JP2023037273A - washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to improve workability in attaching and detaching a fine bubble generator provided in the middle of a circulation path.
A microbubble generator is provided between a discharge part from which water is discharged from a circulation pump and a downstream piping member that constitutes at least a part of a circulation path downstream of the circulation pump, or It is sandwiched and fixed between a suction part that sucks water therein and an upstream piping member that constitutes at least a part of the circulation path upstream of the circulation pump.
[Selection drawing] Fig. 3

Description

This embodiment relates to a washing machine.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, attention has been focused on a technique for improving the washing effect by using microbubble water containing microbubbles such as microbubbles called fine bubbles and ultrafine bubbles in a washing machine. In such a washing machine, a configuration is known in which a microbubble generator is provided in the middle of a circulation path for circulating water in a water tank in order to increase the concentration of microbubbles. However, in such a conventional configuration, there is room for improvement in maintainability such as attachment/detachment and replacement of the micro-bubble generator.

JP 2016-209331 A

Therefore, the present invention provides a washing machine capable of improving the workability of attachment and detachment with respect to the micro-bubble generator provided in the middle of the circulation path.

A washing machine according to an embodiment includes a water tank, a circulation path provided outside the water tank and serving as a path for returning water that has flowed out of the water tank to the water tank, and a water tank provided in the middle of the circulation path for the water to flow out of the water tank. A circulation pump capable of sucking and discharging water, and a microbubble generator provided in the middle of the circulation path and having a function of depositing at least one of microbubbles and nanobubbles in the water flowing through the circulation path are provided. The micro-bubble generator is sandwiched between a discharge portion for discharging water from the circulation pump and a downstream piping member that constitutes at least a part of the circulation path downstream of the circulation pump. is fixed. Alternatively, the fine bubble generator is sandwiched between a suction portion that sucks water into the circulation pump and an upstream piping member that constitutes at least a part of the circulation path upstream of the circulation pump. is fixed.

The figure which shows roughly an example of the vertical washing machine by 1st Embodiment. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a drum-type washing machine according to a first embodiment; FIG. Sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a circulation pump and a microbubble generator in the first embodiment Sectional view of the first embodiment taken along line X4-X4 in FIG. Sectional view showing an enlarged microbubble generator cut along the line X5-X5 of FIG. 3 for the first embodiment A diagram showing the relationship between the rotation direction of the impeller and the discharge mode in the first embodiment. Sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the circulation pump and the microbubble generator in the second embodiment Sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the circulation pump and the microbubble generator for the third embodiment Sectional view of the third embodiment taken along line X9-X9 in FIG.

A plurality of embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the substantially same structure in each embodiment, and description is abbreviate|omitted.

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG. This embodiment can be applied to both a vertical shaft type washing machine, a so-called fully automatic washing machine 10 shown in FIG. 1, and a horizontal or oblique shaft type drum type washing machine 20 shown in FIG. The washing machines 10 and 20 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may or may not have a drying function for drying laundry.

The washing machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes an outer case 11, a water tank 12, a rotating tub 13, a motor 14, a water injection device 31, a drainage path 32, a drainage valve 33, a filter device 34, a circulation path 40, a circulation pump 50, and microbubbles. A generator 60 is provided. In FIG. 1 , the installation surface side of the washing machine 10 , that is, the vertically lower side is the lower side of the washing machine 10 , and the opposite side to the installation surface, that is, the vertically upper side is the upper side of the washing machine 10 . The washing machine 10 is a vertical washing machine in which the rotating shaft of the rotating tub 13 is oriented vertically. The vertical washing machine 10 of FIG. 1 can also be called a fully automatic washing machine. The water tub 12 and the rotating tub 13 function as a washing tub for storing laundry.

The washing machine 20 shown in FIG. 2 includes an outer case 21, a water tub 22, a rotating tub 23, a motor 24, a water injection device 31, a drainage path 32, a drainage valve 33, a filter device 34, a circulation path 40, a circulation pump 50, and microbubbles. A generator 60 is provided. In FIG. 2 , the installation surface side of the washing machine 20 , that is, the vertically lower side is the lower side of the washing machine 20 , and the opposite side to the installation surface, that is, the vertically upper side is the upper side of the washing machine 20 . The washing machine 20 is a drum-type washing machine in which the rotation axis of the rotary tub 23 is a horizontal axis type or an oblique axis type in which the rotation axis is inclined downward toward the rear. The water tub 22 and the rotating tub 23 function as a washing tub for storing laundry.

In the vertical washing machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 and the drum type washing machine 20 shown in FIG. 2, the water tubs 12, 22 are arranged inside the outer cases 11, 21 and elastically supported by suspensions (not shown). Water tanks 12 and 22 have drainage ports 121 and 221 . The drain ports 121 and 221 are provided near the bottoms of the water tanks 12 and 22 to drain the water stored in the water tanks 12 and 22 to the outside of the water tanks 12 and 22 . Rotating tanks 13 and 23 are rotatably arranged in water tanks 12 and 22 and driven to rotate by motors 14 and 24 .

The water injection device 31 is connected to an external water supply source and has a function of supplying water supplied from the external water supply source into the water tanks 12 and 22 . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the water injection device 31 is connected to an external water supply source such as a water faucet (not shown) through a water supply hose 100 . The water injection device 31 can be configured by having, for example, a water injection case 311 , a processing agent case 312 , and a plurality of water supply valves 313 and 314 .

The water injection case 311 constitutes the outer shell of the water injection device 31, and is made of resin, for example, and is formed in a box shape having a space inside. The processing agent case 312 is a member for receiving laundry processing agents such as detergent and softener from the user, and can be configured to be removable from, for example, the water injection case 311 . The water supply valves 313 and 314 can be composed of liquid on-off valves that can be electromagnetically opened and closed, and are driven and controlled by a control device (not shown). For example, when one or both of the water supply valves 313 and 314 are opened, water supplied from an external water source is supplied to the water tanks 12 and 22 through the water supply case 311 .

The drain path 32 is a path extending from drain ports 121 and 221 provided near the bottoms of the water tubs 12 and 22 to the outside of the washing machines 10 and 20 via the filter device 34 and the drain valve 33 . Drainage path 32 has a function of discharging water stored in water tubs 12 and 22 to the outside of washing machines 10 and 20 . The drain valve 33 is a liquid on-off valve that can be opened and closed electromagnetically. The drainage valve 33 is provided on the drainage path 32 and opens and closes the drainage path 32 based on a control signal from a control device (not shown). When the drain valve 33 is closed, water can be stored inside the water tanks 12 and 22 . Also, when the drain valve 33 is opened, the water in the water tanks 12 and 22 can be drained out of the machine.

The filter device 34 is provided on the downstream side of the drain ports 121 and 221 and has a function of collecting foreign substances such as lint and dust contained in the water flowing out from the water tanks 12 and 22 . The filter device 34 has a mesh filter 341 inside, and the filter 341 collects foreign substances such as lint and dust contained in the water passing through the filter device 34 .

The circulation path 40 is a path from the water outlets 121 and 221 of the water tanks 12 and 22 to the water tanks 12 and 22 again via the filter device 34 and the circulation pump 50 . The circulation path 40 is provided outside the water tanks 12 and 22 and has a function of returning the water flowing out of the drain ports 121 and 221 of the water tanks 12 and 22 back to the water tanks 12 and 22 for circulation.

In the case of this embodiment, the drainage path 32 and the circulation path 40 form a common path from the drainage ports 121 and 221 to the filter device 34 . That is, the drainage path 32 and the circulation path 40 branch in two directions on the downstream side of the filter device 34 . After branching, the drainage path 32 leads to the outside of the machine, and the circulation path 40 returns to the water tanks 12 and 22. - 特許庁The filter device 34 is provided at a common portion of the drainage path 32 and the circulation path 40 .

The circulation pump 50 is provided in the middle of the circulation path 40 . The circulation pump 50 sucks in the water that has flowed out of the drain ports 121 and 221 of the water tanks 12 and 22 and has passed through the filter device 34 and discharges it downstream, thereby circulating the water in the water tanks 12 and 22 through the circulation path 40. It has a function to let The circulation pump 50 is configured with one suction portion 511 and one or more discharge portions 512 and 513 . In this embodiment, the circulation pump 50 has two discharge parts 512 and 513 .

The circulation pump 50 can be composed of various types of pumps such as a centrifugal pump and a volumetric pump. The circulation pump 50 has, for example, a pump case 51, an impeller 52, and a motor 53, as shown in FIGS. The pump case 51 constitutes the outer shell of the circulation pump 50 and has a space inside for water to pass through.

The impeller 52 is rotatably provided within the pump case 51 . The impeller 52 includes, for example, a disc portion 521 , a rotating shaft portion 522 and a plurality of blade portions 523 . The disk portion 521 is a disk-shaped portion and serves as a base for arranging the rotating shaft portion 522 and the blade portion 523 . The rotating shaft portion 522 is a portion that becomes the center of rotation of the impeller 52 . The rotating shaft portion 522 is provided at the center of the disc portion 521 and protrudes in the thickness direction of the disc portion 521 . A plurality of blade portions 523 are provided on one side of the disc portion 521 and are arranged radially outward from the rotary shaft portion 522 toward the outside of the disc portion 521 .

The motor 53 is provided outside the pump case 51 . A rotating shaft of the motor 53 is connected to a central shaft of the impeller 52 . The motor 53 is driven under the control of a control device (not shown), thereby rotating the impeller 52 . In the case of this embodiment, the motor 53 can rotate the impeller 52 by switching between the forward direction and the reverse direction, and can also adjust the rotational speed.

The suction portion 511 shown in FIG. 4 and the discharge portions 512 and 513 shown in FIG. 3 are provided in the pump case 51, respectively. The suction portion 511 is provided, for example, in a portion of the pump case 51 facing the rotating shaft portion 522 of the impeller 52 . The suction portion 511 is formed in a cylindrical shape, for example, and protrudes to the outside of the pump case 51 along the axial direction of the rotating shaft portion 522 . The suction portion 511 has a function of receiving connection with the upstream piping member 41 . The inside of the suction portion 511 communicates with the inside of the pump case 51 . The axial direction of the rotating shaft portion 522 and the direction of the central axis of the suction portion 511 match.

The discharge portions 512 and 513 are provided, for example, in portions of the pump case 51 corresponding to the radially outer side of the impeller 52 . The discharge portions 512 and 513 are formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape and protrude radially outward of the impeller 52 . That is, the discharge portions 512 and 513 extend outward in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft portion 522 of the impeller 52, for example. The discharge parts 512 and 513 have the function of receiving the connection of the downstream piping members 42 and 43 . The insides of the discharge portions 512 and 513 communicate with the inside of the pump case 51 respectively.

1 to 4, the circulation path 40 has an upstream piping member 41 and one or more downstream piping members 42 and 43 corresponding to one or more discharge portions 512 and 513. can be configured with In the case of this embodiment, the circulation path 40 has two downstream piping members 42 and 43 corresponding to the two discharge portions 512 and 513 . The upstream piping member 41 constitutes at least part or all of the circulation path 40 on the upstream side of the circulation pump 50 . In this case, the upstream side of the circulation pump 50 in the circulation path 40 means the portion from the drain ports 121 and 221 of the water tanks 12 and 22 to the suction portion 511 of the circulation pump 50 .

In the case of this embodiment, the upstream piping member 41 constitutes between the filter device 34 and the discharge portion 511 of the circulation pump 50 in the circulation path 40, and connects the filter device 34 and the circulation pump 50. there is The upstream piping member 41 can be composed of, for example, a piping member made of metal or resin and through which water can pass. Further, the upstream piping member 41 may be flexible and bendable, or may be rigid and unbendable.

The downstream piping members 42 and 43 constitute at least part or all of the circulation path 40 on the downstream side of the circulation pump 50 . In this case, the downstream side of the circulation pump 50 in the circulation path 40 means the portion from the discharge portions 512 and 513 of the circulation pump 50 to the water tanks 12 and 22 .

In the case of this embodiment, the downstream piping members 42 and 43 form a path from the discharge portions 512 and 513 of the circulation pump 50 to the water tanks 12 and 22 in the circulation path 40 . The downstream piping members 42 and 43 can be configured by, for example, resin-made piping members through which water can pass. Further, the downstream piping members 42 and 43 are configured, for example, to be flexible and bendable.

In the case of this embodiment, the two downstream piping members 42 and 43 are connected to different locations of the water tanks 12 and 22, respectively. In this case, different parts of the water tubs 12 and 22 mean that at least one of the height direction, width direction, or depth direction with respect to the washing machines 10 and 20 is different. In the case of this embodiment, the two downstream piping members 42 and 43 are connected to both sides of the rotation centers of the rotating tanks 13 and 23 . Downstream ends 421 and 431 of the downstream piping members 42 and 43 are arranged toward the center of the water tanks 12 and 22, respectively. Water discharged from the discharge portions 512 and 513 of the circulation pump 50 is injected into the water tanks 12 and 22 from the downstream ends 421 and 431 of the downstream piping members 42 and 43 . The downstream piping members 42 and 43 may be composed of a single member, or may be composed of a combination of a plurality of members.

The fine bubble generator 60 is provided in the middle of the circulation path 40 and has a function of depositing at least one of microbubbles and nanobubbles in the water flowing through the circulation path 40 . In this specification, microbubbles and nanobubbles are sometimes collectively referred to as microbubbles. The microbubble generator 60 can be configured so as not to require introduction of outside air to generate microbubbles. In the case of this embodiment, the fine bubble generator 60 is provided downstream of the filter device 34 . That is, in the case of this embodiment, the filter device 34 is provided on the upstream side of the microbubble generator 60 , and is contained in water after flowing out of the water tanks 12 and 22 and before flowing into the microbubble generator 60 . It has the function of collecting foreign matter that is trapped.

The microbubble generator 60 can be provided in correspondence with either one or both of the two ejection portions 512 and 513 . That is, the washing machine 10 may be provided with one fine bubble generator 60 corresponding to one of the two discharge portions 512 and 513 of the circulation pump 50, for example, or both of the two discharge portions 512 and 513 Two microbubble generators 60 may be provided correspondingly.

In the case of this embodiment, the washing machine 10 includes one fine bubble generator 60 corresponding to one of the two discharge portions 512 and 513 of the circulation pump 50, for example. In this embodiment, the one provided with the micro-bubble generator 60 of the two discharge sections 512 and 513 is referred to as the micro-bubble side discharge section 512, and the one without the micro-bubble generator 60 is called the non-fine bubble side discharge section 512. It may be referred to as a bubble side ejection portion 513 .

The microbubble generator 60 has a diameter and a total length of, for example, several millimeters to several tens of millimeters, specifically, a maximum diameter of about 15 mm and a length of about 10 mm. The micro-bubble generator 60 has a constricted portion 61, a straight portion 62, and a collision portion 63, as shown in FIGS. The narrowed portion 61 and the straight portion 62 constitute a channel through which water flows from the circulating pump 50 side toward the downstream piping member 42 .

The throttle section 61 is provided on the inflow side of the fine bubble generator 60, that is, on the upstream side. The narrowed portion 61 is formed in a so-called truncated tapered tubular shape such that the cross-sectional area, ie, the inner diameter, of the flow passage gradually decreases continuously from the upstream end in the longitudinal direction of the microbubble generator 60 to the intermediate portion. ing. The straight portion 62 is provided downstream of the throttle portion 61 . The straight portion 62 is formed in a cylindrical shape, a so-called straight tubular shape, in which the inner diameter does not change, that is, the cross-sectional area of the flow path, that is, the area through which the liquid can pass does not change.

The collision portion 63 is provided at the downstream end portion of the straight portion 62 . The collision part 63 has a function of locally reducing the cross-sectional area through which water can pass in the micro-bubble generator 60, thereby generating a large amount of mainly nano-order micro-bubbles in the liquid passing through the micro-bubble generator 60. have

Further, in the case of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the collision portion 63 can be composed of, for example, four bar-shaped portions with pointed ends. The collision portion 63 protrudes from the inner peripheral surface of the straight portion 62 toward the center of the cross section of the straight portion 62 . The four collision portions 63 are arranged in a state of being spaced apart from each other at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the cross section of the straight portion 62 . In this case, the downstream surface of each collision portion 63 is formed as a flat surface. Also, the area of the gap formed by each collision part 63 is the minimum cross-sectional area through which water can pass in the micro-bubble generator 60 .

When water flows into the upstream side of the micro-bubble generator 60, the cross-sectional area of the flow passage is narrowed by the narrowed portion 61 formed so as to be tapered into a truncated cone shape, so that the water flow is reduced based on the so-called Bernoulli's theorem of fluid dynamics. As the flow velocity increases, cavitation occurs due to decompression. When the high-speed flow collides with the colliding portion 63, fine air bubbles are generated by the shear force acting thereon. As a result, the microbubble generator 60 precipitates a large amount of air dissolved in the water passing through the microbubble generator 60 as microbubbles, and produces finer bubbles than before passing through the microbubble generator 60 . Fine bubble water containing a large amount of bubbles can be supplied.

As shown in FIG. 3, the microbubble generator 60 is directly or indirectly between the microbubble side discharge part 512 and the downstream piping member 42 provided downstream of the microbubble side discharge part 512. pinched and fixed. The fine-bubble generator 60 can be fixed by being indirectly sandwiched between the fine-bubble side discharge part 512 and the downstream side piping member 42 using, for example, the connection member 70 . In this case, members such as screws and adhesives are not used for the microbubble generator 60 . That is, looking at the relationship between the microbubble generator 60 and the connecting member 70 , the microbubble generator 60 is simply inserted into the connecting member 70 . For this reason, the fine bubble generator 60 can be attached to and detached from the connection member 70 easily and with a small force without large resistance.

The connection member 70 can be configured as a cylindrical member as a whole, for example, made of rigid metal or resin. The connection member 70 is configured to accommodate the microbubble generator 60 inside, and is configured to allow insertion of the distal end portion of the microbubble side discharge section 512 . In this case, the microbubble side discharge part 512 and the connection member 70 may be configured to be lightly press-fitted to each other, or the outer peripheral surface of the microbubble side discharge part 512 and the inner peripheral surface of the connection member 70 may be provided with male and female threads, respectively. By providing them, they can be configured to be detachable from each other.

The connection member 70 can be configured to have a pressing portion 71 and a flange portion 72, for example. When the micro-bubble side discharge part 512 is inserted into the connecting member 70 with the micro-bubble generator 60 housed inside the connecting member 70, the holding part 71 contacts the micro-bubble generator 60 to generate micro-bubbles. It has a function of pressing the container 60 against the tip portion of the microbubble side discharge part 512 . The pressing portion 71 can be an inner side surface of a stepped portion of the connecting member 70 having a so-called stepped cylindrical shape, for example.

The flange portion 72 is formed, for example, in a shape in which the end portion of the connection member 70 on the side of the microbubble-side discharge portion 512 protrudes outward. In this case, the pump case 51 has a locking portion 514 corresponding to the microbubble side discharge portion 512 . The engaging portion 514 is formed in a so-called collar shape protruding toward the outside of the microbubble side discharge portion 512, for example, in an annular shape. The flange portion 72 and the locking portion 514 have the function of defining the amount of insertion of the microbubble side discharge portion 512 into the connection member 70, that is, the depth of insertion. The distal end portion of the microbubble-side discharge portion 512 is inserted into the connecting member 70 , and when the insertion depth reaches a predetermined amount, the flange portion 72 comes into contact with the locking portion 514 . As a result, further insertion of the micro-bubble side discharge part 512 into the connecting member 70 is restricted.

Also, the connecting member 70 is configured to be insertable into the end portion of the downstream piping member 42 . In this case, the end portion of the downstream piping member 42 and the connecting member 70 may be configured to be lightly press-fitted, or the inner peripheral surface near the end portion of the downstream piping member 42 and the outer peripheral surface of the connecting member 70 may be internally threaded. And by providing a male screw, it can be configured to be detachable from each other.

A sealing member (not shown) can be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the micro-bubble generator 60 , that is, between the micro-bubble generator 60 and the connecting member 70 . This ensures watertightness between the microbubble generator 60 and the connecting member 70 . Similarly, a sealing member (not shown) can be provided between the connecting member 70 and the downstream piping member 42 as well. This ensures watertightness between the connecting member 70 and the downstream piping member 42 . Furthermore, the connection member 70 itself may be made of a member having sealing properties. According to this, since it is not necessary to provide a sealing member dedicated to the sealing function, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and the number of assembly man-hours.

The circulation pump 50 of the present embodiment selectively selects which of the two discharge portions 512 and 513 to discharge water from by adjusting the rotation direction and rotation speed of the impeller 52. You can switch. The circulation pump 50 of this embodiment has a mode in which both of the two discharge portions 512 and 513 are discharged, and a non-fine bubble side discharge portion 513 in which the fine bubble generator 60 is not provided among the two discharge portions 512 and 513. It is possible to selectively switch between a mode in which the liquid is ejected only from the nozzle. In the following description, regarding the rotation direction of the impeller 52, the clockwise direction in FIG. 3, that is, the direction of the solid line arrow, is forward rotation, and the counterclockwise direction, that is, the broken line arrow is reverse rotation.

Here, the minute bubble generator 60 is provided in the minute bubble side discharge portion 512 of the two discharge portions 512 and 513 . The micro-bubble generator 60 has a function of locally narrowing and narrowing the flow path between the micro-bubble side discharge part 512 and the downstream piping member 42 . Therefore, the flow path resistance between the fine bubble side discharge part 512 and the downstream side piping member 42 is greater than the flow path resistance between the non-fine bubble side discharge part 513 and the downstream side piping member 43 . Therefore, the water in the circulation pump 50 is preferentially discharged from the non-fine bubble side discharge part 513 rather than the fine bubble side discharge part 512 .

That is, the circulation pump 50 of the present embodiment has the pressure necessary to discharge the water in the circulation pump 50 from the fine bubble side discharge part 512 through the fine bubble generator 60 and the non-fine bubble side discharge part 513 is different. In this case, in order to discharge the water in the circulation pump 50 from the fine-bubble side discharge part 512 through the fine-bubble generator 60, a higher pressure than when discharging from the non-fine-bubble side discharge part 513 is required. .

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the circulation pump 50 rotates the impeller 52 in the positive direction at a high speed, so that both the fine-bubble side discharge part 512 and the non-fine-bubble side discharge part 513 Water can be discharged. As a result, both the water that has passed through the microbubble generator 60 and the concentration of microbubbles has been increased and the water that has not passed through the microbubble generator 60 and has had no microbubble concentration have been added to the water tanks 12 and 22. can be returned to Further, by rotating the impeller 52 in the opposite direction at a low speed, water can be discharged only from the non-microbubble side discharge part 513 . As a result, only the water that does not pass through the microbubble generator 60 and does not increase the concentration of microbubbles can be returned to the water tanks 12 and 22 .

That is, when the impeller 52 is rotated at high speed, the pressure inside the circulation pump 50 increases. When the impeller 52 rotates in the forward direction indicated by the solid arrow in FIG. For this reason, a higher ejection pressure than the non-fine bubble side ejection portion 513 acts on the fine bubble side ejection portion 512, and a lower ejection pressure than the fine bubble side ejection portion 512 acts on the non-fine bubble side ejection portion 513. works.

As a result, the water in the circulation pump 50 is discharged from both the fine bubble side discharge portion 512 and the non-fine bubble side discharge portion 513 . At this time, the water discharged from the fine-bubble side discharge part 512 passes through the fine-bubble generator 60 , thereby increasing the concentration of fine bubbles compared to the water before being sucked into the circulation pump 50 . The water that has passed through the microbubble generator 60 and contains a large amount of microbubbles is poured into the water tanks 12 and 22 through the downstream piping member 42 .

Further, since the water discharged from the non-microbubble side discharge part 513 does not pass through the microbubble generator 60 , the concentration of microbubbles does not increase compared to the water before being sucked into the circulation pump 50 . The water discharged from the non-fine bubble side discharge part 513 is poured into the water tanks 12 and 22 through the downstream side piping member 43 . In this case, the water discharged from the microbubble side discharge part 512 and the water discharged from the non-microbubble side discharge part 513 are poured into the water tanks 12 and 22 from different positions.

On the other hand, when the impeller 52 is rotated at a low speed, the pressure inside the circulation pump 50 does not rise so much. That is, when the impeller 52 is rotated at a low speed, the pressure inside the circulation pump 50 is lower than when the impeller 52 is rotated at a high speed. The rotational speed of the impeller 52 at this time can be set to such an extent that the water in the circulation pump 50 is discharged from the non-microbubble side discharge part 513 but not from the fine bubble side discharge part 512 .

When the impeller 52 is rotated at a low speed and the direction of rotation of the impeller 52 is reversed as indicated by the dashed arrow in FIG. It acts on the non-microbubble side discharge part 513 side. As a result, the water in the circulation pump 50 is discharged only from the non-fine bubble side discharge part 513 without being discharged from the fine bubble side discharge part 512 . Therefore, in this case, only the water that has not passed through the microbubble generator 60 and whose concentration of microbubbles has not been increased is returned to the water tanks 12 and 22 through the downstream piping member 43 . In this case, a small amount of water leaking from the microbubble side discharge part 512 is allowed.

According to the embodiments described above, the washing machines 10 and 20 include the water tubs 12 and 22, the circulation path 40, the circulation pump 50, and the fine bubble generator 60. The circulation path 40 is provided outside the water tanks 12 and 22 and is a path for returning the water flowing out of the water tanks 12 and 22 to the water tanks 12 and 22 . The circulation pump 50 is provided in the middle of the circulation path 40 and is configured to be able to suck in and discharge the water flowing out of the water tanks 12 and 22 . The fine bubble generator 60 is provided in the middle of the circulation path 40 and has a function of depositing at least one of microbubbles and nanobubbles in the water flowing through the circulation path 40 .

According to this configuration, the fine bubble generator 60 is provided in the middle of the circulation path 40 . Therefore, by circulating the water in the water tanks 12, 22 so as to pass through the microbubble generator 60, the concentration of microbubbles contained in the water in the water tanks 12, 22 is increased or the decrease in concentration is suppressed. can do. As a result, it is possible to exhibit a high cleaning effect due to the fine bubbles.

The micro-bubble generator 60 of this embodiment includes a micro-bubble side discharge part 512 through which water is discharged from the circulation pump 50, and a downstream side discharge part 512 that constitutes at least a part of the circulation path 40 on the downstream side of the circulation pump 50. It is sandwiched between and fixed to the side piping member 42 .

In this case, the work of connecting the discharge part 512 of the circulation pump 50 and the downstream piping member 42 is work necessary for configuring the circulation path 40 even in a configuration without the microbubble generator 60. is. Therefore, by fixing the fine bubble generator 60 between the discharge part 512 and the downstream piping member 42 as in the present embodiment, the work required to configure the circulation path 40 can be performed. The microbubble generator 60 can be installed in the middle of the circulation path 40 by adding some work. As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to perform a large-scale operation for attaching the micro-bubble generator 60, and as a result, the micro-bubble generator 60 provided in the middle of the circulation path 40 can be attached, detached or replaced. workability can be improved.

The circulation pump 50 also has two discharge portions 512 and 513 . The micro-bubble generator 60 is provided on one of the two ejection portions 512 and 513 . Here, the microbubble generator 60 of the present embodiment is configured to deposit microbubbles by locally narrowing the area through which water can pass. Therefore, when the discharge pressure of the circulation pump 50 is constant, when the microbubble generator 60 is provided in the circulation path 40, the circulation in the circulation path 40 is greater than when the microbubble generator 60 is not provided. less water flow.

On the other hand, as in the present embodiment, one of the two ejection portions 512 and 513 is provided with the micro-bubble generator 60, and the other is not provided with the micro-bubble generator 60, thereby generating micro-bubbles. The side in which the vessel 60 is not provided can be a so-called bypass with low flow resistance. Thereby, a flow rate can be ensured, generating a fine bubble.

Washing machines 10 and 20 further include filter device 34 . The filter device 34 is provided on the upstream side of the microbubble generator 60 and has the function of collecting foreign substances contained in the water after it flows out from the water tanks 12 and 22 and before it flows into the microbubble generator 60. have. According to this, the water flowing out from the water tanks 12 and 22 flows into the microbubble generator 60 after the foreign matter is removed by the filter device 34, so that the microbubble generator 60 is clogged with the foreign matter contained in the water. Storing can be reduced.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Note that configurations not described here are common to those of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, both of the two discharge portions 512 and 513 of the circulation pump 50 are provided with the fine bubble generators 60 . The mounting structure of the microbubble generator 60 can be the same structure as in the first embodiment. In this case, both of the two ejection parts 512 and 513 can be called fine bubble side ejection parts 512 and 513 .

This embodiment also provides the same effects as the first embodiment. In addition, by providing the micro-bubble generator 60 in both of the two discharge sections 512 and 513 as in the present embodiment, finer air bubbles can be generated than in the case where one of the discharge sections 512 and 513 is provided with the micro-bubble generator 60 . The concentration of air bubbles can be increased, and the flow rate can be secured.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. Note that configurations not described here are common to those of the first embodiment. In the third embodiment, the fine bubble generator 60 includes a suction portion 511 that sucks water into the circulation pump 50, and an upstream piping member 41 that constitutes at least a part of the circulation path 40 upstream of the circulation pump 50. , is sandwiched and fixed.

In this embodiment, the fine bubble generator 60 is directly or indirectly sandwiched and fixed between the suction portion 511 and the upstream piping member 41, as shown in FIG. The micro-bubble generator 60 can be fixed by being indirectly sandwiched between the suction portion 511 and the upstream piping member 41 using, for example, the connection member 70, as in the above embodiments. In this case, the locking portion 514 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the suction portion 511 .

Further, in this case, the connection member 70 can be configured to have a tapered portion 73, for example. The tapered portion 73 is formed in a so-called truncated tapered tubular shape such that the cross-sectional area, ie, the inner diameter, of the flow passage gradually decreases continuously from the upstream end in the longitudinal direction of the connecting member 70 to the intermediate portion. is. The inner surface of the tapered portion 73 constitutes a surface that is continuous with the surface of the throttle portion 61 of the microbubble generator 60 . As a result, the tapered portion 73 can smoothly guide the water flowing through the upstream piping member 41 to the micro-bubble generator 60 .

This embodiment also provides the same effects as the first embodiment. In addition, by providing the micro-bubble generator 60 on the suction part 511 side as in the present embodiment, for example, in the case where the circulation pump 50 has two discharge parts 512 and 513, one micro-bubble generator 60 can It is possible to eject water with an increased concentration of microbubbles from the two ejection portions 512 and 513 .

In addition, each embodiment can also be applied in combination with each other.
Further, in each embodiment, the circulation pump 50 is configured to have two discharge portions 512 and 513, but may be configured to have only one discharge portion. For example, in the first embodiment, the circulation pump 50 has only the fine-bubble side discharge part 512 to which the fine-bubble generator 60 is attached, and has the non-fine-bubble side discharge part 513 to which the fine-bubble generator 60 is not attached. It can also be configured without
Further, for example, in the third embodiment, the circulation pump 50 may be configured to have only one discharge portion 512 .

While several embodiments of the invention have been described above, these embodiments are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 20... Washing machine, 12, 22... Water tank, 34... Filter device, 40... Circulation path, 41... Upstream side piping member, 42, 43... Downstream side piping member, 50... Circulation pump, 60... Fine bubble generator , 511... Suction part, 512, 513... Discharge part

Claims (5)

a water tank;
a circulation path provided outside the water tank and serving as a path for returning water flowing out of the water tank to the water tank;
a circulation pump installed in the middle of the circulation path and capable of sucking and discharging water flowing out of the water tank;
a fine bubble generator provided in the middle of the circulation path and having a function of depositing at least one of microbubbles and nanobubbles in water flowing through the circulation path;
The micro-bubble generator is sandwiched between a discharge portion for discharging water from the circulation pump and a downstream piping member that constitutes at least a part of the circulation path downstream of the circulation pump. is fixed at
washing machine. The circulation pump has two discharge parts,
The microbubble generator is provided in one of the two discharge units,
The washing machine according to claim 1. The circulation pump has two discharge parts,
The microbubble generator is provided in both of the two discharge parts,
The washing machine according to claim 1. a water tank;
a circulation path provided outside the water tank and serving as a path for returning water flowing out of the water tank to the water tank;
a circulation pump installed in the middle of the circulation path and capable of sucking and discharging water flowing out of the water tank;
a fine bubble generator provided in the middle of the circulation path and having a function of depositing at least one of microbubbles and nanobubbles in water flowing through the circulation path;
The micro-bubble generator is sandwiched and fixed between a suction portion that sucks water into the circulation pump and an upstream piping member that constitutes at least a part of the circulation path upstream of the circulation pump. has been
washing machine. Further comprising a filter device provided on the upstream side of the microbubble generator for collecting foreign matter contained in the water after flowing out of the water tank and before flowing into the microbubble generator,
The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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