JP2020092758A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a washing machine for suppressing solidification of a lubricant in a liquid agent charging device for supplying a liquid agent containing a surfactant. SOLUTION: The drum type washing machine in the present disclosure includes a detergent tank 9 and a softener tank 10 for accommodating a liquid agent, and an automatic liquid agent charging device 11 for supplying the liquid agent from the detergent tank 9 and the softener tank 10 to a rotary drum 1. To prepare for. The liquid agent automatic charging device 11 includes a cylinder 22d formed in a cylindrical shape, a piston 22b having at least a part thereof penetrate into the cylinder 22d and slidably provided with the cylinder 22d, and a cam 22c for linearly moving the piston 22b. And a piston pump 22 including a drive motor 22a. Silicone oil 28 containing no thickener is applied to the sliding portion where the cylinder 22d and the piston 22b slide. As a result, it is possible to prevent the lubricant from being emulsified and eluted by the surfactant contained in the liquid and solidifying the lubricant. [Selection diagram] FIG. 7

Description

The present disclosure relates to a washing machine that performs washing using a liquid agent such as a detergent or a softening agent.

Patent Document 1 discloses a drum type washing machine provided with an automatic liquid agent charging device.

The drum type washing machine in Patent Document 1 includes a liquid agent tank that stores a liquid agent, and a liquid agent input device that supplies the liquid agent from the liquid agent tank to the washing tub. The liquid agent introducing device has a piston pump including a cylinder formed in a tubular shape, a piston that is installed in the cylinder and operates to suck or discharge the liquid detergent, and a drive motor that drives the piston.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-524995

However, it is necessary to apply a lubricant to the sliding portion between the piston and the cylinder, and in the structure of the above-mentioned conventional technique, grease composed of a thickener and a base oil has generally been used as the lubricant.

The present disclosure provides a washing machine that suppresses malfunction of a piston pump by suppressing solidification of a lubricant in a liquid agent injection device that supplies a liquid agent containing a surfactant.

A drum type washing machine according to the present disclosure contains a housing, a water tub unit elastically supported inside the housing, a washing tub rotatably provided inside the water tank unit, and at least one containing a liquid agent. It is provided with one or more liquid agent tanks and a liquid agent feeding device for supplying a liquid agent from the liquid agent tank to the washing tub. The liquid agent injection device includes a cylinder formed in a tubular shape, a piston at least a part of which penetrates into the cylinder and is provided slidably with the cylinder, and a drive unit which linearly moves the piston. It has a piston pump. A lubricant containing no thickener is applied to a sliding portion where the cylinder and the piston slide.

The washing machine according to the present disclosure can prevent the malfunction of the piston pump in the liquid agent injection device that supplies the liquid agent containing the surfactant.

Longitudinal sectional view of the washing machine according to the first embodiment Perspective view showing the appearance of the washing machine Plan view of the automatic liquid agent charging device of the same washing machine Side sectional view of the automatic liquid dispenser of the washing machine Sectional view of the essential parts of the automatic liquid dispenser of the washing machine Sectional view of the main part of the piston pump of the automatic liquid dispenser of the washing machine Schematic diagram showing the locations where lubricant is applied in the piston pump section of the automatic liquid dispenser of the washing machine

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
The first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, a drum type washing machine will be described as an example of the washing machine.

The basic configuration of the washing machine will be described.

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the washing machine according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the water tank unit 2 is vibration-supported by a spring body (not shown) provided between the water tank unit 2 and the main body 3 and a vibration damper 5. Inside the water tank unit 2, a rotary drum 1 for containing laundry is rotatably provided. The rotating drum 1 and the water tank unit 2 are arranged so that the rotating shaft of the rotating drum 1 is inclined from the front to the rear. The rotary drum 1 is rotationally driven by a motor 6 provided at the bottom of the water tank unit 2.

Next, the basic configuration of the automatic liquid agent feeder 11 will be described.

2 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of the washing machine according to the first embodiment, FIG. 3 is a plan view of an automatic liquid agent loading device of the same washing machine, and FIG. 4 is a side view of an automatic liquid agent loading device of the same washing machine. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of an essential part of the same liquid agent automatic charging device of the washing machine.

As shown in FIG. 2, a detergent container 7 is arranged in the upper front portion of the main body 3, and a storage portion 7 a is formed inside the detergent container 7. A detergent container 8 used when manually inserting a detergent or a softening agent is detachably stored in front of the storage portion 7a.

Further, a detergent tank 9 and a softening agent tank 10 filled with a liquid agent to be supplied to an automatic liquid agent introducing device 11 (described later) are detachably accommodated behind the storage section 7a.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, an automatic liquid agent feeding device 11 is provided outside the detergent container 7 at the rear side. The liquid agent automatic feeding device 11 sucks the liquid agent filled in the detergent tank 9 and the softening agent tank 10 by the piston pump 22, and sends the liquid agent to the aquarium unit 2 via the discharge path 11 a and the connection hose 25.

Further, a water supply valve 16 for supplying water is disposed behind the automatic liquid agent feeder 11. The water supply valve 16 is provided so as to be openable and closable, and the water supply path 11b connects the water supply valve 16 and the liquid agent automatic injection device 11.

Next, a detailed configuration of the automatic liquid agent feeder 11 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 5, a supply port 9a and a supply port 10a are provided at the bottoms of the detergent tank 9 and the softener tank 10, respectively. A check valve 9b and a check valve 10b are provided at the supply port 9a and the supply port 10a, respectively, to prevent backflow.

The suction port 14 and the suction port 15 are formed so as to project from the liquid agent automatic charging device 11. The suction ports 14 and 15 are detachably provided so as to be connected to the supply ports 9a and 10a in a state where the detergent tank 9 and the softening agent tank 10 are stored in the storage portion 7a. Ribs 14a and 15a are provided at the tips of the suction ports 14 and 15, and V-rings 14b and 15b are provided on the outer circumferences of the ribs 14a and 15a. This improves the airtightness between the suction port and the supply port.

The suction port 14 and the suction port 15 are connected to the piston pump 22 via a suction passage 15c and a suction passage 14c, respectively. A switching valve 20 and a switching valve 21 are provided in the suction passage 15c and the suction passage 14c, respectively. The liquid agent supplied from the suction port 14 and the suction port 15 is introduced into the piston pump 22 when the corresponding switching valve is open. The water supply path 11b connected to the water supply valve 16 is connected to the switching valve 20. When the corresponding switching valve is in the open state, the water supplied from the water supply valve 16 reaches the piston pump 22 via the water supply path 11b.

Next, the piston pump 22 will be described.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a piston pump of a liquid automatic dispensing device for a washing machine according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a lubricant application portion in a piston pump part of the automatic liquid dispensing device for a washing machine. It is a figure.

As shown in FIG. 6, the piston pump 22 includes a drive motor 22a, a cam 22c, a piston 22b, and a cylinder 22d. The cam 22c converts the rotational driving force of the drive motor 22a into an up-and-down linear movement. A part of the piston 22b is contained in the cylinder 22d. The piston 22b is driven by a cam 22c and slides inside the cylinder 22d while making a linear movement in the vertical direction. A packing 22e is arranged between the piston 22b and the cylinder 22d so that the liquid agent and air do not leak to the outside of the cylinder from between the piston 22b and the cylinder 22d.

The lower portion of the cylinder 22d is formed so as to form an inverted U-shaped tube from the suction side to the discharge side. A check valve 23 is provided in the upstream suction passage 26, and a check valve 24 is provided in the downstream discharge passage 27, so that the direction of delivering the liquid agent is limited to one direction. The check valve 23 and the check valve 24 are composed of check valve movable parts 23a and 24a and check valve fixing parts 23b and 24b, respectively. With the corresponding check valve open, when the piston 22b moves upward, the liquid agent is introduced from the suction port 14 and the suction port 15, and when the piston 22b moves downward, the liquid agent is discharged from the discharge port.

When the piston 22b and the cylinder 22d slide or the packing 22e and the cylinder 22d slide, sliding resistance due to friction acts on the sliding portion. Lubricant is applied to the sliding parts to reduce sliding resistance.

Generally, grease is used as the lubricant. The grease is composed of a mixture of a base oil and a thickening agent, and the thickening agent which is a solid is dispersed in the base oil to form a three-dimensional network structure to become a semi-solid state. Therefore, the properties of the grease depend on the thickener, and when the blending ratio of the thickener increases, the grease approaches a solid and solidifies. Thickeners are roughly classified into soap-based and non-soap-based thickeners, and the thickener of the present embodiment refers to both.

On the other hand, the lubricant in the present embodiment uses silicone oil 28 instead of grease. Silicone oil 28 does not contain a thickener.

As shown in FIG. 7, silicone oil 28 is applied to the sliding portions of the cylinder 22d, the piston 22b, and the packing 22e during assembly. Also in the check valves 23 and 24, silicone oil 28 is applied to the sliding parts between the check valve movable parts 23a and 24a and the check valve fixed parts 23b and 24b. Further, not only the sliding portion but also the check valve O-ring 23c and the check valve O-ring 24c provided at the connecting portion between the parts are coated with the silicone oil 28 at the time of assembly. By applying the silicone oil 28, not only sliding resistance due to friction can be reduced, but also sealing performance can be improved.

The operation of the automatic liquid agent charging device 11 in the washing machine configured as described above will be described below.

The user previously fills the detergent tank 9 and the softening agent tank 10 with the liquid detergent and the softening agent, respectively. When the user puts the laundry in the rotary drum 1 and starts the washing operation, the washing machine carries out a series of washing operations such as a washing process, a rinsing process and a dehydration process. The automatic liquid agent feeding device 11 performs the automatic feeding operation of the detergent and the softening agent at the optimum timing of each step in the washing operation. The operation when the detergent is automatically added will be described below as an example.

The automatic liquid agent feeder 11 opens the suction passage 14c, sucks the detergent in the detergent tank 9 by the piston pump 22, and discharges the detergent to the passage continuing to the water tank unit 2. At this time, the detergent flows in the suction passage 14c, the discharge passage 11a, the cylinder injection portion 22f, and the check valves 23 and 24 that continue from the detergent tank 9 to the water tank unit 2.

Here, the case where grease is used as the lubricant will be described. When grease is present on the route, only the base oil in the grease is eluted by the emulsifying action of the surfactant contained in the detergent. Then, in the mixing ratio of the base oil of the grease and the thickener, the ratio of the base oil is lowered and the proportion of the thickener is increased, and the grease is solidified. The solidification is not limited to being completely solid, and includes a state where the grease is harder than usual.

When the solidified lubricant is generated between the piston 22b and the cylinder 22d, the sliding resistance between the piston 22b and the cylinder 22d increases, and the packing 22e is worn. In addition, if solidification occurs between the check valve moving part 23a and the check valve moving part 24a and the check valve fixing part 23b and the check valve fixing part 24b, it will cause a solid state to impede the opening/closing operation of the valve. To be done. Therefore, the state of (1) causes troubles such as the inability to suck and discharge due to the operation of the piston pump.

In this embodiment, silicone oil 28 is used as a lubricant. Since the silicone oil 28 does not contain a thickener, the phenomenon that the base oil is eluted and solidified by the surfactant does not occur. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the solidified product from being generated in the sliding portion and the malfunction of the piston pump from occurring while the automatic liquid agent feeder 11 is used many times.

Even if silicone oil 28 is used instead of grease, elution with a surfactant can occur. Therefore, the application amount of the silicone oil 28 is determined in consideration of the amount of the oil that flows out, but a mechanism such as an oil reservoir may be provided separately.

As described above, the drum type washing machine according to the first embodiment includes the main body 3, the water tank unit 2 elastically supported inside the main body 3, the rotary drum 1 rotatably provided inside the water tank unit 2, A detergent tank 9 and a softening agent tank 10 for accommodating the liquid agent, and a liquid agent automatic charging device 11 for supplying the liquid agent from the detergent tank 9 and the softening agent tank 10 to the rotary drum 1 are provided. The automatic liquid agent feeder 11 has a cylinder 22d formed in a cylindrical shape, a piston 22b at least partially penetrating into the cylinder 22d and slidable with the cylinder 22d, and a linear movement of the piston 22b in the longitudinal direction. It has a piston pump 22 including a cam 22c and a drive motor 22a. Silicone oil 28 containing no thickening agent is applied to the sliding portion where the cylinder 22d and the piston 22b slide.

This can prevent the base oil in the lubricant from eluting due to the emulsifying action of the surfactant contained in the liquid agent and the solidification of the lubricant. Therefore, it is possible to ensure the lubricity and the airtightness in the sliding portion between the piston 22b and the cylinder 22d, and to prevent the piston pump from not operating due to the solidified lubricant.

Further, like the piston pump 22 in the first embodiment, the suction passage 26 provided in the cylinder 22d for sucking the liquid agent and the discharge passage 27 for discharging the liquid agent and the flow direction of the liquid agent by the operation of the piston pump 22 are set. The check valve 23 and the check valve 24 for limiting may be provided, and the check valve 23 and the check valve 24 may be coated with silicone oil 28.

This can prevent the check valve from becoming inoperable due to the solidified lubricant.

(Other embodiments)
As described above, the first embodiment has been described as an example of the technique disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this.

Therefore, other embodiments will be exemplified below.

In the first embodiment, the drum type washing machine has been described as an example of the washing machine. The washing machine may be any as long as it can wash laundry using a liquid agent. Therefore, the washing machine is not limited to the drum type washing machine, and may be a vertical washing machine or a two-tub washing machine.

In the first embodiment, the piston that moves up and down has been described as an example of the piston pump. The piston is not limited to the vertical movement as it has only to make a linear movement, and may be a horizontal movement in the horizontal direction.

In the first embodiment, the silicone oil 28 has been described as an example of the lubricant. The lubricant may be one that does not contain a thickener. Therefore, the lubricant is not limited to silicone oil and may be other materials such as hydrocarbon oil and fluorine oil. However, it is desirable that the material used for the lubricant be a liquid at 0°C or higher and 40°C or lower, which is expected to be used in a washing machine.

In the first embodiment, as an example of applying the lubricant, the method of applying the lubricant at the time of assembly has been described. The lubricant is not limited to being applied at the time of assembly, as long as it is applied to the sliding portion. Therefore, the sliding portion may be filled with the lubricant at the time of assembly, and the piston pump may be operated so that the lubricant is applied.

In the first embodiment, the structure in which the water supply route, the liquid detergent route and the softener route are merged into one route has been described, but it is possible to use a single route or two or more routes. The same effect can be obtained by constructing a route by combining them. Similarly, water may not be passed through the liquid detergent and the softener route.

The present disclosure can be applied to a washing machine including a liquid agent feeding device. Specifically, the present disclosure is applicable to a drum type washing machine, a vertical washing machine, a two-tub washing machine, and the like.

1 rotating drum (washing tub)
2 Water tank unit 3 Main body 6 Motor 7 Detergent container 7a Storage part 8 Detergent container 9 Detergent tank 9a Supply port 9b Check valve 10 Softener tank 10a Supply port 10b Check valve 11 Liquid automatic dispensing device (liquid dispensing device)
11a Discharge route 11b Water supply route 14 Suction port 14a Rib 14b V ring 14c Suction route 15 Suction port 15a Rib 15b V ring 15c Suction route 20 Switching valve 21 Switching valve 22 Piston pump 22a Drive motor (drive unit)
22b Piston 22c Cam 22d Cylinder 22e Packing 22f Injection cylinder 23 Check valve 23a Check valve movable part 23b Check valve fixed part 23c Check valve O-ring 24 Check valve 24a Check valve moving part 24b Check valve fixed part 24c Check valve O-ring 25 Connection hose 26 Suction path 27 Discharge path 28 Silicone oil (lubricant without thickener)

Claims (2)

Housing and
An aquarium unit elastically supported inside the casing,
A washing tub rotatably provided inside the aquarium unit,
At least one or more liquid agent tanks for containing the liquid agent,
A liquid agent feeding device for supplying a liquid agent from the liquid agent tank to the washing tub,
The liquid agent injection device,
A piston pump including: a cylinder formed into a tubular shape; a piston, at least a portion of which penetrates into the cylinder, is provided slidably with the cylinder; and a drive unit that linearly moves the piston. ,
A lubricant containing no thickener is applied to a sliding portion where the cylinder and the piston slide,
Washing machine. The piston pump is
A suction passage provided in the cylinder for sucking the liquid agent and a discharge passage for discharging the liquid agent, and a check valve provided in the suction passage and the discharge passage for limiting a flow direction of the liquid agent by the operation of the piston pump. And a lubricant not containing the thickener is applied to the check valve,
The washing machine according to claim 1.

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