JP2002282583A - Lid opening and closing structure for washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lid opening and closing structure for washing machine capable of surely locking both sides of a lid with a simple structure at a low cost by use of one lid lock device and improving the safety. SOLUTION: In a washing machine in which an outer tub is rockably suspended within an outer box, a washing and spinning tub equipped with a rotary blade in the bottom is rotatably arranged within the outer tub, a top cover 2 having an input port of clothes to the washing and spinning tub is provided so as to cover the upper part of the outer box, a lid 3 for opening and closing the clothes input port and a lock mechanism for unopenably locking the lid during spinning operation are provided, projections 9 which are protruding members toward the top cover 2 are provided on both side front sides of the lid 3, and guide rails 10 for fitting the protruding members are provided on both inside surfaces of the top cover 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lid opening and closing structure for a washing machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 3, for example, a fully automatic one-tank type washing machine has an outer tub swingably suspended within an outer box 1 and a rotary blade at the bottom in the outer tub. The washing and spin-drying tub is rotatably disposed, the periphery of the upper opening of the outer box 1 is covered with a top cover 2, and the upper opening of the washing and spin-drying tub is closed with a lid 3 so as to be openable and closable. In the figure, reference numeral 4 denotes an operation panel provided at the front of the top cover 2 and provided with setting buttons for setting operation contents and the like.

[0003] Since the washing machine and the clothes dryer are integrally used as the cover 3 and the clothes dryer is often installed above the washing machine, the height of the cover 3 is reduced. Is required to be divided into two parts: a rear part 3a and a front part 3b, a front part of the front part 3b, and a middle hinge part. The handle 5 for opening and closing the rear part of the front part 3b is opened and closed. It is attached.

In a washing machine having such a structure, all steps of water supply, washing, rinsing, and dehydration automatically proceed. However, in the dehydration step, the washing and dehydrating tub is operated at a high speed in order to blow off the moisture of the laundry by centrifugal force. Rotate. For this reason, during the spin-drying operation, it is necessary to close the lid 3 and prevent the lid 3 from being easily opened.

For this purpose, for example, a lid switch (not shown) for detecting the opening and closing of the lid 3 is provided, and a lid lock device 6 is provided, for example, on the front side of the front part 3b of the lid. The dehydration operation is started after the closing signal is output to the operation control unit by the well-known microcomputer and the lid 3 is confirmed to be closed, and the lid 3 is prevented from being opened by the lid lock device 6 during the dehydration operation. ing.

The lid locking device 6 is, for example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, an electromagnetic coil 6a disposed below the top cover 2, and is protruded and retracted in the direction of the lid 3 by energizing the electromagnetic coil 6a. A locking hole 7 into which the plunger 6b is inserted at a front side of the lid 3 in front of the lid 3b.
The locking piece 8 formed with is projected.

When the electromagnetic coil 6a is energized with the lid 3 closed, the plunger 6b projects in the direction of the lid 3 and the tip is inserted into the locking hole 7.
Thus, the lid 3 is fixed to the top cover 2 by the plunger 6b.

[0008]

In the structure in which the lid lock device 6 is provided on the front side of the lid front 3b as described above, if the lid lock device 6 is provided only on one side, the locked lid is not provided. When the cover 3 is forcibly opened during the dehydration operation,
The unlocked side is lifted up relatively easily, and a hand is inserted into the washing and spin-drying tub through a gap formed between the lid 3 and the top cover 2 to come into contact with the rotating laundry to cause an injury. There is a risk.

In order to solve such inconveniences, lid lock devices 6 may be provided on both left and right sides of the lid 3 as shown in FIG. 4, but this not only complicates the structure but also increases the cost. Further, when an electromagnetic coil 6a or the like is used for the lid lock device 6, if the lid lock device 6 on one side fails due to an electrical failure or the like, the entire lid cannot be opened and closed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine in which the disadvantages of the prior art are solved, the structure is simple, the cost is low, and both sides of the lid can be securely locked with one lid locking device, and the safety can be improved. An object of the present invention is to provide a lid opening / closing structure.

[0011]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, first, an outer tub is swingably suspended in an outer box,
In the outer tub, a washing and dewatering tub having a rotating blade at the bottom is rotatably disposed, and the upper part of the outer box is covered with a top cover having a clothes input port to the washing and dewatering tub, and the clothes input port is provided. In a washing machine provided with a lid that opens and closes and a lock mechanism that locks the lid so that the lid cannot be opened and closed during the spin-drying operation, a protruding member is provided on the front side on both sides of the lid toward the direction of the top cover. A guide rail on which the projecting member is fitted is provided on a side surface.

[0012] Thus, the right and left sides of the lid are locked to the top cover by fitting the protruding member to the guide rail. Therefore, even if the lid locking device is attached to only one side of the lid, both sides of the lid are locked to the top cover, and when the lid is forcibly opened in the lid locked state, the lid lock is not applied. The side on which the device is not attached does not lift, there is no gap between the lid and the top cover, and there is no risk of injury by inserting a hand into this gap.

Further, when the cover is opened and closed, the projecting member slides along the guide rail, so that the fitting between the projecting member and the guide rail does not hinder the opening and closing of the cover.

Second, since the guide rails are formed in grooves on both inner side surfaces of the top cover, they can be easily formed only by performing simple processing on the top cover, and the lid is fitted to the guide rail. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide a member for that purpose.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a lid opening / closing structure of a washing machine according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a fitting portion of a lid and a top cover, which are main parts of the washing machine. Since the entire configuration of the installed washing machine is as described above with reference to FIG. 3, the detailed description is omitted here.

Even in the washing machine provided with the lid opening / closing structure of the present invention, the lid 3 is divided into two parts before and after the rear lid 3a and the front lid 3b, and is folded at the center by a hinge portion. A handle 5 for performing opening and closing operations is attached to the rear portion of the front lid 3b.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lid lock device 6 is located below the top cover 2 by being positioned on one side of the side surface of the lid 3, in the illustrated example, on the right front side of the lid front 3b. It was arranged. The lid lock mechanism 6 is composed of, for example, a combination of an electromagnetic coil 6a and a plunger 6b. When the electromagnetic coil 6a is energized, the plunger 6b is slid in the direction of the lid 3, and the tip of the plunger 6b is The provided lock pin is structured to protrude and retract from the lid 3.

According to the present invention, in the washing machine having such a structure, a roller-shaped projection 9 is provided as a projecting member projecting in the direction of the top cover 2 on the front side on both sides of the front lid 3b. The projection 9 forms a guide rail 10 to be fitted.

The guide rail 10 is formed in a groove shape formed on both inner side surfaces of the top cover 2.

Thus, the left and right sides of the front lid 3b are locked to the guide rails 10 by the projections 9 projecting from both sides of the front lid 3b being inserted into the guide rails 10. Therefore, even if the lid 3 is forcibly opened in the lid locked state, the left and right sides of the front 3b of the lid are locked to the top cover 2 via the projections 9 and the guide rails 10, so that the lifting is prevented. Can not open.

In this case, even if the lid lock device 6 is disposed on one of the right and left sides of the lid 3, both sides of the lid 3 are locked to the top cover 2 by the projections 9 and the guide rails 10. The side on which the locking device 6 is not provided cannot be lifted.

When the lid lock device 6 is released and the lid 3 is opened, if the user grips the handle 5 and pulls the lid 3 rearward, the front 3b of the lid will slide rearward along the guide rail 10 so that the lid 3 Opens in a folded state.

[0023]

As described above, the lid opening / closing structure of the washing machine according to the present invention firstly hangs the outer tub in the outer box so as to swing freely.
In the outer tub, a washing and dewatering tub having a rotating blade at the bottom is rotatably disposed, and the upper part of the outer box is covered with a top cover having a clothes input port to the washing and dewatering tub, and the clothes input port is provided. In a washing machine provided with a lid that opens and closes and a lock mechanism that locks the lid so that the lid cannot be opened and closed during the spin-drying operation, a protruding member is provided on the front side on both sides of the lid toward the direction of the top cover. A guide rail on which the projecting member is fitted is provided on a side surface.

Thus, the right and left sides of the lid are locked to the top cover by fitting the protruding member to the guide rail. Therefore, even if the lid locking device is attached to only one side of the lid, both sides of the lid are locked to the top cover, and when the lid is forcibly opened in the lid locked state, the lid lock is not applied. The side on which the device is not mounted does not lift, there is no gap between the lid and the top cover, and there is no risk of injury by inserting a hand into this gap.

Therefore, even if only one lid locking device is provided, the lid can be securely locked at a low cost with a simple structure, and safety can be improved.

Further, since the projecting member slides along the guide rail when the cover is opened and closed, the fitting between the projecting member and the guide rail does not hinder the opening and closing of the cover, and the usability does not deteriorate.

Second, since the guide rails are formed in grooves on both inner surfaces of the top cover, they can be easily formed only by performing simple processing on the top cover, and the lid is fitted to the guide rail. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide a member for that purpose.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a lid opening / closing structure of a washing machine of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part showing an embodiment of the lid opening and closing structure of the washing machine of the present invention. You.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a washing machine provided with a lid lock device.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a lid and a top cover provided with a conventional lid lock device.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a lid provided with a conventional lid lock device.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Outer box 2 ... Top cover 3 ... Lid 3a ... Lid 3b ... Lid 4 ... Operation panel 5 ... Handle 6 ... Lid lock device 6a ... Electromagnetic coil 6b ... Plunger 7 ... Locking hole 8 ... Locking piece 9 ... projections 10 ...
Guide rail

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An outer tub is swingably suspended in an outer case, and a washing and dewatering tub having rotating blades at the bottom is rotatably disposed in the outer tub. In a washing machine provided with a lid that opens and closes a clothes input port, which is covered with a top cover having a clothes input port to the washing and dewatering tub, and a lock mechanism that locks the lid so that the lid cannot be opened and closed during dehydration operation, A lid opening / closing structure for a washing machine, comprising: a protruding member provided on the front side of the top cover in a direction of the top cover; and guide rails on both inner side surfaces of the top cover, into which the protruding members are fitted. 2. The guide rail according to claim 1, wherein the guide rail has a groove shape formed on both inner side surfaces of the top cover.
A lid opening / closing structure for the washing machine as described in the above.