Liquid electromagnetic valve, method of manufacturing liquid electromagnetic valve, and washing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10844973-B2
Application number	US-201815880646-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2018
Priority date	Jul 29, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A liquid electromagnetic valve includes an inlet connected to an external liquid source; an outlet discharging liquid entering from the inlet; a flow path forming member having a flow path connecting the inlet and the outlet formed thereto; an opening-closing member capable of opening and closing the flow path; a drive portion opening and closing the opening-closing member based on a control performed by an external element; and a minute bubble generator provided in the flow path and having plural narrowing portions for adding minute bubbles to a liquid passing through the flow path by narrowing the flow path in plural stages.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A liquid electromagnetic valve comprising:
an inlet connected to an external liquid source;
an outlet discharging a liquid entering from the inlet;
a flow path forming member having a flow path connecting the inlet and the outlet formed thereto;
an opening-closing member capable of opening and closing the flow path;
a drive portion opening and closing the opening-closing member based on a control performed by an external element; and
a minute bubble generator provided in the flow path and having plural narrowing portions for adding minute bubbles to a liquid passing through the flow path by narrowing the flow path in plural stages,
wherein the minute bubble generator includes:
a first narrowing portion that continuously reduces a cross sectional area of the flow path toward a downstream side of the flow path from an upstream side of the flow path; and
a second narrowing portion that is provided in a portion of the first narrowing portion having the smallest cross sectional area and that reduces the cross sectional area of the flow path to become locally smaller than the smallest cross sectional area of the first narrowing portion by dividing the flow path into plural regions by slits provided at a central portion of the flow path.

2. The liquid electromagnetic valve according to claim 1 , wherein the first narrowing portion is formed integrally with the flow path forming member.

3. The liquid electromagnetic valve according to claim 1 , wherein the second narrowing portion is a separate component from the flow path forming member and is provided inside the flow path forming member by being inserted into the flow path forming member.

4. The liquid electromagnetic valve according to claim 1 , wherein the second narrowing portion is a separate component from the flow path forming member and is provided inside the flow path forming member by being insert molded to the flow path forming member.

5. The liquid electromagnetic valve according to claim 1 , wherein the minute bubble generator is a separate component from the flow path forming member and is mounted to the flow path forming member by being press fitted to the flow path forming member.

6. The liquid electromagnetic valve according to claim 1 , wherein the minute bubble generator is a separate component from the flow path forming member and the narrowing portions are formed integrally with a main body of the minute bubble generator.

7. The liquid electromagnetic valve according to claim 1 , wherein the minute bubble generator is provided in an upstream side of the opening-closing member.

8. The liquid electromagnetic valve according to claim 7 , further comprising a flow rate regulator that is provided in the upstream side of the opening-closing member and that makes adjustments in a flow rate of a liquid flowing through the flow path, wherein the minute bubble generator is provided integrally with the flow rate regulator.

9. A washing machine provided with the liquid electromagnetic valve according to claim 1 .

10. A washing machine comprising:
a water tub;
a water supplying case provided midway of a flow path for supplying water into the water tub from an external water source; and
a minute bubble generator provided in an upstream side of the water supplying case and located midway of the flow path, the minute bubble generator having plural narrowing portions for adding minute bubbles to water passing through the flow path by narrowing the flow path in plural stages,
wherein the minute bubble generator includes:
a first narrowing portion that continuously reduces a cross sectional area of the flow path toward a downstream side of the flow path from an upstream side of the flow path; and
a second narrowing portion that is provided in a portion of the first narrowing portion having the smallest cross sectional area and that reduces the cross sectional area of the flow path to become locally smaller than the smallest cross sectional area of the first narrowing portion by dividing the flow path into plural regions by slits provided at a central portion of the flow path.

11. The washing machine according to claim 10
wherein the narrowing portions are formed integrally molded with a main body of the minute bubble generator.

Assignees

• Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corp

Inventors

• Uchiyama Tomonori
• Hayashi Hidetake
• Hattori Masami

Classifications

• D06F33/47 Primary

  Responding to irregular working conditions, e.g. malfunctioning of pumps  (safety arrangements D06F37/42) · CPC title

• F16K31/0655 Primary

  Lift valves · CPC title

• D06F39/08

  Liquid supply or discharge arrangements (supply of soap or other washing agents D06F39/02) · CPC title

• F16K31/408

  the discharge being effected through the piston and being blockable by an electrically-actuated member making contact with the piston · CPC title

• F16K47/08

  for decreasing pressure {or noise level} and having a throttling member separate from the closure member {, e.g. screens, slots, labyrinths} · CPC title