Minute bubble generator, home appliance provided with minute bubble generator, and method of manufacturing minute bubble generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11331635-B2
Application number	US-201916437418-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2019
Priority date	Dec 21, 2016
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

A minute bubble generator includes a flow path member including a flow path allowing a liquid to pass therethrough; and a colliding part provided in the flow path and generating minute bubbles in the liquid passing through the flow path by locally reducing a cross sectional area of the flow path. The colliding part is formed integrally with the flow path member and is provided closer to an upstream end or a downstream end relative to a lengthwise center of the flow path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A minute bubble generator, comprising:
a flow path member including a flow path allowing a liquid to pass therethrough; and
a colliding part provided in the flow path and generating minute bubbles in the liquid passing through the flow path by locally reducing a cross sectional area of the flow path, wherein
the flow path member includes an upstream flow path member having an upstream flow path which is a flow path in an upstream side of the colliding part and a downstream flow path member configured as a separate component from the upstream flow path member and having a downstream flow path which is a flow path in a downstream side of the colliding part,
the colliding part is formed integrally with the upstream flow path member and is provided closer to a downstream end relative to a lengthwise center of the flow path,
the upstream flow path member is provided with an inserting part,
the downstream flow path member is provided with an inserted part which receives an insertion of the inserting part, and
an upstream end of the downstream flow path member is located upstream with respect to the colliding part.

2. The minute bubble generator according to claim 1 , wherein an inner diameter of the downstream flow path is equal to or less than an inner diameter of the upstream flow path.

3. The minute bubble generator according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a deforming part provided to either of the inserting part and the inserted part and connecting the inserting part and the inserted part in a pressed state by deforming when the inserting part is inserted into the inserted part.

4. The minute bubble generator according to claim 1 , further comprising a narrowing part provided in the upstream side of the colliding part and formed in a tapered shape in which an inner diameter thereof becomes smaller from an upstream side to a downstream side.

5. A home appliance using water provided with the minute bubble generator according to claim 1 .

6. A minute bubble generator, comprising:
a flow path member including a flow path allowing a liquid to pass therethrough; and
a colliding part provided in the flow path and generating minute bubbles in the liquid passing through the flow path by locally reducing a cross sectional area of the flow path, wherein
the colliding part is informed integrally with the flow path member and is provided closer to an upstream end or a downstream end relative to a lengthwise center of the flow path,
the colliding part is provided at a downstream end of the flow path member, and
an end surface in a downstream side of the colliding part is flat.

7. A minute bubble generator, comprising:
a flow path member including a flow path allowing a liquid to pass therethrough; and
a colliding part provided in the flow path and generating minute bubbles in the liquid passing through the flow path by locally reducing a cross sectional area of the flow path, wherein
the colliding part is informed integrally with the flow path member and is provided closer to an upstream end or a downstream end relative to a lengthwise center of the flow path,
the colliding part is provided at a downstream end of the flow path member, and
the flow path member is further provided with a projection contacting a surface in a downstream side of the colliding part and projecting toward a downstream side of the flow path from the surface in the downstream side of the colliding part.

8. The minute bubble generator according to claim 7 , wherein
the projection is provided integrally with the colliding part, and
a periphery of the projection is flat.

9. The minute bubble generator according to claim 7 , wherein
the flow path member includes an upstream flow path member having an upstream flow path which is a flow path in an upstream side of the colliding part and a downstream flow path member configured as a separate component from the upstream flow path member and having a downstream flow path which is a flow path in a downstream side of the colliding part,
the colliding part is formed integrally with the upstream flow path and is provided at a downstream end of the upstream flow path member, and
the projection is formed integrally with the downstream flow path and is provided at an upstream end of the downstream flow path member.

Assignees

• Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corp

Inventors

• Sasaki Hironori
• Nagai Satoshi
• Komori Yasuhiro
• Uchiyama Tomonori
• Nishimura Hiroshi

Classifications

• B01F25/441

  characterised by the configuration of the surfaces forming the slits · CPC title

• A47L15/4217

  Fittings for water supply, e.g. valves or plumbing means to connect to cold or warm water lines, aquastops · CPC title

• D06F39/08

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

• B29K2101/12

  Thermoplastic materials · CPC title

• B01F23/237611

  Air · CPC title