JP2000312797A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a suspender means to be used in a fully automatic washing machine with the washing tub suspended in the housing, capable of stably suspending the washing tub so that the tub can be located always inclining at a required angle. SOLUTION: Suspender bars 4 for suspending the washing tub 3 with inclination comprise a front bar 41 and a rear bar 42. The front bar 41 is, like a conventional suspender bar, for supporting the bottom of the outer tub 31. The rear bar 42 is about a half of the front bar 41 in length for suspending the back of the outer tub 31. The rear bar 42 suspends the back of the outer tub 31 about at the center of the outer tub by way of a vibration isolating mechanism 45 on the way. With the structure mentioned above, the washing tub 3 can be stably suspended, inclined toward the front.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a washing machine. In particular, it relates to an electric washing machine such as a fully automatic washing machine in which an outer tub for storing washing water and a washing and dewatering tub are coaxially housed therein.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an electric washing machine, it has been proposed to tilt a washing tub or the like obliquely in order to make it easier to take out the washed laundry from the washing tub. For example,
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-265584 discloses a washing machine including a washing tub in which a rear leg provided at a lower portion of a washing machine main body can be extended and retracted to take out the washed laundry. A washing machine capable of tilting the whole and easily taking out laundry is disclosed.

[0003]

The above-mentioned conventional washing machine is
Since the rear leg is extended and the entire washing machine is tilted, there is a disadvantage that the structure for extending and retracting the rear leg becomes complicated. In addition, since not only the washing tub but also the housing constituting the outer shape of the washing machine is inclined, the washing machine must be arranged in consideration of the movement of the entire washing machine (tilting or returning to the original state). Must. For this reason, there are drawbacks such as difficulty in disposing storage shelves and the like adjacent to the washing machine.

On the other hand, if an attempt is made to adopt a configuration in which the washing tub is simply tilted, in order to accommodate the inclined washing tub,
The housing must be large. Then, there is a problem that a large-sized washing machine cannot be stored in a waterproof pan set to a certain standard size. Also,
In a fully automatic washing machine or the like in which a washing tub has an outer tub and an inner tub, and the washing tub is suspended in a housing, the suspended washing tub is always arranged at a desired angle. In addition, the configuration of the suspension means must be devised.Conventionally, a configuration in which the washing tub is always tilted and suspended has not been proposed, and no suspension means for realizing it has been devised. .

The present invention has been made in view of such a background, and has as its main object to provide a simple washing machine that can take out laundry from a washing tub with a simple structure. Another object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine in which a washing tub is suspended in a housing and the washing tub is always inclined at a desired inclination angle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine in which a washing tub is suspended, wherein the washing tub is always tilted at a predetermined angle, and vibrations during washing and dehydration are reduced. . Another object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine having a suspended washing tub which is hung so as to stably incline the washing tub at a predetermined angle without increasing the outer shape.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a washing machine having a washing tub suspended by a suspending means in a housing constituting an outer tub. Is a cylindrical outer tub with a bottom for storing washing water, and an inner tub as a cylindrical washing and dewatering tub which is coaxially housed in the outer tub and has a number of small holes formed on the peripheral surface. Including
The washing tub is always inclined at a predetermined angle to the front side in the housing, and for this purpose, the suspending means suspends the lower side (front side) of the washing tub in the inclined direction.
And a second suspending means for suspending an upper side (rear side) of the washing tub in an inclined direction, wherein the first suspending means has an upper part connected to the housing, and a lower part having the second suspending means. The second suspending means has an upper part connected to the housing, and the lower part has a lower part relative to the outer tub than the first suspending means. It is characterized in that it keeps a region that is relatively high.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the first suspending means includes a pair of hanging rods, and upper portions of the hanging rods are respectively fixed to right and left upper sides on the front side of the housing. The lower portions respectively hold the lower left and right positions on the front side of the outer tub, and the second suspending means includes a pair of hanging rods, and the upper portions of the respective hanging bars are respectively left and right on the rear side of the housing. The upper part is fixed, the lower part of each hanging rod holds the middle position on the back side of the outer tub, respectively, in the middle of the left and right, and each of the four hanging rods has its own anti-vibration device. The washing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that:

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a vibration isolator is incorporated in a pair of hanging rods included in the second suspending means, at lower and upper portions connected to the outer tub and the housing, respectively. The washing machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the pair of hanging rods included in the first suspension means has a vibration isolator incorporated below the outer tank holding portion. 3. The washing machine according to 3.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the vibration damping device is a device which has elasticity in the length direction of the hanging rod and holds the length of the hanging rod elastically in the length direction. A washing machine according to any one of claims 2 to 4. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the pair of hanging rods included in the first suspending means hold the left and right lower positions on the outer tank front side at a relatively larger interval than the second suspending means. And that a pair of hanging rods included in the second suspending means maintain a middle position in the right and left on the back side of the outer tub at a relatively smaller interval than the first suspending means. Claim 2
It is a washing machine in any one of --5.

The invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that a balancer is provided on the outer bottom surface of the outer tub to reduce the swing of the outer tub suspended by the suspending means.
A washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The invention according to claim 8 is the washing machine according to claim 7, wherein the balancer includes a storage chamber and a predetermined liquid that fills 60 to 90% of the volume of the storage chamber.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a washing machine having a washing tub suspended by suspending means in a housing constituting an outer tub, wherein the washing tub has a bottom for storing washing water. A cylindrical outer tub, and an inner tub as a cylindrical washing and dewatering tub which is coaxially housed in the outer tub and has a number of small holes formed on a peripheral surface thereof. ,
It is always tilted at a predetermined angle to the front side.
The hanging means has a pair of hanging rods for hanging the front side of the washing tub, and a pair of hanging rods for hanging the back side of the washing tub. The washing tub is held at a relatively large interval as compared with a pair of hanging rods for suspending the washing tub.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a washing machine having a washing tub suspended by suspending means in a housing constituting an outer tub, wherein the washing tub has a bottom for storing washing water. And coaxially housed in the outer tank and the outer tank,
An inner tub as a cylindrical washing and dewatering tub having a number of small holes formed on a peripheral surface thereof, wherein the washing tub is always inclined at a predetermined angle toward the front side in the housing, and a bottom surface of the outer tub is provided. , A washing motor and a drain valve etc. are arranged, and a balancer for reducing the shaking of the outer tub is provided in an empty space on the bottom of the outer tub where the washing motor and drain valve are not arranged. It is characterized by being carried out.

According to the structure of the first aspect, the washing tub is suspended from the front side in the housing so as to be always inclined at a predetermined angle. First suspending means for suspending the lower side of the washing tub in the inclined direction holds a relatively low portion of the outer tub of the washing tub. On the other hand, the second suspension means for suspending the upper side in the inclination direction of the washing tub holds a relatively high portion of the outer tub of the washing tub.

If the holding position of the washing tub held by the first hanging means is at the lower side and the holding position of the washing tub held by the second hanging means is at the upper side, the suspended washing tub is in the second position. 1 stably tilts toward the suspension means side. Therefore, even when the inner tub is rotated in the outer tub during washing or spin-drying, the inclination angle of the outer tub does not change, and the shaking does not increase. Also,
Since the second hanging means holds a relatively high portion of the outer tub, its length can be shortened, and the second hanging means can be placed between the second hanging means and the inclined outer tub of the washing tub. Can be reduced. Therefore, the outer shape of the washing machine does not need to be too large as a whole.

In the structure of the second aspect, each of the first suspending means and the second suspending means includes a pair of suspending rods, and each suspending rod has a vibration isolator incorporated therein. Therefore, the washing tub can be stably suspended at a predetermined angle, and the vibration and shaking generated in the washing tub can be favorably absorbed by the vibration isolator. Claim 3
According to the configuration described above, the vibration isolator can be disposed by utilizing the space generated by tilting the washing tub, so that the vibration isolator can be incorporated satisfactorily.

According to the configuration of claim 4, the vibration isolator provided on the hanging bar in the conventional fully automatic washing machine can be used as it is for the pair of hanging bars of the first hanging means. Therefore, a reliable device can be manufactured at low cost using existing members. According to the configuration of the fifth aspect, it is possible to obtain a highly effective anti-vibration device with a simple configuration.

According to the structure of the sixth aspect, the holding by the four hanging rods is stabilized. Especially when the washing tub is tilted,
It is possible to provide a suspension structure in which the tilt is stable and the swing is small. According to the configuration of claim 7, when vibration occurs in the washing tub at the time of washing and spin-drying, the vibration is reduced, and the vibration can be reduced.

According to the structure of the eighth aspect, the liquid functions to prevent the outer tank from swaying due to the difference between the sway of the outer tub and the inertia moment of the liquid, so that an inexpensive and highly effective balancer can be obtained. In the configuration of claim 9, a pair of hanging rods that hang the front side of the washing tub, and a pair of hanging rods that hang the back side of the washing tub, a pair of positions for holding the washing tub hung the front side. Since the hanging tub holds the washing tub at a relatively large interval compared to a pair of hanging hangers that hang the back side, stable hanging with little vibration can be performed with the washing tub inclined. .

According to the tenth aspect, when vibration occurs in the washing tub at the time of washing and spin-drying, the vibration can be reduced, and the vibration can be reduced. In particular, if the height of the washing tub is high, the balancer for experiencing vibration is provided on the outer bottom surface of the outer tub and in an empty space where the washing motor and the drain valve are not provided. Without
In addition, a configuration with less vibration can be provided by utilizing the empty space.

With the above configuration, in the washing machine in which the washing tub is suspended by the suspension means,
In a stable state, the washing tub can be always suspended by being inclined at a predetermined angle, and a practical washing machine with less shaking can be provided. In addition, since the washing tub is inclined, a washing machine that can easily take out laundry can be provided.

In particular, it is possible to provide a washing machine having a configuration suitable for a fully automatic washing machine and easy to take out laundry.

[0023]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the washing machine described above. The washing machine 1 has a housing 2 forming its outer shape, a washing tub 3 supported in the housing 2 via a hanging rod 4, and a washing tub 3 provided above the washing tub 3 to supply water to the washing tub 3. Water supply mechanism 5 and a drainage mechanism 6 for draining water from the inside of the washing tub 3
And an operation unit 70 necessary for operating the washing machine 1. The washing machine 1 is used with the front surface 2a as a front surface, and the operation unit 70 is disposed on the front side of the upper surface 2e, and the user operates from the front.

In the washing machine 1 of the present invention, the washing tub 3 is arranged to be inclined so as to protrude toward the front side at the upper part. Also,
Accordingly, the housing 2 also has a shape in which the upper portion on the front side is overhanging. By tilting the washing tub 3 in this manner, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 2, the inlet to the washing tub 3 can be arranged closer to the front by the dimension L1 compared to the conventional washing machine shown by the broken line, In addition, the inclination of the washing tub 3 makes it easy to visually recognize the bottom. Furthermore, the back part of the bottom also moves above the dimension L2. As a result, a user standing in front can easily take out the laundry.

The details will be described below. Please refer to FIG.
The washing tub 3 has a bottomed and cylindrical outer tub 31 supported by a plurality of hanging rods 4 as suspending means for storing washing water therein, and a cylindrical shape accommodated coaxially in the outer tub 31. An inner tub 32 for washing and dewatering is provided, and a stirring blade 33 provided at the bottom of the inner tub 32. The inner tank 32 is rotatably provided in the outer tank 31 and has a large number of small holes 32a on its peripheral surface.
have. The inner tank 32 and the stirring blade 33 are
5 and the like. During washing and rinsing, only the stirring blade 33 rotates in one direction or both directions, and during dewatering, both the stirring blade 33 and the inner tub 32 rotate in one direction at high speed.

The washing tub 3 is arranged to be inclined to the front side. That is, the outer tank 31 is arranged such that the central axis CL is inclined at a predetermined inclination angle K with respect to the vertical line VL. Here, it is preferable that the above-mentioned inclination angle K be in the range of 5 degrees or more and 20 degrees or less in order to achieve both easy removal of the laundry and prevention of enlargement of the housing 2. That is, if the inclination angle K is less than 5 degrees, the inclination of the washing tub 3 becomes insufficient, so that the ease of taking out the laundry cannot be sufficiently obtained. Also, as the inclination angle K increases, it becomes easier to take out the laundry. However, when the inclination angle K exceeds 20 degrees, the inclination of the washing tub 3 is too large, and the amount by which the washing tub 3 projects to the front side is large. This is because the housing 2 becomes large. The inclination angle K is, in particular, 8
When the temperature is set in the range of not less than 12 degrees and not more than 12 degrees, it is preferable because the laundry can be easily taken out and the detergency can be obtained as well as the conventional one. The amount can be suppressed, and the washing machine 1 that can be put into a conventional waterproof pan having standard dimensions can be configured without difficulty in practical use. In this embodiment, the inclination angle K is
It is set to approximately 10 degrees.

The hanging rod 4 includes two front hanging rods 41 as first suspending means for suspending the washing tub 3 in a downwardly inclined direction (front side) of the washing tub 3 and the washing tub 3. And two rear suspension rods 42 as second suspension means for suspending the upper side (back side) in the inclination direction of the front suspension rod 41.
And the rear suspension rod 42 have a different configuration. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the front hanging rod 41 is attached to the housing 2.
The front portion of the outer tub 31 is connected to a flange portion 31m serving as a front receiving portion of the outer tub 31 and the front receiving member 28 of the housing 2. The rear hanging rod 42 is located at the rear part in the housing 2 and connects the rear flange part 31 u of the outer tub 31 and the receiving member 29 at the rear part of the housing 2. The distance between the flange 31u for the rear hanging rod 42 and the receiving member 29 is shorter than the distance between the flange 31m for the front hanging rod 41 and the receiving member 28, and is, for example, approximately half.

The front flange 31m of the outer tub 31 is
Near the bottom. The flanges 31m are provided as a pair, and the pair of flanges 31m are connected to the center axis CL of the outer tank 31.
Are arranged at positions symmetrical in the left-right direction on the peripheral surface of the outer tub 31 so that the center angle about the center is approximately 90 degrees. The rear flange 31u of the outer tub 31 is provided near the center of the outer tub 31 when measured along the central axis CL. The rear flange 31u of the outer tub 31 is provided as a pair, and the distance between the pair of flanges 31u (dimension L4 in FIG. 3) measured in the left-right direction is the distance between the front flanges 31m. It is arranged narrower than the interval (dimension L5 in FIG. 3).

Each of the flanges 31m and 31u has a concave seat for receiving the end of the hanging rod 4, and a cutout for inserting the hanging rod 4 into the recess. The receiving members 28 and 29 of the housing 2 are metal plate materials provided at the upper four corners on the inner side, and are caulked to the upper end edge of the main member 21 of the housing 2. Each of the receiving members 28 and 29 has a recessed seat for receiving the end of the hanging rod 4 and a cutout for inserting the hanging rod 4 in the recess, similarly to the flange.

As shown in FIG. 4, the front suspension rod 41 has a support rod 43 for suspending the outer tub 31 and a vibration-proof mechanism 45 provided on the support rod 43 to attenuate the vibration of the outer tub 31. ing. The upper end 43a of the support bar 43 is attached to the receiving member 28 via the buffer member 46, and the lower end 43b of the support bar 43 is provided with an anti-vibration mechanism 45. The upper end 451a of the container 451 of the vibration isolation mechanism 45 supports the flange 31m of the outer tub 31 via a nonwoven fabric (not shown).

The vibration damping mechanism 45 is a so-called air damper that attenuates vibration between the piston 452 and the container 451 by utilizing the flow resistance of air generated as the piston 452 moves in the container 451. is there. The anti-vibration mechanism 45 is a device that has elasticity in the length direction of the hanging rod 4 and holds the length of the hanging rod elastically in the length direction. That is, the vibration isolating mechanism 45 includes a container 451 that partitions the air chamber 451c therein, a piston 452 made of a vibration isolating rubber that can move while partitioning the inside of the container 451, and a spring 453 that reduces the impact applied to the piston 452. And The container 451 has a communication hole 45 communicating the inside and outside of the air chamber 451c.
1b is formed, and the support rod 4 is formed through the communication hole 451b.
3 is introduced into the container 451, and the piston 452 is connected to the lower end 43 b of the support rod 43. Outer tub 31
Vibrates, the peripheral surface of the piston 452 moves while being rubbed in the container 451, and air moves in and out of the inside through the communication hole 451b while moving inside the container 451 through a hole (not shown) in the piston 452. I do. At this time, the friction of the piston 452 and the flow resistance of air
The relative movement between 52 and the container 451 is suppressed, and as a result,
The vibration of the outer tub 31 is suppressed. The anti-vibration mechanism 45 is
In addition to the air damper, a known configuration may be used.

As shown in FIG. 5, the rear suspension rod 42 is connected to a pair of support rods 43, which suspend the outer tank 31 and are connected to each other.
44, and the above-described anti-vibration mechanism 45 provided between the pair of support rods 43, 44. Note that the same parts as those of the front hanging rod 41 are denoted by the same reference numerals. The upper end 43a of the support rod 43 on the upper side is attached to the receiving member 29 via the cushioning member 46, and the lower end 43
The container 451 of the anti-vibration mechanism 45 is fixed to b. Further, the upper end 44a of the lower support rod 44 is connected to the piston 452 of the vibration isolator 45, and the lower end 44b of the support rod 44 is connected to the flange 31u of the outer tank 31 via the buffer member 46. I support.

The rear hanging rod 42 may be configured as shown in FIG. 6, for example. That is, a support member 47 shown in FIG. 6 is used instead of the support bar 43 shown in FIG.
The support member 47 is formed in a folded shape in the middle of one wire. In the vicinity of the upper end of the support member 47, the other end 47b of the wire is wound around one end 47a of the wire, and at the lower end 47c of the support 47, the above-described intermediate portion is formed in a coil spring shape. Thus, it is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the container 451 and fixed. On the outer peripheral surface of the container 451, an annular convex portion 451d for receiving the above-described intermediate portion is formed. In this case, the force applied to the support member 47 does not act as a pulling force on the container 451, so that even a resin container that is weak to pulling is unlikely to be damaged.

As shown in FIG. 7, the rear suspension rod 42 may have a single support rod 43 similarly to the front suspension rod 41. For example, the front suspension rod 41 shown in FIG.
The lower end of the container 451 is attached to the receiving member 29,
The upper end of the support rod 43 is attached to the vibration isolation mechanism 45, and the lower end of the support rod 43 supports the flange 31 u of the outer tub 31.

As described above, the anti-vibration mechanism 45 of the rear suspension rod 42
Is arranged above the receiving member 29 of the housing 2 or between the receiving member 29 and the flange portion 31u, it is easily arranged above the flange portion 31u which can easily secure a space in the front-rear direction. It is possible to prevent the housing 2 from being enlarged. In addition, since the rear flange 31u is provided at a position higher than the bottom of the outer tub 31, for example, a triangular area defined behind the outer tub 31 in the housing 2 when viewed from the side is provided with a flange. Since the portion 31u can be arranged, it is easy to secure a space, and this is also preferable for preventing the housing 2 from being enlarged.

By the way, when the washing tub 3 is tilted and water or laundry is put in, the washing tub 3 tends to be displaced forward. For example, assuming that the hanging rod 4 is attached to the lower end of the outer tub 31 both front and rear as shown in FIG. The center of gravity of the tank 3 moves upward and forward (the center of gravity G1 before movement).
And the center of gravity G2 after the movement).
1, the washing tub 3 tends to be displaced forward, which leads to an increase in the size of the housing 2.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8B, the rear flange 31u is provided closer to the upper opening 3a along the center axis CL of the outer tub 31 than the front flange 31m. Therefore, the intersection angle D1 between the direction in which the rear hanging rod 42 extends and the vertical line VL is larger than that in the case of FIG. A force component W in a direction for rotating the rear hanging rod 42 around 29
R increases. As a result, the washing tub 3 can be pulled more strongly backward, so that the tendency of the washing tub 3 to be displaced forward due to a load can be suppressed, and the housing 2 can be prevented from being enlarged. Also, since this effect is obtained by providing the flange 31u at a high position,
There is no increase in the size of the housing 2.

In the present embodiment, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 9, the interval L4 between the rear flanges 31u is smaller than the interval L5 between the front flanges 31m (L4 <L).
5). Thereby, the receiving member 29 at the rear of the housing 2
Is the same as that of the front receiving member 28, the inclination D2 of the rear suspension rod 42 in the front-rear direction in plan view can be larger than the inclination D3 of the front suspension rod 41. The support rigidity in the direction can be increased. That is, the hanging rod supports the displacement of the washing tub 3 in the extending direction mainly by the rigidity of the spring of the vibration isolating mechanism, and the displacement of the washing tub 3 in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction is caused by the flange or the like. The support is provided by the rigidity at the contact portion with the receiving member, and the rigidity of the latter generally tends to be higher than the rigidity of the former. For example, considering the case where a displacement in the front-rear direction acts on the rear hanging rod 42, when the above-mentioned inclination D2 increases, a component of the displacement in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction increases, and accordingly, with high rigidity, As a result, vibration in the front-rear direction can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, the hanging rod 4 has two front and rear parts, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be constituted by three of one front part and two of rear parts, or may be constituted by three of two front parts and one of rear parts. Further, the front suspension rod 41 is connected to the vibration isolating mechanism 4.
5 was provided at the lower end, but is not limited to this. For example, the rear suspension rod 42 shown in FIG.

In the present invention, the structure of the hanging rod 4 is different between the front and the rear in order to tilt the washing tub 3. Thereby, the arrangement of the receiving members 28 and 29 of the housing 2 is
For example, the receiving members 28 and 29 can be provided on the housing 2 in substantially the same manner as in the related art as a result of being able to be disposed at a position that is a substantially square corner in plan view. The housing 2 is shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, the front surface 2a, the left side surface 2b, the right side surface 2c, the back surface 2d, and the upper surface 2e have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape as a whole. The housing 2 includes a left side surface 2b,
Main member 21 integrally forming right side surface 2c and back surface 2d
A front plate 22 which is a member separate from the main member 21 and forms the front surface 2a; a top plate 23 attached above the front plate 22 and the main member 21 to form an upper surface; 22 and a bottom structural member 24 that forms the bottom surface while supporting the lower end of the main member 21.

The main member 21 is formed by bending a single metal plate. The left and right side surfaces 2b and 2c extend forward from both left and right edges of the rear surface 2d of the housing 2, and the left and right side surfaces 2b and 2c. A pair of front portions 21a from the front edge of
They extend closer to each other. This pair of front parts 2
1a, a maintenance opening 21b for the drainage mechanism 6 and the like is formed. Above the opening 21b, a reinforcing member 25 for connecting the upper ends of the front portion 21a of the main member 21 is provided. ing.

The reinforcing member 25 reinforces the peripheral portion of the opening 21b by caulking and joining the pair of front portions 21a of the main member 21, thereby increasing the rigidity and strength of the main member 21 and the entire housing 2. . This reinforcing material 25
The center in the left-right direction bulges forward from both ends in the left-right direction, and the lower part 25a in the vertical direction bulges forward from the upper part 25b so as not to hit the upper part on the front side of the washing tub 3. It is formed to have a substantially L-shaped cross section. As described above, the reinforcing member 25 having a cross-sectional shape partially bulging to the front side is preferable because the reinforcing effect is high.

The receiving members 28 and 29 described above are caulked at the four corners at the upper end of the main member 21. The receiving members 28 and 29 function not only as members for attaching the hanging rod 4 but also as reinforcing members for reinforcing the four corners of the main member 21. The receiving member 28 at the front has the reinforcing member 25 and the front surface 21a of the main member 21 caulked together, and also serves as a reinforcing member for a connection portion between the reinforcing member 25 and the main member 21.

The front plate 22 is a member that covers the front of the main member 21, and includes the front 2 a and the left and right side surfaces 2 a of the housing 2.
The front end portions of b and 2c are integrally formed. For forming the front plate 22, a known method such as resin molding or metal plate pressing can be used. The front plate 22 is an exterior member of the washing machine 1 and has the above-described maintenance opening 21b.
And is detachably attached to the main member 21. That is, a plurality of downwardly extending hooks 22 f (only some of which are shown) are provided on the back surface of the front plate 22, and the tips of the hooks 22 f are attached to the front surface 21 a of the main member 21.
The front plate 22 is hooked into the locking hole 21f of the main member 21.
Attach to

The lower portion 22a of the front plate 22 is formed to extend substantially vertically in the vertical direction. In addition, the front plate 22
From the middle part in the up-down direction, it has a shape that bulges to the front side upward, and the upper portion 22b is inclined so that the overhang to the front side becomes larger at a higher position in the up-down direction. . The bottom structural member 24 includes an upper portion 24a connected to the front plate 22 and a lower end portion of the main member 21;
It has a lower portion 24b formed to be recessed in the front-rear direction than a, and leg portions 24c attached to four corners of the lower portion 24b.

The upper plate 23 is formed at substantially the center thereof with a slot 23a for taking in and out the laundry into and out of the washing tub 3. The insertion port 23a is formed to face the upper opening 3a of the washing tub 3, and the center position of the insertion port 23a when measured in the front-rear direction is located forward of the center position of the upper surface plate 23. The peripheral portion of the input port 23a is formed on a surface that is inclined downward toward the front side, and a lid 26 that covers the input port 23a so that it can be opened and closed is attached.

The front end of the upper plate 23 has a projecting portion 23b that projects toward the front in accordance with the bulge of the upper portion 22b of the front plate 22. The operation unit 70 is
Is provided. The operation unit 70 has an operation surface 72 on which operation switches and the like are arranged, and a circuit board 71 (see FIG. 1) that forms a circuit including the operation switches and the like. The circuit board 71 is disposed below the operation surface 72 in a watertight state, and has a control circuit for operating each part of the washing machine 1 according to the setting of the operation switch. The operation surface 72 has a downward slope toward the front side.
The upper edge 2e formed of a continuous inclined surface is formed with the peripheral edge of the upper surface 2e.

As shown in FIG. 1, the top plate 23 is
The water supply mechanism 5 is accommodated behind the inlet 23a. The water supply mechanism 5 has a water supply pipe 5 whose one end is led out of the housing 2 and connected to a water supply facility (not shown) such as an external laundry tap.
1, a water supply valve 52 for opening and closing the flow of the water supply pipe 51,
A water inlet 5a at the other end of the water supply pipe 51 facing the inside of the washing tub 3
And a water inlet forming member 53 that forms

As shown in FIG. 11, the water supply port forming member 53 is a container 5 for supplying the detergent contained therein to the washing tub 3 together with the water from the connection port 51a to the water supply pipe 51.
3a and a water flow guide member 53b that guides water from the water injection port 5a so that the water flows out in a predetermined direction are integrally formed. A water inlet 5a is defined behind the water flow forming member 53b. The water injection port 5 a is provided above the washing tub 3 and at the periphery of the upper opening 3 a of the washing tub 3, near the highest position of the upper end of the washing tub 3. The water flow guide member 53b guides the water from the water inlet 5a to be applied to the laundry attached to the inner peripheral surface of the inner tub 32 of the washing tub 3.

As described above, since the water inlet 5a is located near the rear edge of the peripheral portion of the upper opening 3a of the washing tub 3 and allows water to flow backward into the washing tub 3, the water is supplied to the washing tub 3. As a result, the laundry in the back of the washing tub 3 is poured into the laundry located in the back of the washing tub 3 and then spreads to the laundry in the front of the washing tub 3 so that the laundry in the washing tub 3 is evenly wetted. it can.

Further, since the water from the water inlet 5a is applied to the laundry stuck to the washing tub 3, the laundry can be easily loosened after the intermediate dehydration performed during the washing. As shown in FIG. 12, an overflow chamber 31a is formed on the upper portion of the outer tank 31 so as to protrude outward in the radial direction. The overflow chamber 31a is for preventing the water level in the outer tank 31 from exceeding a predetermined height, and the overflow chamber 31a and the inside of the outer tank 31 communicate with each other through an overflow hole 31b. The overflow chamber 31a is arranged near a corner in the housing 2 which is located behind the washing tub 3. Washing tub 3
Can be arranged at a high position of the inclined washing tub 3, so that the water level in the washing tub 3 can be easily secured. The overflow chamber 31a is connected to a drain pipe 61 via an overflow pipe 63.

The drainage mechanism 6, as shown in FIG.
A drain pipe 61 having one end connected to the drain port 31c at the bottom of the drain pipe 1 and a drain valve 62 for opening and closing the flow of the drain pipe 61 are provided. The drain port 31c is disposed at the front end of the bottom of the outer tub 31 and is formed at the lowest part of the outer tub 31 of the inclined washing tub 3. The overflow pipe 63 is connected to a portion of the drain pipe 61 downstream of the drain valve from the drain valve 62, and the other end (not shown) of the drain pipe 61 is led out of the machine.

At the bottom of the washing tub 3, as shown in FIG. 13, a drain valve 62 is disposed near the drain port 31c.
A motor 35 is disposed near the rear of the bottom. Normal,
Although the motor 35 is a bulky member, in the inclined washing tub 3, the rearward portion at the bottom thereof can easily secure a space in the vertical direction as compared with the forward portion, and can be arranged without difficulty.

At the bottom of the outer tub 31, a balancer mechanism 8 for suppressing vibration is provided. Balancer mechanism 8
Is composed of two containers each containing a liquid, including a container for partitioning the storage chamber, and a predetermined liquid sealed in the storage chamber. The two containers are provided on the bottom of the outer tank 31 on opposite sides of the center.

The liquid is, for example, salt water, and is contained so as to be able to move in the container so as to make up 60 to 90% of the volume of the container. Here, the salt water is used to increase the specific gravity of fresh water to enhance the vibration isolation effect, and also to prevent freezing at low temperatures. In addition, if it is salt water, it is harmless even if it leaks. 2
Each of the two containers is formed in a substantially sector shape in a plan view and long in an oblique direction with respect to the front-rear direction, so that the liquid can easily flow along the longitudinal direction. Since the longitudinal direction of the container is oblique to the front-rear direction, the liquid easily flows in both the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.

The balancer mechanism 8 moves the inner tank 3 when starting dehydration.
It functions as an anti-vibration damper until 2 etc. reaches high speed rotation. That is, when the washing tub 3 vibrates in the horizontal direction, the salt water moves in the container, and the vibration of the washing tub 3 is suppressed by the reaction force and the viscous resistance. In addition, since the container has a fan shape, the liquid flows along the fan, and vibration in the rotation direction of the outer tub 31 is also suppressed. Further, since the pair of containers are arranged symmetrically, the vibration suppressing effect is high. Here, the shape of the container is not limited to the above-described one, and the inclined washing tub 3 may vibrate in the front-rear direction.

Further, since the balancer mechanism 8 is constituted by a container, it may have any shape as long as the liquid flows, and has a high degree of freedom. Moreover, since the balancer mechanism 8 is located at the bottom, the planar shape of the housing 2 does not need to be increased. In the washing machine 1, the washing tub 3 remains inclined during the operation and the stop of the washing, rinsing, and dehydration.

At the time of washing, first, water is poured into the washing tub 3 from the water inlet 5 a by the water supply mechanism 5, and then the stirring blade 33
Rotates and the laundry is agitated. At this time, since the washing tub 3 is inclined, it is sufficiently stirred. Further, in the inclined washing tub 3, it is assumed that the washing tub 3 vibrates at the time of starting dehydration, with the laundry being biased toward the front where the laundry is downward. In particular, when the washing tub 3 is strongly pulled backward by the hanging rod 4,
That tendency becomes stronger. In the present embodiment, the vibration at the time of dehydration can be sufficiently suppressed by the post hanging rod 42 and the balancer mechanism 8 whose intervals are reduced.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the washing tub 3 is arranged to be inclined to the front side, so that the user standing on the front side can Opening 3
It is easy to take out laundry from a. In addition, since the washing tub 3 is inclined to the front side, it is possible to see the bottom of the washing tub 3, particularly to the front side, and as a result, it is easy to take out the laundry and check whether there is any remaining laundry. Can be easily performed. Therefore, the user-friendly washing machine 1 can be provided.

As shown in FIG. 1, only the upper part of the front surface 2a of the housing 2 is swelled.
The lower portion of the front surface 2a is relatively concave, so that when the user approaches the washing machine 1 from the front side, the lower portion of the front surface 2a does not interfere. For this reason, the upper body of the user can approach the washing machine 1, so that the distance to the bottom of the inclined washing tub 3 does not become long, and the laundry can be more easily taken out. In particular, since the lower portion 24b, the leg portion 24c, and the like of the bottom structural member 24 are located behind the operation portion 70, when the user approaches from the front side, the leg portion 24c and the like are hardly obstructed, which is preferable.

Since only the upper part of the front surface 2a of the housing 2 is bulged to the front side in accordance with the inclination of the washing tub 3, the lower part of the housing 2 is made to have the same size as the housing of the conventional washing machine. be able to. As a result, the washing machine 1 of the present invention can be put into a waterproof pan made with standard dimensions for a conventional washing machine. Further, since the washing tub 3 is always disposed in an inclined state, a configuration for switching the inclined state is not required, and the structure of the washing machine 1 can be simplified, and a failure hardly occurs.

As shown in FIG. 10, the housing 2 includes a front plate 22 forming an inflated front surface 2a,
By forming the main member 21 forming the left and right side surfaces 2b, 2c and the like as separate members, the main member 21 can have a simple structure as in the related art, and can be formed at low cost. In addition, since only the front plate 22 needs to be handled in order to expand the front surface 2a, the processing for expanding the front surface 2a is easy.
As a result, an increase in the processing cost of the housing 2 can be prevented. Here, even if a part of the side surface is formed on the front plate 22, the same effect can be obtained.

Further, since the operation section 70 is provided on the projecting portion 23b of the upper surface plate 23, the user can easily operate the operation section 70 from the front side, and can easily see the contents of the operation section 70. In addition, since the operation surface 72 of the operation unit 70 has a downward slope toward the front side, the operation can be performed more easily and easily, and the operability can be improved.

Further, since the main member 21 can be formed by bending a single metal plate in the same manner as in the prior art, it is easy to process and the cost can be reduced. In addition, the reinforcing material 25 is
Since the peripheral portion of b can be reinforced, the strength of the main member 21 and thus the housing 2 can be increased, and vibration and vibration can be suppressed. In particular, the reinforcing material 25 bulging to the front side is preferable because of its high rigidity.

Further, since the reinforcing material 25 bulging to the front does not interfere with the washing tub 3, even if shaking or vibration occurs,
There is little possibility that the washing tub 3 and the reinforcing material 25 are damaged. here,
"No interference" means that the contact or collision does not occur in a normal state. In the case of large vibration, temporary contact or collision may be permitted. Further, when the washing tub 3 includes an outer tub 31 and an inner tub 32 for washing and dewatering, the washing tub 3 is preferably inclined when the washing tub 3 is inclined as a fully automatic washing machine 1. it can.
Thus, with a fully automatic washing machine, it is more preferable to take out the laundry only after the completion of the washing, which is more preferable.

When the inclination angle K of the washing tub 3 is in the range of 5 to 20 degrees, it is easy to take out the laundry from the washing tub 3 and, furthermore, the housing 2 is It doesn't have to be big. As described above, according to the washing machine 1 of the present embodiment, the washing machine 1 can easily take out the laundry. In addition, the appearance of the washing machine 1 does not become large, and the washing machine 1 can be arranged on a conventional waterproof pan having standard dimensions. Further, since the washing tub 3 is always arranged in an inclined state, the washing machine 1 having a simple structure and hardly breaking down can be provided.

In the above embodiment, the washing machine 1
Is a single-tub type in which the washing tub 3 having a double structure is suspended from the housing 2 and supported, but the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, the washing machine may be a two-tub type having a washing tub and a dehydrating tub, and the washing tub may be fixed to the housing with a single tub having stirring blades at the bottom. The present invention may be applied to a washing tub.

In addition, various design changes can be made without changing the gist of the present invention.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a schematic configuration of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a use state of the washing machine shown in FIG. 1, and a conventional washing machine is also shown by a broken line.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the washing machine shown in FIG. 1, illustrating a state in which a top plate is removed.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a hanging rod at the front of the washing machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a hanging rod at a rear portion of the washing machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a hanging rod different from that of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing a different mounting method of the hanging rod of the washing machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are schematic views illustrating the operation of the hanging rod shown in FIG. 1, in which FIG. 8A illustrates a comparative example and FIG. 8B illustrates an example.

FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing how to attach the hanging rod shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a housing of the washing machine shown in FIG.

FIG. 11 is a side sectional view of an upper portion of a water inlet and a washing tub of the washing machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a portion near the overflow hole of the washing tub shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a bottom sectional view of the washing machine shown in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Washing machine 2 Housing 2a Front 2b Left side 2c Right side 2d Back 3 Washing tub 4,41,42 Hanging rod 8 Balancer mechanism 31 Outer tub 32 Inner tub 32a Small hole 45 Anti-vibration mechanism K Tilt angle CL Center axis VL Vertical straight

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (72) Masakazu Matsumoto 2-5-5 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Yoshikazu Baba 2-chome Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka No.5-5 Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 3B155 AA01 AA06 AA25 BA04 BA11 BB02 CB06 CB32 DC06 DC08 DC09 DC10 DD02 DD04 DD05 HB04 MA01 MA02 MA08

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A washing machine having a washing tub suspended by suspending means in a housing constituting an outer tub, wherein the washing tub has a bottomed cylindrical outer tub for storing washing water. And an inner tub as a cylindrical washing and dewatering tub coaxially housed in the outer tub and having a number of small holes formed in a peripheral surface thereof. The washing tub is always predetermined to the front side in the housing. , And the suspending means is configured to suspend the lower part (front side) of the washing tub in the downward direction (first side).
, And second suspending means suspending the upper side (back side) of the washing tub in the inclined direction. The first suspending means has an upper part connected to the housing,
The lower part holds a relatively lower part of the outer tub as compared to the second suspending means. The second suspending means has an upper part connected to the housing,
A washing machine characterized in that a lower portion holds a relatively higher portion of the outer tub than the first suspending means. 2. The first hanging means includes a pair of hanging rods, the upper part of each hanging rod is respectively fixed to the right and left upper side of the front side of the housing, and the lower part of each hanging rod is
Holding the left and right lower position on the front side of the outer tub, the second suspending means includes a pair of hanging rods, the upper part of each hanging rod is respectively fixed to the left and right upper side on the back side of the housing, The lower part of each hanging rod holds the middle position on the back side of the outer tub, respectively, and each of the four hanging rods is equipped with a vibration isolator. The washing machine according to claim 1. 3. A vibration isolation device is incorporated in a pair of hanging rods included in the second suspension means, at lower and upper portions connected to the outer tub and the housing, respectively. The washing machine according to claim 2, which performs the washing. 4. A pair of suspension rods included in the first suspension means, wherein a vibration isolator is incorporated below the outer tank holding portion. Washing machine. 5. The vibration isolator is a device having elasticity in the length direction of the hanging rod and holding the length of the hanging rod elastically in the length direction. 5. The washing machine according to any one of 4. 6. A pair of hanging rods included in the first suspending means maintain a relatively lower left and right position on the front side of the outer tub at a relatively wider interval than the second suspending means, The pair of hanging rods included in the second suspending means maintain a middle position on the rear side of the outer tub at a relatively smaller interval than the first suspending means. The washing machine according to any one of claims 2 to 5. 7. The balance according to claim 1, wherein a balancer is provided on the outer bottom surface of the outer tub to reduce the swing of the outer tub suspended by the suspending means. A washing machine according to claim 1. 8. The balancer has a housing chamber and a capacity of 6 of the housing chamber.
The washing machine according to claim 7, comprising a predetermined liquid satisfying 0 to 90%. 9. A washing machine having a washing tub suspended by suspending means in a housing constituting an outer tub, wherein the washing tub has a bottomed and cylindrical outer tub for storing washing water. And an inner tub as a cylindrical washing and dewatering tub coaxially housed in the outer tub and having a number of small holes formed in a peripheral surface thereof. The washing tub is always predetermined to the front side in the housing. The hanging means has a pair of hanging rods for hanging the front side of the washing tub, and a pair of hanging rods for hanging the back side of the washing tub. A washing machine, wherein a pair of hanging rods suspends a washing tub at a relatively large interval as compared with a pair of hanging rods suspending a back side. 10. A washing machine having a washing tub suspended by suspending means in a housing constituting an outer tub, wherein the washing tub has a bottomed cylindrical outer tub for storing washing water. And an inner tub as a cylindrical washing and dewatering tub which is coaxially housed in the outer tub and has a number of small holes formed in a peripheral surface thereof. A washing motor and a drain valve are arranged on the bottom of the outer tub. A washing machine comprising a balancer for reducing the shaking of the tub.