JP2006255195A - Drum type washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the burden caused by opening and closing a cover when taking out and putting in laundry. <P>SOLUTION: An outer tank cover 26 is made automatically openable and closable by the driving power of an outer tank cover opening/closing motor and a drum cover opening/closing mechanism 79 is installed on the outer tank cover 26 in contact with a drum cover 25 for automatically opening or closing the drum cover 25. When the operation of a drum washing machine 1 is finished a knock pin 166 of the drum cover opening/closing mechanism 79 is advanced forward based on a signal indicating that the operation is finished and is brought into contact with a first cover 73 to half-open the drum cover 25. Then the outer tank cover 26 is slid backwards to automatically open the drum cover 25 and the outer tank cover 26. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a drum type washing machine that accommodates laundry in a drum and performs washing.

  2. Description of the Related Art A drum-type washing machine is known in which laundry is stored in a substantially cylindrical drum that can rotate around a rotation axis extending in a substantially horizontal direction. This type of washing machine includes, for example, an outer tub that covers the outside of the drum in the main body housing. By rotating the drum with water stored in the outer tub, the laundry in the drum is removed. Washing is carried out by repeating the operation (so-called tapping) of lifting by a baffle protruding from the inner surface of the drum and allowing it to fall naturally from a certain height toward the water surface.

  In the drum-type washing machine, a drum opening is formed on the peripheral surface of the drum to allow the laundry to be taken in and out, so that the laundry can be taken in and out from above the so-called top open type. There is. In this type of drum-type washing machine, for example, the drum opening can be opened and closed by a drum lid composed of two lids. More specifically, the drum lid includes a first lid having a base end rotatably attached to one side in the circumferential direction with respect to the drum opening of the drum, and the other side in the circumferential direction with respect to the drum opening of the drum. The base end is pivotally attached to the second lid, and the free ends of the first and second lids are overlapped and locked to close the drum opening. In addition, the drum opening can be opened by releasing the locking of the free ends of the first and second lids.

An outer tank opening is formed on the upper surface of the outer tank, and the outer tank opening can be opened and closed by an outer tank lid. The outer tank lid is composed of a single lid, and a rear end portion thereof is attached to the rear tank so as to be rotatable with respect to the outer tank opening of the outer tank.
A main body opening is formed on the upper surface of the main body housing at a position facing the outer tank opening, and the main body opening can be opened and closed by a main body lid. The body lid is composed of two lids that are configured to be foldable by being connected to each other so as to be able to fold in the front and rear, and the rear end of the rear lid is located on the rear side with respect to the body opening of the body housing. It is pivotally attached.

  When the laundry is taken in and out of the drum, first, the user performs an operation of grasping and rotating the main body lid so that the two lids constituting the main body lid extend upward. The main body opening is opened by folding it back and forth. Thereafter, the user performs an operation of gripping and rotating the outer tank lid, and rotates the outer tank lid to a state in which the outer tank lid extends upward in front of the folded main body lid through the main body opening. As a result, the outer tank opening is opened. At this time, the drum is stopped at the rotational position where the drum opening faces the outer tank opening of the outer tank, and the user further engages with the free end portions of the first and second lids constituting the drum lid. An operation of releasing the stop is performed, and the drum opening is opened by rotating each free end of the first and second lids upward through the outer tank opening.

However, in the above prior art, the main body cover, the outer tub cover, and the drum cover are each manually opened, and the main body opening, the outer tub opening, and the drum opening are all opened. On the other hand, since it becomes possible to put in and out the laundry, there is a problem that it is troublesome to open and close the lid.
Therefore, by adopting a configuration in which the drum lid opens in conjunction with the opening of the outer tub lid, the operation consists of an operation for opening the main body opening and an operation for opening the outer tub opening and the drum opening. There has been proposed a drum-type washing machine that allows a laundry to be taken in and out in two stages (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-103095 A

However, even with the above-described configuration, when loading / unloading laundry with respect to the drum, it is necessary to perform a two-step operation for opening and closing the lid, which is bothersome when opening and closing the lid. There has been a demand for a drum-type washing machine that can further reduce the above.
In addition, the outer tub lid is positioned in front of the folded main body lid in an open state, and therefore, when loading / unloading laundry with respect to the drum, a plurality of lids (folded) are placed behind the main body opening. The main body cover and the outer tub cover) are arranged in a state of overlapping in the front-rear direction. In this case, there is a problem that a user who puts in and out the laundry gives a feeling of pressure and cannot secure a large space for placing a detergent or the like formed behind the main body opening on the upper surface of the main body housing.

The present invention has been made under such a background, and a first object of the invention is to provide a drum type washing machine that can further reduce the annoyance associated with opening and closing the lid when putting in and out the laundry. It is.
The second object of the present invention is to provide a drum-type washing machine more suitable for opening and closing the outer tub lid.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is arranged so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis (11L, 11R) extending in a horizontal direction or a direction inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal direction, and is internally washed. A drum (10) in which a drum opening (22) for carrying in and out the laundry is formed on the peripheral surface thereof, and a position covering the outside of the drum and facing the drum opening The outer tub opening (23) is formed in the outer tub (7) for storing water therein, the drum lid (25) for opening and closing the drum opening, and the outer tub opening for opening and closing. A drum type washing machine (1), comprising: an outer tub lid (26); and lid opening / closing means (40, 55, 79) for automatically opening and / or closing the drum lid and the outer tub lid. It is.

The alphanumeric characters in parentheses represent corresponding components in the embodiments described later. The same applies hereinafter.
According to this configuration, since the drum lid and the outer tub lid are automatically opened and / or closed, it is possible to further reduce the trouble of manually opening and closing the drum lid and the outer tub lid when putting in and out the laundry. .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the lid opening / closing means (40, 55, 79) is configured such that the drum lid (25) and the outer lid are opened and closed according to the end and / or start of the operation of the drum type washing machine (1). The drum type washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the tank lid (26) is automatically opened and / or closed.
According to this configuration, at the end of the operation of the drum type washing machine, the drum lid and the outer tub lid can be automatically opened to easily take out the laundry from the drum, and / or the drum type washing machine. At the start of the operation, after the laundry is accommodated in the drum, the drum lid and the outer tub lid are automatically closed, and the operation can be started easily.

  The invention according to claim 3 divides the outer shape of the drum type washing machine (1), and a main body housing (2) having a main body opening (4) formed at a position facing the outer tub opening (23), A body lid (2A) for opening and closing the body opening, and the lid opening / closing means (40, 55, 79) includes the drum lid (25) and the outer tub before the body lid is opened. The drum type laundry according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lid (26) is automatically opened and / or the drum lid and the outer tub lid are automatically closed after the body lid is closed. Machine.

According to this configuration, when the main body lid is opened, the drum lid and the outer tub lid are already automatically opened, so that it is not necessary to manually open the drum lid and the outer tub lid after the main body lid is opened. Since the drum lid and the outer tank lid are automatically closed after the main body lid is closed, it is not necessary to manually close the drum lid and the outer tank lid before closing the main body lid.
According to the configuration in which the drum lid and the outer tank lid are automatically closed after the main body lid is closed, the drum lid and the outer tank opening are closed at the drum opening and the outer tank opening. There is no danger that the user will be caught by the outer tank lid, and it is safe.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the lid opening / closing means (40, 55, 79) includes a drum lid opening / closing mechanism (79) for opening and closing the drum lid (25), and the outer tank lid (26). And a control means (40) for controlling the operation of the drum lid opening / closing mechanism and the outer tank lid opening / closing mechanism. The drum type washing machine (1) according to any one of Items 1 to 3.

According to this configuration, the drum lid and the outer tank lid can be automatically opened and / or closed using electrical means.
The drum lid opening / closing mechanism (79) is provided in the outer tub lid (26), and contacts the drum lid (25) to open and / or close the drum lid. A drum type washing machine (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that:

According to this configuration, the drum lid can be automatically opened and / or closed by bringing the drum lid opening / closing mechanism into contact with the drum lid to open and / or close the drum lid.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, the lid opening / closing means (40, 55, 79) is opened by the outer tank lid opening / closing mechanism (55) after the drum lid (25) is opened by the drum lid opening / closing mechanism (79). 6. The drum lid is closed by the drum lid opening / closing mechanism after the outer tank lid (26) is opened and / or the outer tank lid opening / closing mechanism is closed. It is a drum type washing machine (1) of description.

According to this configuration, the drum lid and the outer tank lid can be automatically opened by opening the outer tank lid by the outer tank lid opening / closing mechanism after the drum lid is opened by the drum lid opening / closing mechanism, and / or The drum lid and the outer tank lid can be automatically closed by closing the drum lid with the drum lid opening / closing mechanism after closing the outer tank lid with the outer tank lid opening / closing mechanism.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, when the drum lid (25) and the outer tank lid (26) are automatically opened by the lid opening / closing means (40, 55, 79), the drum lid opening / closing mechanism (79). When the drum (10) is stopped at a position where it can contact the drum lid and the drum lid can be opened, and / or the drum lid and the outer tank lid are automatically closed by the lid opening / closing means. The drum lid opening / closing mechanism further comprises drum rotation control means (40) for stopping the drum at a position where the drum lid opening / closing mechanism contacts the drum lid and can close the drum lid. It is a drum type washing machine (1).

  According to this configuration, when opening the drum lid and the outer tank lid, the drum lid opening / closing mechanism contacts the drum lid and stops the drum at a position where the drum lid can be opened. The drum lid can be opened satisfactorily and / or when closing the drum lid and the outer tub lid, the drum lid opening / closing mechanism contacts the drum lid and stops the drum at a position where the drum lid can be closed. By doing so, the drum lid can be satisfactorily closed by the drum lid opening / closing mechanism.

The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that the outer tub lid opening / closing mechanism (55) slides the outer tub lid (26) substantially along the direction in which the outer tub opening (23) extends. The drum-type washing machine (1) according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the drum-type washing machine (1) is opened and / or closed.
According to this configuration, the outer tank lid can be accommodated in the main body housing with the outer tank opening opened by sliding the outer tank lid substantially along the direction in which the outer tank opening extends. Therefore, unlike the configuration in which the outer tub lid is pivotally attached to the outer tub, it can suppress a feeling of pressure on the user who puts in and out the laundry, and a detergent or the like is applied to the upper surface of the main body housing. Since a large space for placing can be secured, it is more suitable for opening and closing the outer tub lid.

  The invention according to claim 9 is disposed in the main body housing (2) so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis (11L, 11R) extending in a horizontal direction or a direction inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal direction. In a drum-type washing machine (1) having a drum (10) capable of storing laundry, an outer tub opening is disposed in the main body housing so as to cover the outside of the drum and allows the laundry to be taken in and out. (23) is formed, an outer tub (7) capable of storing water therein, an outer tub lid (26) for opening and closing the outer tub opening, and substantially along the direction in which the outer tub opening extends. A drum type washing machine (1) comprising an outer tub lid opening / closing mechanism (55) for opening and closing the outer tub opening by sliding the outer tub lid.

  According to this configuration, the outer tank lid can be accommodated in the main body housing with the outer tank opening opened by sliding the outer tank lid substantially along the direction in which the outer tank opening extends. Therefore, unlike the configuration in which the outer tub lid is pivotally attached to the outer tub, it can suppress a feeling of pressure on the user who puts in and out the laundry, and a detergent or the like is applied to the upper surface of the main body housing. Since a large space for placing can be secured, it is more suitable for opening and closing the outer tub lid.

The invention according to claim 10 is characterized in that the outer tub lid opening / closing mechanism (55) is configured to move the outer tub lid (26) by a predetermined amount in a direction in which the outer tub lid (26) is separated from the outer tub opening (23). The drum type washing machine (1) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the drum type washing machine (1) includes 60, 61, 64).
According to this configuration, when the outer tank lid is watertightly closed by pressing the outer tank lid and the outer tank opening through the packing (seal member), the outer tank lid is removed from the outer tank opening. Move by a predetermined amount in the separating direction to release the pressure contact state between the outer tank lid and the outer tank opening via the packing, and slide the outer tank lid substantially along the direction in which the outer tank opening extends, Since the opening can be opened, the outer tub lid can be opened and closed more favorably.

  As in the invention described in claim 11, the outer tub lid opening / closing mechanism (55) moves the outer tub lid (26) by a predetermined amount in a direction in which the outer tub lid (26) is separated from the outer tub opening (23). A mechanism (56, 59, 60, 63, 64) for slidably supporting the outer tank so as to move substantially along the direction in which the outer tank opening extends, and a mechanism (57, 65) for sliding the outer tank lid. , 66, 69).

  In this case, as in a twelfth aspect of the invention, the mechanism (56, 59, 60, 63, 64) for slidably supporting the outer tub lid is provided with a guide portion fixed to the outer tub lid. And a mechanism (57, 65, 66, 69) for sliding the outer tub lid, including a support portion (63) that supports the guide portion in a guideable manner with respect to the guide portion. If it is a structure which includes the rotation part (57) connected so that rotation is possible, and the drive mechanism (65, 66, 69) which drives this rotation part so that it may move linearly, a drive mechanism However, even if it is a simple structure which moves a rotation part to a straight line shape, a guide part can be guided in a curve shape or a bending shape by a support part.

  The invention according to claim 13 is arranged so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis (11L, 11R) extending in a horizontal direction or a direction inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal direction, and can store laundry therein. The drum (10) having a drum opening (22) for taking in and out the laundry on its peripheral surface, and the outer tub opening (23) at a position covering the outside of the drum and facing the drum opening And an outer tub (7) in which water can be stored, and a first lid (73) whose base end is pivotally attached to one side in the circumferential direction with respect to the drum opening of the drum. ) And a second lid (74) with a base end pivotably attached to the other circumferential side with respect to the drum opening of the drum, and the first and second lids Each free end is overlapped and locked with each other. A drum lid (25) capable of closing the drum opening and opening the drum opening by releasing the locking of the free ends of the first and second lids; The outer tub lid (26) for opening and closing the outer tub opening and the outer tub lid are provided on the outer tub lid, and the free end portions of the first and second lids are overlapped and locked with each other. By contacting the lid (73) of the first door, the locking of each free end is released and the drum lid is opened, and the free end of the first and second lids are released from each other. A drum lid opening / closing mechanism (79) for locking each free end to close the drum lid by contacting the other lid (74) in an overlapping state, and when opening the drum lid The drum lid opening / closing mechanism contacts the one lid and the drum lid When the drum is stopped at a position where it can be opened and the drum lid is closed, the drum lid opening / closing mechanism comes into contact with the other lid to stop the drum at a position where the drum lid can be closed A drum-type washing machine (1) comprising a rotation control means (40).

  According to this configuration, when opening the drum lid, the drum lid opening / closing mechanism comes into contact with one lid of the drum lid and stops the drum at a position where the drum lid can be opened. The drum lid can be opened satisfactorily, and when closing the drum lid, the drum lid opening / closing mechanism contacts the other lid of the drum lid and stops the drum at a position where the drum lid can be closed, The drum lid can be satisfactorily closed by the drum lid opening / closing mechanism. Therefore, the drum lid can be automatically opened and closed satisfactorily, and the troublesomeness associated with opening and closing the lid during loading and unloading of the laundry can be further reduced.

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a drum-type washing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front when the drum-type washing machine 1 is cut along a vertical plane along the left-right direction.
With reference to FIG. 1, the drum type washing machine 1 is partitioned by a main body housing 2 whose outer shape is a substantially hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape. On the upper surface of the main body housing 2, a main body opening 4 for taking in and out the laundry is formed in a substantially rectangular shape extending in the front-rear direction. The main body opening 4 can be opened and closed by a main body lid 2A that is rotatably attached to the main body housing 2. During operation of the drum type washing machine 1, the main body lid 2A is locked in a closed state by a main body lid locking mechanism 49 (see FIG. 9) disposed in the main body housing 2 (for example, the front end edge of the main body opening 4). Is done. Whether or not the main body lid 2A is locked in the closed state is detected by the main body lid lock detecting means 49A (see FIG. 9).

At the left end of the upper surface of the main body housing 2, a detergent container 8 for storing a detergent used for washing is disposed. An operation display section 6 for performing setting operations and various displays related to the operation of the drum type washing machine 1 is disposed at the right end of the upper surface of the main body housing 2.
Inside the main body housing 2, an outer tub 7 formed in a substantially hollow columnar shape by closing both end faces of a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall 7C with end face walls (left end face wall 7L and right end face wall 7R), The axes are arranged so as to extend left and right (substantially horizontal). The outer tub 7 is supported by a plurality of dampers (not shown) at the lower part of the peripheral wall 7C. A substantially rectangular outer tub opening 23 is formed in the peripheral wall 7 </ b> C of the outer tub 7 at a position facing the main body opening 4 of the main body housing 2. The outer tub opening 23 can be opened and closed by an outer tub lid 26 slidably attached to the peripheral wall 7 </ b> C of the outer tub 7.

  Inside the outer tub 7, a drum 10 capable of storing laundry therein is disposed. The drum 10 is formed in a substantially hollow columnar shape by closing both end faces of a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall 10C with end face walls (the left end face wall 10L and the right end face wall 10R), and the axis thereof is left and right (substantially horizontal). It is arrange | positioned so that it may extend. A substantially rectangular drum opening 22 for taking in and out the laundry is formed in a part of the peripheral wall 10C of the drum 10. The drum opening 22 can be opened and closed by a drum lid 25 that is rotatably attached to the peripheral wall 10 </ b> C of the drum 10.

  A drum position fixing device 9 for fixing a rotation position of the drum 10 by being engaged with a drum driving motor 12 to be described later is attached to a lower portion of the left end surface wall 7L of the outer tub 7. When the laundry is put in and out of the drum 10, the drum 10 is fixed by the drum position fixing device 9 at a rotational position where the drum opening 22 faces the outer tub opening 23 of the outer tub 7. In this state, the main body lid 2A, the drum lid 25 and the outer tub lid 26 are all opened to allow the main body opening 4, the drum opening 22 and the outer tub opening 23 to communicate with each other. 10 can be put in and out of the laundry.

  Rotating shafts 11L and 11R extending along the axis of the drum 10 are attached to the outer surfaces of the left and right end face walls 10L and 10R of the drum 10, respectively. The rotary shafts 11L and 11R are rotatably attached to the left and right end face walls 7L and 7R of the outer tub 7. A drum driving motor 12 is connected to the left rotating shaft 11L by a so-called DD (direct drive) system. When the drum driving motor 12 is driven to rotate, the drum 10 connected to the rotating shaft 11L. However, it rotates around the axis at the same rotational speed as the drum drive motor 12. On the inner surface of the peripheral wall 10C of the drum 10, three baffles 10B for lifting the laundry in the drum 10 when the drum 10 is rotated are equally spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction (for example, every 120 °). Each protrudes in the left-right direction.

  A water supply port for supplying water into the apparatus from an external water supply facility (such as a water tap) is formed in the rear left part of the upper surface of the main body housing 2 (not shown). Water supplied from the water supply port into the machine is supplied into the outer tub 7 through the water supply pipe 17. A water supply valve 13 (see FIG. 9) is interposed in the middle of the water supply pipe 17, and the water supply into the outer tub 7 or the water supply stop can be switched by opening and closing the water supply valve.

  A drain outlet 19 is formed at the lower right side of the peripheral wall 7C of the outer tub 7. By supplying water with the drain valve 18 connected to the drain outlet 19 closed, water is supplied into the outer tub 7. Can store water. A large number of water passage holes 10A are formed on the peripheral surface wall 10C of the drum 10 over almost the entire circumference except for the drum openings 22, and the water supplied into the outer tub 7 passes through the water passage holes 10A and is supplied to the drum 10. It also flows in. The water stored in the outer tub 7 can be discharged out of the machine through the drain port 19 and a drain hose (not shown) by opening the drain valve 18.

The washing process that can be performed by the drum type washing machine 1 includes a washing process, a rinsing process, and a dehydrating process.
In the washing process, the drum driving motor 12 is rotated forward / reversely alternately at a predetermined rotational speed (for example, 45 rpm) with the water in which the detergent in the detergent container 8 is stored in the outer tub 7 being stored. The As a result, the laundry (the so-called tumbling) in which the laundry in the drum 10 is lifted by the baffle 10B and falls naturally from a certain height is repeated, and the washing is achieved.

The rinsing process is executed after the washing process is completed and the water in which the detergent in the outer tub 7 is dissolved is once drained, and the water is stored in the outer tub 7 again. During the rinsing process, the drum 10 is rotated while water is stored in the outer tub 7, whereby the laundry in the drum 10 is tumbled and the detergent components remaining in the laundry are diluted.
The dehydration process is performed after the rinsing process is completed and the water in the outer tub 7 is drained. In the dehydration process, the drum 10 is rotated at a high speed (for example, 300 to 1000 rpm), so that water contained in the laundry in the drum 10 is squeezed out by centrifugal force.

The drum type washing machine 1 can execute a drying process for drying the laundry after the washing process in addition to the above-described washing process.
A drying unit 3 for a drying function is attached to the right end surface wall 7R of the outer tub 7 from the outside. The drying unit 3 communicates with the inside of the outer tub 7 at the lower part of the right end surface wall 7R of the outer tub 7, sucks the air in the outer tub 7 and guides it upward, and the air path member 31 The heater 34 (the 1st heater 341 and the 2nd heater 342) for arrange | positioning side by side and heating the air which passes the inside of the air path member 31 is provided.

  A substantially rectangular suction port 71 is formed in a substantially central portion in the left-right direction of the rear lower portion of the peripheral wall 7 </ b> C of the outer tub 7. The suction port 71 communicates with the inside of the air passage member 31 through an introduction pipe 72 extending in the left-right direction. A fan 32 (see FIG. 9) is housed in the air passage member 31, and the fan 32 is driven to rotate so that the air in the outer tub 7 flows from the suction port 71 through the introduction pipe 72. It is taken into the road member 31.

  A side opening 7D is formed at the center of the right end surface wall 7R of the outer tub 7. Further, a side opening 10D is formed at a position facing the side opening 7D of the outer tub 7 at the center of the right end surface wall 10R of the drum 10. The terminal portion of the air passage member 31 communicates with the side opening 7D of the outer tub 7, and the air taken into the air passage member 31 from the outer tub 7 via the suction port 71 and the introduction pipe 72 is heated by the heater 34. Is then supplied into the drum 10 via the side opening 7D of the outer tub 7 and the side opening 10D of the drum 10.

During the drying process, the laundry in the drum 10 is tumbled by rotating the drum 10 while sending warm air from the drying unit 3 into the drum 10. Thereby, since warm air can be sprayed uniformly on the laundry, the laundry can be dried well.
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the drum-type washing machine 1 as viewed from the right side when the drum-type washing machine 1 is cut along a vertical plane along the front-rear direction. The main body lid 2A, the drum lid 25, and the outer tub lid 26 are all shown. The closed state is shown. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the drum-type washing machine 1 as viewed from the right side when the drum-type washing machine 1 is cut along a vertical plane along the front-rear direction. The main body lid 2A, the drum lid 25, and the outer tub lid 26 are all shown. It shows the open state.

  2 and 3, main body lid 2A includes two lids (front lid 51 and rear lid 52) arranged side by side in the front-rear direction. The rear end portion of the front lid 51 and the front end portion of the rear lid 52 are connected to each other via a rotation shaft 53 extending in the left-right direction. A rear end portion of the rear lid 52 is rotatably connected to a rear end edge portion of the main body opening 4 on the upper surface of the main body housing 2 via a rotation shaft 54 extending in the left-right direction. The main body lid 2A closes the main body opening 4 with the front lid 51 and the rear lid 52 along the main body opening 4 (see FIG. 2). From this state, the connecting portion between the front lid 51 and the rear lid 52 By being opened so as to be lifted upward, the main body opening 4 is opened in a state where the front lid 51 and the rear lid 52 are folded so as to overlap in the front-rear direction above the rear portion of the main body opening 4 (see FIG. 3).

The outer tank lid 26 is composed of a single lid, and is slidably disposed along the direction in which the outer tank opening 23 extends, that is, the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall 7C of the outer tank 7. An outer tank lid slide mechanism 55 for slidably holding the outer tank lid 26 is disposed in the main body housing 2.
Further, the outer lid 26 is provided with a drum lid opening / closing mechanism 79 for contacting the drum lid 25 to automatically open or close the drum lid 25, and a side view included in the drum lid opening / closing mechanism 79. A substantially L-shaped knock pin 166 (detailed later) is retracted into the outer tank lid 26 (shown by a solid line in FIG. 2), and advances from the outer tank lid 26 toward the inside (drum lid 25 side). And a slidable arrangement (a state indicated by a broken line in FIG. 2).

FIG. 4 is a right side view showing a schematic configuration of the outer tank lid 26. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of the outer tank lid slide mechanism 55, and is a diagram showing a cross section when the outer tank 7 and the drum 10 are cut along a vertical plane along the front-rear direction as viewed from the right side. Show.
With reference to FIGS. 2 to 5, a front first roller 56 and a front second roller 57 are connected to the front end portion of the outer tub lid 26 at a predetermined interval by a connecting member 58. Has been placed. The front side first roller 56 and the front side second roller 57 are each arranged so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the left-right direction. The front first roller 56 is fixed with respect to the outer tank lid 26 on the front side of the outer tank lid 26. As shown by a solid line and a broken line in FIG. 4, the front second roller 57 is attached via a connecting member 58 so as to be rotatable about the axis of the front first roller 56.

  A rear first roller 59 and a rear second roller 60 are arranged at a rear end portion of the outer tub lid 26 in a state where they are connected to each other by a connecting member 61 at a predetermined interval. Each of the rear first roller 59 and the rear second roller 60 is disposed so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the left-right direction. The rear first roller 59 and the rear second roller 60 are centered on a fulcrum 62 formed at the rear edge of the outer tub lid 26 via a connecting member 61 as shown by a solid line and a broken line in FIG. It is pivotally attached.

The outer tub 7 is provided with a front rail 63 that holds the front first roller 56 in a rollable manner and a rear rail 64 that holds the rear first roller 59 and the rear second roller 60 in a rollable manner. ing.
In the front rail 63, in a side view, a vertical portion 63A extending upward from the vicinity of the front end edge of the outer tub opening 23 and an inclined portion 63B extending obliquely upward and rearward from the upper end of the vertical portion 63A are continuous. Is formed. The rear end portion of the inclined portion 63B is located in the vicinity of the upper end of the rear end portion of the outer tub opening 23.

The rear rail 64 has an inclined portion 64A extending obliquely upward and rearward from the vicinity of the rear end edge of the outer tub opening 23 in a side view, and the peripheral wall 7C of the outer tub 7 from the rear end of the inclined portion 64A. An arc portion 64B extending in an arc shape substantially along the direction is formed continuously. The rear end portion of the arc portion 64 </ b> B is located in the vicinity of the rear end portion of the peripheral wall 7 </ b> C of the outer tub 7.
As shown in FIG. 2, the front first roller 56 is located at the lower end of the vertical portion 63 </ b> A of the front rail 63 when the outer tank lid 26 is closed. In this state, the rear first roller 59 is positioned at the front end of the inclined portion 64A of the rear rail 64, and the rear second roller 60 is connected to the inclined portion 64A of the rear rail 64 and the arc portion 64B. Located in the department.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the front second roller 57 is fixed to a ladder chain 66 that is rotationally driven by an outer tank lid opening / closing motor (outer tank lid opening / closing drive means) 65. The outer tank lid opening / closing motor 65 is fixed in the vicinity of the front end of the outer tank opening 23 in the peripheral wall 7C of the outer tank 7 so that the drive shaft 65A extends in the left-right direction. The ladder chain 66 is formed in an endless shape, and is looped around two sprockets 67 that are rotatably mounted around a rotation shaft 67A that extends in the left-right direction.

  One of the two sprockets 67 is arranged in the vicinity of the outer tank lid opening / closing motor 65, and the other of the two sprockets 67 is located on the rear upper side of the one sprocket 67 obliquely above the outer tank opening 23 in the peripheral wall 7 </ b> C of the outer tank 7. It is supported by a support portion 68 that protrudes outward (upward) from the vicinity of the rear end portion. As a result, the ladder chain 66 is disposed in an inclined state from the vicinity of the front end of the outer tub opening 23 to the vicinity of the rear end obliquely upward and rearward. The rear sprocket 67 is disposed at a position farther from the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 7C of the outer tub 7 than the front sprocket 67 is.

A pulley 65 </ b> B is attached to the drive shaft 65 </ b> A of the outer tank lid opening / closing motor 65. A pulley 67B is attached to the rotary shaft 67A of the front sprocket 67. An endless belt 69 is wound around the two pulleys 65B and 67B.
When the outer tub lid opening / closing motor 65 is driven and the drive shaft 65A of the outer tub lid opening / closing motor 65 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 5, the outer tub lid opening / closing motor 65 is connected to the driving shaft 65A via the pulleys 65B, 67B and the belt 69. The front sprocket 67 thus rotated rotates counterclockwise in FIG. Then, the ladder chain 66 wound around the two sprockets 67 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 5, and the front second roller 57 attached to the ladder chain 66 is indicated by an arrow in FIG. , Move diagonally upward and rearward.

On the other hand, when the outer tub lid opening / closing motor 65 is driven so that the drive shaft 65 rotates clockwise in FIG. 5, the sprocket 67 and the ladder chain 66 rotate clockwise in FIG. The second roller 57 moves obliquely downward and forward (in the direction opposite to the arrow shown in FIG. 5).
As described above, the outer tub lid slide mechanism 55 holds the front first roller 56 by the front rail 63 so that it can roll, and the rear first roller 59 and the rear second roller 60 can roll by the rear rail 64. The outer tank lid 26 can be slid (more specifically, the outer tank lid 26 is moved by a predetermined amount in the direction of separating from the outer tank opening 23 and the outer tank opening 23 extends). 2, and the front second roller 57 is moved obliquely upward and rearward as shown by a broken line in FIG. And a mechanism for sliding the outer tub lid 26 by moving along the guide line 70 that extends in a straight line.

  According to such a configuration, even if the mechanism for sliding the outer tank lid 26 is a simple configuration in which the front second roller 57 is moved along the guide line 70 in a straight line, the front second roller Since 57 is arranged so as to be rotatable with respect to the front first roller 56, the front first roller 56 can be guided in a bent shape by the front rail 63. However, the front rail 63 is not limited to a configuration extending in a bent shape, and may be configured to extend in a curved shape.

The outer tank lid 26 closes the outer tank opening 23 in a state along the rear end from the front end of the outer tank opening 23 (see FIG. 2), and from this state, the outer tank lid 25 is formed on the peripheral wall 7C of the outer tank 7. By sliding substantially along the circumferential direction, the outer tub opening 23 is opened in a state where the front end portion of the outer tub lid 25 has moved to above the rear end portion of the outer tub opening 23 (see FIG. 3).
As described above, the outer tub lid 26 is slid substantially along the direction in which the outer tub opening 23 extends, so that the outer tub cover 26 is placed in the main body housing 2 with the outer tub opening 23 opened. Can be housed. Therefore, unlike the configuration in which the outer tub lid 26 is rotatably attached to the outer tub 7, it is possible to prevent the user who puts in and out the laundry from being pressed, and on the upper surface of the main body housing 2. Since a large space S (see FIG. 3) for placing a detergent or the like can be secured, it is more suitable for opening and closing the outer tub lid 26.

  The drum lid 25 includes two lids (a first lid 73 and a second lid 74) arranged side by side along the circumferential direction of the circumferential wall 10C of the drum 10. The base end portion (front end portion in FIG. 2) of the first lid 73 is arranged on one side in the circumferential direction (FIG. 2) with respect to the drum opening 22 in the peripheral wall 10C of the drum 10 via a rotating shaft 75 extending in the left-right direction. (A front end edge of the drum opening 22) in a rotatable manner. The base end portion (rear end portion in FIG. 2) of the second lid 74 is connected to the other side in the circumferential direction with respect to the drum opening 22 in the peripheral wall 10 </ b> C of the drum 10 (see FIG. 2) via a rotation shaft 76 extending in the left-right direction. 2 at the rear edge of the drum opening 22 in FIG.

  The drum lid 25 is configured so that each free end portion (the rear end portion of the first lid 73 and the second lid 74 in FIG. 2) has the first lid 73 and the second lid 74 along the drum opening 22. When the front end portion is overlapped and locked, the drum opening 22 is closed (see FIG. 2). From this state, the free end portions of the first lid 73 and the second lid 74 are locked. The drum opening 22 is opened by being released and rotated in a direction in which each free end portion is separated from the drum opening 22 (see FIG. 3).

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the drum 10 viewed from the right side when the drum 10 is cut in the vicinity of the drum lid 25 along the front-rear direction, and shows a state in which the drum opening 22 is opened.
Referring to FIG. 6, the base ends of the first lid 73 and the second lid 74 are coupled by a rod-shaped coupling member 77 that is curved substantially along the drum opening 22, and the first lid 73. When one of the second lids 74 is rotated, the other is also rotated in conjunction therewith. The connecting member 77 is covered with a cover 78. A torsion coil spring (not shown) is attached to the rotation shaft 75 of the first lid 73 and the rotation shaft 76 of the second lid 74, respectively. The lid 74 is urged toward the opening direction by these torsion coil springs.

  At the free end portion of the first lid 73, a claw portion 73A is formed so as to protrude from the surface that becomes the outside (upper side) when the first lid 73 is closed. An engaging recess 74A corresponding to the claw 73A of the first lid 73 is formed on the free end portion of the second lid 74 on the inner (lower) surface when the second lid 74 is closed. Has been. When the first lid 73 and the second lid 74 are closed, the free end portion of the second lid 74 overlaps the outside of the free end portion of the first lid 73, and in this state, the free end of the second lid 74 is overlapped. When the portion is pressed inward, the claw portion 73A is caught in the engaging recess 74A, and the drum lid 25 is held in a closed state.

  When opening the drum lid 25, the portion of the first lid 73 that does not overlap with the second lid 74 is pressed inward to push the first lid 73 inward relative to the second lid 74. . Thereby, the engagement between the claw portion 73A and the engagement recess 74A is released, and the first lid 73 and the second lid 74 are rotated by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring, as shown in FIG. The drum opening 22 is greatly opened.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the outer tank lid 26. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the outer tank lid 26 cut along a vertical plane along the front-rear direction, as viewed from the right side, where (a) is a state in which the knock pin 166 is retracted, and (b) is A state where the knock pin 166 has advanced is shown.
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, knock pins 166 are disposed on both the left and right sides of outer tank lid 26, and a pair of left and right knock pins 166 are attached to outer tank lid 26 via rotating body 160. . The rotating body 160 is attached to the left and right ends of the horizontal portion 161 extending in the left-right direction on the outer tub lid 26, and thereby a pair of left and right sides of the outer tub lid 26. Arm 162. The pair of knock pins 166 have their upper ends connected to the corresponding arms 162 by connecting portions 165. A guide 167 for guiding the knock pin 166 along the sliding direction is disposed in front of the pair of arms 162.

The rotating body 160 is rotatably attached to the outer tub lid 26 via shafts 163 provided on the left and right sides so as to extend in the left-right direction. A torsion coil spring 164 is attached to each shaft 163, and the rotating body 160 is urged clockwise by these torsion coil springs 164 in FIG.
A stroke absorbing mechanism 152 is attached to the central portion of the horizontal portion 161 in the left-right direction. The stroke absorbing mechanism 152 includes a cylindrical housing 153 whose front end is fixed to the center in the left-right direction of the horizontal portion 161, and a sliding body 154 that is slidably disposed in the front-rear direction inside the housing 153. And a compression coil spring 155 for urging the sliding body 154 forward.

A drum lid opening / closing motor (drum lid opening / closing drive means) 150 constituted by a torque motor is attached to the outer tank lid 26. The drum lid opening / closing motor 150 is disposed behind the stroke absorbing mechanism 152, and the sliding body 154 of the stroke absorbing mechanism 152 is connected via a wire 151.
When the drum lid opening / closing motor 150 is not driven, the knock pin 166 is positioned at the uppermost position by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 164, and the lower end of the knock pin 166 is outside as shown in FIG. It is in a state of being retracted so as not to protrude from the lower surface of the tank lid 26. When the drum lid opening / closing motor 150 is driven from this state, the wire 151 is pulled backward, and the rotating body 160 (the horizontal portion 161 and the arm 162) connected via the stroke absorbing mechanism 152 is It rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 8 about the shaft 163 against the urging force of the torsion coil spring 164. At this time, the stroke absorbing mechanism 152 absorbs the difference between the pulling stroke of the wire 151 and the rotating stroke of the rotating body 160. As shown in FIG. 8B, when the knock pin 166 slides to the lowest position, the lower end of the knock pin 166 advances downward from the lower surface of the outer tank lid 26 and faces the drum lid 25 (FIG. 7). And (not shown in FIG. 8).

  In front of the drum lid opening / closing motor 150, a housing guide 170 that is hollow and has a front surface that can accommodate the housing 153 of the stroke absorbing mechanism 152 that moves rearward by driving the drum lid opening / closing motor 150 is disposed. Has been. On the right side of the housing guide 170, a drum lid opening / closing operation detection switch 171 configured by a micro switch having a movable piece 171a is disposed. A projecting piece 152a projecting rightward is formed on the right surface of the housing 153 of the stroke absorbing mechanism 152, and the projecting piece 152a is moved to the rear side of the stroke absorbing mechanism 152 in accordance with the movement of the drum cover. By contacting the movable piece 171a of the opening / closing operation detection switch 171, the opening / closing of the drum lid 25 by the drum lid opening / closing mechanism 79 can be detected.

  A stopper 170 a that protrudes rightward is formed on the right side of the edge of the front opening of the housing guide 170. The projecting piece 152a of the housing 153 of the stroke absorbing mechanism 152 that moves backward by driving the drum lid opening / closing motor 150 pushes the movable piece 171a of the drum lid opening / closing operation detection switch 171 backward, and then comes into contact with the stopper 170a. It is regulated not to move any further backward.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the drum type washing machine 1.
The operation of the drum type washing machine 1 is controlled by a control unit 40 including a microcomputer. The control unit 40 includes a CPU 41, a ROM 42, a RAM 43, and the like.
An operation display unit 6 is connected to the control unit 40 so that input / output is possible. Signals from the drum lid opening / closing operation detection switch 171 and the main body lid lock detection means 49A are input to the control unit 40. The controller 40 includes a drum driving motor 12, a fan 32, a heater 34, a water supply valve 13, a drain valve 18, a drum position fixing device 9, a main body lid locking mechanism 49, an outer tub lid opening / closing motor 65, and a drum lid. Control objects such as the opening / closing motor 150 are electrically connected to each other via the load driving unit 48, and the control unit 40 controls the operation of these control objects.

FIGS. 10-13 is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement at the time of open | releasing the drum lid 25 and the outer tank lid | cover 26, Comprising: When this drum type washing machine 1 is cut | disconnected by the vertical surface along the front-back direction The figure which looked at the cross section from the right side is shown.
When the operation of the drum type washing machine 1 is finished and a signal to that effect is input to the control unit 40, the control unit 40 keeps the drum 10 that has been unfixed by the drum position fixing device 9 during operation as it is. Align to the rotational position as shown in FIG. At this time, the aligned drum 10 is fixed by an electromagnetic brake (electric brake) via a drum driving motor 12.

In this state, the knock pin 166 of the drum lid opening / closing mechanism 79 faces the base end side (a portion other than the portion overlapping the second lid 74) of the first lid 73 of the drum lid 25. That is, in this state, the drum 10 is stopped at a position where the drum lid opening / closing mechanism 79 can contact the drum lid 25 (first lid 73) to open the drum lid 25.
Thereafter, as indicated by a broken line in FIG. 10, the control unit 40 drives the drum lid opening / closing motor 150 to advance the knock pin 166 toward the drum lid 25. As a result, the portion of the first lid 73 that does not overlap the second lid 74 is pressed inward by the knock pin 166, and the first lid 73 is pushed inward relative to the second lid 74, The engagement between the lid 73 and the second lid 74 is released.

  The first lid 73 and the second lid 74 released from each other are rotated in a direction to open the drum opening 22 by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring. At this time, Since the outer tub lid 26 is in a closed state, the free end portion of the second lid 74 abuts on the inner surface of the outer tub lid 26, and the free end portion of the first lid 73 is the second end portion of the second lid 74. The first lid 73 and the second lid 74 are in a half-opened state by contacting the inner surface of the free end portion.

  Thereafter, the control unit 40 drives the drum driving motor 12 to rotate the drum 10 to a rotation position where the entire drum opening 22 faces the outer tank opening 23, and the drum position fixing device 9 sets the rotation position of the drum 10. Fix it. Then, the control unit 40 drives the outer tank lid opening / closing motor 65 to slide the outer tank lid 65 rearward to open the outer tank opening 23. More specifically, when the outer tank lid opening / closing motor 65 is driven, first, the front first roller 56 rolls upward along the vertical portion 63A of the front rail 63 and the rear first roller. 59 rolls obliquely upward and rearward along the inclined portion 64A of the rear rail 64, and the rear second roller 60 rolls rearward along the arc portion 64B of the rear rail 64 (see FIG. 11). .

  Thus, when the rear first roller 59 is configured to move in a direction away from the outer tank opening 23 along the inclined portion 64A of the rear rail 64, when opening the outer tank lid 26, The outer tank lid 26 can be slid backward while being moved away from the outer tank opening 23. During the operation of the drum type washing machine 1, the outer tub lid 26 and the outer tub opening 23 are pressed against each other via a packing (not shown), so that the outer tub opening 23 is closed in a watertight manner. However, according to the above configuration, the outer tank lid 26 is moved by a predetermined amount in the direction of separating from the outer tank opening 23, and the pressure contact state between the outer tank lid 26 and the outer tank opening 23 via the packing is achieved. While releasing, the outer tank lid | cover 26 can be slid along the direction where the outer tank opening 23 extends, and the outer tank opening 23 can be open | released, Therefore The outer tank lid | cover 26 can be opened and closed more favorably.

  Thereafter, when the outer tub lid 65 is slid further rearward by driving the outer tub lid opening / closing motor 65, the front first roller 56 is moved to the vertical portion 63A of the front rail 63 as shown in FIGS. The rear first roller 59 and the rear second roller 60 roll to the rear along the arc portion 64B of the rear rail 64. As shown in FIG. 13, the front first roller 56 moves to the rear end of the inclined portion 63B of the front rail 63, and the rear second roller 60 moves to the rear end of the arc portion 64B of the rear rail 64. In this state, the outer tub opening 23 is completely opened.

  Thus, in the process in which the outer tank lid 26 is slid rearward and the outer tank opening 23 is opened, the first lid 73 and the second lid 74 of the drum lid 25 that have been half-opened are Each of the free ends of the lid 74 is pivoted upward so as to be in sliding contact with the inner surface of the outer tank lid 26. Then, in the state where the outer tub opening 23 is completely opened as shown in FIG. 13, the free end portions of the first lid 73 and the second lid 74 are connected to the outer tub 7 via the outer tub opening 23. They are exposed to the outside and are in contact with the inner surface of the main body lid 2A (the front lid 51).

  In this way, after completely opening the outer tub opening 23, the control unit 40 releases the lock of the main body cover 2A by the main body cover lock mechanism 49 so that the main body cover 2A can be opened and closed. Thereafter, when the user opens the main body lid 2A to take out the laundry, the contact state of the main body lid 2A with respect to the free ends of the first lid 73 and the second lid 74 is released, and FIG. As shown, the first lid 73 and the second lid 74 are greatly opened through the main body opening 4. Thereby, the main body lid 2A, the drum lid 25, and the outer tub lid 26 are all opened, and the laundry can be taken out from the drum 10 through the main body opening 4, the drum opening 22, and the outer tub opening 23. .

In this embodiment, at the end of the operation of the drum type washing machine 1, the drum lid 25 and the outer tub lid 26 are automatically opened based on the input of a signal to that effect to the control unit 40. When taking out an object, the troublesomeness of manually opening and closing the drum lid 25 and the outer tank lid 26 can be further reduced.
In addition, after the drum lid 25 and the outer tank lid 26 are opened, the main body lid 2A is unlocked by the main body lid locking mechanism 49. Therefore, when the main body lid 2A is opened, the drum lid 25 and the outer tank lid 26 are Already open automatically. Therefore, it is not necessary to manually open the drum lid 25 and the outer tank lid 26 after opening the main body lid 2A.

Further, when the drum lid 25 and the outer tank lid 26 are opened, the drum lid opening / closing mechanism 79 (the knock pin 166) contacts the first lid 73 of the drum lid 25 so that the drum lid 25 can be opened. By stopping the drum 10 (see FIG. 10), the drum lid 25 can be satisfactorily opened by the drum lid opening / closing mechanism 79.
Next, the operation when closing the drum lid 25 and the outer tank lid 26 will be described.

  When starting the operation of the drum type washing machine 1, the user opens the main body opening 4 and the drum opening 22 in a state where the main body lid 2A, the drum lid 25 and the outer tub lid 26 are all opened as shown in FIG. After the laundry is accommodated in the drum 10 via the outer tub opening 23, only the main body lid 2A is closed, so that the first lid 73 and the second lid of the drum lid 25 are closed as shown in FIG. Each free end portion 74 is in contact with the inner surface of the main body lid 2A (the front lid 51). Thereafter, when the user operates the operation display unit 6 to instruct the start of operation of the drum type washing machine 1, a signal to that effect is input to the control unit 40, and the drum lid 25 and the outer tub as described above are input. By performing an operation opposite to the operation for opening the lid 26, the drum lid 25 and the outer tank lid 26 are closed.

  That is, when the operation of the drum type washing machine 1 is started in the state shown in FIG. 13 and a signal to that effect is input to the control unit 40, the control unit 40 first opens the main body lid 2A by the main body lid lock mechanism 49. Lock in closed state. Then, the control unit 40 confirms that the main body lid 2A is locked in a closed state based on an input signal from the main body lid lock detecting means 49A, and then moves the outer tank lid opening / closing motor 65 to the drum lid. The outer tank lid 65 is slid forward by being driven to rotate in a direction opposite to that when the 25 and the outer tank lid 26 are opened. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 11, the front first roller 56 rolls forward along the inclined portion 63B and the vertical portion 63A of the front rail 63, and the rear first roller 59 and the rear side The second roller 60 rolls forward along the arc portion 64B of the rear rail 64. At this time, in the process in which the outer tub lid 26 is slid forward, the first lid 73 and the second lid 74 of the drum lid 25 have the free end portion of the second lid 74 on the inner surface of the outer tub lid 26. Each slides downward in a sliding manner.

  And the control part 40 rolls the front 1st roller 56 below along the vertical part 63A of the front rail 63 by further driving the motor 65 for opening and closing the outer tub lid from the state shown in FIG. At the same time, the rear first roller 59 is caused to roll obliquely downward and forward along the inclined portion 64A of the rear rail 64. Thereby, the outer tank lid 26 moves to the outer tank opening 23 side, the outer tank lid 26 and the outer tank opening 23 are pressed into contact with each other through the packing, and the outer tank opening 23 is closed in a watertight manner.

  In this state, the first lid 73 and the second lid 74 of the drum lid 25 are half-opened in a state where the free ends overlap each other, and the knock pin 166 of the drum lid opening / closing mechanism 79 is connected to the drum lid 25. It faces the free end portion of the second lid 73 (the portion overlapping the first lid 73). That is, in this state, the drum 10 is stopped at a position where the drum lid opening / closing mechanism 79 can contact the drum lid 25 (second lid 74) to close the drum lid 25.

Thereafter, the control unit 40 drives the drum lid opening / closing motor 150 to advance the knock pin 166 to the drum lid 25 side. As a result, the free end portion of the second lid 74 is pressed inward (on the first lid 73 side) by the knock pin 166, the claw portion 73A is caught in the engaging recess 74A, and the drum lid 25 is closed. (See FIG. 2).
In this embodiment, after putting the laundry into the drum 10, the drum lid 25 and the outer tub lid 26 are moved based on the signal indicating the start of the operation of the drum type washing machine 1 being input to the control unit 40. Since it is automatically closed, the troublesomeness of manually opening and closing the drum lid 25 and the outer tank lid 26 can be further reduced.

  Since the drum lid 25 and the outer tank lid 26 are automatically closed after the main body lid 2A is closed, it is necessary to manually close the drum lid 25 and the outer tank lid 26 before closing the main body lid 2A. Absent. In addition, since the drum lid 25 and the outer tank lid 26 are automatically closed after the main body lid 2A is closed, when the drum lid 25 and the outer tank lid 26 are closed, in the drum opening 22 and the outer tank opening 23, The drum lid 25 and the outer tank lid 26 are safe because there is no danger of the user getting their hands caught.

Further, when the drum lid 25 and the outer tank lid 26 are closed, the drum lid opening / closing mechanism 79 (the knock pin 166 thereof) comes into contact with the second lid 74 of the drum lid 25 so that the drum lid 25 can be closed. By stopping the drum 10, the drum lid 25 can be satisfactorily closed by the drum lid opening / closing mechanism 79.
The present invention is not limited to the contents of the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

  For example, the operation of automatically opening or closing the drum lid 25 and the outer tub lid 26 is performed based on a signal indicating the end or start of the operation of the drum type washing machine 1 being input to the control unit 40. For example, the drum lid 25 and the outer tank lid 26 may be automatically opened or closed based on a signal input to the control unit 40 by a predetermined operation on the operation display unit 6. Good.

The main body lid 2A is not limited to a configuration in which two foldable lids (the front lid 51 and the rear lid 52) are rotatably attached to the main body housing 2, and includes, for example, a single lid. Such a structure may be sufficient, and the structure which was slidably attached with respect to the main body housing 2 may be sufficient.
The rotary shafts 11L and 11R of the drum 10 are not limited to the configuration extending in the horizontal direction, and may be configured to extend in a direction inclined by a predetermined angle (for example, 30 ° or less) with respect to the horizontal direction.

It is sectional drawing which looked at the cross section when the drum type washing machine which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention was cut | disconnected by the vertical surface along the left-right direction from the front. It is the schematic sectional drawing which looked at the section when this drum type washing machine was cut in the perpendicular plane along the direction of order from the right side, and shows the state where all the main part lid, drum lid, and outer tub lid were closed. It is the schematic sectional drawing which looked at the section when this drum type washing machine was cut in the perpendicular plane along the direction of order from the right side, and shows the state where all the main part lid, drum lid, and outer tub lid were opened. It is a right view which shows schematic structure of an outer tank cover. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the structure of an outer tank cover slide mechanism, Comprising: The figure which looked at the cross section when an outer tank and a drum are cut | disconnected by the vertical surface along the front-back direction is shown. It is sectional drawing which looked at the cross section when the drum was cut | disconnected by the vertical surface along the front-back direction in the vicinity of a drum cover, and the state which opened the drum opening is shown. It is a top view of an outer tank lid. It is sectional drawing which looked at the cross section when the outer tank cover was cut | disconnected by the vertical surface along the front-back direction from the right side, Comprising: (a) is the state which the knock pin retracted, (b) is the state which the knock pin advanced. Show. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of this drum type washing machine. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement at the time of opening a drum cover and an outer tank cover, Comprising: The figure which looked at the cross section when this drum type washing machine was cut | disconnected by the vertical surface along the front-back direction was shown from the right side. Yes. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement at the time of opening a drum cover and an outer tank cover, Comprising: The figure which looked at the cross section when this drum type washing machine was cut | disconnected by the vertical surface along the front-back direction was shown from the right side. Yes. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement at the time of opening a drum cover and an outer tank cover, Comprising: The figure which looked at the cross section when this drum type washing machine was cut | disconnected by the vertical surface along the front-back direction was shown from the right side. Yes. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement at the time of opening a drum cover and an outer tank cover, Comprising: The figure which looked at the cross section when this drum type washing machine was cut | disconnected by the vertical surface along the front-back direction was shown from the right side. Yes.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Drum type washing machine 2 Main body housing 2A Main body cover 4 Main body opening 7 Outer tank 10 Drum 11L, 11R Rotating shaft 22 Drum opening 23 Outer tank opening 25 Drum cover 26 Outer tank cover 40 Control part 55 Outer tank cover slide mechanism 59 Rear side First roller 60 Rear second roller 61 Connecting member 64 Rear rail 73 First lid 74 Second lid 79 Drum lid opening / closing mechanism

Claims (13)

It is arranged so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in a horizontal direction or a direction inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal direction, and can store laundry therein, and for loading and unloading laundry on its peripheral surface A drum in which a drum opening is formed;
An outer tub that covers the outside of the drum and is formed with an outer tub opening at a position that can face the drum opening;
A drum lid for opening and closing the drum opening;
An outer tank lid for opening and closing the outer tank opening;
A drum-type washing machine comprising: a lid opening / closing means for automatically opening and / or closing the drum lid and the outer tub lid.   The lid opening / closing means automatically opens and / or closes the drum lid and the outer tub lid in accordance with the end and / or start of operation of the drum type washing machine. Drum type washing machine. A main body housing that defines an outer shape of the drum type washing machine and has a main body opening formed at a position facing the outer tub opening;
A body lid for opening and closing the body opening;
The lid opening / closing means automatically opens the drum lid and the outer tub lid before the main body lid is opened, and / or opens the drum lid and the outer tub lid after the main body lid is closed. 3. The drum type washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the drum type washing machine is automatically closed. The lid opening / closing means includes
A drum lid opening / closing mechanism for opening and / or closing the drum lid;
An outer tank lid opening / closing mechanism for opening and / or closing the outer tank lid;
The drum type washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising control means for controlling operations of the drum lid opening / closing mechanism and the outer tub lid opening / closing mechanism.   5. The drum type washing machine according to claim 4, wherein the drum lid opening / closing mechanism is provided in the outer tub lid and opens and / or closes the drum lid in contact with the drum lid.   The lid opening / closing means opens the outer lid by the outer tank lid opening / closing mechanism after opening the drum lid by the drum lid opening / closing mechanism, and / or opens the outer tank lid by the outer tank lid opening / closing mechanism. 6. The drum type washing machine according to claim 5, wherein the drum lid is closed by the drum lid opening / closing mechanism after being closed.   When the drum lid and the outer tank lid are automatically opened by the lid opening / closing means, the drum lid opening / closing mechanism contacts the drum lid and stops the drum at a position where the drum lid can be opened, and When the drum lid and the outer tank lid are automatically closed by the lid opening / closing means, the drum lid opening / closing mechanism comes into contact with the drum lid and stops the drum at a position where the drum lid can be closed. The drum type washing machine according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising a drum rotation control means.   8. The outer tank lid opening / closing mechanism opens and / or closes the outer tank lid by sliding the outer tank lid substantially along a direction in which the outer tank opening extends. The drum-type washing machine according to any one of the above. In a drum-type washing machine provided with a drum which is disposed in a main body housing so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis extending in a horizontal direction or a direction inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal direction and which can store laundry therein ,
An outer tub which is disposed in the main body housing so as to cover the outside of the drum, has an outer tub opening for taking in and out laundry, and can store water therein;
An outer tank lid for opening and closing the outer tank opening;
A drum-type washing machine comprising: an outer tub lid opening / closing mechanism for opening and closing the outer tub opening by sliding the outer tub lid substantially along a direction in which the outer tub opening extends.   10. The drum type washing machine according to claim 8, wherein the outer tub lid opening / closing mechanism includes a mechanism for moving the outer tub lid by a predetermined amount in a direction in which the outer tub lid is separated from the outer tub opening. The outer tank lid opening / closing mechanism is
A mechanism for slidably supporting the outer tub lid so as to move the outer tub lid by a predetermined amount in a direction away from the outer tub opening and substantially along the direction in which the outer tub opening extends;
The drum type washing machine according to claim 10, further comprising a mechanism for sliding the outer tub lid. The mechanism for slidably supporting the outer tub lid includes a guide portion fixed to the outer tub lid, and a support portion for supporting the guide portion in a guideable manner.
The mechanism for sliding the outer tub lid includes a rotation unit that is rotatably connected to the guide unit, and a drive mechanism that drives the rotation unit to move in a straight line. The drum type washing machine according to claim 11. It is arranged so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in a horizontal direction or a direction inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal direction, and can store laundry therein, and for loading and unloading laundry on its peripheral surface A drum in which a drum opening is formed;
An outer tub that covers the outside of the drum and is formed with an outer tub opening at a position that can face the drum opening;
A first lid having a base end rotatably attached to one side in the circumferential direction with respect to the drum opening of the drum; and a base end portion rotated to the other side in the circumferential direction with respect to the drum opening of the drum. A second lid that is movably mounted, and the free ends of the first and second lids are overlapped and locked together, thereby closing the drum opening. A drum lid capable of opening the drum opening by releasing the locking of the free ends of the first and second lids;
An outer tank lid for opening and closing the outer tank opening;
It is provided in the outer tub lid, and the free end portions are unlocked by contacting one of the first and second lids with the free end portions being overlapped and locked with each other. The drum lid is opened, and the free end portions of the first and second lids are unlocked and brought into contact with the other lid in a state of being overlapped with each other, thereby locking the free end portions. A drum lid opening / closing mechanism for closing the drum lid;
When opening the drum lid, the drum lid opening / closing mechanism contacts the one lid, stops the drum at a position where the drum lid can be opened, and closes the drum lid. A drum-type washing machine comprising: a drum rotation control means for stopping the drum at a position where a drum lid opening / closing mechanism contacts the other lid and can close the drum lid.

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