JP2005198698A - Drum type washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drum type washing machine in which the forward tilting of a water tub is reduced and the re-feed of laundry during a washing process is made possible. <P>SOLUTION: The vicinity of the centroid position of a vibration body 40 including the water tub 4, a rotary drum 5 and a motor 9 is elastically supported by two suspensions 8 and the front side 4e of the water tub 4 is elastically supported by a plurality of spring elements 44 respectively inside an outer box 1. Since the vicinity of the centroid position of the vibration body 40 is supported, load put on the front side 4e of the water tub 4 are reduced, the plurality of spring elements 44 are softened, and the movement of the enclosed fluid of a fluid balancer 5d is not regulated as much as possible even in the case of providing the fluid balancer 5d on the opening part 5c of the rotary drum 5. And, since the front side 4e of the water tub 4 is supported, sinking of the front side 4e of the water tub 4 when the laundry is fed and water is poured is reduced. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention includes a drum-type washing machine, more specifically, an outer box, a water tank elastically supported in the outer box, and a rotating drum provided in the water tank, and the rotating drum is substantially horizontal or in the water tank. The present invention relates to a drum type washing machine configured to rotate around a rearward inclined axis.

  This type of drum-type washing machine is widely used especially in Europe. In general, a drum-type washing machine performs a washing operation including a washing process in which a rotating drum is rotated at a low speed, a rinsing process, a dehydrating process in which the rotating drum is rotated at a high speed (see, for example, Patent Document 1), and a drying process. Some things to do.

  Moreover, there exist some as shown to FIGS. 15-17 as a conventional drum type washing machine. FIGS. 15 and 16 are longitudinal side views of the same drum type washing machine as seen from different cross sections, and FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the main part seen from the front of the drum type washing machine. In the drum type washing machine shown in these drawings, a laundry loading / unloading port 1 a that is opened and closed by an external door 3 is provided on the front surface of the outer box 1. In the outer box 1, a bottomed cylindrical water tank 4 having an opening 4a on the front surface is disposed substantially horizontally. A bottomed cylindrical rotating drum 5 is supported inside the water tank 4 so as to be rotatable around a shaft portion 5e. A motor (drive mechanism) 9 that rotationally drives the shaft portion 5 e is disposed behind the water tank 4. The motor (drive mechanism) 9 includes a motor case 9a, a rotor 9b, a stator 9c, and the like.

  The water tub 4 is arranged so as to be inclined so that the rear side is downward by a predetermined angle θ in order to improve the visibility when the laundry is taken in and out. The water tank 4 is elastically supported from below by left and right suspensions 8 as elastic support means. The support portion by the suspension 8 is in the vicinity of the center of gravity of the entire vibrating body 40 including the water tank 4, the rotating drum 5, and the motor (drive mechanism) 9.

  The rotating drum 5 has an opening 5c on the front surface, and a fluid balancer 5d is provided in a portion surrounding the opening 5c. A fluid such as salt water is sealed in the fluid balancer 5d. Hereinafter, this fluid is referred to as “filled fluid”. When the rotating drum 5 rotates, the center of gravity movement of the entire rotating drum 5 due to the bias of the laundry and the washing liquid is canceled by the movement of the sealed fluid.

  The external door 3 has a protruding portion 3a toward the inside of the rotating drum 5 in order to prevent the laundry from protruding from the opening 5c on the front surface of the rotating drum 5 as much as possible. The protrusion 3a is made of glass in consideration of strength, resistance to scratches, thermal shock, and visibility of the inside of the rotating drum 5. The peripheral edge of the protruding portion 3 a is sandwiched and fixed by the front portion 3 b and the rear portion 3 c of the external door 3.

  The periphery of the laundry loading / unloading port 1 a provided in the outer box 1 and the periphery of the opening 4 a of the water tank 4 are connected by a door packing 10 made of rubber or the like, and water leakage between the outer box 1 and the water tank 4 is prevented. It comes to prevent. When the external door 3 is closed, as shown in FIG. 15, the protruding portion 3 a is in close contact with the inner peripheral edge 10 a of the door packing 10 to prevent a gap. Thereby, water leakage to the outside of the water tank 4 during the washing operation is prevented. Further, the door packing 10 is provided with a bellows or the like, and has a vibration absorbing annular groove (not shown) that follows the bending caused by the vibration of the water tank 4.

  A water supply valve 13 connected to a water pipe (not shown) is provided at the rear upper part in the outer box 1. When the water supply valve 13 is opened, it is attached to the door packing 19 via the connection hose 12 and the water injection case 14. The water supply duct 15 supplies water into the water tank 4.

  Furthermore, in the drum-type washing machine having a function of performing a drying process, as shown in FIG. 16, a blower 31 and a heating unit for drying the laundry at the position above the water tub 4 inside the outer box 1. A drying unit 24 consisting of 32 is provided. The drying unit 24 is disposed in the middle of the path of the dehumidifier 27 that connects the outlet 4 b facing the opening 4 a of the water tank 4 and the circulation port 4 c provided in the lower part of the water tank 4.

The steps of washing, rinsing, dehydration and drying are executed by rotating the rotary drum 5 with a motor (drive mechanism) 9. At this time, the suspension 8 and the door packing 10 expand and contract by the rotation of the rotating drum 5, and the vibrating body 40 including the water tank 4 is displaced. Each time the vibrating body 40 is displaced, the suspension 8 and the packing door 10 try to return the vibrating body 40 to a predetermined position, and the vibrating body 40 repeats displacement and return, and thus vibrates as a result. The suspension 8 has a role of elastically supporting the vibrating body 40 and attenuating the vibration.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-149689

  However, in the drum type washing machine provided with the vibration isolating mechanism in which the laundry entrance / exit 1a of the outer box 1 and the opening 4a of the water tank 4 are connected by the door packing 10, the vibration of the vibrating body 40 is generated by the door. There was a problem that the outer box 1 was greatly shaken by being transmitted to the outer box 1 through the packing 10. In particular, in a drum-type washing machine of the type including the fluid balancer 5d, when the vibrating body 40 resonates and vibrations, the door packing 10 forcibly restricts the movement of the sealed fluid, which further amplifies the resonance vibration. There was a problem.

  Also, the laundry protruding from the opening 5c of the rotating drum 5 rubs against the inner surface of the vibration absorbing annular groove of the door packing 10 during the spin-drying rotation, and the door packing 10 is worn due to friction with the laundry and further torn. As a result, there was a problem of water leakage.

  Therefore, in order to solve such problems, the laundry entrance / exit 1a of the outer box 1 and the opening 4a of the water tub 4 are separated from each other without a member to be directly connected, and the opening 4a of the water tub 4 is formed by a lid 6. A drum type washing machine is proposed in which the laundry entrance / exit 1a of the outer box 1 is individually closed by the outer door 3 (see FIG. 4). According to this, the vibration of the outer box 1 is reduced. The door packing 10 can be structured to be difficult to damage, but when the laundry is poured and poured, the center of gravity of the vibrating body 40 moves to the front side, and the water tank 4 may be tilted forward. If the water tank 4 sinks too far to the front, the vertical position of the lid 6 and the external door 3 will be too far apart, causing a problem that it becomes difficult to re-insert the laundry during the washing process.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and in the drum type washing machine as described above, an elastic support means for the outer casing of the water tank, and the outer casing of the vibrating body including the water tank, the rotating drum, and the motor It is an object of the present invention to provide a drum-type washing machine that reduces the forward tilting of the water tank by devising the elastic support means against the above and enables the re-introduction of the laundry during the washing process.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a water tank having an opening on the front surface thereof disposed in an outer box having a laundry entry / exit opening, and a shaft portion inclined substantially horizontally or rearwardly in the water tank. A rotating drum that rotates around and accommodates laundry therein, a motor that rotationally drives the rotating drum, a lid that closes the opening of the water tank, and a closing door for the laundry In a drum-type washing machine comprising an external door, wherein the laundry outlet / inlet and the opening of the water tub are spaced apart from each other, and the center of gravity of the vibrator including the water tub, the rotating drum, and the motor The vicinity of the position is characterized by two suspensions, and the front side of the water tank is elastically supported in the outer box by an elastic body.

  Elasticity attached to the front side of the water tank by reducing the load applied to the front side of the water tank by elastically supporting the vicinity of the center of gravity of the vibrating body including the water tank, rotating drum and motor in the outer box with the two suspensions as in the above configuration. Even when the body is softened and a fluid balancer is provided at the opening of the rotating drum, a vibration isolating structure that does not restrict the movement of the fluid contained in the fluid balancer as much as possible can be established.

  In particular, by elastically supporting the front side of the aquarium in the outer box with an elastic body, the sinking of the front side of the aquarium can be reduced when the laundry is thrown in and poured, and the laundry is restored during the washing process. Input can be made possible.

  Further, for example, when the elastic body is a spring element, a configuration in which the front side of the water tank is elastically supported in the outer box can be easily realized. However, since the suspension is elastically supported by the suspension near the center of gravity of the vibrating body, there is no load applied to the front side of the aquarium when no load is applied, no initial tension is generated, and the number of spring elements attached to the front side of the aquarium is single. Then, when the spring element is a compression spring due to vibration of the water tank during dehydration, the spring is fully extended, and in the case of a tension spring, it is bottomed and does not act as a spring. Therefore, by using a plurality of compression springs or a plurality of tension springs and using each spring at a balanced position, the front side of the water tank is elastically supported in the outer box.

  Further, for example, when a spring element comprising a tension spring and a compression spring arranged in series or in parallel is used as the spring element, the compression spring is elastic with respect to the sinking caused by the washing and water injection at one location on the front side of the water tank. Since it can be supported and elastically supported by a tension spring against vibrations of the water tank during dehydration, the laundry can be re-inserted during the washing process with a space-saving and inexpensive structure.

  For example, if the front part of a water tank is connected with an outer case with at least one damping device, vibration of a water tank can be absorbed more effectively.

  According to the present invention, the water tank is disposed in the outer box having the laundry outlet / outlet on the front surface and has an opening on the front surface, and rotates around the shaft portion which is inclined substantially horizontally or rearwardly in the water tank. A rotating drum for storing the laundry, a motor for rotating the rotating drum, a lid for closing the opening of the water tub, and an external door for closing the laundry entrance / exit In the drum type washing machine in which the laundry loading / unloading port and the opening of the water tub are spaced apart from each other, two suspensions are provided near the center of gravity of the vibrating body including the water tub, the rotating drum, and the motor. Since the front side of the water tank is elastically supported in the outer box by an elastic body, the load applied to the front side of the water tank is reduced, the elastic body attached to the front side of the water tank is softened, and the opening of the rotating drum Even when a fluid balancer is provided, it is possible to establish a vibration-proof structure that restricts the movement of the fluid contained in the fluid balancer as much as possible, and to reduce the sinking of the front side of the aquarium when the laundry is poured and poured. The laundry can be re-introduced during the washing process.

  A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, the same parts as those of the drum type washing machine shown in FIGS.

  A drum type washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in the external perspective view of the drum type washing machine in FIG. 1, the outer box 1 forming the outer wall of the drum type washing machine can be opened and closed by an external door 3 on the front surface. An operation panel 11 having operation keys and a display unit is provided on the front upper portion of the outer box 1.

  FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal side view of the drum type washing machine. In the figure, a bottomed cylindrical water tank 4 having an opening 4a on the front surface is disposed laterally inside the outer box 1. A bottomed cylindrical rotating drum 5 is disposed in the water tank 4. A bearing 70 is integrated with the rear central portion of the water tank 4 via a motor case 9a. A shaft portion 5 e fixed at the center of the rear portion of the rotary drum 5 is supported by the bearing 70. Therefore, the rotating drum 5 is rotatable around the shaft portion 5 e inside the water tank 4. A rotor 9b is fixed to the shaft portion 5e, and a stator 9c is fixed in the motor case 9a. A motor (drive mechanism) 9 for rotationally driving the rotary drum 5 includes a motor case 9a, a rotor 9b, and a stator 9c.

  The rotating drum 5 has a small hole 5a over the entire peripheral wall. The small holes 5a are for allowing washing water to freely enter and exit between the water tank 4 and the rotating drum 5 during washing. A baffle 5 b protrudes from the inner wall surface of the rotating drum 5. Although the number of the baffles 5b is not particularly limited, for example, the baffles 5b are provided at three positions at intervals of 120 °. When the rotating drum 5 rotates, the baffle 5b hooks and lifts the laundry. However, as the rotation of the rotating drum 5 proceeds, the laundry is detached from the baffle 5b and falls into the washing liquid. Washing is performed by repeating this process.

  As shown in FIG. 4 showing a longitudinal side view of another part of the drum-type washing machine, the rotating drum 5 has an opening 5c on the front surface, and a fluid balancer 5d is provided at a portion surrounding the opening 5c on the outer surface of the rotating drum 5. Is provided. In the fluid balancer 5d, a fluid such as salt water is sealed as a sealed fluid. When the rotating drum 5 is rotated, the movement of the center of gravity of the entire rotating drum 5 due to the bias of the laundry and the washing liquid is canceled by the movement of the sealed fluid inside the fluid balancer 5d. The fluid balancer 5d may be provided on the inner surface of the rotating drum 5.

  The rotational axis yy of the rotating drum 5 is inclined such that the rear side (the back side of the rotating drum 5) is lowered by an angle θ with respect to the horizontal direction. As a result, when the user stands on the front side of the drum type washing machine and operates it, the user can easily look down to the back of the rotating drum 5.

  A lid 6 for closing the opening 4 a of the water tank 4 is disposed on the front surface of the water tank 4. This prevents water from leaking from the opening 4a to the outside during the washing operation. Details will be described later.

  The outer box 1 of the drum type washing machine accommodates and elastically supports a water tank 4 and opens a laundry outlet / inlet 1 a on the front side wall facing the opening 4 a of the water tank 4. The laundry loading / unloading port 1 a is closed by the external door 3. The laundry loading / unloading port 1a of the outer box 1 and the opening 4a of the water tub 4 are spaced apart from each other without a member to be directly connected.

  FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of only the main parts such as the vibrating body 40 including the water tank 4, the rotating drum 5 and the motor (drive mechanism) 9 from the front of the drum type washing machine. As shown in this figure, the vicinity of the center of gravity of the vibrating body 40 is elastically supported in the outer case 1 by two suspensions 8, and the front side of the water tank 4 is outer case by a plurality of spring elements (elastic bodies) 44. 1 is elastically supported.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 2, the water supply valve 13 connected to a water pipe is provided in the rear upper part in the outer case 1. This water supply valve 13 is for connecting to a faucet (not shown) of a household water supply or a hot water supply (not shown) of a water heater. A connection hose 12 is arranged in the outer box 1, one end of the connection hose 12 is connected to the outlet of the water supply valve 13, and the other end of the connection hose 12 is connected to the water injection case 14. The water injection case 14 is disposed at the upper part inside the outer box 1, and the detergent case 14 a is accommodated in the water injection case 14 so that it can be pulled out from the front.

  The water injection case 14 is provided with a number of water spray holes (not shown) on the lower wall facing the detergent case 14a. One end of a water supply duct 15 is connected to the bottom of the water injection case 14, and the other end of the water supply duct 15 is connected to a water supply port (not shown) formed near the periphery of the opening 4 a of the water tank 4. Has been. The water supply duct 15 is made of a soft elastic material such as rubber, and the whole has flexibility.

  As shown in the figure, the drainage duct 16 led out from the bottom surface of the aquarium 4 is provided with a connection case 17 and a drainage pump 18 in which a lint filter 17a is mounted in the middle of the path. The drainage hose 19 drains the outside of the outer box 1. The lint filter 17 a is detachably mounted in the connection hose 17 and can be removed from the lower front portion of the outer box 1.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 4, you may provide the drain valve 20 opened and closed by the drain valve motor (not shown) in the bottom part of the water tank 4. As shown in FIG. By opening the drain valve 20, the water in the water tank 4 is drained to the outside through a flexible drain hose 19. As shown in FIG. 2, a water level sensor 23 is provided via an air trap 22 and a pressure guiding pipe 21 at the top of the connection case 17, the drain valve 20, or the bottom of the water tank 4. The water level sensor 23 has a structure that moves the magnetic body in the coil in accordance with the pressure change in the air trap 22. The water level sensor 23 detects a change in the inductance of the coil resulting from the movement of the magnetic material as a change in the oscillation frequency, and detects the water level in the water tank 4.

  It is also possible to provide a circulation duct (not shown) on the outlet side of the connection case 17 and connect it so as to face the opening 4a of the water tank 4, and provide a circulation pump (not shown) in the middle of this path. In this case, when the drain pump 18 is stopped and the circulation pump is driven, a circulation path is formed which reaches the water tank 4 again through the water tank 4, the drain duct 16, the circulation pump and the circulation duct. As a result, the washing liquid in the water tank 4 is circulated along the circulation path, and the detergent in the washing liquid is sufficiently dissolved during the circulation path, and the yarn waste filter 17a disposed in the connection case 17 is used for the yarn. Remove debris. Therefore, redeposition of lint etc. to the laundry can be prevented.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the outer box 1, a drying unit 24 is disposed on the upper side of the water tub 4 as drying means for drying the laundry. The drying unit 24 includes a blower 31 and a heating unit 32. The positional relationship of the drying unit 24 is that the blower 31 is on the rear side and the heating unit 32 is on the front side in the front-rear direction of the drum type washing machine. Among them, the blower 31 is provided with a blower blade 34 inside a casing 33 and a fan motor 35 that rotationally drives the blower blade 34 provided outside the casing 33. The fan motor 35 is directly connected to the blower blades 34 and rotationally drives the blower 34 by a direct drive structure. On the other hand, the heating part 32 is provided with a heater 36 inside the heater case 26, and the inlet part of the heater case 26 communicates with the outlet part of the casing 33 of the blower 31.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, an air duct 38 is disposed on the front side of the water tank 4. One end portion of the air duct 38 communicates with the outlet portion of the heater case 26 of the heating unit 32, and the other end portion serves as the outlet 4b and communicates with the inside of the water tank 4 at the peripheral portion of the opening 4a. ing. The outlet 4b not only communicates with the water tank 4, but also communicates with the opening 5c of the rotating drum 5 at the same time. That is, the air duct 38 and the outlet 4b serve as means for blowing air toward the inside of the rotary drum 5 through the opening 5c.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a dehumidifier 27 is disposed behind the water tank 4. The dehumidifier 27 cools and condenses the moisture of the air passing through the inside by pouring water from above, and is entirely hollow and has a water inlet 27a and an air outlet 27b at the top. In addition, an air inlet 27c serving also as a water outlet is provided at the lower part. The dehumidifier 27 communicates the air outlet 27 b with the inlet of the casing 33 of the blower 31, and communicates the air inlet 27 c with the lower part in the water tank 4. Further, a water supply device (not shown) is connected to the water inlet 27a.

  Next, the washing operation of the drum type washing machine configured as described above will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a control device 2 that controls the operation of the drum type washing machine is disposed on the back side of the operation panel 11. The control device 2 is set to execute the operation chart shown in FIG. The washing operation includes a plurality of steps. Each step includes one or more operations.

  When the laundry is put into the rotating drum 5 from the laundry outlet 1a and the lid 6 is closed during washing, the inner periphery 41a of the seal member 41 is brought into close contact with the periphery of the lid 6 as shown in FIG. 4 is sealed. Then, when the external door 3 is closed, the detergent is put into the detergent case 14 a in the water injection case 14, and the operation panel 11 is operated, the washing operation is started by a command from the control device 2.

  First, in the water supply operation of the “washing process”, the external door 3 and the lid 6 are locked and the water supply valve 13 (see FIG. 2) is opened. When the water supply valve 13 is opened, tap water flows from the connection hose 12 through the detergent case 14a in the water injection case 14 into the water tank 4 and the rotary drum 5 together with the detergent from the water supply duct 15. And if the water level in the water tank 4 reaches a predetermined water level, the water level sensor 23 (refer FIG. 2) will detect and the water supply valve 13 will be closed. The motor (drive mechanism) 9 starts to rotate the rotary drum 5, and the washing operation is performed for a predetermined time by controlling the rotation with the washing chart.

  The rotation of the rotary drum 5 is preset with a rotation chart in which the rotation speed, the reversal time, the reversal cycle, etc. are changed according to the type of washing process, rinsing process, dehydration process and drying process, or the type of laundry. ing. These rotation charts are programmed to be selected by the user or automatically.

  When the “washing process” is completed, the process proceeds to a “rinsing process” that includes alternately repeating the rinse dehydrating operation and the stirring rinse operation a plurality of times. In the “rinsing process”, first, a draining operation is performed in which the drainage pump 18 is operated to discharge the washing liquid to the outside of the outer box 1 through the drainage duct 16, the connection case 17 and the drainage hose 19.

  In the type having a drain valve 20 (see FIG. 4) at the bottom of the water tank 4, the drain valve 20 is opened by a drain motor (not shown), and the washing liquid is discharged to the outside of the outer box 1 through the drain hose 19. Is done.

  When the draining operation is finished, the rinsing drum 5 is rotated by the first dehydrating chart, whereby the rinsing dehydrating operation is performed. The washing liquid contained in the laundry is discharged to the inner wall of the water tub 4 through the small holes 5a (see FIGS. 2 and 4) provided in the entire peripheral wall of the rotating drum 5 by the centrifugal force due to the dehydrating rotation. The washing liquid flowing down to the lower part of the water tank 4 through the inner wall of the water tank 4 is drained to the outside by the drain duct 16 or the drain valve 20.

  During this rinsing and dewatering operation, the water supply valve 13 (see FIG. 2) may be opened to inject tap water into the water tank 4 from the water supply duct 15. If it does in this way, since tap water permeate | transmits laundry with a centrifugal force, the detergent remaining on the laundry can be removed efficiently. The first dehydration chart is set so as to pause the rotation of the rotary drum 5 or to change the rotation speed, and is a chart suitable for dehydration of a washing liquid containing a lot of detergent.

  When the rinsing dehydration operation is completed, a water supply operation is performed. That is, the drain pump 18 is stopped or the drain valve 20 is closed, and the water supply valve 13 is opened again. When the water level in the water tank 4 reaches a predetermined water level as the water supply valve 13 opens, the water supply valve 13 is closed. The motor (drive mechanism) 9 starts to rotate the rotary drum 5 according to the rinse chart, and the agitation rinse operation is executed.

  During this stirring and rinsing operation, a soft finish storage box (not shown) and a rinsing water supply path communicating therewith are separately provided, and water is poured together with the soft finish from the rinsing water supply path into the water tank 4. Good. Further, during the washing operation or the stirring and rinsing operation, the water may be circulated again to the water tank 4 through a circulation pump (not shown) connected to the drainage duct 16 and a circulation duct (not shown).

  When the “rinsing process” is completed by repeating the above rinsing dehydrating operation and the stirring rinsing operation several times, the program is switched to the “dehydrating process”. In the “dehydration step”, first, the water supply valve 13 is closed. Next, the drainage operation for discharging the washing liquid in the water tank 4 to the outside is performed by operating the drainage pump 18 or opening the drainage valve 20.

  A finishing dewatering operation is performed by rotating the rotary drum 5 according to the second dewatering chart. In the finishing dewatering operation, the washing liquid is discharged to the inner wall of the water tank 4 through the small holes 5a provided in the entire peripheral wall of the rotating drum 5 by centrifugal force due to the dewatering rotation. The washing liquid discharged in this way flows down the inner wall of the water tank 4 to the lower part of the water tank 4 and is discharged to the outside by the drain duct 16 or the drain valve 20.

  When the “dehydration process” is completed, the process proceeds to the “drying process”. The rotating drum 5 rotates based on the drying chart. The fan blade 35 and the heater 36 are driven by the fan motor 35 (see FIG. 4). Further, water is injected from the water inlet 27a into the dehumidifier 27 by a water supply device (not shown). By these operations, the air in the rotating drum 5 is sucked into the dehumidifier 27 from the small hole 5a of the rotating drum 5 through the air inlet 27c, passes through the dehumidifier 27, and passes through the air outlet 27b to the blower 31 and the heating. It returns to the inside of the rotating drum 5 from the blower outlet 4b (refer FIG. 4) through the part 32 and the ventilation duct 38 in order. The air thus circulated is heated by the heater 36 in the heating unit 32 to be turned into hot air, and this hot air is supplied into the rotating drum 5, so that the laundry in the rotating drum 5 is gradually dried by the hot air. The

  Further, during this drying, the water evaporated from the laundry is trapped in the air coming out of the rotary drum 5, and this moist air is poured into the dehumidifier 27 as it passes through the dehumidifier 27. It is condensed by cooling with hot water. As a result, this air is dehumidified and becomes low-humidity air. The air thus dehumidified reaches the blower 31 and the heating unit 32 again along the above path.

  The air reaching the heating unit 32 is heated by the heater 36 and blown into the water tank 4 from the outlet 4b as hot air. In this way, it again contacts the laundry in the rotating drum 5 and absorbs moisture. It is again sucked into the dehumidifier 27 from the circulation port 4c and dehumidified. By repeating this operation, the drying process is executed.

  The humidity and temperature in the rotary drum 5 are detected by a humidity sensor and a temperature sensor (not shown). When these detected values reach predetermined values, the drying process ends. The moisture condensed by dehumidification in this drying process descends in the dehumidifier 27 and is discharged to the outside from the circulation port 4c through the drainage duct 16 or the drainage valve 20.

  As described above, based on the input from the operation panel 11, the control device 2 performs the washing, rinsing, dehydrating, and drying steps continuously or independently according to the set conditions.

  In the drum type washing machine having the above configuration, the opening 4 a of the water tub 4 is closed by the lid 6. As shown in FIG. 4, the sealing material 41 is arranged at the peripheral edge of the opening 4a, the peripheral edge of the lid 6 is in close contact with the inner peripheral edge 41a of the sealing material 41, and the water in the water tank 4 is exposed to the outside. It is a structure that seals leakage. The lid 6 is kept closed except when the laundry is taken in and out. The lid 6 is closed not only during the dehydration operation but also during the washing operation and water supply / drainage, and during these operations, the lid 6 is locked by a lid lock unit (not shown). It cannot be opened. However, during the washing operation, the water level sensor 23 may detect the water level in the water tub 4, and the lid 6 may be unlocked to add the laundry in the middle if the water level is below a predetermined level.

  On the other hand, the laundry loading / unloading port 1 a of the outer box 1 is closed by the external door 3. The external door 3 is kept closed except when the laundry is taken in and out. The outer door 3 is closed not only during the dehydrating operation but also during the washing operation and water supply / drainage, and during these operations, the outer door 3 is locked by a door lock unit (not shown). It cannot be opened. However, during the washing operation, the water level in the water tank 4 may be detected by the water level sensor 23, and the door lock may be released so as to add the laundry in the middle if the water level is lower than the predetermined level.

  Further, between the opening 4a of the water tank 4 and the laundry outlet / inlet 1a of the outer box 1, the opening 4a of the water tank 4 and the laundry outlet / inlet 1a of the outer box 1 as in the conventional drum type washing machine described above. And a member (hereinafter referred to as “connecting member”) that directly connects the two. Therefore, even if the laundry protrudes from the front opening 5c of the rotating drum 5 when the rotating drum 5 rotates, the laundry is rubbed against the connecting member during the dehydration process, and the connecting member is worn or the connecting member is broken. No water leaks or damage to the laundry.

  And not using a connecting member in this way means that the vibrating body 40 including the water tank 4, the rotating drum 5 and the motor (drive mechanism) 9 and the outer case 1 are not connected on the front side. is there. Therefore, the vibration of the vibrating body 40 is not transmitted to the front surface portion of the outer case 1 during the dehydration process, so that the vibration of the outer case 1 can be suppressed.

  However, if the vibrating body 40 and the outer box 1 are not connected on the front side, when the laundry and water are thrown in during washing, the water tub 4 falls forward, and the vertical position of the external door 3 and the lid body 6 This makes it difficult to re-enter the laundry during the washing process. Therefore, the front side 4e of the water tank 4 (see FIG. 4) is elastically supported by a plurality of spring elements 44, thereby reducing the forward tilt of the water tank 4 and allowing the laundry to be re-introduced during the washing process.

  Further, in the conventional drum type washing machine having the fluid balancer 5d described above, the vibrating body 40 largely oscillates when the rotational speed of the rotary drum 5 passes through the resonance rotational speed. This is because the door packing 10 (see FIGS. 15 and 16), which is a connecting member between the vibrating body 40 and the outer box 1, forcibly regulates the movement of the sealed fluid in the fluid balancer 5 d, This is because the resonance vibration was amplified. That is, when the front side 4e of the water tank 4 is connected to the outer box 1 by the door packing 10 or the like to prevent the water tank 4 from falling forward, the movement of the fluid contained in the fluid balancer 5d is restricted and the vibration of the vibrating body 40 becomes large. Both are in a trade-off relationship.

  In order to solve this problem, two suspensions (dampers) 8 elastically support the vicinity of the center of gravity of the vibrating body 40 including the water tank 4, the rotating drum 5 and the motor 9 in the outer case 1. As a result, the load applied to the front side 4e of the water tank 4 can be reduced as much as possible, the spring element 44 attached to the front side 4e of the water tank 4 can be softened, and a vibration isolation structure that does not restrict the movement of the fluid contained in the fluid balancer 5d can be established. It came.

  However, since the vibrating body 40 is elastically supported in the vicinity of the center of gravity, no load is applied to the front side 4e of the water tank 4 when no load is applied, and no initial tension is generated. That is, when the number of the spring elements 44 attached to the front side 4e of the water tank 4 is one, when the spring element 44 is the compression spring 43 due to vibration of the water tank 4 during dehydration, the spring is fully extended, and the spring element 44 is the tension spring 42. If it is, it will bottom out and will not exhibit spring action. Therefore, the front side 4 e of the water tank 4 is elastically supported in the outer case 1 by a plurality of spring elements 44.

  Another embodiment of the drum type washing machine will be described with reference to FIGS. The drum type washing machine shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is basically the same as that of the above-described embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, and only differences from the above embodiment will be described below.

  The drum type washing machine shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is different from the drum type washing machine shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 in that a plurality of tension springs 42 are used as spring elements 44 that elastically support the front side 4e of the water tank 4. It is a point. By using the tension spring 42, the water tank 4 and the outer box 1 can be easily attached. Further, if the water tank 4 vibrates greatly at the time of resonance, the compression spring may be buckled and the spring may come off, but the tension spring 42 is less likely to come off.

  Still another embodiment of the drum type washing machine will be described with reference to FIGS. The drum type washing machine shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 is basically the same as that of the above embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, and the specific configuration of the spring element 44 is different from that of the above embodiment. ing.

  The spring element 44 that elastically supports the front side 4e of the water tank 4 of this embodiment uses two types of springs, a tension spring 42 and a compression spring 43, in series. According to this, the sinking of the water tank 4 due to the addition of the laundry and water during the washing process can be suppressed by the compression spring 43, and the vibration of the water tank 4 during the dehydration process can be suppressed by the tension spring 42. The spring element 44 may use two types of springs, that is, a tension spring 42 and a compression spring 43 in parallel. Even when used in parallel, the same effects as those described above when used in series can be obtained. Therefore, with a space-saving and inexpensive attachment means that attaches the spring element 44 only at one location on the front side 4e of the water tank 4, the function of suppressing the sinking of the water tank 4 during the washing process and the vibration of the water tank 4 during the dehydration process. There is an advantage that the suppression function can be achieved.

  Furthermore, another embodiment of the drum type washing machine will be described with reference to FIGS. The drum type washing machine shown in FIGS. 11 to 14 is basically the same as that of the above embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, and the difference from the above embodiment is the front side 4 e of the water tank 4. At least one attenuation device 80 is attached.

  In the drum type washing machine, there is a tendency that the front part of the vibrating body 40 swings in the dehydration process. In particular, in the case where the fluid balancer 5d is provided, since the sealed fluid moves to the unbalance side of the laundry until the resonance rotational speed is reached, the swinging behavior of the front portion of the rotating drum 5 is further increased. 1 to 5, when the front side of the vibrating body 40 and the outer box 1 are not connected by a connecting member as in the drum type washing machine of the embodiment shown in FIGS. With the supporting point as a fulcrum, the swaying occurs, and the distance from the point supported by the suspension 8 to the front portion of the rotating drum 5 is long, and therefore the tendency of swaying tends to appear. However, in the drum type washing machine in this embodiment, the swinging behavior of the front portion of the rotating drum 5 can be suppressed during resonance by connecting the front portion of the vibrating body 40 to the outer case 1 by the damping device 80. .

  In the embodiment described above, a compression spring and / or a tension spring coil spring is used as the spring element 44 that elastically supports the front side 4e of the water tank 4. However, the spring element 44 is constituted by another spring such as a leaf spring. Is also possible. Furthermore, what elastically supports the front side 4e of the water tank 4 is not limited to a spring element, and other elastic bodies such as rubber may be used.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, In the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention, it is also possible to change suitably the structure of each part, etc. and to implement.

  As described above, according to the present invention, a water tank that is disposed in an outer box having a laundry outlet on the front surface and has an opening on the front surface, and a shaft portion that is inclined substantially horizontally or rearwardly downward in the water tank. A rotating drum for storing the laundry therein, a motor for rotating the rotating drum, a lid for closing the opening of the water tub, and an external for closing the laundry inlet / outlet A drum-type washing machine including a door, wherein the laundry outlet / inlet and the opening of the water tank are spaced apart from each other, and the center of gravity position of the vibrator including the water tank, the rotating drum, and the motor Since there are two suspensions in the vicinity and the front side of the water tank is elastically supported in the outer box by an elastic body, the load applied to the front side of the water tank is reduced, and the elastic body attached to the front side of the water tank is softened. Even when a fluid balancer is provided at the opening of the rotating drum, it is possible to establish a vibration isolation structure that restricts the movement of the fluid contained in the fluid balancer as much as possible, and when the laundry is poured and poured, the sinking of the front side of the aquarium This can reduce the amount of stuffing and allows the laundry to be re-entered during the washing process.

1 is an external perspective view of a drum type washing machine showing an embodiment of the present invention. It is a vertical side view of the drum type washing machine of FIG. FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the drum type washing machine of FIG. It is a vertical side view of the other location of the drum type washing machine of FIG. It is a chart figure of washing operation of the drum type washing machine of Drawing 1. It is a vertical side view which shows the drum type washing machine of other Examples corresponding to FIG. FIG. 7 is a front perspective view showing the drum type washing machine of FIG. 6 corresponding to FIG. 3. It is a vertical side view which shows the drum type washing machine of other Example corresponding to FIG. FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of the drum type washing machine of FIG. 8 corresponding to FIG. 3. It is a front view of the spring element used for the drum type washing machine of FIG. Furthermore, it is the vertical side view which shows the drum type washing machine of another Example corresponding to FIG. FIG. 12 is a front perspective view showing the drum type washing machine of FIG. 11 corresponding to FIG. 3. Furthermore, it is the vertical side surface which shows the drum type washing machine of another Example corresponding to FIG. FIG. 14 is a front perspective view showing the drum type washing machine of FIG. 13 corresponding to FIG. 3. It is a vertical side view of the drum type washing machine of a prior art example. It is a vertical side view of the other location of the drum type washing machine of FIG. FIG. 16 is a front perspective view of only a main part seen through from the front of the drum type washing machine of FIG. 15.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Outer box 1a Laundry entrance 3 External door 4 Water tank 4a Water tank opening 4e Front side of water tank 5 Rotating drum 5e Shaft part 6 Lid 8 Suspension 9 Motor (drive mechanism)
40 Vibrating body 42 Tension spring 43 Compression spring 44 Spring element (elastic body)
80 Attenuator

Claims (5)

It is arranged in an outer box having a laundry outlet / outlet on the front surface, and rotates around a water tank having an opening on the front surface and a shaft portion inclined substantially horizontally or rearwardly in the water tank, and stores the laundry therein. A rotating drum, a motor for rotating the rotating drum, a lid for closing the opening of the water tub, and an external door for closing the laundry loading / unloading port. In the drum-type washing machine in which the mouth and the opening of the water tank are opposed to each other,
A drum type characterized in that two suspensions are provided near the center of gravity of a vibrating body including the water tank, the rotating drum, and the motor, and the front side of the water tank is elastically supported in the outer box by an elastic body. Washing machine.   The drum type washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the elastic body is a spring element.   The drum type washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the spring element is a plurality of compression springs or tension springs.   The drum type washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the spring element comprises a tension spring and a compression spring arranged in series or in parallel.   The drum type washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a front portion of the water tank is connected to the outer box by at least one damping device.

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