CN117737963A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The laundry is prevented from entering the outer peripheral side from the gap between the water tub opening and the rotary tub opening, and the entered laundry is separated from the gap at an early stage. A washing machine is provided with: a housing having an opening portion on a front surface thereof; a water tank supported in the housing and having a water tank opening portion that opens to the opening portion; a rotary tub rotatably provided in the water tub, the rotary tub having a bottomed tubular shape having a rotary tub opening toward the opening, the rotary tub opening being configured such that a gap is provided over an entire circumference between the rotary tub opening and the water tub opening, a partition wall being provided on an outer peripheral side of the gap, the partition wall overlapping the gap in a rotation axis direction of the rotary tub, the partition wall having: a continuous portion provided continuously along a circumferential direction; and a notch portion removed by a fixed length in the circumferential direction so as to communicate with the outer circumferential side.

Description

Washing machine

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a washing machine having a water tub and a spin tub.

Background

As a washing machine, a drum-type washing machine is widely known in which laundry such as laundry stored in a rotary tub (rotary drum) is washed by rotationally driving the rotary tub disposed in the water tub. In addition to a washing machine in which the rotation axis direction of the rotary tub is horizontal, there has been proposed a tilt drum type washing machine in which the opening of the water tub is inclined at a predetermined angle so as to be directed upward.

For example, japanese patent application laid-open No. 2008-54813 discloses a washing machine in which a spin tub having a laundry inlet on a front surface side and a water tub accommodating the spin tub are disposed in a housing so as to be inclined upward from a horizontal direction. In the washing and dewatering operation, the water tub is swingably supported in the housing by swinging up and down and left and right due to the rotation of the rotary tub, and a gap is provided between the laundry inlet of the rotary tub and the water tub opening.

The spin basket rotates at a high speed particularly during the spin-drying operation, but centrifugal force acts on the laundry in the spin basket, and a part of the laundry may be caught in a gap between the laundry inlet and the water tub opening.

Since the water tub and the clothes may be damaged by frictional heat when the clothes are caught, japanese patent application laid-open No. 2008-54813 proposes to provide an annular cover member made of a metal material at a front end portion of the tub opening facing the clothes inlet of the rotary tub.

Disclosure of Invention

According to the above-described configuration of the conventional washing machine, since the annular cover member is made of a material having a low heat generation amount and a high heat conductivity, such as a stainless steel material, frictional heat is easily dissipated, and the risk of melting or damaging clothes is reduced.

However, as shown in fig. 2 of japanese patent application laid-open No. 2008-54813, since there is still a gap between the inner periphery of the laundry inlet of the rotary tub and the annular cover member, there is a possibility that laundry enters the gap, and by continuing the high-speed rotation of the rotary tub with the laundry entered, the laundry further enters the outer periphery side or comes into contact with surrounding members, and there is still a risk of damaging the laundry. Accordingly, a configuration is desired in which not only a gap such as a gap into which laundry may enter can be reduced, but also laundry can be prevented from further entering from the gap to the outer peripheral side, and the laundry entering the gap can be separated from the gap at an early stage.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine in which laundry is prevented from entering the outer peripheral side from a gap between a water tub opening and a rotary tub opening, and the entered laundry can be separated from the gap as early as possible, so that the laundry can be washed without being damaged.

In order to achieve the above object, a washing machine according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a housing having an opening portion on a front surface thereof; a water tank supported in the housing and having a water tank opening portion that opens to the opening portion; a rotary tub rotatably provided in the water tub, the rotary tub having a bottomed tubular shape having a rotary tub opening toward the opening, the rotary tub opening being configured such that a gap is provided over an entire circumference between the rotary tub opening and the water tub opening, a partition wall being provided on an outer peripheral side of the gap, the partition wall overlapping the gap in a rotation axis direction of the rotary tub, the partition wall having: a continuous portion provided continuously along a circumferential direction; and a notch portion removed by a fixed length in the circumferential direction so as to communicate with the outer circumferential side.

In the washing machine having the above-described configuration, the partition wall preferably has a guide surface that is inclined from the outer peripheral side to the inner peripheral side so that the inner diameter becomes narrower, at a position forward of the notch portion in the rotation direction of the rotation groove.

In the washing machine having the above-described configuration, preferably, an annular cover portion having a substantially funnel-shaped curved wall with an inner diameter gradually decreasing from the front surface side is provided at the water tank opening portion.

In the washing machine having the above configuration, the partition wall is preferably integrally provided with the annular cover portion on the outer peripheral side of the curved wall, and the gap is preferably formed between the curved wall and the rotary tub opening.

In the washing machine having the above configuration, at least one of the notch portions is preferably disposed in a range of an upper half portion in a circumferential direction of the gap. At least one of the notch portions may be disposed above the rotation groove in the rotation direction.

According to one aspect of the present invention, laundry is prevented from entering the outer peripheral side from the gap between the water tub opening and the rotary tub opening, and the laundry can be separated from the gap early.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state where a door is closed.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of the washing machine in a state in which a door is opened.

Fig. 3 is a front view showing a water tub provided in the washing machine.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the water tank and the annular cover.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial sectional view showing a main portion of the front surface side of the water tank, and is a view corresponding to the section I-I in fig. 3.

Fig. 6A is a plan view showing a main portion of the annular cover portion as seen from the back surface side.

Fig. 6B is a perspective view showing a main portion of the annular cover portion as seen from the inner peripheral side.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing an upper portion of the water tank.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view A-A in fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view B-B in fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a C-C section view of fig. 7.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view D-D in fig. 7.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view of E-E in fig. 7.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 and 2 are perspective views showing the external appearance of a washing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein fig. 1 shows a state in which a door 3 is closed, and fig. 2 shows a state in which the door 3 is opened. For convenience of explanation, the side of the washing machine 1 on which the door 3 is provided is referred to as the front side F and the opposite side is referred to as the rear side R, but the installation and use of the washing machine 1 are not limited thereto.

(Shell)

The washing machine 1 has a door 3 on a front surface side F of a casing 10, and when the door 3 is opened, an opening 111 of the casing 10 is exposed. The housing 10 has a front surface portion 101 provided with the door 3, a rear surface portion 102 on the opposite side to the front surface portion 101, an upper surface portion 103 above the front surface portion 101, and side surface portions 104 on the left and right sides toward the front surface portion 101. Two covers 21 and 22 are arranged in parallel in the front-rear direction on the upper surface 103, and a detergent loading unit, not shown, capable of manually loading and automatically loading detergent or the like is provided below these covers 21 and 22.

A water supply port 23 for flowing tap water is provided near the cover 22 of the upper surface 103. Tap water can be supplied to the detergent supply unit by appropriately controlling the opening and closing of a plurality of electromagnetic valves, not shown, provided in the water supply port 23. The upper surface 103 is provided with an air flow filter 24 and a power button 25 for collecting foreign matters such as lint and dust contained in the humid air.

As shown in fig. 1, the door 3 integrally includes: a door main body 31 having a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and an inclined upper portion 32 provided so as to be inclined rearward from an upper portion of the door main body 31. The inclined upper portion 32 is provided with a display operation portion or the like for selecting an operation, inputting an instruction, and displaying an operation state.

As shown in fig. 2, an opening 111 for laundry to come in and go out is provided in the front surface 101 of the casing 10. The door 3 is rotatably provided by the hinge portion 33, and can open and close the opening 111 of the front surface portion 101. A seal 112 made of an elastic body such as rubber or soft resin is provided at the peripheral edge of the opening 111, and when the door 3 is closed, the window member 34 having a substantially truncated cone shape provided in the door 3 is held in close contact with the seal 112, and is liquid-tight and airtight. A water tank 4 and a rotary tank 7 described later, which are opened to the opening 111, are provided in the housing 10.

(Water tank and rotating tank)

Fig. 3 is a front view of the water tank 4 provided in the housing 10 with the housing 10 and its peripheral components omitted, and fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the water tank 4 and the annular cover 5.

The housing 10 is provided with a water tank 4 and a rotary tank 7 as a rotary cylinder having a bottomed cylinder shape. As shown in fig. 3, the water tank 4 has a water tank opening 41 on the front surface side F. The water tank opening 41 opens to an opening 111 of the front surface 101 of the housing 10. The water tank 4 is elastically supported in the housing 10 by a plurality of dampers or the like, not shown.

As shown in fig. 4, an annular cover 5 is attached to the front surface side F of the water tank 4 via a not-shown water tank front cover, so that a water tank opening 41 is formed. The water tank front cover is an annular member denoted by reference numeral 42 in fig. 5 described later, and is provided on the front surface side F of the water tank 4 so as to cover the outer peripheral side of the annular cover 5. The annular cover portion 5 is formed in an annular shape and has a substantially funnel-shaped curved wall 51 having an inner diameter gradually decreasing from the front surface side F toward the rear surface side R. The curved wall 51 is provided on the inner peripheral side of the annular cover 5. The end of the curved wall 51 on the inner peripheral side (back surface side R) is an inner peripheral edge 52 of the annular cover 5, and the inner peripheral edge 52 is smaller in diameter than an outer peripheral edge 53 of the annular cover 5.

In the washing machine 1 of the illustrated embodiment, the rotation axis X of the rotation tub 7 provided in the water tub 4 is provided at, for example, an inclination angle Θ with respect to the horizontal direction such that the front surface side F is higher than the rear surface side R (inclined upward toward the front). The rotation grooves 7 may be arranged such that the rotation axis X is substantially parallel to the horizontal direction.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial sectional view showing a main portion of the front surface side F of the water tank 4, which corresponds to the section I-I of fig. 3. As shown in fig. 5, the rotary tub 7 in the tub 4 has a rotary tub opening 71 on the front surface side F, which is opened for taking and placing laundry such as clothes.

A water tank front cover 42 is provided on the front surface side F of the water tank 4, and the annular cover 5 is attached via the water tank front cover 42. The annular cover 5 is provided with a curved wall 51 protruding inward, and the outer peripheral side is covered with the tub front cover 42. The rotary tub 7 is formed with a diameter slightly smaller than that of the tub 4, and is driven to rotate in the tub 4 by a drum motor, not shown, provided on the rear surface side R of the tub 4.

The rotary groove opening 71 is provided with a throttle 72, and a ring-shaped fluid balancer 73 is provided along the circumferential direction, and the throttle 72 has a curved surface having a substantially funnel shape with an inner diameter gradually decreasing from the back surface side R toward the front surface side F. The end of the front surface side F of the throttle portion 72 is disposed opposite to the inner peripheral edge 52 of the annular cover portion 5.

The fluid balancer 73 is configured to include a hollow casing having an annular shape and a liquid such as brine enclosed therein. The fluid balancer 73 suppresses the large swing rotation of the rotary tub 7 when the rotary tub 7 is rotationally driven by the movement of the liquid inside. The fluid balancer 73 itself has a weight, and thus can achieve an improvement in the rotation balance of the rotation groove 7.

As shown in fig. 5, the rotary tub opening 71 of the rotary tub 7 is disposed so that a gap G is provided over the entire circumference between the rotary tub opening 41 and the rotary tub opening. More specifically, the gap G is formed between the inner peripheral edge 52 of the annular cover portion 5 provided in the water tank opening portion 41 and the inner peripheral edge 721 of the throttle portion 72 provided in the rotary tank opening portion 71. The gap G is formed annularly over the entire circumference of the water tank 4 and the rotary tank 7.

In the washing machine 1, the water tub 4, which is supported by the casing 10 without rotating, internally supports the rotating tub 7. Therefore, a gap exists between the water tank 4 and the rotary tank 7. In particular, there is a possibility that laundry such as clothes may come into contact with the gap G formed between the water tub opening 41 and the spin tub opening 71 on the front surface side F of the washing machine 1 when the spin tub 7 rotates, and may enter the gap G in some cases.

As described in the above-described conventional washing machine, if the rotary tub continues to rotate at a high speed with a part of the laundry entering the gap, the laundry may further enter the outer peripheral side or come into contact with surrounding members due to centrifugal force, and the laundry may be damaged. Therefore, in addition to minimizing the gap into which such clothing is likely to enter, a structure is desired that prevents clothing from further entering from the gap to the outer peripheral side, and clothing that enters the gap is likely to come out from the gap.

In the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, the gap G formed between the water tub opening 41 and the rotary tub opening 71 is narrowed by the inner peripheral edge 52 of the curved wall 51 extending toward the inner peripheral side in the annular cover 5 and the inner peripheral edge 721 of the throttle 72 extending toward the inner peripheral side of the rotary tub 7. Thus, the gap G is configured to be difficult for laundry and the like to enter.

However, if the laundry is made of, for example, a thin cloth, the laundry may enter the gap G during the spin-drying operation in the spin-drying tub 7, and particularly, the spin-drying tub 7 rotates at a high speed, so that centrifugal force acts on the laundry to easily enter the gap G. In contrast, in the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, the partition wall 6 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the gap G in order to prevent laundry from entering the gap G and continuing to rotate as it is.

(constitution of partition wall)

As shown in fig. 5, the partition wall 6 is provided so as to overlap the gap G in the circumferential direction and the axial direction of the rotation axis X. The partition wall 6 is disposed inside the inner peripheral surface of the water tank 4 and on the outer peripheral side of the gap G, and is disposed so as to face the gap G. In the illustrated embodiment, the partition wall 6 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the inner peripheral edge 52 of the annular cover portion 5.

Fig. 6A and 6B show a part of the partition wall 6, fig. 6A is a plan view of the annular cover 5 viewed from the back side R, and fig. 6B is an enlarged perspective view of the same part of the annular cover 5 viewed from the inner peripheral side. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing an upper portion of the water tub opening 41 as seen obliquely from above, fig. 8 is A-A cross-sectional view in fig. 7, fig. 9 is B-B cross-sectional view in fig. 7, fig. 10 is C-C cross-sectional view in fig. 7, fig. 11 is D-D cross-sectional view in fig. 7, and fig. 12 is E-E cross-sectional view in fig. 7. Fig. 6A shows the back side (back side R in fig. 4) of the curved wall 51 of the annular cover portion 5.

More specifically, as shown in fig. 6A, the partition wall 6 is disposed between the inner peripheral edge 52 and the outer peripheral edge 53 of the annular cover 5 in the circumferential direction at a position closer to the inner peripheral edge 52 than the outer peripheral edge 53 on the back surface 51a of the curved wall 51, and is erected integrally with the annular cover 5. The back surface 51a of the curved wall 51 is provided with, in addition to the partition wall 6, a jet port for jetting water into the rotary tub 7, a rib or a recess for illuminating an LED lighting device or the like inside the rotary tub 7, an appropriate flange for securing strength, and the like.

As shown in fig. 6B, the partition wall 6 has a continuous portion 61, and the continuous portion 61 is provided continuously in the circumferential direction at a position on the outer circumferential side of the inner peripheral edge 52 of the rear surface 51 a. The continuous portion 61 of the partition wall 6 protrudes in a substantially cylindrical shape concentric with the rotation groove 7 and the inner peripheral edge 52 of the annular cover 5. The partition wall 6 is not provided with a continuous portion 61 over the entire circumference, and has a notch portion 62 removed by a predetermined length in the circumferential direction. That is, the partition wall 6 includes a continuous portion 61 erected in the circumferential direction and a notch portion 62 formed to penetrate the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side.

The inner peripheral edge 52 of the annular cover portion 5 and the continuous portion 61 of the partition wall 6 are arranged radially inward and outward in double layers, and the continuous portion 61 of the partition wall 6 is provided so as to protrude further toward the rotation groove 7 side (back surface side R) than the inner peripheral edge 52. The notch 62 is provided so as not to protrude toward the rotation groove 7 (back surface R) from the inner peripheral edge 52. In the present embodiment, the notch 62 is provided such that the entire protruding amount of the continuous portion 61 protruding from the rear surface 51a of the annular cover 5 is cut out.

The partition wall 6 has a guide surface 63 at the front of the notch 62 in the rotation direction P of the rotation groove 7, and the guide surface 63 is inclined from the outer peripheral side to the inner peripheral side so that the inner diameter becomes gradually smaller. The guide surface 63 is gently and continuously provided from the continuous portion 61 of the partition wall 6 toward the inner peripheral edge 52 of the annular cover portion 5.

In the present embodiment, the mounting portion 521 of the injection nozzle 74 injecting water into the rotation groove 7 is provided on the front side of the notch portion 62 in the rotation direction P of the rotation groove 7. As shown in fig. 7, the injection nozzle 74 is disposed toward the inner periphery of the annular cover 5. As shown in fig. 6B, in the mounting portion 521 of the injection nozzle 74, a recess is formed in which the projection amount of the inner peripheral edge 52 of the annular cover portion 5 and the continuous portion 61 of the partition wall 6 is reduced, and the injection nozzle 74 is fitted. Thereby, the injection nozzle 74 is provided not higher than the inner peripheral edge 52 of the annular cover portion 5.

In the illustrated embodiment, as shown in fig. 6B, the concave portion 54 is provided on the inner peripheral side of the guide surface 63. The recess 54 is formed in a shape in which the inner peripheral edge 52 of the annular cover portion 5 is partially removed and recessed toward the curved wall 51 side (front surface side F). As described above, the gap G between the water tank opening 41 and the rotary tank opening 71 is formed in the circumferential direction along the inner peripheral edge 52 of the annular cover 5. Accordingly, the width of the gap G is enlarged in the recess 54.

The notch 62 is preferably provided at an amount equal to or less than the inner peripheral edge 52 of the annular cover 5. The length of the notch 62 in the circumferential direction is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to provide the starting end of the notch 62 starting from the attachment portion 521 of the injection nozzle 74. By disposing the continuous portion 61, the notched portion 62, and the attachment portion 521 of the ejection nozzle 74 of the partition wall 6 in this manner, the number of steps of the continuous portion 61 can be reduced.

Referring to fig. 7 and 8, the gap G provided over the entire circumference and the partition wall 6 including the continuous portion 61 and the notch portion 62 are arranged in such a positional relationship that the partition wall 6 overlaps the outer circumference of the gap G in the axial direction and the circumferential direction of the rotation axis X. The partition wall 6 is disposed radially across the gap G. In this case, the continuous portion 61 extends from the front surface side F toward the rear surface side R on the outer peripheral side of the gap G. Further, the continuous portion 61 is overlapped or extended on the outer peripheral side of the gap G to a range covering the gap G. However, the end edge portion of the continuous portion 61 is disposed on the front surface side F of the inner peripheral edge 721 of the throttle portion 72.

The section B-B shown in fig. 9 corresponds to a sectional view of the partition wall 6 at the position of the notch 62. As shown in the figure, in the B-B section, the continuous portion 61 of the partition wall 6 is not provided, but a notch portion 62 is provided. A space formed by the notch 62 is formed on the back surface 51a side of the curved wall 51 of the annular cover 5.

Referring to fig. 7 and 9, the notch 62 of the partition wall 6 is disposed at the upper half of the gap G in the circumferential direction. The notch 62 is disposed above the rotation groove 7 in the rotation direction P. The continuous portion 61 and the guide surface 63 of the partition wall 6 connected to the notch portion 62 are also disposed at the upper half of the gap G in the circumferential direction and at the upper side in the rotational direction P.

The section C-C shown in fig. 10 is a section view of the notch 62 at a position forward of the rotation direction P of the rotation groove 7 and corresponding to the continuous portion 61 adjacent to the notch 62. Like the section A-A shown in fig. 8, the continuous portion 61 of the partition wall 6 is provided so as to overlap with the outer peripheral side of the gap G. In the section C-C of fig. 10, by providing the continuous portion 61 of the partition wall 6, the back surface 51a side of the curved wall 51 of the annular cover portion 5 is narrower than the section B-B shown in fig. 9.

The section D-D shown in fig. 11 shows the front side in the rotation direction P of the continuous portion 61 shown in fig. 10. A recess 54 is provided on the inner peripheral side of the continuous portion 61 of the partition wall 6, from which the inner peripheral edge 52 of the annular cover portion 5 is removed. The interval between the concave portion 54 and the inner peripheral edge 721 of the throttle portion 72 is formed to be larger than the width of the gap G shown in fig. 10.

The section E-E shown in fig. 12 is a section view corresponding to the position of the guide surface 63 connected from the continuous portion 61, which is further forward in the rotation direction P of the rotation groove 7 than in fig. 11. The guide surface 63 is inclined so as to narrow the inner diameter toward the front in the rotation direction P, and is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the continuous portion 61 shown in fig. 11. A concave portion 54 is provided on the inner peripheral side of the guide surface 63. The interval between the recess 54 and the inner peripheral edge 721 of the throttle portion 72 is formed to be larger than the width of the gap G, as in fig. 11.

(action of partition wall)

As described above, the gap G between the water tank opening 41 and the rotary tank opening 71 is formed in the circumferential direction along the inner peripheral edge 52 of the annular cover 5. Thus, when a portion of the laundry enters the gap G, it is assumed to enter from the inner peripheral edge 52 shown in fig. 6B. Since the rotary tub 7 rotates in the rotation direction P in the drawing, the laundry also moves in the rotation direction P.

During the spin-drying operation, the laundry moving near the gap G may enter the gap G by centrifugal force and may protrude to the outer peripheral side during the period from the start of the increase of the rotation speed until the laundry is stuck to the inner peripheral surface of the spin-drying tub 7. If the laundry enters the outer peripheral side from the gap G, the laundry rotates while being sandwiched by the gap G, and the laundry may become resistance to the rotation of the rotation groove 7, and the rotation may become unstable. Further, friction of the laundry in the gap G is considered to cause damage.

In contrast, in the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, even if the laundry enters the gap G, the partition wall 6 is provided so as to overlap with the outer peripheral side of the gap G, and therefore the laundry is restricted from entering the outer peripheral side of the partition wall 6 by abutting against the partition wall 6. For example, as shown in fig. 6B, the laundry Q1 entering the gap G (end of the laundry) moves along the inner peripheral edge 52 of the annular cover 5 in the rotation direction P. Referring to fig. 8, the laundry Q1 entering the gap G is blocked by the continuous portion 61 of the partition wall 6 and moves without further entering the outer peripheral side.

Returning to fig. 6B, as the rotation groove 7 rotates, the laundry Q1 moving in the rotation direction P reaches the notch portion 62 while the continuous portion 61 of the partition wall 6 slides. The laundry Q1 in contact with the continuous portion 61 is not limited by the continuous portion 61 any more, and is easily stretched toward the outer peripheral side. For example, as shown in fig. 9, in the notch 62, the laundry Q1 is in a state of being extended to the outer peripheral side than the position where the continuous portion 61 is arranged in combination with the action of centrifugal force. In this way, the laundry Q1 moves in the rotation direction P.

As shown in fig. 6B, the continuous portion 61 of the partition wall 6 is provided further forward in the rotation direction P than the notch portion 62. The laundry Q1 stretched by the notch 62 reaches the continuous portion 61 and comes into contact with the leading end portion of the continuous portion 61. By rotating the continuous portion 61 while sliding, the laundry Q1 is not only in contact with the continuous portion 61 as shown in fig. 8, but also in a state of being folded in the front-rear direction from the gap G, it is temporarily stretched to the outer peripheral side at the notch portion 62 as shown in fig. 9, and thus is easily in contact with the continuous portion 61 adjacent to the notch portion 62.

As shown in fig. 6B, a guide surface 61a inclined from the outer peripheral side to the inner peripheral side is provided at the start end portion of the continuous portion 61 located forward of the notch portion 62 in the rotation direction P. By providing the guide surface 61a, the stretched laundry Q1 is first brought into contact with the guide surface 61a of the continuous portion 61, and is easily guided to the inner peripheral surface of the continuous portion 61, and the laundry Q1 can be prevented from being caught by the leading end portion of the continuous portion 61.

The laundry Q2 passing through the notch 62 changes its shape stretched by the impact of the contact with the continuous portion 61 (guide surface 61 a). As shown in fig. 10, the shape of the laundry Q2 is changed by contact with the continuous portion 61, for example, the end portion is rounded, and the laundry Q is guided by the guide surface 61a and introduced into the inner peripheral side of the continuous portion 61. Thereby, the laundry Q2 moves along the continuous portion 61 on the inner peripheral side of the continuous portion 61. The laundry Q2 is blocked by the continuous portion 61 and moves without further entering the outer peripheral side.

In this state, the laundry Q2 reaches the guide surface 63 of the partition wall 6 as shown in fig. 11. Since the concave portion 54 is provided on the inner peripheral side of the guide surface 63, the laundry Q2 is not easily caught and is easily moved to the inner peripheral side. As shown in fig. 6A and 6B, the laundry Q2 is guided by the guide surface 63 and moves toward the inner periphery side.

Since the guide surface 63 is inclined from the outer periphery side to the inner periphery side, the guide surface 63 is further disposed near the inner periphery 721 of the throttle section 72 and the recess 54 of the annular cover section 5 as shown in fig. 12. As described above, the continuous portion 61 and the guide surface 63 are disposed at the upper half of the gap G in the circumferential direction and at the upper side in the rotational direction P. Therefore, the action of gravity on the laundry Q2 also benefits, and the laundry Q2 easily falls down to the inner peripheral side (in this case, downward in the up-down direction). Accordingly, the laundry Q2 that does not enter the outer peripheral side through the partition wall 6 is guided from the recess 54 to the inner peripheral side along the guide surface 63, and can be pulled out from between the annular cover 5 and the throttle 72 by its own weight and separated from the gap G.

In this way, even if laundry enters the gap G, the entry to the outer peripheral side can be restricted by the partition wall 6. Further, the notch 62, the continuous portion 61, and the guide surface 63 disposed on the upper side in the rotation direction P continue to rotate in a state where the laundry enters the gap G, and the laundry can be separated from the gap G as early as possible.

As a result, the laundry such as clothes can be prevented from entering the gap G and continue to rub, and the laundry can be washed without being damaged, and the rotation of the rotary tub 7 can be stabilized. Further, for example, an LED lighting device or the like for irradiating the inside of the rotary tub 7 may be provided at an upper position in the circumferential direction of the tub opening 41, and the laundry may be separated from the gap G at an upper side in the rotation direction P, whereby the laundry may be prevented from biting into the devices provided at such an upper position.

In the washing machine 1, the notch 62 of the partition wall 6, the continuous portion 61 connected thereto, and the guide surface 63 are preferably disposed at least in one of the upper half of the gap G in the circumferential direction in which the laundry is likely to be separated from the gap G and the upper side of the rotation direction P of the rotation groove 7, and may be disposed at a plurality of positions with respect to the gap G over the entire circumference. The gap G between the water tank opening 41 and the rotary tank opening 71 is not limited to be formed between the inner peripheral edge 52 of the illustrated annular cover 5 and the inner peripheral edge 721 of the throttle 72, and the water tank opening 41 and the rotary tank opening 71 may be any configuration.

The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not to be construed as limiting. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not to be interpreted by the above embodiments only, but is to be defined based on the description of the claims. Further, all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

Claims (6)

1. A washing machine is provided with:

a housing having an opening portion on a front surface thereof;

a water tank supported in the housing and having a water tank opening portion that opens to the opening portion;

a rotary tub rotatably provided in the tub, wherein the washing machine is characterized in that,

the rotary tub is shaped as a bottomed cylinder having a rotary tub opening toward the opening, the rotary tub opening being arranged so that a gap is provided between the rotary tub and the water tub opening over the entire circumference,

a partition wall is provided on the outer peripheral side of the gap, the partition wall overlapping the gap in the rotation axis direction of the rotation groove,

the partition wall has: a continuous portion provided continuously along a circumferential direction; and a notch portion removed by a fixed length in the circumferential direction so as to communicate with the outer circumferential side.

2. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that,

the partition wall has a guide surface that is inclined from an outer peripheral side to an inner peripheral side so that an inner diameter becomes narrower, at a front side in a rotation direction of the rotation groove than the notch portion.

3. A washing machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that,

an annular cover portion having a substantially funnel-shaped curved wall with an inner diameter gradually decreasing from the front surface side is provided at the water tank opening portion.

4. A washing machine as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that,

the partition wall is provided integrally with the annular cover portion on the outer peripheral side of the curved wall,

the gap is formed between the curved wall and the rotary groove opening.

5. A washing machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that,

at least one notch is arranged in the upper half of the gap in the circumferential direction.

6. A washing machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that,

at least one notch is disposed on the upper side of the rotation direction of the rotation groove.