JP7718892B2 - washing machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a washing machine having a drain trap.

Washing machines are installed with a drain hose connected to the drain outlet to drain water and other waste after washing. Patent Document 1 discloses that to prevent odors from rising from the drain outlet, the drain hose is raised on the side of the washing machine body (side of the base) and water is collected in the hose, forming a drain trap.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-42115

Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which an internal drain hose and an external drain hose are provided, the downstream end of the internal drain hose is raised at the outlet on the side of the washing machine body to form a drain trap, and the external drain hose is connected between the outlet and the drain outlet. With this configuration, because the external drain hose is connected to the internal drain hose at the outlet on the side of the washing machine body, the drain hose will protrude from the side of the washing machine even if the drain outlet is directly below the washing machine.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a washing machine that allows the drain hose to be connected to the drain outlet without protruding from the side of the washing machine while maintaining the drain trap.

To solve the above problems, the washing machine of the present invention has an internal drain hose that is placed inside the washing machine body and has a drain trap formed by lifting the downstream side in the drain flow direction; an external drain hose that connects the internal drain hose to a drain outlet; and a fixing component that can fix the internal drain hose to the base, which is the lower casing of the washing machine body. The fixing component can fix the downstream end of the internal drain hose with the drain trap formed, and the external drain hose is connected to the internal drain hose inside the base and can be pulled out below the washing machine body through a bottom hose insertion hole provided on the underside of the base.

With the above configuration, even if the washing machine is installed with a drain outlet directly below the washing machine body or if there is insufficient space on both sides of the washing machine body to route the external drain hose, the drain hose can be connected to the drain outlet by connecting the internal drain hose to the external drain hose inside the washing machine body and pulling the external drain hose out of the washing machine body through the underside hose insertion hole on the underside of the base. Furthermore, because the internal drain hose is fixed with a fixing part with a drain trap formed in it, the trapping performance of the drain trap can be stably ensured.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned washing machine, the base may be configured to have a side hose insertion hole on the side that allows the internal drain hose to be pulled out sideways.

With the above configuration, if the drain outlet is located outside the installation location of the washing machine body or if there is sufficient space on the side of the washing machine body, the internal drain hose can be pulled out through the side hose insertion hole on the side of the base, making it possible to connect the internal drain hose and external drain hose outside the machine, improving convenience for the user.

Furthermore, in the washing machine described above, when the internal drain hose is attached to the side hose insertion hole and the internal drain hose and the external drain hose are connected via the side hose insertion hole, the fixing component does not fix the internal drain hose, but can be configured to move its attachment position so as to block the lower hose insertion hole.

With the above configuration, in situations where it is not necessary to secure the internal drain hose with a fixing part or to insert the external drain hose into the bottom hose insertion hole, the fixing part can be used to block the bottom hose insertion hole, preventing users from reaching their hands or fingers into the device through the bottom hose insertion hole and touching electrical components during cleaning, etc.

The washing machine of the present invention maintains the drain trap with a fixed part, connects the internal drain hose and external drain hose within the washing machine body, and pulls the external drain hose out from the underside of the base to the outside of the washing machine body, thereby achieving the effect of allowing the drain hose to be connected to the drain outlet without protruding from the side of the washing machine.

1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a washing machine to which the present invention is applied; This is an oblique view showing the base base with the drain hose pulled out from the underside of the base base. FIG. 3 is a top view corresponding to the base of FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is a bottom view corresponding to the base of FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the base of FIG. 2 . 10A to 10C are explanatory diagrams illustrating a procedure for connecting a drain hose when installing a washing machine. 10A to 10C are explanatory diagrams illustrating a procedure for connecting a drain hose when installing a washing machine. 10A to 10C are explanatory diagrams illustrating a procedure for connecting a drain hose when installing a washing machine. 10A to 10C are explanatory diagrams illustrating a procedure for connecting a drain hose when installing a washing machine. 10A to 10C are explanatory diagrams illustrating a procedure for connecting a drain hose when installing a washing machine. This is an oblique view showing the base base with the internal drain hose pulled out from the side of the base base. FIG. 8 is a top view corresponding to the base of FIG. 7.

First Embodiment
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a washing machine 1 to which the present invention is applied. While the washing machine 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a drum-type washing machine, the type of washing machine is not particularly limited in the present invention, and may be a vertical washing machine or a washer-dryer.

As shown in FIG. 1, the washing machine 1 comprises a washing machine main body 10 and a drain hose 110 (see FIGS. 2 to 5) for draining water from the washing tub (not shown). A door 11 is provided on the front side of the washing machine main body 10. The washing machine main body 10 also has a base 100 as a lower housing. The washing machine 1 according to the first embodiment is designed so that the drain hose 110 can be pulled out from the underside of the base 100 when a drain outlet is located directly below the washing machine main body 10 or when there is insufficient space on both sides of the washing machine main body 10 to route the drain hose 110. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the base 100 with the drain hose 110 pulled out from the underside of the base 100. FIG. 3 is a top view corresponding to the base 100 in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the base 100 corresponding to the base 100 in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view (A-A cross-sectional view in FIGS. 3 and 4) of the base 100 corresponding to the base 100 in FIG. 2. Note that Figures 2 to 5 also show various components attached to the base 100.

The washing machine 1 requires a drain hose 110 for draining water from the washing tub (not shown). The base 100 is designed to allow attachment of the drain hose 110 while forming a drain trap. The drain hose 110 is divided into an inner drain hose 110A and an outer drain hose 110B. Specifically, the inner drain hose 110A has its upstream end (relative to the direction of drainage flow) connected to the washing tub's drain valve unit 140 (see FIG. 5), and its downstream end connected to the outer drain hose 110B. The outer drain hose 110B connects the inner drain hose 110A to a drain outlet, and its downstream end is connected to a drain outlet provided in, for example, a waterproof pan. As will be described in more detail below, configuring the drain hose 110 to be separable into the inner drain hose 110A and the outer drain hose 110B in this way facilitates installation of the washing machine 1.

The drain trap in the drain hose 110 is formed midway along the internal drain hose 110A. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the internal drain hose 110A is first bent sideways below the base 100, and then bent upward again to form a curved section, which serves as the drain trap Tr. The drain trap Tr prevents odors from rising from the drain by leaving a portion of the drainage water from the washing tub in the curved section.

Next, the process of connecting the drain hose 110 when the drain outlet is located directly below the washing machine body 10 during installation of the washing machine 1 will be described with reference to Figures 6A to 6E. Note that the following connection process can be easily performed inside the front of the washing machine body 10, for example, if the door 11 of the washing machine 1 is open and the front lower panel 120 (see Figure 1) is removed from the washing machine body 10.

First, before installing the washing machine 1, connect the downstream end of the external drain hose 110B to the drain outlet and pull the upstream end of the external drain hose 110B forward (see Figure 6A). After connecting the external drain hose 110B to the drain outlet, install the washing machine main body 10 in the specified position (installation space).

Inside the washing machine body 10, the fixing part 111 that secures the downstream end of the internal drain hose 110A to the base 100 is first removed from the base 100. The fixing part 111 is secured to the base 100 by screwing or fitting, and can be removed from the base 100 by removing the screws or fitting. Next, the removed fixing part 111 is attached to the internal drain hose 110A. The fixing part 111 is also attached to the internal drain hose 110A by screwing. For this reason, the downstream end of the internal drain hose 110A is provided with a flange 112 that can be screwed onto the frame of the fixing part 111 (see FIG. 6B). Instead of using screws, the flange 112 and the fixing part 111 may be configured to fit together.

Meanwhile, the upstream end of the external drain hose 110B is pulled into the washing machine body 10 through a lower hose insertion hole 101 located near the front of the bottom surface of the base 100 (see Figure 6C). Then, inside the front of the washing machine body 10, the downstream end of the internal drain hose 110A is connected to the upstream end of the external drain hose 110B (see Figure 6D). At this time, it is preferable to secure the connection between the internal drain hose 110A and the external drain hose 110B with a hose clip or the like. Finally, the drain hose 110 is secured to the base 100 by re-securing the fixing part 111 to the base 100, completing the connection of the drain hose 110 (see Figure 6E). When secured to the base 100, the fixing part 111 secures the internal drain hose 110A at a position higher than the drain trap Tr.

The fixing part 111 is fixed to the flange part 112 of the internal drain hose 110A with screws, allowing the internal drain hose 110A to be fixed without having to grab the thin-walled part of the hose. Compared to a structure in which the hose is simply hooked onto a hook, this structure prevents the hose from breaking when being pulled around. Furthermore, if the hose is not fixed in the first place, there is a concern that the hose may come into contact with surrounding internal parts or that the trap height may not be sufficient. However, by fixing the internal drain hose 110A with the fixing part 111, the hose is prevented from coming into contact with internal parts, ensuring stable trapping performance of the drain trap Tr.

In the washing machine 1 according to the first embodiment, even if the installation location of the washing machine 1 has a drain outlet directly below the washing machine main body 10 or there is insufficient space on both sides of the washing machine main body 10 to route the external drain hose 110B, the internal drain hose 110A and the external drain hose 110B can be easily connected inside the front of the washing machine main body 10 (i.e., in a location that is easily accessible to an operator). Furthermore, the internal drain hose 110A can be fixed to the base 100 at a position higher than the drain trap Tr using the fixing part 111, making it easy to form the drain trap Tr. Furthermore, because the external drain hose 110B is pulled out of the device through the lower hose insertion hole 101 provided on the underside of the base 100, the drain hose 110 does not protrude from the side of the washing machine 1.

It is desirable to locate the connection point between the internal drain hose 110A and the external drain hose 110B in a space with few other internal components. For example, the base 100 shown in Figure 2 has the drain filter 130 located on the left side when viewed from the front. In such a case, it is preferable to connect the internal drain hose 110A and the external drain hose 110B on the opposite side of the drain filter 130 (the right side when viewed from the front). By connecting the internal drain hose 110A and the external drain hose 110B in a space that is easily reachable for the worker and with few other components, the hose connection and routing can be easily performed. This can reduce leaks due to poor connection work and hose breakage due to incorrect hose routing.

Furthermore, it is desirable to locate the intake port (i.e., the lower hose insertion hole 101) for the external drain hose 110B in the base 100 near the center in the left-right direction at the front of the washing machine main body 10. In this way, by locating the intake port for the external drain hose 110B near the center, the external drain hose 110B can be easily routed while preventing hose slack, regardless of the position of the drain outlet (regardless of whether it is in the left or right position). Furthermore, the length of the external drain hose 110B can be reduced.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment described above, when a drain outlet is located directly below the washing machine main body 10 or when there is insufficient space on both sides of the washing machine main body 10 to route the external drain hose 110B, the internal drain hose 110A and the external drain hose 110B are connected inside the front of the washing machine main body 10, and the external drain hose 110B can be pulled out from the bottom of the base 100. However, when the drain outlet is located outside the installation location of the washing machine main body 10 or when there is sufficient space on the side of the washing machine main body 10, it is preferable to enable the internal drain hose 110A and the external drain hose 110B to be connected even on the side of the washing machine main body 10. The washing machine 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 has a configuration that enables the internal drain hose 110A and the external drain hose 110B to be connected even on the side of the washing machine main body 10. In the second embodiment, a method for connecting the internal drain hose 110A and the external drain hose 110B on the side of the washing machine main body 10 is described.

The washing machine 1 has a side hose insertion hole 102 (see Figures 1 and 2) on the side of the washing machine main body 10 (more specifically, on the side of the base 100), allowing the downstream end of the internal drain hose 110A to be pulled out to the outside of the washing machine main body 10 through the side hose insertion hole 102 (or allowing the downstream end of the internal drain hose 110A to be attached to the side hose insertion hole 102). By attaching and pulling out the internal drain hose 110A to the side of the washing machine main body 10 in this way, the internal drain hose 110A and the external drain hose 110B can be connected outside the machine (through the side hose insertion hole 102). In this case, the internal drain hose 110A and the external drain hose 110B can be connected without removing the front lower panel 120 from the washing machine main body 10, improving convenience for the user.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the base 100 with the internal drain hose 110A pulled out from the side of the base 100. Figure 8 is a top view of the base 100 in Figure 7. Note that Figures 7 and 8 also show various components attached to the base 100, but do not show the external drain hose 110B.

As shown in FIG. 7 , an internal hose insertion hole 103 is provided inside the washing machine main body 10 (more specifically, inside the base 100). The side hose insertion hole 102 and the internal hose insertion hole 103 are provided in an area 150 partitioned from the inside of the base 100, with the side hose insertion hole 102 opening toward the outside of the washing machine main body 10 and the internal hose insertion hole 103 opening toward the inside of the base 100.

When connecting the internal drain hose 110A and the external drain hose 110B inside the front of the washing machine body 10 as in embodiment 1, the downstream end of the internal drain hose 110A is inserted into the internal hose insertion hole 103 and pulled into the base 100, and is connected to the external drain hose 110B by the fixing part 111, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

On the other hand, when the internal drain hose 110A is pulled out from the side hose insertion hole 102, the downstream end of the internal drain hose 110A is pulled out into the side hose insertion hole 102. In other words, the downstream end of the internal drain hose 110A changes the connection point between the internal drain hose 110A and the external drain hose 110B by switching the direction in which it is pulled out in area 150.

In this case, the area 150 in which the side hose insertion hole 102 and the internal hose insertion hole 103 are formed is separated from the inside of the base 100. This prevents the internal drainage hose 110A from unnecessarily entering the inside of the base 100 when switching the direction in which the downstream end of the internal drainage hose 110A is pulled out, preventing interference between the internal drainage hose 110A and equipment installed inside the base 100.

When the internal drain hose 110A is pulled out from the side hose insertion hole 102, the flange portion 112 of the internal drain hose 110A at the downstream end of the internal drain hose 110A is screwed to the frame of the base 100. For this screwing, the same screws and screw holes as when attaching the internal drain hose 110A to the fixed part 111 can be used. Alternatively, instead of screwing, the flange portion 112 and the frame may be configured to fit together. The side hose insertion hole 102 is designed to secure the internal drain hose 110A at a higher position than the drain trap Tr.

On the other hand, when pulling out the internal drain hose 110A from the side hose insertion hole 102, it is not necessary to use the fixing part 111 to secure the internal drain hose 110A. Furthermore, because the external drain hose 110B is connected to the internal drain hose 110A outside the device, there is no need to pass the external drain hose 110B through the bottom hose insertion hole 101. Therefore, when pulling out the internal drain hose 110A from the side hose insertion hole 102, it is preferable to remove the fixing part 111 from the internal drain hose 110A and move its attachment position so that it blocks the bottom hose insertion hole 101 (see Figure 8). Blocking the bottom hose insertion hole 101 with the fixing part 111 can prevent, for example, a user from inserting their hand or finger into the device through the bottom hose insertion hole 101 and touching electrical components during cleaning or other operations.

When the configuration of the second embodiment is adopted in the washing machine 1, the state in which the internal drain hose 110A is attached to the side hose insertion hole 102 may be the initial state (product shipping state). In this case, if there is enough space on the side of the washing machine main body 10 to route the external drain hose 110B, the internal drain hose 110A and the external drain hose 110B can be connected immediately. If there is not enough space on the side of the machine main body 10 to route the external drain hose 110B, the internal drain hose 110A can be replaced. That is, the internal drain hose 110A is removed from the side hose insertion hole 102, and the fixing part 111 is removed from the bottom hose insertion hole 101. The removed fixing part 111 is then attached to the internal drain hose 110A (resulting in the state shown in Figure 6B described in the first embodiment). Thereafter, the drain hose 110 can be connected according to the procedure shown in Figures 6C to 6E described in the first embodiment.

The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not intended to be limiting. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted solely by the above-described embodiments, but should be defined based on the claims. Furthermore, all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims are included.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Washing machine 10 Washing machine body 11 Door 100 Base 101 Lower surface hose insertion hole 102 Side surface hose insertion hole 103 Internal hose insertion hole 110 Drain hose 110A Internal drain hose 110B External drain hose 111 Fixing part 112 Flange part 120 Front lower panel Tr Drain trap

Claims (1)

an internal drain hose that is disposed inside the washing machine body and has a downstream side in the direction of drainage lifted to form a drain trap;
an outer drain hose connecting the inner drain hose and a drain outlet;
a fixing part that can fix the internal drain hose to a base that is a lower housing of the washing machine body,
The fixing component is capable of fixing the downstream end of the internal drain hose in a state where the drain trap is formed,
The outer drain hose is connected to the inner drain hose inside the base and can be pulled out below the washing machine body through a lower hose insertion hole provided on the underside of the base,
The base has a side hose insertion hole on a side surface through which the internal drain hose can be pulled out sideways,
When the internal drain hose is attached to the side hose insertion hole and the internal drain hose and the external drain hose are connected through the side hose insertion hole, the fixing part does not fix the internal drain hose, but can be moved to an attachment position so as to block the lower hose insertion hole.