecting portion (41c) is smaller than an insertion angle (β) of the foreign matter collecting portion (41c) with respect to the filter case (42).

Description

Washing machine and filter structure

The present invention relates to a washing machine.

Conventionally, in a drum-type washing machine equipped with a circulation pump, a foreign particle trap was generally provided on the upstream side of the circulation path in order to prevent foreign particles from clogging the runner section (impeller) of the circulation pump. Many of these foreign matter traps are constructed of a grid or comb so that they can trap lint and dirt at the same time (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). Additionally, since this foreign object trap is installed at the bottom of the drum-type washing machine and is a part that the user must remove and clean, there are certain restrictions on the angle at which it is installed (installability) (for example, approx. 30°).

JP2009-56263A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-153374

However, as described in

Patent Documents

1 and 2, it is difficult to collect (accumulate) fine lint with a coarse collection structure such as a grid or comb, and it is difficult to collect (accumulate) fine lint, so it is difficult to collect (accumulate) fine lint, and it is difficult to collect (accumulate) fine lint. He was driving. Re-adhesion to clothing is a problem that directly leads to complaints from users, and drainage of lint may lead to poor drainage due to clogging of drainage traps, so countermeasures are required.

In addition, since the foreign object trap of the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires maintenance of the foreign object collecting section, the foreign object trap is configured to be detachable, and two or more parts are used to seal waterways and water seals. forming a section. However, the conventional foreign object trap has a structure in which the foreign object collecting section that collects lint can be removed (extracted) from the casing that forms the waterway, so the gap between the casing and the foreign object collecting section (particularly A gap is formed near the tip of the foreign matter collecting section. In washing machines, if the flow rate of cooling water for dehumidification during drying operation is high, the temperature inside the washing tub will not rise and drying efficiency will deteriorate, so it is common to run cooling water at a small flow rate. . However, at small flow rates, the surface tension created between the inner wall of the casing and the cooling water may cause the cooling water to flow along the inner wall of the casing. At this time, by flowing along the inner wall surface of the casing, the cooling water flows into the gap formed between the casing and the foreign object collecting section without flowing through the foreign object collecting section. It may leak out of the trap. The cooling water flowing out at this time contains foreign matter such as lint because it has not passed through the foreign matter collection section. If the cooling water passes through a drain trap provided outside the foreign matter trap, the foreign matter contained in the cooling water may easily clog the drain trap.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a washing machine that can collect lint without deteriorating the ease of attaching a foreign object trap. Another object of the present invention is to provide a filter structure that reduces the outflow of foreign matter to the outside.

The washing machine of the present invention includes a casing, an outer tank housed in the casing to store water, an inner tank housed in the outer tank to store clothes, and a washing machine configured to discharge washing water from the outer tank. The foreign matter trap includes a drainage path, a circulation pump that returns washing water in the outer tank to the inside of the inner tank, and a foreign matter trap provided upstream of the circulation pump to collect foreign matter. a collection case that removably houses the foreign matter collection section, and the angle of the lowermost surface of the foreign matter collection section is set such that the angle of the lowermost surface of the foreign matter collection section is set to The insertion angle is smaller than the insertion angle of the part.

Further, the filter structure of the present invention includes a foreign matter collection section that collects foreign matter contained in washing water, and a casing that is provided with a housing section that removably houses the foreign matter collection section, An inflow section through which washing water flows is provided inside the storage section, and inside the inflow section, water flows along the inner wall surface of the inflow section at a position above the foreign matter collection section. The present invention is characterized in that a water receiving section is provided that collects flowing water and causes it to drip onto the foreign matter collecting section.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a washing machine that can collect lint without deteriorating the ease of attaching a foreign matter trap. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a filter structure that can reduce the outflow of foreign substances to the outside, and a washing machine having the filter structure.

It is a block diagram showing the inside of the washing machine of this embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the flow of washing water when a circulation pump is driven. It is a perspective view showing the appearance of a lint filter device (foreign matter trap). It is a top view of a filter part. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lint filter device (foreign matter trap) cut midway in the front-rear direction of the filter section and viewed from the front side. It is a sectional view when the lint filter device is cut at the center in the left-right direction of the filter part and seen from the side. It is a schematic diagram which shows the movement of the lint at the time of drainage in the filter part of this embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the movement of the lint at the time of drainage in the filter part of a comparative example. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a water receiving portion in a foreign matter trap having a filter structure according to the present embodiment. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the foreign matter trap taken along the line A1-A1 shown in FIG. 6 and viewed from the front side. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the water receiving portion. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the vicinity of the water receiving portion. 7 is a sectional view of the foreign matter trap taken along the line B1-B1 shown in FIG. 6 and viewed from the front side. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the foreign matter trap taken along the line C1-C1 shown in FIG. 6 and viewed from the front side. FIG. It is an explanatory view of the flow of cooling water in drying operation of the foreign matter trap of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a configuration explanatory diagram (1) of a foreign matter trap having a filter structure of a comparative example. FIG. 2 is a configuration explanatory diagram (2) of a foreign matter trap having a filter structure of a comparative example. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the flow of cooling water during drying operation of a foreign matter trap in a comparative example.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail using the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and includes within its scope various modifications and applications within the technical concept of the present invention. Note that the following description will be made based on the direction shown in FIG. 1. Further, the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1 is the left-right direction.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing the inside of a drum type washer/dryer according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a drum-type washer/dryer (hereinafter abbreviated as a washing machine) 100 includes a housing 1, an outer tank 2 housed in the housing 1 to store water, and an outer tank 2 contained in the outer tank 2. A drum 3 (inner tank) that stores clothes, a circulation pump 20 that returns washing water in the outer tank 2 to the drum 3, and a foreign object trap installed upstream of the circulation pump 20 to collect foreign objects (lint). 40 (lint filter device). In this embodiment, the washing machine 100 (washing machine) is equipped with a mesh so that fine lint can be efficiently collected and lint can be prevented from re-adhering to clothing or flowing outside. A foreign object trap is used.

The casing 1 has a frame formed by combining side plates (not shown) and reinforcing materials (not shown) mainly made of steel plates and resin molded products on the upper part of a base 1h, and further has resin molded parts on top of the frame. It is constructed by attaching a front cover 1a, a lower front cover 1b, and a top cover 1c made of high-quality materials. Further, the front cover 1a is provided with a door 9 that is opened and closed when loading and unloading laundry (clothing).

The door 9 has a door glass 9a fixed to a door frame 9b made of resin, and is attached to the housing 1 with a hinge (not shown) so that it can be opened and closed. Furthermore, the door frame 9b of the door 9 is brought into contact with the peripheral edge of a circular opening 1s formed in the housing 1. Further, the door glass 9a is configured to have a convex shape so as to enter into the inner side (rear side) of the opening 1s of the housing 1.

The outer tank 2 is formed into a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and is elastically supported by a plurality of dampers (not shown) provided at the bottom. An outer tank cover 4 is attached to the front opening (door 9 side) formed on the front side of the outer tank 2.

The rear side of the outer tub cover 4 is connected to the front opening of the outer tub 2, and a circular opening 4a through which laundry is put in and taken out is formed on the front side. Further, a rubber door packing (also referred to as bellows) 10 made of an elastic body is attached to the outer tank cover 4. This door packing 10 is formed in a substantially annular shape, and the opening edge on the back side (rear side) is attached to the opening 4a of the outer tank cover 4, and the opening edge on the near side (front side) is attached to the opening edge of the housing 1. It is attached to the edge of the opening 1s. By closing the door 9, the door glass 9a comes into close contact with the door packing 10, and serves to maintain watertightness between the outer tank 2 and the door 9. This prevents water leakage during washing, rinsing, and dehydration. Note that in this specification, the washing water is rinsing water in the rinsing step.

The drum 3 is formed into a cylindrical shape with a bottom and can accommodate laundry (clothing), and has an opening 3a located on the front side. A fluid balancer (not shown) is provided around the outer periphery of the opening 3a of the drum 3 to reduce vibrations caused by unbalanced laundry during dewatering. A plurality of lifters (not shown) are provided inside the drum 3 to lift the laundry. The drum 3 is directly connected to a drum driving motor (not shown). The drum 3 has a large number of small holes (not shown) for centrifugal dewatering and ventilation in the cylindrical side wall. The rotation axis O of the drum 3 is inclined so that the front side is higher than the rear side. Note that the rotation axis of the drum 3 may be configured to be substantially horizontal.

A ventilation duct 25 (circulation air path) connecting the outer tank 2 and a ventilation fan 26 (air blowing means) is provided at the back of the outer tank 2. The air duct 25 guides airflow to the laundry in the drum 3, and one end is connected to the lower back surface of the outer tub 2. The blower fan 26 is connected to the other end of the blower duct 25 via a dry filter 27. The ventilation fan 26 and the drying filter 27 are fixed to the housing 1. The wind generated by the blowing fan 26 is heated by the heater 28 and then becomes warm air, which is then discharged from the blowing nozzle 29 into the drum 3 . The hot air blown onto the laundry becomes high-temperature and humid air, which is sucked into the air duct 25, and cooled and dehumidified by a water-cooled dehumidification mechanism (not shown) provided in the air duct 25 to become low-temperature air. Note that a heat pump may be used instead of the heater and water-cooled dehumidification mechanism.

The circulation pump 20 is provided below the outer tank 2 and is fixed to the base 1h side of the housing 1. The washing water is sent to the foreign matter trap 40 through the piping 21 from the drain port 2b of the water receiving portion 2a (see FIG. 2) provided at the lower part of the outer tub 2. Further, the drain port 2b communicates with a drain hose 24 (drain route) via a foreign matter trap 40 and a drain valve 23, so that water in the outer tank 2 can be drained outside the machine.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of washing water when the circulation pump is driven. Note that the drainage route is not illustrated in FIG. 2 . As shown in FIG. 2, the circulation pump 20 includes an electric motor 20a and an impeller 20b. When washing or rinsing, the impeller 20b is rotated by the driving force of the electric motor 20a, and as shown by the arrow, washing water is sucked in from the drain port 2b at the bottom of the outer tub 2 and passes through the piping 21 and the circulation path 31. It is sent into the upper part of the outer tank cover 4 (see FIG. 1), and is supplied into the drum 3 from the supply section 31a in a shower-like manner.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lint filter device. As shown in FIG. 3, the foreign matter trap 40 includes a filter part 41 that collects lint, and a filter case 42 (collection case, casing) that removably houses the filter part 41. There is. A knob part 41a is formed on the filter part 41, and by turning the knob part 41a in one direction, the filter part 41 can be attached to the filter case 42, and by turning the knob part 41a in the other direction, the filter part 41 can be attached to the filter case 42. It can be removed from the case 42. Note that FIG. 3 shows a state in which the filter section 41 is attached to the filter case 42.

The filter case 42 includes a substantially cylindrical housing section 42a into which the filter section 41 is attached, a connecting section 42b connected to the piping 21 (see FIG. 2) extending from the outer tank 2 (see FIG. 1), and a drainage hose 24. (see FIG. 1) and a connecting portion 42c (see FIG. 6). Further, a circulation pump 20 is attached to the side surface of the filter case 42.

The circulation pump 20 has an impeller case 20c in which an impeller 20b (see FIG. 2) is housed. This impeller case 20c is formed with a connecting portion 20d that is connected to the circulation path 31 (see FIG. 2). Further, the impeller case 20c is configured to communicate with the side surface of the housing portion 42a of the filter case 42.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the filter section. As shown in FIG. 4, the filter part 41 includes a substantially cylindrical base part 41b that is inserted into the accommodating part 42a (see FIG. 3) of the filter case 42, and a foreign matter collecting part that extends from the base part 41b to the back side (backward). A portion 41c is provided. Further, the base portion 41b is provided with an annular packing (sealing member) 41d that prevents washing water from leaking out from the gap between the filter case 42 and the filter portion 41 when the filter portion 41 is attached to the filter case 42. It is provided.

The foreign matter collecting section 41c is for collecting foreign matter such as lint containing microplastics and the like, and includes a lower side collecting section 41c1 and a pair of side surfaces that stand up from the left and right edges of the lower side collecting section 41c1. A recess having a rectangular open upper surface and having collecting parts 41c2, 41c2 and a front part 41c3 that stands up from the front edge of the lower collecting part 41c1 and is connected to the side collecting part 41c2. It has a shape.

The bottom side collection part 41c1 and the left and right side side collection parts 41c2 are integrally formed of, for example, a metal mesh member by insert molding (see FIG. 6 for the mesh shape of the side side collection part 41c2). ). Note that the mesh has openings that can mainly trap lint. Further, the mesh member is not limited to metal, and may be made of chemical fiber in a net shape.

The front part 41c3 is not provided with a mesh member and is a wall without holes. Further, the wall surface 41b1 of the base portion 41b facing the front portion 41c3 is also a wall without holes.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the lint filter device taken from the front side of the filter section in the middle in the front-rear direction. Note that FIG. 5 shows the filter section 41 in a horizontal state. Further, FIG. 5 omits illustration of the electric motor 20a and the impeller 20b.
As shown in FIG. 5, the filter case 42 has an inlet part 43 formed above the filter part 41 and having a fan-shaped cross section into which the washing water from the connecting part 42b flows. Further, the filter case 42 has an outflow section 44 formed below the filter section 41, through which the washing water that has passed through the filter section 41 flows out. Further, the outflow portion 44 communicates with the connection portion 42c. Further, the outflow portion 44 communicates with the impeller case 20c via the suction port 42d.

In the filter part 41, a slight gap 42f is formed between the side collecting part 41c2 and the side surface 42e of the filter case 42. Further, the side collecting portion 41c2 is inclined so that the gap 42f becomes wider from the upper end to the lower end.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the lint filter device cut at the center in the left-right direction of the filter section and viewed from the side. As shown in FIG. 6, the foreign matter trap 40 is arranged in the housing 1 (see FIG. 1) so that the connecting

portions

42b and 42c of the filter case 42 extend in the front-rear direction and are horizontal. Further, the connecting portion 42b is located above the connecting portion 42c. The internal space of the connection part 42b functions as an introduction part 48 that introduces washing water from the outside (outer tank 2 (see FIG. 1)) to the inflow part 43. Furthermore, the connecting

portions

42b and 42c are formed to extend in the same direction (rearward). Further, the foreign matter trap 40 is inclined such that the housing portion 42a of the filter case 42 is higher on the near side (front side) than on the back side (rear side). Further, since the foreign object trap 40 is installed at the bottom of the housing 1 (see FIG. 1), the filter section 41 is placed upward at a predetermined angle (for example, 30 degrees), and the user can attach and detach the filter section 41. The operability is not impaired. In other words, the foreign matter trap 40 is set at an angle that is easy for the user to operate so that the attachment/detachment direction (insertion angle) of the filter section 41 is not at an angle of 80° or 90° or at an angle of 0° or 10°. It is set.

Furthermore, when the filter part 41 is inserted into the housing part 42a of the filter case 42, the foreign matter trap 40 is tilted so that the front side (front side) is higher than the back side (rear side). Placed. At this time, the lower surface side collecting portion 41c1 of the filter portion 41 is arranged so as to be smaller than the insertion angle of the filter portion 41. That is, the lower surface side collection section 41c1 is the lowest surface of the filter section 41 (foreign matter collection section 41c), and is arranged at an angle α (the angle of the lowest surface of the foreign matter collection section) with respect to the horizontal plane S. ing. For example, the angle α is 20°. Moreover, the filter part 41 is arranged so that the insertion angle with respect to the filter case 42 is the insertion angle β (insertion angle of the foreign matter collecting part) with respect to the horizontal plane S. For example, the insertion angle β is 30°. In this way, the angle α of the lower surface side collecting portion 41c1 of the filter portion 41 (the angle of the lowest surface of the foreign material collecting portion) is configured to be smaller than the insertion angle β of the foreign material collecting portion 41c with respect to the filter case 42. has been done. Note that the angle α is appropriately set within a range that does not impair the amount of foreign matter collected by the foreign matter collecting section 41c.

Furthermore, a suction port 42d communicating with the circulation pump 20 is formed on the side surface of the housing portion 42a of the filter case 42. The suction port 42d is, for example, a circular hole, and is arranged at a position that does not overlap the foreign matter collecting portion 41c in a side view of FIG. 6 (a side view of the suction port 42d from the axial direction). In other words, a part of the foreign matter collecting section 41c is located above the suction port 42d. In addition, in this embodiment, although a part of the foreign matter collection part 41c is located above the suction port 42d, the whole foreign matter collection part 41c may be located above the suction port 42d.

Furthermore, the connecting portion 42b is formed into a tubular shape so that its axial direction is horizontal, and communicates with the upper part of the accommodating portion 42a. Further, the wall surface 41b1 of the base portion 41b is located on the front extension line of the opening portion 42b1 of the connecting portion 42b relative to the housing portion 42a. Furthermore, the connecting portion 42c is formed into a tubular shape so that its axial direction is horizontal, and communicates with the lower part of the housing portion 42a. Further, the opening 42c1 of the connecting portion 42c relative to the accommodating portion 42a has an upper portion facing the front portion 41c3.

In the foreign matter trap 40 configured in this way, when the circulation pump 20 is driven (ON) during the washing or rinsing process, water (washing water (rinsing water)) stored in the outer tank 2 (see FIG. 1) is connected to the foreign matter trap 40. The foreign matter collecting portion 41c of the filter portion 41 is introduced from the introduction portion 48 of the portion 42b. Foreign matter such as lint containing microplastics accompanying (contained) in the washing water is collected and accumulated in the foreign matter collecting section 41c, and the washing water escapes from the mesh portion of the foreign matter collecting section 41c to the outflow section 44. . The washing water is sucked in from the suction port 42d, and is discharged into the drum 3 (see FIG. 1) through the circulation path 31 (see FIG. 2) by the circulation pump 20. When washing and rinsing are completed, the circulation pump 20 is stopped, the drain valve 23 (see FIG. 1) is opened, and the washing water passes through the connection part 42c and the drain hose 24 (see FIG. 1) to the washing machine. 100 to an external drain.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the movement of lint during drainage in the filter section of this embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the movement of lint during drainage in the filter section of the comparative example. Note that the filter section in FIG. 8 is also a mesh.
As shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 7, when the circulation pump 20 is driven during washing or rinsing, the washing water introduced from the connection part 42b to the foreign matter collection section 41c hits the wall surface 41b1 of the filter section 41 and collects foreign matter. Foreign matter 50 (lint) is accumulated on the wall surface 41b1 side (root side) of the portion 41c. Furthermore, before draining, the water surface 60 is located above the foreign object trap 40, and the foreign object trap 40 is completely submerged in water.

As shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 7, when the drain valve 23 (see FIG. 1) is opened and the washing water is drained, the water surface 60 of the washing water is parallel to the installation surface (floor surface) of the washing machine 100. gradually decreases while maintaining At this time, the foreign matter 50 (lint) collected and accumulated in the foreign matter collecting section 41c is separated from the lowering of the water level 60, and the foreign matter 50 is separated from the lowering of the water level 60, and the foreign matter 50 is removed from the base side wall surface 41b1 side (upper part) of the foreign matter collecting section 41c. side). This is because the angle α of the lower side collecting portion 41c1 of the foreign material collecting portion 41c is smaller than the insertion angle β of the foreign material collecting portion 41c.

On the other hand, as a comparative example, a foreign matter trap 200 shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 8 includes a filter case 110 and a filter section attached to this filter case 110. The angle α100 of the lower side collecting portion 120a of the foreign material collecting portion 120 of the filter portion is the same as the insertion angle β100 of the foreign material collecting portion 120 (for example, 30°). In the foreign matter trap 200 as a comparative example configured in this way, as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 8, when the foreign matter trap 200 is submerged in water, Foreign matter 50 is collected and accumulated on the right side of the figure. Then, when the drain valve is opened and the washing water is drained, the water level 60 of the washing water gradually decreases while remaining parallel to the installation surface (floor surface) of the washing machine 100. At this time, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 8, the foreign matter 50 accumulated in the foreign matter collection section 120 flows to the back side (left side in the figure) of the foreign matter collection section 120 as the water level 60 decreases, and as shown by the arrow. Finally, it flows out of the foreign matter collecting section 120 together with the washing water, and is discharged to the outside of the machine through the drainage hose. For this reason, there is a risk that foreign matter may become stuck in the drain trap, causing the drain trap to become clogged.

Furthermore, in the foreign matter trap 200, the foreign matter collecting section 120 is arranged at a position that overlaps with the suction port 110a of the circulation pump in a side view. Therefore, there is a possibility that the washing water is sucked from the side surface of the foreign matter collecting section 120, flows out from the foreign matter collecting section 120, and the foreign matter 50 flows from the suction port 110a. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the foreign matter collecting section 41c is positioned above the suction port 42d so that the foreign matter collecting section 41c does not overlap the suction port 42d when viewed from the side. It was arranged so that As a result, the washing water can mainly flow through the lower surface of the foreign matter collecting section 41c (the lower surface side collecting section 41c1) to the suction port 42d, so that the foreign matter 50 can be reliably collected in the foreign matter collecting section 41c. It can be accumulated.

As described above, the washing machine 100 of the present embodiment includes a housing 1, an outer tank 2 housed in the housing 1 to store water, and a drum 3 included in the outer tank 2 to store clothes. A drainage hose 24 for discharging the washing water in the outer tub 2, a circulation pump 20 for returning the washing water in the outer tub 2 to the inside of the drum 3, and a foreign matter provided upstream of the circulation pump 20 to collect foreign matter 50. A trap 40 is provided. The foreign object trap 40 includes a foreign object collecting section 41c that collects the foreign object 50, and a filter case 42 that removably houses the foreign object collecting section 41c. The angle α of the lower side collecting portion 41c1 (lowest surface) of the foreign material collecting portion 41c is smaller than the insertion angle β of the foreign material collecting portion 41c with respect to the filter case 42 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). According to this, the foreign matter (lint) 50 can be retained in the foreign matter collecting section 41c during draining, and the discharge of the foreign matter 50 to the outside of the machine can be suppressed, thereby suppressing clogging of the drain trap. Further, since the insertion angle β of the foreign matter collecting portion 41c can be set to the same angle as in the conventional case, the operability of attaching and detaching the foreign matter collecting portion 41c is not impaired.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the foreign matter collecting section 41c is configured in a mesh shape. According to this, it is possible to collect finer lint (foreign objects) than a grid-like or comb-like foreign object collecting section.

Further, in the present embodiment, the filter case 42 includes a suction port 42d that sucks washing water when the circulation pump 20 is driven, and the foreign matter collecting section 41c does not overlap with the suction port 42d in side view, and the foreign matter collecting section 41c does not overlap with the suction port 42d when viewed from the side. A part of the collecting portion 41c is located above the suction port 42d. According to this, it is possible to suppress the foreign matter 50 from being sucked in from the side surface of the foreign matter collecting section 41c, and to reliably collect the foreign matter 50 in the foreign matter collecting section 41c.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes various modifications. For example, in the present embodiment, a drum-type washer/dryer has been described as an example, but the present invention can also be applied to a drum-type washing machine without a drying function. Further, in the present embodiment, the filter part 41 is attached to the filter case 42 by being screwed in, but the filter part 41 does not have to be attached by being screwed in.

Next, the configuration and operation of the filter structure will be explained with reference to FIGS. 9 to 18. In each figure, common or similar components are designated by the same reference numerals, and their overlapping explanations will be omitted. In addition, in the present embodiment, the washing machine 100 (washing machine) is configured to efficiently collect fine lint and reduce reattachment of lint to clothing and leakage to the outside. A foreign object trap with mesh is used.

The conventional technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 mentioned above uses a coarse collection structure such as a grid or a comb, but it is difficult to collect (accumulate) fine lint with such a collection structure. . Further, in the conventional technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, during drying operation, cooling water for dehumidification is passed in a state containing fine lint, but it is difficult to separate and collect fine lint from the cooling water. is difficult. Therefore, in the conventional technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, the washing operation is performed after allowing the lint to re-adhere to clothing or flow out to the outside. The present embodiment also intends to provide a filter structure and a washing machine that can reduce re-adhesion of lint to clothing and leakage to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the foreign matter trap 40 (lint filter device) has a filter structure 101. The main feature of the filter structure 101 is that it has a water receptacle 46 (see FIGS. 9 to 15). The configuration and operation of the filter structure 101 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 9 to 15. FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of the vicinity of the water receptacle 46 in the foreign matter trap 40 having the filter structure 101 of this embodiment, and shows the configuration of the vicinity of the water receptacle 46 in an enlarged manner. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the foreign matter trap 40 taken along the line A1-A1 shown in FIG. 6 and viewed from the front side. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the water receiving portion 46 and its vicinity. FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the vicinity of the water receiving portion 46. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the foreign matter trap 40 taken along the line B1-B1 shown in FIG. 6 and viewed from the front side. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the foreign matter trap 40 taken along the line C1-C1 shown in FIG. 6 and viewed from the front side. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of the flow of cooling water during drying operation of the foreign matter trap 40.

As shown in FIG. 9, the filter structure 101 is located inside the inflow section 43, near the front surface 41c3 (see FIG. 6) of the foreign matter collecting section 41c, and at a position above the foreign matter collecting section 41c. It has a water receiving part 46. The water receiver 46 is a member that collects water (including cooling water during drying operation) flowing along the inner wall surface 45 of the inflow section 43 due to surface tension and causes it to drip onto the foreign matter collecting section 41c.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the water receiving portion 46 spreads laterally and has a collecting portion 47 in the center that collects water. The collecting portion 47 has a shape in which the central portion is lower than the side portions on both sides thereof. Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the collecting portion 47 has a shape in which the side portions extend further forward than the central portion. As shown in the inclination angle γ shown in FIG. 9, the upper surface of the central part of the collecting part 47 is inclined downward with respect to the horizontal direction so that the water collected in the collecting part 47 can easily drip onto the foreign matter collecting part 41c. It is shaped like this.

As shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, the filter structure 101 has abutment guides 49 on both sides of the water receiving portion 46. The abutment guide 49 is a portion that abuts against the filter section 41 when the filter section 41 provided with the foreign matter collecting section 41c is mounted on the housing section 42a. The abutment guide 49 is arranged to extend in the front-rear direction. In particular, as shown in FIG. 11, in this embodiment, the abutting guide 49 has a triangular shape as a whole when viewed from the front, and the apex of the protruding portion has an arc shape. (See FIG. 9) It is configured to make surface contact or line contact with the upper surface.

As shown in FIG. 14, the width W1 of the water receiving portion 46 is wider than the width W2 of the introduction portion 48. This configuration allows water to flow from the introduction part 48 to the inflow part 43 (see FIG. 9) and flow along (through the inner wall surface 45) of the filter case 42 (casing) due to surface tension to the water receiving part 46. This is to receive it.

In the washing machine 100 of this embodiment, if the flow rate of cooling water for dehumidification is large during drying operation, the temperature inside the drum 3 (inner tank) will not rise and the drying efficiency will deteriorate. flow. At this time, since the amount of water is small, it may flow along the inner wall surface 45 of the filter case 42 (casing) (through the inner wall surface 45) due to surface tension. Arrows D11 and D12 shown in FIG. 15 indicate the flow of water at this time. That is, as shown in FIG. 15, in the filter structure 101 of this embodiment, when a small amount of water (cooling water) flows during drying operation, the water enters the inflow part 43 from the introduction part 48 (see arrow D11); Due to surface tension, there is a possibility that the liquid flows along the inner wall surface 45 of the filter case 42 (casing) (through the inner wall surface 45) (see arrow D12). In the filter structure 101 of this embodiment, water flowing along the inner wall surface 45 (passing through the inner wall surface 45) is received by the water receiving portion 46. As a result, the filter structure 101 according to the present embodiment separates the water flowing along the inner wall surface 45 from the inner wall surface 45 (see arrow D13), collects it in one place, causes it to drip by gravity, and allows the water to flow through the foreign matter collecting section. 41c (see arrow D14). At this time, the filter structure 101 of the present embodiment removes foreign matter such as lint containing microplastics contained in the water using the foreign matter collecting section 41c. The water from which the foreign matter has been removed passes through the connection portion 42c and the drain hose 24 (see FIG. 1), and is discharged to the drain port outside the washing machine 100.

Here, in order to clearly explain the effects of the filter structure 101 of this embodiment, the structure and effects of the filter structure 1101 of a comparative example will be explained with reference to FIGS. 16 to 18. 16 and 17 are explanatory diagrams of the configuration of a foreign matter trap 140 having a filter structure 1101 of a comparative example. FIG. 16 is a sectional view of the foreign matter trap 140 (lint filter device) cut at the same position as FIG. 13 and viewed from the front side. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the foreign matter trap 140 (lint filter device) of the comparative example cut at the same position as FIG. 14 and viewed from the front side. FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of the flow of cooling water during drying operation of the filter structure 1101 of the comparative example.

The filter structure 1101 of the comparative example has a configuration corresponding to the conventional technology. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the filter structure 1101 of the comparative example differs from the filter structure 101 of the present embodiment (see FIGS. 13 and 14) in that the water receptacle 46 is not provided. . As shown in FIG. 18, in the filter structure 1101 of the comparative example, when a small amount of water (cooling water) flows during drying operation, the water enters the inflow part 43 from the introduction part 48 (see arrow E11), and due to surface tension, There is a possibility that it flows along (passing through) the inner wall surface 45 of the filter case 42 (casing) (see arrow E12). The water flowing along the inner wall surface 45 passes through the gap between the filter case 42 and the filter part 41 (particularly near the tip of the foreign material collecting part 41c) and passes through the connection part without passing through the foreign material collecting part 41c. 42c (see arrow E13). There is a possibility that the water flowing into the connecting portion 42c passes through the drain hose 24 (see FIG. 1) and is discharged to the drain port outside the washing machine 100 (see arrow E14). The water flowing out at this time does not pass through the foreign matter collection section 41c, so it contains foreign matter such as lint containing microplastics and the like. If the water passes through a drain trap (not shown) provided outside the foreign matter trap 140, the foreign matter contained in the water may easily clog the drain trap.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 15, in the filter structure 101 of this embodiment, even if a small amount of water (cooling water) flows during drying operation, surface tension causes the inner wall surface 45 of the filter case 42 (casing) to The water flowing along is received by the water receiving part 46. Then, the filter structure 101 of this embodiment is concentrated in one place by the water receiving part 46, dripped by gravity, and poured into the foreign matter collecting part 41c. In the filter structure 101 of this embodiment, the water flowing out passes through the foreign matter collecting section 41c, so that the foreign matter collecting section 41c efficiently collects foreign matter such as lint containing microplastics and the like. be able to. Therefore, the filter structure 101 of this embodiment can reduce the outflow of foreign substances to the outside. Thereby, it is possible to prevent a drainage trap (not shown) provided outside the foreign matter trap 40 from being clogged with foreign matter.

<Main features of filter structure>
(1) As shown in FIG. 6, the filter structure 101 according to the present embodiment includes a foreign matter collection section 41c (lint filter) that collects foreign matter contained in washing water, and a foreign matter collection section 41c that is detachable. The filter case 42 (casing) is provided with a housing portion 42a therein. An inflow part 43 into which washing water flows is provided inside the storage part 42a. Inside the inflow section 43, water (including cooling water during drying operation) flowing through the inner wall surface 45 of the inflow section 43 due to surface tension is collected at a position above the foreign matter collection section 41c to remove foreign matter. A water receiver 46 is provided to allow water to drip onto the collection portion 41c.

In the filter structure 101 according to the present embodiment, the water receiving portion 46 receives water (cooling water) flowing along the inner wall surface 45 of the filter case 42 (casing) due to surface tension during drying operation. Thereby, the filter structure 101 according to the present embodiment separates the water flowing along the inner wall surface 45 from the inner wall surface 45, collects it in one place, drips it by gravity, and flows into the foreign matter collecting section 41c. The water flowing along the inner wall surface 45 contains foreign matter such as lint. In the filter structure 101 according to this embodiment, foreign matter such as lint contained in water is removed by the foreign matter collecting section 41c. The filter structure 101 according to the present embodiment is configured to remove microplastics and the like contained in the cooling water that flows along (through the inner wall surface 45) the inner wall surface 45 of the filter case 42 (casing) due to surface tension during drying operation. Foreign matter such as lint containing lint can be efficiently collected by the foreign matter collecting section 41c. As a result, the outflow of foreign matter to the outside can be reduced.

(2) As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the water receiving portion 46 preferably extends laterally and has a collecting portion 47 in the center that collects water.

The filter structure 101 according to the present embodiment collects water flowing along the inner wall surface 45 of the filter case 42 (casing) in one place (center) at the collection part 47 of the water receiving part 46 due to surface tension. Therefore, the foreign matter can be efficiently poured into the foreign matter collecting section 41c.

(3) As shown in the inclination angle γ shown in FIG. 9, the upper surface of the central portion of the collecting portion 47 is preferably inclined downward by 5° or more with respect to the horizontal direction.

The filter structure 101 according to the present embodiment allows the water collected in the central part of the collecting section 47 to drip by gravity and efficiently flow into the foreign matter collecting section 41c.

(4) As shown in FIG. 14, the width W1 of the water receiving portion 46 is preferably wider than the width W2 of the introduction portion 48 that introduces water from the outside into the inflow portion 43.

In the filter structure 101 according to the present embodiment, during drying operation, water flowing from the introduction part 48 through the inner wall surface 45 of the filter case 42 (casing) is directed to one place (center) in the water receiving part 46 due to surface tension. part), and can be efficiently poured into the foreign matter collecting part 41c. Therefore, foreign matter such as lint containing microplastics contained in the cooling water during the drying operation can be efficiently collected by the foreign matter collecting section 41c, and the outflow of foreign matter to the outside can be reduced.

(5) As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the filter structure 101 according to the present embodiment preferably has abutting guides 49 on both sides of the water receiving portion 46.

The filter structure 101 according to the present embodiment is configured to prevent the foreign matter collecting section 41c and the water receiving section 46 from colliding strongly when the foreign matter collecting section 41c (lint filter) is attached to the accommodating section 42a. can do. Thereby, it is possible to prevent damage to the foreign matter collecting section 41c and the water receiving section 46.

As described above, according to the filter structure 101 according to the present embodiment, during drying operation, water flowing along the inner wall surface 45 of the filter case 42 (casing) is separated from the inner wall surface 45 by the water receiving part 46 due to surface tension. , concentrated in one place, dripped by gravity, and flowed into the foreign matter collecting section 41c. This makes it possible to reduce the outflow of foreign matter to the outside.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes various modifications. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Further, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of the embodiment with other configurations, and it is also possible to add other configurations to the configuration of the embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of each configuration with other configurations.

1 Housing 1a Front cover 1b Lower front cover 1c Top cover 1h Base 1s Opening 2 Outer tank

2a Water receiver

2b Drain port 3 Drum (inner tank)
3a, 4a Opening 4 Outer tank cover 9 Door

9a Door glass

9b Door frame 10 Door packing 20 Circulation pump 20a Electric motor 20b Impeller

20c Impeller case

20d Connection part 21 Piping 23 Drain valve 24 Drain hose (drain route)
25 Air duct (circulation air duct)
26 Ventilation fan (ventilation means)
27 Drying filter 28 Heater 29 Blowout nozzle 31 Circulation path 31a Supply section 40 Foreign matter trap (lint filter device)
41 Filter part 41a Knob part 41b Base part 41b1 Wall surface 41c Foreign matter collection part (lint filter)
41c1 Bottom side collection part 41c2 Side side collection part 41c3 Front part 41d Packing (sealing member)
42 Filter case (collection case, casing)

42a Storage part

42b, 42c Connection part 42b1, 42c1 Opening part

42d Suction port

42e Side face 42f Gap 43 Inflow part 44 Outflow part 45 Inner wall surface 46 Water receiving part 47 Collection part 48 Introduction part 49 Abutment guide 50 Foreign object 60 Water surface 100 Drum type Washing dryer (washing machine)
101,1101 Filter structure 140 Foreign matter trap (lint filter device)
α angle (angle of the bottom surface of the foreign matter collection part)
β Insertion angle (insertion angle of foreign object collection part)

Claims

a housing, an outer tank accommodated in the housing to store water, an inner tank included in the outer tank to store clothing, a drainage path for discharging washing water in the outer tank, and the outer tank. a circulation pump that returns washing water inside the inner tank to the inside of the inner tank; and a foreign matter trap provided upstream of the circulation pump to collect foreign matter;
The foreign matter trap includes a foreign matter collection section that collects foreign matter, and a collection case that removably houses the foreign matter collection section,
The washing machine is characterized in that an angle of a lowermost surface of the foreign matter collecting section is smaller than an insertion angle of the foreign matter collecting section with respect to the collection case.
The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the foreign matter collecting section is configured in a mesh shape.
The collection case includes a suction port that sucks washing water when the circulation pump is driven,
3. The foreign matter collecting section does not overlap the suction port in side view, and a part of the foreign matter collecting section is located above the suction port. washing machine.
a foreign matter collection unit that collects foreign matter contained in the washing water;
a casing provided with a housing section for removably accommodating the foreign matter collecting section;
An inflow part into which washing water flows is provided inside the storage part,
Inside the inflow section, a water receiver is provided at a position above the foreign matter collection section to collect water flowing along the inner wall surface of the inflow section and drip it into the foreign matter collection section. A filter structure characterized by:
The filter structure according to claim 4,
The filter structure is characterized in that the water receiving part extends laterally and has a collecting part in the center that collects water.
The filter structure according to claim 5,
The filter structure is characterized in that the upper surface of the collecting section is inclined downward at an angle of 5° or more with respect to the horizontal direction.
The filter structure according to claim 4,
The filter structure is characterized in that the width of the water receiving part is wider than the width of the introduction part that introduces water from the outside into the inflow part.
The filter structure according to claim 4,
A filter structure characterized by having abutment guides on both sides of the water receiving part.
a housing, an outer tank accommodated in the housing to store water, an inner tank included in the outer tank to store clothing, a drainage path for discharging washing water in the outer tank, and the outer tank. a circulation pump that returns washing water inside the inner tank to the inside of the inner tank; and a foreign matter trap provided upstream of the circulation pump to collect foreign matter;
A washing machine, wherein the foreign matter trap has the filter structure according to any one of claims 4 to 8.