JP7610491B2 - washing machine - Google Patents

Description

This embodiment relates to a washing machine.

In recent years, attention has been focused on technology that improves cleaning effectiveness by using fine bubble water containing fine bubbles such as microbubbles and ultrafine bubbles, also known as fine bubbles, in washing machines. In such washing machines, a configuration is known in which a fine bubble generator is provided midway through the circulation path that circulates the water in the water tub in order to increase the concentration of fine bubbles. However, in such conventional configurations, there is room for improvement in the ease of maintenance, such as attaching, detaching, and replacing the fine bubble generator.

JP 2016-209331 A

Therefore, we provide a washing machine that can improve the ease of attaching and detaching a micro-bubble generator installed in the middle of the circulation path.

The washing machine of the embodiment includes a water tank, a circulation path that is provided outside the water tank and returns water that has flowed out of the water tank to the water tank, a circulation pump that is provided in the middle of the circulation path and is capable of sucking in and discharging water that has flowed out of the water tank, and a fine bubble generator that is provided in the middle of the circulation path and has the function of precipitating at least one of microbubbles or nanobubbles in the water flowing through the circulation path. The fine bubble generator is fixed between a discharge portion that discharges 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. Alternatively, the fine bubble generator is 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.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a vertical washing machine according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a drum-type washing machine according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a circulation pump and a fine bubble generator in the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X4-X4 of FIG. 3 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the micro-bubble generator taken along line X5-X5 in FIG. 3 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotation direction of the impeller and the discharge mode in the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a circulation pump and a fine bubble generator according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a circulation pump and a fine bubble generator according to the third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X9-X9 of FIG. 8 according to the third embodiment.

Several embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the same reference numerals will be used to designate substantially the same components in each embodiment, and descriptions will be omitted.

First Embodiment
The first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 6. This embodiment can be applied to both a vertical axis type washing machine, so-called fully automatic washing machine 10, shown in Fig. 1, and a horizontal axis or oblique axis type drum washing machine 20 shown in Fig. 2. The washing machines 10 and 20 shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 may or may not have a drying function capable of drying laundry.

The washing machine 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes an outer case 11, a water tub 12, a spin 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 a fine bubble generator 60. In FIG. 1, the side of the installation surface of the washing machine 10, i.e., the vertically lower side, is the lower side of the washing machine 10, and the opposite side of the installation surface, i.e., 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 rotation axis of the spin tub 13 faces vertically. The vertical washing machine 10 in FIG. 1 can also be called a fully automatic washing machine. The water tub 12 and the spin tub 13 function as washing tubs for storing laundry.

The washing machine 20 shown in FIG. 2 includes an outer box 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 a fine bubble generator 60. In FIG. 2, the side of the installation surface of the washing machine 20, i.e., the vertically lower side, is the lower side of the washing machine 20, and the opposite side to the installation surface, i.e., the vertically upper side, is the upper side of the washing machine 20. The washing machine 20 is a drum-type washing machine of a horizontal axis type in which the rotation axis of the rotating tub 23 is horizontal, or an inclined axis type 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 washing machine 20 shown in FIG. 2, the water tubs 12, 22 are disposed within the outer boxes 11, 21 and are elastically supported by suspensions (not shown). The water tubs 12, 22 have drainage outlets 121, 221. The drainage outlets 121, 221 are provided near the bottoms of the water tubs 12, 22 and are used to drain water stored in the water tubs 12, 22 to the outside of the water tubs 12, 22. The rotating tubs 13, 23 are disposed rotatably within the water tubs 12, 22 and are driven to rotate by the motors 14, 24.

The water injection device 31 is connected to an external water supply source and has the function of supplying water from the external water supply source into the water tanks 12 and 22. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the water injection device 31 is connected to an external water supply source, such as a water faucet (not shown), via a water supply hose 100. The water injection device 31 can be configured to have, for example, a water injection case 311, a treatment agent case 312, and multiple 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, for example, resin and formed into a box shape with an internal space. The treatment agent case 312 is a member for receiving laundry treatment agents such as detergent and fabric softener from the user, and can be configured, for example, to be removable or insertable into the water injection case 311. The water supply valves 313 and 314 can be configured as on-off valves for liquid that can be electromagnetically opened and closed, and are driven and controlled by a control device not shown. For example, when either or both of the water supply valves 313 and 314 are opened, water supplied from an external water source is supplied into the water tanks 12 and 22 via the water injection case 311.

The drainage path 32 is a path that runs from the drain ports 121, 221 provided near the bottom of the water tubs 12, 22 to the outside of the washing machines 10, 20 through the filter device 34 and the drainage valve 33. The drainage path 32 has the function of discharging the water stored in the water tubs 12, 22 to the outside of the washing machines 10, 20. The drainage valve 33 is an opening and closing valve for liquid that can be electromagnetically opened and closed. 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 drainage valve 33 is closed, water can be stored inside the water tubs 12, 22. When the drainage valve 33 is opened, the water in the water tubs 12, 22 can be discharged to the outside of the machine.

The filter device 34 is provided downstream of the drain outlets 121, 221 and has the function of collecting foreign matter such as lint and debris contained in the water flowing out of the water tanks 12, 22. The filter device 34 has a mesh filter 341 inside, which collects foreign matter such as lint and debris contained in the water passing through the filter device 34.

The circulation path 40 is a path that runs from the drainage outlets 121, 221 of the aquariums 12, 22 through the filter device 34 and the circulation pump 50, and then returns to the aquariums 12, 22. The circulation path 40 is provided outside the aquariums 12, 22, and has the function of returning the water that flows out from the drainage outlets 121, 221 of the aquariums 12, 22 to the aquariums 12, 22 and circulating it.

In this embodiment, the drainage path 32 and the circulation path 40 share a common path in the portion from the drain outlets 121, 221 to the filter device 34. That is, the drainage path 32 and the circulation path 40 branch in two directions downstream of the filter device 34. After branching, the drainage path 32 reaches the outside of the machine, and the circulation path 40 returns to the water tanks 12, 22. The filter device 34 is provided in the common portion of the drainage path 32 and the circulation path 40.

The circulation pump 50 is provided midway through the circulation path 40. The circulation pump 50 has the function of sucking in water that has flowed out of the drainage ports 121, 221 of the water tanks 12, 22 and passed through the filter device 34 and discharging it downstream, thereby circulating the water in the water tanks 12, 22 through the circulation path 40. The circulation pump 50 is configured with one suction section 511 and one or more discharge sections 512, 513. In this embodiment, the circulation pump 50 has two discharge sections 512, 513.

The circulation pump 50 can be configured with various types of pumps, such as a centrifugal pump or a volumetric pump. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the circulation pump 50 has, for example, a pump case 51, an impeller 52, and a motor 53. The pump case 51 forms the outer shell of the circulation pump 50 and has a space inside through which water passes.

The impeller 52 is rotatably arranged in the pump case 51. The impeller 52 is configured to have, for example, a disk portion 521, a rotating shaft portion 522, and a plurality of blade portions 523. The disk portion 521 is a portion formed in a disk shape, and is a portion that serves as a base for arranging the rotating shaft portion 522 and the blade portions 523. The rotating shaft portion 522 is a portion that serves as the rotation center of the impeller 52. The rotating shaft portion 522 is provided at the center of the disk portion 521, and protrudes in the thickness direction of the disk portion 521. The plurality of blade portions 523 are provided on a surface on one side of the disk portion 521, and are arranged radially from the rotating shaft portion 522 toward the outside of the disk portion 521.

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

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

The discharge parts 512, 513 are provided, for example, in a portion of the pump case 51 that corresponds to the radial outside of the impeller 52. The discharge parts 512, 513 are formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape, and protrude toward the radial outside of the impeller 52. That is, the discharge parts 512, 513 extend, for example, toward the outside in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft part 522 of the impeller 52. The discharge parts 512, 513 have the function of receiving the connection of the downstream piping members 42, 43. The insides of the discharge parts 512, 513 are each connected to the inside of the pump case 51.

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

In this embodiment, the upstream piping member 41 constitutes the circulation path 40 between the filter device 34 and the discharge portion 511 of the circulation pump 50, and connects the filter device 34 and the circulation pump 50. The upstream piping member 41 can be composed of a piping member made of metal or resin, for example, that allows water to pass through. In addition, the upstream piping member 41 may be composed of, for example, flexibility so that it can be bent, or it may be composed of rigidity so that it cannot be bent.

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

In this embodiment, the downstream piping members 42, 43 form the path of the circulation path 40 from the discharge portions 512, 513 of the circulation pump 50 to the water tanks 12, 22. The downstream piping members 42, 43 can be formed, for example, of resin piping members that allow water to pass through. In addition, the downstream piping members 42, 43 are formed, for example, to be flexible and bendable.

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

The fine bubble generator 60 is provided in the middle of the circulation path 40 and has the function of precipitating at least one of microbubbles or nanobubbles in the water flowing through the circulation path 40. In this specification, microbubbles and nanobubbles may be collectively referred to as fine bubbles. The fine bubble generator 60 can be configured so that the introduction of outside air is not required to generate fine bubbles. In this embodiment, the fine bubble generator 60 is provided downstream of the filter device 34. That is, in this embodiment, the filter device 34 is provided upstream of the fine bubble generator 60 and has the function of collecting foreign matter contained in the water after it flows out of the water tanks 12, 22 and before it flows into the fine bubble generator 60.

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

In this embodiment, the washing machine 10 is provided with one fine bubble generator 60 corresponding to, for example, one of the two discharge parts 512, 513 of the circulation pump 50. In this embodiment, the one of the two discharge parts 512, 513 where the fine bubble generator 60 is provided is referred to as the fine bubble side discharge part 512, and the one where the fine bubble generator 60 is not provided is referred to as the non-fine bubble side discharge part 513.

The micro-bubble generator 60 has a diameter and a total length of, for example, several mm to several tens of mm, specifically a maximum diameter of about 15 mm and a length of about 10 mm. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the micro-bubble generator 60 has a throttling section 61, a straight section 62, and a collision section 63. The throttling section 61 and the straight section 62 form a flow path that flows water from the circulation pump 50 side toward the downstream piping member 42.

The throttle section 61 is provided on the inlet side, i.e., the upstream side, of the micro-bubble generator 60. The throttle section 61 is formed in a so-called truncated cone tapered tube shape in which the cross-sectional area of the flow path, i.e., the inner diameter, decreases continuously and gradually from the upstream end to the middle part in the longitudinal direction of the micro-bubble generator 60. The straight section 62 is provided on the downstream side of the throttle section 61. The straight section 62 is formed in a cylindrical shape, a so-called straight tube shape, in which the inner diameter does not change, i.e., the cross-sectional area of the flow path, i.e., the area through which liquid can pass, does not change.

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

In the present embodiment, the collision portion 63 can be formed, for example, of four rod-shaped portions with pointed tips, as shown in FIG. 5. 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 spaced apart at equal intervals from each other 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 into a flat surface. The area of the gap formed by each collision portion 63 is the minimum cross-sectional area in the micro-bubble generator 60 through which water can pass.

When water flows into the upstream side of the micro-bubble generator 60, the flow path cross-sectional area is narrowed in the constriction section 61, which is formed to reduce in a truncated cone tapered shape, and the flow velocity is increased based on the so-called Bernoulli's theorem of fluid dynamics, and cavitation occurs due to reduced pressure. Then, when the high-speed flow collides with the collision section 63, fine bubbles are generated by the shear force that acts. As a result, the micro-bubble generator 60 can precipitate a large amount of air dissolved in the water passing through the micro-bubble generator 60 as micro-bubbles, and supply micro-bubble water containing a larger amount of micro-bubbles than before it passed through the micro-bubble generator 60.

As shown in FIG. 3, the fine bubble generator 60 is fixed by being sandwiched directly or indirectly between the fine bubble discharge section 512 and the downstream piping member 42 provided downstream of the fine bubble discharge section 512. The fine bubble generator 60 can be fixed by being sandwiched indirectly between the fine bubble discharge section 512 and the downstream piping member 42, for example, by using a connecting member 70. In this case, no members such as screws or adhesives are used for the fine bubble generator 60. In other words, in terms of the relationship between the fine bubble generator 60 and the connecting member 70, the fine bubble generator 60 is simply inserted into the connecting member 70. For this reason, the fine bubble generator 60 is configured to be easily and detachably attached to the connecting member 70 without significant resistance and with little force.

The connecting member 70 can be made of, for example, a rigid metal or resin, and can be configured as a cylindrical member overall. The connecting member 70 is configured to be able to accommodate the fine bubble generator 60 therein, and is also configured to be able to insert the tip portion of the fine bubble side discharge portion 512. In this case, the fine bubble side discharge portion 512 and the connecting member 70 can be configured to be easily press-fitted into each other, or male and female threads can be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the fine bubble side discharge portion 512 and the inner peripheral surface of the connecting member 70, respectively, so that they can be detached from each other.

The connecting member 70 can be configured to have, for example, a pressing portion 71 and a flange portion 72. When the fine-bubble generator 60 is housed inside the connecting member 70 and the fine-bubble side discharge portion 512 is inserted into the connecting member 70, the pressing portion 71 has the function of contacting the fine-bubble generator 60 and pressing the fine-bubble generator 60 against the tip portion of the fine-bubble side discharge portion 512. The pressing portion 71 can be, for example, the inner surface of a step when the connecting member 70 is formed into a so-called stepped cylindrical shape.

The flange portion 72 is formed, for example, in a shape in which the end of the connection member 70 on the side of the fine bubble side discharge portion 512 protrudes outward. In this case, the pump case 51 has a locking portion 514 corresponding to the fine bubble side discharge portion 512. The locking portion 514 is formed, for example, in a so-called brim shape that protrudes in a circular ring shape toward the outside of the fine bubble side discharge portion 512. The flange portion 72 and the locking portion 514 have the function of regulating the insertion amount, i.e., the depth dimension of the insertion, of the fine bubble side discharge portion 512 into the connection member 70. When the tip portion of the fine bubble side discharge portion 512 is inserted into the inside of the connection member 70 and the depth dimension of the insertion reaches a predetermined amount, the flange portion 72 comes into contact with the locking portion 514. This restricts further insertion of the fine bubble side discharge portion 512 into the connection member 70.

The connection member 70 is configured so that it can be inserted into the end of the downstream piping member 42. In this case, the end of the downstream piping member 42 and the connection member 70 can be configured so that they can be attached and detached from each other by configuring them so that they can be lightly pressed in, or by providing female and male threads on the inner circumferential surface near the end of the downstream piping member 42 and the outer circumferential surface of the connection member 70, respectively.

A sealing member (not shown) can be provided on the outer circumferential surface of the micro-bubble generator 60, i.e., between the micro-bubble generator 60 and the connecting member 70. This ensures watertightness between the micro-bubble 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. This ensures watertightness between the connecting member 70 and the downstream piping member 42. Furthermore, the connecting member 70 itself may be made of a material having sealing properties. This eliminates the need to provide a sealing member dedicated to a sealing function, thereby reducing the number of parts and assembly man-hours.

The circulation pump 50 of this embodiment can selectively switch which of the two discharge ports 512, 513 water is discharged from by adjusting the rotation direction and rotation speed of the impeller 52. The circulation pump 50 of this embodiment can selectively switch between a mode in which water is discharged from both of the two discharge ports 512, 513, and a mode in which water is discharged only from the non-fine bubble side discharge port 513, which does not have a fine bubble generator 60, of the two discharge ports 512, 513. In the following description, the clockwise direction in FIG. 3, i.e., the direction of the solid arrow, is defined as forward rotation, and the counterclockwise direction, i.e., the direction of the dashed arrow, is defined as reverse rotation, with respect to the rotation direction of the impeller 52.

Of the two discharge sections 512, 513, the fine-bubble discharge section 512 is provided with a fine-bubble generator 60. The fine-bubble generator 60 has the function of locally narrowing and throttling the flow path between the fine-bubble discharge section 512 and the downstream piping member 42. Therefore, the flow path resistance between the fine-bubble discharge section 512 and the downstream piping member 42 is greater than the flow path resistance between the non-fine-bubble discharge section 513 and the downstream piping member 43. Therefore, the water in the circulation pump 50 is preferentially discharged from the non-fine-bubble discharge section 513 rather than the fine-bubble discharge section 512.

In other words, in the circulation pump 50 of this embodiment, the pressure required to discharge the water in the circulation pump 50 from the fine bubble side discharge portion 512 through the fine bubble generator 60 is different from the pressure required to discharge the water from the non-fine bubble side discharge portion 513. In this case, a higher pressure is required to discharge the water in the circulation pump 50 from the fine bubble side discharge portion 512 through the fine bubble generator 60 than when discharging the water from the non-fine bubble side discharge portion 513.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the circulation pump 50 can discharge water from both the fine bubble side discharge section 512 and the non-fine bubble side discharge section 513 by rotating the impeller 52 in the forward direction at high speed. This allows both water that has been passed through the fine bubble generator 60 to increase the concentration of fine bubbles and water that has not been passed through the fine bubble generator 60 and does not increase the concentration of fine bubbles to be returned to the water tanks 12 and 22. In addition, by rotating the impeller 52 in the reverse direction at low speed, water can be discharged only from the non-fine bubble side discharge section 513. This allows only water that has not been passed through the fine bubble generator 60 and does not increase the concentration of fine bubbles to 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. Then, when the impeller 52 is rotated in the forward direction as shown by the solid arrow in FIG. 3, the fine bubble side discharge portion 512 is subjected to the pressure before being discharged from the non-fine bubble side discharge portion 513. Therefore, a higher discharge pressure than that of the non-fine bubble side discharge portion 513 is applied to the fine bubble side discharge portion 512, and a lower discharge pressure than that of the fine bubble side discharge portion 512 is applied to the non-fine bubble side discharge portion 513.

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 portion 512 passes through the fine bubble generator 60, and the concentration of fine bubbles increases compared to the water before it was sucked into the circulation pump 50. Then, the water that has passed through the fine bubble generator 60 and contains a large amount of fine bubbles is poured into the water tanks 12, 22 through the downstream piping member 42.

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

In contrast, when the impeller 52 is rotated at a low speed, the pressure inside the circulation pump 50 does not become so high. In other words, 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 rotation speed of the impeller 52 at this time can be set to such an extent that the water inside the circulation pump 50 is discharged from the non-fine bubble side discharge portion 513 but not from the fine bubble side discharge portion 512.

Then, when the impeller 52 is rotated at a low speed and the rotation direction of the impeller 52 is reversed as shown by the dashed arrow in FIG. 3, the discharge pressure caused by the rotation of the impeller 52 acts on the non-fine bubble side discharge section 513 before the fine bubble side discharge section 512. As a result, the water in the circulation pump 50 is not discharged from the fine bubble side discharge section 512, but only from the non-fine bubble side discharge section 513. Therefore, in this case, only the water that has not passed through the fine bubble generator 60 and has not increased the concentration of fine bubbles is returned to the water tank 12, 22 through the downstream piping member 43. In this case, some water leakage from the fine bubble side discharge section 512 is permitted.

According to the embodiment described above, the washing machine 10, 20 includes the water tank 12, 22, the circulation path 40, the circulation pump 50, and the fine bubble generator 60. The circulation path 40 is provided outside the water tank 12, 22, and is a path for returning the water flowing out from the water tank 12, 22 to the water tank 12, 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 from the water tank 12, 22. The fine bubble generator 60 is provided in the middle of the circulation path 40, and has the function of precipitating at least one of microbubbles or nanobubbles in the water flowing through the circulation path 40.

According to this configuration, a micro-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 that it passes through the micro-bubble generator 60, it is possible to increase the concentration of micro-bubbles contained in the water in the water tanks 12, 22 or suppress a decrease in the concentration. As a result, it is possible to achieve a high cleaning effect by using micro-bubbles.

The micro-bubble generator 60 of this embodiment is fixed between the micro-bubble discharge section 512, through which water is discharged from the circulation pump 50, and the downstream piping member 42, which constitutes at least a portion of the circulation path 40 downstream of the circulation pump 50.

In this case, the operation of connecting the discharge part 512 of the circulation pump 50 to the downstream piping member 42 is necessary to configure the circulation path 40, even if the configuration does not have the fine bubble generator 60. Therefore, by configuring the fine bubble generator 60 to be sandwiched and fixed between the discharge part 512 and the downstream piping member 42 as in this embodiment, the fine bubble generator 60 can be attached to the middle of the circulation path 40 by simply adding a small amount of work to the work required to configure the circulation path 40. In this way, according to this embodiment, it is no longer necessary to perform large-scale work to attach the fine bubble generator 60, and as a result, the workability of attaching, detaching, replacing, etc. of the fine bubble generator 60 installed in the middle of the circulation path 40 can be improved.

The circulation pump 50 has two discharge parts 512, 513. The micro-bubble generator 60 is provided in one of the two discharge parts 512, 513. The micro-bubble generator 60 in this embodiment is configured to precipitate micro-bubbles by locally narrowing the area through which water can pass. For this reason, when the discharge pressure of the circulation pump 50 is constant, when the micro-bubble generator 60 is provided in the circulation path 40, the flow rate of water circulating through the circulation path 40 is smaller than when the micro-bubble generator 60 is not provided.

In contrast, in the present embodiment, by providing a micro-bubble generator 60 in one of the two discharge sections 512, 513 and not providing a micro-bubble generator 60 in the other, the section without the micro-bubble generator 60 can be made into a so-called bypass with low flow resistance. This allows the flow rate to be secured while generating micro-bubbles.

The washing machines 10 and 20 further include a filter device 34. The filter device 34 is provided upstream of the fine-bubble generator 60 and has the function of collecting foreign matter contained in the water after it has flowed out of the water tank 12 or 22 and before it flows into the fine-bubble generator 60. As a result, the water that has flowed out of the water tank 12 or 22 flows into the fine-bubble generator 60 with foreign matter removed by the filter device 34, so that clogging of the fine-bubble generator 60 by foreign matter contained in the water can be reduced.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Note that configurations not described here are common to the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, a fine-bubble generator 60 is provided in each of the two discharge ports 512, 513 of the circulation pump 50. The mounting structure of the fine-bubble generator 60 can be the same as that of the first embodiment. In this case, both of the two discharge ports 512, 513 can be referred to as fine-bubble side discharge ports 512, 513.

This embodiment also provides the same effects as the first embodiment. Furthermore, by providing a micro-bubble generator 60 on both of the two discharge sections 512, 513 as in this embodiment, the concentration of micro-bubbles can be increased and the flow rate can be ensured, compared to when a micro-bubble generator 60 is provided on only one of the discharge sections 512, 513.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. Note that configurations not described here are common to the first embodiment. In the third embodiment, the fine-bubble generator 60 is sandwiched and fixed between a suction section 511 that draws water into the circulation pump 50 and an upstream piping member 41 that constitutes at least a part of the circulation path 40 on the upstream side of the circulation pump 50.

In this embodiment, the micro-bubble generator 60 is fixed by being sandwiched directly or indirectly between the suction part 511 and the upstream piping member 41, as shown in FIG. 9. As in each of the above embodiments, the micro-bubble generator 60 can be fixed by being indirectly sandwiched between the suction part 511 and the upstream piping member 41, for example, by using a connecting member 70. In this case, the locking part 514 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the suction part 511.

In this case, the connection member 70 can be configured to have, for example, a tapered section 73. The tapered section 73 is a section formed in the shape of a so-called truncated cone tapered tube in which the cross-sectional area of the flow path, i.e., the inner diameter, decreases continuously and gradually from the upstream end to the middle of the longitudinal direction of the connection member 70. The inner surface of the tapered section 73 forms a surface that is continuous with the surface of the throttle section 61 of the micro-bubble generator 60. This allows the tapered section 73 to smoothly guide the water that has flowed through the upstream piping member 41 to the micro-bubble generator 60.

This embodiment also provides the same effect as the first embodiment. In addition, by providing a micro-bubble generator 60 on the suction section 511 side as in this embodiment, for example, in a configuration in which the circulation pump 50 has two discharge sections 512, 513, water with an increased concentration of micro-bubbles can be discharged from the two discharge sections 512, 513 by a single micro-bubble generator 60.

The embodiments may be applied in combination with one another.
In each embodiment, the circulation pump 50 is configured to have two discharge parts 512, 513, but may be configured to have only one discharge part. For example, in the first embodiment, the circulation pump 50 may be configured to have only the fine bubble side discharge part 512 to which the fine bubble generator 60 is attached, and not to have the non-fine bubble side discharge part 513 to which the fine bubble generator 60 is not attached.
Furthermore, for example, in the third embodiment, the circulation pump 50 may be configured to have only one discharge portion 512 .

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

10, 20... washing machine, 12, 22... water tank, 34... filter device, 40... circulation path, 41... upstream piping member, 42, 43... downstream piping member, 50... circulation pump, 60... fine bubble generator, 511... suction section, 512, 513... discharge section

Claims (5)

Aquarium and
a circulation path provided outside the water tank for returning water flowing out of the water tank to the water tank;
a circulation pump that is provided in the middle of the circulation path and is capable of sucking in and discharging water flowing out of the water tank;
A fine bubble generator that is provided in the middle of the circulation path and has a function of precipitating at least one of microbubbles or nanobubbles in the water flowing through the circulation path ;
a connecting member that is inserted into a downstream piping member that constitutes at least a part of the circulation path downstream of the circulation pump with the micro-bubble generator housed therein;
Equipped with
the connecting member has a discharge portion through which water is discharged from the circulation pump inserted into the connecting member with the fine-bubble generator housed inside the connecting member, and a pressing portion having a function of contacting the fine-bubble generator and pressing the fine-bubble generator against a tip portion of the discharge portion,
The fine bubble generator is inserted into the upstream side of the connecting member, and is sandwiched between the pressing portion and the discharge portion and detachably fixed thereto.
washing machine. The circulation pump has two of the discharge portions,
The fine bubble generator is provided in one of the two discharge portions.
The washing machine according to claim 1. The circulation pump has two of the discharge portions,
The fine bubble generator is provided in each of the two discharge portions.
The washing machine according to claim 1. Aquarium and
a circulation path provided outside the water tank for returning water flowing out of the water tank to the water tank;
a circulation pump that is provided in the middle of the circulation path and is capable of sucking in and discharging water flowing out of the water tank;
A fine bubble generator that is provided in the middle of the circulation path and has a function of precipitating at least one of microbubbles or nanobubbles in the water flowing through the circulation path ;
a connecting member that is inserted into an upstream piping member that constitutes at least a part of the circulation path on the upstream side of the circulation pump while the micro-bubble generator is housed therein; and
Equipped with
the connecting member has a suction portion that is inserted into the connecting member and that draws water into the circulation pump with the fine-bubble generator housed inside the connecting member, and a pressing portion that comes into contact with the fine-bubble generator and functions to press the fine-bubble generator against a tip portion of the suction portion,
The fine bubble generator is detachably fixed by being sandwiched between the pressing portion and the suction portion, with the suction portion inserted on the downstream side of the connecting member .
washing machine. The water purification device further includes a filter device provided upstream of the fine bubble generator for collecting foreign matter contained in the water after it flows out of the water tank and before it flows into the fine bubble generator.
The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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