CN102535099B - Washing machine and washing-drying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a washing and drying machine capable of preventing the detergency of cleaning power and prolonging of drying time, and realizing drying and finishing with less cloth entanglement and fewer wrinkles. This washing and drying machine includes a washing tub, a rotating body provided at the bottom of the washing tub, an outer cylinder containing the washing tub and storing washing water, a motor for rotationally driving the washing tub and the rotating body, and blowing warm air into the washing and drying machine. The warm air circulation device inside the washing tub is provided with an inclined surface forming up-down undulations on the surface of the above-mentioned rotating body along the circumferential direction, and the top of the undulations formed by the above-mentioned inclined surface is directed from the rotation center of the above-mentioned rotating body to the top of the above-mentioned undulations. The ridge portion of the rotator is formed in such a way that it gradually becomes higher from the center of the rotation toward the top. When drying, the rotator imparts movement in the up and down direction to the clothes through the rotative motion, and at the same time rotates the rotator in the forward and reverse directions. At this time, the laundry collected on the outer peripheral side of the rotating body is dispersed.

Description

Washing machine and washer dryer

This application is a divisional application. The filing date of the original application is September 10, 2004, the application number is 200480018449.5, and the title of the invention is a washing machine and a washing and drying machine.

technical field

The present invention relates to a washing machine or a washing and drying machine provided with an agitator for applying mechanical force to laundry.

Background technique

As a conventional washing and drying machine, it is well known (for example, refer to Patent Document 1) that in the washing operation, after supplying water from the water pipe (washing water), the agitator is rotated forward and backward to apply a mechanical force. The washing operation is performed on the laundry, and then the rinsing operation is performed by applying mechanical force to the laundry while supplying water from the water pipe (rinsing water). The dehydration operation is the dehydration operation in which the rinse water in the laundry is centrifugally dehydrated, and then, while supplying warm air to the washing and dehydrating tub, the washing and dehydrating tub and the agitator are rotated together, or the agitator is rotated forward and backward to make the laundry A drying operation in which laundry is dried alternately up and down (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). Wrinkles during drying are caused by drying the laundry with its posture fixed. The forward and reverse operation of the agitator during the drying operation not only plays the role of making the laundry alternately up and down to promote the evaporation of water, but also has the role of changing the posture through the movement of the laundry so that the same part will not bend and stay still.

As an agitator for laundry, it is known to provide a flat surface oblique to the rotation axis facing the inside of the washing tub (for example, refer to Patent Document 2). The size of the agitator is smaller than the bottom surface of the washing tub, and is arranged at a corner in the washing tub. When the agitator is rotated around the rotation axis, pulses are generated facing the washing tub to generate upward water flow.

In addition, as an agitator used in a washing machine, a well-known rotary vane of a washing machine is arranged on the inner bottom of the washing machine, and a plurality of fan-shaped blades are provided approximately radially from the center to the outer periphery (for example, refer to Patent Document 3). .

In a washing machine equipped with an agitator, it is desirable to reduce cloth tangles in order to reduce washing unevenness, perform a good rinse, etc., and improve the washing effect. Furthermore, in washing and drying machines equipped with a drying function, it is necessary to reduce cloth entanglement in the washing process and drying operation in order to achieve dry finishing with less wrinkles. If the cloth is entangled, the shape of the entangled part is fixed, causing wrinkles.

In order to reduce cloth entanglement, it is necessary to reduce the rotation angle of the agitator (reduce the number of rotations and shorten the rotation time), but during washing, the mechanical force applied to the laundry is reduced, and the cleaning power is reduced. In addition, during drying, the movement of the cloth or the alternation of the cloth becomes smaller, causing problems such as uneven drying and prolonged drying time.

Among the above-mentioned agitators, the agitator provided with a flat surface oblique to the rotation axis facing the inside of the washing tub is used in a washing machine without a dehydration function or a drying function. The size of the agitator is smaller than the bottom surface of the washing tub, and is arranged at a corner of the inner bottom of the washing tub. The amount of laundry that this washing machine can wash at one time is small, and will use a lot of water. The bath ratio (bath ratio) represented by (water volume)/(cloth volume) is also used in a state that is larger than the current washing machine. Therefore, in a washing machine that performs washing and dehydration with a large washing and dehydration capacity and a small bath ratio, or a washing and drying machine that further adds a drying function, further research is required to effectively provide mechanical force to the laundry while reducing cloth entanglement. Research.

In addition, the stirrer is provided with a plurality of radially fan-shaped blades from the center to the outer periphery, and the height of the blades is the same from the center to the vicinity of the outer periphery. Especially in the central part, the thickness of the blade (dimension in the rotational direction or the circumferential direction) is small, and it has a shape protruding at an acute angle from the reference plane of the stirrer. The shape of this blade exerts a great force on the washing, which is easy to cause the cloth to be entangled.

In addition, all the agitators mentioned above are used in washing machines without a drying function, and the finishing for achieving dryness with few wrinkles is not considered.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-360966 (pp. 7-9)

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Publication No. 35-8440 (Page 1, Figure 7)

Patent Document 3: Specification and drawings (1st page, 1st drawing and 2nd drawing) of Shiyuanzhao No. 55-15919 (Shenkaizhao 56-116972).

Contents of the invention

In this invention, the rotary body provided in the bottom part of a washing tub has the inclined surface which gives the movement of the up-down direction to laundry by the rotary motion. The size of the diameter of the rotating body is 90% or more of the inner diameter of the washing tub, and the inclined surface can be formed as follows: when the rotating body rotates, the laundry is moved to the outer peripheral side of the rotating body so that the centrifugal force acts, and at the same time The outer peripheral side provides upward movement to the laundry while sliding the laundry on the inclined surface. In addition, when the rotation of the rotating body stops, the inclined surface may slide downwards to give the laundry.

Specifically, the rotating body is provided with an inclined surface toward the inside of the washing tub, and the inclined surface is formed so that on the outer peripheral side of the rotating body, the top and the bottom of the valley that become higher in the circumferential direction and the bottom of the valley are separated from the rotation center of the rotating body. The height gradually increases toward the top to form the top and the bottom of the valley, so that the circumferential length from the highest part of the top to the lowest part of the bottom of the valley is longer than the height difference between the top and the bottom of the valley. The top is on the outer peripheral side of the rotating body, and it is sufficient to form 1 to 3 tops in the circumferential direction, preferably 2 tops. The inclined surface may also be formed by a flat surface.

On the above-mentioned rotating body, the force for conveying the laundry in the direction of rotation is reduced, and the laundry is easily moved from the central side of the washing tub to the peripheral wall (side wall) side by receiving the centrifugal force through the rotation of the rotating body. The movement in the vertical direction of the laundry moved to the peripheral wall side is given by the undulation of the outer peripheral side of the rotating body, and a mechanical force is applied. Furthermore, the laundry collected on the side of the peripheral wall is dispersed by moving up and down, contributing to alternation. In the washing and drying machine, the dispersion of laundry during drying works particularly effectively, and can reduce cloth tangling.

According to the washing machine or washing and drying machine of the present invention, it is a simple structure that simply rotates the agitator around the rotating shaft, and by giving the laundry a mechanical force to move up and down, the cleaning power can be improved, and the cloth can be reduced. Winding, so uneven washing and creases are reduced.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of the washing and drying machine of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a stirrer according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the movement of laundry on the agitator when the agitator of Fig. 2 is deployed about halfway in the circumferential direction.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the washing and dehydrating tub 2 .

Fig. 5 is a top view of the washing and dehydrating tub 2 cut along line B-B in Fig. 4 .

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an agitator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a view showing the stirrer of Fig. 6 developed about half a circle in the circumferential direction.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an agitator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the shape of a stirrer formed with three vertices.

Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the blade surface height in the circumferential direction of the agitator.

Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the inclination angle of the inclined surface of the agitator according to the present invention, the vertical movement of the laundry, and the entanglement of the laundry.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a stirrer for comparing shapes.

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the agitator of Fig. 12 taken along line A-A of Fig. 12 .

Fig. 14 is a diagram showing movement of the laundry in the vertical direction by expanding the agitator of Fig. 6 in the circumferential direction.

Fig. 15 is a diagram showing the movement of the laundry in the circumferential direction when the agitator of Fig. 6 is viewed from above.

in the picture

1-outer frame; 2-washing and dehydration bucket; 4-agitator; 4b-inclined surface; 5-outer bucket; 6-driving device; ;29-heater; 50-agitator; 50b-inclined surface; 51-agitator; 51b-inclined surface

Detailed ways

In the agitator of a washing machine or a washing and drying machine, an inclined surface is formed along the circumferential direction thereof, and the inclined surface forms undulations in the vertical direction. The inclined surface can be either a plane or a curved surface. The rotation center axis of the agitator is disposed at the center of the bottom of the washing tub, and forms a large diameter covering the inside of the bottom of the washing tub. Here, covering the inside of the bottom of the washing tub does not necessarily mean covering 100% of the inside of the bottom. If the washing tub is made into a cylindrical shape, the outer diameter of the agitator may be substantially the same as the inner diameter of the washing tub, or a space may be provided between the outer peripheral portion of the agitator and the peripheral wall of the washing tub. In addition, the outer diameter of the agitator is 90% or more of the inner diameter of the washing tub. The stirrer has a top with a raised projection portion that undulates on its outer peripheral side, and the height of the undulations gradually increases from the rotation center of the stirrer to the apex of the top. In order to ensure the height of the undulations and make the inclination of the inclined surface gentle, the undulations have 1 to 3 protrusions in the circumferential direction. In order to make the height of undulations higher and the inclined surface more gentle, the number of protrusions should be small, but considering the balance when the stirrer rotates, it is preferable to have two protrusions.

In the above-mentioned agitator, the force for conveying the laundry in the direction of rotation is reduced, and the laundry is easily moved from the center side of the washing tub to the peripheral wall (side wall) side by receiving the centrifugal force due to the rotation of the agitator. The laundry moved to the peripheral wall side is moved in the vertical direction by the fluctuation of the outer peripheral side of the agitator, and is given a mechanical force. Furthermore, the laundry collected on the side of the peripheral wall is dispersed by moving up and down, contributing to alternation. In the washing and drying machine, the dispersion of laundry during drying works particularly effectively, and can reduce cloth tangling.

The following is an example of a washing and drying machine. In addition, since the dehydration process is performed in the washing and drying machine of this example, the washing tub into which the laundry is placed will be described as a washing and dehydrating tub.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a washing and drying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention in longitudinal section.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a four-sided cylindrical outer frame constituting the outer shape. The outer frame 1 is made of steel plate. 2 is a washing and dehydrating bucket, which is equipped with a small hole 2a for water and ventilation on its peripheral wall (side wall), and its upper edge is equipped with a fluid balancer 3, which is rotatably installed on the inner side of the bottom as a mechanical force provided to the tank. Agitator 4 for rotating body of laundry. The stirrer 4 has small holes 4a for passing water and ventilation. 5 is an outer bucket, which is equipped with a washing and dehydrating bucket 2, retaining washing water and rinsing water, and the driving device 6 is installed on the outside of the bottom through the installation base 7 made of steel plate, and is fixed on the four corners of the upper end of the outer frame 1. The four anti-vibration support devices 8 suspend the outer tub 5 equally from all sides, thereby holding it hanging from the center of the outer frame 1 .

The agitator 4 is a large diameter (the outer diameter is 90% or more of the inner diameter of the washing and dehydrating bucket) covering most of the bottom of the washing and dehydrating bucket 2, and the central axis of rotation is arranged with the washing and dehydrating bucket 2. The center axis of rotation overlaps. The shape of the stirrer 4 will be described in detail later.

Drive device 6 built-in drive motor and electrically operated clutch mechanism and planetary gear speed reduction mechanism, possesses selective drive function, makes the agitator 4 rotate (stirring mode) under the state that makes washing and dehydration bucket 2 static, makes washing and dehydration bucket 2 and the agitator 4 each rotate in opposite directions (washing mode), and the washing and dehydrating tub 2 and the agitator 4 are integrally rotated in the same direction (spinning and drying mode).

The top cover 9 forming the outer clothing inlet 9a is inserted into the upper opening of the outer frame 1 to cover the upper opening, and is mounted on the outer frame 1 together with the front panel 10 and the rear panel 11 by mounting screws.

The outer clothing inlet 9a formed on the top cover 9 is covered freely by the outer cover 31. The outer cover 31 is installed on the top cover 9 through the hinge 31a, and can be opened in two folds (protrusion folding). The inner clothes input opening 28a formed on the outer tub upper cover 28 at the upper end of the tub 5 is freely opened and closed by the inner cover 32, and the inner cover 32 is mounted on the outer tub upper cover 28 through a hinge 32a.

The front housing portion formed between the top cover 9 and the front panel 10, that is, the front panel box 12, is equipped with: an operation panel 14 with a power switch 13, an input switch and a display element; a water level sensor 15 for the water level signal; and a control unit 16 . These constitute the control means.

The rear accommodating portion formed between the top cover 9 and the rear end panel 11 is a rear panel box 17 in which a washing water supply mechanism is housed. The washing water supply mechanism is composed of the main water supply solenoid valve 20 connected to the valve pin connection port 18 on the water inlet side and connected to the water injection port 19 on the water outlet side as follows. And, though not shown in the figure, also can be provided with the water supply mechanism that is connected on the flexible pipe connection port by the water inlet side, the water outlet side is connected on the water injection port 19 and the bathtub water pump.

A detergent dissolving container 21 for dissolving detergent is provided between the main water supply solenoid valve 20 and the water injection port 19, and the detergent solution dissolved in water from the main water supply solenoid valve 20 is supplied to the water injection port. A softener input chamber 21a is attached to the detergent dissolver 21, and the softener injected into the softener input chamber 21a overflows from the softener input chamber 21a by water supply from the auxiliary water supply electromagnetic valve 22, and is supplied to the water injection port 19.

The water filling port 19 passes through the bottom of the top cover 9 and the rear portion of the outer tub loam cake 28 of the outer tub 5 , and faces the inner opening of the upper opening of the washing and dehydrating tub 2 .

The warm air circulation drying mechanism is equipped with: a dehumidification air passage part, that is, a water-cooled dehumidification duct 23, which is formed by extending upwards in a vertical state along the outer wall surface of the rear side of the outer tub 5 from the suction port 5a formed on the lower side wall of the outer tub 5, Block the washing water entering from the suction port 5a; the water-cooled dehumidification mechanism is the cooling sprinkling part 24, which is located on the upper part of the water-cooled dehumidification conduit 23, and supplies the cooling water in the conduit; The position of the high water level of the outer barrel 5 in the process is turned back, and extends vertically along the outer wall of the outer barrel 5 facing the lower side of the outer barrel 5; the circulation fan 26 is arranged in the space on the lower side of the outer barrel 5, and the air is drawn from the descending air path. The duct 25 is sucked into the suction port to generate circulating air; the ascending air passage part, that is, the ascending air passage duct 27, extends vertically from the outlet of the circulating fan 26 along the outer wall of the outer tub 5; and the blowing inlet 30 is arranged on Installed on the outer barrel upper cover 28 of the upper end portion of the outer barrel 5, a heating mechanism that is a heater (PTC heater) 29 that heats the circulating air sent in from the ascending air duct 27 is built in, and the heated circulating air is heated. Air is blown into the washing and dehydrating tub 2 . The cooling water sprinkler 24 is connected to the sprinkler solenoid valve 24a.

The water-cooling and dehumidification conduit 23, the descending air conduit 25, and the ascending air conduit 27 constituting the circulating air path are arranged in parallel on the outer wall surface of the outer tub 5 in the circumferential direction of the outer tub 5, and a part thereof is integrally formed and installed with the outer tub 5 to cover these The outer rear side cover 1a has a shape that bulges outward, and is screw-fixed.

In addition, a humidity sensor 40 and a first temperature sensor 41 , which are humidity detecting means, are provided in the descending duct 25 , and a second temperature sensor 42 is provided in the air duct downstream of the heater 29 of the air inlet 30 . In order to accurately detect the humidity and temperature of the water-cooled and dehumidified circulating air in the water-cooled dehumidification conduit 23, after the water-cooled and dehumidified circulating air is well mixed and uniform, it is best to make it contact the humidity sensor 40 and the first temperature sensor. 41, therefore, the humidity sensor 40 and the first temperature sensor 41 are arranged on the lower part of the descending air duct 25 away from the water-cooled dehumidification duct 23 or on the suction port housing 26a of the circulation fan 26. Furthermore, in order to facilitate maintenance work, the humidity sensor 40 and the first temperature sensor 41 are installed at positions exposed when the rear side cover 1a is removed.

In addition, illustration is omitted here, and a debris collection mechanism is provided in the part turned back from the water-cooled dehumidification duct 23 to the descending air duct 25 .

The drain port 5b formed at the bottom of the tub 5 is connected to a drain hose 34 through a drain solenoid valve 33 . The gas choke box 5c is connected to the above-mentioned water level sensor 15 through the air supply pipe 35 . A base 37 formed of synthetic resin with legs 36 attached at four corners is attached to the lower end edge of the outer frame 1 .

In addition, reference numeral 38 denotes laundry thrown into the washing and dehydrating tub 2 .

The warm air circulation drying mechanism drains the washing water in the outer tub 5 after washing, and after the washing and dehydrating tub 2 is rotated and dehydrated at high speed, it rotates at a high speed or at a low speed, or makes the agitator 4 rotate forward and backward while passing through the The rotating fan 26 operates to suck out the humid air in the outer tub 5 and the washing and dehydrating tub 2 from the suction port 5a, and in the process of rising in the water-cooling dehumidification conduit 23, the cooling water in the water-cooling dehumidification conduit 23 is supplied from the cooling sprinkling part 24. Water for cooling and dehumidification. Thereafter, the air that has been cooled and dehumidified descends at the descending duct 25, and is sucked into the circulation fan 26. From the circulation fan 26, it is sent into the air inlet 30 through the ascending duct 27 and the heater 29, and is heated by the heater 29. Blow toward the central part of the washing and dehydrating tub 2 . In this way, the circulating air blown into the washing and dehydrating tub 2 contacts the laundry in the washing and dehydrating tub 2 to dry the laundry.

Next, the shape of the agitator and the movement of the cloth of the laundry during washing and drying will be described.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a stirrer according to one embodiment of the present invention. The surface of the stirrer 4 is a symmetrical V shape about an axis perpendicular to the rotation axis of the stirrer 4 (indicated by a two-dot chain line B-B in the figure), and the inclined plane 4b and the inclined plane 4b that become higher from the center to the outer peripheral portion Between valley bottom 4c constitutes. There are a plurality of small holes 4a for flowing water during washing and warm air during drying on the surface. Seen from the washing and dehydrating bucket 2 (fixed side), when the agitator 4 rotates, the surface of the agitator 4 gradually increases in height from the bottom of the valley 4c to the upper part of the inclined plane 4b, and after reaching the uppermost part, the height of the surface of the agitator 4 decreases toward the bottom of the valley 4c . The point where the height of the surface of the stirrer 4 gradually changes is very different from the stirrer shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 , and this plays a large role in preventing the cloth from being entangled. In this embodiment, when the stirrer 4 rotates once, the surface of the stirrer 4 moves up and down twice. The amplitude of this up-and-down movement becomes larger as it approaches the outer peripheral portion.

Here, the stirrer shown in Fig. 12 and Fig. 13 will be described.

In a washing and drying machine equipped with an agitator, it is necessary to reduce cloth entanglement during the washing process and drying operation in order to achieve dry finishing with less wrinkles. If cloth entanglement occurs, the shape of the entangled portion is fixed causing wrinkles. The stirrer 52 shown in FIG. 12 bends upwards to form a disc shape by pushing up the peripheral portion little by little, and a plurality of radial blades 52b protruding upward are provided on the surface. 52c is a plurality of small holes for flowing washing drainage and warm air during drying. The radial blades 52b generate cleaning power by rubbing against the laundry 38 and rubbing to deform the laundry 38 .

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the agitator 52 taken along line A-A of FIG. 12 . Since blade 52b protrudes at an acute angle with respect to the base surface of agitator 52, when agitator 52 rotates, a rotational force greater than centrifugal force acts on laundry 38. That is, in the portion of the protruding portion b protruding at a sharp angle, the force received by the laundry 38 from the protruding portion, that is, the surface pressure is sharply larger than the portions on both sides in the rotation direction of the protruding portion. Accordingly, the protruding portion increases the force for conveying the laundry 38 in the rotation direction. As shown in FIG. 13 , the laundry 38 slides and tumbles on the agitator 52 , is pressed or caught by the blade 52 b, and rotates in the same direction as the agitator 52 rotates. In addition, although the blade 52b also generates a force to lift the laundry 38, since the blade 52b protrudes at an acute angle and has a small width b, the force is very slight, and the vertical movement of the laundry 38 hardly occurs. In addition, since the small and generated force is only added to the laundry in contact with the agitator 52 or very close to the agitator 52 among the overlapping laundry, it cannot be transmitted to the laundry on the upper floor.

When the laundry 38 is tumbled on the agitator 52, the laundry 38 tends to form a ball, and becomes a state where cloth entanglement tends to occur. And, as shown in Figure 12, if the laundry 38 is arranged from the center of the agitator 52 to the periphery, due to the speed difference between the center and the periphery of the agitator 52, the part at the periphery will roll more, twisting (in It is noticeable on long clothes such as long sleeves of shirts and trousers). Since the agitator 52 repeats forward and reverse rotation, the twist is eliminated by rotating in the opposite direction, but in fact the laundry does not rotate forward and backward symmetrically, and the twist gradually increases. Since the laundry 38 becomes a thin strip by this twisting, it is more likely to be in a state where the cloth becomes entangled. As a result, wrinkles like clothes creases are formed on the laundry 38, and the finish of drying is reduced.

In order to reduce cloth entanglement, it is necessary to reduce the rotation angle of the agitator (reduce the number of rotations and shorten the rotation time), but during washing, the mechanical force applied to the laundry is reduced, and the cleaning power is reduced. In addition, during drying, the movement of the cloth or the alternation of the cloth becomes smaller, causing problems of uneven drying and longer drying time.

Movement of laundry during washing and drying will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5 . FIG. 3 is a view in which the agitator 4 is expanded about half a circle in the circumferential direction, illustrating the movement of the laundry 38 on the agitator 4 . Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the washing and dehydrating tub 2, and Fig. 5 is a top view of the washing and dehydrating tub 2 cut along line C-C in Fig. 4 and viewed from above.

When the laundry 38 was at the position of the valley bottom 4c represented by (I) of FIG. The direction of rotation of 4 rotates in the same direction. The surface shape of the agitator 4 is not a shape in which the agitator blades protrude from the surface at an acute angle as shown in FIG. Will become clumps or twine. At the same time, the laundry moves from the bottom of the valley 4c (I) along the inclined plane 4b to the top of the inclined plane (lifted upward) through wedge action, and after reaching the uppermost part (II), it moves downward due to gravity, and returns again. Movement in the up and down direction of the bottom 4c(III) of the valley. At this time, by properly selecting the number of revolutions of the agitator, the natural vibration frequency of the vertical movement of the laundry coincides with the vertical vibration frequency of the blade surface, and the vertical movement of the laundry can be provided more effectively.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , laundry 38 is moved to the outer peripheral portion of agitator 4 by the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of agitator 4 , and is arranged along the inner wall surface of washing and dehydrating tub 2 in the circumferential direction. This is because, as described above, the surface shape of the agitator 4 gradually changes in the direction of rotation, so the centrifugal force acts on the laundry 38 stronger than the force in the direction of rotation. Since the amplitude of the up-down direction of the blade surface of the outer peripheral part is large, it is possible to provide a large up-down motion to the laundry 38 more efficiently. Furthermore, since the movement of falling toward the valley bottom 4c is added when the rotation of the agitator stops, the laundry 38 alternates, and uneven washing and uneven drying do not occur. That is, the laundry 38 concentrated on the outer peripheral portion of the agitator 4 by the centrifugal force is dispersed by the vertical movement of the laundry 38 . Furthermore, since the laundry is not distributed from the center to the outer periphery of the pulsator 4 as shown in FIG. 12 , the clothes are not twisted due to the speed difference between the inner periphery and the outer periphery.

In this way, laundry 38 rotates in the same direction as the rotation direction of agitator 4 in washing and dehydrating tub 2 while moving in the vertical direction. When the laundry 38 moves up and down along the inclined plane 4b, the laundry 38 can be washed by the effects of beating washing and pressing washing. In addition, during drying, the volume of the washing and dehydrating tub 2 can be effectively used by moving the laundry 38 up and down, and the laundry 38 can be easily spread in the washing and dehydrating tub 2, so that drying with less wrinkles can be realized. Moreover, since the laundry 38 moves up and down while rotating in the rotation direction of the agitator 4, gaps are generated between the laundry, and the warm air is not only transmitted to the surface of the laundry 38, but also easily transmitted to the inside, thereby promoting Evaporation of moisture in the laundry 38 can shorten the drying time.

Furthermore, the pulsator 4 has the advantage of significantly reducing the amount of water during washing as compared with the pulsators shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 . 12 and FIG. 13, the washing water in the dehydration tub in the washing room is sufficient, and the laundry 38 is in a state of slightly floating (separated) from the surface of the agitator due to buoyancy. In this state, as the agitator rotates, blade 52b rubs against laundry 38 to obtain detergency. 12 and 13, if the amount of washing water is reduced, the laundry 38 is placed on the agitator 52, the blade 52b sinks into the laundry 38, and the blade 52b and the laundry 38 become meshed. In this state, when the agitator 52 rotates, the laundry 38 and the agitator 52 rotate substantially integrally, no relative movement occurs, and no cleaning force is generated.

On the other hand, the shape of the surface of the stirrer 4 changes gradually. Thus, even if the amount of washing water is small and the laundry 38 is placed on the agitator, if the agitator rotates, the laundry 38 slides on the agitator and moves up and down by the wedge action of the inclined surface 4b. Produces cleansing power. In addition, when reducing the amount of water, in order to spread the washing water over the entire laundry, it is preferable to install a washing water circulation mechanism to spray the washing water from above the laundry.

The shape of the inclined surface is as shown in FIG. 6, and even if it is a mountain shape, the movement of the cloth substantially the same as above can be realized. The surface of the stirrer 50 is composed of a fan-shaped substantially mountain-shaped inclined surface 50b that increases from the center to the outer periphery, and valley bottoms 50c connecting the inclined surfaces 50b. On the outer periphery of the agitator 50, there are two circumferential apexes (tops) 50d, and a valley bottom 50c is formed between the apex 50d and the apex 50d. A ridge portion 50e whose height gradually becomes higher is formed from the center of rotation toward the apex 50d. The inclined surfaces 50b point in different directions on both sides in the circumferential direction of the ridge portion 50e. In addition, the inclined surface 50b may be a flat surface or a curved surface. 50a is a small hole through which water for washing and warm air for drying flow. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing changes in the shape of the inclined surface 50b in the circumferential direction when the stirrer 50 is developed in the circumferential direction. This agitator is characterized in that it is made into a mountain shape, and the inclination angle of the inclined surface 50b in the circumferential direction gradually increases toward the apex at first, and the inclination angle gradually decreases after approaching the apex. Thereby, the foot part of the inclined surface 50b is smoothly connected from the valley bottom part 50c, and this foot part functions as an approach road. The laundry 38 can effectively jump upward near the apex where the inclination angle becomes steeper while sliding on this run-up. Thereby, larger vertical movement can be provided to laundry.

In addition, even if the radial inclination angle of the inclined surface 50b becomes larger, the height difference on the surface of the agitator becomes larger, and the clothes are difficult to tumble due to the gentle shape change, and a large up and down movement can be provided without entanglement on the laundry. . Therefore, detergency and drying efficiency can be improved. Of course, it is better to make the central angle of the fan of the mountain-shaped inclined surface as large as possible (close to 180°), so that the inclined surface 50b is large and the valley bottom 50c is small.

The stirrer may also have a single inclined surface 51b as shown in FIG. 8 . The inclined surface 51b is an inclined surface that straddles the rotation center axis from the outer peripheral portion to the other end portion side. 51c is a bottom surface connected to the lowest portion of the inclined surface 51b, and 51a is a plurality of small holes through which water for washing and warm air for drying flow. Although the inclined surface 51b is shown as a flat surface in the figure, it may be a mountain-shaped inclined surface as shown in FIG. 6 . The inclined surface 51b has a size occupying at least half of the agitator 51 or more. Of course, the entire stirrer 51 may be formed as an inclined surface 51b (in this case, there is no bottom surface 51c). However, since the bottom surface 51c functions as a run-up path, the bottom surface 51c is provided in a range from the outer periphery of the agitator 51 to about 1/4 of the diameter, and the laundry easily moves above the inclined surface 51b. The characteristic of this shape is that the height difference of the inclined surface 51b can be made large without increasing the inclination angle of the inclined surface 51b. Compared with the stirrer provided with the facing inclined surfaces shown in FIG. 2 , it is possible to ensure a maximum height difference of about twice at the same inclination angle. Thus, the vertical movement of the laundry 38 can be increased, and the volume of the washing and dehydrating tub 2 can be used more effectively, so that the laundry 38 can be easily spread during drying, and the occurrence of wrinkles can be suppressed.

In FIGS. 6 and 7 , the number of vertices (tops) existing on the outer peripheral portion of the stirrer is two, but it is also conceivable to make it three as shown in FIG. 9 . (a) is a perspective view of a stirrer, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a top view (blade surface) view. In the agitator 60 of FIG. 9, three valley bottoms 60b are formed in the circumferential direction, and the top 60a is formed in the outer peripheral part between the valley bottoms 60b and the valley bottoms 60b. Between the bottom of the valley 60b and the bottom of the valley 60b, the height gradually increases from the center of rotation toward the top 60a. At this time, a ridge portion 60e is formed from the rotation center portion toward the top portion 60a, and inclined surfaces 60c and 60d having different orientation directions are formed on both sides of the ridge portion 60e in the circumferential direction. The inclined surfaces 60c and 60d may be formed as flat surfaces or as curved surfaces, and their shapes are the same as those of the stirrer in FIG. 6 except for the number of apexes 60a and valley bottoms 60b. However, the greater the number of vertices, the more difficult it is to make the height of the vertices higher and the inclination of the inclined surface smaller and gentler. For a washing machine or washing and drying machine with a rated washing and dehydrating capacity of 6 to 10 kg and a drying capacity of about 2 to 8 kg, the number of peaks (mountains) is preferably 1 to 3. In addition, if the height of the apex is increased to provide the laundry with a large vertical movement, and the inclined surface is made gentle to reduce the inclination, the number of apexes should be as small as possible. If you consider the balance when the mixer is rotating, it is better to make 2 vertices.

As described above, the agitator of each of the above-mentioned embodiments rotates in the same direction as the rotation direction of the agitator while moving the laundry vertically along the inclined surface by rotating the agitator. The greater the vertical movement of the laundry, the higher the detergency, the shorter the drying time, and the less drying wrinkles. In addition, since the agitator and the laundry in each of the above embodiments have a large sliding movement, the detergency can be further improved by providing minute unevenness and small blades on the surface of the inclined surface.

FIG. 10 shows a plan view (A) of the agitator shown in FIGS. 2 and 6 viewed from above (from the blade surface side) and heights (B) and (C) of the blade surface as a representative example. (B) and (C) show the change in the height of the blade surface in the circumferential direction at the radial positions from the rotation center whose radii are R1 , R2 , and R3 in the figure (A).

(B) figure shows the situation of the agitator 4 of FIG. 2, on this agitator 4, the inclined surface 4b is a plane, but if the height change of the blade surface on the circumferential direction is shown in the figure, then it can be seen that at each radial position The tops with the highest heights (H1, H2, H3) were produced. If these apexes are connected halfway up, it can be seen that a ridge portion is formed, and the ridge portion gradually becomes higher from the center of rotation toward the outer periphery. In this way, even on the agitator 4 of FIG. 2 , the top and the ridge can be defined in addition to the valley bottom 4c.

The figure (C) shows the state of the agitator 50 of FIG. 6 . In the case of the agitator 50 of FIG. 6 , the valley bottom 50c, the top 50d, and the ridge 50e can be easily seen from the surface shape of the agitator without illustrating the blade surface height in the circumferential direction.

In short, it can be seen from Fig. 10 that the bottom, top and ridge of the valley gradually become higher from the center of rotation to the outer periphery. In addition, it can be known that at each radial position, the circumferential length (circumferential length) L (L1, L2, L3, L4) of the inclined surface relative to the blade surface height H (H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6 , L5, L6) become larger respectively, forming a slope with a small and gentle slope angle.

FIG. 11 is a qualitative diagram showing the relationship between the inclination angle of the inclined surface (the angle with respect to the rotation direction of the agitator) and the movement of the laundry in the vertical direction and the entanglement of the laundry in an experimental investigation. The vertical movement of the laundry increases in proportion to the inclination angle of the inclined surface, reaches a peak at a certain angle, and decreases on the contrary. From this, it can be known that there is an optimal inclination angle. This is because, when the inclination angle is too large, the laundry is pressed by the inclination surface, and it is difficult to slide on the surface of the agitator, and it is difficult to move above the inclination surface.

On the other hand, when the angle of inclination at which the vertical movement of the laundry starts to decrease becomes or exceeds, the entanglement of the cloth increases rapidly. This is because if the inclination angle is too large, the laundry is difficult to slide on the surface of the agitator, and the laundry becomes a ball at the valley bottom of the inclination surface, and moves in a rolling motion.

According to experiments, when it is the opposite inclined surface shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 6, the inclination angle is preferably 15-25°. At this time, the height difference of the inclined surface is about 0.13 to 0.22 times the diameter of the stirrer. In addition, when it is a single inclined surface as shown in Fig. 8, the inclined angle is preferably 15-30°.

According to the above-mentioned embodiment, since the agitator simply rotates around the rotation shaft, the laundry slides on the agitator while moving in the vertical direction of the washing and dehydrating tub, and at the same time, rotates in the same direction as the rotation direction of the agitator. , so the laundry 38 will not become a ball, and the laundry 38 is difficult to twist and twist. Thereby, generation|occurrence|production of wrinkles of laundry 38 can be suppressed, and dry finish can be improved significantly. In addition, it is possible to prevent occurrence of uneven drying due to entanglement.

The above-mentioned agitator of Patent Document 2 is provided on the impeller with a flat surface oblique to the rotation axis of the impeller facing into the washing tub, and by rotating the flat surface around the impeller axis, pulses are generated in the water in the washing tub, and the surface of the agitator It is an inclined surface, which is similar to the agitator (Fig. 8) of the above-mentioned embodiment, but because the agitator is arranged at a corner of the bottom of the washing tub (the diameter of the agitator is small), so the movement in the up and down direction cannot be provided to the laundry. Certainly, even if the stirrer of patent document 2 is used on the washing and drying machine, because there is no water in the washing tub during drying, only a part of the laundry is active, and the laundry cannot be dried.

The agitator of Patent Document 3 is arranged on the inner bottom of the washing machine, and is provided with a plurality of fan-shaped blades substantially radially from the center to the outer periphery. Among these blades, the height of at least one blade is higher than that of the other blades, and the height of the blade is higher than that of the other blades. The blade has an inclined portion that is gently inclined downward from the center to the outer periphery of approximately 2/3 of the outer peripheral side, and the width of the outer peripheral portion of the high blade is set to 1.5 to 1.5 to the width of the outer peripheral portion of the lower blade. 2 times.

The shape of the agitator in Patent Document 3 is to bring the blades into contact with the laundry step by step, to reduce the load on the outer periphery of the blades, and to prevent an increase in the torque of the motor. The fan-shaped blade viewed from above is similar to the stirrer ( FIG. 6 ) of the above-mentioned embodiment. However, when viewed in the lateral direction, the height of the blade is substantially constant from the center to the outer peripheral portion, which is different from the present invention in which it becomes higher toward the outer peripheral portion. In addition, since the spread angle of the fan shape is significantly smaller than that of the present invention, and the size of the blade is also small, the inclination of the blade in the circumferential direction is sharp. That is: when the agitator of Patent Document 3 rotates, the movement of the laundry is similar to that of the agitator described in FIG. It is easy to form a ball on the mixer, and it is easy to cause cloth entanglement. Therefore, even if the agitator of Patent Document 3 is used in a washing and drying machine, only the same dry finishing as that of the agitator described in FIG. 12 can be obtained.

The movement and cleaning action of the laundry in the washing process will be described with reference to the schematic diagrams of FIGS. 14 and 15 by taking the agitator 60 of FIG. 6 as an example. Fig. 14 shows that the agitator 60 is developed in the circumferential direction, and the movement of the up-down direction of the laundry 70 at each position in the circumferential direction on the agitator 60 is shown. Fig. 15 shows that the agitator 60 is viewed from above. The circumferential movement of the laundry 70. The principle of movement of laundry 70 at each position and generation of cleaning power is as follows.

(1) A portion where the circumferential inclined surface of the protruding portion 74a (50b, 50e) rises (position (a) in FIG. 14 )

The laundry 70a is repeatedly lifted from the bottom to the top by the rising slope of the protruding portion 74a, thereby repeatedly compressing the laundry 70a, thereby generating a detergency of pressing and washing.

(2) A portion beyond the apex of the protruding portion 74a (the position of (b) in FIG. 14 )

Laundry 70b lifted upward by the rising slope of raised portion 74a bounces at a position beyond raised portion 70a, and a gap is formed between raised portion 74a. In addition, at this time, the speed in the circumferential direction increases, and gaps are generated between the laundry adjacent to the circumferential direction (between the laundry 70a and the laundry 70b, and between the laundry 70d and the laundry 70e). Wash water with a high concentration of detergent sprayed from above enters these gaps and saturates the inside of laundry 70 effectively. Thereby, even if it maintains the state which does not exceed the water level of the upper surface of the agitator 60, wash water can penetrate the whole laundry 70. As shown in FIG.

(3) The portion descending from the inclined surface of the raised portion 74a to the valley bottom portion 74d (50c) (position (c) in FIG. 14 )

The laundry 70c bouncing up on the raised portion 74a falls down to the position of the valley bottom 74d through the downward slope from the raised portion 74a, thereby generating the cleaning power of pressing washing and knocking washing. At this time, collision with the adjacent laundry 70d whose speed is slow in the circumferential direction also occurs, and the cleaning force of push washing and knock washing is also generated between the circumferentially front and back laundry 70 . Furthermore, the washing water penetrating into laundry 70 is pressed out together with dirt.

(4) The direction of the vertical movement of the laundry 70 is the opposite part (between (b) and (c) and between (c) and (a) in FIG. 14 )

The laundry 70b bounced up by the protruding portion 74a and the laundry 70c that fell and the laundry 70c that was dropped and the laundry 70a that was lifted move in opposite directions. The kneading action of the same motion as hand kneading produces detergency.

In addition, in order to maximize the cleaning effect of (1) to (4) above, it is preferable to set the rotation speed of the agitator 60 to 130 to 140 rpm for the desired size of the agitator 60 . If the rotation speed is slower than this, the movement of the laundry 70 may be reduced, and the cleaning effect may be reduced. Furthermore, if the rotation speed is faster than this, the laundry 70 may not follow the up and down movement of the surface of the agitator 60, and the movement of the laundry 70 may be small, and the cleaning effect may be reduced.

In this way, while rotating the agitator 60 while circulating the washing water with a high concentration of detergent, the three functions of pressing washing, beating washing, and kneading washing can be simultaneously performed in combination with a very small amount of washing water, and high detergency can be obtained. .

The movement of the laundry 70 by the agitator 60 is also suitable for the rinsing step. Since the rinsing water easily enters the gap between the laundry caused by the bouncing of the laundry, and penetrates into the laundry 70, the same function can be used to press out the washing water and detergent components that have penetrated into the laundry 70 to improve the rinsing efficiency. .

In addition, it is also suitable for the drying process. Since the warm air enters the gap between the laundry caused by the bouncing of the laundry, the warm air is not only on the outer peripheral surface of the laundry but also pervades the inside of the laundry, so as to promote the evaporation of water and improve the drying efficiency. Furthermore, the movement of the laundry with less entanglement realizes drying with less wrinkles.

Claims (4)

1. a scrubbing-and-drying unit, it possesses washtub, be located at the rotary body of the bottom of this washtub, in-built above-mentioned washtub and accumulate the outer barrel of washings, the warm braw circulating device that rotarilys actuate the motor of above-mentioned washtub and above-mentioned rotary body and warm braw is blown into above-mentioned washtub inside

Above-mentioned scrubbing-and-drying unit is characterised in that,

On the surface of above-mentioned rotary body, along the inclined plane that is circumferentially with the fluctuating that forms above-below direction,

The rotating center section from above-mentioned rotary body forming by above-mentioned inclined plane is formed in the mode uprising gradually towards above-mentioned top from above-mentioned rotating center section towards the ridge portion at the top of above-mentioned fluctuating,

When dry, above-mentioned rotary body is rotatablely moved and is given clothing by the movement of above-below direction by it, makes above-mentioned rotary body positive and negative rotation simultaneously, in the time that this rotation stops, the clothing of the outer circumferential side that focuses on rotary body is disperseed.

2. scrubbing-and-drying unit according to claim 1, the more than 90% of the internal diameter that the diameter of above-mentioned rotary body is above-mentioned washtub.

3. scrubbing-and-drying unit according to claim 1, the outer circumferential side of above-mentioned rotary body, is circumferentially forming 1 to 3 top.

4. scrubbing-and-drying unit according to claim 1, the outer circumferential side of above-mentioned rotary body, is circumferentially forming 2 tops.