JP2003311078A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a smooth, safe and accurate switching operation between washing and dehydration with a simple constitution in a washing machine for washing, rising, dehydrating and other operations of clothing. <P>SOLUTION: A washing shaft 29 is arranged almost on the same axis as that of a hollow dehydrating shaft 26 for spinning a washing/dehydrating tub 23 and an agitator 24 disposed in the washing/dehydrating tub 23 is rotated. A slide member 37 is made to slide vertically with a clutch lever 40 operated by a lever drive means 39 to switch the transmission of the rotation of the drive motor 35 over to either the dehydrating shaft 26 of the washing shaft 29. The clutch lever 40 and the lever drive means 39 are connected by one metal wire 41 and the length of the metal wire 41 with a spring part 41a in the transmission of the rotation to the dehydrating shaft 26 is made shorter than the free length thereof 41. An engaging part is arranged at both end parts of the metal wire 41 to mate with protruded parts provided respectively at the clutch lever 40 and the lever drive means 39 and both ends of the engaging part and an elastic part arranged in a straight line. <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 a washing machine for washing, rinsing and dehydrating clothes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of washing machine has been shown in FIG. The configuration will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 10, a washing machine main body 1 is provided with a water receiving tank 3 suspended by a suspension 2 so as to prevent dewatering vibration, and the washing and dewatering tank 3 is placed in the water receiving tank 3. 4 is rotatably arranged, and a stirring blade 5 for stirring the laundry is rotatably arranged at the inner bottom of the washing / dehydrating tub 4. The washing / dehydrating tub 4 is arranged so as to be substantially coaxial with a dewatering shaft 7 supported by a bearing 6 provided at the bottom of the water receiving tub 3, and is fixed to the upper end of the dewatering shaft 7. .

The stirring blade 5 has a dehydration shaft 7 in the hollow portion of the dehydration shaft 7.
It is fixed to the upper end of a washing shaft 9 which is disposed so as to be substantially coaxial with and is supported by a bearing 8 provided in the hollow portion of the dehydration shaft 7. The lower end of the washing shaft 9 is connected to the output side of the speed reduction mechanism 10. In addition, the lower end is the drive motor 11
The upper end portion of the input shaft 13 connected to the rotor 12 is connected to the input side of the reduction mechanism 10.

Next, a clutch mechanism for switching the transmission of the rotation of the drive motor 11 to either the dehydration shaft 7 or the input shaft 13 will be described. A slide portion 14 having a shape such as a spline is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the lower portion of the dehydration shaft 7. The slide portion 14 is provided with a slide member 15 having an inner peripheral shape corresponding to the shape of the spline or the like.

When the rotation of the drive motor 11 is transmitted to the dehydration shaft 7, that is, when the washing / dehydrating tub 4 is rotated, the slide member 15 is pressed downward by the urging spring 16 so that the lower portion of the slide member 15 is provided. The protrusion 15 a is engaged with the rotor protrusion 12 a provided on the rotor 12 to transmit the rotation of the rotor 12 to the dehydration shaft 7.

Further, the rotation of the drive motor 11 depends on the rotation of the input shaft 13.
When the power is transmitted to the sliding member 15, that is, when the stirring blade 5 rotates, the sliding member 15 is moved upward by moving the clutch lever 18 engaged with the sliding member 15 upward by the lever driving means 17 such as a geared motor or a solenoid. , The lower protrusion 15a of the slide member 15 is attached to the rotor 12
The rotation of the rotor 12 is not transmitted to the dehydration shaft 7 by removing it from the rotor protrusion 12a, and is transmitted only to the input shaft 13.

The rotation transmitted to the input shaft 13 is transmitted to the stirring blade 5 via the speed reducing mechanism 10 and the washing shaft 9, and the stirring blade 5
Is configured to rotate. At the same time slide member 15
The washing / dehydrating tub 4 is fixed by engaging the upper protruding portion 15b provided on the upper part of the table with the fixed side protruding portion 19a provided on the housing portion 19 of the drive motor 11, and when the stirring blade 5 rotates, This prevents the washing and dehydration tub 4 from rotating together.

[0009]

In such a conventional structure, when the slide member 15 is moved up and down, the upper projection 15b provided on the upper portion of the slide member 15 and the fixing provided on the housing portion 19 of the drive motor are fixed. In some cases, the side projections 19a could not be properly engaged, and the tip end surface of the upper projection 15b and the tip end surface of the fixed side projection 19a run over. At this time, the slide member 15 is moved by a predetermined stroke.
Since the lever drive means 17 cannot be moved, the lever drive means 17 is locked on the way, and the lever drive means 17 is overloaded, resulting in abnormal heating and damage.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object thereof is to realize a safe and reliable switching operation with a simple structure.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a washing shaft disposed substantially coaxially with a hollow dehydrating shaft for rotating the washing / dehydrating tub, and is provided in the washing / dehydrating tub. The stirring blade provided is rotated, and the slide member is slid up and down by the clutch lever operated by the lever driving means, and the sliding of the slide member up and down transmits the rotation of the drive motor to either the dehydration shaft or the washing shaft. The clutch lever and the lever drive means are connected by a single metal wire rod, and the metal wire rod has an elastic portion, and its length during transmission to the dehydration shaft is shorter than the free length of the metal wire rod. The metal wire rod has engaging portions that engage with the protrusions provided on the clutch lever and the lever driving means, respectively, and both ends of the engaging portion and the elastic portions are linearly arranged.

Thus, when the transmission of the rotation of the drive motor is switched from the spin-drying shaft to the washing shaft, even if the sliding member is not normally slid and is caught in the middle, the lever driving means is provided by the elastic portion provided on the metal wire. Since the difference between the movements of the clutch lever and the clutch lever can be absorbed, it is possible to realize a highly reliable clutch mechanism with a safe and reliable switching operation, with a simple structure. When the length of the metal wire during transmission to the metal member becomes shorter than the free length of the metal member, the metal wire rod is compressed linearly, so that the metal wire member can operate smoothly.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises a hollow dehydration shaft for rotating a washing / dehydrating tub, a hollow dewatering shaft disposed substantially coaxially with the dewatering shaft, and the inside of the washing / dehydrating tub. , A washing shaft for rotating the stirring blade, a drive motor for rotating the spin-drying shaft and the wash shaft, and a slide for switching the transmission of the rotation of the drive motor to either the spin-drying shaft or the wash shaft by sliding up and down. A member, a clutch lever for sliding the slide member up and down, and a lever drive means for operating the clutch lever, the clutch lever and the lever drive means being connected by a single metal wire rod, and the metal wire rod. Has an elastic portion, and its length during transmission to the dehydration shaft is shorter than the free length of the metal wire, and the clutch lever and the lever driving means are provided at both end portions of the metal wire, respectively. An operation for switching the transmission of rotation of the drive motor from the spin-drying shaft to the washing shaft, which has an engaging portion that engages with the provided protrusion, and both ends of the engaging portion and the elastic portion are linearly arranged. At this time, when the slide member is moved upward, the upper protrusion provided on the upper portion of the slide member and the fixed protrusion on the housing of the drive motor do not engage with each other, and the slide member moves by a predetermined stroke. Even if not, since the elastic portion of the metal wire rod having the elastic portion extends, the lever driving means itself can move by a predetermined stroke, so that the lever driving means locks in the middle,
There is no problem that the lever driving means is overheated and damaged due to overload.

Furthermore, the metal wire has a spring structure in its elastic portion, and when the length of the metal wire during transmission to the dehydration shaft becomes shorter than the free length of the metal member, the metal wire is compressed linearly to smoothly. Can work. Further, after that, when washing is started, the washing / dehydrating tub rotates together with the water flow when the stirring blades rotate, and the upper protrusion provided on the upper part of the slide member and the fixed protrusion provided on the housing part of the drive motor engage with each other. When it comes to the position, the slide member moves to a predetermined position by the elastic force of the elastic portion of the metal wire and surely engages with it, and thereafter, the washing / dehydrating tub is fixed and does not rotate together. In this way, a clutch mechanism with a safe and reliable switching operation and high reliability can be realized with a simple configuration.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, one of the protrusions has a substantially semi-circular shape and one of the engaging portions has a substantially annular shape. By operating the tip portion of the metal wire rod, the inner diameter of the substantially annular engaging portion is large, and a hook portion is provided to make the inner diameter of the substantially annular shape large. The bent portion of the hook portion is formed in a winding direction such that the end portion of the semi-circular protruding portion does not contact the rotation direction of the lever driving means, and the switching operation is safe and reliable. A highly efficient clutch mechanism can be realized at a low cost with a very simple structure. Furthermore, the elastic portion of the metal wire rod has a spring structure, and its length during transmission to the dehydration shaft is shorter than the free length of the metal member. The metal wire does not come off the protruding It is possible to operate.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the first or second aspect, one of the protrusions has a circular protrusion, and the end portion of the metal wire rod of the engaging portion. Is provided on the gap side between the projecting portion and the engaging portion during transmission of the dehydration shaft, and the end portion of the metal wire does not interfere with the engaging portion and can operate smoothly.

The invention according to claim 4 is the above-mentioned claim 1.
In the invention described in 3, the engaging portion that engages with the clutch lever is a rib that is provided on the clutch lever during transmission of the dehydration shaft so that the engaging portion does not protrude from the protruding portion. It can be fixed, and the movement of the clutch lever, such as chatter, can be suppressed by vibration during dehydration.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) As shown in FIG. 2, a washing machine main body 20 is provided with a water receiving tank 22 suspended by a suspension 21 inside the water receiving tank 22 so as to prevent dehydration vibration. The washing and dehydrating tub 23 is rotatably arranged in the
An agitating blade 24 for agitating the laundry is rotatably arranged on the inner bottom of the washing / dehydrating tub 23. A drive unit 25 is provided at the bottom of the water receiving tank 22.

As shown in FIG. 1, the drive unit 25 has a hollow dehydration shaft 26. The dehydration shaft 26 is provided in the upper center portion of the drive unit 25 near the dehydration upper bearing 27 and in the middle thereof. It is pivotally supported by the dehydration lower bearing 28 provided. The upper end of the dehydration shaft 26 is fixed to the bottom of the washing / dehydrating tub 23,
It is connected to the washing and dehydrating tub 23. A washing shaft 29 is provided in the upper hollow portion 26a of the dehydration shaft 26 so as to be substantially coaxial with the dehydration shaft 26, and is supported by a washing bearing 30 provided in the upper hollow portion 26a of the dehydration shaft 26. . Washing shaft 29
The upper end side of the stirring blade 24 is fixed to the bottom of the stirring blade 24.
Connected with. On the other hand, the lower end side of the washing shaft 29 is connected to the output side of the speed reduction mechanism 31 provided in the intermediate hollow portion 26b in the dehydration shaft 26.

An upper end of an input shaft 32 is connected to the input side of the speed reduction mechanism 31, and the input shaft 32 is rotatably supported by an input bearing 33 provided in a lower hollow portion 26c of the dehydration shaft 26.

Washing shaft 29, input shaft 32 and reduction mechanism 3
The dehydration shaft 26 including 1 and the like, the dehydration upper bearing 27 and the dehydration lower bearing 28 are enclosed by a case 34, and the case 34 is fixed to the bottom of the water receiving tank 22.

The drive motor 35 rotates the dehydration shaft 27 and the input shaft 32, and the rotor 35a of the drive motor 35 is connected to the lower portion of the input shaft 32. Inside the drive motor 35, a stator 35c is arranged so as to face the magnet 35b provided on the outer periphery of the rotor 35a.

A slide portion 36 having a shape such as a spline is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the lower portion of the dehydration shaft 27. A slide member 37 having an inner peripheral shape corresponding to the shape of the spline or the like is provided on the slide portion 36 so as to be vertically slidable. The slide member 37 is pressed downward by an urging spring 38, and the lower projection 37a provided at the lower portion of the slide member 37 is provided in the rotor 35a in the opening 3
By engaging with 5d, the rotation of the rotor 35a can be transmitted to the dehydration shaft 27. This state is maintained when the power of the washing machine is off.

A lever driving means 39 such as a geared motor or a solenoid is attached to the bottom of the water receiving tank 22.

Drive means connecting portion 39 of the lever drive means 39
One end of a metal wire 41 whose other end is connected to the clutch lever connecting portion 40a of the clutch lever 40 is connected to a.

The clutch lever 40 has a substantially U-shaped slide member supporting portion 40b for supporting the slide member 37 from below at one end, and has the above-mentioned clutch lever connecting portion 40a at the other end, and is also driven. Stator 35 of motor 35
fixed side engaging member 43 provided on the holding member 42 for holding c
The hole portion 43b has a shaft portion 40c rotatably supported.

When the rotation of the drive motor 35 is transmitted to the input shaft 32, the drive means connecting portion 39a of the lever drive means 39 is provided.
The clutch lever 40 rotates about the shaft portion 40c via the metal wire 41 by rotating the clutch lever 40 from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. This rotation causes the slide member support portion 40b to rotate and move in the upward direction, and resists the downward biasing force of the biasing spring 38, so that the slide member 37 is prevented.
Lift upwards.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the lower protrusion 37a provided on the lower portion of the slide member 37 has the rotor 3
5a is disengaged from the opening 35d provided in the rotor 5a.
The rotation of 5a is not transmitted to the dehydration shaft 27, and the input shaft 3
It is configured to transmit only to 2. At the same time, the dehydration shaft 26 is fixed by the engagement of the upper protrusion 37b provided on the upper portion of the slide member 37 and the fixed protrusion 43a provided on the fixed engagement member 43, and the washing / dehydrating tank 23 is fixed.
It is configured to prevent co-rotation of the.

The clutch lever connecting portion 40a projects outward from the drive motor 35, and as shown in FIG. 1, when the clutch lever 40 rotates, it contacts the side wall of the case 34 and rotates at that position. Regulated.

One metal wire 41 is made of spring steel, piano wire, etc., and is provided near the end of the clutch lever 40 on the side of the clutch lever connecting part 40a as a spring part 41a as an elastic part.
have. Further, at both ends of the metal wire 41, there are provided a clutch lever connecting protrusion (projection) 40d provided on the clutch lever connecting portion 40a, and a drive means connecting protrusion (projection) 39b provided on the drive means connecting portion 39a. To the clutch lever side hook part (engagement part) 41b
And a drive means connection side hook portion (engagement portion) 41c is formed.

Further, the metal wire 41 has a clutch lever connecting projection 40d when the dehydration shaft 26 is rotatable.
The free length is set longer than the set length between the drive means connecting projection 39b and the drive means connecting projection 39b.

The operation of the above configuration will be described.
First, when the washing and rinsing strokes are performed by the rotation of the stirring blades 24, that is, the rotation of the drive motor 35 is changed by the rotation of the input shaft 3.
2 is transmitted to the clutch lever 40 by rotating the driving means connecting portion 39a of the lever driving means 39 and moving it from the position of FIG. 1 to the position of FIG.
1, the shaft 40c is rotated in the clockwise direction.
Due to this rotation, the slide member support portion 40b is rotationally moved upward, and the slide member 37 is lifted upward against the downward biasing force of the biasing spring 38.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the lower protrusion 37a provided on the lower portion of the slide member 37 has the rotor 3
5a is disengaged from the opening 35d provided in the rotor 5a.
The rotation of 5a is not transmitted to the dehydration shaft 27, and the input shaft 3
2, and the stirring blade 24 rotates. At the same time, the upper protrusion 37b provided on the slide member 37
And the fixed-side protrusion 43a provided on the fixed-side engaging member 43 are engaged with each other to prevent the washing / dehydrating tub 23 from rotating together.

At this time, if the upper protrusion 37b provided on the upper part of the slide member 37 and the fixed side protrusion 43a provided on the fixed side engaging member 43 are in a positional relationship of engaging with each other, as shown in FIG. As a result, the dehydration shaft 27 is fixed, but as shown in FIG. 4, unless it is in a meshing positional relationship, the upper protrusion 37b and the fixed-side protrusion 43a are in a riding state without meshing.

As a result, the rotation of the clutch lever 40 is inadequate, but the spring portion 41a of the metal wire 41 extends to absorb the insufficient rotation of the clutch lever 40, so that the driving means of the lever driving means 39 is driven. Connection part 3
The rotational movement itself of 9a is not limited, and it is not overheated and damaged.

After that, the rotor 35a is rotated to rotate the stirring blade 24 via the input shaft 32, the speed reduction mechanism 31, and the washing shaft 29 to perform the washing and rinsing strokes. As described above, even when the upper protrusion 37b and the fixed-side protrusion 43a ride on each other without being engaged with each other, the spin-drying tub 23 is rotated by the water flow when the stirring blades 24 are rotated, so that the spin-drying shaft 23 rotates together. 26 is rotated, and the sliding member 37 and the fixed side engaging member 43, which rotate integrally with the rotating member 26, are brought into a meshing positional relationship, so that the elastic force of the spring portion 41a of the metal wire 41 causes the clutch lever 40 to intervene. The slide member 37 moves upward to the meshing position, and the upper protrusion 37b and the fixed-side protrusion 43a are in the meshing state. As a result, the dehydration shaft 26
Is fixed, and thereafter, the washing / dehydrating tub 23 performs the washing and rinsing steps without rotating together.

When the washing and rinsing steps are completed, the dehydration step is started. In the dewatering process, the water in the washing and dewatering tub 23 is drained, and at the same time, the driving means connecting portion 3 of the lever driving means 39.
9a rotates to the position shown in FIG. 1, and the clutch lever 40 rotates via the metal wire 41. As a result, the slide member 37 supported from below by the slide member support portion 40b moves downward due to its own weight and the downward biasing force of the biasing spring 38, and the lower projection 37a provided at the lower portion of the slide member 37 The openings 35d provided in the rotor 35a are engaged with each other.

The clutch lever 40 is further rotated, and the slide member support portion 40b is separated from the slide member 37.
The clutch lever 40 is rotated by the clutch lever connecting portion 4
It stops when 0a comes into contact with the side wall of the case 36. At this time, the free length of the metal wire 41 is set longer than the set length between the clutch lever connecting projection 40d and the drive means connecting projection 39b when the dehydration shaft 26 is rotatable. The lever driving means 39 stops at a predetermined stop position while compressing the spring portion 41a of the metal wire 41.

At this time, the metal wire 41 is, as shown in FIG. 5, the clutch lever connecting portion 40 of the clutch lever 40.
A spring portion 41a is provided as an elastic portion near the end on the a side. Further, at both ends of the metal wire rod 41, the clutch lever connecting projections 4 provided on the clutch lever connecting portion 40a are provided.
0d and the driving means connecting protrusion 39b provided on the driving means connecting portion 39a are formed with a clutch lever side hook portion 41b and a driving means connecting side hook portion 41c, respectively, which are engaged with each other.

The drive means connecting side hook portion 41c is wound in a substantially annular shape, and the winding end tip portion 41d.
Has a substantially straight shape such that a predetermined angle is formed between it and the straight portion 41e. Clutch lever connecting protrusion 40d, driving means connecting protrusion 39b provided on the driving means connecting portion 39a, elastic portion 41a, straight portion 4
By arranging 1e linearly, the elastic portion 41a is linearly compressed, so that the elastic portion 41a can operate smoothly.

Thereafter, the rotor 35a is rotated to rotate the washing / dehydrating tub 23 fixed to the dehydration shaft 26 via the slide member 37. In the initial state, the lower projection 37a of the slide member 37 and the rotor are rotated. Even when the opening 35d of the opening 35a is not engaged, the drive motor 35
The rotation of the rotor 35a at the time of starting causes the slide member 37 to move downward to the meshing position by its own weight and the downward urging force of the urging spring 38, so that The opening 35d is surely engaged with each other, and the washing / dehydrating tub 23 is rotated.

In the present embodiment, the washing machine having the speed reducing mechanism is described, but a washing machine having no speed reducing mechanism and directly transmitting the rotation of the motor to the washing shaft may be used.

(Embodiment 2) As shown in FIG. 6, a clutch lever side hook portion 41b and a drive means connecting side hook portion 41c which are engaged with the metal wire rod 41 are formed at both ends. The drive means connection side hook portion 41c is wound in a substantially annular shape, and the winding end tip portion 41d.
Has a substantially straight shape such that a predetermined angle is formed between it and the straight portion 41e. On the other hand, the drive means connecting protrusion 39b is formed in a substantially semicircular shape. The other structure is the same as that of the first embodiment.

The operation of the above configuration will be described.
By pinching the winding end tip portion 41d of the metal wire rod 41, the inner diameter of the drive means connection side hook portion 41c can be made larger than the outer diameter of the drive means connection projection portion 39b, and the drive means connection side hook portion 41c and the drive means. The fitting with the connecting protrusion 39b can be easily released.

Here, the bent portion 41 of the hook portion 41c
f is a winding direction in which the end portion 39c of the semicircular protrusion does not hit the rotation direction of the lever driving means 39, and is set between the clutch lever connecting projection 40d and the driving means connecting projection 39b. Since the free length is set to be longer than the set length, the lever driving means 39 is provided with the metal wire 41.
When compressing the spring portion 41a of the
Can ride on the end 39c of the semi-circular protrusion to prevent the drive means connecting side hook portion 41c from coming off the drive means connecting protrusion 39b.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the bent portion 41f of the hook portion 41c is on the front side, when the driving means connecting projection end portion 39c approaches by the rotation of the driving means, the bending portion 41f and the driving means are connected. The protrusion end 39c comes into contact, and when the elastic portion 41a is compressed on the dehydration side, it comes off. When the winding direction is changed and the bent portion 41f of the hook portion 41c is on the back side, the bent portion 41f and the driving means connecting protrusion 39c do not hit each other, and the driving means connecting side hook portion 41c always has a substantially annular shape. It comes into contact with the driving means connecting projection 39b and does not come off.

As a result, a highly reliable clutch mechanism with a safe and reliable switching operation can be realized with a very simple structure at a low cost. Furthermore, the metal wire rod 41 has an elastic portion as a spring structure and a dehydration shaft. When the length during transmission to the metal member 41 is shorter than the free length of the metal member 41, the metal wire member 41 does not come off from the projecting portion and can operate smoothly. Further, it is possible to prevent abnormal noise from being generated due to a malfunction of the metal wire 41.

In the present embodiment, the hook portion having the winding end tip portion 41d is provided on the lever driving means 39 side of the metal wire 41, but it may be provided on the clutch lever 40 side or both sides. It goes without saying that the effect can be obtained.

(Embodiment 3) As shown in FIG. 8, one metal wire 41 is made of spring steel, piano wire, or the like, and is elastic near the end of the clutch lever 40 on the clutch lever connecting portion 40a side. It has a spring portion 41a as a portion. Also,
At both ends of the metal wire rod 41, the clutch lever connecting portion 4
Clutch lever-side hook portion 41b that engages with the clutch lever connecting protrusion 40d provided on the drive means connecting portion 39a and the drive means connecting protrusion 39b provided on the drive means connecting portion 39a.
And a drive means connecting side hook portion 41c is formed.

Further, the clutch lever connecting side hook portion 41
b is wound in an annular shape, and the winding end portion 41g
Is provided on the side opposite to the elastic portion 41a. On the other hand, the clutch lever connecting protrusion 40b is provided with a substantially circular protrusion. The other structure is the same as that of the first embodiment.

The operation of the above configuration will be described.
Since the metal wire 41 is set to have a free length longer than the set length between the clutch lever connecting projection 40d and the driving means connecting projection 39b, the lever driving means 39 uses the spring portion 41a of the metal wire 41. During compression, the clutch lever connecting side hook portion 41b and the clutch lever connecting projection portion 40b have a gap provided for the operation by the elastic portion 4.
I appears on the opposite side of 1a and operates. At this time, if the winding end portion 41g is provided on the gap side, the metal wire 4
The end portion 41g of No. 1 does not come into contact with the clutch lever connecting protrusion 40b, and the smooth operation can be achieved.

In this embodiment, the hook portion having the winding end tip portion 41d is provided on the lever driving means 39 side of the metal wire 41, but the same may be provided on the clutch lever 40 side or both sides. It goes without saying that the effect can be obtained.

(Embodiment 4) As shown in FIG. 9, the clutch lever 40 has a rib 40e near the end on the clutch lever connecting portion 40a side. The clutch lever connection side hook portion 41c is wound in an annular shape, and the clutch lever connection projection portion 40b is shaped so as to be a circular protrusion. The other structure is the same as that of the first embodiment.

The operation of the above configuration will be described.
The water content of the laundry that has been washed / rinsed by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the washing / dehydrating tub 24 enters the water receiving tub 22 through a large number of holes (not shown) provided on the side surface of the washing / dehydrating tub 24. Squeezed out. In this way, the laundry is automatically dehydrated, but at this time, due to the uneven distribution of the laundry, there is a possibility that dehydration vibration accompanied by imbalance occurs in the water receiving tub 22.

Even in such a case, the metal wire 41 is compressed and restrained between the clutch lever connecting portion 40a and the lever driving means 39, and at the same time, the clutch lever connecting portion 40a is pressed against the side wall of the case 36. Since the movement is suppressed, the clutch lever 4
0 or the metal wire 41 is not broken or an abnormal sound is not generated.

Further, the metal wire rod 41 is used for the clutch lever 4
Since the rib 40e of 0 does not directly contact the case 36, the clutch lever connecting portion 40a is connected to the metal wire 41.
Since it can be urged and fixed by, the movement of the clutch lever 40, chatter, etc. can be stably suppressed.

[0058]

As described above, according to the invention described in claim 1 of the present invention, the hollow dewatering shaft for rotating the washing and dewatering tub and the dewatering shaft are arranged substantially coaxially and the washing is performed. A washing shaft that rotates a stirring blade disposed in the dewatering tub, a drive motor that rotates the dewatering shaft and the washing shaft, and a transmission of rotation of the drive motor due to up and down sliding of the dewatering shaft and the washing shaft. A slide member for switching the slide member up and down, a clutch lever for sliding the slide member up and down, and a lever drive means for operating the clutch lever, and the clutch lever and the lever drive means are connected by a single metal wire. , The metal wire has an elastic portion, and its length during transmission to the dehydration shaft is shorter than the free length of the metal wire, and the clutch lever and the lever drive are provided at both ends of the metal wire. Since each of the steps has an engaging portion that engages with the protruding portion, and both ends of the engaging portion and the elastic portion are linearly arranged, the transmission of the rotation of the drive motor is switched from the dehydration shaft to the washing shaft. When the slide member is moved upward during operation, the upper protrusion on the upper part of the slide member does not engage with the fixed-side protrusion on the housing of the drive motor, and the slide member moves by the specified stroke. Even if it is not performed, the lever drive means itself can move by a predetermined stroke by extending the elastic part of the metal wire rod having the elastic part, so that the lever drive means locks on the way and the lever drive means is overloaded. Due to this, there is no problem of abnormal heating and damage. Further, the metal wire has a spring structure in the elastic portion, and when the length of the metal wire during transmission to the dehydration shaft becomes shorter than the free length of the metal member, the metal wire is compressed linearly to smoothly operate. You can

According to the second aspect of the present invention, one of the protrusions has a substantially semi-circular shape, and one of the engaging portions has a substantially annular shape, and the tip portion of the metal wire rod is formed. By the operation, the inner diameter of the substantially annular engagement portion is large, and a hook portion is provided to increase the inner diameter of the substantially annular shape, and the bent portion of the hook portion is provided. Since the winding direction is such that the end of the semi-circular protruding portion does not hit the rotation direction of the lever driving means, the switching operation is safe and reliable, and a highly reliable clutch mechanism is very simple. In addition, the elastic part of the metal wire has a spring structure, and when the length of the metal wire during transmission to the dehydration shaft is shorter than the free length of the metal member, the metal wire is less than the protruding part. It can be operated smoothly without coming off.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 3, either one of the projecting portions has a circular projecting portion, and the end portion of the metal wire rod of the engaging portion is the projecting portion during transmission of the dehydration shaft. Since it is provided on the side of the gap between the engaging portion and the engaging portion, the end portion of the metal wire does not interfere with the engaging portion and can operate smoothly.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 4, the engaging portion engaging with the clutch lever is prevented from protruding from the protruding portion by the rib provided on the clutch lever during transmission of the dehydration shaft. The clutch lever can be stably fixed, and the movement of the clutch lever, such as chatter, can be suppressed by vibration during dehydration.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a drive unit of a washing machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention when driving a washing and dehydrating tub.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the washing machine.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a drive unit of the washing machine when a stirring blade is driven.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view during switching of the drive unit of the washing machine.

FIG. 5 (a) is a front view of the vicinity of the metal wire rod of the drive unit of the washing machine, and (b) is a plan view of the metal wire rod of the drive unit of the washing machine.

FIG. 6A is a plan view of a metal wire rod of a drive unit of a washing machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6B is a plan view of a drive means connecting portion of the drive unit of the washing machine. Side view of the drive means connection part of the drive part of

FIG. 7 (a) is an exploded perspective view of an essential part of a state where the hook portion of the metal wire easily comes off when the drive means connection portion of the drive section of the washing machine is rotated. (B) The drive means connection of the drive section of the washing machine Exploded perspective view of the main parts when the hook part of the metal wire does not come off easily when the part rotates

FIG. 8A is a plan view of a metal wire rod of a drive unit of a washing machine according to a third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8B is a front view of a clutch lever of the drive unit of the washing machine, and FIG. 8C is a drive unit of the washing machine. Clutch lever plan view

FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway sectional view of a drive unit of a washing machine according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a conventional washing machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

23 Laundry and dehydration tank 24 stirring blades 26 Dehydration shaft 29 Washing axis 35 drive motor 37 Slide member 39 Lever driving means 39b Drive means connecting projection (projection) 40 Clutch lever 40d Clutch lever connection projection (projection) 41 Metal wire rod 41a Spring part (elastic part) 41b Hook part (engagement part) on the clutch lever side 41c Drive means connection side hook portion (engagement portion)

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Mikio Tahara             1006 Kadoma, Kadoma-shi, Osaka Matsushita Electric             Sangyo Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 3B155 AA10 BA12 BB19 CA06 CA16                       CB06 HB10 HB19 MA01 MA02

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A hollow dewatering shaft for rotating a washing / dehydrating tub, a washing shaft for arranging substantially coaxially with said dewatering shaft and for rotating a stirring blade arranged in said washing / dehydrating tub, A drive motor for rotating the dehydration shaft and the washing shaft, a slide member for switching the transmission of rotation of the drive motor to either the dehydration shaft or the washing shaft by sliding up and down, and a clutch lever for sliding the slide member up and down. And a lever driving means for operating the clutch lever, wherein the clutch lever and the lever driving means are connected by a single metal wire rod, and the metal wire rod has an elastic portion, which is used when transmitting to the dehydration shaft. The length of the metal wire is shorter than the free length of the metal wire, and both ends of the metal wire have engaging portions that engage with the protrusions provided on the clutch lever and the lever driving means, respectively. A washing machine in which both ends of the engaging portion and the elastic portion are linearly arranged. 2. One of the projecting portions has a substantially semi-circular shape, and one of the engaging portions has a substantially circular ring shape, and the operation of the tip portion of the metal wire rod causes the substantially circular ring-shaped engagement. The inner diameter of the joint portion is large, and the hook portion is provided to make the inner diameter of the substantially annular shape large, and the bent portion of the hook portion is the same with respect to the rotation direction of the lever driving means. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the winding direction is such that the end of the semi-circular protrusion does not hit. 3. One of the projecting portions has a circular projecting portion, and an end portion of the metal wire rod of the engaging portion is provided on a gap side between the projecting portion and the engaging portion during transmission of the dehydration shaft. The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2. 4. The engaging portion that engages with the clutch lever is formed by a rib provided on the clutch lever when transmitting the dehydration shaft,
The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the washing machine does not protrude from the protruding portion.