JP2000202381A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the generation of kinking caused by the bending of a flexible hose at an acute angle generated when a washing head is subjected to oscillation operation in a rotary washing machine having a grip shaft having a water passage formed therein and a washing head equipped with a rotary brush. SOLUTION: A grip shaft 10 having a water passage formed therein and a leading end washing head 12 equipped with a rotary brush 18 are provided to a washing machine to connect the washing head 12 to the grip shaft 10 so as to enable the same to oscillate around a connection shaft. A water intake port 56 and a water take-out port 62 are provided to the washing head 12 and the grip shaft 10 to be connected by a flexible connection hose 64 through rotary elbow joints 66.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a washing machine suitable for washing a bathroom and the like, and more particularly to a washing machine having a gripping shaft and a cleaning head at a tip end provided with a brush.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a washing head provided with a gripping shaft, a rotating brush and a water wheel for rotating the rotating brush is provided, and water sent at a predetermined pressure through a hose is applied to the water wheel. 2. Description of the Related Art There is known a rotary washer of a type in which a rotary brush is rotated by water pressure to rotate the rotary brush to perform cleaning.

In this type of washing machine, the washing head is usually fixed to the grip shaft.
When cleaning the cleaning surface at various angles, the angle of the entire grip shaft must be changed according to the cleaning surface, and there is a problem that the cleaning operation is difficult.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, there has been proposed a type in which the cleaning head 200 can be swung (rotatable) with respect to the shaft 202 (Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 47-19264). .

[0005] In the figure, reference numerals 204 and 206 denote flexible hoses which extend from the tip of the grip shaft 202. One of these hoses 204 is provided so as to inject water toward the water wheel inside the cleaning head 200 and rotate it. The other hose 206 is
It is provided to release water to the outside.

In this example, water passages are provided inside the grip shaft 202, and water sent through the water passages flows into one hose 204 or the other hose 206, respectively. ing.

In this cleaning machine, the cleaning head 200 is connected to the tip of the grip shaft 202 via the connecting shaft 208, and the cleaning head 200 can swing around the connecting shaft 208.

In the case of this cleaning machine, when cleaning the cleaning surface at various angles, the relative angle of the cleaning head 200 with respect to the grip shaft 202 can be changed, and therefore, the grip shaft 202 can be maintained at a constant angle. There is an advantage that the cleaning operation can be performed by causing the cleaning head 200 to follow the cleaning surface.

[0009]

However, in this washing machine, when the washing head 200 is swung (rotated) with respect to the gripping shaft 202, the flexible hose 2 is rotated.
There is a problem in that the hoses 04 and 206 are bent at a sharp angle, causing kinks (breaking) and being crushed. Further, when the swinging motion is repeated, specific portions of the hoses 204 and 206 are repeatedly subjected to a large bending stress, so that the hoses 204 and 206 are subjected to a large bending stress. There was a problem that the deterioration of 206 was accelerated and the durability life was short.

In the case of this washing machine, the washing head 200
Can not be held at the required angle with respect to the shaft 202, so that when the
Has a problem that it is difficult to use because of its own weight, or when water flows vigorously in the hoses 204 and 206, the hose 20
There was also a problem that the angle of 4,206 changed.

[0011]

The cleaning machine of the present invention has been devised to solve such a problem. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a grip shaft having a water passage therein, and a tip cleaning head having a brush,
The cleaning head is connected to the gripping shaft by a connecting shaft so as to be swingable around the axis, and a portion of the cleaning head on the front end side of the connection shaft and a rear end side of the gripping shaft on the connection shaft. Are provided with an inlet and an outlet for water, and each end of a flexible connecting hose is connected to the inlet and the outlet, and the connecting hose connects the inlet and the outlet. It is characterized by having contacted.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the washing machine according to the first aspect, each end of the flexible connecting hose is connected to a rotary joint rotatable with respect to the inlet and the outlet. Are connected.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the washing machine according to any one of the first and second aspects, the rotary joint is an elbow joint.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the washing machine according to any one of the first to third aspects, the brush is a rotating brush and the washing head is provided with a water wheel for rotating the rotating brush. It is characterized by having been done.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the washing machine according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the cleaning head extends over the gripping shaft and the cleaning head and a plurality of the cleaning heads are arranged around the axis of the connection shaft. Characterized in that a positioning mechanism for positioning at an angular position is provided.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the cleaning machine according to the fifth aspect, the positioning mechanism is provided at one of a front end portion of the grip shaft and one of the cleaning heads at a plurality of positions around the axis. An engaging member provided on the other side of the concave portion and engaging with the engaging concave portion at a spherical portion at the tip, and a spring member for urging the engaging member in a direction of engaging with the engaging concave portion; It is characterized by having.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the washing machine according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the cleaning head extends over the gripping shaft and the cleaning head, and the cleaning head is fixed to the gripping shaft around the axis. It is characterized in that a lock mechanism for fixing at a rotation angle position is provided.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the washing machine according to the seventh aspect, the lock mechanism includes a bolt constituting the connection shaft, and a tip of the cleaning head and the grip shaft screwed to the bolt. And a nut for tightening the nut.

[0019]

In the washing machine according to the first aspect of the present invention, the washing head is swingably connected to the grip shaft by the connecting shaft, and the washing head and the grip shaft are connected to the front end portion and the rear portion with respect to the connecting shaft. Water intake at the end part,
Each outlet is provided and connected by a flexible communication hose. In this cleaning machine, the cleaning head can be swung with respect to the grip shaft, and the cleaning work is easy. Since the flexible communication hose communicates between the gripping shaft outlet and the cleaning head intake in such a manner as to bypass the connecting portion by the connecting shaft, the cleaning head is swung with respect to the gripping shaft. Occasionally, there is no inconvenience that the connecting hose is bent at a steep angle to cause a kink to be crushed, or the kink is repeatedly generated to accelerate the deterioration of the hose and shorten the durable life.

Here, each end of the communication hose can be connected to a water inlet and a water outlet via rotatable rotary joints (claim 2). In this case, when the cleaning head is swung, it is possible to prevent a specific portion of the communication hose from being bent or deformed by the rotational motion of the rotary joints, or to apply a large bending force to the specific portion, and thus the communication hose is shortened. Even in the case, the above-mentioned kink does not occur.

Even if the communication hose is lengthened, it is possible to prevent a kink from being generated in the communication hose when the cleaning head swings. However, if the connecting hose is lengthened, the cleaning work becomes difficult because the connecting hose is caught by peripheral articles and the like during the cleaning work.In addition, if the connecting hose becomes longer and the play becomes larger, the appearance deteriorates. Undesirable phenomena occur such as when the communication hose vibrates or dances greatly due to the water pressure when the water pressure is introduced. However, according to the second aspect, the kink of the hose can be effectively avoided while the connecting hose is made as short as possible.

Here, the rotary joint may be rotatable around the axis of the inlet and the outlet or an axis parallel to the axis. Further, the rotary joint can be an elbow joint (claim 3). By doing so, the kink of the hose can be better avoided.

In the present invention, the brush may be a rotating brush, and the washing head may be provided with a water wheel for rotating the rotating brush (claim 4). In this washing machine, it is necessary to supply water for brush rotation inside the washing head and on the gripping shaft side (connecting shaft side) of the rotating brush, and when the washing head is swung, the kink of the hose is particularly reduced. There is an inherent problem that this is likely to occur, and therefore the present invention is particularly effective when applied to such a washing machine.

Here, the inlet and the outlet can be formed in the radial direction with respect to the brush and the grip shaft, respectively.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a washing machine provided with a positioning mechanism for positioning the washing head at a plurality of angular positions around the connecting shaft over the grip shaft and the washing head. With the gripping shaft held, the cleaning head can be swung in accordance with the angle of the cleaning surface and positioned at a predetermined angular position, so that the cleaning operation can be performed satisfactorily.

The positioning mechanism is provided at one of the front end of the gripping shaft and the cleaning head at one of the cleaning head and the other at the plurality of positions around the axis, and is provided at the spherical portion at the tip. An engagement member that engages with the joint recess;
This can be provided with a spring member that urges this in the engagement direction (claim 6). When the positioning mechanism is configured in this manner, the engagement member and the engagement concave portion can be kept in an engaged state with each other with a constant urging force of the spring member,
It is possible to satisfactorily prevent the cleaning head from rotating freely against the intention.

On the other hand, when it is desired to change the angle of the cleaning head, the relative angle of the cleaning head with respect to the grip shaft is changed by applying a constant rotational force to the grip shaft while the cleaning head is in contact with the cleaning surface. Can be.

When a forcible rotational force is applied to the grip shaft, the engagement member can be disengaged from the engagement recess against the urging force of the spring member, and can be in the next angular position or another angular position. When the engagement member reaches the engagement recess, the engagement member again enters the engagement recess by the urging force of the spring member, where the cleaning head is again positioned and held. Here, the engagement member can be formed of a ball.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, a lock mechanism for fixing the cleaning head to the grip shaft at a predetermined rotational angle around the axis is provided across the cleaning head and the grip shaft. In the case of the washing machine described above, the washing head can be fixed to the grip shaft at a desired rotation angle position.

In this case, the lock mechanism can be configured to include a bolt that forms the connecting shaft, and a nut that is screwed to the bolt and tightens the tip of the cleaning head and the grip shaft. ). By doing so, the cleaning head can be firmly fixed at a desired rotation angle position with respect to the grip shaft,
Therefore, even when a predetermined relative rotational force acts between the cleaning head and the grip shaft, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience that the cleaning head changes the angle with respect to the grip shaft unexpectedly.

In the seventh and eighth aspects, the cleaning head is swung continuously and steplessly with respect to the gripping shaft, and the cleaning head is fixed at a desired position by the lock mechanism. However, it is also possible to provide a positioning mechanism according to claims 5 and 6, and additionally provide a locking mechanism.

[0032]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a rotary washer according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which 10 is a grip shaft. A water passage is formed inside the grip shaft 10, and water sent through a hose connected to the grip shaft 10 flows through the water passage inside the grip shaft 10 to the cleaning head 12 at the tip. It is being led.

The cleaning head 12 has a rotary brush 18 composed of a brush base 14 and a brush 16 implanted on the brush base 14, and a head body 20 holding the rotary brush 18. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of connecting pieces 22 extend from the head main body 20 at a predetermined interval, and the pair of connecting pieces 22 sandwich the connecting piece 24 at the tip of the gripping shaft 10 and the bolt 26 And a cylindrical collar 28 fitted therein so as to be relatively rotatable with each other.

In the present embodiment, the bolt 26 and the collar 28 constitute a connection shaft that grips the cleaning head 12 and rotatably connects to the shaft 10. However, in some cases, the collar 28 may be omitted, and the connecting shaft may be constituted by the bolt 26 alone.

An operation knob 30 is provided integrally with the bolt 26, and the knob 26 is rotated by the knob 30. The bolt 26 has a tip protruding a predetermined amount from the connecting piece 22, and the nut 3
2 is screwed. The nut 32 is fixed to the other knob 34 so as to rotate integrally with the knob 34.

In this example, when the knob 30 or 34 is rotated, the nut 32 is strongly tightened to the bolt 26, the pair of connecting pieces 22 on the cleaning head 12 side are grasped, and the connecting piece 24 on the shaft 10 side is strongly sandwiched. State
Here, the cleaning head 12 is in a state in which it is substantially non-rotatably fixed. That is, in the present embodiment, the bolt 26 and the nut 32 constitute a lock mechanism 36 for fixing the cleaning head 12 in a rotation preventing state.

As shown in FIG.
A plurality of engagement recesses 38 are formed in the connection piece 24 on the side at predetermined angular intervals at positions around the bolt 26. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 4B and 5B, the connection piece 22 on the cleaning head 12 side holds a ball (engaging member) 42 in the holding hole 40 so as to be able to enter and exit.
The holding hole 40 also holds a rubber spring (spring member) 44 and a male screw member 48.

The male screw member 48 is screwed into the female screw 46 of the holding hole 40, and a rubber spring 44 is interposed between the male screw member 48 and the ball 42. Are resiliently directed toward the connecting piece 24, that is, in the direction of engagement with the engaging recess 38. In this example, the amount of screwing of the male screw member 48 into the female screw 46 is adjusted so that the rubber spring 44
Can be adjusted strongly or weakly.

In the case of this example, the cleaning head 12 is positioned at an angle position with respect to the grip shaft 10 in a state where the ball 42 is engaged with the engagement recess 38 under a constant elastic force of the rubber spring 44. The state is held.

In this state and with the bolt 26 and the nut 32 loosened, a forcible rotational force is applied to the cleaning head 12, and the rotational force is applied to the ball 42 against the engagement recess 38.
2A, the ball 42 separates from the engagement recess 38 while compressing and elastically deforming the rubber spring 44, and the cleaning head 12 is moved as shown in FIGS. 2 (A) and 4 (A). The rotary motion is performed with respect to the grip shaft 10. Then, the cleaning head 12 rotates by a certain angle, and
Reaches the position of the next engagement recess (or another engagement recess) 38, the ball 42 re-engages into the engagement recess 38.

Therefore, when the forcible rotational force on the cleaning head 12 is removed, the cleaning head 12 is held at a constant force at that angular position based on the engagement between the new engagement recess 38 and the ball 42. . That is, in this embodiment, the positioning mechanism 50 is constituted by the plurality of engagement recesses 38, the balls 42, the rubber springs 44, and the male screw members 48.

Therefore, in the case of the washing machine of this embodiment, the washing head 1
2 brush 16 is held against the cleaning surface and the shaft 1
0 is rotated with a certain force, so that the cleaning head 1 is rotated.
The relative angle between the grip 2 and the grip shaft 10 can be changed (the cleaning head 12 is swung), and the cleaning head 12 can be held at a plurality of predetermined angular positions with a constant force.

That is, by rotating the grip shaft 10 while holding it by hand, it is possible to relatively change the swing angle of the cleaning head 12 and to keep it in a predetermined position. it can.

However, when the cleaning head 12 is positioned by the positioning mechanism 50, if a strong force is applied to the cleaning head 12 or the grip shaft 10, the cleaning head 12 changes its relative angular position with respect to the grip shaft 10. .

Then, the cleaning head 12 is gripped and the shaft 10
If it is desired that the lock mechanism 36 be fixed strongly against the above, the lock mechanism 36 may be operated. Specifically, Knob 3
The nuts 32 are strongly tightened to the bolts 26 by the operations 0 and 34, whereby the pair of connecting pieces 22 on the cleaning head 12 side is fixed in a state where the connecting piece 24 on the grip shaft 10 is strongly sandwiched. It is good.

As shown in FIG. 3, a water wheel 52 is disposed inside the head body 20 of the cleaning head 12. The water wheel 52 is connected to the rotating brush 18 via a speed reduction mechanism 54.
The rotating brush 18 is rotated by the rotation of the water wheel 52.

The head body 20 is provided with a water inlet 56 at the front end side (lower side in FIG. 1) of the connection position with respect to the grip shaft 10 in detail. And this entrance 5
6 is jetted from the nozzle 58 in FIG.
Are driven to rotate. Here the intake 56
Is provided in a direction (radial direction) perpendicular to the axis of the cleaning head 12. A tubular fitting 60 is attached to the inlet 56.

On the other hand, a water outlet 62 is provided at the front end of the gripping shaft 10, more specifically, at the rear end side (left side in FIG. 1) of the connection position with the cleaning head 12, in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the gripping shaft 10 (radially). It is provided in. This outlet 62
Also, a tubular connection fitting 60 is attached.

Each end of a flexible connecting hose 64 is connected to the outlet 62 and the inlet 56 via an elbow joint 66 and the connection fitting 60. The intake 56 is connected to each other by a communication hose 64. Note that the pair of elbow joints 66 are connected to the outlet 62 and the inlet 56 via the connection fitting 60 in a rotatable state around the axis of the outlet 62 and the inlet 56, respectively.

In the case of the rotary washer of the present embodiment, the water sent through the hose flows through the water passage inside the gripping shaft 10, and from the outlet 62 at the tip thereof, the connecting hose 64.
It flows into the inside, and then flows into the inside of the head body 20 of the cleaning head 12 from the intake 56.

At this time, the water that has flowed into the head body 20 is jetted from the nozzle 58 toward the water wheel 52 with a vigorous force, whereby the water wheel 52 rotates and the rotary brush 18 rotates. The discharged water after rotating the water wheel 52 is discharged to the brush 16 side and supplied to the cleaning surface.

In the case of the rotary washing machine of this embodiment, the washing head 12 can be swung with respect to the grip shaft 10 as described above. In this embodiment, the water inlet 56 of the cleaning head 12 and the water outlet 62 of the gripping shaft 10 are respectively located at the front end and the rear end of the connection between the cleaning head 12 and the gripping shaft 10. Side, and they are connected to each other by a flexible communication hose 64 provided so as to bypass the connecting portion. A large bending force is prevented from being applied to the 64 specific portions.

In addition, in this embodiment, the connecting hose 64 is used.
Each end of the outlet 6 through a rotatable elbow joint 66
2 and the inlet 56, the elbow joints 6 when the cleaning head 12 swings.
Due to the rotational movement of 6, the communication hose 64 acts on the communication hose 64 in a state where the stress caused by the swing of the cleaning head 12 is reduced.

FIGS. 6 and 7 specifically show this state. As shown in these figures, when the relative position and angle between the inlet 56 and the outlet 62 change due to the swinging movement of the cleaning head 12, the elbow joint 66 as a rotary joint is connected. The hose 64 rotates around the axis of the outlet 62 and the inlet 56 so as to minimize the stress applied to the hose 64. For this reason, a large deformation force or stress is prevented from acting on the connecting hose 64 when the cleaning head 12 swings.

Therefore, in the rotary washing machine of the present embodiment, the washing head 12 can be swung with respect to the grip shaft 10 to facilitate the washing operation, and the communication hose can be swung when the washing head 12 is swung. There is no inconvenience that the hose 64 is bent at a steep angle, kinks and collapses, or the kinks repeatedly occur to accelerate the deterioration of the hose and shorten the durability life.

Further, in the rotary washing machine of this embodiment, the relative angle of the washing head 12 is changed by the positioning mechanism 50 in accordance with the angle of the washing surface while the grip shaft 10 is being held, and then the angle is changed. The position can be maintained and the cleaning operation can be performed satisfactorily.

On the other hand, in the case of this embodiment, the relative angular position of the cleaning head 12 can be fixed by the lock mechanism 36 if necessary, and the cleaning head 12 and the grip shaft 10 can be fixed under the fixed state. Even when a predetermined rotational force acts between the cleaning head 12 and the cleaning head 12, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience of the cleaning head 12 changing its angle with respect to the grip shaft 10.

Although the lock mechanism 36 is provided in addition to the positioning mechanism 50 in this embodiment, the cleaning head 12 is swung continuously and steplessly with respect to the shaft 10 by gripping the cleaning head 12. Then, they can be fixed at a desired position by the lock mechanism 36.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail, this is merely an example. For example, in the present invention, a compression coil spring or other spring may be used in place of the rubber spring, and the washing machine of the present invention may be used as a washing machine for a bathroom, a body brush, a washing machine for a toilet, or the like. The present invention can be configured in various modified forms without departing from the gist of the present invention, for example, the present invention can be applied to a washing machine of a type in which the brush does not rotate.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing a rotary washer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cleaning head of the same embodiment and its peripheral portion in an external appearance state.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an internal structure of a cleaning head of the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a structure of a connection portion between a cleaning head and a grip shaft according to the same embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a view showing the positioning mechanism in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an operation when the cleaning head is rotated in the same embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a view showing an operation when the cleaning head is further rotated, following FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a view showing an example of a conventional cleaning machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Grip shaft 12 Cleaning head 18 Rotary brush 22 and 24 Connecting piece 26 Bolt 28 Collar 32 Nut 36 Lock mechanism 38 Engagement concave part 42 Ball (engagement member) 44 Rubber spring (spring member) 50 Positioning mechanism 52 Waterwheel 56 Intake 62 Outlet 64 Communication hose 66 Elbow joint

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Osamu Sato, Inventor 80, Higashi-nogiri, Shimono-no-Ishiki-cho, Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture (72) Inventor Katsuhiro Nakamura 1-7-1, Shimojo-cho, Kasugai-shi, Aichi Corp Higashitsu B102 F term (reference) 3B201 AA31 AB52 BA12 BB62 BB92 CB01

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A grip shaft having a water passage therein;
A cleaning head at a tip end provided with a brush, the cleaning head being connected to the gripping shaft by a connecting shaft so as to be able to swing around an axis, and a portion of the cleaning head on a front end side with respect to the connecting shaft. And a water inlet and a water outlet are provided at a position on the rear end side of the grip shaft with respect to the connection shaft, and each end of the flexible communication hose is connected to the inlet and the water outlet. A washing machine characterized in that the inlet and the outlet are connected by the connecting hose. 2. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein each end of the flexible connecting hose is connected to the inlet and the outlet via a rotatable rotary joint. Washing machine characterized. 3. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein said rotary joint is an elbow joint. 4. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the brush is a rotating brush, and the washing head is provided with a water wheel for rotating and driving the rotating brush. Washing machine characterized. 5. The cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning head is positioned at a plurality of predetermined angular positions around the axis of the connecting shaft over the grip shaft and the cleaning head. A washing machine characterized by having a positioning mechanism that performs the positioning. 6. The cleaning machine according to claim 5, wherein the positioning mechanism is provided at a plurality of locations around the axis at an engagement recess provided at one of a front end of the grip shaft and the cleaning head and at the other. And a spring member for urging the engaging member into the engaging concave portion in a direction of engaging the engaging concave portion. And washing machine. 7. The cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning head is fixed at a predetermined rotation angle position around the axis with respect to the grip shaft over the grip shaft and the cleaning head. A washer provided with a lock mechanism for performing the cleaning. 8. The washing machine according to claim 7, wherein the lock mechanism includes a bolt that forms the connection shaft, and a nut that is screwed to the bolt and fastens a tip of the cleaning head and the grip shaft. A washing machine characterized by having.