JP2006110253A - Washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the operability in the opening/closing operation of a sliding type upper lid, and to prevent a thermal deformation or the like of the upper lid from occurring. <P>SOLUTION: The sliding type upper lid comprises a freely bendable lid main body 20 for which a plurality of slats are connected, and a decorative sheet 21 which coats the upper surface of the lid main body 20. A ring-like band 30 which is passed through passing holes 20b and 21b being respectively provided on the lid main body 20 and the decorative sheet 21 is pulled by a coil spring 32 through a snap ring 31. The passing holes 20b and 21b are provided while being shifted in the pulling direction so that the pulling force may intensively be applied to the edge section of the passing hole 21b on the decorative sheet side of which the heat-resistant temperature is higher. Thus, the deformation of the lid main body 20 of which the heat-resistant temperature is lower is prevented from occurring when the ambient temperature rises, and also, the bending of the slat on the last end of the lid main body 20 is corrected by a band 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly to a structure of an upper lid that opens and closes an opening provided on an upper surface of an outer box for taking in and out laundry.

  Conventionally, a drum-type washing machine has a structure in which a side-opening door is installed in front of the outer box. However, in recent years, like a spiral washing machine, an opening for putting laundry into the outer box is provided. Those provided on the upper surface have been developed and commercialized (Patent Document 1, Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2, etc.). The drum-type washing machine having such a lid structure is called a top-open type drum-type washing machine or the like in order to distinguish it from a conventional drum-type washing machine provided with a door in front of the outer box.

  In such a drum-type washing machine, the upper lid can be roughly classified into an open / close structure, a rotary type in which a foldable upper lid can be erected and laid down (see, for example, Patent Document 1), and the upper lid when it is opened is inside the outer box. And a slide type that can move so as to be hidden (see Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example). The latter sliding lid structure is more complicated than the former rotating lid structure, but when the upper lid is opened, the upper lid does not interfere with the user's work and does not fall down. There are advantages that there is no risk of contact with a water tap (water faucet), the degree of freedom of the installation location of the washing machine is great, the operational feeling when opening and closing the upper lid is excellent, and the design is high.

  Further, in the slide type lid structure, one upper lid is slid rearward (see Non-Patent Document 1), and the front lid that is divided into two in the front-rear direction is forward, rear side There is one that slides and moves the lid of the back (see Non-Patent Document 2). The latter structure requires a mechanism for opening and closing the two lids in conjunction with each other. Therefore, the structure is more complicated than the former, and the cost is increased by that amount and a failure is more likely to occur. On the other hand, the former is relatively simple as a slide type structure, and the cost is not so high and high reliability can be ensured. Further, since the upper lid does not slide on the front side, the laundry input opening can be widened to the front side, and there is an advantage that the laundry can be easily taken in and out.

  However, in the structure in which one upper lid is slid as described above, the sliding stroke (operating distance) is inevitably long. Therefore, when opening the upper lid, the user needs to hold the handle provided in front and push it to the back. For example, when the user holds laundry in both hands, it is difficult to open the upper lid. There was a problem. In addition, the operation of opening the upper lid itself may be a burden for a relatively weak user such as an elderly person or a user with a small physique.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-230795 ([0030] and FIG. 2) “Industry's first! Drum-type washing and drying machine“ Top Open Drum ”is released with sliding door method”, [online], Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., [October 8, 2004 search], Internet, <URL: http://www.sanyo.co.jp/koho/hypertext4/0305news-j/0527-2.html> “Toshiba Home Laundry (Home Use) Instruction Manual Model Name TW-80TA”, “About Opening and Closing Slide Doors / Inner Lids”, [online], Toshiba Corporation, [October 8, 2004 Search], Internet, <URL: http://www.toshiba-living.jp/pdf/m/008039.pdf>

  In order to solve the above problems, the applicant of the present application has proposed a novel upper lid structure according to Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-172283. That is, in this new washing machine, when the upper lid is in the closed position, a force is applied so that the upper lid moves in the opening direction using the biasing force of an elastic member such as a coil spring. By providing a means for locking the upper lid so as to resist, the upper lid is held in the closed position. Then, when the upper lid is unlocked by the user's button operation, the upper lid starts to spontaneously slide by the urging force, and the upper lid reaches the open position by the urging force and the weight of the upper lid. Yes. As a result, when the user wants to open the upper lid, the user only has to perform a button operation, and there is an advantage that operability is greatly improved.

  The main object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine capable of improving the operability of the opening / closing operation with respect to the slide type upper lid having a long stroke of the opening / closing operation as described above by further improving the novel washing machine. It is to provide. Another object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine capable of reducing the number of parts and reducing the cost while improving the operability of the opening / closing operation. Another object of the present invention is to provide a washing machine with a built-in drying function that prevents thermal deformation of the upper lid component when the inside of the outer box becomes hot and can improve reliability. Is to provide a machine.

The first invention made to solve the above problems is a washing machine in which an opening for putting laundry in and out of a washing tub disposed in the outer box is formed on the upper surface of the outer box.
An upper lid including a lid body in which a plurality of strip-shaped slats are flexibly connected, and a decorative sheet stretched so as to cover the upper surface of the lid body;
A closed position in which the upper lid completely closes the opening and its one edge is bent and hangs down; and an open position in which the drooped edge is further lowered vertically and the opening is opened. An upper lid guide means for slidably guiding the upper lid,
Upper lid position holding means for holding the upper lid in the closed position;
The connecting means inserted through the insertion holes that are respectively perforated in the thickness direction of both the lid main body and the decorative sheet at the edge of the upper lid that hangs down,
Elastic means for pulling the upper lid substantially vertically downward via the connecting member so as to slide the upper lid along the upper lid guide means when the upper lid is held by the upper lid position holding means;
It is characterized by having.

Further, a second invention made to solve the above-described problems is a washing machine in which an opening for putting laundry in and out of a washing tub disposed in the outer box is formed on the upper surface of the outer box. ,
An upper lid including a lid body in which a plurality of strip-shaped slats are flexibly connected, and a decorative sheet stretched so as to cover the upper surface of the lid body;
A closed position in which the upper lid completely closes the opening and its one edge is bent and hangs down; and an open position in which the drooped edge is further lowered vertically and the opening is opened. An upper lid guide means for slidably guiding the upper lid between,
Upper lid position holding means for holding the upper lid in the closed position;
Upper lid traction including elastic means for applying an urging force that pulls the upper lid substantially vertically downward to slide the upper lid along the upper lid guide means when the upper lid is held by the upper lid position holding means. Means,
And the upper lid pulling means and the hanging part of the upper lid are defined so as to be substantially straight when the upper lid is in the open position.

  In the washing machine according to the first aspect, when the upper lid is in the closed position, the upper lid receives a tensile force in the opening direction by the elastic means, but the upper lid resists the tensile force by the holding force of the upper lid position holding means. The closed state is maintained. For example, when the holding operation by the upper lid position holding means is released by a user's button operation or the like, the upper lid starts to slide along the upper lid guide means by the pulling force of the elastic means. When the upper lid is opened and the drooping part of the upper lid becomes larger, the tensile force of the elastic means gradually decreases, but instead the gravity acting on the drooping upper lid is added, so that it reaches the open position The upper lid moves smoothly. Of course, by appropriately determining the tensile force of the elastic means, it is possible to ensure that the tensile force acts until the upper lid reaches the open position.

  Thus, according to the washing machine which concerns on 1st invention, since an upper cover spontaneously opens by simple operation, such as pushing an operation button, for example, when a user has laundry etc. Even if the person is a weak person such as an elderly person, the upper lid can be opened without difficulty, and high operability can be achieved.

  In the washing machine according to the first aspect of the invention, the lid body of the upper lid has a structure in which a large number of strip-like slats are connected in the moving direction, so that the slat located at the rearmost end is bent downward with the upper lid closed. When it is in the vicinity of the position, it tends to bend inwardly. On the other hand, it is configured so that the upper lid is pulled backward (opening side) by the connecting means inserted through the insertion holes of both the decorative sheet and the lid body so that the slat at the rearmost end faces the pulling direction. The bend can be corrected. As a specific mode for producing such an effect, for example, the connecting means may be an annular member, and the posture of the slat may be corrected by sandwiching the last slat and the decorative sheet with a ring narrowed by tension. Further, the connecting means is a string-like member or a belt-like member provided with a stopper for preventing it from coming off on the inner surface of the lid body or the outer surface of the decorative sheet, and the posture of the slat at the end by the pressing force by the member having tension or the stopper by tension May be modified.

  In this way, even when the upper lid is opened, the slat at the rearmost end does not slide and bend inwardly. For example, when the upper lid is opened, the rear of the outer tub and the rear plate constituting the outer box In the configuration in which the upper lid is accommodated in the narrow gap therebetween, the upper lid can be prevented from coming into contact with a member disposed around the upper lid, particularly on the front side. Thereby, when the upper lid is opened and closed, noise generated when the upper lid comes into contact with a member that should not be contacted can be prevented, and the upper lid can be opened and closed smoothly. In the worst case, it is possible to prevent the upper lid and other members from being damaged by forcibly opening and closing the upper lid or forcibly opening and closing the upper lid, thereby achieving high reliability. it can.

  In the washing machine according to the first aspect of the present invention, preferably, the position of the insertion hole of the lid main body and the insertion hole of the decorative sheet is such that the lid main body side insertion hole is at the decorative sheet side insertion hole in a state where the upper lid is in the closed position. It is better to have a configuration that is shifted in the tension direction by the elastic means.

  In this configuration, when pulling the connecting means inserted into the two insertion holes by the elastic member, the force of the connecting means is applied to the edge of the decorative sheet side insertion hole at a position farther from the pulling direction, and the lid main body side insertion hole Little or little force is applied to the edge. That is, since the decorative sheet is substantially pulled and tension is applied to the decorative sheet, the wavy movement of the decorative sheet is suppressed when the upper lid slides, and the force required for opening and closing is reduced. As a result, the upper lid can be smoothly opened and closed.

  In general, the lid body is formed of a soft resin such as soft polyvinyl chloride in order to enhance flexibility, and such a resin has a relatively low heat resistance temperature. For this reason, if a temperature rise occurs due to, for example, a drying operation in a state where a tensile force is applied, there is a possibility of causing thermal deformation. On the other hand, since the decorative sheet can be formed from a resin having a higher heat resistance temperature, such as polyethylene terephthalate resin, there is no risk of thermal deformation even if the temperature rises in a state where a tensile force is applied. That is, as described above, by applying a main tensile force to the edge of the decorative sheet side insertion hole, thermal deformation of the upper lid can be suppressed, and high durability can be ensured.

  In the washing machine according to the first aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the tensile force by the elastic means is determined to be substantially zero when the upper lid is in the open position. Or it is good also as a structure defined so that the said elastic means, the said connection means, and the hanging part of the said upper cover may become substantially straight, when the said upper cover exists in an open position. In the latter case, when the upper lid is in the open position, the tensile force by the elastic means becomes almost zero or a small tensile force is applied.

  In any case, according to the above configuration, when the upper lid is in the open position, the elastic means does not fall down and maintains an upright state, so that the collapsed elastic means is arranged on the inner surface or the periphery of the outer box. It is possible to avoid generating noise or catching on the member. In addition, since members for avoiding such noise generation can be eliminated or reduced, the number of parts can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

  Further, as one aspect of the washing machine according to the first invention, the elastic means is a tension coil spring, and a hook on the lower end side is provided so that a tip thereof is in the vicinity of a side surface of the coil spring, The hook can be attached so that the front end of the hook faces the inner surface of the outer box that is closest. Specifically, the hook on the lower end side of the coil spring can be an oblique round hook that is raised by tilting one turn of the coil or a side round hook that is raised on the side face.

  According to this configuration, since the tension coil spring can be attached as far as possible from the inner surface of the outer box, it is possible to reduce the contact of the coil spring with the inner surface of the outer box even when the coil spring swings. Thereby, it is possible to reduce noise mainly when the upper lid is opened and closed. In particular, when an oblique round hook is used, the number of coil turns for pulling the same length can be increased, and the tensile length per turn is shortened. Thereby, the load applied to the coil spring is reduced and the durability can be improved.

  In the washing machine according to the second invention, like the washing machine according to the first invention, when the upper lid is in the closed position, the upper lid receives a pulling force in the opening direction by the upper lid pulling means. Due to this holding force, the upper lid is kept closed against the tensile force. When the holding operation by the upper lid position holding means is released, the upper lid starts to slide along the upper lid guiding means by the pulling of the upper lid pulling means using the biasing force of the elastic means, and as the upper lid opens, Gravity acting on the upper lid is also added, and the upper lid moves smoothly until it reaches the open position. Even when the upper lid is fully opened, the upper lid pulling means and the hanging part of the upper lid are almost in a straight line, so that the upper lid pulling means that has fallen in the middle of opening is in contact with the inner surface of the outer box and other members arranged around it. It is possible to avoid generating and catching noise. In addition, since members for avoiding such noise generation can be eliminated or reduced, the number of parts can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

  In order to make the upper lid pulling means and the hanging part of the upper lid substantially straight even when the upper lid is open, a small tensile force is applied to the upper lid by the elastic means when the upper lid is in the open position. However, when the upper lid is to be closed, the tensile force becomes a load of the closing operation. Therefore, an extra force is required during the closing operation. Therefore, it is preferable that the configuration is such that the tensile force by the elastic means is substantially zero when the upper lid is in the open position. Thereby, the fall of the upper lid pulling means when the upper lid is opened can be avoided while minimizing the load during the closing operation.

  Hereinafter, a drum type washing machine which is an embodiment of a washing machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external front view of the drum type washing machine of the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is an external right side view, and FIG. 3 is an external external perspective view.

  In the drum type washing machine of the present embodiment, the outer box 1 includes an upper surface plate 1a, a front surface plate 1b, side surface plates 1c on both sides, a rear surface plate 1d, a leg base 1f, and the like. The upper surface plate 1a is formed in a curved shape that is lowered downward, and an opening 4 for taking in and out the laundry is formed in the upper surface plate 1a. The upper lid 2 for opening and closing the opening 4 is slidable in the front-rear direction as will be described later. An outer tub 10 for storing water during washing is disposed in the outer box 1 so as to be swingable by a damper and a spring (not shown), and further inside the outer tub 10 as a washing tub in the present invention. The drum 11 having a cylindrical surface is provided so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis extending in the left-right direction. Each of the outer tub 10 and the drum 11 has an opening at a position corresponding to the opening 4 of the upper surface plate 1a, and an inner lid 12 and a drum lid (not shown) are provided to close the openings. FIG. 2 shows a state where the upper lid 2 and the inner lid 12 are fully opened and the drum lid is closed.

  On the right side of the upper lid 2 on the upper surface of the outer box 1, there is disposed an operation panel 5 extending in the front-rear direction and provided with a plurality of operation keys and indicators. Some of the operation keys that are relatively infrequently used are covered with a stand-upable upper lid. A detergent container 6 covered with a laterally openable lid is provided on the left rear side opposite to the operation panel 5 with the upper lid 2 interposed therebetween. Furthermore, in the upper surface rear cover 1e mounted on the upper surface plate 1a behind the opening 4, a tap water supply port 7 connected to an external water faucet or the like via a hose is provided behind the detergent container 6. A bath water supply port 8 connected to the inside of a bath tub or the like via another hose is provided behind the operation panel 5.

  The drum type washing machine of the present embodiment has a great feature in the opening / closing structure of the slide type upper lid 2. Hereinafter, the characteristic structure and operation of the upper lid will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8 in addition to FIGS.

  4 is a side sectional view of the main part when the upper lid is closed, FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the main part when the upper lid is fully opened, FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 4, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a detailed view showing the fixed portion of the lower end of the coil spring.

  The upper lid 2 includes a flexible lid body 20 formed by connecting a large number of strip-like slats that are elongated in the left-right direction, and a decorative sheet 21 that covers the upper surface of the lid body 20, and the front edge of the decorative sheet 21 is a lid. The handle 22 is fixed to the front edge of the main body 20. On the other hand, on the rear end side, as shown in FIG. 7A, the screws 20a attached to the lid body 20 are loosely inserted into the pair of long holes 21a formed in the decorative sheet 21, so that the decorative sheet 21 is The lid body 20 can move in the front-rear direction within a predetermined range. As a result, the decorative sheet 21 covers the upper surface of the lid body 20 without being forcibly pulled or wrinkled even when the lid body 20 is bent or stretched flat as described later. The lid body 20 needs to be formed of a flexible material so that it can be bent smoothly. Here, a molded product made of a soft polyvinyl chloride resin is used. On the other hand, since the decorative sheet 21 is required toughness, a polyethylene terephthalate resin (PET) is used here. Of course, the material is not limited to these.

  The upper lid 2 having the above-described structure includes a gently curved guide rail 15 formed on the left and right edges of the opening 4 on the upper surface plate 1a, and a curved-shaped hanging guide extending behind both sides of the guide rail 15. 16, a position where the entire opening 4 is closed as shown in FIG. 4 (hereinafter referred to as a closed position), and the opening 4 is completely opened and the rear edge of the upper lid 2 is predetermined as shown in FIG. 5. It is possible to move between a position that hangs down to a height (hereinafter referred to as an open position). That is, the guide rail 15 and the drooping guide 16 function as the upper lid guide means in the present invention. The dropped upper lid 2 is accommodated in a gap between the rear wall of the outer tub 10 and the rear plate 1d.

  A U-shaped hook 24 projects from the right front edge of the lid body 20 of the upper lid 2, and the position where the front edge of the upper lid 2 contacts the front edge 1 a 1 of the opening 4, that is, the upper lid 2 is closed. , The hook 24 is hooked by the upper lid lock mechanism 14 disposed on the right side from the inside of the front edge 1a1, whereby the upper lid 2 maintains the closed position. That is, the hook 24 and the upper lid lock mechanism 14 function as the upper lid position holding means in the present invention. Further, the hook 24 is further locked in the upper lid lock mechanism 14 so that the upper lid 2 does not open immediately during the washing operation, and the lock is released after the rotation of the drum 11 has stopped reliably. Thus, the upper lid 2 can be opened.

  When the operation is stopped, hooking of the hook 24 by the upper lid lock mechanism 14 is released by pressing the lid opening button 13 disposed in front of the operation panel 5. In the drum type washing machine of the present embodiment, in order to automatically perform the operation of opening the upper lid 2 from the closed position to the open position at this time, mainly the tensile force of the tension coil spring 32 as the elastic means in the present invention is used. is doing.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 7, in the upper lid 2, insertion holes 21 b and 20 b penetrating in the thickness direction are drilled at the positions of the rear ends of the decorative sheet 21 and the lid body 20 in the left-right direction. ing. Both insertion holes 20b and 21b are at the same position in the left-right direction, but when the upper lid 2 is in the closed position (that is, when the lid body 20 is bent), the insertion hole 20b on the lid body 20 side is a makeup. It is shifted in the pulling direction by a length d from the insertion hole 21b on the sheet 21 side. An annular band 30 made of a resin (polyethylene resin or polypropylene resin) as a connecting means in the present invention is inserted into the overlapping portion of the openings of both the insertion holes 20b and 21b, and the coil spring 32 is inserted through an easily removable nascent ring 31. Is connected to a round hook 32a at the upper end of the. The band 30, the eggplant 31 and the tension coil spring 32 as the elastic means correspond to the upper lid pulling means in the second invention.

  On the other hand, the lower end of the coil spring 32 is formed with an oblique round hook 32b in which one turn of the coil is obliquely raised, and this oblique round hook 32b is fixed to a sturdy leg base 1f. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, a projecting piece 34 for hooking the oblique round hook 32b and a fixing piece 33 adjacent to the projecting piece 34 are formed at the lower end of the rear plate 1d. When attaching the rear plate 1d to the leg base 1f, the diagonal round hook 32b of the coil spring 32 is hooked on the projecting piece 34, and the leg base 1f is attached so as to cover the outer surfaces of the projecting piece 34 and the fixing piece 33. And the screw 36 penetrated to the screw hole of the recessed part 35 formed in the leg base 1f is screwed into the screw hole of the fixing piece 33, thereby fixing the fixing piece 33 to the leg base 1f. Then, the tip of the oblique round hook 32b of the coil spring 32 is sandwiched between the projecting piece 34 and the foot base 1f, and the lower end of the coil spring 32 is fixed to the foot base 1f.

  At this time, the front end portion of the oblique round hook 32b is attached to the rear side, that is, toward the rear plate 1d. Therefore, the coil spring 32 is disposed in the foremost position under the restriction that the mounting portion is located at the same position, and the distance D between the coil spring 32 and the rear plate 1d can be maximized. As a result, as will be described later, even when the coil spring 32 tilts backward when the upper lid is opened, it is difficult to contact the rear plate 1d. However, even if such an interval is ensured, there is a possibility that when the coil spring 32 swings, it contacts the rear plate 1d. Therefore, a soundproof member 37 made of a non-woven fabric is attached to the inner surface of the rear plate 1d so as to be in contact with the coil spring 32, assuming that the coil spring 32 swings. Occurrence can be prevented.

  Moreover, by making the lower hook 32b an oblique round hook, the number of coil turns with the same coil length can be increased as compared with a general round hook. As a result, the load applied to one turn of the coil when pulling by the same length is reduced, and the durability of the coil spring 32 can be improved.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the upper lid 2 is in the closed position, the coil spring 32 erected substantially vertically extends to the maximum and pulls the upper lid 2 downward via the eggplant 31 and the band 30. At this time, as described above, since the positions of the lid main body side insertion hole 20b and the decorative sheet side insertion hole 21b are intentionally shifted, the tensile force by the band 30 as shown in FIGS. The edge is mainly applied to the edge of the decorative sheet side insertion hole 21b, and not much force is applied to the edge of the lid body side insertion hole 20b, and the lid body 20 itself is not pulled backward with a large force. Since the lid body 20 is made of a soft polyvinyl chloride resin having a relatively low heat-resistant temperature (about 65 to 70 ° C.), thermal deformation occurs when the surroundings becomes hot during a drying operation with a large force applied from the outside. There is a problem that it is likely to occur. On the other hand, in the washing machine of the present embodiment, the tensile force of the coil spring 32 is not so much applied to the lid body 20 due to the above configuration, and the heat resistance temperature is about 150 ° C., which is considerably higher than the heat resistance temperature of the lid body 20. A large tensile force acts on the decorative sheet 21 made of polyethylene terephthalate resin having Therefore, even if the ambient temperature rises, the upper lid 2 can be prevented from thermal deformation.

  Next, operations and operations when the upper lid 2 is opened and closed in the drum type washing machine of the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, when the upper lid 2 is in the closed position, the hook 24 on the front edge of the upper lid 2 is hooked by the upper lid locking mechanism 14 as described above, whereby the upper lid 2 resists the tensile force of the coil spring 32. 2 remains in the closed position. At this time, the tensile force by the coil spring 32 is applied to the insertion hole 21b fixed substantially at the center in the left-right direction of the decorative sheet 21, so that the left-right balance of the rearward pulling of the upper lid 2 becomes substantially equal. As a result, the gap at the front edge of the upper lid 2 becomes substantially uniform, and the appearance is improved.

  When the user presses the lid opening button 13 and the hook 24 is unlocked by the upper lid locking mechanism 14, the upper lid 2 starts to slide in the opening direction by the tensile force of the coil spring 32. At this time, since the coil spring 32 mainly pulls the rear end of the decorative sheet 21 through the band 30, tension is applied to the decorative sheet 21 to prevent the decorative sheet 21 from undulating when the upper lid 2 is slid to prevent the upper surface of the lid main body 20. It adheres well. If the decorative sheet 21 undulates when the upper lid 2 is slid, friction with the guide rail 15 and the drooping guide 16 increases, and extra force is required for the opening operation. On the other hand, by pulling the decorative sheet 21 and reducing the waviness as in the above configuration, the opening force can be reduced by about 10%. Thereby, the upper lid 2 can be opened smoothly and the opening speed thereof can be increased.

  Further, as described above, since the approximate center in the left-right direction of the upper lid 2 is pulled backward, it is difficult to incline in the left-right direction when the upper lid 2 is opened, which also causes friction with the guide rail 15 and the drooping guide 16. An increase in size can be avoided, and the opening operation can be performed smoothly.

  Further, by passing the annular band 30 not only through the decorative sheet side insertion hole 21 b but also through the lid body side insertion hole 20 b, the band 30 is the rearmost end of the lid body 20 when the band 30 is pulled downward. Correct the slat posture. That is, when the upper lid 2 is in the closed position as shown in FIG. 4, the slat at the rearmost end of the lid body 20 is in a position that is bent downward by the drooping guide 16 and is completely adhered to the decorative sheet 21. Because it is not, it is easy to bend inward. Further, since the ambient temperature rises in this state during the drying operation, it is more likely to bend inward. If the upper lid 2 is pulled downward with the slat at the end bent inward, the dehumidifying pipe 18 for drying disposed in the rear upper space of the outer tub 10 and the water supply pipe cover 19 below the drying pipe 18. There is a possibility that the last slat may come into contact.

  On the other hand, in the drum type washing machine of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a part of the annular band 30 inserted through the two insertion holes 20b and 21b is downward (strictly slightly downward). Since it is strongly pulled, the band 30 is elongated and sandwiches the upper lid 2 from the front-rear direction (inward and outward of the upper lid 2). At this time, the inner band 30 presses the inner side of the rearmost slat outward, that is, in the direction opposite to the bending tendency as described above, and corrects the posture. Since the pressing of the slat at the end by the band 30 acts even when the upper lid 2 is in the closed position, even if the ambient temperature rises, it is difficult to bend inward, and the upper lid 2 is opened. Even in the course of going, the pressing force is pulled downward while acting on the slat at the end, so that contact with the dehumidifying pipe and the like as described above is prevented, and the upper lid is placed in the gap between the outer tub 10 and the rear plate 1d. 2 can be drooped smoothly.

  As described above, when the upper lid 2 is opened by the tensile force of the coil spring 32, the coil spring 32 is contracted and the tensile force is gradually reduced. Instead, when the upper lid 2 is opened to a certain extent, the gravity acting on the weight of the dropped upper lid 2 is not so great, but the upper lid 2 is opened. Therefore, this gravity compensates for a part of the decrease in the tensile force of the coil spring 32, and the upper lid 2 continues to open smoothly. When the upper lid 2 reaches the open position, the tensile force of the coil spring 32 is almost zero. At this time, the coil spring 32 is in an upright state with no slack, and the band 30 and the eggplant 31 are also not loosened. As shown in FIG. 5, the hanging part of the upper lid 2, the band 30, the eggplant 31 and the coil spring 32 are Almost straight.

  The opening position of the upper lid 2 is a position where the handle 22 comes into contact with the front edge portion of the upper rear cover 1e. However, when the upper lid 2 is opened with a certain degree of momentum, the handle 22 moves toward the front edge portion of the upper rear cover 1e. It hits well and makes a loud impact sound. In order to prevent this, an air damper 17 is provided on the left side behind the opening 4 and a spring type damper (not shown) is provided on the right side, and the air damper 17 and the spring type damper are supported at the front edge of the back surface of the lid body 20. A pair of left and right ribs 23 are provided to project at positions where the left and right ribs 23 are positioned. As described above, when the upper lid 2 spontaneously opens, the ribs 23 come into contact with the air damper 17 and the spring damper, respectively, slightly before the handle 22 comes into contact with the front edge portion of the upper rear cover 1e, whereby the upper lid 2 The opening speed of swiftly decreases. Since the handle 22 comes into contact with the front edge portion of the upper rear cover 1e in such a state that the speed is greatly reduced, a large impact sound is not generated and the quietness at the time of use can be improved.

  Since the coil spring 32 is almost upright when the upper lid 2 is in the open position, it is not necessary to additionally provide a member for preventing the fall around the coil spring 32. As described above, the coil spring 32 may come into contact with the rear plate 1d due to the swing of the coil spring 32. However, since the soundproofing member 37 is affixed to the contact portion, a large contact sound and frictional sound can be avoided. .

  When closing the upper lid 2 from the open state as shown in FIG. 5, the user puts his finger on the handle 22 and pulls it forward. Since the tensile force of the coil spring 32 is weak at the beginning of the closing operation, the upper lid 2 is easily slid forward. When the tension force of the coil spring 32 is increased, the upper lid 2 needs to be pulled forward by a force against this force. However, the tension is slightly increased. The hook 24 can be hooked by the upper lid locking mechanism 14 by pulling it to the foremost part without difficulty. Even during manual operation for closing the upper lid 2 in this way, for the above reason, the decorative sheet 21 is not prone to undulate and the upper lid 2 is not easily tilted to the left and right. The upper lid 2 can be closed smoothly.

  As described above, according to the drum type washing machine according to the present embodiment, the burden on the user can be reduced and the upper lid 2 can be opened and closed smoothly and without making a loud noise. At the same time, since the opening / closing structure of the upper lid 2 is simple, it is inexpensive and contributes to the cost reduction of the entire washing machine. Further, since the structure is simple and the number of parts is small, failure is unlikely to occur and reliability is improved.

  FIG. 9 is a side sectional view showing a structure of a fixing portion of the coil spring 32 to the foot base 1f of a drum type washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the hook at the lower end of the coil spring 32 is a side round hook. Also in this case, the tip of the oblique round hook 32b faces the rear plate 1d. However, in the case of the side round hook, the entire coil 32 of the hook 32b coincides with the side of the coil spring. It is attached so as to face the face plate 1d.

  In addition, any of the above-described embodiments is merely an example of the present invention, and it is obvious that modifications, corrections, and additions can be made as appropriate within the scope of the present invention and are included in the scope of the claims of the present application. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the tension force of the coil spring 32 is substantially zero when the upper lid 2 is in the open position, but at this time, a certain amount of tension force remains. The coil spring 32, the eggplant 31, and the band 30 can be stretched so that the coil spring 32, including the hanging part of the upper lid 2, can be surely aligned. Thereby, it can further reduce that the coil spring 32 contacts the rear surface plate 1d. However, if the pulling force is too large, the load when the upper lid 2 is closed becomes large. In this respect, it is preferable that the pulling force is small in the open position.

  In addition, in order to correct the posture so that the slat at the rearmost end of the lid main body 20 does not bend inwardly, for example, in addition to the band 30 having an annular shape as described above, for example, a single string (or a band) ) The end of the member is passed through the insertion hole 21b from below and then inserted into the insertion hole 20b, and a stopper for preventing the removal may be provided at the end of the string-like member protruding inside the lid body 20. In this configuration, if the lower end of the string-like member is pulled, the slat at the rearmost end of the lid main body 20 receives an outward pressing force by the stopper, and can be prevented from bending inward.

1 is an external front view of a drum type washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. The external appearance right view of the drum type washing machine of a present Example. The external appearance perspective view of the upper part of the drum type washing machine of a present Example. Side surface sectional drawing of the principal part at the time of the upper cover closure in the drum type washing machine of a present Example. Side surface sectional drawing of the principal part at the time of the upper cover full open in the drum type washing machine of a present Example. The enlarged view of the A section in FIG. Detail drawing which shows the attachment part of the band to an upper cover. The detailed view which shows the fixed part of the lower end of a coil spring. Side sectional drawing which shows the fixing | fixed part of the lower end of the coil spring for opening an upper cover in the drum type washing machine by other Examples of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Outer box 1a ... Top plate 1a1 ... Front edge 1b ... Front plate 1c ... Side plate 1d ... Rear plate 1e ... Upper back cover 1f ... Leg stand 2 ... Upper lid 4 ... Opening 13 ... Lid opening button 14 ... Upper lid locking mechanism DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 ... Guide rail 16 ... Drooping guide 17 ... Air damper 20 ... Lid main body 20a ... Screw 20b ... Insertion hole 21 ... Cosmetic sheet 21a ... Long hole 21b ... Insertion hole 22 ... Handle 23 ... Rib 24 ... Hook 30 ... Band 31 ... Naskan 32 ... Coil spring 32a ... Round hook 32b ... Oblique round hook 33 ... Adhering piece 34 ... Projection piece 35 ... Recess 36 ... Screw 37 ... Soundproof member

Claims (8)

In the washing machine in which an opening for taking in and out the laundry in the washing tub disposed in the outer box is formed on the upper surface of the outer box,
An upper lid including a lid body in which a plurality of strip-shaped slats are flexibly connected, and a decorative sheet stretched so as to cover the upper surface of the lid body;
A closed position in which the upper lid completely closes the opening and its one edge is bent and hangs down; and an open position in which the drooped edge is further lowered vertically and the opening is opened. An upper lid guide means for slidably guiding the upper lid,
Upper lid position holding means for holding the upper lid in the closed position;
The connecting means inserted through the insertion holes that are respectively perforated in the thickness direction of both the lid main body and the decorative sheet at the edge of the upper lid that hangs down,
Elastic means for pulling the upper lid substantially vertically downward via the connecting member so as to slide the upper lid along the upper lid guide means when the upper lid is held by the upper lid position holding means;
A washing machine comprising:   The position of the insertion hole of the lid body and the insertion hole of the decorative sheet is provided such that the lid body side insertion hole is shifted in the pulling direction by the elastic means with respect to the decorative sheet side insertion hole at least when the upper lid is in the closed position. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the washing machine is provided.   The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the upper lid is in the open position, the tensile force by the elastic means is determined to be substantially zero.   The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the upper lid is in an open position, the elastic means, the connecting means, and a hanging portion of the upper lid are determined to be substantially in a straight line.   The elastic means is a tension coil spring, and the hook on the lower end side is provided so that the tip thereof is in the vicinity of the side surface of the coil spring, and the coil spring is disposed on the inner surface of the outer box closest to the tip of the hook. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the washing machine is attached so as to face each other.   6. The washing machine according to claim 5, wherein the hook on the lower end side of the coil spring is an oblique round hook that is raised by tilting one turn of the coil or a side round hook that is raised on the side face. . In the washing machine in which an opening for taking in and out the laundry in the washing tub disposed in the outer box is formed on the upper surface of the outer box,
An upper lid including a lid body in which a plurality of strip-shaped slats are flexibly connected, and a decorative sheet stretched so as to cover the upper surface of the lid body;
A closed position in which the upper lid completely closes the opening and its one edge is bent and hangs down; and an open position in which the drooped edge is further lowered vertically and the opening is opened. An upper lid guide means for slidably guiding the upper lid between,
Upper lid position holding means for holding the upper lid in the closed position;
Upper lid traction including elastic means for applying an urging force that pulls the upper lid substantially vertically downward to slide the upper lid along the upper lid guide means when the upper lid is held by the upper lid position holding means. Means,
The washing machine is characterized in that when the upper lid is in the open position, the upper lid pulling means and the hanging portion of the upper lid are determined to be substantially in a straight line. 8. The washing machine according to claim 7, wherein when the upper lid is in an open position, the tensile force by the elastic means is determined to be substantially zero.

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