Textiles: fluid treating apparatus – Machines – Liquid flowing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-09
2001-01-09
Stinson, Frankie L. (Department: 1743)
Textiles: fluid treating apparatus
Machines
Liquid flowing
C068S207000, C134S102200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170303
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a washing machine, more particularly to a washing machine equipped with an air bubble generator having contraction/enlargement exhaust nozzles for providing fine air bubbles of a very small diameter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, washing machines are classified into two categories. The first one of the two categories includes a whirl-type washing machine in which washing articles are washed by a vortex flow of washing water formed in a washer tub when a pulsator is rotated. The second one includes a drum-type washing machine. The drum-type washing machine has a rotary drum a portion of which lies in the washing water. In such a rotary drum, the washing articles are put in the rotary drum. When the rotary drum is rotated, the washing articles in the rotary drum strike each other, so that the washing articles are washed.
In order to enhance washing efficiency of the drum-type washing machine, an air bubble generator for the drum-type washing machine is proposed.
FIG. 1
is a schematic view of a conventional drum-type washing machine with an air bubble generator,
FIG. 2
is an enlarged perspective view of the rotary drum of
FIG. 1
, and
FIG. 3
is an enlarged perspective view of the air bubble generator of FIG.
1
.
Hereinafter, the conventional drum-type washing machine with an air bubble generator will be described with reference to accompanying drawings.
In the vortex-flow type washing machine as shown in
FIG. 1
, the washer tub
20
is mounted to be rotated in the reservoir
10
. An air bubble generator
30
is mounted on the bottom of the reservoir
10
. Air is supplied through an inlet
35
by an air pump(not shown). A pulsator
23
for generating the vortex flow is mounted to be rotated on the washer tub
20
. An air bubble passageway
25
is formed in the bottom of the washer tub
20
. An outlet
15
is formed in the bottom of the reservoir, that is, under the air bubble generator
30
.
The drum type washing machine as shown in
FIG. 2
has a housing
40
and a reservoir
50
mounted in the housing
40
for accommodating washing water. A rotary drum(hereinafter, called ?a drum?)
60
has a plurality of through-holes
64
for washing water to flow in and out of the drum
60
. The drum
60
includes traverse slits
68
for washing water to flow in the drum
60
, and the traverse slits
68
are formed in the surface of the drum
60
in parallel with the shaft(not shown) of the drum
60
. A part of the drum
60
lies in the washing water. An air bubble generator
70
is mounted on the bottom of the reservoir
50
. The air bubble generator
70
is supplied with compressed air through a conduit
75
.
FIG. 3
shows an air bubble generator capable of being applied to the washing machines of
FIGS. 1 and 2
.
The air bubble generator includes an inlet
84
adapted to be connected with an air pump (not shown) and a case
80
in which water flow-out portions
88
are formed in a slantedly opposite manner and opposite to the inlet
84
. A porous member
85
is mounted in the case
80
between the inlet
84
and the water flow-out portions
88
. Air flowing in through the air pump moves into the washing water through the porous member
85
. The air flowing out of the porous member
85
is converted into fine air bubbles. An air bubble-generating plate(hereinafter, called ?a plate?)
90
having a plurality of outlets
94
is closely contacted with the water flow-out portions
88
. An elastic plate
98
is further provided, one end of which is fixed on an upper end of the plate
90
so that air bubbles from the plate
90
are prevented from moving further up. As the air bubble generator is operated, the other end of the elastic plate
98
, which is movable, is opened by air bubbles flowing out of the outlets
94
. Each of the outlets
94
is in a cylindrical shape with a uniform diameter from the bottom to the top thereof.
Operations of the conventional air bubble generator as mention above will be described hereinafter.
As the air bubble generator is operated, compressed air flowing in through the inlet
84
is converted into fine air bubbles by the porous member
85
, as shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
. The fine air bubbles are dispersed into washing water through the outlets
94
. The dispersed air bubbles serve to wash washing articles such as clothing by moving into the reservoir
20
or
50
.
However, in the air bubble generator, some air bubbles may block the outlets
94
or may break since air bubbles may have a larger diameter than the outlets have. Accordingly, less air bubbles may be produced from the plate, so that less air bubbles flow into the reservoir and washing efficiency is deteriorated. Further, air bubbles move nearer to the washing water surface by buoyancy of the washing water. At this time, the water pressure with respect to the air bubbles becomes less, so that the size of an air bubble becomes larger enough to distort the shape of the air bubble. Accordingly, the washing efficiency can be obtained by fully generating fine air bubbles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the drawbacks to the conventional air bubble generator, it is the first object of the present invention to provide a washing machine equipped with an air bubble generator in which outlets are formed to fully generate air bubbles in a fine diameter.
It is the second object of the present invention to provide a washing machine equipped with an air bubble generator enabling more air bubbles to flow in the reservoir.
It is the third object of the present invention to provide a washing machine equipped with an air bubble generator capable of enhancing washing efficiency.
In order to achieve the above objects, the following considerations should be taken.
Firstly, each of the outlets has a small diameter for providing air bubbles of a fine diameter into washing water in the reservoir. However, although a small diameter of an outlet is theoretically preferable, a much smaller diameter with respect to the height of the air bubble generator prevents air from flowing out of the outlet since a water membrane is formed in the outlet.
Secondly, more air bubbles must flow into the washing water in the reservoir in order to enhance washing efficiency. To do so, air bubbles of a small diameter are preferable at an early stage when air bubbles flow in the reservoir. As air flows out of a porous member in the washing water, a flowing-out rate of the air influences on a size of an air bubble. That is, when the flowing-out rate is high, the diameter of an air bubble may become larger before an air bubble rises up, since air is continuously supplied or since air bubbles are incorporated together. However, when the flowing-out rate is low, air bubbles are intermittently generated, so that a diameter of each of the air bubbles may become smaller. Such flowing-out rate can be controlled by varying a ratio between flowing-out and flowing-in areas.
A washing machine equipped with an air bubble generator comprises an air bubble-generating plate in which outlets of a contraction/enlargement exhaust nozzle type are formed.
The outlets are constituted with outer outlets and inner outlets. The outer outlets are formed along edge portions of the air bubble-generating plate, and the inner outlets are formed in the inner portions of the air bubble-generating plate. A diameter of each of the outer outlets is smaller than a diameter of each of the inner outlets. Each of the outlets has a cylindrical shape and includes a flow-in portion for receiving the compressed air, a contraction portion communicating with the flow-in portion and for contracting the received air, and an enlargement portion communicating with the contraction portion and for enlarging the contracted air. The flow-in portion, the contraction portion, and the flow-out portion are aligned in a coaxial line. A diameter of the flow-out portion is smaller than a diameter of the flow-in portion, but larger than a diameter of the contraction p
Hong Dae-Yeong
Lim Moo-Saeng
Daewoo Electronics Co. Ltd.
Smith , Gambrell & Russell, LLP
Stinson Frankie L.
LandOfFree
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