JP2003290593A - Washing machine having lid locking device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a low-cost and highly reliable lid locking device without malfunctions. <P>SOLUTION: A washing machine is provided with the lid locking device for locking the closed lid, and the lid locking device incorporates an electromagnetic coil, a plunger, an engaging/detaching mechanism, a switch for detecting the entrance/exit of the plunger and a freely movable finger for locking the lid inside a frame body. A lead switch having a contact point to be turned ON/OFF by the magnetic force of a magnet is provided inside the frame body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an entire structure of a lid lock device for locking a lid of a washing machine, and detecting opening / closing of a lid,
The present invention relates to detection of lock and unlock of the lid, detection of unbalance of the cloth during spin-drying rotation, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The mainstream of a conventional lid lock device for a washing machine has a built-in electromagnetic coil, a plunger, a heart cam (engagement / disengagement mechanism) and a switch for detecting the entrance / exit of the plunger, which is instantly energized to the electromagnetic coil. By doing so, the plunger is operated, and the lid is locked or unlocked by utilizing the engagement / disengagement operation of the heart cam.

There are various types of overall structures of the lid lock device, and there are advantages and disadvantages.

Further, the detection of the opening / closing of the lid of the washing machine detects the opening / closing of the washing machine by mounting a reed switch or a Hall element on a control board for controlling the process of the washing machine and providing a magnet on the lid, and the magnet approaches as the lid opens / closes. It is utilized that the reed switch or the hall element is turned on / off by moving away from each other.

[0005] Further, there are two types of detection of the unbalance of the cloth during the dehydration rotation, which is incorporated in the lid lock device and is performed by a switch, or is performed by a dedicated switch. The switch is operated by hitting the lever hanging from the frame. The structure for transmitting the movement of the lever to the switch differs depending on the arrangement of the whole parts, and the structure is suitable for each.

Further, the reed switch provided on the control board has to be provided with a holder so that the reed switch does not fall down due to the potting of the control board, which increases the cost. In addition, the potting has a double-layer structure for the control board case, which increases the distance from the magnet on the lid and weakens the magnetic force, which can lead to malfunctions such as turning the reed switch on and off, resulting in loss of reliability. Become.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive product which does not malfunction.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, an electromagnetic coil, a plunger, an engagement / disengagement mechanism, a switch for detecting the entrance / exit of the plunger, and a movable finger for locking / unlocking the lid are installed inside the frame. A washing machine having such a lid lock device is characterized in that a reed switch having a contact which is turned on / off by a magnetic force of a magnet is provided in the frame body.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
It will be described with reference to FIG.

1 and 2 show a state in which a washing machine is equipped with a lid lock device 5 which is the main part of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 is an outer frame of the washing machine main body, and 2 is an opening / closing lid for opening and closing a laundry inlet provided in the main body of the washing machine. The lid 2 opens and closes when loading and unloading laundry.

The lid lock device 5 is assembled and attached inside a top cover provided on the upper side of the outer frame 1. The lid 2 is locked or unlocked by moving in and out of the movable finger 12 provided movably on the lid lock device 5.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a magnet incorporated in the lid 2, which is used to operate the reed switch 13 incorporated in the lid lock device 5. When the lid 2 is opened, it is OFF, and when the lid 2 is closed, it is ON. ). The off / on relationship may be reversed. The magnet 3 is provided on the edge side of the lid 2.

The wall of the frame 6 of the lid lock device 5 has
An entrance is provided for the movable finger 12 to enter and exit. When the movable finger 12 projects from the entrance, it is inserted into the hole provided in the lid 2 and the lid 2 is locked. When the movable finger 12 moves backward, the lid 2 is unlocked.

The lid lock device 5 is arranged in the washing machine main body so that the wall portion side of the frame body 6 provided with the doorway faces the edge portion side of the lid 2 provided with the magnet 3.

The reed switch 13 is arranged along the inner surface side of the wall portion where the doorway is provided. Since the reed switch 13 and the magnet 3 are arranged in this way, when the lid 2 is closed, the reed switch 13 and the magnet 3 are in a close proximity with little separation, and the magnetic force of the magnet is strongly felt to turn off or on. The operation of is quickly and reliably performed.

Reference numeral 24 is a safety lever, which is pressed when the washing / dehydrating tub 4 shakes due to the imbalance of the cloth during the spin-drying rotation, and operates the safety switch built in the lid lock device 5.

The overall structure of the lid lock device 5 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the lid 2 is locked (movable finger 1
2 is shown), and FIG. 4 shows a state where the lid 2 is unlocked (a state in which a movable finger is inserted).

Explaining the entire structure, an electromagnetic coil 7, a plunger 8 (made of steel), a heart cam 9 (engagement / disengagement mechanism), and a switch 2 are provided in a frame body 6 (made of plastic).
6, a movable finger 12, and a reed switch 13 are built in. The electromagnetic coil 7 has a fixed iron core 7a at the center rear part and an energizing coil terminal 7b at the exterior part.

The reed switch 13 has contacts inside the tubular body, and lead wires 13a, 13 extending from the contacts at both ends.
b. The contact of the reed switch 13 is turned on / off by the magnetic force of the magnet 3 provided on the lid of the washing machine.

The reed switch 13 is mounted along the inner surface of the wall portion where the movable finger 12 of the frame body 6 moves in and out so that the magnetic force of the magnet 3 works well as described above.
The lead wire 13a is electrically connected to the coil terminal 70a, and the lead wire 13b is electrically connected to the lead terminal 14 provided independently. The coil terminal 70a side is a shared terminal for the electromagnetic coil 7 and the reed switch 13.

By thus providing the reed switch 13 on the frame of the lid lock device, the reed switch 13 is less expensive than the conventional one (control board) and the reliability of the on / off operation is improved.

That is, unlike the control board of the prior art, the frame body of the lid lock device provided with the reed switch 13 does not perform the potting, so that a special holding means for holding the reed switch is not required and the cost is low. Also, unlike the case where the control board case is doubled, the distance between the magnet attached to the lid and the reed switch becomes closer, and the magnetic force of the magnet that reaches the reed switch becomes stronger, so that the reed switch is turned on. / The reliability of off operation is improved.

The plunger 8 is movably inserted into the center front portion of the electromagnetic coil 7, and a pin shaft 17 is rotatably provided at a tip end portion protruding from the electromagnetic coil 7, and the pin shaft 17 is provided.
Inside, a movable pin 18 and a pin spring 19 are provided. The tip of the movable pin 18 is pushed by the pin spring 19 and always comes into contact with the uneven surface of the heart cam 9 (engagement / disengagement mechanism) to move.
It can be defined by the shape of (engagement / disengagement mechanism).

The movable finger 12 is located above the electromagnetic coil 7, and the operating finger 12a and the operating protrusion 12b are integrally formed on the rear portion thereof, and the movable finger 10 can be slid back and forth to operate the movable contact piece 10 by the switch 26. ON / OFF. Movable finger 12
Is always provided to the rear by the return spring 20.

A fulcrum shaft 6a is provided at the bottom of the frame body 6,
The support 16 is rotatably supported. The fulcrum shaft 6 a and the support body 16 are located between the plunger 8 and the movable finger 12.

The connecting wire 15 is formed in an L-shape with a steel wire or the like, and an intermediate portion thereof is fitted and supported by the support body 16. One end of the connecting wire 15 is engaged with the pin shaft 17 on the plunger side, and the other end is inserted into the hole of the movable finger 12. By this,
Since the connecting line 15 moves like a seesaw around the support 16 as a fulcrum, the plunger 8 and the movable finger 12 move so as to reciprocate.

The switch 26 detects the movement of the movable finger 12, that is, the locking and unlocking of the lid 2. The switch 26 includes a movable contact piece 10 and a fixed contact piece 11. The switch 26 operates so as to be turned on when the movable finger 12 projects and locks the lid 2, and is turned off when the movable finger 12 retracts (enters) and the lid 2 is unlocked. .

The movable finger 12 has an operating finger 12a formed integrally. An operation protrusion 12b is formed on the operation finger 12a. As the movable finger 12 moves in and out, the operation protrusion 12b presses the movable contact piece 10. When the movable finger 12 is projected, the operation protrusion 12b pushes the movable contact piece 10 to turn on the switch 26. When the movable finger 12 retracts (enters), the operation protrusion 12b does not press the movable contact piece 10, and the switch 26 is turned off.

The switch 26 also serves as a safety switch when the spinning is performed. This safety switch will be described.

The safety lever 24 is a foot 6b on the lower surface of the frame body 6.
The rotary shaft 24a is engaged with the rotary shaft 24a to be rotatable.
When the washing / dehydrating tub 4 shakes greatly due to the imbalance of the cloth during the spinning for spinning, the safety lever 24 is pushed. Safety lever 2
4 rotates about a rotary shaft 24a as a support shaft, the head 24b contacts the operation plate 21, and raises the moving finger 22 slidably supported by the frame body 6. When the moving finger 22 rises, the fixed contact piece 11 is pushed by the inclined surface 22a of the moving finger 22, and the fixed contact piece 1
1 moves in a direction away from the movable contact piece 10 and turns off the safety switch (switch 26).

The operation plate 21 is supported so as to be rotatable around a mounting shaft 6c on the lower surface of the frame body 6.
The mounting shaft 6c is provided with a pushing spring 25, and this pushing spring 25 gives a force for returning the safety lever 24 to its original position. Therefore, when the washing / dehydrating tub 4 does not shake greatly, the moving finger 22 And the safety switch (switch 26) is turned on.

Since the switch 26 also functions as a safety switch in this way, a dedicated safety switch can be omitted and the cost can be reduced.

A related electric circuit of the lid lock device will be described with reference to FIG.

The switch 26 and the reed switch 13 are connected to a microcomputer, and an ON / OFF signal is input to the microcomputer. The electromagnetic coil 7 is connected to a commercial power source via a FLS (switching element). The gate signal of FLS (switching element) is given by the microcomputer.

When the lid 2 is closed and the switch 26 is turned on by the magnet 3, the microcomputer outputs a gate signal of FLS (switching element). The electromagnetic coil 7 is energized, the plunger 8 is attracted and the movable finger 12 is projected,
The lid 2 is locked and the switch 26 is turned on.

The switch 26 functions as a safety switch during the dehydration operation, and when it functions as a safety switch, it does not function as a lid lock switch. The switching of these functions is performed by the microcomputer.

Next, the operation will be described.

When the lid 2 of the washing machine is locked, the electromagnetic coil 7 is energized to magnetize the fixed iron core 7a,
Aspirate the plunger 8. When the plunger is aspirated,
The connecting line rotates about the support 16 as a fulcrum, and moves the movable finger 12 in the “out” direction against the return spring 20. The holding of the movable finger “out” is performed by the heart cam 9 (engagement / disengagement mechanism). At this time, the movable contact piece 10 is lifted by the operation protrusion 12b, the switch 26 is turned on, and it can be detected that the movable finger 12 is in the "out" state.

When the lid of the washing machine is unlocked, the electromagnetic coil is re-energized to attract the plunger and release the position of the heart cam (engagement / disengagement mechanism). When the holding of the position is released, the movable finger 12 moves the return spring 2
It is pushed by 0 and held in the "ON" position. At this time, the movable contact piece 11 is lowered, the switch 26 is turned off, and it is possible to detect that the movable finger 12 is in the “ON” state.

The heart cam (engagement / disengagement mechanism) has a mechanical mechanism in which what is constrained by the first suction of the plunger 8 is released by the second suction and returns to its original state.

In the above embodiment, the magnet is provided on the lid side and the lid locking device is provided on the top cover side of the washing machine, but the reverse relationship is also possible.

The main advantages of the above-mentioned embodiment are summarized as follows. (1). By incorporating the reed switch in the lid lock device, it is not necessary to assemble it on the control board of the washing machine, so that the whole can be assembled at low cost. (2). It is possible to reduce the distance between the magnet attached to the lid and the reed switch, which enhances the reaction of the reed switch and provides reliable lid open / close detection without malfunction. (3). By connecting the lead wire of the reed switch to the terminal of the electromagnetic coil and sharing the terminal, it is possible to reduce the number of reed switch terminals by one. Can be compactly assembled. (4). Set a fulcrum between the plunger and the movable finger,
The rigidity is secured by connecting the parts with steel wire connecting wires and allowing the supporting parts of the connecting wires to rotate independently, and it is possible to transmit operating dimensions, operating force, etc. without loss The capacity can be reduced, and it can be inexpensively and compactly assembled. (5). The operating finger and the operating protrusion are integrally formed on the rear part of the movable finger, and the movable contact piece of the switch is operated by the operating protrusion to be turned on.
By enabling / disabling the switch, the switch can be operated directly by the movement of the movable finger (finger that locks the lid of the washing machine), so that the lock / unlock can be detected with high sensitivity and the number of parts can be reduced. (6). By electrically connecting the movable contact piece to the terminal of the electromagnetic coil, the terminal can be shared, the number of parts can be reduced, and the device can be made inexpensive and compact. (7). The movement of the safety lever mounted on the outside of the frame is turned ON / O by operating the fixed contact piece of the switch via the operation plate and the moving finger.
By enabling FF, if the washing / dewatering tub shakes due to the unbalance of the cloth during the spin-drying rotation, the safety lever can be operated to activate the switch, and abnormal vibration due to the imbalance of the cloth during the spin-drying can be prevented. Can be prevented.

[0044]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to put together at low cost. Further, it is possible to reduce the distance between the magnet attached to the lid and the reed switch, so that the response of the reed switch can be enhanced, and highly reliable lid opening / closing detection without malfunction can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a lid lock device.

FIG. 2 relates to an embodiment of the present invention and is shown in FIG.
The figure seen from the arrow direction.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a locked state of the lid lock device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an unlocked state of the lid lock device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a related configuration of a safety switch according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing an attachment state of connecting lines according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing an attached state of a safety lever according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an electric circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Outer frame, 2 ... Lid, 3 ... Magnet, 4 ... Washing / dehydrating tank, 5 ... Lid locking device, 6 ... Frame body, 6a ... Support shaft, 6b
... foot, 6c ... mounting shaft, 7 ... electromagnetic coil, 7a ... fixed iron core, 7b ... coil terminal, 8 ... plunger, 9 ... heart cam, 10 ... movable contact piece, 11 ... fixed contact piece, 12 ... movable finger,
12a ... Operating finger, 12b ... Operating protrusion, 13 ... Reed switch, 14 ... Lead terminal, 15 ... Connecting wire, 16 ... Support, 17 ... Pin shaft, 18 ... Movable pin, 19 ... Pin spring,
20 ... Return spring, 21 ... Operation plate, 22 ... Moving finger, 22a
... inclined surface, 23 ... lid, 24 ... safety lever, 24a ... rotary shaft, 24b ... head, 25 ... push spring, 26 ... switch.

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Tomohiro Okawa             1-1-1 Higashitaga-cho, Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture             Inside the ceremony company Hitachi Taga Electronics (72) Inventor Hirofumi Narita             1-1-1 Higashitaga-cho, Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture             Inside the ceremony company Hitachi Taga Electronics (72) Inventor Takashi Ehana             4-11-12 Kamimine-cho, Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture Stock             Company Kameya Factory F term (reference) 3B155 AA11 BA01 CB33 CB38 DA09                       HB12 KB07 MA02

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A lid locking device that locks a closed state of a lid, the lid locking device including an electromagnetic coil, a plunger, an engagement / disengagement mechanism, a switch for detecting the entrance and exit of the plunger, and the lid. A washing machine in which movable fingers that can be moved in and out for locking a door are placed inside, and a lid lock device characterized in that a reed switch having a contact for turning on / off by a magnetic force of a magnet is provided in the frame body Washing machine. 2. A washing machine main body in which a washing / dehydrating tub is placed, a lid which is openably and closably provided so as to open and close a laundry inlet provided in the washing machine main body, and the washing machine main body. A lid lock device for locking the closed state of the lid and a magnet provided on the lid, and the lid lock device includes an electromagnetic coil, a plunger, an engagement / disengagement mechanism, and a plunger in the frame body. A switch to detect entry and exit,
And a washing machine having movable movable fingers for locking and closing the lid, the reed switch having a contact which is turned on / off by the magnetic force of the magnet is provided in the frame body. A washing machine having a lid locking device. 3. The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the reed switch has the contact inside the tubular body, and has lead wires extending from the contact at both ends. A washing machine having a characteristic lid lock device. 4. The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the magnet is provided on an edge portion side of the lid, and the movable finger moves in and out of a wall portion of a frame body of the lid locking device. An entrance is provided, and the lid locking device is arranged in the washing machine body so that the entrance faces the edge of the lid, and the reed switch extends along the inner surface of the wall where the entrance is provided. A washing machine having a lid lock device, which is characterized in that 5. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein one lead wire of the reed switch is connected together with a coil terminal to which one end of an electromagnetic coil is connected. The other lead wire is connected to a lead terminal provided independently, and the washing machine having a lid locking device. 6. The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a connecting wire 15 is provided, the middle portion of which is supported by a supporting member 16 and operates as a seesaw, and a plunger is provided at one end of the connecting wire. , A washing machine having a lid lock device characterized in that movable fingers are connected to the other end.