CN115198484A

CN115198484A - Washing machine

Info

Publication number: CN115198484A
Application number: CN202210260666.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 大江宏和; 吉川真帆子
Original assignee: Sharp Corp
Current assignee: Sharp Corp
Priority date: 2021-04-06
Filing date: 2022-03-16
Publication date: 2022-10-18
Also published as: JP2022160090A

Abstract

The washing machine has an operation panel provided on a front surface of a washing machine main body and arranged such that the operation panel is substantially vertical. The operation panel has a front glass plate covering the front surface of the panel, a groove portion is formed around the front glass plate, and a projection portion abutting against an end portion of the back surface of the front glass plate is formed inside the groove portion.

Description

Washing machine

Technical Field

One aspect of the present invention relates to a washing machine having an operation panel provided on a front surface of a washing machine main body and disposed such that the operation panel is substantially vertical.

Background

Among recent washing machines, those having an operation unit using a touch panel type operation panel have been widely used. In a drum-type washing machine or the like having a door on the front surface of the washing machine main body, the operation panel may be provided on the upper part of the front surface of the washing machine main body in consideration of design (for example, japanese patent application laid-open No. 2011-363). In the case where the operation panel is provided at the front surface of the washing machine body, the operation panel is arranged in a vertical direction (or inclined therefrom).

Disclosure of Invention

In a touch panel type operation panel, a panel surface is usually covered with a glass plate, but an operation circuit portion for preventing liquid from entering the operation panel from an end portion of the glass plate is required. In a conventional operation panel, an end face of a glass plate is covered with a rib or the like to prevent liquid from entering an operation circuit portion inside.

However, the structure in which the end faces of the glass plate are covered with the ribs has the following problems: if the liquid sprayed on the top surface of the washing machine flows toward the front side of the washing machine, the liquid drips on the surface of the glass plate and adheres to dirt.

Further, since the rib covers the end face of the glass plate, there is a disadvantage that it is difficult to obtain a highly designable operation panel.

An aspect of the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine capable of preventing liquid from dripping on the surface of an operation panel and preventing the liquid from entering an operation circuit portion inside the operation panel.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a washing machine according to an aspect of the present invention includes an operation panel provided on a front surface of a washing machine main body and arranged such that an operation surface is substantially vertical, the operation panel including a front surface light-transmitting plate covering the front surface of the panel, a groove portion formed around the front surface light-transmitting plate, and a protrusion portion formed inside the groove portion and abutting against an end portion of a back surface of the front surface light-transmitting plate.

According to the above configuration, when the liquid flows from above the operation panel toward the operation panel, the liquid is drawn from the groove portion to the inside of the washing machine at the time point when the liquid reaches the upper end portion of the front translucent plate, and therefore the liquid can be prevented from flowing down to the surface side of the operation panel. In addition, the liquid introduced from the groove into the washing machine can be prevented from entering the operation circuit part by forming the convex part inside the groove and bringing the end part of the back surface of the front transparent plate into contact with the convex part.

In the washing machine, an upper end surface of the front translucent plate may be inclined so as to be lowered from the front side toward the rear side.

According to the above configuration, by inclining the end surface on the upper side of the front transparent plate in this manner, the liquid introduced from the upper side of the front transparent plate can be easily guided to the groove portion, and the effect of preventing the liquid from entering the operation circuit portion of the operation panel can be further improved.

In the washing machine, the front transparent plate may have a lower edge surface inclined downward from the front side toward the rear side.

According to the above configuration, by inclining the lower side end surface of the front transparent plate in this manner, the liquid introduced from the lower side of the front transparent plate can be easily guided to the groove portion, and the liquid can be prevented from contaminating the front door or the like located below the operation panel.

In the washing machine, the cross-sectional shape of the groove may be a shape in which the groove width is narrowed from the front side toward the rear side.

According to the above configuration, the liquid flowing into the groove portion is easily collected on the back side of the groove by narrowing the groove width of the groove portion toward the back side. As a result, the effect of preventing the liquid from entering the operation circuit portion of the operation panel can be further improved.

In the washing machine, the groove may have a cross-sectional shape that is deeper vertically than vertically above.

According to the above configuration, when the liquid flowing into the groove portion is retained in the groove portion due to a drainage failure or the like by deepening the lower portion of the groove portion, the retained liquid can be prevented from returning to the front surface side of the operation panel and overflowing.

In the washing machine, the front transparent plate may be bonded to the inside of the convex portion using an adhesive member.

According to the above configuration, the adhesive member does not come into contact with water or detergent liquid due to water injection or the like, and deterioration of the adhesive member due to such liquid can be prevented. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of defects such as peeling and dropping of the front transparent plate due to deterioration of the adhesive force of the adhesive member, and to ensure high reliability in the washing machine.

In the washing machine, an inner peripheral surface of the convex portion may be formed as an inclined surface that is deeper from the outside toward the inside, and an abutting surface that abuts against the convex portion at an end portion of the back surface of the front translucent plate may be formed as an inclined surface that is parallel to the inner peripheral surface of the convex portion.

According to the above configuration, when the front translucent plate is attached to the washing machine main body, the inner peripheral surface of the convex portion and the inclined surface of the abutment surface of the front translucent plate abut against each other, so that the front translucent plate can be easily positioned, and the front translucent plate can be stably held at a fixed position.

The washing machine according to one embodiment of the present invention exhibits the following effects: the groove portion formed around the front transparent plate and the convex portion formed inside the groove portion so as to be in contact with the end portion of the back surface of the front transparent plate can suppress the flow of the liquid on the front surface of the operation panel and prevent the liquid from entering the operation circuit portion inside the operation panel.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a washing machine.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the washing machine of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the operation panel.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state where the front glass plate is detached from the operation panel.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a groove portion and a convex portion in the vicinity of the upper end of the front glass plate.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a groove portion and a convex portion in the vicinity of the lower end of the front glass plate.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the detergent supply box in the vicinity of the front thereof.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state where the glass decorative plate is removed from the detergent box.

Detailed Description

[ embodiment mode 1 ]

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a washing machine 10 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a front view of the washing machine 10.

The washing machine 10 is a drum-type washing machine having an inlet (not shown) for introducing laundry on a front surface of a washing machine main body 11, and a front door 12 is provided to cover the inlet. Further, a detergent input box 13 and an operation panel 20 are provided on the upper part of the front surface of the washing machine body 11 (above the front door 12). The detergent supply box 13 is configured to be drawn forward with respect to the washing machine body 11, and can be replenished with detergent and softener in the drawn state. The detergent dispenser box 13 and the operation panel 20 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction when viewed from the front of the washing machine 10.

The operation panel 20 accepts an operation input from the user to the washing machine 10, and a touch panel is used here. Therefore, the front surface of the operation panel 20 is a glass surface. The operation panel 20 is disposed so that the operation surface is substantially vertical. That is, the operation panel 20 is disposed in a vertical direction (the operation surface of the operation panel 20 is parallel to the vertical direction) or inclined rearward from the vertical direction (the upper end side is located rearward from the lower end side). The washing machine 10 of fig. 1 illustrates a case where the operation panel 20 is disposed obliquely rearward from the vertical direction.

Next, a more detailed structure of the operation panel 20 will be described with reference to fig. 3 to 6. Fig. 3 isbase:Sub>A longitudinal sectional view of the operation panel 20 (base:Sub>A sectional view taken along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A in fig. 2). As shown in fig. 3, the operation panel 20 includes a front glass plate (front light-transmitting plate) 21, a transparent electrode 22, a display sheet 23, a reflector member 24, and a circuit board 25. Since the transparent electrode 22 and the display sheet 23 are thin members, the transparent electrode 22 and the display sheet 23 are illustrated as being overlapped with each other in a single line in the cross-sectional view of fig. 3. In embodiment 1, the transparent electrode 22 and the circuit board 25 correspond to the operation circuit portion described in the claims.

The front surface glass plate 21 is a front surface light-transmitting plate covering the front surface of the panel. The transparent electrode 22 is an electrode portion for sensing a finger of a user operating the touch panel. The display sheet 23 is a sheet having a base formed of a Light-transmitting portion such as a Light-shielding portion and letters or a frame, and displays a portion where a Light-Emitting element (for example, an LED (not shown)) provided on the circuit board 25 emits Light, the transparent electrode 22 and the display sheet 23 are disposed so as to be sandwiched between the front glass plate 21 and the reflector member 24.

The reflector element 24 is disposed between the front glass plate 21 and the circuit board 25, and is provided with a plurality of small holes for diffusing the light emitted from the light-emitting element provided on the circuit board 25 forward (toward the front glass plate 21, the transparent electrode 22, and the display sheet 23) and emitting the light.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state where the front glass plate 21 is removed from the operation panel 20. As shown in fig. 4, the front glass plate 21 has a recess 111 (see fig. 3) formed in the front surface of the casing of the washing machine body 11 (for example, the front panel member of the washing machine body 11), and is bonded to the recess 111 using an adhesive member such as a double-sided tape (not shown). More specifically, the concave portion 111 has an opening 111A on the inner side thereof, and the transparent electrode 22, the display sheet 23, and the reflector member 24 are exposed in the opening 111A. The bottom surface 111B of the recess 111, which is the area around the opening 111A, is defined as the bonding area of the front glass plate 21.

In addition, in the concave portion 111, a groove portion 112 is formed at a position around the attached front surface glass plate 21, and a convex portion 113 is formed inside the groove portion 112. Fig. 5 and 6 are enlarged cross-sectional views showing the groove 112 and the protrusion 113 near the upper end and the lower end of the front glass plate 21, and the regions B and C in fig. 3 are enlarged, respectively. The groove 112 and the projection 113 are formed in a ring shape so as to surround the entire periphery of the front glass plate 21.

As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the front glass plate 21 is disposed such that an end portion of the back surface thereof abuts against the inner peripheral surface 113A of the convex portion 113. The end face 21A of the front glass plate 21 is disposed with a gap G between the end face and the outer peripheral edge of the recess 111, and a groove 112 is formed so as to communicate with the gap G. That is, in this example, the gap G corresponds to not only the groove 112 but also a part of the groove described in claims.

In the operation panel 20 according to embodiment 1, the groove portion 112 and the convex portion 113 constitute a drainage structure that can suppress the flow of liquid on the surface of the operation panel 20 and can prevent the liquid from entering the operation circuit portion inside the operation panel 20. For example, when a liquid (water, liquid detergent, softener, etc.) overflows to the top surface of the washing machine 10, the liquid flows toward the operation panel 20 on the front surface side of the washing machine 10, the flowing liquid is introduced from the gap G to the inside of the washing machine 10 at the time of reaching the upper end portion of the front surface glass plate 21. This can prevent the liquid from dripping on the surface side of operation panel 20 and flowing.

In addition, for the liquid introduced from the gap G to the inside of the washing machine 10, the gap between the front surface glass plate 21 and the inner peripheral surface 113A of the convex portion 113 may become a liquid intrusion path. The liquid entering from the liquid entering path is a liquid entering into the operation circuit portion inside the operation panel 20, and therefore, it is necessary to prevent the liquid from entering. Then, in the operation panel 20, the groove portion 112 is formed to a position further to the back side than the liquid inlet path. Accordingly, the liquid introduced into the washing machine 10 from the gap G is further introduced into the groove 112 through the liquid inlet path, and the liquid can be prevented from entering the operation circuit. That is, by forming the convex portion 113 inside the groove portion 112 with respect to the liquid introduced from the groove portion 112 to the inside of the washing machine, the end portion of the back surface of the front glass plate 21 is brought into contact with the convex portion 113, and thereby the liquid can be prevented from entering the operation circuit portion.

The liquid introduced into the groove 112 flows downward along the annularly formed groove 112, and can be finally discharged to the inside (or outside) of the washing machine 10. For example, in the washing machine 10 of the present embodiment, at least a part of the groove 112 may be opened to the outside on the side opposite to the detergent supply box 13 adjacent to the operation panel 20, and the liquid may be drained from the opened part of the groove 112 to the inside of the washing machine 10.

The convex portion 113 is formed so as to surround the bottom surface 111B as the bonding region of the front glass plate 21, in other words, the bonding region of the front glass plate 21 is formed inside the convex portion 113, that is, the bottom surface 111B and/or the inner peripheral surface 113A. That is, the adhesive member to which the front glass plate 21 is attached is provided inside the convex portion 113 and can be prevented from being exposed from the front surface of the operation panel 20, and therefore, the adhesive member does not come into contact with water or detergent liquid due to water injection or the like, and deterioration of the adhesive member due to such liquid can be prevented. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of defects such as peeling and dropping of the front glass plate 21 due to deterioration of the adhesive force of the adhesive member, and to ensure high reliability in the washing machine 10.

In addition, in the operation panel 20 according to embodiment 1, since it is not necessary to cover the end face 21A of the front glass plate 21 with a rib, it is not necessary to protrude the rib from the surface of the washing machine 10 or to enlarge the gap G in order to secure the space for disposing the rib. This makes it possible to obtain the operation panel 20 having high design.

[ embodiment 2 ]

While the basic structure of the groove 112 and the projection 113 is described in embodiment 1, a more suitable example of the shape of the groove 112 and the projection 113 is described in embodiment 2.

As a first preferred example, the upper end face 21A of the front glass 21 is inclined downward from the front (front) side toward the back (rear) side (see fig. 5). By thus inclining the upper end surface 21A of the front glass plate 21, the liquid introduced from the gap G can be easily guided to the groove 112 along the upper end surface 21A. As a result, the effect of preventing the liquid from entering the operation circuit portion of the operation panel 20 can be further improved.

As a preferred example of the second aspect 2, the lower end face 21A of the front glass plate 21 is provided with an inclination that decreases from the near front side toward the rear side (see fig. 6). By inclining the lower end surface 21A of the front glass plate 21 in this manner, when there is a liquid flowing on the surface of the front glass plate 21, the liquid is easily guided from the gap G to the groove portion 112 along the lower end surface 21A. As a result, the front door 12 and the like located below the operation panel 20 can be prevented from being contaminated with liquid.

As a third preferred example, the cross-sectional shape of the groove portion 112 is a shape in which the groove width is narrowed from the front side toward the rear side (see fig. 5 and 6). That is, by narrowing the groove width of the groove portion 112 toward the rear side, the liquid flowing to the groove portion 112 is easily concentrated on the rear side of the groove. As a result, the effect of preventing liquid from entering the operation circuit portion of the operation panel 20 can be further improved.

As a fourth preferred example, the sectional shape of the groove 112 is formed to be deeper (groove is formed to be deeper) than the upper side in the vertical direction (see fig. 5 and 6). By making the groove 112 deeper in the lower direction, when the liquid flowing into the groove 112 is retained in the groove 112 due to drainage failure or the like, the retained liquid can be prevented from returning to the surface side of the operation panel 20 and overflowing.

As a fifth preferred example, the inner peripheral surface 113A of the convex portion 113 is formed as an inclined surface that becomes deeper from the outside toward the inside. The contact surface 21B of the convex portion 113 at the end portion of the back surface of the front glass plate 21 is also an inclined surface parallel to the inner peripheral surface 113A (see fig. 5 and 6). Accordingly, when the front glass 21 is stuck in the concave portion 111, the inner peripheral surface 113A of the convex portion 113 and the inclined surface of the abutment surface 21B of the front glass 21 abut against each other, whereby the front glass 21 is easily positioned, and the front glass 21 can be stably held at a fixed position. As a result, the opening dimension of the gap G around the front glass plate 21 can be stabilized, and a problem of insufficient drainage due to the gap G having an excessively large opening dimension and an excessively large liquid intrusion can be prevented, and the operation circuit portion can be reliably protected from the intrusion of the liquid. In addition, no special jig for alignment is required when the front glass plate 21 is attached, and productivity of the washing machine 10 is improved.

[ embodiment 3 ]

In the washing machine 10 shown in fig. 1 and 2, the detergent supply box 13 and the operation panel 20 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction when viewed from the front of the washing machine 10. In this way, it is not essential in the present invention that the detergent input box 13 is arranged on the operation panel 20. However, in the case where the detergent input box 13 is arranged on the operation panel 20, the detergent input box 13 may have a structure similar to that of the operation panel 20 in order to improve the design of the washing machine 10.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the detergent supply box 13 in the vicinity of the front (sectional view taken along line D-D in fig. 2). Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state where the glass decorative plate 131 is removed from the detergent box 13. The detergent input box 13 has a glass decorative plate 131 attached to the front surface thereof in order to provide design uniformity with respect to the adjacent operation panel 20. Specifically, as shown in fig. 7 and 8, a decorative plate holding portion 132 is formed in front of the detergent box 13, and the glass decorative plate 131 is adhered to the decorative plate holding portion 132 by an adhesive member such as a double-sided tape. The detergent box 13 can be drawn out and stored by an electric opening/closing mechanism, a push-lock/push-open mechanism, or the like, and the glass decorative plate 131 on the front surface and the washing machine body 11 around the glass decorative plate do not have a hook portion. Thus, the detergent supply box 13 has design uniformity with respect to the adjacent operation panel 20.

The decorative plate holding portion 132 is formed in a ring shape with a projection 133 in the entire outer peripheral edge. The glass decorative plate 131 is disposed such that an end portion of the rear surface thereof abuts against the inner circumferential surface 133A of the convex portion 133 (see fig. 7). Further, since the detergent box 13 is provided to be drawable with respect to the washing machine 10, a gap G is provided around the glass decoration plate 131.

In the detergent supply box 13, the end face of the glass decorative plate 131 is not covered with the rib. Therefore, the gap G on the detergent input box 13 side can be formed to have the same width as the gap G on the operation panel 20 side, and the detergent input box 13 and the operation panel 20 adjacent to each other can have design uniformity. This improves the design of the washing machine 10.

The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as restrictive. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is defined not by the embodiments described above but by the claims. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

For example, in the above description, the front surface light-transmitting plate attached to the front surface of the operation panel 20 is used as the front surface glass plate 21, but a transparent resin plate of acrylic, polycarbonate, or the like may be used instead of the front surface glass plate 21. In addition, a portion of the front surface light-transmitting panel may be transparent or translucent. Of course, a transparent resin plate made of acrylic or polycarbonate may be used in the detergent box 13 instead of the glass decorative plate 131.

Claims

1. A washing machine having an operation panel provided on the front surface of a washing machine main body and arranged so that the operation panel is substantially vertical,

the operation panel has a front surface light-transmitting plate covering a front surface of the panel,

a groove is formed around the front surface light-transmitting plate, and a projection is formed inside the groove and abuts against an end of the back surface of the front surface light-transmitting plate.

2. A washing machine according to claim 1, wherein an end surface of the upper side of the front surface light-transmitting plate is provided with an inclination descending from a front side toward a rear side.

3. The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an end surface of a lower side of the front surface light-transmitting plate is provided with an inclination descending from a front side toward a rear side.

4. The washing machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sectional shape of the groove portion is formed in a shape in which a groove width becomes narrower from a front side toward a rear side.

5. The washing machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sectional shape of the groove is formed to be deeper in a vertical direction than in an upper direction.

6. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the front surface light-transmitting plate is stuck at an area inside the convex portion using an adhesive member.

7. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an inner circumferential surface of the convex portion is formed as an inclined surface that becomes deeper from an outer side to an inner side,

an abutting surface that abuts against the convex portion at the end portion of the back surface of the front surface light-transmitting sheet is provided as an inclined surface that is parallel to the inner peripheral surface of the convex portion.