JPS6230798B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application This invention relates to a drainage device for a washing machine of the type used in general households.

Conventional Structure and Its Problems FIG. 1 is an overall diagram of the basic structure of a conventional washing machine. In the figure, 1 is an outer frame of the washing machine, and 2 is an upper body, which covers the upper opening of the outer frame 1. 3 is a panel on which electrical components are attached to control the mechanical movement of the washing machine. The lid 4 is arranged in the center of the upper body 2 so as to be openable and closable. Reference numeral 5 denotes a water receptacle serving as an outer tub of the washing tub, and has a substantially cylindrical shape for receiving washing water. Reference numeral 6 denotes a dehydration tub/washing tub, and 7 designates a dehydration hole provided on the cylindrical outer peripheral surface of the dehydration tub/washing tub 6. 8 is a stirring blade, which stirs the laundry. The stirring blade 8 is provided at the center bottom of the dehydration tub/washing tub 6. Reference numeral 9 denotes a motor, which transmits its rotation via a motor pulley 10 and a V-belt 11 to a mechanical case 12 with a built-in clutch mechanism, and rotates the stirring blade 8 during washing and the spin-drying tub/washing tub 6 during spin-drying. The motor 9 and mechanical case 12 are provided with a reinforcing plate 13
is attached to. In addition, these entire mechanical parts are
It is suspended by a vibration isolator 14. Reinforcement plate 1
Spherical receivers 15 are provided at the four corners of the outer frame 1, and a vibration isolator 14 is slidably attached to the spherical receivers 15 via rods 16 at the upper part of the outer frame 1. Reference numeral 17 denotes adjustment legs provided at the four corners of the bottom of the outer frame 1, which are used to adjust so that there is no wobbling when the frame is installed on the floor. The adjustment legs 17 are usually provided at one or two locations. 18 is a fixed leg. 19
is a drain frame, which is provided with a drain valve inside, and is opened to drain the washing water in the water tray 5 to the outside of the machine. At this time, the drainage hose 20 connects the drainage frame 19 and the outside of the machine.
It uses Reference numeral 21 denotes a balance ring, which has a liquid sealed inside, and when the laundry in the spin-drying tub/washing tub 6 is unevenly dehydrated, the liquid moves to balance the laundry according to the unevenness. Reference numeral 22 denotes a dewatering tray cover that reinforces the upper opening of the water tray 5. Reference numeral 23 denotes an air trap chamber, which is connected to a pressure switch 25 by an air hose 24, and the joint portion of the air hose 24 is treated to prevent air leakage. Therefore,
When washing water is supplied into the water receiver 5, the air in the air trap chamber 23 is compressed, and when the water level reaches a certain level, the pressure switch 25 is operated to stop the water supply. The pressure switch 25 is usually attached to the panel 3 and has a built-in diaphragm made of rubber to sense pressure changes.

In such a conventional washing machine, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the optical sensor 26 is connected to the drain pipe 2.
A sensor-type washing machine that could be attached to a washing machine to detect dirt in washing water was considered. FIG. 2 shows the mounting portion of the optical sensor 26. A tubular drain port 27 protrudes from the bottom of the water receiver 5, and a drain pot frame 19 having a guide pipe 28 connected to the tubular drain port 27 is arranged. An optical sensor 26 is attached to this guide pipe 28 as shown in FIG. 3, and a light emitting element (LED) 29 and a light receiving element (phototransistor) 30 are incorporated into the optical sensor 26. The washing water flows from the water receiver 5 to the tubular drain port 27, the guide pipe 28, and the drain valve 31 built into the drain tank frame 19. The amount of light is detected by receiving the light and converting it into voltage. The drain frame 19 is fixed to the bottom of the water receiver 5, and a drain valve 31 made of an elastic material such as synthetic rubber is installed inside the drain frame 19.
is arranged, and the valve seat surface 32 is always pressed by a spring 33 to prevent washing water from leaking. When draining the washing water, the electromagnetic solenoid 34 is energized to attract the suction part 35, and the second and first cuffs 36 and 37 connected to the suction part are moved in the direction A by the second cuff spring 38. move it. At this time, the drain valve 31 is opened in the A direction via a spring guide 39 attached to the drain valve 31 to drain the washing water. Drain valve 3
Rubber material is generally used for 1, and the bellows part 4
0 is integrally molded to satisfy flexibility. The drain valve 31 is sealed with a lid 41,
It is attached to the drainage pot frame 19.

However, in the conventional configuration, the light emitting and light receiving elements 29 and 30 of the optical sensor 26 were simply arranged around the outer periphery of the tubular drain 27 and the guide pipe 28. Dirt on the inner wall becomes a problem, and detergent scum and scale due to water quality adhere, resulting in the dirt blocking the light from the light-emitting element 29, preventing light from being transmitted to the light-receiving element 30, and preventing normal washing water from being transmitted. It was impossible to detect dirt.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a drainage device for a washing machine that can automatically clean the inside of a guide pipe for draining water and can always accurately detect drainage stains using an optical sensor.

Composition of the Invention The present invention provides a drain valve that closes the outlet of a guide pipe with an insertion part that is inserted into the guide pipe, and has lip parts on both sides of the insertion part to guide the drain valve each time the drain valve is opened and closed. The outlet of the pipe is cleaned with a lip. Therefore,
Detection of drainage dirt by the optical sensor provided at the outlet of the guide pipe is not obstructed by deposits on the inner wall of the guide pipe, and drainage dirt can always be accurately detected. Further, since the lip portion locally contacts the inner surface of the guide pipe only at the portion corresponding to the optical sensor, the sliding resistance can be extremely reduced.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 4 to 9. In FIG. 4, a drain valve 3 is housed in a drain pot frame 19 made of a transparent resin material.
1' is partially fitted and held by a collar portion 44 protruding from the cylindrical portion of the first locking rod 37'. An insertion portion 43 having a flexible portion 42 is integrally provided in the substantially cylindrical center of the drain valve 31', and is normally housed in the distal end of the drain valve 31'. A spring guide 39' is also formed in the insertion part 43 by molding at the same time, and the valve spring 4 is attached to this spring guide 39'.
I always set it by hooking 5. A step is provided inside the first lock 37', and a second lock spring 38 is set in this step. A spring guide 39a is hooked onto one end of the second lock spring 38, and the other end is connected to a second lock spring 38. It is connected to a two-piece block 36. The spring 38 is set so as to always apply a tensile force, and the valve spring 45 is also set in the spring guide 39' so as to apply a tensile force. Here, valve spring 4
5 has a smaller spring constant. In addition, the first locking rod 37' is pressed by a locking spring 33, and the drain valve 3 is pressed against the valve seat surface 32.
1' is pressed to prevent washing water from leaking. The drain spring 33 is set in the drain lid 41, and the other end of the drain valve 31' is pressed here between the drain drain frame 19 and the drain lid 41 to provide a seal. The optical sensor 26 is arranged in the direction in which the insertion section 43 moves, and the light emitting and light receiving elements 2 are arranged around the X-X axis in the drawing.
9 and 30 are provided in contact with the guide pipe 28. A portion of the guide pipe 28 has a flat portion 46 (FIG. 6) where the light emitting element 29 and the light receiving element 30 are arranged. Further, a pair of lip portions 44 are integrally provided from the insertion portion 43 so as to correspond to the flat portion 46 of the guide pipe 28, and the tips 47 of the lip portions 44 are formed in a straight line shape. The wall thickness of the lip portion 44 is usually 1 mm or less. Since the lip portion 44 is made of an elastic material, it is extremely weak. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lip portion 44, showing a locally protruding shape positioned diagonally on the outer periphery of the distal end of the insertion portion 43. FIG. Tip 47 of lip portion 44
The distance P between the planar portion 46 of the guide pipe 28
The lip portion 44 is formed to be the same as or slightly larger than the spacing L between the two, and the lip portion 44 is always in contact with the flat portion.

FIG. 4 shows the drain valve 31' in a closed state, while FIG. 5 shows the drain valve 31' in an open state using the electromagnetic solenoid 34 (FIG. 2). The drain valve 31' has a dimension C from the valve seat surface 32.
The figure shows a state in which the object has moved in the A direction. This action drains all the washing water. FIG. 7 shows the function of the insertion portion 43 after the draining process and the dewatering process are completed. Electromagnetic solenoid 3
4 (Fig. 2), the drain valve 31' rapidly moves toward the valve seat surface 32 (B
direction), and the valve seat surface 32 and the drain valve 3
The tip of 1' collides. At this time, since the insertion portion 43 has the bending portion 42, the inertia force in the B direction generated by this collision causes the valve seat surface 32 to move toward B.
It moves by a dimension E, which is the direction. This amount of movement is
Although it influences the shape of the flexible portion 42 and the mass of the insertion portion 43, it tends to be proportional to the dimension C. Therefore, the insertion portion 43 moves by the dimension E, and this dimension E
The optical sensor 2 is located closer to the valve seat surface 32 (dimension D).
6 light emitting and light receiving elements 29 and 30 may be installed. When this insertion portion 43 moves by the dimension E,
The valve spring 45 is pulled in the direction B, and when the inertia force disappears again, the insertion portion 43 is pulled back to its original position.

In this way, when draining washing water, the electromagnetic solenoid 34 is turned on and the drain valve 31' is opened, and then the drain valve 31' is opened when the draining is finished.
1', the guide pipe 2 to which the optical sensor 26 is attached, when the insertion part pops forward due to inertia using the law of motion.
Since the dirt on the inner wall corresponding to the light emitting and light receiving elements 29 and 30 of 8 is rubbed off with the lip part 44 of the insertion part 43, the amount of light from the light emitting element 29 can be adjusted to the normal amount. can be transmitted to the light receiving element 30. FIG. 9 is a graph in which the amount of light transmitted when dirty is replaced with the output voltage. If there is no dirt, the output voltage shows a constant value _V0 , but if dirt adheres to the inner wall of the guide pipe 28, the output voltage also shows a state of decreasing. In terms of performance, the deterioration of light detection is prevented by removing dirt as described above, but all of this is done naturally when the drain valve 31' is opened and closed. Therefore, in the past, stains had to be cleaned by disassembling the product or using special cleaning agents, but this invention eliminates these inconveniences and allows the product to be kept under constant light. A highly reliable sensor 26 product can be provided. Regarding dirt on the inner wall of the guide pipe 28, if you keep only the area where the light emitting element 29 and the light receiving element 30 are clean, the light sensor 2
The characteristics as 6 are maintained. Therefore, as in this embodiment, it is only necessary to provide only the necessary portion as the flat portion 46 and locally provide the lip portion 44 of the insertion portion 43 so as to wash off the flat portion 46 of the necessary portion. Elements that provide unnecessary resistance to the movement of the portion 43 using inertia force can be eliminated. Therefore, it is possible to provide a shape of the lip portion 44 having the minimum required functions. In addition, since the protruding shape of the lip portion 44 is locally convex, it can be shaped so that lint contained in washing water is less likely to get caught, and the drain valve 31' may be damaged due to entanglement of lint. It can reduce the effect of lint getting caught in the seal and prevent water leakage.

Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, the inside of the guide pipe for draining water is automatically cleaned, and drainage stains can always be accurately detected by an optical sensor. Moreover, the sliding resistance for cleaning is small, and the cleaning can be performed smoothly.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional diagram showing a conventional washing machine;
The figure is a partially enlarged sectional view, FIG. 3 is a - line sectional view, FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views of the guide pipe, and FIG. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between dirt and the amount of transmission, showing the characteristics of the optical sensor. 5... Water receiver (washing tub), 26... Light sensor,
27... Tubular drain port, 28... Guide pipe, 3
1'...Drain valve, 32...Valve seat surface, 33...Kock spring, 34...Electromagnetic solenoid, 43...Insertion part, 44...Lip part, 46...Plane part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A washing tub having an agitation means, a guide pipe connected to a drain port of the washing tub and having a translucent portion near the outlet, and a guide pipe having the translucent portion of the guide pipe sandwiched between the washing tub. an optical sensor having a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element arranged facing each other and detecting water contamination in the guide pipe; A drain valve that closes the pipe, an opening/closing drive device for the drain valve, and an integrally provided central portion of the drain valve, and inserted into the transparent portion of the guide pipe when the drain valve is closed. A drainage device for a washing machine, comprising: an insertion section; and a pair of lips protruding from the insertion section toward the light emitting element and the light receiving element to clean the inner surface of the guide pipe. 2. The drainage device for a washing machine according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the guide pipe corresponding to the light emitting element and the light receiving element is formed as a flat portion.